Firefighters Hope To Change Fire District
Firefighters’ union supporting slate of candidates for fire board in November’s election
Lack of communication is major concern— Part II of a 3-part series
By Meghan McCoy
The News
APACHE JUNCTION — The word “communication” made its way through many conversations the News had with the three fire board candidates, Mike Weaver, Jim Cross and Justin Jackson, along with firefighters in the Apache Junction Fire District (AJFD).
   The AJFD governing board currently has three of their five seats open for election on November 4. Firefighter union candidates Weaver, Cross and Jackson say they are running for a seat on the fire board, not as “a special interest (the union),” but rather because they want to help increase the communication between the firefighters, board members and the community.
   “We are not puppets of the union, we are our own individual(s),” Cross said. He said he is a citizen who lives in the district and is a taxpayer who will offer his experiences and knowledge as a firefighter if elected to the fire board. “I look at it as I am giving back to the community and I bring something to the table with my experience.”
   Weaver said he wanted to run for the fire board because he believes in participation, not because he has an alternative motive. He said he cares about the community in which he lives.
   “If you really believe things need to change you need to be a part of the decision making,” he said. Weaver added that he is running for one of the open seats on the fire board to improve things in the district because, “if somebody doesn’t do it nobody will do it.”

See A-1 and see Fireboard, page A-6

Police Personnel Disciplined
Officer did not respond to reckless driver call—
Incident happened before current chief was hired
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Five members of the Apache Junction Police Department were reprimanded after an officer ignored a call warning of a potential drunken driver in May.
   Officer Danny Campano and Communications Supervisor Lisa Eminhizer received written reprimands, Sgt. Clyde Allison received a one-day suspension, and Dispatchers Karen Dobbs and Celeste Zwolinski received verbal warnings in August.
   All personnel accepted responsibility, according to a 229-page document obtained through a Freedom of Information Act request by The News.
   According to the document, on Sunday, May 4, between the hours of 2 p.m. and 4 p.m., members of the day and swing shifts met for a Cinco de Mayo celebration on the second floor patio/ break room area as a “team-building” exercise. At 2:30 p.m., a call came in to Eminhizer regarding a driver who was drinking alcohol while driving.
   The call log indicates Campano was dispatched at 2:32 p.m. and was placed “on scene” at 3:50 p.m. The paperwork states, “The response time indicated is 78 minutes, which by any standard is unacceptable. In addition, this investigation confirms that the call was never answered by any officer of the AJPD.”
   The call was cleared about 3:50 p.m.

See A-1 and see Police, page A-2

City Council Rejects QT
Votes 6-1 to deny store location
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The Apache Junction City Council voted Tuesday, September 16, to deny QuikTrip Corp.’s rezoning request that would have allowed a new convenience store and service station on the northwest corner of Ironwood Drive and Baseline Avenue.
   Members of the packed City Council Chambers cheered as Mayor John Insalaco placed the last vote against the QuikTrip. City Councilman Joe Severs was the only one to vote for the project.
   The council also denied a request by QuikTrip to continue the hearing until Tuesday, November 18.
  During the public hearing that preceded the vote, several residents of the adjacent Desert Harbor 55-plus mobile home park addressed the council.
   Don Walker explained he thought adding another gas station to the corner of Ironwood Drive and Baseline Avenue was “poor planning” as a Chevron sits on the corner as well. He said the land, zoned for a restaurant/hotel, would be better suited for another project.
   “If the QuikTrip people go away, I’m sure it would be sold and developed within a Votes 6-1 to deny store location year,” Walker said. “I urge you, when you do vote, to vote to deny this request.”
   Alice Johnson, another Desert Harbor resident, explained that she searched her mobile home park for those in favor of the project and could not find anyone. A victim of two burglaries, she said she feared for her safety if a QuikTrip opened near her home.

See A-1, and see City Council, A-2

AJHS 4-0 After 27-19 Win Over Queen Creek
Prospectors entering “uncharted territory”
By Chuck Baker
The News
When Apache Junction and Queen Creek meet on the football field you can throw out records and rankings and even little tidbits such as Apache Junction leading the entire nation in rushing after starting the season with three rather easy and lopsided wins.
   Queen Creek, ranked No. 2 in 4A-II after beginning the season 2-0, out-rushed Apache Junction last Friday, out-gained the Prospectors in total yards and forced five AJHS turnovers, yet the Prospectors made enough big plays on offense and special teams and came up with three goal-line stances to hold on for a 27-19 victory to improve to 4-0 on the season.
   The Prospector varsity football team may be entering uncharted territory on several fronts. For starters, many AJHS coaches, administrators and former players are speculating that this could very well be the first time any AJHS team started a season 4-0.

See C-1 and see 4-0, page C-6