Category Archives: News

Grand Canyon National Park and Kaibab National Forest to Celebrate Black History Month with Special Guest Darryl Haley

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Darryl Haley

Darryl Haley

GRAND CANYON — Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest will host former-professional football player, Ironman tri-athlete and host of the radio talk show Fitness Friday, Darryl Haley for a special evening program in honor of Black History Month on Wednesday, March 18th at 7:30 p.m. at the Shrine of the Ages in Grand Canyon National Park. Mr. Haley will be joined by staff of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest promoting Black History Month and the Healthy Parks Healthy People initiative.

The Black History Month theme for 2015 is “Celebrating a Century of Black Life, History, Culture and Future Health of our People on our Public Lands”. Mr. Haley is a staunch advocate for parks and public lands as well as a renowned athlete and fitness trainer.

Mr. Haley, who also hosts WHUR’s (Howard University Radio) Fitness Friday during the Steve Harvey Morning Show, hopes to show that parks are places diverse audiences can enjoy, and that they offer a wide range of opportunities for people of varying fitness levels to experience and recreate on their public lands.

grand-canyon1He will be joined on stage by Margaret Hangan and Danelle D. Harrison, USFS. Ms. Hangan is the staff archeologist for the Kaibab National Forest and will be presenting on the history of African American people in northern Arizona. Ms. Harrison is the District Ranger for the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest and will be presenting on the Forest Service role in providing healthy recreation opportunities for diverse communities.

During the week, graduate students from Howard University will be working with staff of Grand Canyon National Park and the Kaibab National Forest, reviewing the agencies’ respective archives while researching the history of diverse individuals in the Grand Canyon region. These stories not only demonstrate the past contributions of diverse individuals to the northern Arizona landscape but also open doors of understanding, forging connections for people today and in the future to their public lands.

Black History Month is about celebrating and honoring the past and creating memories now to carry into the future. As a health and fitness enthusiast, Haley’s programs reach diverse audiences and help promote the making of black history, breaking down barriers in human and race relations. Providing equitable access to public lands and promoting the health and well being of all people are critical components of Healthy Parks Healthy People.

Local artist gets mentions in national magazines

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640-LookbookWILLIAMS — Local bear artist Brenda Carter is getting attention by national industry magazines. In January of this year, she received recognition for Miss Penelope in teddy bear & friends magazine. This month she is mentioned with others in Bear Beautiful magazine.

Brenda grew up in England during WWII amid air raids and bombs dropping. Many a day was spent in the basement of their home during a raid and amazingly the damage to her home consisted mainly of windows blown in and ceilings falling down while other homes on the street were destroyed.

Over fifty-years ago, she immigrated to the USA. Meeting her husband many years later. He served with the Sheriff’s Office in California for 26 years. After his passing she moved to Williams and opened a gift shop called Autumn Buffalo for about 12 years.

When she retired, she started a hobby of making dollhouses and furniture. Later her friend Lorrie a well known sculptor of art dolls (LorelieBlu Studio) taught her how to sculpt fantasy dolls.

Brenda started a Facebook page called Teddy Bears and Fantasy Dolls and quickly gathered many followers. The past couple years she started to think about how much her little teddy bear from the war gave her comfort which she still has and decided to start creating Teddy Bears for others to collect and make their own memories. This is when she moved into making Teddy Bears and became a Banner member of Artist Bears International where she posts her work for sale.

Primal Pet Foods Voluntarily Recalls A Single Lot of Raw Frozen Cat Food

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300-PrimalPrimal Pet Foods is voluntarily recalling a single batch production code of Feline Turkey Raw Frozen Formula 3-pound bag. FDA tested product in response to a single consumer complaint. Primal Pet Foods was alerted by FDA that the testing of two bags of this lot resulted in a low thiamine level. Neither FDA nor Primal have received any other reports concerning Thiamine in Primal products. No other product manufactured by Primal Pet Foods is involved in this voluntary recall.

Cats fed only diets low in thiamine for several weeks may be at risk for developing a thiamine deficiency. Thiamine is essential for cats. Symptoms of deficiency displayed by an affected cat can be gastrointestinal or neurological in nature. Early signs of thiamine deficiency may include decreased appetite, salivation, vomiting, and weight loss. In advanced cases, neurologic signs can develop, which may include ventriflexion (bending towards the floor) of the neck, wobbly walking, circling, falling, and seizures. If your cat has consumed the recalled lot and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian. If treated promptly, thiamine deficiency is typically reversible.

Only the product with the following Best By date and production code is included in the voluntary recall. It is best to check the production code on the back of the bag to determine if the product has been recalled or not.

The lot involved in this voluntary recall is:

Primal Pet Foods Feline Turkey Raw Frozen Formula 3-pound bag (UPC# 8 50334-00414 0) with Best By date 060815 B22

Primal takes very seriously, the need for adequate Thiamine levels in our feline diets. We include Organic Quinoa Sprout Powder as a natural B-Complex supplement to ensure that adequate levels of Thiamine are met. Additionally, Thiamine occurs naturally in other ingredients contained in our Feline Turkey Formula such as: Turkey Muscle Meat (including heart), Turkey Liver, Organic Sunflower Seeds, Dried Organic Kelp, Organic Collard Greens and Organic Squash.

Consumers who still have bags of cat food from this lot should stop feeding it to their cats and call us at (866) 566-4652 Monday through Friday, 9:00 am – 4:00 pm PST. Consumers with further questions should visit our website at www.primalpetfoods.com or call us at this same number.

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) RENEWAL PERMIT

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Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-A907, the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to issue an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant, subject to certain effluent limitations and special conditions:

Public Notice No. 15-45                             Published on: Thursday, March 12, 2015
Published in the Florence Reminder/Blade Tribune

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0025194
North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant
Town of Florence
425 E. Ruggles St.
Florence, AZ 85132

Town of Florence applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the proposed discharge of up to 0.42 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the unnamed dry wash, tributary to the Gila River in the middle Gila River Basin in Township 4 S, Range 9 E, Section 23, in Pinal County, Arizona. The North Florence Wastewater Treatment Plant is a publicly owned treatment works that receives domestic wastewater from residential and commercial sources in Florence Garden area and a small nearby prison facility. Sludge is dewatered and then trucked to South Florence WWTP.

The permit and fact sheet may be viewed online at http://www.azdeq.gov/cgi-bin/vertical.pl by typing the permit number in the box left of “Search Event”. The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Swathi Kasanneni, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-A908(B).

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) PERMIT DENIAL

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Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-B903(C) the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to deny an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant:

Public Notice No. 15-44                   Published on Friday, March 13, 2015
Published in the Prescott Courier

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0025925
Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC
P.O. Box 1012
Rocklin, CA 95677

Chimney Ranch Mobile Home Park, LLC applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the discharge of up to 0.017 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the Chimney Ranch Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) to the Big Bug Creek in the Middle Gila River Basin in Township 12 N, Range 1 E, Section 23, in Yavapai County, Arizona. ADEQ proposes to deny the application for the AZPDES permit pursuant to A.A.C. R18-1-507(C). This preliminary decision is based on the applicant’s failure to sufficiently respond to all items in the notice of administrative deficiencies sent February 10, 2014, the Second Notice of Administrative Deficiencies sent July 3, 2014 and a follow-up notice sent on October 7, 2014.

The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Jacqueline Maye, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-A908(B).

 

Comedian John Branyan explains the Three Little Pigs if you lived in days of yore

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In thy mind, place ye in days of yore. In days when communication doth not instantaneous make through plates of glass, yet only the scroll doth reign.

Methodist Church annual St. Patrick’s Day supper next Tuesday

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640-Methodist-WILLIAMS – The Community United Methodist Church of Williams will hold it’s annual St. Patrick’s Day corned beef supper next Tuesday. The supper will run from 5 to 7 p.m. or until they run out of food. The church is located on the corner of Sherman and 2nd Street.

This popular event includes potatoes and carrots, rolls and desserts with the traditional corned beef and cabbage. Drinks included.

ADOT’s Tentative Five-Year Construction Program: public comment begins next week

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adot-logo-03aPHOENIX — As the Arizona Department of Transportation begins making plans for improvements to the state highway system over the next five years, the major focus will be on preserving existing infrastructure to ensure that it remains in good condition, while providing a reliable transportation network for drivers. It can be a tough balance, as constrained funding simply cannot meet all the transportation needs around the state.

The 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program will be available for public comment beginning next week through ADOT’s website and during the first of three public hearings. The Five-Year Program is a lineup of projects that is updated annually. It serves as a blueprint for future projects and designates how much local, state and federal funding is allocated for those projects over the next five years to improve the state’s transportation infrastructure. This includes highways, bridges, transit and aviation.

Limited funding amid growing statewide transportation needs continues to be the biggest challenge over the next five years. Fewer dollars dedicated to transportation is a result of less revenue from traditional sources of transportation funding, like the state gas tax and vehicle license tax, which support the Five-Year Program. The state gas tax is currently 18 cents per gallon and has not been increased for more than 20 years.

These transportation funding challenges have signaled a shift to a strong focus on the preservation of the state highway system, to protect a system valued at $19.7 billion. If ADOT did not invest in preservation, it would cost approximately $200 billion to replace our existing highway infrastructure, should it fall into disrepair. ADOT is committed to moving major expansion projects forward as well, but with less transportation dollars to stretch, fewer expansion projects make it into the Five-Year Program.

For the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Program, preservation makes up 29 percent of the projects in the combined regions of the Phoenix and Tucson metropolitan areas and Greater Arizona. Expansion accounts for 59 percent and modernization makes up 12 percent. However, when focused just on Greater Arizona (areas of the state excluding Maricopa and Pima counties), preservation makes up 68 percent of the total projects, expansion makes up eight percent, and modernization makes up 24 percent. Both the Maricopa and Pima county regions in the two metropolitan areas have independent revenue streams established through voter-approved sales tax increases that allow for more expansion projects to take place and for more transportation funding overall.

The process for each annual Tentative Five-Year Program always begins with a call to the public, an opportunity to voice comments to the State Transportation Board and let the board know which projects are important to communities around Arizona. The public comment period for the 2016-2020 Tentative Five-Year Transportation Facilities Construction Program will get underway next week with the first of three public hearings. The first public hearing will be held on March 20 in Tucson.

The Tentative Program will be available for public review and comment on March 20 at azdot.gov/fiveyearplan. ADOT has developed a “how to read it” guide and welcomes feedback at fiveyearconstructionprogram@azdot.gov. A phone number is also available for public comments at 1-855-712-8530.

The State Transportation Board will consider all public comments received by May 26. Public hearings will be conducted on March 20 in Tucson, April 17 in Phoenix and May 15 in Chino Valley. The board is expected to adopt the final 2016-2020 Five-Year Program at its June 19 meeting in Pinetop-Lakeside.

Below are the details for each of the public hearings and the June board meeting:

March 20 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Board of Supervisors Hearing Room in the Pima County Administration Building, 130 W. Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701

April 17 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the ADOT Administration Building Auditorium, 206 S. 17th Avenue, Phoenix, AZ 85007

May 15 at 9 a.m.: Public hearing and board meeting in the Town of Chino Valley Council Chambers, 202 N. State Route 89, Chino Valley, AZ 86323

June 19 at 9 a.m.: Board meeting at the Pinetop-Lakeside Town Hall, 1360 N. Niels Hansen Lane, Lakeside, AZ 85929

Michael John Poirier concert at St. Joesph the Worker Catholic Church

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michael-poirierWILLIAMS — 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.


Water Restrictions lessened

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640-15031160WILLIAMS — 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:

  • When watering plants or yard, use a minimum amount of water. Do not lay out hoses and let them run. Monitor your water use directly.
  • For non-food plants, grey water can still be used effectively.
  • Utilize available car washes. If you must wash at home, use buckets to monitor how much you use.
  • Shut off tap while shaving and brushing teeth.
  • Continue to monitor for leaks and get them repaired.
  • If you must clean driveways or walkways, you could used the same water you just used to mop kitchen or bathroom floors.

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