Category Archives: News

ADEQ and Partners Host Free Environmental Resources Roadshows in Payson and Holbrook

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PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that ADEQ, Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Adopt a Highway Volunteer Programs and Keep Arizona Beautiful (KAZB) staff will conduct two “Environmental Resources Roadshows”:

Payson
Wed., Dec. 2, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Payson Council Chambers
303 N. Beeline Highway
Payson, AZ 85541

Holbrook
Thurs., Dec. 3, 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Navajo County Courthouse Auditorium
100 E. Arizona St.
Holbrook, AZ 86025

ADEQ encourages community members, business people, public officials, and school representatives in Payson, Holbrook and the surrounding area to attend one of the no-cost, two-hour events. Following brief presentations, attendees can engage in open dialogue and participate in a question and answer session.

Topics

  • ADEQ: successful municipal recycling programs such as electronic waste and food recovery
  • ADEQ: how communities can benefit from ADEQ’s brownfields grants and technical expertise
  • ADOT: volunteer process for adopting sections of Arizona highways for litter cleanup
  • KAZB: statewide litter prevention, recycling and beautification programs

If you are interested in the Environmental Resources Roadshow presenting in your community in 2016, please call one of the listed contacts.

Background
ADEQ’s recycling program, which began 1991, has facilitated recycling initiatives in every county in Arizona. Currently, the program focuses on hosting environmental roadshows across the state, particularly in rural areas, to educate Arizonans about what they can do to establish or enhance recycling programs to protect and preserve their environment. For detailed information, please visit:

  • Recycling: http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/solid/recycle.html
  • Electronic waste recycling: http://azdeq.gov/environ/waste/p2/ewastetoolkit/index.html
  • Food recovery: http://www2.epa.gov/sustainable-management-food

Brownfields are properties with active redevelopment potential hindered by known or perceived environmental contamination. ADEQ’s non-competitive brownfields grant program has funded more than 50 projects assisting local governments and nonprofits in completing environmental assessments and cleanups. Currently accepting applications, ADEQ’s brownfields grant program conducts projects through Arizona’s State Response Grant using funds provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Visit http://www.azdeq.gov/environ/waste/cleanup/brownfields.html.

Check our Facebook page for events

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Did you know we are on Facebook?

As we move through the holiday season—and throughout the year, for that matter—we often post information about businesses in Williams and event fliers that we cannot post here.

We also post more photos on various events in northern Arizona. Check our Facebook page for more information.

ADOT’s Thanksgiving safety message: Be patient, don’t speed when out on state’s highways

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PHOENIX — Make sure you pack some patience and play it smart when heading out on the highways for Thanksgiving weekend.

Doing so could save your life, as last year’s was the deadliest Thanksgiving weekend on state highways and local roads in the past decade. The toll a year ago: 18 people killed, six of them in crashes involving impaired drivers.

The Arizona Department of Transportation and other safety agencies, including the Arizona Department of Public Safety and Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, are urging drivers to keep their speed in check, buckle up and avoid distractions, especially texting while driving.

To help holiday travelers and promote safety, ADOT won’t allow any construction-related closures along state highways over the Thanksgiving weekend. The agency will be working to help DPS, local fire and medical emergency agencies and towing companies respond to incidents along state highways as quickly as possible.

ADOT will position heavy equipment, trucks and crews at locations along several of the state’s busier travel highways starting Wednesday, Nov. 25. For example, equipment such as front loaders and incident-response trucks will be positioned along Interstate 17 in the Anthem area south of Black Canyon City, Interstate 10 near Queen Creek Road southeast of Phoenix and along State Route 87 at the Saguaro Lake turnoff north of Fountain Hills.

On ADOT’s electronic signs along highways, travelers will see messages about slowing down and driving sober.

Drivers also should get a good night’s rest before traveling, check their vehicles’ tire pressure and be prepared for unscheduled closures due to crashes or disabled vehicles. Staying up to date on weather conditions and packing an emergency preparedness kit, with items such as blankets, flashlights, extra clothes, drinking water and snack foods, is another smart idea.

Williams ready for tree lighting and parade this weekend

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Christmas-15-11-23-03WILLIAMS — Giant snowmen, toy soldiers, Nativity scenes and lights are springing up in Williams as the City moves into Mountain Village Holiday this weekend.

Events begin with the Holiday Craft Show from 10 a.m. 5 p.m. at the World Famous Sultana Theater. The Grand Canyon Railway Polar Express will run Friday the 27th through Sunday with special 3:30 matinee runs on Friday and Saturday.
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Mountain Village Holiday “The Songs of Christmas” Parade of Lights will run along Historic Route 66 starting at 6:30 p.m. Hot Chocolate will be provided by Pine Country Restaurant and there will be other family fun before the parade.
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The annual lighting of the Community Christmas Tree occurs right after the light parade featuring Santa and Mayor John Moore.

The annual series of Advent Concerts at St. John’s Episcopal-Lutheran church on Second and Grant (next to the tree) begins this weekend also. They will present Lessons and Carols on Sunday, November 29 at 4 p.m. The free concerts continue on Sunday, December 6, 13 and the 20th. Each concert starts at 4 p.m. and features different performers each night. A reception is held following each concert.
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Snow and high winds expected tomorrow clearing Thanksgiving day

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WILLIAMS — The latest Williams and Flagstaff weather forecast for the weekend shows winds picking up today with a high wind advisory and 20% chance of snow tomorrow. It is expected to clear up Thanksgiving day and be clear for the tree lighting events over the weekend.

It will remain cloudy throughout the weekend and on into Monday.

Timberline/Fernwood Neighborhood Watch Holiday Potluck

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FLAGSTAFF — Coconino County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy Jim Driscoll and Coconino County Supervisor Liz Archuleta would like to invite residents of the Timberline and Fernwood communities to the monthly Neighborhood Watch meeting on Tuesday, December 1, 2015. The meeting will be held from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM at Summit Fire Station 33, located at 6050 Firehouse Lane, off of Highway 89N. Chief Deputy, Jim Driscoll staff will be at the meeting to share information and encourage continued neighborhood participation.

This meeting will serve as our holiday celebration and all residents of the Timberline and Fernwood Communities are invited to participate. Please bring a side dish, a salad or a desert.

This meeting will give us an opportunity to socialize with one another and enjoy each other’s company and celebrate a year’s worth of Neighborhood Watch successes.

Neighborhood Watch is similar to the Block Watch program commonly conducted in urban areas and goes back to the concept of “neighbors looking out for neighbors” that many people remember from 30 years ago. It is one of the most effective ways to prevent and deter criminal activity, attend to home and personal security, address the safety of our children and the elderly, and to alleviate fear and isolation. Residents learn how to observe and report suspicious activity and reduce the risk of becoming a victim of crime.

For more information about the Neighborhood Watch program and the meeting schedule, please call the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.

North Zone fire managers to treat piles near Jacob Lake

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FREDONIA — Fire managers on the North Kaibab Ranger District are planning to conduct pile burns in the vicinity of Jacob Lake as early as today, as part of the North Zone prescribed fire program.

Pile burning is typically completed in winter when snow is on the ground in order to mitigate fire intensity, remove excess fuel sources from the forest, and improve forest health by fostering a natural burn cycle designed to reduce the amount of vegetation that can physically carry fire from the forest floor into the treetops. This effectively reduces a wildfire’s potential ability to become a running crown fire.

Fire crews plan to treat 50 acres of piles near the water tank located just south of the Jacob Lake Admin Complex, and are expecting smoke to linger in the area through the weekend. No predicted smoke impacts are expected for Marble Canyon, Fredonia, or Kanab.

All prescribed burning on the Kaibab National Forest is subject to approval by the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality and appropriate weather conditions. For additional information on the Smoke Management Division of the ADEQ and to view prescribed burns authorized on any given day, please visit www.azdeq.gov/environ/air/smoke/index.html.

Additional fire information is available through the following resources: Inciweb; Kaibab National Forest Fire Information Phone Line (928) 635-8311; Text Message – text ‘follow kaibabnf’ to 40404.

Jumpup cabin rental now available on North Kaibab Ranger District

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540x360FREDONIA — The North Kaibab Ranger District has added a new cabin to the Kaibab National Forest’s cabin rental offerings, which will be available for public use starting today as part of Arizona’s “Rooms with a View” cabin rental program, a program that provides visitors with unique recreational opportunities to experience an overnight stay in a historic Forest Service cabin.

Built in 1906 and situated at the mouth of Jumpup Canyon, the historic Jumpup cabin offers a panoramic view of Kanab Creek Wilderness, sitting within the southwestern portion of the Kaibab Plateau near the trailhead for Ranger Trail #41.

The rustic log structure is divided into two distinct areas. The first is a main living and cooking area that has a table and chairs and a small kitchenette with a wash tub. The second is a bunk room with two sets of double over double bunk beds. There is no electricity, running water, or propane, but there is a wood burning stove, which is the sole source of heat, and lanterns and cooking supplies are provided. Cabin renters need to bring their own water, food, firewood, sleeping bags, pillows, towels and personal accessories.

Outside there is an open-air composting toilet, a fire ring, and picnic table. Guests are reminded that this is a Pack It In, Pack It Out site and are asked to practice Leave No Trace Ethics in order to keep the cabin area nice for other users. Additional information may be found at the Jumpup Cabin webpage.
The rental rate is $60 per night from Nov. 23 to Nov. 30, 2015, and May 1 to Nov. 30, 2016, and reservations for the rustic two-room cabin can be made at Recreation.gov.

North Kaibab Ranger District Christmas tree permit update

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FREDONIA — As a reminder, the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest is currently selling over-the-counter Christmas tree tags at both the district office in Fredonia and the Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center in Jacob Lake, and all fourth graders are eligible for a free Christmas tree permit as part of the Every Kid in a Park (eKIP) initiative.

Specific dates and times for getting a Christmas tree permit for the North Kaibab Ranger District are as follows:

The Kaibab Plateau Visitor Center will be open Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. through Dec. 13 for tag sales. The visitor center is located at the intersection of highways 89 and 67 in Jacob Lake and can be reached at (928) 643-7298.

The North Kaibab District office will be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays, and on two Saturdays, Nov. 28 and Dec. 5, from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. for tag sales. The office is located at 430 S. Main St. in Fredonia and can be reached at 928-643-7395.

To be eligible for a free Christmas tree permit from the North Kaibab Ranger District, all fourth graders must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and present their fourth grade pass. Additional information about the initiative and how to obtain a pass may be found at the official eKIP website.

For those not eligible for the fourth grade initiative, a $15 permit may be purchased.

All Christmas tree permit holders will be provided with a map showing their designated cutting area along with additional Christmas tree cutting instructions. North Kaibab Ranger District tag holders are authorized to cut a tree of any species that is less than 10 feet in height and within the designated cutting areas on the map provided. All sales are final, and no refunds will be made.
The Williams and Tusayan districts of the Kaibab National Forest also have Christmas tree tags available. For detailed information on those tags as well as additional information on North Kaibab Ranger District tags, visit the Kaibab National Forest website.

US 60 east of Superior to close briefly for blasting operations Nov. 24

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PHOENIX — Motorists traveling along US 60 between Phoenix and Globe next week need to plan ahead or allow extra time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues blasting work as part of an improvement project to build a new passing lane and widen roadway shoulders east of Superior, approximately 65 miles east of downtown Phoenix.

The construction of the two-mile-long climbing lane from Devil’s Canyon to Oak Flat (mileposts 231-233) will require two full closures of US 60 for up to 90 minutes on Tuesday, Nov. 24:

> The first closure is from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.
> The second closure is from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Traffic on eastbound US 60 will be stopped east of Superior (milepost 227) and westbound US 60 will be stopped at the Top of the World, west of Miami (milepost 235) until the blasting work is completed and the roadway is reopened after all debris is cleared. Law enforcement officers will be stationed at each closure to assist with traffic control.

Approximately 30 minutes prior to each blast, motorists should be prepared for possible delays and lane closures as crews set concrete barrier prior to each scheduled closure.

Motorists seeking an alternate route can consider state routes 77 and 177, which is approximately 68 miles long. Motorists headed to the White Mountains region, including Show Low and Springerville, can also take State Route 87 through Payson and travel east on State Route 260 as an alternative.

ADOT will work to minimize the traffic impacts as much as possible, including scheduling some nighttime work.

There will be narrow traffic lanes, wide-load restrictions and a reduced speed limit through the work zone. Flaggers and pilot cars will be used at different times throughout the project.

Drivers are asked to use caution, watch for construction equipment and personnel, and allow extra time for your commute.

For more information on the project, please visit azdot.gov/us60oakflat.