Arizona Daily Sun from Flagstaff, Arizona • 1

REST AVAILABLE A RIZ A Daily Sun A Pulitzer Newspaper serving Flagstaff northern Arizona since 1887 FUSD budget ideas bubble School board critics propose a four-day school week and closing two elementary schools. BY TAYLOE MCCONNELL Sun Staff Reporter THURSDAY MAY 22, 2003 www.azdailysun.com 50 CENTS Today's weather High: 81 Low: 40 5-DAY FORECAST, A8 Saying they are thinking "outside the box," an ad hoc group of teachers and others critical of the superintendent and school board has proposed a four-day school week and closing two elementary schools as ways to help balance the Flagstaff Unified School District. Their proposals to date, however, fall Piestewa family to meet president BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS PHOENIX The family of the only servicewoman killed during the Iraq war is expected to meet with President Bush and the first lady in Washington on Memorial Day. Army Pfc. Lori Piestewa's parPriscilla and Terry, and her two children, Brandon, 5, and Carla, 3, are among the family members expected to make the trip to the White House.

"I will confirm to you that the Piestewa family has been invited to attend the Memorial Day event at the White House on Monday," said White House spokesman Taylor Gross. Gross did not immediately know how many other families of fallen soldiers will also be visiting the White House. A 23-year-old Tuba City native, Piestewa is believed to be the first Native American woman killed in combat while serving in the U.S. military, and the only American female soldier killed i in Operation Iraqi Freedom. She was a member of the 507th Maintenance Company from Fort Bliss, Texas, which was ambushed March 23 near the southern Iraq riverfront city of Nasiriyah.

The family also is to take part in the unveiling of an exhibit honoring Piestewa and five other Native American women at the Women in Military Service for America Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. There also are efforts to arrange a private meeting between the Piestewas and Jessica Lynch. Lynch and Piestewa served in the same unit and were roommates in Texas. short of the $6.9 million needed to close next year's budget gap. Members of Save the Heart of Education are endorsing a four-day week because they say other proposed cuts, such as not filling 86 vacant teaching positions and reducing programs like art, music and physical education, are unacceptable.

In a packet handed to the district governing board during Tuesday's work session, the group endorsed a four-day week because they believe it would save the district between $1.6 million and $2.9 million. The group. says that spending on maintenance, transportation, substitutes and food See FUSD, A7 Group sets fund-raising goal of BY TAYLOE MCCONNELL Sun Staff Reporter Save Our Schools, a brand new citizens group, has begun collecting its first donations to help ease the Flagstaff Unified School District's looming budget shortfall. FUSD faces a $6.9 million budget shortfall for the 2003-2004 school year, mostly due to rising insurance premiums and retirement costs, falling Round but not out SMOKE FROM THE 80-ACRE Round Fire trees in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Jake Daily Sun drifts Wednesday afternoon through stands of Wilderness. For a list of trail closures, see C1.

Wildfire at 80 acres BY DAILY SUN STAFF The fire, first reported Monday, is in the Red Rock-Secret Mountain The Round Fire burning in the Wilderness Area and was not mountains northwest of Sedona remained at 80 acres on Wednesday, Forest Service officials said. The fire was growing slowly, but firefighters could only access it by air or by hiking along steep trails, Coconino National Forest officials said. threatening any structures. About 225 firefighters, assisted by four helicopters, were battling the blaze. The Forest Service could not estimate when the fire will be contained.

En Environmental group wins 1st grazing lease Forest Guardians outbids a southern Arizona rancher for a 10-year lease on 162 acres. BY GARY GHIOTO Sun Staff Reporter After a six-year struggle, an Arizona Supreme Court ruling and a last-minute "simple mistake" that provided a rancher with its confidential bid information, an environmental group finally received a state land lease. Forest Guardians made Arizona history by outbidding rancher Ethlyn Telles to win SPORTS Giants whip D-backs B1 REST AVAILABLE COPY OUTDOORS Havasupai: Grand Canyon's sapphire gem C1 up enrollment and a state requirement to cut spending by $1.5 million, part of a $1.8 million overspending error during the 2001-2002 school year. The governing board has ruled out teacher layoffs or cutting teacher salaries by more than the decrease, if any, in state or federal aid. Not coincidentally, Save Our Schools has set its sights on raising $1.8 million.

"We're doing it (raising money) because there See DONATIONS, A7 Supervisors put brakes on OHVS A new county ordinance restricts OHV use in residential and farm areas to private properties of 10 acres or more, and only then with a permit. BY SETH MULLER Sun Staff Reporter The Coconino County Board of Supervisors cut the throttle on allowing recreational off-highway vehicle use in residential and agricultural areas. After nearly two hours of testimony from more than 20 citizens, the Board. of Supervisors voted unanimously at its Tuesday meeting to restrict such use as recommended by the planning and zoning staff. One resident against the proposed ordinance indicated prior to the vote that he would consider appealing the ordinance, if approved, and possibly collect signatures for a referendum.

The comments from the residents who spoke were mixed, but 17 of the 21 people who addressed the Board of Supervisors indicated or outright stated that they favored the proposed ordinance, as presented by Planning and Zoning Director Bill Towler. The new ordinance prohibits anything resembling a track whether constructed or created by repeated riding over an area from the sections of the county zoned as agricultural or rural residential. In general zoning areas, land owners can apply for a permit to build a track, but they must have at least 10 acres of property and the track must be 1,000 feet from any residence not on the property. Fines for those who violate the ordinance could be as much as $100 for every day someone is not in compliance, Towler said. See OHV, A7 Assessor requests more help to keep up with county growth BY SETH MULLER Sun Staff Reporter Despite a 3 percent cut in Coconino County's 2004 budget proposal, County Assessor Chris Mazon continued the annual tradition of requesting additional staff for her office to combat the backlog of unassessed properties.

At the County Board of Supervisors special work session on Tuesday, Mazon told the members that she wants to add two residential appraisers at a combined cost of $104,701, one full-time cartographer at $34,752 and one clerical 'This is an historic ruling that signals the end of the livestock industry's monopoly over state school trust JOHN HORNING Forest Guardians executive director a 10-year lease on 162 acres near Elgin, in Santa Cruz County. The Santa Fe, N.M., group paid about $2,000 in annual fees or 40 times the state's asking price, making its grazing lease the most expensive ever issued, according to the State Land Department. Inside CLARIFICATION Almanac Arts Living The Metro agent referred to only by Comics the last name of Dear Abby Local News Isbell in Lottery Wednesday's Daily Nation Sun is not related to Obituaries David and Rhea Opinion TV listings Isbell of Flagstaff. 32 pages in 4 sections, Volume 57, No. 215 Classified advertising, call 556-2298 Home delivery, call 779-4189 Internet advertising, call 913-8652 6 60923 00001 "We're ecstatic about winning this lease.

This is an historic ruling that signals the end of the livestock industry's monopoly over state school trust lands," said Forest Guardians Executive Director John Horning. See LEASE, A7 Low Monthly FURNITURE LAZBOY staff member at $36,057. Mazon said that adding these four positions will generate revenue, as the added staff will help the county catch up on its backlog of 6,462 permits totaling an estimated $265 million as of January. This combines with the increased anticipated volume of new construction, according to Mazon. She told the board members that if they add the four positions, she projects they will help the county acquire $33,000 more in 2005, $75,000 in 2006 and $125,000 in See ASSESSOR, A7.