Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 132

Mesa OMMUNITY Js KEVINS Apacho Junction Mosa lwwwwwiwMMWWWWWWMM mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm U. WMii flrniind imm I Freeway plan doesirt soothe all cause air and noi.se pollution by forcing the noise and air pollution expected by Residents seek tunnel proposal 1 Wr--. traffic to slow down to JO mph, changing gears and negotiating tight curves. The tunnels would have allowed vehicles to move at SO mph. Howell is angry thut the original designs have been all but scrapped by A DOT in an effort to save $12 million in construction and maintenance.

Symington ordered a scaled-down ver sion of Valley freeway plans after voters See RAMI'S, Pago 3 By Ktn Brown tion Freeway. The plan was hailed last week by Gov. Fife Symington aa an ingenious compromise to a controversial freeway proposal by the Department of Transportation but haa yet to impre Tempe resident who live primarily on the north aide of the Superstition Freeway. Some residents from that-area say the compromise, developed by a Mesa resident living in the southeast corner of the interchange, offen little improvement to the previous dtnign. "It is better, but better for only one-fourth of the residents in this area, aid Jeanette Howell, who live northeast of the interchange and was one of the first to speak out against the A DOT plan.

"It still has steep grades and tight turns. This is what cam the noise and pollution." Residents insist that the loops would Spcil to Community It's not another Civil War, exactly, but a new freeway plun haa pitted north against south, neighbor against neigh bor, near Price Road and the Supersti Community The Intersection of U.S. 60 and Price Road (the 101 freeway Loop) Is klnda weedy. Who's gonna clean It up? ADOT a weedy Tempe neighbor Most communities have a blight ordinance to clean up weedy yards, but what do you do when the weeds are on 6tate land in your neighborhood? Case in point: The intersection of U.S. 60 and Price Road (the 101 freeway Loop).

We know landscaping is out, because the area eventually will be under construction, but perhaps Sheriff Joe could loan a crew of his orange-clad weedeaters to beat down the burgeoning tumbleweed forest. WnDO '1 Former mayor ruled with wit, frankness By Edythe Jensen Staff writer Whopper whomps up memories: Charles Henne of Gilbert writes he was "stirred" by a recent Community tale of a Phoenix lad, A.J. Flores, who landed a monster 49-pound catfish from Chaparral Lake in Scottsdale. Henne says the yarn "reminded me that long ago I was a boy his age" who some 60 years ago had a similar experience with a spoonbill catfish. He closed with encouraging words: Keep fishing, A.J." v- Apache Junction ean Perkins was a bride at 16 and a mayor at 70.

The marriage is still intact after 54 years. The mayor's vd job lasted only two. "Will I ever run for office again? I doubt it, hon. Hell, I 70 years old!" she said. To Perkins, everyone is "hon," including Doug Coleman, the man young enough to be her grandson who took over her job June Before she banged the gavel on its wooden square for the last time last week, Perkins recalled the first time she had to pound it to quiet a spectator two years ago.

That spectator was her husband, Ernie. "Someone at the podium was talking about the civilian police review board, and Ernie was shouting at the speaker, 'you don know what you're talking "I had to put a stop to that, so I pounded the gavel and yelled Ernie didn't stop until someone sitting next to him nudged him and told him his wife was pounding the gavel on him. "Ernie's real protective of me and didn't like what the speaker was saying. I guess that embarrassed him, because he-never came to a meeting after that." Jean was only 16 when she married Ernie. She dropped out of high school and took a job as a banquet waitress.

They raised four sons. The couple drink coffee and smoke cigarettes on their porch every morning as they watch the sun come up over the Superstition Mountains. "I never get tired of those mountains. They're beautiful, she said. When she moved to Apache Junction in 1978, Perkins didn like the way the Old West was turning into a city and joined a group pushing to disincorporate.

When the effort failed, she joined eroups who wanted to beautify the area and preserve the desert. 6 See PERKINS, Page 3 4 'vtV 'V if kit They earned it: The Chandler Family YMCA is wasting no time using the empty land where their future home will be at the southwest corner of Frye and Alma School roads. With a $6,000 grant from the Smith Barney brokerage, the is installing a community garden of 8-by-8 foot plots, a fitness track and a parking lot. Groundbreaking for a building is scheduled for next year with an opening in 1997. Get out your wallets folks, fund-raising is under way.

7 Qjf Dd you know of someone who has done something praiseworthy? Call 271-5656, press 2419. Leave your name and number. Edvthe Jensen staff writer Ex-Mayor Jean Perkins taught people that local government could I work for them "They used to feel Ignored by city government. Jean listened to them and did what she could to solve their problems," county supervisor candidate Bill Cams said. 2 VQBu Valley's missing teenager case to be highlighted on 'Mysteries' We know, it's hot: Passing an unsheltered Mesa bus stop the other day was proof that summer's arrived.

A waiting passenger stood carefully out of the sun within the slim shade of a utility pole. mm cy By Clare Ullk Staff writer Penny Nickel-Relf hasn't seen her 14-year-old daughter, Heather, since the fun-filled weekend they spent together and direct the segment. "Fraud stories rank pretty high on the possibility of getting solved. In this case, what makes it exceptional is that Heather is missing, too. And he (Relf) is a pretty unique individual his height and weight make it difficult for him to' blend in." The show learned about a Heather from an April 3 story in Community.

Relf, who had legal custody of Heather, is 6 foot 2 and weighed about, 300 pounds when last seen. He has, brown hair and hazel eyes, and will be 42. on June 12. Heather was 4 foot 8 and thin at the: time she disappeared, and had long, strawberry blond hair. She has freckles across her nose and cheeks, and blue eyes.

She turned 14 in March. Relf worked at Brown Wholesale' Electric Co. in Phoenix, designing elec' See MYSTERY, Page 3 in June 1992. Now, a nationally syndicated TV show has offered to help her find her child. The NBC series "Unsolved Mysteries" is planning a fall show about Heather, who disappeared in 1992 with her father Richard Relf.

a fugi Too young to enjoy it: A press release crossed our desk the other day, touting an upcoming beautiful baby contest. Now, we know these things are mostly for parents full of hope that their little darling will be the next Shirley Temple, Ron Howard or Mickey Rooney, but the prizes for this one you be the judge. A $10,000 college scholarship and a new car! The Bottom Line v- -x I NICKEL-RELF James Garcia Staff photographer Reauiem for a reader tive charged with stealing more than $800,000 from his Phoenix employer. "We have a pretty high batting average on these kinds of stories," said A bronze sculpture of a boy looking In wonderment at an earthworm was dedicated to Irma Pluster, a librarian at Mesa library who died last year of Jim Lindsay, who will write the script 66 pulmonary problems. The unveiling or me siaiue was pianneu with the library's summer reading program, which she was a part of.

If I'm mad at someone I usually shoot pretty good. 1 99 mm mm 0 IW 4 sf Marcos de Nlza senior Sarah Golablewskl, one of 12 teens nationwide who will compete In the 1995 Junior Air Rifle American Legion National Championship June 21-24 In Fairfax, Va. io) KIWI LL ratir I.