Light Parade Kicks Off Holiday Season
Enthusiastic crowd of several thousand attends Friday night event
By Ed Barker
The News
The Apache Junction Main Street Holiday Light Parade took place on Friday, December 5, with families, businesses, church groups and organizations participating in the annual event, lighting up the night with their floats and decorated vehicles.
   The parade began after the Parks and Recreation tree decorating ceremony at 7 p.m. at the city focal point, Apache Trail and Old West Highway.
   The parade is sponsored by Main Street, the City of Apache Junction and Life- Gate Church.

City Council Eyes Park Improvements
Prospector Park would see new restrooms, parking, dog park
Two officers honored by council at retirement
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Prospector Park will feature more restrooms and additional parking as well as an off-leash dog park if the city decides to include the project in the future capital facilities plan. The price tag is $2 million.
   Parks Superintendent Nick Blake spoke to the City Council during its Monday, December 1, work session and outlined the tentative plans for the park.
   “As many of you know, the continuing development of Prospector Park has been in the city parks master plan for the last several years,” Blake told the council. “Prospector Park, in recent years, has needed an additional restroom and parking area in the northeast corner of the park.”
   Restrooms, he said, are “badly” needed to accommodate large groups of people who visit the park for special events.
   Last fiscal year, the City Council voted to accept the parks master plan update, which included giving top priority to an off-leash dog park.
   “Prospector Park is, by far, the most used city park for citizens bringing their dogs to walk and to play with, with a dog on a leash,” Blake said.
   The staff worked with an award-winning engineering firm to design the dog park, which includes four “pods” or grassy areas, as well as animal control officer Debbie Sullivan and Gold Canyon resident/dog advocate Marta Saint James.

See A-1 and see City Council, A-5

City Closes Deal With Empire
Organization to be reimbursed for infrastructure, will have jobs for up to 75 employees
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The Apache Junction City Council unanimously approved during its December 2 meeting a development agreement with Empire Southwest for the reimbursement of public infrastructure in an amount not to exceed $300,000.
   “It’s sort of becoming standard practice,” said Steve Filipowicz, the city’s economic development director. “We agreed to do it with Diversified Partners on the Apache Junction Gateway project, reimbursement for infrastructure. It was done previously with Walmart. That goes back a few years and there are other discussions in the works.
   “It’s kind of standard practice across the industry to be able to do this, specifically within Arizona.”

See A-1 and see City Council, A-6

Soccer Starts Up
By Danie Lowe and Chuck Baker
The News
Junior varsity soccer returned to Apache Junction High School this past week for the first time in two years when girls and boys teams from AJHS hosted teams from Higley and Queen Creek.
   Junior varsity soccer at AJHS began in 2005 and evolved into a varsity sport in 2007. This year, both varsity and junior varsity soccer teams are competing for the first time in school history.
   This past Monday at Davis Field, the AJHS girls junior varsity squad came up with a 1-0 victory over Higley in their season opener as Cecilia Martinez scored the only goal of the match in the second half while the junior varsity boys dropped their match with Higley by a score of 3-1 as Francisco Ruiz scored Apache Junction’s only goal.
   On Wednesday of last week, after the Lady Prospector fell 2-1 to Queen Creek, the junior varsity boys from AJHS pulled out a thrilling 3-2 win when the Prospectors’ Juan Gonzalez scored about mid-way through the second half, accounting for the only second half score.
   The two teams played to a 2-2 tie in the first half with Apache Junction getting first half goals by Andrew Gyenizse and Augustin Mares. Gonzalez then scored the game-winner with 24:38 left to go in the match.

See B-1 and see SOCCER, page B-3