Recall Movement Yields 6 Candidates
Recall and primary elections will be held on March 10
Recall proponents accuse council members of ‘not listening to residents’

By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Nearly two years in the making, the long road to a recall election will end March 10, 2009, with six Apache Junction residents running against five elected members of the Apache Junction City Council. Targeted in the recall are Mayor John Insalaco, Councilmen Jeff Serdy and Rick Dietz, Councilwoman Robin Barker and Vice Mayor R.E.Eck.
   The recall team, headed by activists Jim Stephens and Shannon Flynn cited “Not listening to city residents,” as the reason for recalling the elected officials.
   Local political activists Elliott Fisher and, as previously reported, Noel Benoist will take on Mayor Insalaco in the recall.
   Benoist, who claims to be an attorney but is not a member of the Bar Association, attempted to begin the recall movement in July 2007 only to be told that state law requires that elected officials must be in office for six months before they can be recalled. Insalaco, Barker and Serdy had just taken office the previous month, in June, 2007.
   The recall then began in earnest in January 2008. Active in the recall process was former Police Chief Glen Walp (who’s city contract was not renewed in December 2007) and former city police department employee Jim Stephens. Stephens will run against Councilman Serdy in the recall.
   David Dowdle, a teacher, will face Vice Mayor R.E. Eck.
 Also active in the recall process, Shannon Flynn will run against Councilwoman Robin Barker, and Ted Mueller will take on Councilman Rick Dietz.

See A-1 and See City Council, A-3

City Judge Fetes Retirement
Over 20 years service as city attorney and judge
Retiring City Magistrate Judge David Alexander (l) receives a plaque honoring his years of service with the city from Mayor John Insalaco during the Tuesday, January 6, 2009, City Council meeting.
   In a memo to the Apache Junction/Gold Canyon News, Alexander said during his retirement he and his wife, Dr. S. Leslie Alexander, plan to “pay some serious attention to our home that we have neglected during the last 10 years. This includes sorting through 40 years of accumulated books, documents and memorabilia. If we survive that task, then visits to as many museums and presidential libraries as possible. Lastly, trips to locations that need to be seriously studied—Hawaii comes to mind.”
   He wished to thank the City Council for allowing him to be part of Apache Junction’s history; all of the city employees who helped him weather 10-plus years as city attorney and 12-plus years as city magistrate; and the citizens of Apache Junction who, for the most part, made his employment personally rewarding. “As to the others, you made my life interesting.”

See A-1

AJ’s Wyman To Hold Capitol Press Conference
Will address education concerns before state legislature
Dr. Greg Wyman, superintendent of the Apache Junction Unified School District and president of ASA (Arizona School Administrators Association), will address critical education issues in Arizona at a press conference on Monday, January 12, 2009. The press conference is sponsored by ASA and will be held at 11:30 a.m. on the State Senate lawn just prior to the noon start of the 2009 legislative session.
   Dr. Wyman will advocate for the state’s students and their educational needs.
 “As educational leaders, we are keenly aware of the budget deficit of $1.2 billion our state is facing this year and ASA wants to work with the legislature and the governor in helping to solve the budget crisis,” Wyman explained.
   “Everyone in Arizona knows the need for belt tightening; however, we are adamant that our legislature not make the mistake of balancing the budget on the backs of our students.”
   ASA has worked with its membership to develop four principles that will help guide legislative discussion and hopefully become the basis for any cuts proposed to the education budget. They are:

See A-1 and see Press Conference, A-3

A.J. Wrestlers Host Invitational
Prospectors also battle Queen Creek
By Chuck Baker
The News
When you’re giving up 18 points in weight class forfeits, it’s tough to win a wrestling match as was the case for the Prospector varsity wrestling team in last Wednesday’s 31-30 loss to the Queen Creek Bulldogs.
   Apache Junction trailed in the match 31-15 after forfeiting the 171-pound weight class and with just three weight classes to go, the Prospectors needed three wins, all via pins or with two pins and a technical fall, to pull out a win.
   Senior Taylor Hamlin came up with a 6-0 victory in the 189-pound weight class and juniors Brandon Dudley (215) and Cy Maughmer (275 pounds) both won with pins but the Prospectors came up one point shy.
   Apache Junction, who also forfeited the 103, 112 and 145-pound weight classes (Queen Creek also had a forfeit at 103 pounds), won seven of the 10 matches actually wrestled.
   Freshman Trent Mc- Minn came up with a twopoint take-down with just thirty seconds to go in his 119-pound match for a 3-1 decision. Junior Chase Converse posted a 9-2 decision victory at 125 pounds, sophomore Emerson Tucker won via a second period pin at 130 pounds, and Senior Minh Huynh came up with a two-point take-down twenty-three seconds into overtime for a 5-3 decision win at 140 pounds.

See B-1 and see AJHS, page B-4