Volume 9, Number 3

Beaver Valley Bulletin Published by the Beaver Val ley Fire Department Auxi l iary

Firewise project June 6 in Unit 2

May—June, 2009

A BV Firewise Community pro-ject is planned for Saturday, June 6, for Unit 2. This community effort from 8 a.m. to noon, will focus on Unit 2 so that property owners and friends can work together to clear brush from their properties and along roads to reduce fire risk.

Members of the BV volunteer Fire Department will assist by bring-ing a brush trailer and trucks to help haul cut trimmings to the dumpster in the meadow. If you live in Unit 2, stack clippings by the road in front of your home or property. People with trucks and trailers will help load the material and drive around Unit 2 during this time period only.

Fire Chief Tom Zelkovich said,

“This timing is good because the dumpster from Gila County will be in Beaver Valley until June 11. Then we won’t get another one until Septem-ber.” BV residents who do not live in Unit 2 are welcome to help as well.

Thanks to Rob Beery, new fire chief at Whispering Pines, we will be able to use their large brush trailer to assist with this project.

A potluck lunch will take place at 12:30 p.m. following the morning of work. Anyone who wishes can con-tribute a dish to the potluck, which is being organized by the BV Firewise Committee and BVFD Auxiliary.

For more information, contact Carol Brown, Firewise Committee, at 468-9269.

June 6 – Saturday, 8 a.m. to noon — Firewise pro-jnect in Unit 2; potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m. at the Fire Station Ramada

June 7 — Sunday. 5 p.m. — Fire Station — Water district update meeting. Open to all — Story P. 4

June 4-11 — Brush dumpster available near fire station

June – Community Club Events — see story, P.4

Save the date

BV Bulletin Wins State Award

The Beaver Valley Bul-letin won second place in a statewide communication contest sponsored by Arizona Press Women. The editor, Carol Osman Brown, entered our community newsletter in the contest, under the news-letter category. “We were in competition with newsletters from colleges and corpora-tions with bigger budgets,” reports Brown. The award was presented in May 2009 at the APW State Confer-ence in Phoenix.

Pothole repair un-derway — Thanks to the BVIA volunteers who worked several hours on Saturday, May 30, to re-pair rain-damaged pave-ment potholes on major roads in our community. The pothole road crew con-sisted of volunteers: Cul-len Bennett, Randy Johns-ton, Dave Nicholas, Daryl Helgren, Clifford Pirch, Willard and Linda Kodatt, Jerry Gonzales, Robert Wohning and Bing Brown. More work will be done to repair potholes on our roads later during the summer.

Hi folks, it’s that time of year again, when the threat of forest fires is especially high. Even though we had a wet winter, the fuel material has grown rapidly, as you can tell by the weeds in your yard. Please keep the insert for Evacuation Instruc-tions in a place where you can grab it in case of an emergency. We want everyone to have a PLAN.

I’ve received numerous calls from neighbors about small back-yard campfires. Some people think this is no big deal, but in all honesty guys, these little non-threatening backyard barbecue fires are the number one reason for major sum-mer fires in residential areas. There was an insert in the last Bulletin regarding the Beaver Valley regula-tions. We want everyone to have a pleasant summer experience with family and friends. But if you desire an open fire, please contact one of the fire department officials for per-mission. You need a burn permit from the fire chief prior to igniting any open fire on private property. These permits will be granted/denied based upon the current

“burn” conditions for the area. On June 6th, there will be a

Firewise Community project in Unit 2. From 8 a.m. to noon. The fire de-partment will be conducting a fuels reduction demonstration somewhere in Unit 2 and then will help resi-dents load brush into trucks or trail-ers to take to the dumpster at the meadow. Everyone is encouraged to take part. Please keep track of your volunteer hours for our Firewise Committee. A potluck lunch will follow at the fire station ramada

Congratulations to Bob Ur-ban and Dustin Stoops for com-pleting their four-month col-lege class in Firefighter 1 & 2. These men now are certified fire-fighters in the State of Arizona. When you see one of our volun-teers, please say thanks for their service. They are extremely hard working and dedicated.

The Fire District’s monthly board meeting will be at 9 a.m. on June 13, and this year’s budget will be discussed. Anyone can attend and we want you to come and ask questions or voice your opinions. We

still need volunteers, so feel free to contact me or come to our training sessions, any Thursday night from 5-7 p.m. If you have questions about the evacuation insert, campfires or need a Firewise home assessment, contact me at the BV fire station, 472-4711. I am proud to be your fire chief.

Fire Chief’s Report by Tom Zelkovich, BVFD Fire Chief

PAGE 2 BEAVER VALLEY BULLETIN VOLUME 9 , NUMBER 3

Iris Harpster (Unit 5) is the new president of the Beaver Valley Fire Department Auxiliary. Harpster and her committee had a successful pancake breakfast on Saturday, May 30 at the fire station. She says, “The auxiliary plans to have a pan-cake breakfast the first Saturday of each month

from July through September. This is one of our major fund-raising events.” (Whispering Pines Fire Department has a pan-cake breakfast on the 2nd Saturday.)

“We welcome new members in our community to join our women’s group in planning community events such as Beaver Valley Day on Labor Day weekend.”

She asks members of the community to offer ideas for other events, particularly during the summer.

Contact her at 474-1771.

Iris Harpster

Mike Williamson (left) and Todd Plues (right) show off the wrist watches they received to celebrate their completion of training as paramedics. The watches were presented by Fire Chief Tom Zelk-ovich at the celebration on April 16.

Iris Harpster elected

BVFD Auxiliary president BV Yard Sale in fall Lucy Kieft is planning a

community yard sale in late September if enough people are interested. At least 10 are needed; six have signed up. Each person has a sale at their home, but it is publicized as a community event.

“This year each person having a yard sale will pay $10 to help pay for advertising and other costs involved, including possible gift certificates.

“Start saving stuff now, and call me at 474- 6931 if you

PAGE 3 BEAVER VALLEY BULLETIN VOLUME 9 , NUMBER 3

Thanks to the volunteer work group that gathered at the fire sta-tion on May 30 to start a day of pot-hole repair work within Beaver Val-ley. Some additional chip-seal work will be done later in the summer.

There will be another volunteer work project on June 6th in UNIT 2. This is a Firewise Community pro-ject with help from BVIA, the fire department and BVFD Auxiliary to help with brush trimming and haul-ing to the dumpster in the meadow. This is one of our community pride day events. Everyone can get out and help our neighbors.

The Firewise Committee and Fire Department volunteers will be driving some trucks with trailers, circulating around Unit 2 from 8 a.m. to noon. If you cannot haul your trimmings to the big dumpster that Saturday, just pile them along the roadside and then help load de-bris into the brush trailers when they come by your house.

There will be a BVIA Board meeting starting at 10 am and run-ning to about noon (everyone is wel-come to attend) at the fire station. Following that will be a potluck lunch to help feed those tired work-ers. The Auxiliary and Firewise committee will be helping with that, but anyone can bring a dish to con-tribute to the potluck. This is a com-munity effort to help reduce our risks to wildfires. Tom Z. has said that the big dumpsters will only be available to us a couple of times this summer, so this “time-slot”, so the 6th will be a good time to fill ours up. There are already a lot of dead and drying brush piles out, so, let’s get busy and get it hauled out of Beaver Valley before they cause a problem.

With summer approaching, a lot of folks will be taking vacations. Let your trusted neighbors know when you will be gone and maybe have them park a vehicle in your drive-way to look as though you’re home.

BVIA Board Notes by Cullen Bennett, president

BV residents remember Jerry Welty Friends and family members of Jerry Welty (Unit 1) gathered

at the BV Fire station on May 30 for a Celebration of Life with lunch afterwards.

About 40 people attended, including members of the Don’s Club of Phoenix. Darlene Welty, sons Jim and Jeff, were joined by children and grandchildren. BV residents offered an array of funny stories involving Jerry’s party antics, artistic creations and volunteer work.

His granddaughter, Carey Ray, shared Welty’s Top Ten Les-sons to Live By:

10. Measure twice. Cut once. 9. Your work is really never done, so make time to stop at 5

p.m. for a toddy, a handful of pretzels and a reflection of the day. 8. When life is going too fast, DOWNSHIFT. I mean this both

figuratively and literally as “Bopa” was the first to teach me about standard transmission in his Jeep in the field by the firehouse.

7. Love is patient. 6. Laughter, especially at your own expense, is both healing

and attractive. 5. It's not burnt, it's CAJUN! 4. See the potential in everything. From a piece of driftwood,

to an 8 month old baby boy, never under estimate what you or something else can become.

Darlene Welty (Unit 1 — right) and granddaughter, Carey Ray enjoy one of the many stories told about Jerry Welty, who died in December

3. Got music? 2. You don't need much to have a lot. 1. If all you're worried about is

hookin' the fish...Well, you've really missed the point!

Arline Dement, 78, a long time Beaver Valley resident, passed away on May 26 in Sacra-mento, CA, where she lived with her daughter, Shereé.

Arline was the sister of Her-man Stephan (Unit 5) and had many good friends in our commu-nity.

Dement lived in Beaver Val-ley for 15 years until 2004. She was active on the BVIA Board and the Auxiliary in the early days. She loved to fish and watch the wildlife here. Her husband, Don, died in 2005.

Born July 2, 1930, she is sur-vived by sons Donny, Denny and Mark, daughter Shereé, three grandchildren and two great- grandchildren.

Arline Demet dies

in May

PUBLISHED BY THE BEAVER VALLEY FIRE DEPARTMENT AUXILIARY Editor Carol Osman Brown Photos and Design Bing & Carol Brown Send stories to: Carol Osman Brown via e-mail at bcbrown2@theriver.com; Phone: 928-468-9269; Mail — HC 3, Box 670-I; Payson, AZ 85541 Deadline for next newsletter is July 15, 2009

BEAVER VALLEY ORGANIZATION ADDRESSES Beaver Valley Web Site www.orgsites.com/az/bvia Beaver Valley Fire District HC 3, Box672-B; Payson AZ 85541 E-mail: beavervalleyfd@hotmail.com Sam Baker, Chairman, 928-474-6392 Tom Zelkovich, Fire Chief, 928-472-4711 Beaver Valley Fire Dept. Auxiliary HC 3, Box 670-L; Payson, AZ 85541 Joyce Lynch, treasurer, 928-474-6806 Beaver Valley Improvement District P.O. Box 594; Payson, AZ 85547 E-mail: bvia@azfivestar.com Cullen Bennett, President , 602-643-6549 Beaver Valley Firewise Committee E-mail: bcbrown2@theriver.com Carol Brown, Chairperson, 928-468-9269

BEAVER VALLEY BULLETIN PAGE 4 VOLUME 9 , NUMBER 3

Community Club Corner by Lucy Kieft

We had a great turnout for the first “Out to Lunch Bunch” at Mackey’s. We meet the first Friday each month at 11:30 a.m. June 3, we’ll be at Cardo’s Pizza.

Those who went to Tiny’s with us to dance and listen to music had a good time. If you want to brush up on your dance skills or want to learn to dance, call me: 474-6931.

Thanks to Ian and Karen Linton who donated enough paint and supplies needed to paint the lines on the tennis court. Volunteers will do the painting on the basketball court soon. Jim and Lee Kennedy (unit 3) bought and put up a new ratchet system to keep the tennis nets up.

Please talk to your kids about not destroying the equipment. This is the second time that Jim has fixed the ratchet system. Also, somebody broke the basketball back-board. It needs to be replaced. Someone tried to tie the bas-ket on with a belt, but it might fall.

We decided to have “Family Game Night” the third Saturday each month from 6:30-9 p.m. at the BV fire sta-tion. We will have some games and cards to use, but if you have favorite games, bring them with you. Two guys are interested in playing bridge. Let me know if you are inter-ested and we will get a group together.

I am looking for people with talent of any kind. Do you sing, dance or play an instrument? Can anyone line dance? Contact me so we can plan a fun event for the community.

Our schedule of events is in the Bulletin, on flyers and online at www.orgsites.com/az/bvia June events are: June 5 — 6-9 p.m. dinner/dancing at Tiny’s Restaurant; $5 cover charge. Meets the first Friday of the month. June 9 — 2 p.m. — Scrabble at Fire Station. June 20 — 6:30-8 p.m. — Family Game Night.

The Beaver Valley Domestic Water Improvement District committee (BVDWD) will hold an informa-tional public meeting on Sunday, June 7 at 5 p.m. at the Beaver Valley fire station.

Gila County officials are reviewing signatures on petitions submitted requesting formation of the water district. Nearly enough have been submitted. “We be-lieve it is better to be on the safe side, so we still are gathering signatures from property owners to make sure there are enough,” said Sam Baker (Unit 1), one of the committee members. The county should know by July if we have enough signatures, he added.

Anyone with questions can contact one of the committee members: Sam Baker ( 928-474-6392), Bing Brown (928-468-9269), Jerry Nicholas (928-472-7533), Cullen Bennett (602-463-6549), Doug Stevenson (928-468-8072), and Rick Werner (602-740-3442).

A copy of the petition is on the BV website: www.orgsites.com/az/bvia.

Water District Update Meeting Set for June 7

Water company info provided Mike Davoren, owner of the Beaver Valley Water

Company, met with some BV residents in May to answer questions regarding his plans to sell the water company.

He explained that a private water company must be regulated by the Corporation Commission, and should be a “for- profit” business. However, a water district is like a school district or a fire district, and would not be regulated by the Corporation Commission or pay the same amount of taxes. He pointed out that it would benefit the homeowners to have their own water district.

Davoren added he would be available to help make a smooth transition from a private water company to a water district. “This process is in its infancy,” he stressed.

Davoren said that any questions about the formation of the water district should be directed to the volunteer committee.