All sorts of news this week, people. The Arizona Department of Forestry announced that the $70,000 grant for tamarisk eradication has been approved; the old Club Royale is now the new G & J’s Restaurant, Bar and Grill; and the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has a new phone app tailored for the residents of Hayden and Winkelman.
About the first thing: Bill Dunn, the chairman of the Winkelman Natural Resources Conservation Department, is pleased that the long-awaited grant has come through. It will provide $70,000 for tamarisk removal along the Gila River property owned by the Town of Kearny. Another $20,000 will be raised through in-kind donations and other gifts. The total of $90,000 must be used by this March. The Arizona Department of Forestry has been very helpful with this project and will continue to provide assistance.
I promise to say more about this project once it is organized and contracts are sought. But I will say this, that I am proud of the WNRCD and the Town of Kearny in their persistence to make this area safer and more attractive.
The new G & J’s Restaurant, Bar and Grill
The new bar and grill is the second piece of news. If you are heading toward Superior from Kearny, look right to the old rock building on Old Ray Road. It is the new G & J’s Restaurant, Bar and Grill. It opened this weekend with no fanfare. It has an ambitious schedule. It is open Sunday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 a.m…. yeah, 2 in the morning! The new place run by Javier and Maria Olmedo features American and Mexican foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I haven’t tried the steak yet, but I’m looking forward to it.
The Olmedos have been working hard on renovating the beautiful old building. When I visited earlier, they were building shelves for their goods, setting up the tables, and installing a new pool table. The bar is newly and fully stocked. I wish them well.
A screen shot from the new phone app for air quality.
The third thing is for everyone who lives in Hayden and Winkelman (and I bet it works for Dudleyville as well). The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality has developed a phone app which will let area residents see the daily air quality forecasts and sulfur dioxide data in real time. The app can also serve as an alert for air quality concerns.
ADEQ plans to offer the app in other areas around Arizona. Right now it is available only for Hayden and Winkelman, and also for the Globe/Miami area. Called “Air Arizona,” it is available through GooglePlay and Apple. There is no cost.
I suggest also that the folks in Hayden and Winkelman check with their town halls and enroll in the lead abatement project which is administered through Central Arizona Governments. See (at no cost) if you have lead in your home. If so, the lead will be abated through improvements on your home, again at no cost to you.
The Copper Basin Chamber is having a video contest to promote the area. Deadline is Nov. 1. Check the Chamber’s website for more information on the contest.
Finally, it makes my heart glad to report that 11 students from Hayden High School and 32 from Ray High School are enrolled in the Copper Basin Junior Chamber of Commerce. These 43 young people meet monthly with chamber members and offer their time for all sorts of community projects and improvements. This is all part of the Copper Basin Chamber at work.
This is a free program for families in the Hayden-Winkelman area. Sign up NOW!