Monthly Archives: September 2016

Half of child car seats are installed incorrectly; learn how yours works

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Did you know more than half of all car seats are installed incorrectly? Do you feel an urge to check the buckles, straps, bases and LATCH of your child’s seat?

Go ahead. We can wait. But if you want a refresher in addition to reading the manual that came with your car seat, this video provides general car seat safety tips about installation, fit and when your child should move up to a new seat.

The proper use of car seats is important because every day around the country more than 2,600 kids younger than 13 are involved a car crashes. While vehicle seats are designed for taller and larger adults, car seats keep kids safe.

With Governor Doug Ducey proclaiming this Child Passenger Safety Week, ADOT will display car seat-related safety messages on overhead freeways signs and share information on social media from agencies and organizations that are leaders in promoting car seat safety, such as the Arizona Department of Health Services’ “A Safe Ride Home” and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety’s “Children Are Priceless Passengers.”

Child Passenger Safety Week culminates with National Seat Check Saturday. The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, Phoenix Fire Department and other agencies will install and perform car seat checks from 8-11 a.m. at North Phoenix Baptist Church, 5757 N. Central Ave. in Phoenix.

More information about child safety seats:

  • Check here to see if your child’s safety seat has been recalled by the manufacturer.
  • No matter where you live in Arizona, use this web page to find the nearest child passenger safety technician.

Get our incredible mapping app for just $20!

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mapapp2One of the best deals around just got better.

For a limited time, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering an annual “I Support Wildlife” program membership for just $20 – a $5 savings. A membership provides access to the amazing premium version of the Recreational Access Arizona mapping application.

Whether you’re a hunter planning an upcoming hunt, or someone who just enjoys getting out in the great outdoors, you’ll find this to be an incredible value.

View the video!

What does the premium Recreational Access Arizona app offer?

  • Works on all mobile devices with an active cell service.
  • Shows your current location in relation to different data layers, including game management units, land ownership, wildlife waters, AZGFD wildlife areas, U.S. Forest Service ranger districts, areas with AZGFD recreational access agreements or landowner compact agreements, federal wildlife refuges, wilderness boundaries and more. You’ll be accessing the same data used by AZGFD biologists!
  • Allows you to mark your own waypoint locations and automatically save and sync that data to all of your devices. Mark your favorite hunting spots, areas you’ve scouted, camp areas, water holes, fishing spots, wildlife viewing areas and more.
  • Offers three different base maps, one of which is a detailed ESRI USA Topographic map (USGS 24k Topo).

You could pay $100 or more for other online mapping apps and not get the special features offered in this application. But that’s not all you get for your $20 “I Support Wildlife” program membership. You’ll also receive:

  • A one-year subscription to Arizona Wildlife Views magazine. This award-winning, bi-monthly magazine is loaded with spectacular photos and compelling stories about wildlife and outdoor recreation. As part of your subscription, you’ll receive the popular November/December calendar edition.
  • Up-to-date fish stocking reports. Ready to head out for your next angling adventure? These reports will provide same-day information on where fish are being stocked in Arizona.
  • An I Support Wildlife window decal. It shows everyone that you are a supporter of Arizona’s wildlife.
  • Best of all, your annual membership helps support on-the-ground wildlife conservation efforts in Arizona.

TO PURCHASE YOUR MEMBERSHIP:
To purchase an “I Support Wildlife” program membership, you’ll need to have or create a free Arizona Game and Fish Department Customer Portal account, filling in all of the required fields (those with an asterisk). Once you have created and/or logged in to your Portal account, select “Sign Up” under the “I Support Wildlife Membership” box. A new screen will appear – click on the orange “Join Now” button and you’ll be directed to a payment page.

Act now — buy your annual “I Support Wildlife” program membership by Oct. 16 to take advantage of this special $5 discount. The price goes up to $25 after Oct. 16. All sales are final.

For more information, visit the “I Support Wildlife” page on the AZGFD Portal.

Accident in Williams last night

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800-160923-1750WILLIAMS — An accident occurred on 2nd Street near Sheridan Avenue last night at approximately 5:45 p.m. It appears that a white vehicle was traveling north on 2nd toward downtown when it struck the back of a black Toyota pickup. Witnesses said the white car hit hard enough to spin. Witnesses heard the accident in their homes as far as First Street.

Police arrived at about 5:50 p.m. and an ambulance was called to the scene to check out the single male occupant of the white vehicle. It did not appear that his injuries were serious enough to transport.

Partnership between ADOT, tribe will improve safety along SR 260

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PHOENIX — The Arizona Department of Transportation, White Mountain Apache Tribe and U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs are working together to remove trees considered hazards along the State Route 260 right of way through the eastern Arizona reservation.

In addition to reducing the risk of trees falling on the roadway between McNary (milepost 361) and State Route 273 (milepost 378), the project will reduce the accumulation of snow and ice during the winter by allowing more sunlight to reach the pavement. It also will make it less likely that vehicles leaving the highway will hit trees.

The work, which is currently underway and scheduled to last through Oct. 8, requires lane closures and the use of a pilot car between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down, and watch out for equipment and workers.

White Mountain Apache Timber Co. arranged for a contractor to cut the trees within 30 feet of the roadway, as called for by Federal Highway Administration guidelines. ADOT is providing traffic control, and the tribe will be able to use the trees for lumber and firewood.

North Zone Rx: Dry Park 422E successful

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FREDONIA — North Zone fire managers successfully completed a test fire today on the Dry Park 422E Unit and resumed operations on the 1,226-acre prescribed fire unit today, which is located on the North Kaibab Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest.

With conditions similar to yesterday, resources were able to use aerial ignitions across the unit and complete approximately 1,119 acres. Unlike hand ignitions, which can be very time consuming depending on terrain, fuel loading and fire behavior, aerial ignitions dramatically decrease the time needed to put fire on the ground. This firing technique provides the fire with a greater window of time to ventilate smoke so transport winds disperse the smoke before evening temperatures start to cool the area.

Based on the successful completion of the Dry Park 422E Unit, fire managers anticipate initiating hand ignitions on the 1,806-acre Jacob Ryan Bridge Unit as early as tomorrow.

Looking ahead for the next few weeks, fire managers continue tracking conditions for opportunities to pursue prescribed fire operations on the Tipover East Unit and Lobo Unit.

The total Tipover East Unit is 10,296 acres in size, but the entire project area will not be burned at once. Fire managers have divided the project area into separate burn units that will be treated over the next 3 to 5 years, focusing on approximately 3,000 acres for this season. The total Lobo Unit is approximately 2,100 acres.

In the interest of safety, forest visitors are reminded to obey all traffic signs and use caution when traveling in the vicinity of the prescribed fire burn units as firefighters and fire-related traffic will be in the area. Smoke is expected to be visible from Highway 89A, Highway 67, Marble Canyon and other high-use visitor areas; however, fire managers will strive to minimize smoke impacts to the community as much as possible. Smoke is expected to disperse during the daytime, but residual smoke may settle into drainages and low-lying areas overnight. However, it is expected to dissipate quickly as fire managers will only commence ignitions when conditions exist that will allow smoke to adequately ventilate.

As a reminder, implementation of prescribed fires is dependent on weather and fuel conditions including winds, temperature, humidity, moisture of the vegetation and ventilation conditions for dispersal of smoke, as well as, prior coordination with the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. 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.

Wet weather expected to continue until Friday

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The remnants of hurricane Paine push moisture into the area.

The remnants of hurricane Paine push moisture into the area.

WILLIAMS — The approaching fall season was met with wet weather. The front will bring possible thunderstorms to Williams, Flagstaff and the surrounding area.

The weather service reports that a cold front approaching from the north will bring windy conditions to many areas on Thursday. This front will bring more showers and thunderstorms to mainly northern and western sections of the state. Some storms near the Utah border and in western Coconino county may become severe.

Briefly colder conditions will arrive behind the front Friday. Drier and warmer weather will develop over the coming weekend and into early next week.

Williams City Council meeting tomorrow

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williams-city-logoWILLIAMS — The Council meeting will begin with the public comment section. Citizens are given five minutes to speak unless they receive prior approval for additional time. A registered spokesperson for a recognized community organization shall be afforded ten minutes provided other members of the same organization agree before hand to withhold their individual comments on the same subject. The Council members cannot act upon the items, but may respond to criticism. They may put the item on a future agenda.

Other items to be discussed by the council include:

  1. Canvass of Votes for primary election held August 30, 2016, and possible approval of Resolution #1336, adopting the results. P. Galvan
  2. Discussion and possible decision regarding a request from the Arizona State Railroad Museum Foundation to waive all fees related to the development of the museum project.: A. Richmond
  3. Discussion of reorganization of Clean and Beautiful.: C. Glassburn
  4. Discussion regarding proposed inter-governmental agreement with Coconino County for Emergency Management Services, and partnership for Code Red community notification system.: Chief Nixon/S. Miller
  5. Council will discuss and may decide to execute a contract between the City of Williams and Chad Thomas for airport coordinator services.: S. Miller
  6. Discussion and decision giving authorization to the City Manager to procure internet service with Hospitality Wireless.: S. Miller

Nighttime paving at Milton Road and Plaza Way intersection in Flagstaff on Thursday

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FLAGSTAFF — Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) crews will be paving the intersection of south Milton Road and Plaza Way from 2 a.m. to 8 a.m. on Thursday (Sept. 22).

During paving, access on Plaza Way will be closed along with one lane of southbound travel on Milton Road. Detours will be in place at Yale Avenue and University Drive, please watch for signage and reduced speeds in the area.

Expect delays during paving. Drivers should proceed through the work zone with caution, slow down and watch for construction equipment and personnel.

For more information about this project, please call Coralie Cole, ADOT Senior Community Relations Officer at 602.501.4899 or email ccole@azdot.gov .

North Kaibab and Tusayan Ranger District fuelwood permits to be available in Bodaway/Gap and Cameron chapters

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WILLIAMS — The Kaibab National Forest will issue free-use, paid personal-use and ceremonial fuelwood permits for the North Kaibab Ranger District at the Bodaway/Gap Chapter House on Sept. 24 from 1 to 3 p.m. DST.

The Kaibab National Forest will also issue free-use, paid personal-use and ceremonial fuelwood permits for the Tusayan Ranger District at the Huskie Arena during the Cameron Community Celebration on Oct. 14 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. MST.

Besides the Sept. 24 and Oct. 14 chapter opportunities, fuelwood permits are also regularly available at the following Kaibab National Forest locations:

  • Williams Ranger District, 742 S. Clover Road, Williams; Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.; (928) 635-5600
  • Tusayan Ranger District, 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Grand Canyon; Mondays and Fridays 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.; (928) 638-2443
  • North Kaibab Ranger District, 430 S. Main St., Fredonia; Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; (928) 643-7395

A permit must be acquired by anyone harvesting any fuelwood on the Kaibab National Forest, except for the rather small amounts used in a campfire and gathered at the campfire site. The 2016 firewood cutting season runs from April 15 to Dec. 31 for the Williams and Tusayan districts and from May 2 to Nov. 30 for the North Kaibab district.

The minimum cost for a personal use fuelwood permit is $20, which is good for four cords of wood. Free-use permits are available for specific areas on the forest. Individuals seeking free-use permits should check with the appropriate ranger district office for availability, locations and other information. The Kaibab National Forest also has a collection policy for providing free forest products to Native Americans for traditional and cultural uses.

All permits issued will include a map and detailed cutting regulations as well as load tags, which must be physically attached to each ¼ cord of firewood and visible from the rear of the vehicle. The goal of this load tagging system is to ensure accountability for the amount of wood removed from the forest.

The removal of fuelwood is permitted only from National Forest lands on the district for which the permit is issued. Fuelwood cutters are reminded to take note of property boundaries and cut only on National Forest lands.

Fuelwood cutters should be aware that chainsaws can throw sparks and ignite grasses and brush. Always carry a shovel and a fire extinguisher or water in case of a fire start. Additionally, all chainsaws must be equipped with a stainless steel spark arrestor screen.

ADOT continuous improvement yields much faster way to fill a water tank

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show-low-truck2SHOW LOW — An initiative that has reduced wait times at Motor Vehicle Division offices is one of the big results of the Arizona Department of Transportation’s commitment to continuous improvement. But even finding a better way to fill a water tank used for treating roadside weeds is helping ADOT provide better service for Arizonans.

Examining their processes and how to improve them, Show Low-based maintenance workers noted that it took 45 minutes to refill the 300-gallon water tank on their truck when they were spraying for weeds. It also involved driving back to the maintenance yard for refills because the three-quarter-inch connector was designed for a garden hose.

Creating a new 2-inch connector out of PVC pipe now allows them to fill the tank in about 10 minutes. Because of the new connector, they also can also refill the tank from a water truck or fire hydrant without having to drive back the maintenance yard.

The result: less time needed to treat weeds along highways and more time available to tend to other maintenance needs in the Show Low area.

All four herbicide trucks used by maintenance crews in ADOT’s Northeastern District now have the refilling system.

It’s one more way continuous improvement is helping ADOT increase its value to Arizona by making more efficient use of time, resources and taxpayer dollars.