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Kings Ranch Estates
Rejects New Fire Station
 One station not enough to serve area—
Kings Ranch Estates residents tell fire
district, “Not here”
By Sarah Owen
The News
GOLD CANYON- Residents of
Kings Ranch Estates in Gold Canyon
were clear in their message to
the Apache Junction Fire District
last week.
“We just don’t want you here,”
parcel owner Betty Baldwin told
Deputy Chief Dan Campbell in a
meeting Tuesday night, June 12.
Campbell and Fire Marshal Dave
Montgomery met with the property
owners in an effort to explain their
interest in a two-acre parcel of
residential
property in the area. They
had hoped to dispel rumors circulating
about the district’s intentions
and to gather feedback from the
community.
The fire district began a feasibility
study of the land in late May as
the first step in determining
whether or not the property may
be suitable for a future fire station.
However, the 22 residents at the
meeting told the district they don’t
care if it’s feasible to put a station
on the land, they don’t want a station
in their neighborhood. They
argued that a commercial building
has no place in a residential community.
See
A-1
and see Fire
Station page,
A-3
 AJ Man Wins State
Chili Cookoff
Takes People’s Choice award at 2007
state chili cookoff
By Sarah Owen
The News
Doug Wolfe of Apache Junction recently
competed
in a statewide chili competition. He
walked
away from the cookoff with a People’s
Choice award
for his chili, which he described as
“well-rounded,
full-flavored and addictive.”
The 2007 Arizona State Chili Cookoff was
held at
the Mazatzal Casino in Payson last
Sunday, June
10. Wolfe said hundreds sampled his
chili and chose
it over approximately 30 other entries.
The event was organized by the
International Chili
Society, a non-profit organization that
holds
cookoffs. Proceeds from the world-wide
events
benefit charities or non-profit
organizations.
Wolfe has won other awards for his
homemade
chili including a contest he won last
year in Michigan.
He also placed third in a salsa
competition at
this year’s chili event.
Wolfe plans to head to the World
Championship
Chili Cookoff next. He will take his
chili to Omaha,
Nebraska in October to see how it fares.
County Discusses 1/10
Cent Sales Tax
 Tax would
support a public health district
By Jill Jones
The News
FLORENCE- At the urging
of Pinal County Manager Terry Doolittle
the Pinal County Board of Supervisors
discussed the possible formation
of public health district to
be funded by a one-tenth of one
percent sales tax at the Wednesday,
June 13, 2007 board meeting.
According to Doolittle, grant funding
for the Pinal County Division
of Public Health (PCDPH) has decreased
from 86 percent in 2004,
down to 82 percent in 2005, to its
current rate of 78 percent, and the
PCDPH has not been able to increase
staffing to accommodate the
public health needs of a growing
population
“Pinal County’s health care
infrastructure
is not growing at the rate
necessary to meet the growing demands
of our residents. In
Maricopa County for example they
have a great deal of health
infrastructure
to provide immunizations,”
said Schryer, adding, “In
Pinal County, public health has to
fill a pretty huge gap between what the
private providers can provide
and what our citizens need.”
See
A-1
New-Look Lady
Prospectors Roll
 By Chuck Baker
The News
As far as which was hotter
last Thursday at Kiwanis Park
in Tempe, the temperature or
the “new look” Lady Prospector
softball team unveiling
their new uniforms, I’d have
to call it a toss up. With one
hundred and ten degree sizzling
heat hovering around
them, the Apache Junction
girls, wearing their brand new
black and Vegas gold jerseys,
owned the Crismon Road
schools, thumping Gilbert
Desert Ridge 17-1 and clobbering
Mesa Skyline 15-0 in
impressive fashion, no pun intended.
In the win over Desert Ridge,
Terra Ciesielski tossed a twohitter
and struck out ten batters
on the mound and blasted
a two-run homerun on offense,
finishing the game with
three RBI. Incoming freshman
player Sierra Aulik also drove
in three runs, going two-fortwo
at the plate.
Also on offense for the AJHS girls in
the win over Desert
Ridge, Katie Corbin went 2-
for-2, drove in a pair of runs
scored twice, Shelby Olson
knocked in a pair of runs with
her single, Ashley Nagle was
1-for-3 and also knocked in a
pair of runs, Chelsey Streibich
was 1-for-2, scored twice and
drove in a run, and Angelica
Valtierra, Brianna O’Brien and
Ashley Gonzalez each had a hit
and scored a run.
See
C-1
and see Softball page,
C-3
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