|
|
| Forest Service, loggers, cutting 26 mile fire break to protect Plain, Lake Wenatchee |  |
File photo
Fire managers decided to build a 26 mile long community containment line near Plain to protect homes from the potential spread of the Wolverine Fire. To date, the fire has not spread into the Wenatchee River Ranger District. |
|
Forest Service, loggers, cutting 26 mile fire break to protect Plain,
Lake Wenatchee
| As the Wolverine Fire threatened to push into the Chiwawa River Valley, fire managers scrambled to find a way to protect homes. It was decided to construct a 26-mile community protection line, half in the Wenatchee River Ranger District and half in the Entiat Ranger District.
"Basically, what they are constructing is a 300-foot, deep shaded fuel break, starting at Twin Lakes, just outside the wilderness, going down Meadow Creek Road, continuing down to Meadow Creek Campground, crossing the Chiwawa River, taking it up to Sugarloaf," said WRRD Ranger Jeff Rivera, at the Sept. 8 Leavenworth City Council study session.
Rivera said they have been using some of the old containment lines from the '94 Tyee Fire. He figures there is eight million pounds of heavy metal logging equipment working up there.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 More... |
| News
| | Property line dispute threatens to hold up school construction | The Cascade School District is facing yet another issue related to building a new elementary school on Pine Street. In recent months, the district hired experts to study whether or not the water on the property would be considered a wetland.
And even though it strongly appears the water on the property is not a wetland, the district decided locate the school away from a potential wetland buffer on the northern end. At present, the district is waiting for word from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on whether that area would be considered a wetland or not.
Now comes word the southern property line on the school district property may be encroaching on the county right of way for Pine Street. This dispute now threatens to hold up the annexation of the school district property into the city of Leavenworth.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 More... |  | | Sheriff unveils Fallen Deputy Memorial
| Three Chelan County deputies who gave their lives in the line of duty are being honored with a permanent Fallen Deputy Memorial at the sheriff's office, on the ground floor of the Chelan County Courthouse in Wenatchee.
On the afternoon of Sept. 8, Sheriff Brian Burnett pulled a black cloth from the memorial that includes photos of each man and the date of their "end of watch." Sheriff's office personnel gathered in the office's cramped first floor hallway for the ceremony.
Those who died on the job were Deputy James Bennett, July 14, 1911; Deputy Scott Edie, Sept. 24, 1984; and Deputy Saul Gallegos, June 26, 2003.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 More... | | | It's scurry and hurry at harvest time | Seventy-three-year-old Bob Goehner gets to work at 6 a.m. these days. He climbs into a Blue Star Growers truck, starts it up, and prepares to drive until 6:30 p.m., covering about 200 miles.
He does it seven days a week from early July until October. That's what it takes during harvest season, which is in full swing now.
One of Goehner's trips last Friday was to Guthrie Brothers, where he picked up 28 bins of Anjou pears.
"I enjoy doing this because I get to visit with the growers," said Goehner, who retired from Blue Star in 2006 after four decades with the Cashmere firm.
Meanwhile, company dispatcher Robert Hinkle sat at a computer regulating the coming and going of Blue Star's 11 trucks as though he were an air traffic controller.
Wednesday, September 16, 2015 More... | | | City seeks to buy WSDOT property at west end of town |  |
Residents and visitors alike have been parking in the Washington State Department of Transportation dirt parking lot at the west end of town for some time. The city of Leavenworth had previously identified the lot as part of their overall parking plan. The hope was to purchase the space from the WSDOT and upgrade the park to accommodate RVs and the like.
Two weeks ago, Leavenworth city officials met with WSDOT officials about the land at the west end of town. Mayor Cheri Kelley Farivar, at the Aug. 11 study session, said the WSDOT came back and said they would be willing to sell a portion of the property.
"This would be a 1.33 acre parcel. It would be square. They would square up their fencing and come clear to the highway. The cross hatch area was their proposal to us on what they might be willing to sell," Farivar said. "We said, that is wonderful, but it won't work for the parking lot we had originally planned."
It was discussed the potential use for this land would be a parking lot, Farivar said. The hope was this would be a parking lot for oversized vehicles, trucks, motorhomes, etc. The city also wants a sewer dump station.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 More... | | | Icicle Ridge fires nearing containment |  |
The 20-acre 4th of July wildfire located on Icicle Ridge is now 70% contained. Located within a mile of the 4th of July fire is the Icicle Ridge Fire, which is now 100 percent contained. Both fires are located within the boundaries of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, Wenatchee River Ranger District and approximately five miles south and west of Leavenworth.
Cooler weather and higher humidity aided the local Wenatchee River Ranger District firefighters in establishing and building containment lines. Although the outlook is much better, Forest Service Trails #1570 & 1579 remain closed to provide for both firefighter and public safety as there is still active fire in the area.
Sunday evening a new fire start was reported. The Lion Creek Fire, visible from Icicle Creek and Eightmile roads, is a "hold-over" lightning strike from last week's storm. This small fire is located in a very rocky area that was burned over in 2012 during the Eightmile Fire. A Wenatchee River Ranger District fire/resource crew is hiking in now to the fire and will spike camp overnight. This fire is estimated at 1/10th of an acre. There are no trail or road closures associated with the Lion Creek fire.
Smoke
Most of the smoke in the area is drifting smoke from the Chelan fires, but there is smoke emanating from the significant amount of fires burning throughout WA, OR, CA and Idaho. None of the wildfires in the Leavenworth area are impacting the city of Leavenworth and the community continues to hold all its scheduled activities.
Wednesday, August 19, 2015 More... | |
|
|
|
|
