Category Archives: Flagstaff

Blue Ridge Neighborhood Watch Meeting Wednesday

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neighborhoodwatchBLUE RIDGE – The next Neighborhood Watch Meeting for the Blue Ridge and Happy Jack areas will be held on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 beginning at 6:00 pm at the Blue Ridge Fire Station located at 5023 Enchanted Lane.

Deputy Rick Shouse and Gerry Blair of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office will be on hand to give an update for the Sheriff’s Office and Deputy Shouse will speak about activity in the neighborhood that has occurred during the last month. District 4 Supervisor Mandy Metzger will be at the meeting to give an update on the operation of Coconino County Government and to share information. Marc Della Rocca who is the Public Relations Manager for the Coconino County Public Works Department will give an update on County Roads. Fire District Chief John Banning will give an update on the Blue Ridge Fire Department.

Jeb Koons who is the Fire Management Officer for the Coconino National Forest and Robert Auza who is the assistant Fire Manager will give a current Outlook for the 2014 Wild Land Fire Season. They will also speak about the “Ash Barrel” project.

Zach Ellinger who is a Fire Prevention Technician for the United States Forest Service will speak about the “One Less Spark-One Less Wildfire” program. Fire danger in Arizona is above normal levels. Significantly dry conditions are present due to historically low precipitation and high temperatures. Everyone has the responsibility to prevent human-caused wildfires. “One Less Spark-One Less Wildfire” is a public information campaign designed to inform the motoring public on how to prevent vehicle or equipment caused wildfires. The campaign is in part the product of research conducted by The Forest Service Research Station and the Centers for Disease Control. According to their research, vehicle or equipment caused fires are a major source of wildfires and are among the most costly and damaging fires because they begin near busy roadways and often, interrupt traffic, negatively impact roadside scenery and threaten settled areas.

The goal of the One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire Campaign is to use an all lands, all voices coordinated approach to guide interagency efforts for wildfire prevention to reduce human-caused wildfires in the Southwest.

Flagstaff to host third public hearing for ADOT’s Tentative Five-Year Construction Program

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FLAGSTAFF – The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold its third and final public hearing for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program next week in Flagstaff in order to gather comments from the public and communities on the direction of the program over the next five years.

The meeting is scheduled for 9 a.m. on May 9 in the City of Flagstaff Council Chambers, 211 W. Aspen Ave. in Flagstaff. The monthly State Transportation Board meeting will follow the public hearing.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program is available for public review at azdot.gov/fiveyearprogram. Comments can be submitted until May 20 online or by email at fiveyearprogram@azdot.gov.

The Five-Year Program is updated every year and serves as a blueprint that details where, when and how regional, state and federal funding will be spent for projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Much like the current Five-Year Program, the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program reflects a major focus on preserving the existing state highway system to keep it in good repair, while moving some programmed projects forward. ADOT must prioritize projects due to stagnant revenue from the gas and vehicle license taxes and from decreased federal funding — all of which support the Five-Year Program. Last year, ADOT cut $350 million from the 2014-2018 Five-Year Program because of substantially decreased revenue dedicated to transportation. No additional funding cuts are forecast for the 2015-2019 Five-Year Program; however, overall state and federal transportation funding continues to be flat.

The 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program includes a three percent increase in preservation spending over the 2014-2018 Program, with a steady increase in preservation funding over the next 10 years. Preserving the system means protecting our investment of $18.4 billion, the estimated value of the state highway system. The funding for the 2015-2019 Tentative Five-Year Program looks like this:

  • Greater Arizona: $1.8 billion over five years (60 percent for preservation, 11 percent for expansion and 29 percent for modernization)
  • Maricopa County region: $1.7 billion over five years
  • Pima County region: $349 million over five years
  • Aviation: $1.1 billion over five years

Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 20. The board is expected to adopt the final 2015-2019 Five-Year Program at the June 13 meeting in Willcox. The meeting will be held at 9 a.m. in the City of Willcox Council Chambers, 300 W. Rex Allen Drive in Willcox.

Garland Prairie Road “Bootlegger” railroad crossing to be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. tomorrow

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County was notified today by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Railway Company (BNSF) that the “Bootlegger” railway crossing located on Garland Prairie Road about four miles east of Williams will be closed in both directions from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 8.

This closure is necessary for BNSF crews to repair and replace crossing planks and conduct rail maintenance work along several hundred feet of eastbound and westbound track.

Located between Parks and Williams and south of Interstate 40, the Bootlegger railway crossing provides access along Garland Prairie Road/Forest Service Road 146 between the Woods residential subdivision to the south and I-40.

During this closure, commuters between I-40 and the Woods subdivision will need to detour along Garland Prairie Road for approximately 19 miles. Please see the attached map for more information on this detour route.

Although this closure is exclusively related to a BNSF project, Coconino County Public Works is working with BNSF to notify local schools and first responders. Also, BNSF is placing a message board to alert motorists about this closure.

If you have any questions or require additional information about this project, then please contact Joe Pointer with BNSF at 928-241-0669.

Candidate Filing Opens For Aug. 26 Primary Election

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FLAGSTAFF – The 2014 election season has begun with 10 county elected offices up for grabs within Coconino County. Those offices include:

•Clerk to the Superior Court
•Constable – Flagstaff
•Superintendent of Schools (two-year term)
•Justice of the Peace – Flagstaff, Fredonia, Page and Williams
•Superior Court Judge- Divisions I, II and IV

The candidate filing period is now open. The deadline to file nomination petitions and paperwork to be a candidate is 5 p.m. May 28.

Declared partisan candidates will be listed on the August 26 Primary Election ballot. Primary winners and those running unopposed will then have their names placed on the November 4 General Election ballot.

Candidates running as an Arizona Revised Statute 16-341 candidate (nominated other than by primary) will only appear on the November 4 General Election ballot.

Non-partisan offices, such as school district governing boards, fire, water, sanitary and other special district board member seats will only appear on the November 4 ballot. These candidates have a different filing period.

For information about running for a seat on a school or community college governing board, contact the County Superintendent of Schools Office at 928-679-8070.

Those interested in becoming a candidate for an elected office within the County should visit the Coconino County Elections Office at 110 East Cherry Avenue in Flagstaff or call 928-679-7860 or 800-793-6181. Information is also available online at www.coconino.az.gov/elections. Click on “2014 Candidate Filing Information.”

County Board of Supervisors Approves Ordinance Regulating Use of Devices While Driving

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text-msgFLAGSTAFF — Culminating multiple years of research and several months of deliberations, the Coconino County Board of Supervisors approved an ordinance that aims to curb distracted driving within the County.

On Tuesday, the Board unanimously passed County Ordinance 2014-03: Regulation of Portable Communication Devices and Texting While Operating a Motor Vehicle. During the meeting, members of the public who addressed the Board spoke favorably of the ordinance and urged its passage to increase public safety.

“Our board feels strongly that this is a public health and safety issue that needs to be addressed. Countless studies have shown that distracted drivers are far more likely to be involved in a crash than those who are focused on what’s going on around them,” said Board Chairman Matt Ryan. “On behalf of the Board of Supervisors, I thank the Public Health District Advisory Board, our public health staff and Sheriff’s Office for helping address this critical issue.”

For years, County officials postponed passing its own ordinance, hoping that Arizona lawmakers would enact a statewide law placing restrictions on the use of cellphones and other devices while driving, Supervisor Ryan said.

While many bills have been introduced in the Arizona Legislature in that time, none have become law. Arizona is one of three states without any form of regulation on the use of cellphones and other devices while driving.

“It was important for the safety of our residents that we implement these safety measures in our area,” Supervisor Ryan said. “However, we still urge our lawmakers to consider a similar measure at the state level.”

The ordinance passed Tuesday goes into effect in 30 days on May 22. The ordinance states that “a person shall not drive a motor vehicle while using a portable communications device to engage in a call unless that device is configured to allow hand-free listening and talking, and is used exclusively in that manner while driving. Texting and typing are banned while operating a motor vehicle.”
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Coconino County Supervisors Ban Use, Sale of Fireworks

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FLAGSTAFF – The Coconino County Board of Supervisors unanimously passed a resolution today that prohibits the sale and use of consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas of the County.

The action taken Friday immediately bans the sale and use of consumer fireworks on unincorporated areas of the County and is in effect until the U.S. Forest Service lifts Stage 1 fire restrictions.

“The Board has heard from countless residents who are concerned about what is likely to be an active fire season,” said Board of Supervisors Chairman Matt Ryan. “Our residents are all too familiar with the devastating impact wildfires have on our forests, property and economy. By approving this resolution banning the use of fireworks, the Board hopes to thwart the next wildfire.”

The Board approved the resolution under a new law signed Tuesday by Gov. Jan Brewer that grants counties under 500,000 people the authority to regulate the sale and use of fireworks when area forests enter into Stage 1 fire restrictions. Until signing the current law, counties could only regulate the use of consumer fireworks during a reasonable risk of wildfire.
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Fun Run blasts from the past hits Williams, Flagstaff

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Williams resident Bob Sarkesian displays his 1930 Model "A" next to a red 1929

Williams resident Bob Sarkesian displays his 1930 model A next to a red 1929

NORTHERN ARIZONA – The horrendous winds we have been experience stopped as the classic cars of the Route 66 Fun Run rolled into town. Each May classic car owners join together for a run down Route 66 to end up in the town of Topock, Arizona.

The Fun Run is sponsored by the Route 66 Association of Arizona which started the run seven-years after Williams became the last Route 66 town bypassed by I-40. They are dedicated to preserving the memory of the Will Rogers Highway which has come to be known as “The Mother Road.” The road has sparked the imagination through movies such as The Grapes of Wrath and Easy Rider—and more recently the hit animated feature Cars. The long-running television series Route 66 staring Martin Milner and George Maharis concerned two men traveling in a Corvette looking for various job opportunities. Though much of the series was not filmed on Route 66.

Richard from Scottsdale stands with his 1957 Chevy Pickup.

Richard from Scottsdale stands with his 1957 Chevy Pickup.

The Run travels through Holbrook to Flagstaff, through Williams and Ash Fork down through Seligman. They stop at Kingman for a 10 am car show tomorrow. The Run ends just short of crossing the Pipeline Bridge into California at the town of Topock, Arizona. Arizona boasts the longest remaining contiguous stretch of Route 66 and these cars travel the entire distance.

Richard, from Scottsdale, drove his 1957 Chevy pickup with a group of hot rods. While the others stayed in Flagstaff, Richard and his wife decided on Williams where they enjoy the dining fare at Rod’s Steakhouse on Route 66.
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2014 Virtual Urban Farm Tour Contest

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(Click for larger image)

(Click for larger image)

FLAGSTAFF – Attention local urban farmers and gardeners: Flagstaff Liberty Alliance is happy to announce their 2014 Virtual Urban Farm Tour Contest! This contest is open to the public and it is free to enter.

To enter the 2014 Flagstaff virtual urban farm tour, submit pictures of your urban farm including: gardens, fruit trees, chickens/livestock, and harvest/preserves!

Go to flagstafflibertyalliance.com to submit your photos and vote on your favorite entry!

First place winner will receive a $50 gift card to Flagstaff Native Plant & Seed and be featured in the Flagstaff Liberty Alliance 2015 Urban Farm Calendar. Runner up will receive a $25 gift card to Flagstaff Native Plant & Seed.

Entries for the Urban Farm Tour will be accepted through September 15, 2014.

Read more at Flagstaff Liberty Alliance

Reminder for the Citizen Prosecutor Academy

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CASEALGoldBlueReduced2Tami Suchowiejko of the Coconino County Attorney’s office reminds Coconino County residents of the Citizen Prosecutor Academy scheduled for Friday May 2nd. The one-day course runs from 8:30 am to 5 pm and is conducted by various law enforcement agencies in the county.

Visit the website at www.coconino.az.gov/CountyAttorney to download an application form. Completed forms can be faxed to (928) 679-8201, or mailed to Coconino County Attorney’s Office, 110 E. Cherry Avenue, Flagstaff, AZ 86001 or contact Tami Suchowiejko at (928) 679-8229 or Email.

New flea market opening in Flagstaff Saturday.

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symmetreeFLAGSTAFF – A new flea market opens Saturday, April 26 at the Symmetree Marketplace north of the Flagstaff Mall. The Symmetree Marketplace is located at 5900 north highway 89 in Flagstaff.

The landscaped fenced property features 24/7 security and safe parking in a high traffic area on highway 89. Spaces are $15 per day or $25 for the weekend.

Contact Steve Curry at 928-600-6681 for more information or to reserve space.