Daily Archives: April 11, 2017

Route 66 Good Friday procession this Friday

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WILLIAMS – This Friday the churches of Williams gather to carry a cross down Route 66 (Railroad Avenue) in the annual Route 66 Good Friday Procession. The group will gather at the Mustang on the east end of town and travel west to Memorial Park.The churches start gathering about 5 p.m. with the procession beginning at 6:45 p.m. The Stations of the Cross will be held at 7:30 p.m. at the Family Harvest Church on Grant and 7th Avenue across the street from Safeway.

The Williams PD ensures the safety of the procession each year.

The procession is sponsored by the Williams Churches, but anyone is invited to join in on the event that leads up to Easter. The churches of Williams also hold a combined worship service in the evening of the last Sunday of the month.

ADOT set to reopen routes to lakes in White Mountains

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PHOENIX – After a long winter’s nap, three state highways to lakes in the White Mountains are scheduled to reopen Thursday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

They are State Route 261 between Eagar and Big Lake; State Route 273 between Sunrise Park and Big Lake; and State Route 473 between State Route 260 and Hawley Lake.

Another highway that closes for the winter, State Route 67, leading to the north rim of the Grand Canyon, is anticipated to reopen in mid-May.

Before heading off to enjoy the mountains, motorists should do the following:

  • Make sure all occupants in a vehicle are buckled in.
  • Check tire pressure, fluids and more to make sure a vehicle is in proper running condition.
  • Be patient, including not following other vehicles too closely and building in extra travel time.
  • Get enough sleep before the trip.
  • Bring extra water and food.
  • Never drink and drive.
  • Check for information about highway restrictions and more by visiting az511.gov, calling 511 or following ADOT on Twitter (@ArizonaDOT).

Ozone Air Pollutant for Maricopa County today and tomorrow

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PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is issuing ozone High Pollution Advisories (HPAs) for Maricopa County, effective Tues., April 11, and Wed., April 12, 2017. These HPAs are due to ozone levels expected to accumulate enough to exceed the federal health standard for ozone.

People most affected by ozone include children, senior citizens, people who work or exercise outdoors and people with pre-existing respiratory disease. Ozone can irritate the respiratory system, aggravate asthma and reduce the immune system’s ability to fight off respiratory infections. Ozone-related health problems include shortness of breath, coughing, wheezing, headaches, nausea, and throat and lung irritation.

Employers and Travel Reduction Program Transportation Coordinators are advised to activate their HPA Plans immediately. ADEQ further recommends that the general public limit outdoor activity while the HPA is in effect, especially children and adults with respiratory problems.

ADEQ, MCAQD and Valley Metro recommend residents and businesses use the following tips and resources to reduce ozone pollution and make the air healthier to breathe:

Drive as little as possible, carpool, use public transit or telecommute
Re-fuel your vehicle after dark
Avoid waiting in long drive-thru lines, for example, at coffee shops, fast-food restaurants or banks – park your car and go inside
Visit valleymetro.org and ShareTheRide.com to plan a transit trip or find a carpool or vanpool
Use low-VOC (Volatile Organic Compounds) or water-based paints, stains, finishes and paint strippers and delay big painting projects
Make sure containers of household cleaners, garage and yard chemicals and other solvents are sealed properly to prevent vapors from evaporating into the air
Visit cleanairmakemore.com to learn more about reducing air pollution

While the new, more stringent federal health standard for ozone triggers more frequent Health Watches and HPAs, the fact is that over the past two decades, Arizona has achieved significant improvements in our overall air quality and more specifically, lower ozone levels. Each and every one of us can make a difference in continuing to improve the quality of the air we breathe through simple actions that follow.

Courthouse and Administrative Space RFI Open House

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FLAGSTAFF – Coconino County and the City of Flagstaff are inviting the public to a joint Community Open House regarding the Courthouse and Administrative Space Project Request for Information (RFI).

The Community Open House will provide an opportunity for attendees to learn more about the project, view maps and fill out comment cards with their ideas on the project. County and City staff will be in attendance to answer questions and provide additional information.

The RFI is the first in a multi-step process. Area residents, downtown business owners, community partners, developers, contractors and other stakeholders are encouraged to participate and bring forth ideas.

For more information on the RFI, please go to www.coconino.az.gov/developrfi.

Public input sought on proposed 4FRI forest restoration alternatives for Rim Country

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PHOENIX — The U.S. Forest Service and the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) Stakeholders Group are seeking public input regarding draft alternatives for proposed forest restoration activities along the Rim Country of Arizona.

Two public workshops are scheduled this month for the U.S. Forest Service to present, and obtain public comment upon, the alternatives for the 4FRI Rim Country project area. The draft alternatives describe various ways to meet restoration goals, and input is desired by 4FRI project proponents to ensure the public’s interests are included.

The meetings/workshops are scheduled for:

Thursday, April 13, Payson, 5-8 p.m., Julia Randall Elementary School Gymnasium, 902 W. Main St., Payson, Ariz.

Tuesday, April 18, Show Low, 4:30-7 p.m., Show Low City Hall, Deuce of Clubs meeting room, 180 N. 9th St., Show Low, Ariz.

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The Rim Country environmental analysis covers 1.2 million acres of National Forest lands. Treatments are planned for the Black Mesa and Lakeside Ranger Districts of the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest, the Mogollon and Red Rock Ranger Districts of the Coconino National Forest, and the Payson and Pleasant Valley Ranger Districts of the Tonto National Forest. This environmental analysis is the largest of its kind in the country, and will set the stage for forest restoration treatments in its footprint for the next 10 or more years.

The alternatives were developed in response to comments from earlier public scoping as well as National Forest staff’s continuing research and analysis of the Rim Country project area.

Once alternatives are finalized, the specifics of each will be analyzed and presented to the public in the form of a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) next year.

More information about the project can be found at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/4FRIRimCountry.

The Rim Country EIS is the second landscape-scale, multi-forest environmental assessment for the Four Forest Restoration Initiative, a collaborative effort between the U.S. Forest Service, the public, and a stakeholder group representing nearly 40 individuals, organizations, and government entities (including the Arizona Game and Fish Department). For more information, visit www.4fri.org.