South Tucson's El Independiente, 1983-04-29

              Ron quillo resigns fire chief position
By KEN OLSEN
Staff Writer
Fire Chief Richard V. Ronquillo
submitted his resignation to the South
Tucson City Council at its meeting on
Aprit 18. Deputy Chief George A. Fetix
was named to replace him.
Ronquillo, 40, submitted his
resignation to devote his time to his
business, Ronquillo's Bakery. The
resignation is effective today.
Mayor Dan W. Eckstrom praised
Ronquitto's t8 years of service to the
department.
"1 am very proud of the achievements
under your tenure," Eckstrom told
Ronquitto. "You brought professionalism
to the department that we have not had
before.
"We are tosing a fire chief but gaining
businessman. Keep those taxes rotling
in."
Ronquitto thanked the councit for its
support and said Felix "will do a
tremendous job for you."
A South Tucson native, Ronquitlo
began as a volunteer with the
department in 1965 and was hired full
time in t97t, He was named chief of the
South Tucson department in 1976.
Ronquillo and his wife, Connie. moved
their shop from 1367 W. Prince Road to
its present location, 395 W. 33rd St., in
February, Since March, he has been
working at the bakery-eight hours each
day, in addition to his duties as fire chief,
Ronquilto said.
'I feet it (the bakery( requires my full
attention, but I will still be around,"
Ronquitlo said. "Baking is my first love.
I was born into it."
His father started a bakery in Tucson
in 1941, two years before Ronquillo was
born.
Felix, fire chief as of today, was born
in Tucson, and spent 21 years with the
Los Angeles Fire Department. He retired
State cites four South Tucson bars
By JAN McFARLANE
Staff Writer
The owner of the Ozark Bar was cited
on Wednesday by the Arizona
Department of Liquor Licenses and
Control on 24 counts of liquor-license
violations, said Ted J. Kuhn, chief of
investigation for the liquor department.
The charges, which are based on
incidents occurring between August 1981
and March 1983, include 15 counts of
failure to report an act of violence, five
counts of serving intoxicated people and
allowing them to remain on the
premises, and one count of serving after
hours, said Valerie L. Trill, liquor
department administrative secretary.
All hut one of the charges stem from
the liquor department's review of more
than 300 South Tucson police reports
By ERIC SNYDER
Staff Writer
Attorneys for Julian Roy Garcia have
asked the Arizona Supreme Court for a
review of a Court of Appeals decision
that would allow South Tucson an
evidentiary hearing on its ability to pay
Garcia.
The Court of Appeals' March 3 ruling
overturned the May 1982 order by Pima
County Superior Court Judge Robert O.
Roylston. Roylston had ordered South
Tucson to start paying Garcia a $3.59
P bTE'Moxson
South Tucson Fire Chief Richard V. Ronquillo (left) fire engine Ronquillo learned to drive. Ronquillo is
gives Deputy Chief George A. Felix a few tips on the first resigning today and Felix will replace him.
in 1976 and returned to Tucson.
He was hired by the South Tucson Fire
Department in 1977 and was named
deputy chief in 1978.
Felix, 53, said he does nnt anticipate
any changes in the department.
In other business, the council voted
unanimously to certify the Democratic
primary results from the election held on
April 12. Councilwoman Shirley Villegas
was absent.
Council members Felix C. Robles,
covering the city's bars for a previous
18-month period. Reports from August
1981 to February 1983 were seni tate
because of a South Tucson
administrative error, Kuhn explained.
As a result of this review, three other
bar owners were sent citations in mid-
April, and other citations probably will
be issued when the investigation is
Related story, Page 4
completed within the next few weeks,
said Lloyd H. Robertson, liquor
department superintendent.
Besides the Ozark Bar, 1641 S. Fourth
Ave., the other three bars are: the Brown
Derby, 2302 S. Fourth Ave.; Frank's
Tavern, 2523 5. Fourth Ave.; and the
Paddock Bar, 1632 S. Fourth Ave. After
being notified of the charges, each owner
John R. Garcia, Victor E. Soltero and
Alfonsa S. McKenna defeated Pedro
Tadeo Jr. in the race for four slots on the
general election ballot. The general
election will take place on May 17.
The council also voted unanimously to
approve the transfer of the liquor license
for Frank's Tavern, 2523 5. Fourth Ave.,
from Frank Godinez to Isabel Gonzales
Godinez. The matter goes on to the
Arizonc Department of Liquor Licenses
and Control for final approval.
million judgment. The first of five annual
payments was to be made on Dec. 3t,
1982.
The Court of Appeals on April 14 denied
a motion filed by Garcia's attorneys,
Richard D. Grand and James G.
Heckbert, for a rehearing of its decision.
Grand and Heckbert filed their latest
request on April 18.
South Tucson appealed the May 1982
order on the grounds that Roylston
denied the city due process by failing to
conduct a trial-court hearing to
determine the city's ability to pay the
is required to respond in writing within 10
days to the liquor department, to answer
the alleged charges, Kuhn said.
In July 1981, Arthur V. Camacho,
owner of the Ozark Bar, was cited for lt
liquor-license violations. Charges
included three counts of failure to report
fights and five counts of serving
intoxicated persons. His license was
suspended for tO days, and he was
required lo hire a manager lo help
maintain order, Trill said.
Camacho and his wife, Helen G.
Camacho, described the situation as a
"catch-22.''
"If you have a little trouble, the cops
say, 'Don't hesitate to call.' Then, if you
call the cops, they report you to the liquor
department, and it goes against you. The
moral of the story seems to be, 'Settle
Continued on page 2
Garcia seeks state high court review
debt - now about $4.5 million with
interest.
Garcia was paralyzed from the waist
down after he was shot accidentally by a
South Tucson policeman during a joint
police operation in October 1978. He sued
the city for negligence, and was awarded
the judgment in October 1980.
The ability to pay hearing cannot be
held until Garcia's attorneys have
exhausted the appeals process, said
William G. Walker, attorney for South
Tucson.
Paper ends
7-year run
With this issue, Et Independiente
concludes seven years nf biweekly
publication. The newspaper has
been published by journalism
students at the University of Arizona
during the faIt and spring semesters.
The newspaper was published
experimentally in the spring of t976,
and began regular publication that
fall.
El tndependiente will be replaced
by a bilingual publication focusing
on Hispaniç issues throughout the
state.
"In no way will we not be serving
South Tucson, because this
publication will continue to have
coverage of the Hispanic community
in South Tucson, as well as the
Hispanic community in the whole
state," said Abraham S. Chanin.
acting head of the journalism
department.
Resources that had been used for
El Independiente will help produce
the Tombstone Epitaph on a weekly
basis beginning in the fait.
The Epitaph, now a biweekly, also
is published by students at the UA
journalism department. It is the
only newspaper in Tombstone.
"Our purpose in the department is
to give the students the best possible
practical experience," Chanin said.
"We will best do that with an honest
weekly newspaper in Tombstone
anda bilingual Hispanic publication.
"We wilt be serving not Only
Tombstone but the whole state,"
Chanin said.
South Tucson City Manager
Enrique G. Serna said, of El
Independiente, "We will miss it. We
have some sad feelings about it
wrapping up when it reached its
pinnacle, in our estimate."
South Tucson's
El Independiente
Vol. VII No. 6 Published by the Department of Journalism The University of Arizona April 29, 1983