WILLIAMS — St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church of Williams proudly presents the legendary Michael John Poirier in concert Monday and Tuesday, March 16 and 17. The concerts begin at 7 p.m.
Poirier is a well-known Christian artist whose music is available through Amazon and through the online store on his web site.
St. Joseph the Workder Catholic Church is located at 900 W. Grant behind the Family Dollar store. Call (928)635-2430 for more information.
WILLIAMS — The City of Williams announced on their web site that as of yesterday, the City is in Resource Status Level 1.
The announcement cautions, “While there are no specific water use restrictions associated with Level 1, per Code, even under Level 1 Resource Level ‘water users are specifically encouraged to minimize waste in water used for irrigation, vehicle and pavement washing, construction and all other uses’.”
The recent storm seems to be filling the reservoirs and some have reported that tanks around their homes in the forest are filling.
The City of Williams is encouraging all residents and visitors to follow sensible water-saving tips. Examples are:
It might even be a good time to calculate the savings you might enjoy by replacing appliances and fixtures with newer, water-saving models.
Links to Water Conservation Tips:
100+ Ways To Conserve
25 ways to conserve water in the home and yard
How to Save Water
Conserving Water
PHOENIX — Two years after a landslide ripped apart a 500-foot section of US 89 and split the communities of Bitter Springs and Page, the Arizona Department of Transportation anticipates reopening the highway to traffic on the afternoon of Friday, March 27, barring any potential weather delays or mechanical breakdowns during the paving process, which began today.
Page Unified School District buses are expected to be the first vehicles to pass through newly rebuilt roadway. Students from the Bitter Springs and Marble Canyon areas have been among the most impacted by the US 89 closure, which has remained in place following the Feb. 20, 2013, geologic event approximately two miles north of the US 89/US 89A junction near the community of Bitter Springs.
Following the paving of Temporary US 89 in August 2013, US 89T has served as the detour route for motorists headed to and from the Page and Lake Powell areas, but residents and students in the Bitter Springs and Marble Canyon communities have still had to go out of their way to travel to and from Page and Lake Powell.
“The reopening of Highway 89 is great news for Page Unified School District and the families that we serve in the communities of Marble Canyon, Bitter Springs and Cedar Ridge,” said Page Unified School District Superintendent Jim Walker. “The district will be now be able to re-establish our traditional bus runs to these communities, which will reduce the time that some of these children spend on our buses by up to an hour on a one-way trip. I would like thank our families for their efforts to continue to support their children’s school attendance during this very challenging time.”
Prior to the March 27 reopening, crews will be completing the paving, install rumble strips and guardrail, and add temporary striping and pavement markers along the roadway.
Prior to launching the $25 million repair project last summer, which included removing approximately one million cubic yards of rock material to realign the roadway and construct a downslope rock buttress at the base of the Echo Cliffs to stabilize the area, ADOT had to clear several hurdles to move the project forward.
The ultimate repair of US 89 is the final step in fulfilling ADOT’s three-pronged approach to the US 89 landslide incident, which included providing immediate emergency access, conducting a geotechnical investigation and restoring essential traffic to the area. Paving US 89T (Navajo Route 20) has been the short-term solution for motorists driving to and from Page.
“ADOT recognizes the importance of this corridor and what it means to the communities of Bitter Springs, Cedar Ridge and Marble Canyon,” said ADOT Intermodal Transportation Division Director Steve Boschen. “While the Feb. 20, 2013, landslide event was certainly unexpected and a severe blow to the area, it was a reminder about how critical transportation infrastructure is to the motorists, businesses, local residents and schoolchildren who rely on it every day.”
After an extensive geotechnical assessment identified the necessary repairs in July 2013, ADOT retained an engineering firm and developed plans for the eventual repair; finalized all federally required environmental reviews that included cultural, biological and water quality measures; and completed plans for the required right-of-way easements.
ADOT, along with the Federal Highway Administration, Navajo Nation, Navajo Division of Transportation and the Bureau of Indian Affairs, were able to expedite the environmental, utility and right-of-way clearance process, knowing that the use of US 89T was a temporary fix, especially for the Bitter Springs area communities.
The US 89 landslide repair project is eligible for reimbursement through the Federal Highway Administration’s emergency relief program, which provides funding to state and local agencies for the repair or reconstruction of highways, roads and bridges that are damaged in natural disasters and catastrophic failures.
COMMUNITY NOTIFICATION
03-11-2015
The Flagstaff Police Department is releasing the following information pursuant to ARS 13-3835, the Community Notification on Sex Offender Law. The offender in this publication is living in Flagstaff, Arizona.
Notification must be made when certain sex offenders are released from the Arizona State Prison, accepted under an interstate compact or released from the county jail back into the community. Offenders are categorized into three levels; Level One (low risk to the community), Level Two (intermediate risk to the community), and Level Three (high risk to the community).
The individual who appears on this notification has been convicted of a sex offense, which allows for community notification. He is not wanted by the Flagstaff Police Department at this time.
This notification is not intended to increase fear: rather, it is our belief that an informed public is a safer public. CITIZEN ABUSE OF THIS INFORMATION TO THREATEN, INTIMIDATE, OR HARASS SEX OFFENDERS WILL NOT BE TOLERATED. The Flagstaff Police Department may be reached at 928-774-1414 and is available to help you join or start a neighborhood watch program as well as provide you with useful information on personal safety. If you have information regarding current criminal activity on this or any offender, please call 928-774-1414 or Silent Witness at 928-774-6111.
NAME:. Leon Anderson Slim
AGE: 49 HGT: 147 WGT: 5’09” HAIR: Brown EYES: Brown
ADDRESS: 901 W. Rt. 66 #120
SYNOPSIS: Leon Slim was convicted of sexual abuse of a child under 15 years of age in 2011.
Please contact the Flagstaff Police Department Criminal Investigation Division at 928-556-2201 with any questions or concerns.
FREDONIA— The Kaibab National Forest is seeking comments from the public on its proposal to implement vegetation management treatments in the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project area within 28,060 acres of the North Kaibab Ranger District.
The proposed Burnt Corral project, which lies within the southwest portion of the Kaibab Plateau, will improve forest health and vigor while enhancing habitat conditions by making them more resilient to change in the event of wildfire or other climatic condition changes such as drought. The proposed project calls for mechanical thinning as well as the use of prescribed fire.
The public scoping letter and packet, which contains detailed information about the proposed project activities, was mailed out to the public and stakeholders yesterday. The scoping packet may be obtained electronically from the Kaibab National Forest website at: http://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=44236.
Participation of interested persons, state and local governments, and Native American tribes in the development of the Burnt Corral project is encouraged now and throughout the National Environmental Policy Act process. Public scoping and gathering public comments on the project’s Proposed Action is just the first step under the NEPA process.
Specific comments on this project will be accepted during the 30-day public review and comment period. Comments can be submitted electronically via fax or e-mail, or can be mailed or hand-delivered to the district office at 430 South Main Street in Fredonia on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
For more information about the Burnt Corral Vegetation Management Project, please contact:
Garry Domis (NKRD Silviculturist – Project Lead)
U.S. Forest Service, Kaibab National Forest – North Kaibab Ranger District
430 S. Main Street, P.O. Box 248
Fredonia, AZ, 86022
(928) 643-8140
PHOENIX –– The Valley’s Loop 202 South Mountain Freeway, proposed by regional planners since the 1980s, has received final approval from the Federal Highway Administration, paving the way for the Arizona Department of Transportation to move the project forward.
The Record of Decision, signed March 5 by the Federal Highway Administration, grants the final approval necessary for ADOT to begin the process of acquiring right of way, complete the design and begin construction of the 22-mile-long freeway to serve the metro Phoenix region.
The Record of Decision will allow ADOT to begin final design and subsequent construction of the South Mountain Freeway. Acquisition of right of way is expected to begin immediately. ADOT has determined that, pursuant to an unsolicited proposal submitted to construct the freeway, construction will follow a public-private partnership path, helping to speed construction and reduce overall costs. The freeway would not be tolled under any public-private partnership proposal, but would include a private group involved with final design, construction and a 30-year agreement to maintain the freeway.
“The South Mountain Freeway has been approved as a part of two elections that have provided the region with additional transportation funding. Voters recognized the need and the benefits of this project to provide connectivity, travel reliability and route options for a growing region,” said ADOT Director John Halikowski. “Both ADOT and the Maricopa Association of Governments agree this is a critically needed project, and ADOT is breaking new ground by moving it forward under a public-private partnership agreement to more closely involve the private sector, helping to save money and speed construction.”
The proposed South Mountain Freeway has been a critical part of the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Freeway Program since it was first included in funding through Proposition 300, approved by Maricopa County voters in 1985. The freeway was also part of the Regional Transportation Plan funding passed by Maricopa County voters in 2004 through Proposition 400.
The South Mountain Freeway is the last piece to complete the Loop 202 and Loop 101 freeway system necessary for high-quality regional mobility, according to regional planners.
“This is a great day and an important milestone in the history of the Valley’s transportation system,” said Maricopa Association of Governments Chair Michael LeVault, mayor of Youngtown. “It has been a long time coming, and we look forward to the improved mobility and economic opportunities that this freeway facility will bring to our region.”
The environmental review process, which included preparing both draft and final environmental impact statements, was conducted in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act and identified the preferred route for this freeway corridor – running east and west along Pecos Road and then north and south between 55th and 63rd avenues, connecting with Interstate 10 on each end. The Final Environmental Impact Statement documented the analysis of potential impacts associated with the freeway and the no-build alternative, and addressed comments received on the draft and final Environmental Impact Statements. The draft environmental report was published in 2013, followed by publication of the Final Environmental Impact Statement in 2014.
The Federal Highway Administration has decided to identify the Preferred Alternative (a combination of the W59 and E1 Alternatives) as the Selected Alternative for the South Mountain Freeway project. This decision along with supporting information, including responses to public comments received on the Final Environmental Impact Statement, is documented in the Record of Decision.
The freeway will be constructed with four lanes in each direction – three general-use lanes and one HOV lane – and modern features that have made Arizona freeways stand apart from other states for a generation, including rubberized asphalt and aesthetics designed in partnership with the community. The $1.9 billion project is expected to take about four years to construct.
FLAGSTAFF — The Northern Arizona Authors’ Association will meet this Saturday, March 14 at Flagstaff.
The meeting will be from 10 a.m. to noon at 2525 N. Eddy Drive in the Cheshire neighborhood off of 180. Go past the Museum of Northern Arizona, through the traffic light where Fremont and Schultz split. Go past the Shell station and immediately turn left on Peak View. Drive almost to the end of the street to North Eddy.
Members are encouraged to bring something you have written or are working on.
NOTE: A reader noted the error in this post. This post was, indeed, posted by misteak from an email error in our LOCAL email service. It was our fault. Thank you for catching the one mistake we make every three or four months in our zeal to help people find employment or to release other important information. It is comforting to know, however, that we can find our emails when so many cannot.
Updated 3/23/15 11:09
FREDONIA — The Forest Service is seeking individuals to fill the following fire positions on the North Kaibab Ranger District: fire lookouts, forestry technician/engines, and materials handler.
Apply at https://www.usajobs.gov/, and search by duty station location (Jacob Lake, Ariz.) to apply for these positions. Applications deadlines are Jan. 12, 2015.
For information about Forest Service employment, please visit http://go.usa.gov/taPk. For more information about the positions outlined above, please contact Dave Gesser at (928) 643-8151.
Buckskinner reservoir on Sunday.
The Buckskinner reservoir was not running over Sunday, but the smaller tributary of Cataract creek was running steady.
Marv Mason of Marvelous Marv’s Private Grand Canyon Tours reported that the levels in Cataract Lake are also rising.
There are two encouraging notes for the water trouble of the City of Williams. The snow from the last storm has yet to burn off. In addition it has been known to snow as late as May.
The forecast shows a chance of rain Thursday afternoon, but mostly sunny with highs around 60 through next Monday.
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FLAGSTAFF — On March 2, Flagstaff police responded to a call of a man who appeared to be sleeping on Woodlands Boulevard. The subject was declared deceased the medics at the scene.
The Flagstaff Police Department has identified the subject as 35 year old Kenneth O. Yazzie from Holbrook Arizona.
It does not appear that there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding his death, although it does appear that weather conditions might have contributed to his death.
Yazzie had been wearing a sweat shirt, leather coat, jeans and cowboy boots at the time of contact.
This investigation is continuing and the cause of death will be determined by the Coconino County Medical examiner’s office.