Category Archives: Parks

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.

This weekend last chance for guided tour of Keyhole Sink

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keyhole-sinkWILLIAMS — Arizona Archaeology month is nearing the end. This weekend will be the last opportunity for the guided tour of the Keyhole Sink site east of Williams. The site is four-miles west of Parks.

Traveling from Flagstaff, exit at Parks road and follow historic route 66 west. The tour starts at 2 p.m. Neil Weintraub reports on Facebook that you might expect to get wet from the water fall. There is no cost.

The Keyhole Sink is open to the public year around, but this is one of the few chances to get a guided tour.

Motorists traveling from Flagstaff to Kingman should plan ahead, expect delays

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adot-logo-03aPARKS – Motorists traveling along Interstate 40 from Flagstaff to Kingman need to plan ahead and allow extra travel time as the Arizona Department of Transportation continues a rockfall containment project approximately 15 miles west of Flagstaff that will require weekly 30-minute rolling closures due to blasting operations.

Beginning at 9 a.m. on Thursday, July 31, a rolling closure for up to 30 minutes will be necessary in both directions of I-40 near Parks (mileposts 180-181) to allow crews to perform blasting rock cuts along the highway and clear debris from the roadway. In preparation for the blasting work, westbound I-40 is currently narrowed to one lane through the work zone until the restriction is lifted on Friday afternoon.

A weekly 30-minute rolling closure is scheduled to occur at 9 a.m. during mid-week until the project is completed. ADOT will notify the public in advance of the weekly rolling closures until the project is completed.

The $1.6 million safety improvement project is necessary to protect motorists and prevent damage to the highway from falling rocks, particularly during monsoon storms and heavy rains, while reducing the frequency of closures due to falling rocks. Work includes rock excavation and scaling, installing rockfall netting and constructing a wider rock ditch.

This is one of four current I-40 projects between Flagstaff and Kingman. ADOT recently started a $13.6 million project to upgrade a 15-mile segment between Rattlesnake Wash, five miles east of Kingman, and the US 93 junction (mileposts 57-72). The paving project is expected to be completed this fall.

ADOT is nearly complete with a resurfacing project from Ash Fork to Williams (mileposts 146-161). The $10.5 million project started last summer, and following a winter shutdown, the project will be completed this year. In the same vicinity, ADOT is also working on bridge rehabilitation projects from Ash Fork to West Ash Fork (mileposts 143-147).

Lightning caused wildfires burning in the Kaibab

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Managed fires were started yesterday to combat Sitgreaves and Duck fires. View from I-40

Managed fires were started yesterday to combat Sitgreaves and Duck fires. View from I-40

PARKS/TUSAYAN/FREDONIA – The Williams area is experiencing the first fires of the season. The Sitgreaves and Duck fires are located in the area of Parks and the McRae fire is located in the Tusayan Ranger District. The fires are lightning caused. The Quaking fire, reported today, is burning near Fredonia in the North Kaibab Ranger District. The forest service has identified areas in which the fires may spread and are conducting preventative managed burns.

Sitgreaves fire visible from Williams.

Sitgreaves fire visible from Williams.

In the Williams Ranger District, the Sitgreaves Fire is 350 acres located five-miles northwest of Parks. Aerial ignitions are being used to prevent the spread of the fire into areas identified by the forest service. The Duck fire located three-miles northwest of Parks has grown to 324 acres and is being monitored by fire crews. Some beneficial fires may be started to reduce standing densities to reduce the threat of high intensity wildfire. Smoke from both fires are visible from I-40.

“With recent deep moisture, we feel confident in a quick transition from extreme fire danger and the associated full suppression fire management strategies to managing natural fire to benefit our resources” says District Fire Management Officer, James Pettit.

The Tusayan Ranger District is fighting the 1500-acre McRae fire is located about five-miles southeast of Tusayan and smoke may be visible from State Route 64. While varying monsoonal precipitation and winds are likely to change fire behavior and growth over the next several days, general fire behavior is anticipated to be low intensity with 6-12 inch flame lengths. Crews are planning 500-acres of managed ignitions as needed within the planning area.

About eighty fire fighters are engaged in these three fires.

The 27-acre Quaking fire is located approximately 40 miles southeast of Fredonia in the North Kaibab Ranger District. There is no information as to the cause. Today crews are planning managed ignitions as needed along FSRs 271 and 206. No smoke impacts are anticipated at this time.

I-40 Rockfall underway west of Parks Rest Area

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adot-logo-03aPARKS – Drivers traveling westbound on I-40 at milepost 180 to 181 just west of the Parks rest area can expect up to 30 minutes waiting times as part of a rolling closure to allow ADOT maintenance to clear the roadway during rockfall containment operations. This operation is part of a $1.6M rockfall containment project which includes rock excavation and scaling, installing rock-fall netting and constructing a wider rock ditch.

This westbound closure will be intermittent during rockfall excavation and scaling operations currently underway Monday through Friday from 5 am to 5 pm, and is expected to continue until the first week of August.

Drivers are advised to allow for extra travel time to allow for periodic closures. DPS and flaggers will be present to alert travelers when the closures are in effect, and communicate to drivers once the roadway has been reopened. Both westbound travel lanes will be open during the traffic clearing process following the temporary closure. Once the roadway is fully cleared and traffic can allow for another rockfall treatment, the road will temporarily be closed again to continue operations. Drivers should anticipate potential temporary closures at times during hours of operation.

Seventy Three Year-Old Parks AZ Man Shot in Chest

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Parks—Coconino County Sheriff’s Deputies are investigating a shooting in Parks on Sunday. The incident appears to be a case of domestic violence between a seventy-three year old man and his twenty-nine year old wife.

The man was shot in the chest in the community between Williams and Bellemont. The man was treated at the scene by Guardian medical personnel and transported to Flagstaff where he is currently listed in critical condition. Detectives have yet to interview the man because of his condition.

According to the female, she and her husband spent a significant time on Sunday at a bar located close to their neighborhood. According to the female, both of them consumed a significant amount of alcohol during the course of the day. She reported that upon their return home they began to argue with each other and her husband elected to leave the residence and spend the night in his jeep that was parked outside.

She said that at some point during the evening, her husband reentered the residence and the two began to argue once again. According to the female, her husband placed his hands around her neck and began to choke her. At some point during this altercation the male was shot once in the chest with a 22 caliber hand gun.

Detectives are continuing this investigation in an attempt to determine who produced the weapon and who was holding the weapon at the time of the shooting. No arrests have been made at this point. The Sheriff’s Office is withholding the names of the two involved individuals pending further investigation.

Candidates Sought for County’s School Boards

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FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. — Up to three seats each on school boards throughout Coconino County will be open for voters to fill on Election Day, Nov. 6.

County Superintendent of Schools Robert Kelty invites residents from throughout the County to consider serving their communities by seeking offices that help shape policies impacting our children’s future. All current terms end Dec. 31 and those elected serve four-year terms.

The following school districts will hold elections Nov. 6 to fill governing board openings:

• The Flagstaff Unified School Board will have three open positions, which are currently held by Chris Bavasi, Sarah Ells and Paul Kulpinski. A minimum of 201 nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Fredonia Moccasin Unified School Board will have two open positions. Two of the positions are currently held by Jim Goodnow and Lamar Heaton. A minimum of five nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Grand Canyon Unified School Board will have three open positions, which are currently held by Clarinda Vail, Peter Shearer and Luis Garcia. A minimum of six nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Page Unified School Board will have three open positions, which are currently held by Sandra Kidman, Martha Natonabah and William Justice. A minimum of 39 nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Williams Unified School Board will have three open positions, which are currently held by Herman Nixon, Thomas Ross and David Nenne. A minimum of 15 nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Tuba City Unified School Board will have three open positions, which are currently held by Judy Begay, Linda Honahni and Marie Wheeler. A minimum of 46 nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.

• The Chevelon Butte Elementary School District #5 School Board, will have three open positions, which are currently held by Richard Eng, Linda Blosser, and Trina Cooper. A minimum of three nominating signatures must appear on a potential candidate’s petition forms and a nomination paper must be filed to seek one of these seats.
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Coconino County Supt. of Schools Seeks Applicants to Fill Void on Maine School Board

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Coconino County Supt. of Schools Seeks Applicants to Fill Void on Maine School Board

PARKS, Ariz. – Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Robert Kelty is seeking applications to fill a vacancy on the Maine Consolidated Unified School District Governing Board.

A vacancy was left after Board Member Scott Pomeroy resigned with one year left on his term. In an effort to meet the needs of the community and the District, Kelty is seeking applications for those interested in serving the remainder of the term, which runs from January to Dec.31, 2012.

To be eligible to serve on a school district governing board:

• A candidate must be a registered voter of the State of Arizona;

• A candidate must be a resident of the school district for at least one year prior to  the appointment;

• A candidate or their spouse may not be an employee of the district.

Those interested in serving on the MCUSD Governing Board should mail a letter of interest to Coconino County Superintendent of Schools Robert Kelty at 2384 N. Steves Blvd., Flagstaff, AZ  86004; e-mail at Email; or fax to 928-679-8077.

The candidate’s email, telephone number and home address must be included in the letter. Once a letter of interest is received, an application for appointment will be sent to the candidate. All letters of interest and applications should be received no later than 4:00 p.m. Jan. 12.

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