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City Lists Top Ten
Achievements In 2010
Compiled by City’s Economic Development
staff
During the closing days of
December the Apache Junction
Economic Development
staff took a few minutes to
reflect upon accomplishments
of the past twelve months and
compile a “Top Ten” list.
According to Economic Development
Director Stephen
Filipowicz, “It is very easy
for all of us to become wholly
immersed in the many dayto-
day activities, chores and
tasks of our public and private
lives, and we may unintentionally
overlook the progress
we have helped spark within
our community. The purpose
of sharing this “Top Ten” list
is to encourage you to briefly
pause and take stock of what
we have accomplished together
as members of Apache
Junction’s public service
tean.”
Filipowicz said he believes
that compiling this list is rather
a blend of both science and
art. “Objective, quantifiable
criteria like new square footage
constructed, jobs created
or retained and capital investment
balanced with perhaps less measurable
gains in quality
of life initiatives, are all
factors involved,” he said.
See
A-1
and See
City Top 10,
A-5
Gold Canyon Man
Criticizes Sheriff At Meeting
 Takes on Babeu brothers in front of
Pinal County Board of Supervisors
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
A Gold Canyon man criticized
Sheriff Paul Babeu as
well as his brother, Justice of
the Peace-elect Shaun Babeu,
during the Pinal County
Board of Supervisors meeting
on Wednesday, December 8.
“I spoke out during the regular
consent agenda in which I
objected to a proposal to allow
Shaun Babeu to serve
temporarily in the Eloy Justice
of the Peace court,”
Roberto Reveles told The
Apache Junction/Gold Canyon
News.
“I referred to the Arizona
Supreme Court’s ethics committee
advisory opinion and
pointed out that Babeu would
be creating a huge number of
cases where he would have to
disqualify himself because of
his relationship to the sheriff whose
department is virtually
involved in every case handled
by the JPs.”
Reveles said Supervisor
Chairman Pete Rios then explained
that they had taken the
opinion into account, but that
the temporary assignment was
only to provide some training
to the new JP Babeu so that he
would know how to function
in those cases in which he is
not disqualified per the advisory
opinion.
Reveles also spoke during
Call to the Public about the
recent revelations regarding
Deputy Louie Puroll’s
shooting in the Vekol Valley.
Puroll was has been placed
on administrative leave and
is under investigation for
comments he made to the
Phoenix New Times.
“I talked about the recent
revelations about Deputy
Puroll’s statements relating
that he has been in contact
with drug cartel members
trying to do business with
him and the disclosure that
a friend of his had offered to
kill the (Phoenix New Times)
reporter who had been writing
critical stories about
Puroll,” Reveles said.
See
A-1
and See
Babeus,
A-3
Fillmore Promises
Action
 Newly elected State Rep holds Q&A with
city council
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
The News
Republican State Representative-
elect John Fillmore
made sweeping promises to
the Apache Junction City
Council during a questionand-
answer session at its
Tuesday, December 7, meeting.
“I can make this commitment
to you,” said Fillmore,
who beat Democratic Rep.
Barbara McGuire. “There
will be no stronger voice on
behalf of Pinal County and
Apache Junction and its citizens
than mine when it comes
to being of service to you.”
Calling himself “fiscally very,
very conservative” as well as
a “workaholic,” Fillmore said
he wakes up every morning
and thanks God that he was
born in the United States. He
lives in a county island north
of Apache Junction but has
considered Apache Junction
his home for the last seven
years. He owns the Weathershack store in
East Mesa and
is also a real estate broker in
two states.
“I was born in America,”
Fillmore said. “I’m a veteran.
I only have a high school education.
That said, this country
has been very, very good to
me. The reason I’m serving
now is to pay back. I work
for every person in this room
individually and in Pinal
County. I work for the City of
Apache Junction. It’s my job
to represent you. It’s my job
to fight for your interest at the
state level.”
Fillmore said he wants to
hear from council members
about what is important to
them.
See
A-1
and see Fillmore,
A-9
Boys Soccer Team Wins
Shoot-out, 4-3
 By Chuck Baker
The News
The Prospector varsity
soccer team saw their 2-0
first-half lead slip away last
Tuesday at Higley as the
Knights scored a pair of
second-half goals to the tie
the match 2-2 at the end of
regulation. But then Apache
Junction scored on four of
their five “shoot-out” kicks
to edge Higley 3-2 (4-3) for
their first victory of the season.
Sophomore Alex Barraza
scored both of Apache
Junction’s goals in the first
half as the Prospectors took
a 2-0 lead. But after Higley
tied the match with two second-
half goals, the teams
played a scoreless overtime
period, sending the game
into the shoot-out.
With five kicks for each
team in the shoot-out, David
Gamboa, Kevin Angulo,
Barraza and Andres
Ruiz all put one in the net
and AJHS goalkeeper Edson
Lerma stopped two
of Higley’s five shoot-out
kicks to give the Prospectors
the win.
“We played great (in the
first half),” Coach Josh
Babcock said about the first
forty minutes. “We were
passing to one another and
playing as a team. In the
second half, we came out
slow and not wanting to
move.”
See
B-1
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