Supporters ‘Take A Stand’ For Police Chief
Council continues with talks on cargo containers
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The issue of whether to allow the use of cargo containers in the city will be brought back before council on November 6, 2007, following a request by Councilwoman Robin Barker at the Tuesday, October 16 council meeting. The move threatens to breathe new life into the ordinance that was defeated just two weeks earlier.
   Discussion regarding the use of the containers, which have been prohibited by ordinance since 1988, for both commercial and residental use, began earlier this summer with several variations being proposed to allow the use of the containers on residential, commercial, industrial, public and quasi-public properties under certain conditions within city limits.
   The initial proposed ordinance, which would have allowed container use on residential properties, was defeated on October 2, along with an additional modified version presented by Vice Mayor R.E. Eck that would have banned their use on residential property but would have allowed for commercial, industrial and public use of the containers.

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Taggers Threaten Murder
Two juveniles arrested, more sought
APACHE JUNCTION- During the last several months the Apache Junction Police Department (AJPD) has investigated criminal damage done to property in numerous areas through tagging (graffiti).
   On October 18, 2007 the Criminal Investigations Tactical Team arrested two male juveniles on multiple counts of criminal damage to property involving gang tagging and graffiti. These offenses were primarily in the areas located between Broadway and Southern Avenue and San Marcos and Idaho Road and the tags read “West Side Locos.”
   One of the gang tags boldly made threats to the police by stating an Apache Junction Police officer would be murdered by this gang. The AJPD regards this as a serious threat and swift action was taken.
   Both subjects have been charged with multiple offenses for committing these crimes in a variety of locations, which included local businesses and several block walls belonging to the citizens of Apache Junction.

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Helping Children In Need
Project Help reaching out to AJUSD students and families
By Meghan McCoy
The News
A special program named Project Help was started more than 40 years ago by school bus drivers who worked in the Apache Junction Unified School District (AJUSD). The drivers decided to reach out and help children in need in their community.
   Project Help is operated by two employees of the school district, Coordinator Lailoni Capozzi and Assistant Rosie Portugal- Brastad. These two women are dedicated to helping students who have been enrolled in the AJUSD for at least three weeks and whose environmental contions may affect their overall welfare.
   The program is operated on a case-by-case basis for qualified families who meet the criteria for income, monthly bill expenses and Apache Junction residency. The families who qualify for assistance will receive limited emergency financial aid to ensure adequate shelter and utilities, new and used clothes and groceries from the food bank.

See A-1 and see Project Help , A-3

Relay Teams Shine At State Swim Meet
AJHS boys 200 freestyle relay squad just misses championship finals finishing ninth in Friday’s preliminary races; was top seed for Saturday’s consolation finals
By Chuck Baker
The News
Boys and girls relay teams from Apache Junction took center stage at the 4A-I State Swim Championships held Friday, October 18 at Arizona State University, led by the boys 200 freestyle relay team that barely missed out on advancing to Saturday’s Championship finals.
   The foursome of seniors Jason Yates, Austin Cherryholmes and Robert Mohle and freshman Jim Huynh swam a time of 1:39.10 in Friday’s preliminary races held at the Mona Plummer Aquatic Center on the campus of ASU and ended up with the ninth fastest overall time out of twenty-four entrants. The top eight from the preliminary heats advanced to the Championship finals on Saturday, which meant the Prospector foursome was the top seed for Saturday’s “consolation finals,” teams that finished ninth through sixteenth in Friday’s preliminaries.
   Because the consolation finals were held on Saturday back at ASU, The News wasn’t able to get the results at press time.

See C-1 and see State , C-6