Cases identified in Arizona

See A-1 and see Swine Flu, A-6

AJ Man Builds Solar-Powered Motorcycle
Project is culmination of lifelong dream
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Richard Grzych of Apache Junction knew his family would think he was crazy when they heard his plans to build a solar-powered electric motorcycle. But he was bound and determined to create his solar panel-covered machine.
   “I’ve had a lifelong love affair with all types of motorcycles and have owned almost anything you could name,” said Grzych, pronounced Grish. “But of course they all ran on gasoline. I kept dreaming of one that didn’t.”
   So in the late 1970s he buckled down and started a long journey that culminated in “The Solar Flyer,” named after the little red wagon “The Radio Flyer.”
   “I drew up my first plans for it around 1979, shortly after the oil crisis of the ‘70s,” he to see it through—no matter what it took. Nothing was going to stop me.”
   Although he built his first prototype in 1979, he didn’t have the wherewithall to make it happen, so he put it on the back burner.
   On July 11, 2006, he found the perfect bike for the project, however—a 2003 Derbi GPRR Racing bike built in Barcelona, Spain. Grzych found one on the Internet for $7,800 already converted to electric. He paid to have it shipped from California.
   “My excitement was very hard to control and after gazing upon the little machine for hours, it was time to tear it apart,” he said.
   He ordered all the parts off the Internet and tested them and, through trial and error, found out what worked. During one of his tests, he shorted out a component. That led to the hiring of an electrical engineer whom he made sign a nondisclosure agreement.

See A-1 and see Solar Power, A-3

Building Dreams
Last Habitat for Humanity home built in AJ subdivision
By Monica Goss
The News
On April 25, 2009, Habitat for Humanity, Salt River Project (SRP) and the Apache Junction community celebrated the completion of the Ironwood Trails 18-home subdivision on North Ironwood Drive.
   Just west of the Superstition Mountain, this subdivision consists of more than just stucco houses and driveways. Eighteen solar-powered homes, 18 families and a reflection of how a community working together makes dreams a reality. Dreams that Christal Privett, the final homeowner of Ironwood Trails, feels she would never have recognized if it weren’t for the Habitat for Humanity, SRP and all the sponsoring organizations working on this project.
   The single mother of three, Privett saw an advertisement regarding The Habitat for Humanity project in Apache Junction about a year and a half ago. But, she didn’t feel she would qualify.
   “After going through a divorce you don’t think you can do it by yourself, it becomes more of like it is never going to happen.” However, about a year later, a neighbor told Privett that there was one home site left in the project. Privett made the call and says, “It all played out right.”  
   After qualifying for the home, paying the $2,000 down payment, construction began on the Privett home January 10, 2009. Habitat for Humanity requires 400 hours of sweat equity donated toward the project. Of that, 100 hours must be given to the neighbors and 300 hours on their own homes. The homes are built from the ground up and the homeowners help with everything from framing to painting.

See A-1 and see Dreams, A-10

Lady Prospectors Sweep McClintock
Playoff chances improve; may still need a win vs. Chaparral this week
By Chuck Baker
The News
First, the good news. With a sweep of Tempe McClintock last week, the Lady Prospector varsity softball team improved to 15-14 overall and 5-5 in the Desert Sky Region and greatly helped their post season playoff chances with just two games to go in the regular season.
   The bad news? The AJHS girls may still need at least one win this week against Scottsdale Chaparral (20-7, 9-1) in their final home-and-away series of the regular season and may even have win both to clinch a playoff spot.
   The top 16 teams in the final 4A-I power point rankings qualify for the 4A-I State Tournament, which begins this coming Saturday, May 9, at the site of the higher seed. As of this past Saturday, Apache Junction was listed No. 18 in the rankings. Because their two game sweep over McClintock (4-14, 2-10) didn’t award them many power points due to McClintock’s weak won-loss record, the AJHS girls likely need at least one win this week against the No. 5 team in the rankings, Chaparral.

See B-1 and see AJHS, B-6

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