Exodus Continues At School District
Elementary principals, special ed director resign; MSEC position cut
By Betty Swanson
The News
  Amidst declining enrollment and unprecedented cuts in state funding, the reorganization of the Apache Junction Unified School District continues.
   At a March 22 meeting, governing board members voted to accept the resignations of three administrators, and voted to eliminate the leadership position at Mountain Shadows Education Center that is currently held by Kurt Decke, all effective June 30, 2011.
   The resignations of Kendra Adams, principal of Superstition Mountain Elementary School, and that of Barbara Sanchez, principal of Desert Vista Elementary School, were accepted without comment, along with that of Peggy Mejia, director of Special Education.
   The resignations of this trio of administrators plus the axing of the position held by longtime employee Decke brings the total number of longtime management/administrative staff leaving the school district to 15 during the last 20 months.
   Just since December, 2010, the board has also accepted the resignations of Chuck Paul, director of facilities, Mona Barton, director of food services, and Jill Weidman, transportation director.
   When asked about the large number of staff members choosing to resign and/or retire Superintendent Chad Wilson acknowleged a “significant turnover,” and further commented, “It certainly is inconvenient to lose a great deal of experience and leadership in a short amount of time, but these individuals have earned the opportunity to retire on their terms and we thank them for their service and wish them well in the future.”

See A-1 and see Exodus, A-3

Supervisors Recognize Public Defender’s Office
Specialty courts save taxpayers $3 million in one year

FLORENCE—It’s been 15 months since the inception of Pinal County’s Early Disposition Court. Probation Resolution Court is now a year old. In that time, the two specialty courts have saved the taxpayers of the county more than $3 million.
   Recently, the Board of Supervisors recognized the Pinal County Public Defender’s Office for their tireless efforts at developing a system that significantly increases the efficiency and speed of the legal process. The Supervisors honored the office’s work with the Employee Award of Excellence, better known as the “You Rock” award, which was accepted by Deputy Public Defenders Brian Bohan and Stefanie Jones-Campbell.
   “In this age of having to do more with less,” said Mary Wisdom, Pinal County public defender. “We have to do everything we can to save money and still ensure that the constitutional rights of our clients are protected. I am pleased that our Superior Court Judges and the County Attorney’s Office have worked with us on this project.”
    The Early Disposition Court allows cases to be resolved quickly. This requires that all participants of the criminal justice system complete their work in a very short time frame. The cases assigned to this court can often be resolved within 10 days of arrest.
   Cases in the Early Disposition Court can usually be handled in one appearance before a judge. This means that the case will not go before the grand jury and take three months or more to resolve. It is a savings of court time and of citizen’s time, whether they be victims, law enforcement officers, persons accused of crime or grand jury members.

See A-1 and see Court, A-9

  The Apache Junction Community Development Corporation and the Focal Point Enhancement Committee are inviting residents to gather at the Focal Point at 6:30 p.m. Saturday, April 16, to honor those who have made donations to enhance the area.
   During the past several months, local residents, organizations and businesses have generously donated funds to beautify the Focal Point monument area. Enhancements have included the installation of park benches, the lighting of trees and inscribed pavers.
   The first such donor appreciation event was held in December 2010. This coming event will thank those individuals, organizations and businesses who have generously donated funds since that time.
  The event will include brief presentations, light refresh installed pavers and lighted trees.
Parking is available at the Apache Junction News (115 N. Apache Trail); the parking lot is adjacent to the Focal Point.
   The revitalization of the downtown area has long been a priority of this community. These donors are helping to make downtown revitalization a reality.
   For more information, contact either Colleen Hill at (480) 233-1577 or Councilwoman Robin Barker at (480) 980-0889.

Baseball Squad Wins Two Of Three
By Chuck Baker
The News
   Apache Junction’s baseball team is very close to getting over the hump and becoming a bona fide playoff contender. This past week, the Prospectors won two of three contests to improve to 8-9 overall. Not bad for a program that won just six games all of last season and eleven games total in the past three years.
   After starting out the week with a bang, crushing JO Combs 17-6 on Tuesday, Apache Junction was involved in two extra-inning nailbiters on Thursday and Friday that both ended with 8-7 scores. They won one, edging past Gilbert Campo Verde 8-7 in nine innings on Friday, but lost the other, falling in nine innings to Tempe McClintock on Thursday.
   In that Thursday game at McClintock, Apache Junction scored two runs in the top of the ninth for a 7-5 lead but then committed three of their eight defensive errors in the bottom of the ninth as the Chargers rallied for the win.
   John Hanson hit a solo homerun for the Prospectors in the loss and David Sandoval, who has found his swing groove after a slow start this season, went 3-for-3 at the plate and drove home two runs.

See B-1, and see Baseball B-6