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Ethics Committee
Disqualifies New Judge In Majority Of
County Cases
 ‘Conflicts of interest’ ruling will cost
taxpayer thousands for substitute judges
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
In a ruling dated Thursday,
November 18, the Arizona
Supreme Court Judicial Ethics
Advisory Committee said
there are two issues that will
keep Justice of the Peace-elect
Shaun Babeu from sitting on
the bench for a large percentage
of the cases because his
brother is Pinal County Sheriff
Paul Babeu.
Shaun Babeu, a former
prison guard, was elected to
the office of Apache Junction
District #7 Justice of the
Peace on November 2 and
will be sworn in during the
first week of January.
In issue one, Canon 2 of The
Code of Judicial Conduct requires
that a judge “disqualify
himself or herself in any proceeding
in which the judge’s
impartiality might reasonably
be questioned.” This includes
the circumstances in which
the judge knows that “a person
within the third degree
of relationship” to the judge
is a party to the proceeding;
or “has more than a de minimus
interest that could be
substantially affected by the
proceeding;” or is “likely to
be a material witness in the
proceeding.”
See
A-1
and See
J.P. Offce,
A-5
Good Will, Kindness
Shown 2 Horseback Travelers
 Local ‘Good Samaritan,’ stable owner aid
couple during Thanksgiving
By Betty Swanson
The News
A recent chance encounter
between two saddle-weary
horseback travelers down on
their luck and a kind-hearted
Gold Canyon man resulted
in a Thanksgiving in Apache
Junction that will be long remembered
by several people.
Lou Houle, a winter resident,
was driving on Ironwood
Drive the week before
Thanksgiving and saw two
people on horseback leading
a pack horse stopped in the
parking lot of Ray’s Printing.
He asked if he could take their
photo to send to his grandkids
and a conversation ensued.
Rider Art Lamely laughs,
“The first thing I know this
‘crazy guy’ we bumped into
insists that we spend Thanksgiving
in Apache Junction
and wants to help us.”
Lamely, 55, and Sue Hemming,
57, aren’t your typical
cross-country horseback riders.
Rather than starting at one
point and traveling toward
a specific end destination to
be reached, for Lamely and
Hemming, the journey itself
is the destination.
See
A-1
and See
Travelers,
A-3
Holiday Light Parade &
Fest
 All-day event coming this Saturday, Dec.
4
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Don’t miss the big Apache
Junction Holiday Program
and Light Parade as it moves
moves to an all-day affair
lasting from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, December 4.
Liz Langenbach, the City of
Apache Junction recreation
superintendent, said, “This is
our first year combining the
events with a central downtown
focus.” Langenbach.
The event begins at 9 a.m.
when Main Street’s Winter
Walk-a-Thon that runs
through noon. Local nonprofit
groups are encouraged to get
their members and supporters
together to walk the Old West
Highway loop. Cash prizes
will be given to the group the most
laps, courtesy of the
Main Street Program. The
deadline to enter is Monday,
November 29.
There will be a break from
noon to 3 p.m., and during
that time snow will be
brought to Old West Highway
in front of Fry’s grocery
store. “Let It Snow!” is a free
event that features 20 tons of
snow, a petting zoo, Santa,
games, a bounce house and
rock wall for kids. There will
also be a car show and vendor
booths.
Roger Hacker of the City of
Apache Junction said in an
interview with the Apache
Junction/Gold Canyon News
that Mayor John Insalaco will
throw the switch at 6:30 p.m.
See
A-1
and see State,
A-3
Aulik Makes Return To
The Court
 By Chuck Baker
The News
Forty-one days after suffering
injuries in an October
12 rollover accident
that ended her senior season
of volleyball, Lady
Prospector Sierra Aulik
made her return to the
court last Monday playing
guard for the AJHS basketball
team in the Queen
Creek Tournament.
It took Aulik about one
quarter of the team’s first
game against Tucson Desert
View to shake off the
rust. In fact, the entire Lady
Prospector team got off to
a slow start, missing all ten
shots in the first quarter
and they trailed 3-1.
But then Aulik, who in
her three previous Queen
Creek tournaments has
been selected to the All-
Tournament team, scored
13 points over the next
three quarters, eight alone
in the third quarter, and
Apache Junction outscored
Desert View 37-11 the final
three quarters for a 38-14
victory.
Christine Medrano added
six points and three steals,
Jade Yost netted five points
to go with three rebounds
and two steals, Monica
Geer also tossed in five
points, freshman Lindsey
Streibich added three
points, six rebounds, two
assists and two steals, Melissa
Ochoa hit a bucket
and grabbed six rebounds,
and Jennifer Gallina and
Katarena McLevain each
added a bucket.
See
B-1
and see B-Ball,
B-6
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