Interim Police Chief Appointed
Captain Kelly assumed duties Saturday, Dec 8
APACHE JUNCTION — Apache Junction has announced the appointment of Captain Thomas E. Kelly to serve as Interim Chief of Police. Kelly, assumes the duties of Chief starting Saturday, December 8th.
   Kelly currently serves as a Captain with the department, where he has supervised the Criminal Investigations Division. Before coming to Apache Junction in January of 2007, Kelly was Special Agent in Charge at the United States Department of Justice, DEA since 1999. He worked in other capacities, also at that agency, starting in 1984.
   In addition, Kelly has a B.A. in Social Justice from Lewis University. He has graduated from the FBI/DEA Training Academy and the Police Training Institute at the University of Illinois.
   The city has begun a nationwide search for a new Chief of Police. Key stakeholders and other members of the community will be involved during the selection process.
   For additional information contact Patrick Brenner at 480-474- 5080.

5 On Council May Face Recall
Four more recall petitions requested
By Sarah Owen
The News
APACHE JUNCTION- Five of the seven members of the Apache Junction City Council now face the possibility of a recall election as four more petitions were requested last week against Council members Jeff Serdy, Joe Severs, Vice-mayor R.E. Eck and Mayor John Insalaco, leaving, for now, only Council members Robin Barker and Chip Wilson out of a possible recall. The requests followed a petition from the previous week against Councilman Rick Dietz.
   The first recall petition was requested late Friday afternoon, November 30, 2007 by Shannon Flynn. The Apache Junction woman said she was “not happy with the way he (Dietz) has been using his time while being a council member.”
   The next three recall petitions were requested by residents of Desert Harbor Mobile Home Park, 3700 S. Ironwood Drive. Park resident Thomas F. Hennessy requested a recall petition against Eck on Monday morning, December 3. Hennessy listed his grounds for the vice-mayor’s recall as “failure to vote in accordance with the constituents’ wishes.”

See A-1 and see Recall, A-3

Council Plans Retail Development Project
Construction of 450,000 sq. ft. center to begin in ‘08
By Meghan McCoy
The News
APACHE JUNCTION —Council members discussed different possibilities to open the lines of communication between the communities of Apache Junction and Gold Canyon at their December 3 work session. The council is striving to enhance the resources both communities already have. More will be discussed at future meetings concerning representation and the possible formation of a regional council.
   Revision of the current zoning ordinance for placement of trailers on residential properties was also on the agenda. Council decided the definition of a front yard needed to be determined. Councilman Jeff Serdy said the issue of parking RVs in the front yard is a simple zoning problem and Councilwoman Robin Barker added, “It began with inconsistency; we need to determine what that consistency should be.”
   The Apache Junction Gateway Project was discussed at the regular city council meeting on Tuesday, December 4.

See A-1 and see Council , A-6

A Night Of Soccer Firsts
By Chuck Baker
The News
Lady Prospector varsity soccer coach Norm Hoefer said he couldn’t sleep the night before his Apache Junction girls made school history hosting their first ever varsity match at Davis Field. He kept playing the match against Marana scheduled for last Wednesday over and over in his head.
   Just two minutes into Wednesday’s match the first goal was scored but not by one of his girls. Midway through the opening half, the Marana girls scored again. Twenty-four seconds later, Marana made it 3-0. The Lady Tigers would add two more before intermission.
   “This is not the way I saw the match going in my head,” Coach Hoefer said to me as I passed in front to get a closer angle for pictures. “I saw it going quite differently.”   
   By the time the first varsity match ever for the AJHS girls ended last Wednesday at Davis Field, Marana had put eight shots into the net. Thanks to Lady Prospector sophomore goalkeeper Chayla Langley’s 11 saves, otherwise the Lady Tigers might have had more.

See C-1 and See Soccer, C-3