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Police Employee Seeks
Damages Settlement
 Complaint names police chief and
commander— Suit in excess of $2 million,
but will settle for
$300,000
By Jill Jones
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- The same
female employee of the Apache
Junction Police Department
(AJPD) who filed a harassment
claim against the Chief of Police
Glenn Walp in April is now naming
both Walp and Civilian Commander
Jay Swart in a 60-day demand
letter, requesting a lump sum
payment of $300,000 in lieu of a law
suit in excess of $2 million.
Attorney Elizabeth Faulkner sent
the demand on July 12, 2007 on behalf
of AJPD Administrative Assistant
Jenny Lewis, 39, who was hired
in January 2004. The letter outlines
the claim for damages and gives
the city a sixty day time frame to
assess their liability and either
agree to the $300,000 demand or
go to court and battle estimated
claims of $1,197,240 in wage damages;
$300,000 in pain and suffering;
$300,000 in punitive damages
and an unknown amount in attorney fees,
as estimated by Faulkner.
Lewis alleged in March, 2007, that
Walp had created a hostile work
environment through his offers to
her of financial assistance and
gifts, following which Walp was
placed on administrative leave
while Lewis’ claims were investigated
by a private law firm hired by
the city.
See
A-1
and see Damages ,
A-5
Local Businesses Have
A Resource
 City’s
business advocate eager to help cut
through ‘red tape’
By Sarah Owen
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- Janine
Solley, the city’s newest and sole
business advocate, has a message
for Apache Junction’s business
owners:
“If you’re a business in town, I’ll
be knocking at your door soon,”
she says to the people with whom
she will be working most closely.
Her role as business advocate is
to act as a liaison, educator and
allaround
resource for the city’s existing
businesses and new developers.
She explains city policies and
zoning codes; one of her primary
goals is to enable business owners
to make the most well-educated
decisions possible.
Solley, an Illinois native, has been
working for the City of Apache
Junction for approximately five and
a half years. She started out in the
marketing and communications
department and progressed to the
city manager’s office, where she
worked for the last three years. In
May, Solley moved to the economic
development department, where
she became part of a three-man team
dedicated to understanding and
guiding the city’s growth.
See
A-1
and see City
Business ,
A-3
City’s Clean-Up Days
Coming
 Register for pickup by August 8
APACHE JUNCTION- Yes, it’s
that time of year again – time for
fall house cleaning. The City’s Public
Works Department has announced
its Quarterly Clean-Up
Days starting Monday, August 13,
and running through Friday, August
17, 2007. Quarterly Clean-Up
Days provide an ideal opportunity
to get rid of inoperable vehicles,
garbage, debris and other unwanted
items.
The program is limited to singlefamily
residents living adjacent to
a public street and not in apartments
or mobile home parks. All collections
must be within the incorporated
limits of the City of Apache
Junction.
In order to participate in Clean-
Up Days, residents must register
their solid waste pick up with the
City by 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August
8, 2007, no exceptions. Register
at the Public Works Department,
at 575 E. Baseline Ave.
Throughout the collection period,
City of Apache Junction employees
will be picking up waste such
as brush, weeds, furniture and tree
clippings for a nominal $15 fee paid in
advance of collection. Junked
cars with a valid title will be removed
for $20 paid in advance of
collection.
See
A-1
 AJHS Volleyball
Popular Summer Sport
By Chuck Baker
The News
Lady Prospector volleyball is
such a popular summer sport that
the AJHS girls fielded two teams
in last week’s Phoenix College
League and needed a school bus
to transport the girls there, the
only school that can make that
claim.
Apache Junction’s teams consisted
of one made up with next
season’s likely varsity players and
a second team featuring the
younger and up and coming players
who will likely make up the
AJHS junior varsity and freshmen
teams this fall.
This has to be a welcomed site
for first-year head volleyball
coach Mandy Gamboa, hired this
past Spring to take over the program
from Tayna Loftis, who
resigned as head coach after eight
seasons but is staying on at AJHS
as a teacher.
This was the second week of
competition for the Lady Prospectors
in the Phoenix College
League and they have three more
days to go in July, all on Tuesdays
and with matches played at
6:00, 7:00 and 8:00 p.m.
In addition to competing in the
Phoenix College League, the Lady
Prospectors are also working out
two days a week in the weight
room at AJHS, conduct speed
training drills once a week and
will be participating in a team
July 20-22 at Eastern Arizona
College.
See
C-1
and see V-Ball ,
C-2
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