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NEWS
EV club baseball coach accused of molesting boys on team Chandler and Tempe. Club baseball teams, often referred to as travel teams, generally attract serious sex abuse case that was closed players who are hoping to advance into years ago for a lack of evidence led college or even professional baseball after last week to the arrest of a former they graduate from high school. The teams Seton Catholic Prep volunteer coach ac- typically travel to tournaments played in cused of molesting two boys Arizona and other states. on an East Valley club baseball The court document said the team, Chandler police said. case against Gallegos crystalNo crimes involving that lized when a male victim, who school have been alleged in is now 21, told police that Galconnection with the arrest of legos had molested him when Richard Allen Gallegos, 53, he played on the team when he of the 1700 block West Wildwas 11 to 14 years old. wood Drive in Ahwatukee, The young man told police on suspicion of a long list of (Special to GSN) that a second player on the sex charges stemming from Richard Allen Gallegos team had revealed to him that incidents involving two viche also had been abused in a tims, according to Sgt. Dan Mejia, a police similar manner by Gallegos. spokesman. The second victim, who also was 11-14 The charges include five counts of sexual years old at the time, was interviewed by conduct with a minor and three counts of detectives and recounted sexually abusive children, according to court documents. incidents to police, Mejia said. Detectives wrote that the abuse occurred Mejia said police had dropped the prewhile Gallegos was a coach for a club base- vious investigation in 2009 because the ball team that practiced in Ahwatukee, boys declined to reveal the abuse.
BY JIM WALSH GSN Staff Writer
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GILBERT SUN NEWS AN EDITION OF THE SUNDAY EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE | JULY 15, 2018
What’s in a name? So far, on new Gilbert parks, nothing. You can help
While Gilbert broke ground on two massive park projects in June, the Town Council has yet to decide on official names for them. Now, the town is turning to its residents for help. Gilbert recently launched a website where residents can vote on the names of the parks, unofficially designated Gilbert Regional Park and Rittenhouse District Park. Visit gilbertdigital.typeform.com/to/dEIRxW to vote. For Gilbert Regional Park, a 272-acre project at Queen Creek and Higley roads, the choices are the current regional park name or Gilbert Centennial Park. The facility is to open months before Gilbert celebrates its centennial in 2020. Rittenhouse District Park is a sports-oriented project at Power and Pecos roads. For that park, voters can choose between Power Sports Park and Desert Sky Park.
Leading Edge Academy sets tour dates
Tours of Leading Edge Academy Gilbert, an “A” rated charter school, are 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 18, and 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 25, at the campus, 717 E. Ray Road in Gilbert. New Principal Heidi Simms will lead tours and informational meetings. It is not too late to enroll for the 2018-19 school year that begins Aug. 6. Recently, Leading Edge Operations Director Rebekah Krueger was a featured presenter at the National Charter Schools Conference in Austin, Texas. This is the second year in a row that Krueger was invited to present at the annual conference. The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools invited Krueger to participate in the breakout session “Pensions Under Pressure: Charter Innovation in Teacher Retirement Benefits.” She addressed “The Arizona Landscape” as the state was among those included in a recent research study on the topic. Krueger, in her 13th year at Leading Edge, was promoted to operations director in 2016. In 2014, she received the Business Manager of the Year Award from the Arizona Charter Schools Associations. She regularly is requested to sit on boards of directors and committees, and to present at local and national education conferences. For more information, visit leadingedgeacademy.com.
Discover Chandler in family-friendly scavenger hunt
In celebration of Park and Recreation Month, Chandler officials are conducting a scavenger hunt, from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday, July 21, starting downtown at 175 S. Arizona Ave. It is designed to enlighten the entire family about the city. Noteworthy sights and hidden recreation gems will be on the list. With a smartphone as the tour guide, participants can locate hotspots, unlock challenges and climb the scoreboard. One super-team will win the ultimate parks and recreation treasure, valued at $2,500. Register at chandleraz.gov.