Prescott city officials are reporting a record crowd for last Saturday’s 2nd annual Pumpkin Patch Festival. According to Event Manager Becky Garvin, officials originally conceived the festival to fill the void left by Young’s Farm when it closed. In late September, Garvin promoted Dogtoberfest, a celebration of canine companions and an adoption awareness event. The festival drew a crowd of over 6,000 and Dogtoberfest drew a similar crowd. Garvin indicates the pumpkin patch was geared towards providing low cost fun for young children, but there were as many people who brought dogs dressed in Halloween costumes. She felt the dogs were ever present at the Courthouse Plaza events, which included a doggie Halloween costume contest and a pumpkin carving station with adult consultants offering guidance and power tools to help youngsters with their creative carving.

The Arizona Sundogs have unveiled a new jersey. The red jersey, which is the 2nd of 3 new sweaters Arizona will introduce this season, will be worn on the road and at select home games at Tim’s Toyota Center during the first half of the year. Arched across the chest of the jersey is the word Sundogs with the player’s number centered below. As is the case with the team’s white jerseys, the club’s alternate logo can be found on the right shoulder and the Arizona flag on the left shoulder. The numbers are primarily black with a white and gold outline. The red uniform will be complemented by black pants, black gloves and a black helmet with red socks featuring alternating black and gold stripes.

Four hikers from the Phoenix area have been located in good condition. According to the son of one of the hikers, the foursome had entered the Waldroup Canyon Wilderness Area last Friday morning with the intention of hiking down to Wet Beaver Creek and proceeding to the Bell Trail at Bell Crossing. Due to the ages of the hikers and their reported preparedness for the hike, rescue operations were delayed until Monday morning. The hikers and their dog Daisy were located well up Beaver Creek Canyon and by estimation of an Arizona Department of Public Safety Air Rescue crew, were probably 1 to 2 days out from making the Bell Trailhead parking area. The fatigued hikers reported they had not expected the extreme rock climbing and boulder hopping conditions, not to mention the number of deep pools that required swimming and floatation of gear.

Area residents are needed for a Yavapai County Forest Service Advisory Committee. Twelve counties in Arizona including Yavapai elected to receive Title 2 funds of over 2.8 million dollars this year, with continued amounts for the next 3 years to be used on a variety of national forest projects. Legislation requires the Forest Service, working with the counties to establish Resource Advisory Committees made up of 15 defined and diverse members with a formal charter. Nominees will be forwarded to the Secretary of the Agriculture, who will appoint members to a 4 year term following a background check. The committees will then convene, propose and review project proposals and make recommendations to the local Forest Service Designated Federal Official on how funds should be spent. Yavapai County residents interested in serving on the local committee should contact Coordinator Debbie Maneely at 443-8130.

The Camp Wood prescribed burn has been cancelled. Prescott National Forest fire officials had planned on burning 15 hundred acres today in an area 30 miles northwest of Prescott and west of Camp Wood Mountain. Fire management officials are expected to return to the area when more favorable weather conditions exist. Prescribed fire treatments are pre-planned fires, ignited under a specific set of conditions. Daily operations are contingent on optimal weather conditions, including ventilation and approval from the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality. Earlier this week, officials cancelled the Kendall Camp burn 6 miles south of Prescott and 1 mile south of the community of Groom Creek.

The Elks Opera House restoration contract has been adjusted. City of Prescott Administrative Services Director Mic Fenech indicates in July, City Council approved a 3 party Construction Manager at Risk contract. The City later received 87 thousand dollars in energy efficiency block grant funds for the Opera House, which Fenech explains caused the contract change:

{rawcontent rc=791}

Fenech explains how the funds were readjusted:

{rawcontent rc=790}

Fenech adds using the grant at the Elks Opera House would have necessitated a 3rd accounting method in order to accommodate wage requirements.

The current 3 party contract between the Opera House Foundation, the City and Haley Construction requires 2 separate accounting systems because of 2 separate funding sources from the City and Foundation.

Hear Bill Monroe on Northern Arizona's Source for News, Talk and Sports, KQNA 1130 AM