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Apache Junction Holds
On To D.A.R.E.
 Funding cuts leave only two of the youth
drug programs still operating in East
Valley
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Officer Bill Virtue, who
serves as the Apache Junction
Police Department’s D.A.R.E.
(Drug Abuse Resistance Education)
officer, is one of the
fortunate few who absolutely
loves his job.
He’s run into former students
who thank him for his
work at airports in California,
Disney World in Florida and
movie theaters in Mesa. That
makes him even more grateful
for his occupation.
“This is actually the nicer
side of law enforcement, if
you want to call it that,” Virtue
said.
“Part of the reason D.A.R.E.
uses uniformed police officers
in the classroom is No. 1,
to bring credit to the program.
Who knows more about drugs
than a police officer who arrests
and sees all the harmful effects of it?
“Second part, is it gives the
kids the chance to see a police
officer in a light other
than a negative light. Unfortunately—
let’s face it—when
law enforcement gets a call to
a house, it’s usually because
something negative has happened.
So when the police
officer gets there, they handle
that situation.”
Many times, someone is arrested
because a crime has
been committed.
“If that’s the case, the only
thing that kids see with law
enforcement is, ‘This is the
person who took mom or dad
to jail. Now I have to go live
in a foster home.’”
Kids are afraid of law enforcement
personnel, said
Virtue, who will give a presentation
to the City Council
at 7 p.m. Tuesday, August 4.
See
A-1
and see D.A.R.E.,
A-9
  Police Seek Help
Identifying Body From Cold Case File
‘Jane Doe’ found 17 years ago
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Interested in pursuing cold
cases, the Apache Junction
Police Department is seeking
information that would help it
identify a “Jane Doe” found
17 years ago near U.S. Highway
60 and Idaho Road.
On August 6, 1992, the body
of a heavily decomposed female
was found in the desert
area south of U.S. Highway
60 and west of Idaho Road,
according to Police Chief Jerald
Monahan.
“Jane Doe” was approximately
16 to 18 years old
and 4-feet 11-inches to 5-feet
1-inch tall. Monahan said she
had coarse brown hair and is
believed to have been Hispanic.
“It is believed that the victim
was at this final resting place
for three to five weeks,” Monahan
said.
The victim was wearing
a large “Team Gear” brand
T-shirt with soccer balls imprinted
on the front and back
of the shirt. The victim was
also wearing a pair of Levis
denim cutoff shorts and a ring on her
left ring finger.
“The victim’s teeth were the
most prominent feature as she
apparently has had no dental
care and the teeth protruded
from her mouth,” Monahan
said. “Terry Wesbrock, a forensic
artist since 1984, offered
to create a reconstruction
of the victim’s face and
worked tirelessly to reconstruct
her face.” An autopsy
failed to determine a cause
of death. Dental X-rays, dental
charts and fingerprints for
Jane Doe have been obtained
and a DNA profile is pending.
Anyone who may have
any
information regarding the
identity of “Jane Doe” is requested
to contact the Apache
Junction Police Department
Criminal Investigation Division
at (480) 982-8260. Ask
for Crime Scene Technician
Stephanie Bourgeois or Capt.
Thomas E. Kelly.
Vote In More Than One
State - Go To Jail
 Feds crack down on snowbirds voting
twice - $250,000 and 5 years in jail
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
If you voted more than once
in the 2008 election, someone
may be looking into your
voting record. Voting in more
than one place has been a suspected
practice for a number
of years, especially where
there are large numbers of
winter residents. But it’s a
violation of federal law. And
it carries a serious penalty.
A fine and a jail term is a
steep price to pay for the misguided
opportunity to vote in
two states. But federal prosecutors
are now taking an aggressive
stance against people
who break federal voting
laws by doing just that. And
the penalties for voter fraud can be
very stiff.
The violation carries
a $250,000 fine and
five years in jail.
James A. Marshall,
63, and Karen S. Marshall,
56, of Green
Valley, Ariz., were
recently indicted on
charges that they
voted in two states
during last year’s presidential
election. The couple are
charged with voting in Arizona
and Kansas via early ballots
for the November 2008
election.
The pair signed sworn statements
when turning in their
Arizona ballots that they
resided in Arizona and had
not voted “and will not vote
in this election in any other
state during the calendar year
of this affidavit,” according
to a press release.
People who reside
in more than one
state must select and
declare a state of
residency and that is
where they may vote
legally.
Up until recently,
checking on and identifying
this abuse of the voting privilege
was very difficult, but a
nationwide computer system
that is being implemented by
the states will make this practice
much easier to track.
And the word coming
through election offices nationwide
is that federal prosecutors
will be actively prosecuting
people who engage in
this practice.
Volleyball Wraps Up
Summer League
 By Chuck Baker
The News
Two weeks earlier in the
Phoenix College Summer
Volleyball League, the
Lady Prospectors came up
with a great effort against
perennial 4A-I power Glendale
Cactus but fell just
short, losing 25-20, 25-22.
Cactus was the 2006 State
Champs and runners-up in
2008.
This past Tuesday, in their
final match of the Summer
league, Apache Junction
had the chance to avenge
that defeat and gain some
huge momentum as they
gear up for the 2009 season
that officially begins
next week. But instead,
the AJHS girls took an unfortunate
step backwards
and behind a rather lackluster
performance, were
drubbed 25-9, 25-16.
Even a chewing out from
assistant coach Jake Heermans
after that first game
loss wasn’t enough to light
a fire. A fairly successful Summer of
volleyball for
the AJHS girls that included
a tournament title in
Florence, Summer League
wins over the Phoenix College
team and 5A-I Mesa
Westwood and a 9-3 overall
record in league play,
ended on a sour note last
week with their second
loss to Cactus.
It remains to be seen what
affect last Tuesday’s loss
might have on the Lady
Prospectors as they get
ready to officially open
what looks to be a promising
2009 season. With
seven seniors on the team,
all teammates for several
years, big things are expected
this upcoming season
which begins Monday,
August 10 with tryouts
and pre-season practice.
The first match of 2009 in
slated for September 2 at
home versus Desert Edge.
The seven seniors are setter
Katie Karbo, middle
blockers Jessica Iniguez
and Kylie Bocskay, outside
hitters Cat Ovalle,
Melissa Ochoa (right in white shirt) and
Alexa Jimenez
(dark shirt) come together to make a
play on the ball
during last Tuesday’s Phoenix College
Summer League
for the AJHS junior varsity girls while
teammate Mackenzie
Miller (left in white shirt) looks on.
Amy Meagley and Chayla
Langley, and defensive
specialists Diana Woodruff
and Allyssa Aranda.
See
page
B-1
and see AJHS,
B-6
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