Category Archives: Sedona

3rd annual Pure Living Expo brings Healthy Lifestyles Education To Sedona’s Red Rocks

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RLE 2014-92SEDONA — As a trusted news source (sort of like FOX. Depends on who you talk to.), we receive up to four recalls of processed foods daily. With this in mind one has to wonder where to find a source of information for real food. The 3rd annual Pure Living Expo and Conference coming to Sedona might be the answer.

Formerly known as the Raw Living Expo, the Pure Living Expo explores the connection between food, health and ecology. The Pure Living Expo attracts a global group of health enthusiasts, hungry for change, for three days of panels, demos, meals and parties.

The Expo boasts over 45 professional chefs and keynote speakers providing workshops on gluten free, non-GMO and organic plant based nutrition. Over 50 pure and other companies will provide displays in the Exhibit Hall showcase. Exhibitor Booths and Sponsor packages are still available but space is limited.

In addition to the Expo and Conference there will also be several parties and receptions. One to benefit the Sedona Food Bank by providing non-GMO foods to the organization.

Pure Living Expo found Chireya Fox state in a press release:

“With over 45 presenters, the Pure Living Expo & Conference features professional chef demos, keynote speakers, workshops, the Best of Raw Awards gala, receptions, outdoor gardening skills, after parties, and more.”

The Expo will be held at the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa in Sedona. VIP Platinum Tickets help participants enjoy a luxurious and exclusive experience including the Pure Living Awesomeness Lounge, reserved front row seats, and a VIP Reception Thursday, July 23.

Gold Tickets give full access to all Expo and Conference programming. “Expo Hall Only” passes will be launched later in the season and include access to one workshop or talk, morning yoga and the Pure Living Cafe.

Local Sedonans can request a special local discount code via the website.

For more information on registration and room rates please visit purelivingexpo.com, or contact Founder Laura Chireya Fox at bestofrawfoods@gmail.com or 310-460-9987.

PROPOSED ARIZONA POLLUTANT DISCHARGE ELIMINATION SYSTEM (AZPDES) RENEWAL PERMIT

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ADEQ-2Pursuant to the Clean Water Act and in accordance with Arizona Administrative Code (A.A.C.) R18-9-A907, the Director of the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) proposes to issue an Arizona Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (AZPDES) Permit to discharge pollutants to Waters of the United States to the following applicant, subject to certain effluent limitations and special conditions:

Public Notice No.15-54 Published on April 20, 2015 Published in Red Rock News

AZPDES Permit No. AZ0021807
The Sedona Venture Sewer Company
7310 N. 16th Street, Suite 165
Phoenix, AZ 85020

The Sedona Venture Sewer Company applied for a renewal AZPDES permit for the proposed discharge of up to 0.075 million gallons per day (mgd) of treated domestic wastewater from the Sedona Venture Wastewater Treatment Plant to Dry Creek, a tributary to Oak Creek in the Verde River Basin at Township 17 N, Range 5 E, Section 19, in Yavapai County, Arizona. The Wastewater Treatment Plant is a privately owned treatment works that receives domestic wastewater from residential sources in Sedona Shadows Manufactured Home Community and Sunset Hills Resort. Waste activated sludge is held in the aerobic digester for a period of 45 to 60 days and then hauled to either the Butterfield Station or N.W. Regional Municipal Solid Waste Landfill for disposal.

The permit and fact sheet may be viewed online at http://www.azdeq.gov/cgi-bin/vertical.pl by typing the permit number in the box left of “Search Event”. The public notice and related documentation also are available for public review, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., at the ADEQ Records Center, 1110 W. Washington St., Phoenix, Arizona, 85007. In Phoenix, please call (602) 771-4380 or e-mail recordscenter@azdeq.gov 24 hours in advance to schedule an appointment to review the file.

Persons may submit comments or request a public hearing on the proposed action in writing, to Richard Mendolia, Water Permits Section, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality, Water Quality Division, 1110 W. Washington St., 5415B-3, Phoenix, Arizona 85007. All written comments received by ADEQ by the close of business on the date 30 days after publication of this notice will be considered in the final permit decision. A public hearing request must be in writing and must include the reasons for such request. If there is a significant degree of public interest, the Director will hold a hearing in accordance with A.A.C. R18-9-908(B).

SR 89A travel reduced to one lane south of switchbacks beginning Monday

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FLAGSTAFF/SEDONA — Motorists traveling on State Route 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff should allow for extra travel time as the Arizona Department of Transportation starts a safety improvement project next week to improve erosion protection along the eastern bank of Oak Creek at milepost 385, just south of the switchbacks.

Beginning on Monday, May 4, SR 89A will be reduced to one lane during daytime Monday through Friday, from the early morning hours to 4 p.m., as northbound and southbound traffic will alternate driving through the work zone.

No nighttime, weekend or holiday work is anticipated.

The repair to the creek bank will fortify support to the roadway and prepare for strong stormwater flows expected during the monsoon season. Following last year’s Slide Fire in Oak Creek Canyon, water flow in Oak Creek is expected to increase and could undermine the east bank of Oak Creek and roadway support at this location without the scheduled improvement work.

The bank protection work is anticipated to be fully completed this summer.

Flaggers will be on-site to provide alternating north- and southbound travel through the work zone. Please allow for extra travel time as delays up to 15 minutes can be expected while work is performed.

State Route 89A reopened in Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks

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PHOENIX — State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks (mileposts 387-390) was fully reopened yesterday after crews repaired a sinkhole that had been discovered in the northbound lane on Saturday, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

The southbound lane was reopened at 10:30 a.m. today. There are no restrictions to either south- or northbound travel through the SR 89A switchbacks from Sedona to Flagstaff now that the repairs have been completed.

ADOT started the repairs after geotechnical engineers completed an inspection Monday that determined the repairs could start immediately. Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot-wide section of the roadway to remove loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388.

Today, ADOT repaved the northbound lane after filling the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that needed to harden overnight before work could begin.

“ADOT staff responded quickly to this unplanned closure by removing the loose material that was causing the pavement to settle, filling the hole, and repaving this section of damaged highway after a field inspection Monday morning determined we could start the sinkhole repairs immediately on State Route 89A,” said ADOT Flagstaff District Engineer Audra Merrick. “While this was certainly unexpected, I’m glad we were able to limit the traffic impact as much as possible to motorists who rely on this critical roadway to travel between Sedona and Flagstaff.”

State Route 89A partially reopened in Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks

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File Photo

File Photo

PHOENIX — State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks (mileposts 387-390) was partially reopened this morning after crews reopened the southbound lane, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Both lanes of SR 89A were closed Saturday afternoon after a sinkhole was spotted on the northbound lane of the two-lane roadway.

Both directions of traffic will be guided through the area with assistance from a flagger until the northbound lane is reopened.

ADOT started the repairs after geotechnical engineers completed an inspection Monday that determined the repairs could start immediately. Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot-wide section of the roadway to remove loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388.

Today, ADOT is scheduled to repave the northbound lane after filling the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that needed to harden overnight before work can begin.

State Route 89A switchbacks remains closed, sinkhole repairs started today

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adot-logo-03aPHOENIX — Repairs of the roadway damage caused from a sinkhole started today along State Route 89A in the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks, but the roadway remains closed (mileposts 387-390) and is expected to remain closed until later this week, according to the Arizona Department of Transportation.

Crews used heavy equipment to excavate a six-foot deep, eight-foot wide section of the roadway today to remove loose material underneath the pavement near milepost 388, where the sinkhole was originally spotted on Saturday afternoon on the northbound lane.

After the earthwork was completed, crews filled the void with a liquid concrete-cement mix that needs to harden for at least 24 hours before the roadway can be repaved. In an effort to expedite the repairs as soon as possible, ADOT is currently contacting potential contractors to get the asphalt that will be needed to complete the paving.

Prior to construction, a team of geotechnical engineers conducted a field inspection of the sinkhole this morning and determined that it could be repaired immediately.

With SR 89A closed from the Pine Flats Campground to the Vista Point scenic overlook, the recommended detour from Sedona to Flagstaff is to take State Route 179 to Interstate 17. The detour could add up to an extra half hour of travel time for motorists commuting between Sedona and Flagstaff.

State Route 89A closed at Oak Creek Canyon because of a sinkhole

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State Route 89A is closed at the Oak Creek Canyon switchbacks due to a sinkhole which appeared on the roadway during the weekend. The highway is closed in both directions between mileposts 387-390, between Sedona and Flagstaff. Motorists can use Interstate 17 as an alternate route.

The closure is expected to remain while investigations regarding the cause of the sinkhole and repairs can be made. An announcement will be made once the situation has been remedied and the switchbacks are available for use. Investigations are underway and are expected to continue through the week.

Primary 2014 done deal. For the most part.

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Arizona-electsSTATEWIDE – Republicans have selected Doug Ducey to represent them in the governors race. John Huppenthal will no longer be the Superintendent of Public Instruction. It appears that Tom Horne has lost his race to Mark Bronovich. Tom Forese and Doug Little will probably be the the Republican candidates for Arizona Corporation Commission.

Michele Reagan will face former Attorney General Terry Goddard for the position of Secretary of State in the General Election.

In Coconino County elections voter turnout matched the predicted 25% with 25.72% of voters turning out to vote. As of 10:25 70 of 71 precints in the county reported.

Coconino County voted for Andy Tobin to represent them with 2,880 votes to 1986 votes for Gary Kiehne with 68 of 71 precincts reporting. Adam Kwasman received 1,308 of the 6,218 votes counted. Throughout the rest of the Congressional District 1, however, the numbers change drastically. As of this writing, the only race left is for Congressional District 1 where 14 votes separate Andy Tobin and Gary Kiehne. with 125 precints yet to report. This is basically the only race that has not been called.

Coconino selected Doug Ducey with Christine Jones coming in second by 2,262 to 1,555 votes respectively. Scott Smith came in fourth with Ken Bennett beating him out by 33 votes for third place. Doug Ducey, of course, has already been declared the Republican Candiadate for governor statewide.

The late Senator Chester Crandell will win the nomination for Senator for Legislative District 6. However Sylvia Allen will be the candidate for the seat. Currently she runs unopposed as there are no Democrats or official write-in candidates facing her. The only opposition she would have is if a write-in files.

There is no surprise that Brenda Barton and Bob Thorpe are the Republican nominees for State Representative for LD-6, but they will be opposed by Democrat Lanny Morrison.

In Flagstaff, Celia Barotz leads the Council race with 21.33% of the vote followed by Eva Putzova with 18.03% and Jim McCarthy in third with 15.10% of the vote. Scott Overton is followed by Charlie Odegaard 12.96% to 12.20% respectively.

Sandra J. Moriarity has won over Cliff Hamilton for the Mayor of Sedona with with 407 votes to 373 votes and both precints reporting. For council Angela Lefevre leads the race with 24.8% of the vote followed by John Thompson with 18.71%. Scott Jablow took third place with 16.60% of the vote. Rio Robson took 12.48% of the vote with the rest of the candidates receiving less than 10% each.

In Tusayan Bill Fitzgerald has taken 27.74% of the vote for council member. John Rueter has 24.52% of the vote, Craig Sanderson 20.65% and Rebecca Wirth 19.35%.

Since Proposition 402 passed in Williams, John Moore is declared re-elected for Mayor with the three councilmen; Donald Dent, Bernie Hiemenz and Lee Payne.

In the race for Justice of the Peace in Williams, incumbent Robert Krombeen won 615 votes to 360 votes for contender Jeff Brownlee. The Justice of the Peace race in Flagstaff appears to have gone to Howard Grodman with 53.89% of the vote agains Warren Sanford’s 45.79% of the vote.

In Sedona, Proposition 429 passed 499 votes to 237. Proposition 401 passed in Tusayan 36 to 24 votes. Proposition 400 in the Town of Fredonia passed 86 to 36.

SR 89A reduced to one lane through switchbacks

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Drivers can expect minimal delays as crews finish striping SR 89A through the switchbacks from Pine Flats Campground to the Vista Point Overlook. One lane will be closed during operations, with flaggers allowing alternating access for traffic. Striping is expected to be completed by Friday, and will be underway daily from 6 am to 6pm during operations.

Traffic delays may occur during construction with traffic reduced to one lane. There will be directional signage and flaggers present during construction. ADOT advises motorists to be alert for construction equipment and personnel, and to proceed through the work zone with caution.

Fire restrictions lifted in Coconino and Kaibab

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640px-Kaibab-140709-02FLAGSTAFF – Due to significant and widespread rain and rapidly decreasing fire danger, the Coconino and Kaibab National Forests in northern Arizona will lift all fire restrictions at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, July 8.

640px-Kaibab-140709-01Managers typically lift fire restrictions when at least a half inch of precipitation has been received over more than two-thirds of the forests. To date, many areas of both forests have received double that amount of precipitation, with an inch or more of rain being reported in many locations. Fire danger has decreased dramatically from “extreme” last week to “moderate” today.

Besides lifting all fire restrictions, the Kaibab National Forest will also reopen the Bill Williams Mountain Watershed on the Williams Ranger District tomorrow morning, which had been closed to public entry due to wildfire risk. The Coconino National Forest is evaluating conditions in Fossil Creek and will make a determination later this week about the appropriate time to reopen the area.

“With the onset of the monsoon season, the low number of human-caused fire starts, and the availability of many firefighting resources, we are comfortable that it is the appropriate time to lift fire restrictions,” said Holly Kleindienst, deputy fire staff officer for the Kaibab National Forest. “Fire restrictions were extremely effective this year in reducing the number of fires caused by people. We are thankful to our visitors for their help in preventing fires by complying with the restrictions that were in effect.”

800px-bee-01The two forests initially implemented campfire and smoking restrictions on April 18. This was relatively early but was necessary due to a dry winter and impacts of long-term drought on the forests. Additional fire restrictions and area closures were implemented as the forests faced increasing levels of fire danger through the spring and summer.

While all fire restrictions will be lifted as of tomorrow, forest visitors are always expected to use caution with campfires and other potential ignition sources. For information on preventing human-caused fires.