AJ School District Enrollment Drops
Class sizes larger due to schools closing
By Betty Swanson
The News
Less students are enrolled in the Apache Junction School District this fall than last year.
   Exactly how large an enrollment drop depends on whether you compare September 1, 2009, to September 1, 2010, enrollment which indicates a 1- to 2-percent dip, or whether you compare last May’s endof- year total figure of 5,389 students to the total September enrollee figure of 5,177. This comparison indicates a 4-percent decrease. Current enrollment figures for each school are as follows: Apache Junction High School (grades 9,10,11,12) – 1,645 Cactus Canyon Junior High School (grades 7, 8) – 857 Superstition Mtn. Elementary School (grades K-6) – 751 Four Peaks Elementary School (grades K-6) - 662 Peralta Trail Elementary School (grades K-6) – 653 Desert Vista Elementary School – (grades K-6) – 609
   District officials say that they foresaw a decline and built their 2010-2011 budget based on a projected 2-percent decrease in students.
   Superintendent Chad Wilson called the slumping economy the main factor influencing this decrease. He said that district personnel had actually attempted to contact more than 200 students that didn’t return in an attempt to discover the biggest reasons for withdrawal from the school system. Of the 85 students that responded, most were because the families had moved or students had been placed in schools more convenient to their parents’ place of work.  

See A-1

Tempers Flare At Meeting On Tonto Access
Residents irate with Martyn’s handling of issue
By Betty Swanson
The News
   How best to solve an issue of access to the Tonto National Forest, important to foothills residents and area horsemen, was the subject of heated discussion during a meeting held for interested parties by District 2 County Supervisor Bryan Martyn last week.
   In attendance were approximately 30 people, including residents, horsepeople, Arizona State Park and Tonto National Forest representatives, and county employees.
   This issue has apparently been simmering on a back burner for about a year only to be brought back to a boil when residents in the neighborhood of McKellips and Mining Camp roads near the Tonto National Forest fence line saw survey teams working and read Martyn’s published response to the recall charges leveled against him recently.
   One of the listings in the Grounds of Recall statement charged that Martyn had not made good on a promise “to create access to Tonto National Forest for recreational purposes.” Martyn responded that the National Forest Service has agreed “to place a new entrance at Mining Camp Road.”
   The combination prompted foothills resident Brenda Giffords, who lives against the fenceline, to push Martyn to have another meeting to gather more input before the Mining Camp Road option was actualized.
   The problem was first brought to Martyn’s attention more than a year ago when Lost Dutchman State Park officials closed an entrance into Tonto Forest that cut across a corner of state park land. Barbed wire was strung to the keep people out, thus blocking access to the park and the forest. The reason given for the move was that it is state park policy that people must pay for access to state parks, and some people were entering the park through that back way illegally, both on foot and horseback.

See A-1 and see Tonto, A-9

Council Sets 7 Public Hearings
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
The Apache Junction City Council will tackle seven issues during the Public Hearing portion of its September 7 meeting in chambers, 300 E. Superstition Blvd.
   The governing body will hear G&G Consulting LLC speak about “Downtown Redevelopment and Implementation Strategy.” At the direction of council, the Fiscal Year 2008 Community Development Block Grant funds were dedicated to completing a the strategy. G&G Consulting was selected to assist the City in developing this strategy and are now ready to present the final report. Additionally, City Manager George Hoffman will introduce the proposed work plan and highlight some of the items recommended for implementation.
   While no action is required at this meeting, council will be asked to consider Resolution No. 10-34, formally accepting, adopting and implementing the Downtown Redevelopment and Implementation Strategy at the September 21, 2010 City Council meeting.
   Also, following 15 months of public review and comment, the proposed 2010 Apache Junction General Plan is scheduled for City Council public hearing and action. The Parks and Recreation Commission unanimously approved Chapter 9 (Parks, Recreation, and Open Space) of the proposed plan on August 4. Additionally, the Planning & Zoning Commission unanimously recommended approval of the entire proposed plan on August 24.

See A-1 and see Council, A-9

Prospectors Bounce Back Nicely
Stampede the Buffaloes 55-0
By Chuck Baker and Stacie Reichwald
The News
So, how would the Prospector varsity football team bounce back from the previous week’s heart-breaking 14-13 loss to Prescott Valley Bradshaw Mountain that ended with a failed two-point conversion at the end of regulation? Can you say, “STAMPEDE!”
   This past Friday night at Davis Field in Apache Junction’s home opener, it was the Prospector offense and defense doing all of the stampeding as they absolutely gored the Tempe Buffaloes to the tune of a 55-0 shellacking.
   The Prospector offense reeled off five, second-quarter touchdowns, stomped out to a commanding 48-0 halftime lead, totaled 273 first-half yards, and even junior varsity running back Justin Cowles entered the rodeo arena in the second half, scoring the team’s final touchdown in the fourth quarter.
   It would be hard to name a rodeo king for the Prospectors in this one. Quarterback Roy Machuca threw for 113 yards in the first half and two scores, a 70-yarder to David Fernando and a 26-yarder to Jared Kraps, running back Danny Fuller rushed three times for 44 yards and three touchdowns in just the second quarter alone, Tanner Morgan ran in a score from 15 yards out, running back Harrison Pomeroy made his first appearance of the season and scored a touchdown, kicker David Gamboa went 7-for-7 in extra-points, and the Prospector defense forced five Tempe fumbles, three of those resulting in turnovers, and also recorded four sacks.

See B-1 and see AJHS B-3