We mentioned in our story on Homicide Survivors this week that we'd post a schedule of events for National Crime Victims' Rights Week here on the TW Blog.

We're a wee bit late getting this up, so you probably don't have time to get to the Crime Victims Resource Fair, which is going on from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the Downtown Library. But in case you want to swing by on your lunch hour, there will be free popcorn, cotton candy, snowcones, carnival games and other activities, as well as information about the rights of crime victims.

Tuesday, April 15: The Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault will sponsor a Tucson Youth Take Back the Night event with a mini-fair and vigil from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Catalina Park, 900 N. Fourth Ave. For more info, call 327-1171.

Wednesday, April 16: The Southern Arizona Center Against Sexual Assault teams up with a whole bunch of local restaurants for Dine Out For Safety. Participating restaurants, including Kingfisher, Blue Fin, Pastiche, Barrio Grill, Cup Cafe and others, will donate up to 20 percent of their proceeds to SACASA. Here's a complete list of restaurants and more info.

Thursday, April 17: Stop by Wingspan, 425 E. Seventh St., at 7 p.m. for a film and a discussion on sexual violence in the LGBT community. Info: 624-1779.

Friday, April 18: A 10th anniversary party for Su Voz Vole, a SACASA project, from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Old Pueblo Neighborhood Center, 101 W. Irvington Road.

Saturday, April 19: The 24th annual Candlelight Vigil at Children's Memorial Park, 4851 N. 15th Place.

Sunday, April 20: A screening of Searching for Angela Shelton at 10 a.m. at the Gallagher Theatre. Shelton herself will speak from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.

The Wingspan Board of Directors announced yesterday via e-mail that Jason Cianciotto is Wingspan's new executive director.

His selection was the result of an extensive search conducted by a board-appointed search committee, comprised of community, staff and board members. The search began in October 2007 after the LGBT advocacy organization's board announced an interim director would lead the organization until the search resulted in finding the right person. 

Wingspan's first director, Kent Burbank, left Wingspan in June 2007 to take a job with the Pima County Attorney's office. Then Joseph Bodenmiller left after only a month on the job. In September 2007, a month later, Wingspan announced another leader of the agency, Cathy Busha, would be taking a newly created position as director of the UA's Office of LGBTQ Affairs. 

According to the Wingspan press release, 21 candidates were considered from the national search.

Cianciotto begins April 16. You can meet him at a public reception on May 15, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Wingspan. 

Wingspan PR:

Prior to joining Wingspan, Jason was employed by the Washington, DC-based National Gay and Lesbian Task Force (the Task Force), where he was research director of the Task Force's Policy Institute in New York City. Jason is a nationally recognized expert on public policy issues affecting LGBT populations. He has written and published a variety of reports and studies, including several on LGBT youth, Hispanic and Latino/a same-sex couple families, and marriage equality. Jason served as a primary spokesperson for the Task Force at press conferences, before legislative bodies, and in LGBT and mainstream media. 

Jason brings a personal connection to Wingspan, as a former member of the youth group and one of Wingspan's first employees and grant writers. He is also an alum of the University of Arizona, where he earned a master's degree in public administration. 

"Tucson is the community that mentored and inspired me to make the pursuit of equality for LGBT people my life's work," says Jason. "I understand the role Wingspan plays in changing the lives of LGBT people not only in Southern Arizona, but also throughout the country. The personal impact Wingspan had on my life, combined with my professional experience, is part of the foundation that forms my passion, vision and commitment to Wingspan. What an honor and privilege it is to come home to Wingspan and give back to a community that has given so much to me."

Remember the hundreds of chihuahuas that the Humane Society of Southern Arizona took in last month? Here's some video of their living arrangements before Pima County Sheriff Department deputies raided the Avra Valley home.

In case you missed it on Friday: Here's Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords answering questions from TW's Jim Nintzel, Arizona Illustrated anchor Bill Buckmaster, Ann Brown of the morning daily and Mark Kimble of the Citizen on the weekly Roundtable on KUAT-TV, Channel 6.

And here's us columnists doing our pundit thing.

Here are some events that were received too late for our April 10 print issue. We recommend calling event organizers to check on last-minute changes in price, time, location, etc.

• Saturday, April 12 from 4 to 8 p.m.

  Sunday, April 13 from 1 to 5 p.m.

  Danswest

  5633 E. Speedway Blvd.

  Theater Auditions. Casting for a one-year national tour of Romeo and Juliet. Bring a headshot/resume. Have a monolgue and/or commercial prepared or an example of your talent. E-mail lorif-g@hotmail for an appointment. Call 975-6502 for info.

• Saturday, April 12 at 2 p.m.

  Salt of the Earth Labor College

  1902 E. Irene Vista

  Monday, April 14 at 6 p.m.

  The Royal Sun Cafe

  1003 N. Stone Ave.

  Literary Presentations. Author and journalist Catherine J. Rourke will speak on "Arizona's Tourism Workers: Exploitation and Exasperation" on Saturday. She will read excerpts from her published works about tourism, hspitality and foodservice works on Monday. For more information, visit www.writeratwork.org or call (928) 634-9001.

• Monday, April 14 at 12:30 p.m.

  UA Poetry Center

  1508 E. Helen St.

  Award Ceremony. The Arizona Humanities Council will present the 2008 Arizona Literary Treasure Award to the University of Arizona Poetry Center and Tucson writer Nancy Mairs. A reception follows at 1 p.m. Free. Visit. www.poetrycenter.arizona.edu for information.

• Tuesday, April 15 at 7:30 p.m.

  St. Mark's Church

  3809 E. Third St.

  Tucson Organic Gardeners. The topic for this month's meeting is "Herb-a-Palooza." Arrive at 7 p.m. to shop, browse free literature and enjoy refreshments. Visit http://iwhome.com/nonprofits/TOG for info.

Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords has reported raising a staggering $471,686 between January and March this year. Her latest FEC report, filed yesterday, shows that the freshman Democrat has $1,672,821 in the bank as she gears up to face a challenge from Republican state Sen. Tim Bee in CD8.

In the previous quarter, between October and December 2007, Giffords had raised $272,253.

The Bee campaign has not yet released first-quarter results. He had $161,246 in the bank at the end of 2007.

Could a memorandum issued by Pima County Chuck Huckelberry on April 3 signal the end to the great Pima County election integrity debate?

Probably not, since the Pima County Democrats go back to court on April 21 in a two-hour hearing that determines if the party gets remaining election data files it requested through its attorney Bill Risner. Risner’s request for attorneys fees from the December 2007 trial also remains a contentious issue between the county and Democrats.

As promised in this week's Skinny, here's a copy of Huckelberry's April 3 memo along with pages of supporting documentation regarding new election procedures and security methods the county administrator has directed the Elections Division to begin.

Open wide. It's a mouthful. You can also read it at www.pima.gov.

The new issue is online and happenin'. Feel free to comment on its contents here.

And after a week off, here's the triumphant return of the video Ask a Mexican!

I came home late Monday night from production to look up (I don't know why I looked up) and discover two lizards hanging upside down from the porch ceiling.

What's interesting to me is that they are pink. Is it because they are on a white ceiling, and the porch light was on? Are they special or just your average Tucson yard lizards greeting me on my return home from work?

Nanu Nanu! Any pink lizard experts out there? Roy? You got any ideas?

I'm a Grey Goose woman, but if I drank Absolut, I'd be taking those bottles out of the freezer and throwing them out in the street joining others in a vodka boycott. 

I'd boycott Absolut not because they ran an ad in Mexico showing a historical map depicting the southernmost part of the United States as part of Mexico. Folks are up in arms, and Absolut took the advertising down and issued an apology.

Ridiculous. Forget it Absolut: I'm sticking with the Goose because you didn't have the guts to ignore some vocal assholes eager to kick up dust shouting the usual, "Raza! Raza! They're coming! They're coming!" 

In the same vein, my love and admiration--yes Mr. Warden and friends--my love and admiration goes out to the TUSD teacher at Gale Elementary School for teaching her students how to do the Pledge of Allegiance in English, Spanish and American Sign Language. 

Lance Altherr, whose son is in the class, demanded that the practice stop. When the teacher and principal said no, his son switched classes; meanwhile, an e-mail campaign began directed toward TUSD. Altherr is a member of the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps. 

When did we get to be so small-minded in this country and in Arizona? Our cover story this week is by Tim Hull, about his travels throughout the state and the interesting people he met. One character sells used books in Quartz, usually only attired in a sweater--his ass cheeks greeting the world. He told Tim that folks in Arizona were open-minded to people a little different.

Really? 

Maybe its people who've been here longer than Altherr and Arizona Superintendent Tom Horne who are more excepting. Love of country has nothing to do with any of this, and I just they would all own up to that fact. Why is it I can love my country, but not give a rat's ass that Absolut ad campaign? Why is it I can love my country, but not give a rat's ass about poor Altherr's son having to stretch his brain a bit with different languages reciting something he's very familiar with?