GRAND CANYON – The Grand Canyon will be free to enter on Tuesday, August 25 in honor of the National Park Service Birthday,
Dogs must be on a leash at all times. Do not forget water.
Monthly Archives: August 2015
The sinking of the USS America
COMMENTARY AND PERSONAL REMARKS
By Lyle J. Rapacki, Ph.D.
SENTINEL INTELLIGENCE SERVICES, LLC
Illegals streaming across the United States borders and then vanishing into our country is a huge, ugly truth the professional politicians do not want to talk about other than to point their fingers at the “other guy,” and launch into a speech about how hard they work to secure our borders. Heck…Senator John McCain pulls this trick every election cycle here in Arizona! The professional politicians, and their handlers, are absolutely appalled and pissed-off that Donald Trump is talking about the carefully crafted agenda to re-colonize our country away from the America we have all known, and into a third-world status nation dutifully taking our place in the New-World Order. We are purposefully being redesigned as Europe has with millions of illegals who absolutely have no intention to accept our culture, our values, our American principles and heritage. Heck…the professional politicians have no intention to make them accept our culture, values, or American heritage.
This message is not an endorsement of Mr. Trump, or even political; it is warning! Mr. Trump has pulled the lid back on a can of worms known as the “Rush the Border Campaign” successfully being waged by Marxist countries to off-load their poor, their tired, their huddled masses of non-productive people from the alleys and jails within their countries, and even helping to ship them to the southern border of our country so they may skillfully be led across to quickly disperse in the United States. Donald Trump has bluntly talked about this well-developed campaign, and the professional politicians, and their handlers along with the Elites have been stunned! You see…Donald Trump’s blunt talk has been heard by the “silent majority” of Americans who themselves do not have a platform, but have waited and prayed for someone to come along and lead. Trump is leading the conversation, he is exposing what the politicians have known, but have winked and agreed to politely disagree without promoting any significant change whatsoever! Trump is exposing just how much in collusion the professionals really are, and just how much the political establishment does not want the American public to know. This is shameful!
We are well on the way to losing our country, but the Elites, their media cohorts along with the political handlers are counting on this truth being simply too difficult for Americans to accept. So…keep the Starbucks coffee flowing, Monday Night Football glowing, and even stir some political intrigue and theatre in for good measure; just do not let the American People wake-up to the reality that is flowing in all around them like the water on the Titanic did to those on board. “We won’t sink…we cannot sink…we are too big to sink!” After-all we are the USS America, and we are meant to stay afloat no matter what iceberg we hit!!
Donald Trump may not be the right person to sit behind the Resolute Desk (made from the timbers of the British ship HMS Resolute and given by Queen Elizabeth to President Rutherford Hayes in 1880 as a gift of friendship between our countries) in the Oval Office. Yet from the moment of his announcement to run for the presidency, Donald Trump has talked straight, has not played the Washington game or by the rules of the belt-way crowd inside Washington – Georgetown for instance. Donald Trump like any successful businessman knows when a business is in trouble, and unless direct and quick leadership steps are initiated the business will fail – or worse! America is on the verge of failing, and at least Donald Trump is saying this truth. The business of unchecked illegals streaming into America is promoting a disaster of epic proportions. Where are the leaders; where are those in positions of public trust willing to stand and do what is difficult, what is even ugly, but what is right? We have managers in public office, not leaders. We have professional politicians who make nice to their constituents back home, and wring their hands and commiserate about how awful the political systems is, but then hop back on their plane and return to their position of power making sure no one really rocks the ship of state. After-all the decisions about America are not for the people to make or even know about, they are for the few who have captured their place on the first-class section of the Titanic from which they are sure they will remain safe and dry. The warning Donald Trump is sounding and daring to speak about in public does not apply to the Elites or their cohorts. They will shout, “USS America cannot sink no matter what iceberg is hit.” And if in some peculiar way America does sink, well, what they won’t shout is that the professionals have already taken care of themselves with an escape route not available to the masses. Trump is right. Look at the figures below:
$22 Billion spent on welfare yearly to illegals by state government across America; $22 Billion per year on food assistance; $30 Billion spent on illegal children in our elementary schools who cannot speak a word of English, and do NOT need to learn! 30% of all Federal prisoners are illegals; well over $3 Million per DAY spent to incarcerate illegals in our local county jails. In 2006 alone, over $45 Billion sent to illegal’s home country. And what is even worse if you can imagine is that these figures are several years old!
Sound the Alarm!! We have hit an iceberg and we are taking on water below deck even though many are still enjoying another cup of coffee and entertainment on the upper decks. The Silent Majority are listening to Donald Trump, and are beginning to find their own voices. The Silent Majority are angry and scared, they have a very good idea we have hit and iceberg and are taking on water. This is exactly what the Elites and professional politicians don’t want to have happen.
LYLE J. RAPACKI, Ph.D. is an Intelligence and Threat Assessment Specialist who has provided consultations and intelligence briefings to selected members of the Arizona State Legislature since June, 2010 as well as to elected and law enforcement officials across the nation. He also regularly writes commentaries for The Olive Branch Report, an online Christian publication.
7th Annual Free Electronic Waste Recycling Event in Show Low
SHOW LOW — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Navajo County and City of Show Low officials will host the 7th annual free electronic waste (e-waste) recycling event for White Mountains region residents Saturday, August 29 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Navajo County Penrod Facility, 251 N. Penrod Rd., Show Low – east side, just south of the intersection of U.S. Highway 60 and Arizona Highway 77.
ADEQ and partners – City of Show Low, Navajo County, Town of Pinetop-Lakeside, White Mountain Apache Tribe Environmental Protection Office, Northland Pioneer College, and E-Waste Harvesters of Phoenix – anticipate collecting tons of e-waste including unwanted televisions, computer equipment, monitors, batteries, chargers, cell phones, VCRs, CD and DVD players, printers, small appliances, fax machines, stereos, cables, and cords. Limit two televisions or computer monitors per vehicle.
“We’re pleased to collaborate with ADEQ and our other partners again this year to bring the annual e-waste collection event to the White Mountains,” said Steve North, business development coordinator for the City of Show Low. “This event continues to grow in popularity and we look to this 7th annual installment to be the biggest and best yet.”
Officials encourage all White Mountains area residents and businesses to bring their electronic recyclables to the event, including residents of the nearby White Mountain Apache Tribe, Show Low, Pinetop-Lakeside, Snowflake, Taylor, St. Johns, Springerville, Eagar, Concho, Vernon, Alpine, Nutrioso, Greer, Shumway, Heber-Overgaard, Pinedale, Clay Springs and Linden.
“We are very excited about ADEQ’s 7th annual e-waste recycling event,” said ADEQ Recycling Coordinator J.B. Shaw. “This is a great opportunity for people in the area to dispose of all the unwanted electronics they have collected over the years while at the same time ensuring that this potentially toxic stream of waste is disposed of responsibly.”
E-Waste Harvesters will erase all hard drives with state of the art software, recycle all materials in accordance with state and federal regulations and provides individuals donating e-waste a certificate of disposal upon request.
ADEQ has partnered with communities in more than 100 events statewide since establishing its e-waste recycling program in August 2009. To date, more than 2.6 million pounds of discarded electronics have been collected and properly disposed.
Fire management actions wind down on Kaibab Plateau
FREDONIA — Over the last six weeks, wildland firefighters worked to establish, reinforce and hold the line around the established 3,915-acre planning area on the Burnt Complex. On Aug. 5, they successfully achieved this management goal. Earlier this wildfire season, firefighters also successfully managed the Locust Fire, which consumed more than 3,227 acres of excess pine litter and dead-woody debris on the forest floor.
“Collectively, I can safely estimate both these wildfires removed approximately 5 to 10 tons-per-acre of excess fuels from the forest floor, making these portions of our forest healthier, more resilient to future wildfires and overall safer for those visiting the forest,” said North Zone Fuels Specialist Dave Robinson.
Objectives for a lightning-caused wildfire can call for full suppression, allowing the fire to take its natural course, or a combination thereof. This decision can be challenging because it includes a number of complexities that must be taken into account when planning such an operation. Such complexities can include but are not limited to landscape, terrain, and weather but also public health risk and values at risk, such as historic landmarks, power lines, communication towers, local businesses and privately-owned properties in or near the location of the wildfire, also referred to as the Wildland-Urban Interface or the transition zone between unoccupied land and human development.
When conditions are right and deemed appropriate to manage as identified by the Kaibab National Forest Land and Resources Management Plan (LRMP), management action objectives often include returning fire to a fire-adapted ecosystem, reducing accumulated fuels on the forest floor; recycling of nutrients into the soil; enhancing wildlife habitat and protecting the area from future high-intensity wildland fires.
Robinson adds that in addition to reducing fuel surface loads on the ground, it is also necessary to open the tree canopy and reduce understory tree densities in the planning area, resulting in a mosaic of patches and corridors of trees and diversity of distribution and abundance of different plant and animal communities and species within the area covered by the LRMP. On the Burnt Complex, this was accomplished by reducing the number of pole-sized trees, according to Robinson; a term used to describe trees 6 inches in diameter or less.
Robinson, who works for both the Kaibab National Forest and Grand Canyon National Park in fuels management, added that “wildfire is a commodity that we can’t afford to live without. So we do our best to manage these naturally-caused fires by manipulating the fire and keeping it at the low-and-slow intensity we want so nature can run its course. This natural disturbance process allows fire to reduce excess fuels, lessen the risk of future high-intensity wildfires, and allow fire to return to the ecosystem safely and effectively in an environment that needs fire to remain healthy.”
Both the Burnt Complex and the Locust Fire continue to be in monitor and patrol status, and fire managers are asking forest visitors to avoid entering the recently burned area as interior fuels may still be putting out heat and smoke.
“Successful management of these lightning-caused fires starts with communication and information. Firefighter and public safety is always the most important consideration as part of that process,” said North Zone Fire Management Officer Ed Hiatt. “We want our visitors to understand that even though a recently burned area may look like a safe place to explore, it isn’t. There may be fire-weakened tree hazards overhead or stump-hole hazards on the ground, which can cause serious injury, so it is always best to be aware of your surroundings, be on the lookout for such hazards and use extreme caution if hiking or camping in the vicinity.”
4FRI thinning project begins on Williams Ranger District
WILLIAMS — Tree removal has begun on a 1,646-acre project on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI).
The Pomeroy Task Order area is located in the vicinity of KA Hill just south of Scholz Lake and about 5 miles south of Interstate 40. Pomeroy is part of the 4FRI Phase One Stewardship Contract held by Good Earth Power AZ LLC.
As thinning work is implemented, residents and visitors can expect to see heavy equipment and workers in the project area and along haul routes. Log trucks may begin hauling as early as this week. The haul route will be from Forest Road 13 west to FR 109, north on FR 109 to FR 141, and then along FR 141 through McDougal Flat until reaching the Good Earth Power mill located near Bootlegger Crossing.
Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.
A portion of the Overland Trail passes through the project area. Although the trail will not be closed, users can expect to see signs posted along the trail advising them of the work being completed. Safety signs have also been posted on roads in the area to inform members of the public about the operations.
Forest managers said they hoped at least 500 acres of thinning could be completed within the 1,646-acre project area before any snow falls.
The objectives of the thinning operations in the Pomeroy Task Order area are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires and to improve wildlife habitat and overall forest health.
The goal of the 4FRI is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.
Star gazing in Williams and flights in Valle this weekend
WILLIAMS — Two events are featured this weekend in Williams and Valle.
The Coconino Astronomical Society will be holding their monthly Star Party at the Glassburn lot area across from the laundry and Rod’s Steak house. These Star Parties allow you to view the stars and planets through your own telescope or with telescopes set up by the society. The Star Party season is coming to a close, so you need to get to one before they end. The party starts at about 7:30 p.m. and ends at 9 on Friday.
The Valle Airport Thunder Over Flagstaff begins early with a pancake breakfast at 6:30 a.m. until 10. The rest of the day at Valle Airport is checking out the car show and the various planes of history that fly in. You can also check out the Planes of Fame museum. Prices are included in the flier attached.
Rock Fire on Tusayan Ranger District growing due to dry conditions
Overview of fire looking southeast. Photo taken Aug. 7, 2015, by Brandon Oberhardt. U.S. Forest Service, Southwestern Region, Kaibab National Forest.
The Rock Fire, which was started by lightning July 31, is located south of the Coconino Rim about 15 miles southeast of the Town of Tusayan and is burning at a low-to-moderate level of intensity through an area dominated by ponderosa pine trees.
Fire managers plan to allow the wildfire to take its natural course within predefined boundaries in order to help restore ecological balance across the landscape. Over the last few days, firefighters completed burn out operations along Forest Road 316 in anticipation of the wildfire’s growth in that direction. FR 316 serves as the eastern boundary of the planning area within which the Rock Fire will be held.
Today firefighters conducted burn out operations along FR 2762, which serves as the western boundary of the planning area, in advance of the fire’s natural spread. This will ensure fire managers are able to keep the Rock Fire within pre-determined perimeters over the next several days as dry conditions in the forecast indicate that the wildfire will be active. Firefighters also continue to prepare for the fire’s likely spread by lining archaeological sites, range fences, trick tanks, and any other potentially fire-sensitive resources near the fire area. This important work ensures that as the Rock Fire grows, it won’t negatively impact other values in the area.
Given dry conditions in the forecast for the next few days, the Rock Fire is expected to burn actively and produce smoke that is visible from Cameron, Tuba City, Valle and Highway 64.
Springs Fire travels south into Wild Horse Canyon
WILLIAMS — 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.
ADEQ: Update on Colorado Gold King Mine Spill
PHOENIX — Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today it has examined data provided by states upstream of Lake Powell and closer to the Gold King Mine spill. ADEQ’s analysis of data released by the Utah Department of Environmental Quality of samples collected about 100 miles from Lake Powell (closest Utah sample) shows that water quality conditions in the San Juan River upstream of Lake Powell are generally consistent with pre-spill conditions. “Based on what we’re seeing with the water flowing into Lake Powell, we don’t expect there to be noticeable change in water quality in Arizona,” ADEQ Director Misael Cabrera said.
“To put this spill into perspective, the three million gallon estimated volume of the spill represents a miniscule fraction of a percent (0.000071 percent) of the total volume of water in Lake Powell (more than four trillion gallons as of July 29, 2015) Cabrera said, adding that ADEQ does not expect this spill to have short- or long-term negative impacts to Lake Powell and the downstream Colorado River.”
ADEQ has been and will continue coordinating with public health and environmental agencies in Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, as well as with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Navajo Nation officials to gather, analyze and share water quality data with each other and the public as it becomes available. Beginning August 14, these officials began lifting water use restrictions for the Animas and San Juan Rivers, because water quality conditions are returning to pre-spill conditions.
Last week ADEQ completed sampling to characterize baseline water quality in Lake Powell and the Colorado River at Lee’s Ferry and submitted these samples for analysis with the fastest possible turnaround time. ADEQ expects to receive lab results later today, Monday, August 17, which it will compare with Arizona surface water quality standards and historical data.
Bake and Yard sale at First Baptist Church Saturday
WILLIAMS — There will be a bake sale and a yard sale at the First Baptist Church in Williams to support the Women’s Ministry. The sale will start at 8 a.m. on Saturday. The church is located across the street from Safeway.
This fund helps to pay for scholarships for women to attend retreats, conferences and other events throughout the year. It is also used to pay for support of Handmaidens Ministry outreach, to the community, through lunch bags, Hope Cottage, blankets and the Dec scarf and mitten distribution.