WILLIAMS — For the past few days, Williams has been sprucing up the street lines around town. Northern Arizona Gazette commends the street department for their quick, professional job. Not only did they actually get the paint over the previous lines ( a problem in the past), they are doing it in a quick fashion that was of little annoyance to downtown businesses and residents.
It is unknown how much more they have to do, but please help them by not driving over the freshly painted white lines.
WILLIAMS — The motorcycle riders of Run For The Wall arrived in Williams May 17 which is their traditional first stop of their ten-day trek to the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington D.C. Their goal is meet up with the riders of Rolling Thunder and 
participate in Memorial Day events. The goal of the groups is to bring awareness of those who gave their lives for their country and those still missing in action.
The riders were threatened with rain, but the rain held off until about 7 p.m. The group started arriving at about 5:00 p.m. with the main group arriving about twenty-minutes later. They stopped at the American Legion Cordova Post #13 for sustenance and rest provided by the Legion, local citizens and the Route 66 Young Marines.
While many people tend to take extra pains to thank Veterans for their service during the Memorial Day weekend, Northern Arizona Gazette would like to remind everyone that Memorial Day is a solemn day of respect for those who were killed during the many conflicts the United States has been involved in. We would prefer that you go to the local cemetery, find a Veteran’s grave and lay flowers. Veteran Service groups, such as the American Legion and Veterans Of Foreign Wars hold ceremonies that you can attend.
Northern Arizona Gazette has been following Run For The Wall since 2005. It is sad to note that over the years, less of our Vietnam Veteran brothers have been able to make the ride and many have passed. We are happy to report that younger Veterans from recent conflicts, such as Desert Storm and Afghanistan, have taken up the ride. About a hundred motorcycles participated in this leg of Run For The Wall. There are three routes that riders take.
After an overnight stay, the riders left promptly at 8 a.m. May 18. The weather was perfect for their send off.
ASH FORK — The Food Network show Restaurant: Impossible, hosted by Chef Robert Irvine, is coming to Ash Fork to perk up the Ranch House Cafe in Ash Fork. The challenge of the reality series is to save America’s most desperate restaurants from impending failure in just two-days. And the producers are asking for assistance from the community members.
The producers of the show are inviting members of the community to dine at the restaurant for lunch prior to the re-modeling at their expense. You can also join them for dinner at the Grand Re-Opening on May 4th at your expense. They cannot, unfortunately, allow diners under the age of eight-years old.
Lunch will be on Tuesday, May 3rd at 11 A.M. The Grand Re-opening dinner will be Wednesday, May 4th at 7 P.M. If you are interested in making a reservation at RANCH HOUSE for either service, please email the Restaurant: Impossible production at: reservationsimpossible@gmail.com by APRIL 28TH at 12:00pm (PST). Please use the following in your subject line: 2014 / RANCH HOUSE RESERVATIONS.
The producers have issued a “casting call” for volunteers to help Robert Irvine with remodeling the restaurant. They are looking for people with construction skills such as painting, plumbing, cleaning, decorating, upholstering, and the like. Shift 1 will work May 3rd at 1 P.M. with shift 2 working on May 4th at 10:30.
If interested, please email the Restaurant: Impossible staff at reservationsimpossible@gmail.com by APRIL 28TH, at 12:00PM (PST) with the subject line of 2014 / RANCH HOUSE Volunteer. Please include your full name, email address, cell number and any profession (plumber or painter, etc.).
The Arizona Department of Transportation is advising motorists who use Historic Route 66 (B40) in Flagstaff to expect traffic shifts as crews construct drilling shafts for the Rio De Flag Bridge Replacement project. The work, which is currently underway, is scheduled through Friday, May 14.
Friday, April 2 through Monday, April 12
The following traffic shift will occur from Monday, April 12, until Friday, April 30:
The following traffic shift will occur from Friday, April 30, until Friday, May 14:
In addition, the following restrictions will be in place through May 14:
During the traffic shift, eastbound Historic Route 66 to northbound US 180 (Humphreys Street) traffic will be detoured to east Butler Avenue to north San Francisco Street to west Columbus Avenue to access north US 180 (Humphreys Street).
Drivers should avoid the area and use alternate routes if possible. If drivers find it necessary to travel through the work zone, proceed with caution, slow down and watch for construction personnel and equipment.
Route 66 is on the air.
FLAGSTAFF — Once again the amateur radio operators along Route 66 take to the air waves for the annual Route 66 On-The-Air event. Amateur radio operators, also known as “Hams,” will try to make contacts with other amateur operators from around the world. The event runs from 5 p.m. this Friday, September 11 until 3 p.m. Sunday, September 20 MST.
Glen Davis, KG7YDJ, on the air in Bellemont in 2019.
Amateur radio operators conduct contests and events throughout the year to test equipment by trying to make as many contacts as possible in a specified amount of time. Operators who make contact with all of the Route 66 stations can receive a “QSL” card from each. When they are put together, they make a map of Route 66.
Ron Gerlack and Andrew Gissel WA7DPS work Route 66 On-The-Air in Bellemont last year.
Some of the stations are stationary at the homes of various amateur radio operators and some are rovers that go to different places along Route 66. In the Flagstaff area, Ron Gerlack KG7OH of the Northern Arizona DX Association—the amateur radio club that works the event—takes the Coconino Amateur Radio Club trailer with various amateur radio equipment to various locations along Route 66. The call sign for this roaming station is W6T.
In the past, Ron has set up at Williams, Bellemont, the Grand Canyon Caverns, Twin Arrows, Seligman and a number of other places. This year he plans to set up at Bellemont, again, and along the “S” curve in Parks, Arizona.
At Twin Arrows in 2018.
WILLIAMS — Kaibab National Forest fire crews on the Williams Ranger District will be igniting 78 acres of hand built slash piles located approximately rwo-miles south of Spring Valley on the northwest slope of Government Hill on Wednesday this week.
Precipitation received over the weekend has produced beneficial conditions allowing crews to continue with fuels reduction treatments of this type that occur during the winter months of the year. Smaller units such as this pile burn will generally be short in duration and will generate less smoke with very little risk of spread due to dampened surfaces on the landscape.
Smoke is expected to move to the west during the day and may occasionally impact forest road 141 to the north. The burn will be visible to residents in Spring Valley, Pumpkin Center, and Parks including the I-40 corridor to the south, and Route 64 to the west. Ventilation is predicted to be very good with the majority of smoke dispersing by late afternoon leaving only minor impacts by early evening. Air quality will be monitored closely and actions will be taken as necessary to minimize the effects to all adjacent residential areas.
All prescribed burns are subject to approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Members of the public may view approved prescribed burns for any given day on the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality’s website at smoke.azdeq.gov/
To learn more about smoke and public health, visit http://bit.ly/SmokeHealthAwareness
Notifications of upcoming prescribed fire projects are provided regularly by news releases throughout the year and through the following sources:
• InciWeb: inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/5922/
• Kaibab National Forest Website: www.fs.usda.gov/kaibab
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/KaibabNF
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/KaibabNF
• Fire Information Recorded Hotline: (928) 635-8311
Northern AZ Law Enforcement Agencies wish everyone a happy and safe Holiday Season. We want to remind you, as always our Officers, Deputies and Troopers will be patrolling 24 hours a day 7 days a week to keep our communities safe.
As New Year’s approaches, we know there will be many parties and festivities. We will have increased enforcement patrols during this busy time of the year. In addition, Law Enforcement in Northern Arizona will conduct a multi-agency DUI Task Force on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Coconino County Sheriff’s Office, Flagstaff Police Department, AZ Department of Public Safety and Northern Arizona University Police will be participating. We will be posting several DUI trailers throughout the area where officers can take possible violators to gather samples of breath and blood draws if driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol is suspected.
It is our hope that by publicizing this task force and advising the public of this event, people will be encouraged to not drive while under the influence. A taxi, Uber, LYFT, Shuttle or Designated Driver is a much cheaper and safer option than taking a chance of driving while intoxicated. In addition, NAIPTA will be offering free bus service on New Year’s Eve until 1:15 am.
Don’t take a chance of ruining your life or the life of someone else by driving intoxicated or recklessly. Being arrested for DUI is very a costly life event. If you are arrested and convicted of DUI, you can face a low-end cost of around $5000. That does not include missed time at work or with family. DUI results in mandatory jail time if convicted, with a minimum of one night in jail, and incarceration increases with severity of the crime.
Please take this time to prepare for your travel and other festivities. Help us keep everyone safe on the roads this New Year’s Eve.
Chip sealing on west end through Country Club Road completed yesterday.
They don’t actually have a pilot “car.” It’s more of a pilot truck.
The process begins with cleaning the roads, spraying oil and chip seal and leaving it overnight. The next day they re-clean the area and open it up. They will be working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday and Friday they will be chip sealing the two-mile stretch from Santa Fe dam to Dogtown Road. One lane will be open for traffic. They ask that you follow the directions of construction workers and wait for pilot vehicle
PHOENIX – Connection with Interstate 40 is the lifeblood of a Historic Route 66 town like Seligman, where many tourists drop in for a taste of those neon-lit days gone by.
That’s why the Arizona Department of Transportation is partnering with Seligman to let travelers know the town will be accessible while ADOT improves bridges leading from I-40 to the west side of the community, which is about 60 miles west of Flagstaff.
While the second I-40 exit (Exit 123) and route to Seligman’s east side will remain open, a $4.3 million project starting Monday, June 11 will replace decks on three bridges between I-40 exit 121 and the west side of Seligman. These bridges are between 40 and 50 years old, and the current decks need heavy maintenance. After the 10-month project, new bridge decks will provide a smoother ride into Seligman for decades.
“ADOT understands there is never a convenient time to do construction work, but we partner with local businesses and communities to do what we can to support them through a project,” said Alvin Stump, district engineer for ADOT’s Northwest District.
ADOT representatives have met with Seligman business owners to listen to concerns and suggestions and to coordinate on ways to let travelers know Seligman will remain accessible from I-40.
The result: Signs on I-40 will direct travelers to exit 123, connecting to the east side of Seligman. ADOT also has produced a brochure and video explaining the project and noting that visitors will be able to reach Seligman from I-40 throughout the project.
“You just have to go two more miles to the next exit,” said Bob LaJeunesse, ADOT resident engineer for the project. “Also, Historic Route 66 will be open east and west, and you can still get to your favorite restaurants and tourist attractions.”
For more information on this project, visit azdot.gov/projects and click on the Northwest District.
WILLIAMS – We have heard from a reliable source placed high in the government (one of the street gang) that the repairs to Route 66 are completed. Except, of course, for the line painting which should take place soon.
The road repairs were hampered by break downs of some of the equipment. The off- and on monsoon rains did not help.
We thank the road gang for getting the job finished as quickly as humanly possible.