· Last weekend, a bunch of folks from newspapers like this got together in San Antonio for the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies' annual convention. The Weekly won an award--an honorable mention for the 2003 Best of Tucson ® illustrations, by John Craig. I got a chance to peruse San Antonio's Riverwalk, in one of the most impressive downtowns I've ever seen. I got bitched out by a former Weekly columnist, who, after I politely introduced myself, came unhinged and informed me that the newspaper is a piece of corporate-owned garbage that doesn't cover sprawl enough.
All in all, it was an interesting time.
Oh, then there was the stuff that actually was important, namely, discussions on what the alternative press is, where it's going and what we should be doing. I'll touch on this at a later date.
· There is a lot of fine stuff in the paper this Independence Day week. Be sure to read Jim Nintzel's report on the red tape that parents of disabled men and women have to jump through to get state compensation for taking care of their kids--even though it saves the state thousands of dollars per year, compared to what it costs for government-funded care.
Also, check out coverage by Tim Vanderpool and Margaret Regan of No More Deaths, the group doing a number of things to help out border crossers and bring attention to their deaths. Whatever your stance on the issue of illegal immigrants, these pieces will definitely provide food for thought this Fourth of July.
