Tag Archives: Tusayan

Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and Coconino County Emergency Management Present Community Emergency Response Team Training

Posted on by

coco-sheriff-300pxThe Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and the Coconino County Emergency Management Division will present a (three) day Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) training class at the High Country Fire-Rescue Station located at 6593 High Country Lane off of Highway 64. More than fifty CERT classes have been delivered to urban, rural and reservation communities throughout Coconino County.

The class will be held at the High Country Fire-Rescue Station beginning Friday, January 23, 2015 from 6 pm to 9 pm, Saturday, January 24, 2015 from 8 am to 5 pm and Sunday January 25, 2015 from 8 am to 5 pm. This training session is offered to all community members free of charge.

CERT Classes are offered by the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office and upon successful completion each participant will receive a Community Emergency Response Basic Certification and a back pack containing basic community emergency first responder gear to include Reflective Vest, Hard Hat, Eye Protection, Gloves, A four in One Tool and a CERT Field Response Guide.

Successful participants who wish to serve their community will be invited to join a team in Coconino County and will receive additional in-service training and will assist their local First Responders during Emergency and Non-Emergency events. CERT Team members in Flagstaff meet monthly for additional training. CERT Volunteers have been utilized during responses to Wild Land Fires, Flooding, Tornados, Heavy Snow Storms and many other natural disasters. CERT Volunteers have served in a variety of capacities to include staffing road blocks, assisting with neighborhood evacuation notification, staffing joint information call centers, assisting with Incident Command Centers, distributing neighborhood safety information and in many other areas. Community members who would like additional information or who wish to register for the basic training that will be conducted at the High Country Fire-Rescue Station are encouraged to call the Community Programs Office of the Coconino County Sheriff’s Office at (928) 226-5089.
Continue reading →

Fire managers to burn piles as winter weather moves into area

Posted on by

WILLIAMS – Kaibab National Forest fire managers plan to begin burning slash piles in multiple locations across both the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts as an approaching weather system is forecast to bring rain, snow and cooler temperatures to northern Arizona over the weekend. Piles are the result of past forest health and restoration treatments and are primarily composed of small-diameter trees, branches, twigs, pine needles and other remaining tree slash. The goal of pile burning is to remove fuels in the forest, lessening the potential for spread of future wildland fires and improving overall forest health conditions. In order to limit the chances of fire from a pile burn spreading into nearby trees or other fuels, fire managers often ignite piles just prior to or during snow or rain events.

Williams Ranger District

There are six areas of slash piles on the Williams Ranger District that fire managers plan to ignite this winter.

  • As early as today, fire managers are looking to burn 56 acres of piles on the south side of Davenport Hill north of Forest Road 140. Smoke from the pile burn may be visible in the Sherwood Forest Estates subdivision and from Interstate 40.
  • There are about 85 acres of piles near the Elephant Rocks Golf Course in Williams that are scheduled to be burned once snow flies. When these piles are ignited, residents of the Highland Meadows subdivision may notice some lingering smoke overnight.
  • The large slash pile at Moonset Pit in Parks will need to be burned once sufficient snow is on the ground. During much of the year, the Forest Service allows local residents to use the pit to dispose of woody debris from private property as a way to encourage creating defensible space. Each winter, the pit needs to be burned in order to allow that community service to continue. When the Moonset Pit pile is burned, smoke will be visible for several days due to its large size.
  • About 26 acres of piles are scheduled to be burned in the Brannigan Park area east of Parks. Minimal smoke impacts are anticipated.
  • There are 197 acres of piles in the McCracken project area that will be burned when conditions are appropriate. These piles are located near the junction of County Highway 73 and Forest Road 110 about 9 miles south of Williams. When the piles are burned, localized smoke impacts are likely, but these will dissipate rapidly.
  • Fire managers hope to burn 124 acres of piles on High School Hill just east of Williams once there is sufficient snow. Depending on conditions, the piles may be burned in segments over multiple days or all on a single day. Smoke from this pile burn will be visible from Williams and Interstate 40.

Tusayan Ranger District

Fire managers plan to burn two areas of slash piles on the Tusayan Ranger District as soon as conditions are appropriate.

  • There are 100 acres of piles just west of Grand Canyon Airport. Fire managers will look for the opportunity to burn the piles when there is an east wind, which will push smoke away from the airport and the Town of Tusayan. Given that east winds are predicted Monday, fire managers hope to begin ignitions then.
  • About 12 miles east of Tusayan near Russell Tank, there are another 100 acres of piles that need to be burned. Given the location of these piles, impacts to Tusayan are not anticipated.

Kaibab National Forest to sell Christmas tree permits later this month

Posted on by

2012 Mountain Village Holiday tree.

2012 Mountain Village Holiday tree.

WILLIAMS – The Kaibab National Forest will sell over-the-counter Christmas tree tags for each of its three ranger districts later this month. The permit will allow the holder to cut a tree of a particular species within a designated area on the Kaibab National Forest until Dec. 24.

The tags will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis until they are gone. Tags are $15 per tree. No refunds will be made, even if weather conditions prevent access to cutting areas. Tags for the North Kaibab Ranger District will be available starting Nov. 20, while tags for the Williams and Tusayan districts will be available starting Nov. 21. Customers will be provided a map that shows the designated cutting areas along with additional Christmas tree cutting instructions. The number of available tags and contact information for each ranger district is as follows:

No. of Permits Available Location Contact Information Hours
800 North Kaibab Ranger District 430 S. Main St., Fredonia, AZ 86022
(928) 643-7395		 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

The office will also be open from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the following select weekend days: Nov. 29, Dec. 6 and Dec. 13.
500 Tusayan Ranger District 176 Lincoln Log Loop, Tusayan, AZ 86023
(928) 638-2443		 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

The Tusayan office will be open for limited hours on Nov. 17, Nov. 19, Nov. 21, Nov. 24 and Nov. 25 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The Tusayan office will be closed entirely on Nov. 18 and Nov. 20.
200 Williams Ranger District 742 S. Clover Rd., Williams, AZ 86046
(928) 635-5600		 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.
Note: The Williams Ranger District office will also have 100 tags available for the Tusayan Ranger District.

Tusayan treatment fires

Posted on by

640-TusayanTUSAYAN – Fire managers anticipate starting multiple prescribed fire treatment projects on the Tusayan Ranger District as early as Thursday. Officials hope to treat approximately 3,000 acres with fire before wet weather conditions arrive for the winter.

Prescribed fire treatments require that fire managers continuously monitor weather and fuel conditions throughout the treatment process in order to ensure firefighter and visitor safety. The following prescribed treatments are scheduled for the upcoming week but will only be implemented only once conditions are favorable to do so:

Russell Prescribed Fire: The Russell project is comprised of three burn units totaling about 800 acres, and is located adjacent to the Russell Tank area on the east side of the district. This burn unit is mainly comprised of ponderosa pine with oak and juniper. Forest Service Road (FSR) 311 and a section of the Arizona Trail will be within the immediate area to be treated. The trail will remain open to the public but users are asked to avoid active sections of the trail where fire is present and use caution when traveling through the area.

Scott Prescribed Fire: The Scott project is comprised of three burn units totaling about 800 acres, and is located within the vicinity of FSR 310 and west of the Grand View Lookout Tower along FSR 2719. This burn unit is mainly comprised of ponderosa pine. A section of the Arizona Trail falls within one burn unit near the Grand Canyon National Park boundary and will remain open during operations; however, hikers are asked to use caution and follow the direction of fire personnel when moving through the area. Smoke may be visible from State Highway 64 along the east rim drive, but is not expected to significantly hinder the air quality.

Flying J Prescribed Fire: The Flying J project is located just west of the town of Tusayan and is approximately 450 acres. Fire Managers will evaluate conditions closely with this project due to its proximity to developed areas in the vicinity. Smoke mitigation will be a top priority and will influence decisions prior to ignitions taking place and throughout daily operations. Smoke will be visible from rural areas and along State Highway 64.

The real race in Williams

Posted on by

jop-raceArizona-electsWILLIAMS – The race for Justice of the Peace in Williams is the real local race to watch. The outcome not only effects Williams, but Valle and Tusayan, as well. The Justice of the Peace is also under contract as magistrate for the City of Williams. This has been the only contentious race in the City of Williams.

Jeff Brownlee is vying for the office of Justice of the Peace from incumbent Robert Krombeen. The winner of this race will be on the ballot in November. The only opposition they are likely to face is if another contender, or the candidate failing in this primary, faces a write-in candidate.

Anyone may file as a write-in candidate to be on the ballot for any County Office they qualify for. Candidates must file by September 25th by 5 pm. Write-in candidates must also file financial reports and disclosures and whatever other paperwork is required by any other candidate.

Electors may ONLY vote for write-in candidates who have filed the proper paperwork and whose name appears on the write-in candidates list provided at all of the polling places. If an elector writes in the name of a fictitious or real person as a “protest” vote, that vote will not be counted.

A person desiring to run as a write-in for a state or national office in the General Election in November must file through the office of the Secretary of State.

Lightning caused wildfires burning in the Kaibab

Posted on by

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.

From the Bench: Justice Krombeen thanks Tusayan.

Posted on by

rob-krombeen(Grand Canyon Edition) by Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen

Since entering into an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the Town of Tusayan just over a year ago, it has been our court’s privilege to partner with the Town to provide your court and judicial services. Now that the council has voted to enter into a longer-term IGA for the next five years, I want to reiterate our court’s commitment to your community.

During the past year, our staff has made administrative changes and improvements which have led to improved customer service in our court. Surveys conducted by the Coconino County Court Administration have shown our court to have amongst the highest ratings for customer service in the county. We are continually striving to find ways to improve the function and services of our court.

It has been my observation that our staff has worked exceptionally well with the Town Prosecutor and Public Defender to provide consistent, designated time on the court calendar to Tusayan customers who appear in our court. The relationship with the Town Prosecutor and Public Defender will only continue to improve, as we find creative ways to provide those services in an efficient manner to reduce drive time for those appearing. As has been demonstrated this past year, it has and will continue to be our court’s desire to be good neighbors to the Town as you develop your community into the future.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your judge. We look forward to providing services to your community for the next five years. Please contact the court at (928) 635-2691 if you have any questions about the IGA or the services provided.

Magistrate contract with Justice Court still pending.

Posted on by

krombeem-20130412 009
WILLIAMS—Williams was left without a contract for the Justice of the Peace to hear municipal cases as as Magistrate as of the last meeting of the City Council. The Williams Justice Court—a county jurisdiction—makes intergovernmental agreements (IGA) with cities and towns that require his service to hear municipal cases. Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen, however, said that he will still hear municipal cases until the contract issues are resolved.

JP Robert Krombeen explained that smaller cities and towns, including Williams, contract with the County Justice Court to hear their cases rather than build separate court facilities and hire their own Magistrate. The Justice Court, for example, entered into an IGA with the recently incorporated Town of Tusayan to hear their municipal cases.

The City of Williams had a contract when JP Krombeen was elected two-years ago. According to City of Williams Code, they can only make a contract for the services of Magistrate for two-years at a time. The effort, now, is simply to create another contract for another two years.

While the Justice of the Peace is an elected official, he is classified as an employee of Coconino County.

“I’m an employee, even though I’m an elected official. I’m an employee of Coconino County as well as part of that office and that position. So I don’t have all employee benefits and privileges, but I do classify as an employee. For example, as an elected official I don’t get vacation time, I don’t get sick time, and that type of thing. But I can take time off by having the court covered and my duties covered in my absence.”

There are certain cases in which the Justice Court has jurisdiction in both the Justice Court and Municipal Court jurisdictions.

“Any criminal charge filed in the Justice Courts jurisdiction is going to be, at least initially, seen by the JP. So, even a felony would be seen by the JP, for example, for the initial appearance and the setting of bond. Then the case could go to a preliminary hearing here in the Justice Court and then would be transferred to the Superior Court,” JP Krombeen explained.

“Now, on the city side, as magistrate, I would see any misdemeanor cases, both from the initial appearance through conclusion. If there is a felony case filed, then that would automatically be a Justice Court appearance.”

It is the prerogative of the City of Williams to select their own Magistrate and create their own court system. It is cost effective, however, to have the court system in the same building.

JP Krombeen said, “Historically, as far back as I’m aware of, both courts have been in the same building. The City could have their own courthouse, or have it in the Council Chambers. We used to be in the strip mall downtown. Both courts were together in both of those locations previously. In some cities the city has their own courthouse.

“Again, you’re talking about a justice court which averages close to 5000 cases a year and a city court that averages, recently, between—Oh, give or take 500 case per year. So, it’s far more cost effective for the city to have an Intergovernmental Agreement to be in a cooperative agreement with the county such as we are now. It saves the taxpayer tremendously from the cities point of view of not having to have their own facility and that type of thing.”

The City also entered into an IGA last September to have the Justice Court staff take on the duties of the Municipal court staff. “It’s been a very challenging, but very smooth transition,” the JP said.

“That’s really helped our customer service, because in the past, we’d have one—at best two—[city] employees. But when those employees weren’t available, people would come up to the front window to, for example, make a payment and they’d see someone sitting there, and the person would say, ‘I’m sorry, we’re the Justice Court, we can’t help you. There’s nobody here from the City Court.’ There were issues because of that.”

The Justice Court staff is responsible for taking care of the cases and keeping the cases in their appropriate jurisdiction for the judge.

“We’ll have a courtroom filled with people, sometimes, with some being City cases and some being Justice Court cases. So as the Judge, I just call the case and I say that this case is in the Williams Justice Court, and we go through the proceeding.

“Next person may be a Municipal Court case. Since I’m Magistrate I handle that case. I call that this case is in the Williams Municipal Court. The Court Staff administratively keep those cases separate. They’re not all consolidated into one court. They’re separate, but we—other than that—handle everything the same whether someone comes in for the City court or the Justice Court.”

March 13th election results in Coconino County

Posted on by

FLAGSTAFF — In the Mayoral race in Flagstaff, Jerry Nabours leads with 3632 votes followed by Al White with 3302. Paul Kulpinski received 1919 votes with Paul Reilly receiving 557. There were 38 write-in votes.

In Williams, Mayor John Moore took 66% of the vote over former mayor Ken Edes. Moore received 439 to Edes 218 votes with 41% of registered voters going to the polls.

When asked about the vote, a voter in Williams commented, “I didn’t know Edes had that much kin in Williams.”

Frank McNelly and James Wurgler were the top two people seeking City Council spots with 488 and 470 votes respectively. Bobby Patricca came in third with 314 and Craig Fritsinger received 297 votes making a run-off election between the two in the next election cycle.

In Fredonia, Alvin Johnson received 57% of the votes for city council over Dustin Riddle; 230 votes to 164.

In the Tusayan recall election, Robert Evans received two more than the 54 votes for Greg Bryan. Clarinda Vail received 54 to the 53 votes received for Al Montoya. In the recall of Cecily Maniaci, Craig Sanderson received 71 votes tallying to 85.54% against 12 votes for write-in candidates.

In the race for board members of the Kaibab Estate W. Fire District, Pat Whitted took 80 votes followed by Douglas Gorniak with 77. Robert Wilkins received 75 votes and Carol Miller and George Wallace tied with 74 votes each. Andy Velasquez received 19 votes.

This county-wide summary is based on non-canvassed results and they could change. For more detailed election results, go to the Coconino County Elections web site.