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Seasoned Cops
Attracted To AJ, But Discouraged By Pay
  Of
13 recent experienced applicants, only 3
remain in hiring process
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The
change in leadership and reputation
of the Apache Junction Police
Department (AJPD), along with expected
area growth is reportedly
attracting experienced officers to
express interest in transferring to
the city’s Police Department, until
they hear about the salary, according
to Civilian Commander Jay
Swart.
Over the last two months 13 laterals
(experienced officers) from
other areas expressed interest in
making the move to AJPD, only
three of those 13 remain interested,
and the rest, according to Swart,
were picked up by other departments
after Apache Junction’s salary
posed a problem.
“I am aware that the AJPD has
been rebuilding and restructuring
itself and there is a sense of
excitement
within the ranks that is plainly
visible to any outsider looking in,”
said an applicant from Colorado.
“They see great leadership, the
impressive backgrounds and what
has been done in a year; which has
been remarkable,” said Swart, “But,
we have a dilemma with pay.”
See
A-1
CAAG Moving
Headquarters To AJ
 Central Arizona Association of
Governments relocates to Idaho Rd.
By Jill Jones
The News
The Central Arizona Association
Governments (CAAG), one of six
state regional planning districts
and currently headquartered in Superior,
will be relocating their offices
to Apache Junction.
The CAAG board voted unanimously
last Wednesday, March 28,
2007, to approve the move to offices
located in the vicinity of South
Idaho Rd. and Broadway Ave.
According to Executive Director
Maxine Leather, they opened a
small planning office on Apache
Trail earlier this month and are
currently
in lease negotiations for the
3,000 square foot Idaho Road office
and will hopefully move in
around June first.
“We’re in this beautiful old historical
building (in Superior), but it
has environmental problems,”
Leather said. The environmental
problems will apparently take a
while to correct, which prompted
the decision for the move. Leather
said CAAG will still retain a small
office in Superior.
See
A-1
Fire District Receives
Donation
 Sunrise RV Non-denominational Church
gives $700
The Sunrise RV Non-denominational
Church, located at 1403 W. Broadway
in Apache Junction, presented the
Apache Junction Fire District with a
check for $700 on Thursday, March
29, 2007. The church raised the money
through church donations.
Pictured at right (from l to r) are
church board members Lee
Sutherland from Michigan and Ravon
Thaemert from Colorado, Dave Montgomery,
fire marshal for the AJ Fire
District and Ron Chenault, chairperson
of the church board for the Sunrise
RV Non-denominational Church.
The church also donates to other local
organizations. This year they gave $500
to the Apache
Junction Food Bank and between $800 -
$1,000 to Sunshine Arces Childrens Home
in Mesa.
The majority of residents at Sunshine RV
Resort are “snowbirds”, said Chenault.
“This is
one way they give back to the local
community.” Chenault is from Iowa and
spends 6 months
of the year in Apache Junction. For more
information, contact Ron Chenault at
480-983-
3870. (Photo by Cindy McSperitt)
Prospectors Run-Rule
Arcadia, 20-10
 Overcome eight-run, first-inning deficit
to rout Titans in five innings
By Chuck Baker
The News
“A funny thing happened on
the way to an Arcadia runrule...”
I didn’t come up with it. The
phrase came from one of the
fathers of a Prospector senior,
one who has been around the
AJHS baseball diamond long
enough to know that after the
Titans scored eight runs in the
first inning of their game with
Apache Junction last Tuesday,
the Prospectors of old would
have folded like a cheap tent in
a monsoon wind.
But these are not the Prospectors
of old. Far from it. And
instead of folding to Phoenix
Arcadia in a game where an old
AJHS squad would have welcomed
the 10-run rule just to
end the agony of another lopsided
loss, these Prospectors
roared back and run-ruled the
Titans 20-10 in five innings.
Ripping eighteen base hits,
three each by seniors Mike
Chilson and Zach Younkerman,
who combined for seven RBI,
and two-run homeruns from seniors
Dennis Bartos and Justin
Rankin, the Prospectors, also
aided by ten walks or hit batsmen
by Titan pitchers, three
wild pitches and four Arcadia
errors, sent the Titans packing
and likely scratching their heads
on the bus ride home wondering
if that was really Apache
Junction wearing the black and
gold uniforms, or perhaps,
Scottsdale Chaparral players
playing an early April Fools joke.
See
C-1
and See Baseball
C-6
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