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Petition Mounted To
Protest Peralta Development
Peralta Development and Gold Canyon
condos on county’s February 15 Planning
& Zoning Agenda
By Jill Jones
The News
GOLD CANYON- Property owners
in Gold Canyon are mounting a
petition to protest a zoning change
request by MPB Holdings, which
the residents say they feel would
adversely affect their neighborhoods
and change the character
of the local environment.
MPB is requesting a zoning
change for the residential development
of a 320 acre tract of land
between the Peralta Trails and
Mesa Del Oro neighborhoods,
seeking to change the current CR-
2 Single Residence, established in
1992, to CR3 Single Residence.
The rezoning would reduce the
minimum lot size from 12,000 square
feet to 7,000 square feet and would
also reduce front, rear and side yard
requirements. The developer contends
that the smaller lot sizes
would allow for more open space
within the development.
Residents mounting the petition
say they want to protect the lower
density and natural desert. They
believe the change sought by MPB
Holdings would have deleterious
effects, including increased traffic,
which in their opinion would exacerbate
existing hazardous traffic
conditions on the already limited
roadways in the area.
See
A-1
Senator Rios Sponsors
Bill For AJ Emission Inspection Station
 Rios seeks support of Gold Canyon
residents and District 22
APACHE JUNCTION- Senator
Rebecca Rios of Apache Junction
is sponsoring Senate Bill 1307, making
an appropriation to the Department
of Environmental Quality for
an emissions testing facility in
Apache Junction.
The first and second readings of
SB1307 were held on Wednesday
and Thursday last week, and the
bill will now go to the Natural
Resources
and Rural Affairs (NRRA)
and Appropriations Committees.
This is just the first step in the
process, according to Rios, a Democrat
representing Legislative District
23. Once the bill is heard by the NRRA
and Appropriations
Committees, it returns for a full vote
in the senate, after which it will go
through a similar process in the
House of Representatives.
Rios said that she believes that if
the people who live in Pinal County
are going to be required to submit
to vehicle emissions testing, there
should be a facility in Pinal County.
“I am hopeful that we have bi-partisan
support,” said Rios. “We owe
this service to Pinal County citizens.”
Rios said she would like to encourage
the folks in Gold Canyon
and District 22 to contact their
senators
and representatives and ask
them to support SB1307.
For information on how to contact
your state legislators visit
www.azleg.state.az.us.
See
A-1
AJ Student Places
Third In Arizona Writing Contest
 Eighth grader to be a guest of honor on
Statehood Day
APACHE JUNCTION- Amanda
Newman, an eighth grade student
at Desert Shadows Middle School
in Apache Junction, has been
awarded third place in the 7th/8th
grade category of the 2007 Polly
Rosenbaum Writing Contest.
Apache Junction and Desert
Shadows Middle School will once
again be well represented at the
Statehood Day Celebration at the
Arizona State Capital on Wednesday,
February 14, 2007, when
Amanda will be a guest of honor
at the luncheon ceremonies. The
winners will then be presented with
their prize packages. Following
lunch, they will proceed to the
Governor’s Protocol Room in the
Executive Tower where Amanda
and the rest of the winners will be
presented with certificates of
commendation
and gift certificates to
the Capital Museum Store.
This year’s theme for the creative
entries was “Envisioning Arizona’s Future:
The Impact of
Renewable Energy to
Our Environment.” Students
were asked to
envision what a future
of alternative fuels and
renewable energy may
be like. Entries could be
essays, poems, stories
or plays and hundreds
of students enter the
contest each year.
See
A-1
Lady Prospectors Tied
For Region Hoops Lead
 AJHS girls in driver’s seat with two
home games remaining this week
By Chuck Baker
The News
With huge wins last week over
both Scottsdale Coronado and
Higley, coupled with Queen
Creek’s victory over Tempe, the
Lady Prospector varsity basketball
team finds itself tied atop the
East Sky Region standings with
a 6-2 record and just two home
region games to go in the regular
season.
Apache Junction, also 16-10
overall, is now in the driver’s seat
for their first ever outright region
title in either the 3A or 4A division
when they host 5-2 Queen
Creek this Tuesday and 6-2
Tempe this Friday. Wins over
both would give the Lady Prospectors
the region championship
and the all-important automatic
berth into the 4A-II State Tournament.
The last time an AJHS
team qualified for a State Tournament
came back in 1993 when
that Lady Prospector team lost
to Window Rock in the State semifinals.
In last Tuesday’s 44-24 win
over Coronado, sophomore
Hannah Herrera tossed in 14
points and senior Jessica Samuels
hit for 11 points to pace Apache
Junction. Junior Chelsea Darling
added 6 points for the Lady Prospectors,
senior Rebecca Marquez
also netted 6 points, senior
Meghan Beza and junior Mia
Przekurat both scored 3 points,
junior Rachel Marquez added a
bucket and senior Jez Wells sank
a free throw.
See
C-1
and see
Hoops
C-2
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