Arizona Republic from Phoenix, Arizona • Page 15

Today's talker Sean McLaughlin to leave Channel 12 to work for MSNBC Finally, Sean McLaughlin gets to forecast something other than sunshine and heat waves. McLaughlin, the popular meteorologist for Channel 12 (KPNX), is leaving after nearly 12 years to become the weekday weather anchor for MSNBC as well as the Sunday edition of Weekend today. "What I tell everybody is that it's much more challenging to say the same thing every day and make it interesting, as opposed to having School critters: What happens to the class pet over the summer? Education page. B3 something automatically available to talk about every day," McLaughlin said Monday. He begins his new jobs in early July in Secaucus, J.

and New York City; his last broadcast here is scheduled for the 10 p.m. news Wednesday. "It's difficult to quantify everything that he has helped us with," John Misner, Channel 12's president and general manager, said of the high-profile McLaughlin. Bill Kelly will fill in at 10 p.m. while the station searches for a replacement.

BUI Goodvkoontz Metro News, 602.444.NEWS or metronewsarizonarepublic.com Tuesday, May 25, 2004 SECTION HIE ARIZONA REPUBLIC news.azcentral.com Imm- 1 Northern Ave. ri "bushed to lb ma Glendale Ave. Arena (T nnu Municipal Airport CameltackRd. Construction delay The Ellman Westgate commercial development at Glendale Arena was originally scheduled to open next month. But the company now says that target date was overly ambitious, and the opening has been pushed back to late 2005.

Phase 1 Completed Construction not yet begun 101 JL. i III i vlndian School fid. i i ji 1 1 I Cinema I Read more about the payment dispute azCentralCOin that pitted Ellman and the city of Glendale, at stadlunuzceiitral.com Medial tower jSiw ing, leasing and negotiations with the city all proved more complicated than anticipated. But Wright sought to allay worries about the project's status, saying leasing activity "is absolutely ahead of schedule, such that we'll be able to meet the (new) start schedule." Sept. 1 is the target date to wrap up the city permit process, getting work under way shortly thereafter.

Glendale spokeswoman Ju- See DELAY Page B8 By Pat Flannery The Arizona Republic Developer Steve Ellman's company says it is on track to break ground on a half -million square feet of commercial development around Glendale Arena this fall, but one Glendale City Council member wants stronger proof that the crucial project will finally get under way. "Nothing has changed," Councilwoman Joyce Clark said. "There has been nothing WW 1 to reassure me or the other council members." Not a spade of dirt has been turned at Westgate City Center since the arena at 91st and Glendale avenues opened in December. At least 800,000 square feet of commercial development was supposed to open by next month, but it now appears that late 2005 will be the earliest that the project's first phase opens for business. The Ellman Cos.

will pay a penalty of up to $1 million for the tardiness, but the exact amount will not be known until the city reaps its first year of sales taxes from the project. Ellman Vice President Tim Wright blamed the delays on an overly aggressive start-up plan and the project's complexity. He said project design, financ Source: The Ellman Cos. Mark Waters The Arizona Republic Entertainment district Students, staff, faculty oppose proposed fate of ASU West Fireworks injuries to 4 reignite list of warnings By Dennis Wagner The Arizona Republic JS J'-' I i 4 1 I By Louie Villalobos The Arizona Republic ASU West faculty members and students mostly expressed dismay Monday over a proposal that would separate the campus from Arizona State University and place it under a regional university system. As about 350 people packed an ASU West meeting room, about 20 tenured faculty members were asked to stand up, then remain standing if they planned to stay should the campus become Central Arizona University.

Most of them sat down. Major concerns that were expressed dealt with whether ASU West would be shifted to second-tier educational status in the statewide university system and whether the quality of faculty members or classes would be lowered under the plan. Faculty members and students said they also worried about losing the pride and identity wrapped in the ASU name. "How would one recruit somebody with this degree of uncertainty?" asked Richard Gitelson, a faculty member of the College of Human Services at ASU West. On Monday, ASU West faculty, staff and students were given their first chance to ask about proposed changes in Arizona's university system.

The earliest they would take effect is 2006. Under the plan, ASU West A I The moral of the story goes something like this: If you play with fireworks, you may wind up in the hospital with serious burns and facing a criminal investigation. Four young Phoenix men found that out the hard way Sunday when they tried launching commercial pyrotechnics while driving by a Glendale park and wound up with a hellfire in their car. Police and fire officials say that kind of misfortune appears to be diminishing in Arizona and nationwide because strict bans on fireworks thwart the youthful temptation to mess with rockets, fizzlers, firecrackers and similar devices. "We used to see a pretty high volume, but it's dwindled down," said Bob Khan, an assistant fire chief in Phoenix.

"I just don't think the quantities are out there. It makes it a lot easier for parents, teachers and police officers when they can just say, 'They're all See FIREWORKS Page B2 U.S. fireworks injuries 1991-2002 Hospitals have reported a decade-long trend toward fewer fireworks injuries being treated in emergency rooms. Photos by Dave SeibertThe Arizona Republic Lauren Dickinson (left) and Jessie Behm giggle over items they put in their first-grade time capsules in 1993 when they were students at Laguna Elementary School in Scottsdale. Classmates gathered Monday to unseal the boxes.

The time of their lives Seniors open relics from first grade would become Central Arizona University, an independent university with a focus on undergraduate and master's level how they would look on graduation day. Arizona is often viewed as a transient state, but these students stayed in Scottsdale. Most attended Mountainside Middle School and Desert Mountain High School, although a few opted for private schools. "All these years I've been waiting for this," senior Chad Goldstein said, peeling back the gift wrap decorated in blue airplanes that covered his shoebox. He unrolled a piece of string from the box that showed how tall he had been as a 7-year-old.

He let the string drop, revealing that he was half his current 6 feet, 8 inches. A boyish scrawl revealed his favorite foods as a first-grader: macaroni and cheese, spaghetti and pizza. "Some things never change," the 17-year-old said, grinning. Around him, others opened their See TIME Page B2 education, with less of an emphasis on research. The proposal, developed by 13,000 I nooo1 jk-1- 10,000 -1 7,000 ol Dianne Hill's 1993 Regents President Chris Her-stam and the presidents of the i By Anne Ryman The Arizona Republic Eleven years ago, first-graders at Laguna Elementary School in Scottsdale sealed their memories inside shoeboxes as a class project.

They vowed to keep their time capsules closed until the day they graduated high school. On Monday, that day arrived, and nearly 30 students reunited at a Peter Piper Pizza in Scottsdale to unwrap their memories. students were the only ones three universities, would also separate Arizona universities into two types: the University she had make time capsules. They found lists of their favorite foods, first-grade school pictures and personal notes from parents. Some drew self-portraits in crayon of of Arizona and ASU would remain large research universities.

Northern Arizona Univer- 92 'S '96 '98 '00 '02 Source: U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission 2002 Fireworks Annual Report The Arizona Republic See ASU WEST Page B8 online poll aoentralcom Montsii Index Pentagon officials say military enlistment offices are meeting quotas and we don't need to draft young people. They re Monday's poll results QUESTION: Would you be willing to pay more for alternative fuels if it meant less U.S. reliance on foreign oil? Yes, 67. No, 33.

A Life Remembered B2 Lottery B2 Tributes B2 Education B3 PhoenixScottsdale B4 W. ValleyE. Valley B5 Opinions B6, 7 Valley and State B8 Obituaries B8, 9 Valley 101 BIO Weather BIO right We need TODAY'S QUESTION: Will a two-tier system proposed for the state's universities improve higher education in Arizona? Yes, more universities will give students more choices. No, this will lead to increased competition for dollars and a decrease in status for the newly created universities. Unsure.

to draft middle-aged Forests' fie restrictions in place Fire restrictions are in place for all six national forests in Arizona. That means campfires will be allowed only in fire rings at developed campgrounds. Smoking is not permitted unless the smoker is inside a vehicle or building and uses an ashtray. The restrictions begin Wednesday in Apache-Sitgreaves, Coconino, Kaibab, Prescott and Tonto national forests. Restrictions begin Friday morning in the Coronado National Forest in southeastern Arizona.

The northern part of the Kaibab forest north of the Grand Canyon, has no restrictions. A few areas along the Mogollon Rim are closed to all activity, as are the forests around Strawberry and Pine and the Pinal Mountains. There are no organized campgrounds in these closed areas. inside today Moving on Brig. Gen.

Philip Breedlove leaves Luke Air Force Base June 8 after two years leading the world's largest fighter wing. During his tenure, he has faced a number of challenges, from residential encroachment to a manufacturing defect that caused an F-16 crash. B5 r. -J VV neoDlaBlO Vote by 4 p.m. at MwsjacentraLcom.

Look for results here Wednesday. For the latest news, go to MwsjucMitraLcom..