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.
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.
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.
FREDONIA — 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.
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.
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.
The widening project on US 93, north of Wickenburg, is almost complete and crews will switch northbound traffic back onto the northbound lanes between mileposts 185 and 190, tomorrow (Nov. 20) as part of a $12 million widening project.
Crews are scheduled to fully open the southbound lanes on Monday (Nov. 23) in the late afternoon. Drivers may be stopped intermittently for up to 15 minutes during the traffic switch to provide a safe work zone for construction personnel.
ADOT began this expansion project in February to widen US 93 between State Route 71 and State Route 89 which included the reconstruction of the highway into four lanes and will be fully completed by the spring of 2016 when crews return for final paving operations.
The work zone will be clearly marked by temporary barricades and signage. ADOT advises drivers to allow additional time to reach their destinations, and to proceed through the work zone with caution and comply with the reduced speed limit.
Ice is present along Route 66
Portion of Route 66 a mile east of Parks General Store.
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.
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.
Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe photo.
Michael said that he wanted to help the community in someway. So he purchased the first piece of pie.
He has, however, done much more for the community. Michael is a veteran of Afghanistan and served as the Service officer of the Matthew J. Broehm VFW post in Williams. In that capacity he has assisted veterans and their families in getting paperwork and benefits due them. He has assisted a number of homeless veterans.
His concern for the homeless does not extend to just veterans. He founded Hope For The World ministries in the mall in downtown Williams. He, and his German Shepard Bear, took in donations of food and clothing to hand out to those in need.
OREGON — The state is cutting ties with the head of Oregon’s amateur radio service, Vince Van Der Hyde.
The cut comes after he asked volunteers not to take part in a recent emergency drill — because of bad equipment and control issues.
When Oregon suffers a major earthquake, cell phones, telephone lines and other communication systems may fail — or be overwhelmed. So the state has an agreement with amateur radio enthusiasts to provide a backup system.
That system was scheduled to be tested during a drill last week.
Read more at Oregon Public Broadcasting