Tag Archives: Parks

ADOT moves forward with project replacing pavement on 12 miles of I-40

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FLAGSTAFF – With a contractor selected, the Arizona Department of Transportation is moving forward with a $13.9 million project to add new pavement to 12 miles of Interstate 40 between Flagstaff and Williams.

Meeting in Flagstaff on Friday, April 21, the State Transportation Board approved a contract for the project with FNF Construction. A schedule will be set in the coming weeks.

The work in both directions between Parks and Riordan, milepost 179 to 191, will mill down several inches of the current pavement and replace it with new asphalt. It will greatly improve a road surface that has required regular repairs due to the combination of more than 200 freeze-thaw cycles each year and heavy use by commercial vehicles, as well as damage from numerous storms this past winter.

“We’re grateful this much needed project is moving forward,” said Audra Merrick, ADOT’s North Central District engineer. “This project will be the long-term fix to the damage the road has taken over the winter.”

The project also will replace pavement on the on- and off-ramps at the Bellemont interchange, replace guardrail and make minor bridge deck repairs at the Bellemont and A-1 Mountain Road overpasses.

A similar project, slated for the fiscal year beginning July 1, will pick up where this project ends at milepost 179, and continue west for 17 miles to Cataract Lake near Williams.

After pavement damage from powerful and repeated winter storms, ADOT crews continue following up on temporary repairs with asphalt overlays on I-17, State Route 89A in Oak Creek Canyon and other parts of I-40.

Maine Consolidated School District seeking Governing Board applicants

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Risha VanderWey is seeking applicants for appointment to the Maine Consolidated School District Governing Board. There are currently two vacant seats.

The appointments will be two-year terms ending Dec. 31, 2018.

Applicants must be Arizona registered voters and residents of the school district for at least one year prior to the date of appointment. Applicants or their spouses can’t be an employee of the district.

Application information:
· Download the application here http://www.coconino.az.gov/schoolboardapplication
· Deadline to submit is Monday, March 13 by 5 p.m.
· Submit by email kgraves@coconino.az.gov (Live signature original required)
· Submit by fax 928-526-1469 (Live signature original required)
· Mail/drop off Coconino County School Superintendent, 2384 N Steves Blvd, Flagstaff, AZ 86004

An advisory committee, consisting of district residents and a current board member will be assembled to conduct interviews and advise Superintendent VanderWey on the appointments.

For more information, please call Kim Graves at the Office of the Coconino County School Superintendent at 928-679-8070 or e-mail: kgraves@coconino.az.gov.

You can help conserve wildlife

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Deer graze along Perkinsville Road, also called South Road, out of Williams.

Did you know you can help conserve wildlife? Of course there are many groups working to do this in various ways. You can help without lifting a finger. And you can get paid—in a sense—to do it.

Many visit Flagstaff, Williams, Ash Fork and other northern Arizona Route 66 sites. They come up for camping, fishing and to visit the Grand Canyon in hopes of finding comfort in our cooler weather. The problem is that many come dragging their fifth-wheels exceeding the posted speed limits on Perkinsville Road to get to a camp site in the Kaibab. They exceed the posted speed limits to get to the Grand Canyon so they can take a half-hour to take photos and leave. They do not realize that the speed limits posted are posted for a reason.

Deer and elk also wander around our parks such as these at Buckskinner Park.

Deer and elk also wander around our parks such as these at Buckskinner Park.


During this season deer and elk line our highways and freeways looking for water and food. A problem arises when deer and elk dart across the highways and freeways without warning. They make no attempt to guage your speed and, like most people, are unaware that a speeding vehicle cannot brake in time to prevent them from getting hit.

The answer is simply to observe the posted speed limits and even slow down a bit. Especially when you note animals feeding along the roadway.

So how does this pay you? There is an adage which states A penny saved is a penny earned. Consider that if you hit an animal damaging your vehicle, your insurance rates are likely to rise. Not to mention any payment for injuries to occupants that might occur. If the police or Sheriff’s deputy investigating the accident determine that you were speeding, you might receive a costly citation as well. If it is determined by the insurance company that you were at fault, they may not even pay out meaning that you will be responsible to pay for all damages.

Another thing to remember is that some wildlife may seem cute and tame. It may be tempting to feed them or pet them. Either action is dangerous. They are wild and may attack at any time. Feeding them will attract them to camping areas. It may even attract more dangerous animals such as mountain lions and bears.

Flagstaff, Williams, Ash Fork, Valle and all points north welcome visitors who wish to explore the many exciting activities we have to offer. We thank you to slow down and take care to protect our wildlife and our residents from death and injury.

Emergency Response Training for teens this Saturday

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Sheriff-Patch005WILLIAMS/PARKS/TUSAYAN/VALLE — Sergeant James Steng of the Coconino County Sheriff’s office will be holding a training course starting this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. CERT, Community Emergency Response Team grew out of the natural desire to help others during and after a natural disaster. The first people on most scenes after a disaster are survivors who want to help.

The primary objective of Teen CERT is to teach young citizens how to keep themselves, their family members and their fellow students safe before and during a disaster and how to assist them during the aftermath of a disaster. Teens will learn how to best prepare for a disaster and how to assess the scene after a disaster. They will also learn how to conduct a search and rescue operation and how to suppress small fires.

The advantage of this type of training is that it is something a teen can carry throughout their lifetime. FEMA even sponsors online training courses one can take to further their education.

The training sessions will start this Saturday, January 9, 2016 8 am to 5 pm. The next session will follow the next Saturday, January 16, 2016 8 am to 5 pm and finish with a last session on Saturday January 23, 2016 8 am to 12 noon.

Interested teens who would like more information or who wish to register for this training are asked to call Sergeant James Steng at (928) 679-8735 or (928) 607-6470.

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office to Provide Emergency Preparedness and Response Training to Teens in the Williams, Tusayan and Parks Areas

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coco-sheriff-300pxFLAGSTAFF — The Sheriff’s Office and Coconino County Emergency Management will conduct 20 hours of Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training for teen-aged citizens who live in or near the above listed areas. The training is offered free of charge and will be held on three Saturdays in January at the Williams Justice Court/Coconino County Sheriff’s Office located at 700 West Railroad Avenue, Williams, Arizona.

The training dates and times are

  1. Saturday, January 9, 2016 8 am to 5 pm
  2. Saturday, January 16, 2016 8 am to 5 pm
  3. Saturday January 23, 2016 8 am to 12 noon

CERT, Community Emergency Response Team grew out of the natural desire to help others during and after a natural disaster. The first people on most scenes after a disaster are survivors who want to help.

The primary objective of Teen CERT is to teach young citizens how to keep themselves, their family members and their fellow students safe before and during a disaster and how to assist them during the aftermath of a disaster. Teens will learn how to best prepare for a disaster and how to assess the scene after a disaster. They will also learn how to conduct a search and rescue operation and how to suppress small fires.

Participants will receive 6 hours of training in disaster medical operations and learn how to conduct injured victim triage. They will learn the Incident Command System and how to communicate with professional emergency responders in the most efficient way possible. Following the training successful participants will be prepared to help when disaster strikes until professional responders arrive.

Chief Deputy Sheriff Jim Driscoll believes teens in Coconino County are an untapped resource and by offering this training the Sheriff’s Office is joining a fast growing national trend to train teens as the next generation of citizens who are prepared for emergencies and natural disasters.

After the training, teens that successfully completed the course will be encouraged to join one of the many CERT Teams that exist in Coconino County. In doing so they will receive additional training and be given the opportunity to assist first responders during emergencies and non-emergencies. Successful participants will be given a CERT backpack with some basic emergency response equipment.

Interested teens who would like more information or who wish to register for this training are asked to call Sergeant James Steng at (928) 679-8735 or (928) 607-6470.

Route 66 is really slick

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Ice is present along Route 66

Ice is present along Route 66

PARKS — If you are planning to travel Route 66 after a snow, please take care. While traveling the Mother Road is always slick, ice patches make it extremely slick.
Portion of Route 66 a mile east of Parks General Store.

Portion of Route 66 a mile east of Parks General Store.

The snow cover makes Route 66 very photogenic. A mile east of Parks you can stop and see the old portions of the road that were bypassed when Route 66 was realigned. There are several places to stop along the way, but one is missing.

The historic rest stop on the south side (left if you are traveling from Flagstaff) has been closed. You can still get in there, but the toilet facilities are gone. So are the tables, in fact.

You do not have to hold it until Williams, though. The Parks General Store is open daily in Parks along with the gas station.

Oak Hill Snow Play area is open and snowy. Restroom facilities available.

Oak Hill Snow Play area is open and snowy. Restroom facilities available.

About three miles past Parks on the south side is the Oak Hill Snow Play area. The nice thing about the Oak Hill Snow Play area after a snow is that there is… Well… Snow. Our slope report is that there is still a light covering of snow on the hill. Probably enough to get a few good runs.

Across Route 66 from the snow play area is the trail to Keyhole Sink. It is still open, but the trail, of course, has patches of snow and mud where it has melted. The Keyhole Sink trail is about a mile long to the Keyhole Sink.

Springs Fire travels south into Wild Horse Canyon

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640-2015_08_17-09.40.26.272-CDTWILLIAMS — The Spring Fire—which has grown over 6,000 acres despite monsoon conditions—has spread into Wild Horse Canyon and is expected to burn itself out there. The Summit Mountain Trail (#68) continues to be closed until Sept. 30 or until Closure Order 07-15-01-F is rescinded. The trail was closed on July 30 due to the Springs Fire activity.

Yesterday fire personnel continued to monitor the Springs Fire after fire activity increased, due to drier conditions, following a week of monsoon weather. Crews reinforced Forest Road 746, a designated perimeter road, with burn out operations. Fire managers expect the lightning-caused wildfire to reach its pre-established southeastern boundary within the next several days.

Today they will continue to monitor and reinforce Forest Road 57A and Forest Road 746, as the fire activity moves slowly towards the south around Wild Horse Canyon. As the wildfire reaches these designated perimeter roads, it is expected to burn out on its own, as fire managers have been planning since the discovery of the naturally-ignited Springs Fire in early July.

Smoke impacts to both Wild Horse and Sycamore canyons and father south are possible as the Springs Fire continues to slowly back through the area.

The Parks and Bellemont communities may also notice smoke over the next several days, as the wildfire burns through the remaining portion of the planning area established for its natural spread. As the wildfire reaches pre-determined perimeter roads in the coming days, fire activity and smoke production are expected to decrease significantly.

Spring fire grows slowly

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800-spring-2015-07-25-03WILLIAMS — The residents of Williams, Parks, Sherwood Forest and the areas in between should receive a break from smoke over the next few days. The fire has grown almost 2700-acres, but because of the rains the progress of the Spring fire has slowed.

Today the firefighters continued work on reinforcing the perimeter road boundaries to prevent the fire from spreading beyond when the fire flares up as conditions become drier. They are also lining archaeological sites, private property and other fire-sensitive resources near the fire area.

Smoke is expected to be light and mostly visible in the area of the fire along County Road 73. Summit Mountain Trail 68 is temporarily closed due to the fire activity.

Spring fire smoke reaches Williams area

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WILLIAMS — The smoke in Williams, Garland Prairie, Sherwood Forest and Parks area is originating from the 2554-acre Spring Fire centered about 9 miles south east of Williams. The fire started on July 2 and was converted to a managed fire to burn off excess fire fuels.

On Tuesday the fire could be seen burning atop Davenport Knoll. The smoke is heavy, at times, along County Road 73, also known as South Road or Perkinsville Road. At night, when the temperatures drop, the smoke travels lower to the ground and may become heavy in Williams and the surrounding area.

There is a 60% chance of thundershowers this afternoon and 30-to 40% throughout the weekend. If rains come it could cause problems for fire managers who are trying to keep the fire burning. If the storms bring mostly lightning, we could see more fires starting.

In either case, campers are reminded to take care with their campfires and make sure they are completely out when leaving. Fire managers set boundaries which they hope to keep the fire from crossing. Fires started outside those boundaries cause problems with management efforts.

Forest Service and local communities open Moonset Pit

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest, in cooperation with the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates, is providing the public with access to a cinder pit on Forest Service land on specific Saturdays from May through September in order to encourage local residents to create defensible space around their homes.

Moonset Pit is located just west of the Parks community on a dirt road east of Spitz Springs on the north side of old Route 66. On the following Saturdays, the pit will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for the disposal of natural, woody debris such as tree limbs and pine needles:

May 9, 23, June 13, 27, July 11, 25, August 8, 22, September 12 and Sept. 26

“We encourage everyone to take advantage of this community service in order to make their private property more defensible against the threat of wildland fire,” said James Pettit, fire management officer for the Williams Ranger District. “We work with our partners to provide this opportunity each year because a little planning and preparation can make a big difference to community safety. Neighbors are linked by wildfire risk. If one home is inadequately prepared, the risk to the whole neighborhood increases.”

Only natural forest debris will be accepted at Moonset Pit. No garbage, building materials, lumber or other items will be allowed. Items should not be bagged.

This annual service is offered by the Kaibab National Forest and the communities of Parks and Sherwood Forest Estates in coordination with the Rural Communities Fuels Management Partnership.

For more information or to volunteer to staff Moonset Pit on open dates, contact Anne Dudley at (928) 635-0417 or Joanie Raetzel at (928) 635-0059.