"The Autumn Resting Place That They Sought." Painting by Larry Toschik.
"The Autumn Resting Place That They Sought." Painting by Larry Toschik.
From our friends at the Arizona Department of Transportation:
PHOENIX – The Arizona Department of Transportation will hold a meeting in Tempe on Tuesday, Feb. 26, allowing the public to get information and provide input on improvements proposed for Interstate 10 between the Interstate 17 “Split” interchange and the Loop 202 Santan Freeway crossing Phoenix, Tempe, Guadalupe and Chandler.
The I-10 Broadway Curve Study includes widening and upgrading 11 miles of I-10 between 24th Street and Ray Road, including the Broadway Curve, which handles more than 40 percent of freeway traffic in the region, resulting in heavy congestion.
The project must first go through an Environmental Assessment to analyze potential impacts of the proposed improvements.
Major elements of the potential project include the addition of a second HOV lane in each direction between the Salt River bridges and just west of US 60; a new collector-distributor roadway system that would funnel traffic to local and express lanes to improve traffic flow; reconstruction of the I-10/State Route 143 interchange to improve access to and from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport; and improving US 60 near the junction with I-10.
ADOT and the Federal Highway Administration invite the public to attend an open house meeting:
Funding for the potential project is allocated through the Maricopa Association of Governments’ Regional Transportation Plan approved by county voters in 2004.
Construction could begin in early 2021.
Beyond the public meeting, opportunities to learn more about the project and provide feedback are available:
Comments must be received by April 1 to be considered part of the scoping process for the I-10 Broadway Curve Study.
For more information, visit azdot.gov/I10BroadwayCurve.
Arizona State University is adding a first-of-its-kind professor position to focus on how Native Americans are covered and portrayed by the media.
The new Southwest Borderlands Initiative Professor will explore the quality and quantity of Native American coverage in the news media, said Christopher Callahan, dean of ASU's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, in a news release.
“News media organizations across the U.S. too often ignore issues impacting Indian Country,” Callahan said. “And much of the news coverage that exists lacks depth, nuance and understanding of Native communities. We believe this new faculty position will shine a light on this important area and improve coverage here in Arizona and across the region and the country.”
The challenges of covering Native Americans are particularly important in Arizona, which is home to 22 federally recognized tribes — including the Navajo Nation, the bulk of which is in Arizona's northeast corner. In all, about 28 percent of the state is tribal land.
Callahan said the new professor also will allow Cronkite News, the Cronkite School's student-produced news division, to expand its ability to produce meaningful coverage of Native Americans in the Southwest and across the country.
A national search is being conducted to fill the professorship, ASU said.
A member of one of Arizona's best-known families is releasing a book on birding in the Grand Canyon State.
Birding Arizona — What to Know, Where to Go was written by Charles J. Babbitt, who practiced law in Phoenix for 40 years before retiring four years ago. The book will be released later this month or in early March, and available on Amazon and in bookstores.
According to a release about the book, Babbitt became fascinated with birds at a young age, then began birding seriously in 1978. He served as president of the Maricopa Audubon Society for eight years, and he continues to lead regular birding trips to locations highlighted in the book.
The book is more than a birding guidebook, according to the release: Babbitt "shares his personal experiences birding in all parts of the state of Arizona, and reveals new areas for the reader that many don't know about."
The cover of the book features a painting of a Grace's warbler by Babbitt's wife, Eleanor.
Babbitt's family began ranching in Northern Arizona in the late 1800s and continues to do so today. The family is best known for Bruce Babbitt, who served as Arizona's governor in the 1970s and '80s and as secretary of the interior under President Bill Clinton.
Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament is opening a new attraction in Scottsdale this summer. Ahead of the opening, the attraction is looking for cast members to join the team as knights.
The company is holding an open casting call on Thursday, February 21, at the Courtyard by Marriott Scottsdale Salt River. Auditions will take place between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. According to the company's website, the attraction is looking for men who are 18 or older and in good physical condition.
Chosen knights will compete in games, jousting and sword fighting, both on the ground and on horseback. Those interested must be able to train in Dallas from approximately March 15 to June 15.
Medieval Times Scottsdale is expected to open this summer in the Talking Stick Entertainment District behind Salt River Fields.
For more information about the casting call and requirements, visit the Medieval Times website.
Supposed paranormal activity at Arizona’s abandoned and historic places draws interest from many people. That’s why a local company called AZ Ghost Tours is using this fascination with the paranormal to help raise funds to keep some of these places, such as the Old Gila County Jail in Globe, alive.
We spoke with Vincent Amico, one of the operators of the tours, to learn more about how it works. (This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.)
Tell us about the Ghost Tour at the Old Gila County Jail.
It’s two different tours; they usually run 90 minutes. We do a quick historical tour explaining the different things that have happened in there, and we will show them evidence we have captured from past investigations. Then we let them do a paranormal investigation with us, using everything that we use.
How likely is it for someone to witness something “paranormal”?
You can go out 100 times, and 99 times, you will find nothing. People take it and interpret it the way they want. There are things that have happened; we have the evidence that we show them what we captured. Some nights it’s absolutely unbelievable, and other times it’s a waste of a night. That’s the way it works; it’s not TV.
How much are the tours?
If you book through our website, it’s $25.
What does the money go toward?
We’ve put together AZ Ghost Tours to help these places get funds. It goes toward keeping the lights on and doing repairs. It helps with their daily and monthly expenses.
The tours run the second Friday of every month, with one starting at 7:30 p.m. and another at 9:30 p.m. At this time, the tour payments are cash only. For more information about AZ Ghost Tours, or to sign up for a tour, you can visit the group's website.
From the issue: "'Hoover Dam by Floodlight' by Hubert A. Lowman."
An event kicking off today in Northern Arizona features films and photos from around the world — along with several well-known Arizona Highways contributors.
The Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival has been featuring "the most inspiring and thought-provoking cultural, environmental, and adventure-related outdoor films from around the world" since 2003. This year's event, which runs through Sunday, is no exception.
John "Verm" Sherman, whose wildlife photography has frequently been featured in Arizona Highways, gets the festival started at 6:30 this evening at Dark Sky Brewery. Sherman will present a slide show of photos related to his audacious quest to photograph every California condor in the Arizona-Utah population.
Friday's events include the Arizona premiere of Into the Canyon, a film by National Geographic photographer and Highways contributor Pete McBride, at 8 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre. Before that, from 5 to 7 p.m., McBride and Peter McLaughlin, of band The Sonoran Dogs, will attend a happy hour at Lumberyard Brewing Co. in honor of Grand Canyon National Park's centennial.
Saturday will feature the Arizona premiere of The Weight of Water, a documentary about a blind adventurer who sets out to kayak the Grand Canyon. And the program continues Sunday with more screenings, plus dedicated student and family programs.
To learn more about the Flagstaff Mountain Film Festival and see the full schedule, visit the event's website.
Camping is a great family activity, but if you've never done it before, it can be intimidating. The solution: the Family Campout Program, which Arizona State Parks and Trails is bringing back for another year this spring.
The department says the campouts, which take place at seven of Arizona's most popular state parks, offer "a fun learning experience for families of all ages."
Participants in the program will learn how to camp in a tent, along with outdoor skills such as archery, geocaching and astronomy. The program provides tents, sleeping mats, camp chairs and activity equipment; families must bring sleeping bags, food and other personal items.
Registration is $90 for a family of up to four. The family campouts are on various dates in March, April and May, at Lost Dutchman, Catalina, Patagonia Lake, Fool Hollow, Red Rock, River Island and Dead Horse Ranch state parks.
For more information, visit the Family Campout Program website.
Students from a high school on tribal land in Arizona are hoping to raise enough money to attend a journalism conference in California later this year.
The Hopi High School youths, members of the school's news video and journalism clubs, are planning to attend the National Journalism Education Association conference in Anaheim in late April, according to their radio teacher, Stan Bindell. But the cost of travel, lodging, food and other amenities is about $1,500 per student.
"The students attending the national youth media conference will benefit by meeting students from other schools from throughout the country and learning more about media techniques," Bindell says. "They will also attend sessions by professional broadcast and print journalists. They will compete in national contests and can win scholarships."
The trip requires each student to interview one presenter and one student from another school, then write a 200-word report in a five-paragraph format.
Donations to support the Hopi High students' goal of attending the trip are appreciated, Bindell says. To donate, mail a check made out to Hopi High Video Club or Hopi Journalism to P.O. Box 337, Keams Canyon, AZ 86034. For more information, Bindell can be reached at 928-738-5111 or via email. The money for the trip is due March 5.
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