Tag Archives: Williams

Producers of Christmas Pageant seeks equipment.

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300-pageant16-10-18-13WILLIAMS — Producers of the Williams Christmas Nativity Pageant are seeking help from the community for the December 23 show.

The show is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. December 23 which is expected to be cold at the outside venue. Cosette Riggs is asking if anyone has outdoor patio heaters that they can contribute for the event. According to Facebook posts, the pageant seems to be coming together, but other contributions would be appreciated. The pageant could use safety observers, cocoa, cookies and other baked goods, ushers and so-forth.

If you have a patio heater with a full tank of fuel that they can borrow or can contribute in other ways, you can contact the organizers of the pageant at 602-818-6559 or by email jdmoede@aol.com.

2016 Unofficial Coconino County results

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FLAGSTAFF — With all precincts reported as of about 10:30 p.m. last night, it appears that there were a few upsets in Coconino County.

It is not surprising that Coconino went for the Clinton-Kaine and Ann Kirkpatrick tickets, but it was not enough to carry a victory in Arizona. Democrat Tom O’Halleran won the Congressional District 1 seat vacated by Ann Kirkpatrick with a margin of 60.07% to Paul Babeu’s 33.19%.

Nikki Check Bagley unseated Republican Sylvia Tenney Allen 59.68% to 40.15%. It appears that Democrat Alex Martinez will take the representative seat for District 6 from Brenda Barton. Martinez took 41.09% of the vote, Bob Thorpe took 30.18% and Brenda Barton finished with 28.26%.

Democrats won across the Board of Supervisors with only one apparent Republican win in District 4. Jim Parks beat Janis Crossman with a slim margin of 50.10% to 49.75%. Matt Ryan defeated Republican challenger Christine Gannon by about a 5% margin. Democrat Jim Driscoll won the race for Sheriff of Coconino county beating Independent challenger Danny Thomas 67.58% to 32.13% of the vote.

In Flagstaff, Coral J. Evans beat Republican Jerry Nabours by about 14% of the vote. The results for Flagstaff council member candidates in order of number of votes were Jamie Whelan, Jim McCarthy, Charlie Odegaard, Adam Shimoni, Karla Brewster and Jeff Orvits.

In Williams, George Otero was defeated in a runoff for a council seat by Dawn Trapp 51.29% to 46.77%. In the Town of Tusayan, the council member race in order of votes was Al Montoya, Rebecca Wirth, Robert Gossard with Anavon Harris and David Chavez in a tie with 14.78%.

Proposition 205 to make marijuana legal passed in Coconino county, but was defeated State-wide. 206 passed in both County and State. Propositions 408 through 414 passed with the exception of 410 to raise taxes for Coconino Community College.

Kaibab National Forest proposing fee increase to rent Spring Valley Cabin

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WILLIAMS — Managers of the Kaibab National Forest are proposing to increase the fee for renting Spring Valley Cabin north of Parks, Ariz., on the Williams Ranger District.

Spring Valley was added to the popular “Rooms with a View” cabin rental program in 2001. Since then the site has undergone significant upgrades and renovation including new foundations for both buildings, all new plumbing, all new bedding, a new furnace and hot water heater, a new water system with pressure tanks and pumps, new decking around the exterior, an accessible bathroom, a new kitchen, and exterior and interior paint.

With the updated features and the fact that the cabin and bunkhouse can house up to 17 people, the current rental fee is lower than other rentals offering similar amenities. The cabin has a full kitchen with modern appliances, hot water, walk-in shower, propane heat (with woodstove backup), on the grid power, and running water year-round. Fees are assessed based on the level of amenities and services provided, cost of operation and maintenance, market assessment, and public comment. Fee receipts generated from the rental of Spring Valley Cabin are used for the operation and maintenance of these recreation sites.

The Kaibab National Forest is proposing that the cabin fee increase from the current $100 per night to $165 per night. The cabin has six bunk beds and two futons sleeping up to 10 people. Visitors may also rent the bunkhouse for an additional fee of $50 per night. The bunkhouse has six bunk beds and a futon for another seven people. The bunkhouse can only be rented combined with the cabin. Currently the cost of renting both the cabin and bunkhouse is $150 per night ($100/cabin plus $50/bunkhouse). The new proposed price for both the cabin and bunkhouse would be $215 per night ($165/cabin plus $50/bunkhouse).

Anyone interested can provide input on the proposed fee increase at any time prior to Feb. 28, 2017. Comments should be submitted to Lisa Jones, recreation program manager for the Williams Ranger District, at lljones@fs.fed.us or (928) 635-5619. Once the public review period has ended, the proposed fee and all comments received will be considered by a Recreation Resource Advisory Committee prior to a final decision and implementation.

Spring Valley Cabin offers spectacular views, unparalleled opportunities to see wildlife, and convenient cross-country ski and hiking trails. The Kaibab National Forest has several cabins available for overnight rental for people seeking a unique camping and outdoor experience. Find out more at Kaibab Cabin Rentals. Follow the Kaibab National Forest on Twitter and Facebook @KaibabNF.

Strong thunderstorms possible tonight

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WILLIAMS — The NOAA warns of severe thunderstorms possible through tonight. The issued a severe weather warning which reads:

MOISTURE IS BEING DRAWN NORTHWARD AHEAD OF A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM
AND WILL BRING INCREASING CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND A FEW
THUNDERSTORMS TO MOST OF NORTHERN ARIZONA THROUGH TONIGHT. ISOLATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS COULD DEVELOP WITH SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY
WINDS.

ON FRIDAY, THE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WILL MOVE SLOWLY NORTHWARD
ACROSS ARIZONA. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL CONTINUE, WITH THE GREATEST COVERAGE OVER NORTHEASTERN
ARIZONA. ISOLATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE WITH SMALL
HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS. MINOR FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE WITH THE
HEAVIEST SHOWERS. EVENT TOTAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 0.50″ TO 1.50″
ARE FORECAST, WITH THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL OVER SOUTHERN NAVAJO AND
APACHE COUNTIES.

It is recommended that you keep pets indoors.

Forest restoration work near Williams to increase log truck traffic

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WILLIAMS — As two additional timber sales supporting forest restoration efforts begin on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest, members of the public can expect to see an increasing number of log trucks traveling through the Williams community and heavy, mechanized equipment in the project areas on the forest.

The 1,108-acre Shiner Timber Sale is located about 4 miles south of Williams in the vicinity of Sevier Flat and Shiner Tank. It is bounded on the north by Forest Road 140, on the east by FR 48A, on the south by FR 3258 and on the west by County Road 73.

Log trucks traveling from the Shiner Timber Sale will start on FR 140 or FR 3258, travel north on County Road 73 to Railroad Avenue in Williams, continue west to enter Interstate 40 at the 161 interchange, then travel east to exit at Garland Prairie for the Newpac Fibre mill. During the height of operations, as many as 11 trucks per day could be traveling the route from the forest to the mill Monday through Saturday. Log trucks could begin operations as soon as this week.

The 839-acre Round Mountain East Timber Sale is located about 13 miles southeast of Williams in the vicinity of Round Mountain. It is bounded on the north and west by FR 138, on the south by FR 105 and on the east by FR 11.

Log trucks traveling from the Routh Mountain East Timber Sale will start on FR 11 or FR 138, travel FR 105 east to FR 110, follow FR 110 west to County Road 73, travel north on County Road 73 to Railroad Avenue in Williams, continue west to enter Interstate 40 at the 161 interchange, then travel east to exit at Garland Prairie for the Newpac Fibre mill. During the height of operations, as many as 21 trucks per day could be traveling the route from the forest to the mill Monday through Saturday. Log trucks are expected to begin operations in mid-November.

At the project locations within Kaibab National Forest, visitors will see tree thinning operations that will include use of feller bunchers, skidders and processors. Members of the public are urged to use extreme caution near timber removal and hauling operations. Besides the presence of heavy equipment and log trucks, there will also be trees being felled and stacked into log decks, which can be unstable. Visitors to the area should not camp near nor climb on them, as they often shift and have the possibility of collapse.

The goals of the Shiner Timber Sale are forest health and wildfire risk reduction, with a special emphasis on restoring a historic antelope migration corridor. Work in the Shiner area could continue until June 2018, but forest managers expect it to be completed sooner than that. The overarching goal of the Round Mountain East Timber Sale is the restoration of a ponderosa pine, oak and juniper forested area. Forest managers expect work to continue in the Round Mountain area for the next several months.

Besides the Shiner and Round Mountain East projects, tree removal also continues on the 3,571-acre McCracken Task Order, which is located about 6 miles south of Williams in the vicinity of Coleman Lake and McCracken Knolls. A contractor recently started harvesting operations off of roads 108 and 728. The McCracken project area is bounded on the north by FR 122, on the east and south by County Road 73, and on the west by FR 42. Log trucks are hauling from both FR 108 and FR 728, feeding into County Road 73 and then following the haul route into Williams and onto eastbound Interstate 40.

The objectives of the thinning operations in the McCracken area are to reduce fuel loading and the potential for future high-intensity wildfires, to improve forest health and watershed conditions, and to provide wildfire protection for the City of Williams and its surrounding residences.

“We have a lot of great work getting accomplished on the Williams Ranger District in terms of improving forest health and reducing wildfire risk through these projects,” said Tom Dauenhauer, timber sale administrator. “However, we also need members of the public to be aware that there is going to be a significant increase in the number of log trucks traveling near and through the Williams community. We urge people to use caution and be aware of this traffic over the coming months.”

All of this logging and thinning work on the Williams Ranger District is associated with the Four Forest Restoration Initiative. The goal of the Four Forest Restoration Initiative is to accelerate the pace and scale of restoration within 2.4 million acres of ponderosa pine forest in northern Arizona to increase resilience and proper functioning. Restoring this fire-adapted ecosystem is accomplished with a suite of restoration activities – from watershed maintenance and habitat improvements to prescribed burning and thinning.

Kaibab National Forest and Arizona Game and Fish Department invite public to workshop on locating and reporting noxious weeds

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WILLIAMS — Members of the public are invited to attend a training hosted by the Kaibab National Forest and Arizona Game and Fish Department on an exciting phone application that allows citizen scientists to assist land managers in locating noxious weeds.

The free workshop is scheduled from 10 a.m. to noon on Nov. 5 at the Williams Ranger District office of the Kaibab National Forest, 742 S. Clover Rd. in Williams. Jami Clark, a data specialist with the Arizona Game and Fish Department out of Phoenix, will lead the informational and training session on the use of iMapInvasives and iNaturalist for reporting noxious and invasive weeds on lands within Arizona.

iMapInvasives is an online data management tool that stores invasive species information and facilitates data sharing and utilization by land managers, the public and other organizations. Within the past decade, iMapInvasives has become a vital decision-making tool for several states, organizations and agencies in the battle against some of the most threatening invasive species infestations.

At its most basic level, this database supports data management of simple species location information. In addition, it supports advanced information management including the capability to input treatment records, survey records, track infestations over time, create collaborative projects, and even track hours and volunteer efforts spent on projects. This tool has provided a standardized, central location in which to store invasive species information and has aided in data sharing across local and state boundaries on both regional and national scales.

iMapInvasives has two major user groups: (1) citizen scientists collecting point observation data while in the field, (2) land managers tracking the status of infestations over time. In order to support the first group and provide a user-friendly, offline-capable phone app, iMapInvasives Arizona has established a project in the online platform iNaturalist.org.

To contribute data by using a phone app, follow these steps:

  1. Request an account from iMapInvasives.
  2. Once you hear back from Jami Clark with your account information, set up an account with iNaturalist. Try to make your iNaturalist username identical to or as similar as possible to your iMapInvasives username.
  3. Logon to iNaturalist and join the Arizona iMapInvasives Project.
  4. Prepare your phone to start collecting and contributing data by downloading the iNaturalist app from either the iTunes Store or Google Play.

Will Haunt for Food

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WILLIAMS — Spooky and fun Halloween events continue through the weekend to the big event on Monday. It is the final weekend for the events Bearizona and Grand Canyon Railway. A haunted house will spook up some food for the Williams Food Bank. Businesses and houses throughout the community are ready to distribute candies.

This weekend is the final chance to visit the Howly, Owly, Growly festival at Bearizona. It is also the final weekend for the Pumpkin Patch train at the Grand Canyon Railway. This special train this weekend features the steam engine.tunneldoom-16-10-19-01
Starting Friday the 29th and running through Halloween you can take a walk through The Tunnel of Doom. The fee is a non-perishable food item to be donated to the Williams Food Bank. The Tunnel of Doom is at 1066 Allston Way in Williams (MAP). We got to visit the “skeleton” of the Tunnel earlier and it looks to be a spooky experience.800-161024_175623Safe Halloween alternatives are planned by Churches on Monday. The Williams First Baptist Church and Family Harvest Church across the street from Safeway will hold their annual Fall Festival. The Methodist Church on 2nd Street will host their Trunk-or-Treat event. Kids can get candy from Halloween-mobiles and get a hotdog or hamburger at the bbq.800-161024_175529Of course the big day is Monday, the 31st. We urge all parents to trick-or-treat with their children or another responsible adult. There are safety tips available here and here. You should check to make sure the house has decorations outside indicating that they are welcoming visitors. Remind your children not to eat any treats until you check them out yourself.800-16-10-19-01On Saturday, you can drive around and check for houses appropriately decorated. Don’t forget that businesses downtown also may be handing out treats.800-16-10-19-03Have a SAFE Halloween.scan10-19

ADOT prepared to keep highways open, safe during snow season

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towplow-in-action_cropPHOENIX –– With winter and the promise of snow in the high country rapidly approaching, preparation throughout the year means the Arizona Department of Transportation is ready to keep highways open and travelers safe.

Through its certification and training programs, ADOT has 400 certified snowplow operators ready for winter storms.

Regular maintenance by ADOT Equipment Services has the agency’s 200 snowplows ready to go. Last winter, ADOT spent $2.2 million, an average of $11,000 per vehicle, to keep its snowplows in top condition.

“It’s always difficult to predict not only how severe winter weather will be but where problems will occur,” said Dallas Hammit, ADOT’s state engineer and deputy director for transportation. “With our operators trained and our snowplow fleet up and running, however, ADOT has the resources necessary to respond to snow and ice around the state.”

ADOT’s snowplows working on Interstate 40 between Williams and Flagstaff will include a second TowPlow, a steerable trailer that allows one driver in a snowplow to clear two lanes. Attached to the back of a snowplow and steered by the snowplow driver, the TowPlow allows ADOT remove snow and ice more efficiently while using less fuel, and it frees another snowplow and driver to work elsewhere.

As with any snowplow, drivers approaching a TowPlow should slow down and pass only when the operator pulls over to allow traffic to get around. Remember: The road behind a plow is the safest place to be when snow and ice are on the highway.

While ADOT is ready to keep the roads open and as safe as possible in challenging conditions, motorists can do their part by preparing for travel in winter weather.

ADOT’s “Know Snow” website at azdot.gov/KnowSnow has tips that include adjusting your speed to conditions, leaving extra room between your vehicle and the one ahead, carrying plenty of food and water, and packing an emergency preparedness kit. Tips include carrying a small bag of cat litter or sand to provide traction if your vehicle becomes stuck along the roadway.

Bearizona may be the missing link to the Chicago Cubs success during the regular season.

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bearizona-cubs02WILLIAMS — Baseball has always been a sport filled with superstitions. One of the most longstanding and widely believed superstitions has to do with the Chicago Cubs and The Curse of the Billy Goat. Some believe this so called curse is the reason the Cubs have not won a World Series since 1908, and haven’t qualified for a series since 1945.

Bearizona may be the missing link as to why the Cubs had such a successful season. Bearizona worked with Cubs manager Joe Maddon to surprise Cubs players in the pre-season with a visit from two bear cubs that were born at Bearizona Wildlife Park in Williams, Ariz. this past January. These two cubs, named Cubby and Rizzo, in honor of their famous pro-athlete buddies, could very well be the reason the cubs have made it this far in the playoffs.
bearizona-cubs01
Bearizona’s owner Sean Casey stated “The Chicago Cubs clearly have the talent to make it happen, but the Bearizona luck that cubs Cubby and Rizzo bring can’t hurt their chances either.”

I-40 closed due to multi-vehicle accident

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i-40-2016-10-19-01WILLIAMS — ADOT and Kaibab Forest Service are re-routing traffic due to a multi-vehicle accident on Interstate 40 early this morning. The number of vehicles and fatalities is unknown at this time. The smoke from the Pittman Valley prescribed burn may have been a factor in the accident. Smoke from the burn has reduced visibility to near zero and may hamper rescue and clearing efforts.
i-40-2016-10-19-03
Route 66 to Parks currently remains open, but it is highly recommended that you use extreme caution as the smoke is affecting visibility along the route. If you do not absolutely have to travel to Flagstaff, it is recommended that you wait to check conditions in about four-hours.

A report from our Facebook page:

Sarah Jorgensen-Weller 32 mins I40 is closed in both directions from Parks to Flagstaff due to a deadly accident. Please be careful driving through the smoke. hearing from Belmont to Williams Some guys that work with my hubby are stuck in traffic around Parks. They are stopping traffic at Belmont westbound eastbound detours off of 165 .