by
Peter Aleshire
roundup editor
Can we save the forest?
One stark conclusion emerged from the recent Payson session on the Four Forest Restoration Initiative — on which the future of every single Rim Country community depends. Here it is: The Forest Service has a better grasp of the needs of spotted owls than the economics of a small-tree timber industry. The Forest Service recently showcased a bold, even visionary approach to forest restoration, with a single, massive environmental analysis of 1.2 million acres — including all of Rim Country. The awesomely ambitious plan seeks to reduce tree densities from an average of nearly 700
• See Sick forest, page 9
ARIZONA NEWSPAPERS AND NATIONAL LOCAL MEDIA ASSOCIATIONS’ NEWSPAPER OF THE YEAR
PAYSON ROUNDUP
Fix the gulch
Their mission: Heal the sick
Can Payson turn eyesore into a tourist attraction? by
Alexis Bechman
roundup staff reporter
Work continues on the first phases of the American Gulch walking path project. Crews are building a path on the south side of the gulch behind the Sawmill Crossing Shopping Center to create a short loop trail connecting the Sawmill Crossing to Westerly Road. The Payson Town Council recently approved several new easements to complete Phase 1 and 2 of the $42,000 project, which should be complete sometime in August, said Sheila DeSchaaf, community development director. The town is taking advantage of a grant from the Arizona Game
by
and Fish Department and volunteer labor for the project. Phase 1 included a short section of walkway near the Pine Country Animal Clinic on the west side of South Westerly Road and several benches. Phase 2, which is what crews are working on now, is finishing an eight-foot walkway from Main Street to Westerly, behind Canal Senior Apartments. The path will connect with existing pathways on the north and south of the gulch already installed by private businesses, such as Messinger Payson Funeral Home along the north. The project will
• See Gulch, page 2
roundup staff reporter
With firefighters breathing apparatuses failing at an “unacceptable” rate, the Payson Fire Department recently received a $334,000 grant to buy new units. Thanks to the FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant, the PFD can buy 43 new self-contained breathing apparatus, the oxygen packs firefighters wear on their backs and breathing masks. The current packs are some 10 years old. Fire Chief David Staub said the packs have an unprecedented failure rate, with 10-25 percent failing on any given call. Firefighters wear the packs anytime they enter a hazardous atmosphere, such as a house fire and even some vehicle fires. Each repair costs the department time and money and the unre-
liable units put firefighters’ lives at risk. Luckily, no pack has ever failed on a firefighter while in a house fire, trapping them. PFD applied unsuccessfully for the grant twice before. The $334,000 grant includes $15,000 in matching funds from the town, a small price for the units, which cost $7,000 each. Staub told the council that replacing the packs was his No. 1 priority this budget year. The grant also includes money for training. Staub hopes to have the packs purchased by September and in service before the winter. The Hellsgate Fire Department in Star Valley recently received a $194,000 Assistance to Firefighters Grant to buy 33 self-contained breathing apparatus.
The Payson Christian Clinic serves a need the founding physicians saw in their practice every day — uninsured patients. PCC started in November of 2007 with Dr. Judith Hunt, Dr. Alan Michels, and Dr. Alfonso Munoz as the volunteer attending physicians. At the time, Dr. Hunt estimated that 50 percent of the people in Payson had little or no insurance or had policies that only covered catastrophic care. “We had a number of patients coming in as self pay,” she said. “They were not bringing children in until they got very sick. They would often go to the emergency room to treat a strep throat.” Studies show Gila County has one of the highest percentage of residents without medical insurance — in a state that also ranks near the top nationally. She said before the passage of the Affordable Care Act, a lot of people simply could not qualify for insurance. “For anyone with a pre-existing condition, it was impossible,” said Hunt.
Christian Clinic mingles expert care with enduring faith
Michele Nelson/Roundup
Dr. Judith Hunt, Sheri Carey (left) and Dianna Starr work at the Christian Clinic in Payson, providing care for people without medical insurance. The doctors who volunteer their time at the clinic say although the Affordable Care Act has provided insurance for many — they’ve seen no decrease in uninsured patients seeking care in Payson.
Grant will replace firefighters unreliable breathing systems Alexis Bechman
Michele Nelson
roundup staff reporter
Take a breath by
75 CENTS
TUESDAY | AUGUST 2, 2016 | PAYSON, ARIZONA
payson.com
• See Christian Clinic, page 5
Monsoon revives
He’s prison bound Addiction inflicts heavy toll as Payson man racks up felonies Jonathan Ryan Thompson, 26, will serve six years for four counts of burglary and one drug possession charge. Thompson, of Payson, had 10 prior felony convictions, mostly related to drugs. In this case, a surveillance camera caught him stealing things from cars parked at Safeway in Payson. Prosecutor Calley Anderson said officers with the Payson Police Department responded to a report of a vehicle burglary on Jan. 17. During the investigation, officers identified Thompson on surveillance video and discovered that he had burglarized numerous vehicles parked next to each other at a residential complex.
He was later located at Safeway wearing the same clothes he had on in the surveillance video. Officers arrested Thompson and then discovered he had several items that were reported stolen during the burglaries, as well as methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia. Judge Gary Scales imposed multiple consecutive sentences in the Arizona Department of Corrections totaling six years. Thompson has 10 prior felony convictions including theft of means of transportation, unlawful use of means of transportation, burglary, possession of drug paraphernalia, theft of a credit card, identify theft, mail theft, and possession of heroin.
THE WEATHER
volume 26, no. 63
Outlook: Thunderstorms likely through Thursday; highs in the mid to upper 80s; overnight lows in the low 60s. Details, 8
See our ad and upcoming events on page 16
Photographer DJ Craig captured this image of a monsoon storm drenching Rim Country from his perch atop the Mogollon Rim. The storms have tamed a host of wildfires burning across Northern Arizona and helped deliver one of the first near-normal rainfall totals in years. by
Peter Aleshire
roundup editor
The monsoon has gotten back on track, just in time to dampen a host of wildfires burning across Northern Arizona. The weekend storms brought isolated downpours across Rim Country, furious 80-mile-an-hour wind storms with an inch of rain in the Valley and relief to firefighters all over the state. The once-typical afternoon thundershower pattern should continue on into this week in Rim Country, with a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms through Thursday. The National Weather Service predicts highs in the mid 80s, lows in the lower 60s and a parade of lightning strikes and sometimes heavy rain. Other areas of the state can expect a similar pounding, especially the Valley where rainfall has caused localized flooding and wind storms have caused dangerous conditions for drivers picking through a fog of dust. The week of rain has slowed the spread of lightning-caused fires burning across the region, including a 14,500-acre blaze on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Half a dozen fires atop
the Rim between Pine and Flagstaff were started last week from lightning strikes, but slowed down as the rains fell. Crews are mostly monitoring the existing fires as they work on firebreaks to protect subdivisions. Despite a nearly-normal rainfall for the year, Gila County remains in “moderate drought” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. Unfortunately, much of central and southern California remains in extreme to exceptional drought, without the benefit of the cooling, monsoon. California will likely face firestorms in coming weeks, which will prompt the federal government to shift firefighting resources to that state and away from the now, cooler, wetter Southwest. Most of Arizona now enjoys “moderate drought” conditions, with New Mexico shifting mostly into “abnormally dry” conditions. Large portions of Nevada, Colorado and Utah are enjoying their first “normal” conditions in years. SRP continues to release 26 cubic feet per second into the East Verde from the C.C. Cragin Reservoir — which has
Storms batter Phoenix but tame Rim Country wildfires
• See Monsoon returns, page 2