Students Team With City Workers For Green Project

 

Thunderbolt Middle School honor students teamed with city workers this week on a water conservation project set to spruce up McCulloch Boulevard near the Island Ball Fields by Friday.

“It’s been a year-long planning with Thunderbolt for this water-conservation project,” said Mary Eidmann, Lake Havasu City’s water conservation specialist. “We’re doing something special here by incorporating green infrastructure. We’re utilizing the natural environment.”

James Nelson digs a trench Thursday morning on the Island. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
James Nelson digs a trench Thursday morning on the Island. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

The design included a series of trenching, and removal of a small section of concrete curbing that would allow for storm and rain water to occasionally flow over the desert plants planted in that section. The soil acts as a filter for that dirty and somewhat oily water as it replenishes underground aquifers.

“It’s plumbed for reclaimed water,” she said. “With the climate changes, there has been less rainfall each year in Havasu. So, we do have to supplement.

The project began Wednesday and ends Friday. So far, about 70 students have participated. Another 35 will be brought in by bus Friday to take their turn on the three-hour morning shifts.

Thursday, students raked gravel to smooth it out, helped to dig trenches to house the planting’s watering system, and plant the native desert plants. The section stretches 650 feet and includes a few hundred fresh, native desert plants.

Jace Taylor digs a trench on the Island Thursday morning. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Jace Taylor digs a trench on the Island Thursday morning. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

“I heard of the field trip but didn’t expect to be doing this,” said 13-year-old Kassadie Apa, Thunderbolt eighth-grade science student. “But, it’s better to be doing something and making a change in the town and helping to make it better. I think it’s really cool they are having us help them instead of having us just sit down and have them tell us.”

Dustin Black, Thunderbolt eighth-grade advanced science teacher, said curriculum in the classroom will mirror some of the topics being presented by the project, studies of water and weather systems and the ecosystem.

The project cost totaled about $5,000. It was fully funded by community donations and fundraising efforts of the students. Benefactors include Keep Havasu Beautiful Committee, Lowes Home Improvement in Lake Havasu, and Mudshark Brewery Company.

A tshirt designed by a Thunderbolt student for the project. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
A tshirt designed by a Thunderbolt student for the project. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

Students helped to fund the project by selling T-shirts depicted the partnership between the Thunderbolt Thundercats and city workers. The logo was designed by a student, too. The t-shirts were made available to city workers and Thunderbolt students, staff and faculty to celebrate the partnership.

“This is the first-ever project like this,” Eidmann said. “It’s been amazing. It’s been just unbelievable.”

Lori Spradlin, city volunteer, donated the beautification design and schematics work. The program was organized at the hands of Thunderbolt eighth-grade science teacher Kathleen Weber.

Drew Means teaches Thunderbolt student Lauryn Aalgaard Thursday morning about the piping. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Drew Means teaches Thunderbolt student Lauryn Aalgaard Thursday morning about the piping. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

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Hiking Near Lake Havasu City? Please Leave No Trace

Leave No Trace while hiking near Lake Havasu City, AZ.
Want to help ensure our trails are there for many generations to come? Leave No Trace is a universal philosophy that could and should be part of any outdoor experience.
There are Seven Principles to remember.

The idea is simple – leave the places you enjoy as good or better than you found them. The Leave No Trace organization believes that if people do something, even something simple, to help take care of the recreational resources they cherish, we will all benefit. Cleaner water, fewer wildfires, fewer negative encounters with wildlife, less damage/loss of cultural and historic artifacts are just a few of the benefits of adhering to Leave No Trace.

It’s impossible to leave absolutely no trace of your visit to the outdoors. However, the primary goal of Leave No Trace is to prevent the avoidable impacts and minimize the unavoidable impacts. By doing so we can protect and preserve both natural resources and the quality of recreational experiences. This can also minimize the need for restrictive management activities by land managers.

“Areas like Lake Havasu City attract many visitors that the economy relies on. With that, comes increased lake activities such as water sports, camping, and trail usage, to name a few,” says Tucson-based Cindy de Leon Reilly, Arizona Leave No Trace Advocate and Master Educator.

“These increases create negative impacts such as trash, erosion, wildlife (in the water and on land), and vegetation impacts. Educating both visitors and residents in Leave No Trace ethics is a start to caring for the region and its resources.

“As a hiker, gear up with your essential gear and pack out your trash. Packing out others’ trash would also help. Additionally, know where you are going and respect the wildlife at a distance. Leash your pet, as to not disturb others. Enjoy the beauty of nature and leave only your footprints. And know the rules and regulations in the area, as it will be beneficial to the region,” Cindy advises.

“Ultimately, the bird species, insects, fish, and other wildlife will increase in numbers. Visitors will become more considerate, and residents would be more appreciative of the results.”

The Leave No Trace Seven Principles are:

  1. Plan Ahead and Prepare
  2. Travel and Camp on Durable Surfaces
  3. Dispose of Waste Properly
  4. Leave What You Find
  5. Minimize Campfire Impacts
  6. Respect Wildlife
  7. Be Considerate of Other Visitors

Learn more at: www.lnt.org
For more information on hiking trails in the Lake Havasu City region, visit the hiking section of GoLakeHavasu.com.

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Scout’s Honor

Jona Silverstein leads trail improvement project at SARA Park, Lake Havasu City, AZ
SARA Park just got a lot easier to navigate … and a bit safer.

A local 14 year-old, Jona Silverstein, has recently earned his Eagle Scout rank, an honor also held by the late astronaut Neil Armstrong, former President Gerald R. Ford, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

Jona’s road to the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouts of America was actually a series of trails in SARA (Special Activities and Recreation Area) Park. Last month, the Lake Havasu High School ninth grader, with the help of 15 volunteers, completed his Eagle Project by installing location markers in the park.

Jona’s project was to put in signage to assist rescue personnel in locating hurt or lost hikers. The signs have been numbered which will correspond with a trail map of the park. Additionally, new signs have been installed to assist hikers to get to the picnic table on Lizard Peek Trail. Volunteers included ASU Outdoor Pursuit Club, Sea Scout Ship 450, Boy Scout Troop 55, one member of the Lake Havasu City Fire Department, Amanda Deeds of the BLM, and Tim O’Connor, head of the Leaping Lizards hiking group.

Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than two million young men. The rank of “Eagle Scout,” which must be earned by age 18, is held for life, thus giving rise to the phrase “Once an Eagle, always an Eagle.”

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Flower Power

https://flickr.com/photos/115357548@N08/12526162594

Image courtesy of Joshua Tree National Park

Hikers in the Lake Havasu region love wildflowers. Let’s face it, who doesn’t? The desert, at first glance, can seem like a barren, sandy wasteland of cacti and rocks. However, with a little rain and a little sunshine, Arizona’s desert flowers come to life. Desert wildflowers, tiny little miracles of nature that remain hidden much of the year, will come alive and burst with color and aroma in the springtime (and sometimes after the monsoon season in the summer). But beware: there’s one pretty flower you’ll never want to pick.

This spring is likely to be a very good blooming season, following an El Nino weather pattern that delivered fall and winter rains to much of the region. Some are calling it a “super bloom,” especially in Death Valley, perhaps the best wildflower year since 2005, a banner season deemed the best in 50 years.

This is the year to plan a series of outings during the next few months in search of wildflowers as they progress from low to high elevations. It might also be a good time to invest in a field guide to western wildflowers so you will know what you are viewing.

That’s especially important when it comes to the scorpion weed. More on that in a moment.

Margo Bartlett Pesek of the Las Vegas Review-Journal advises, “Look for early wildflowers along the highways toward the Colorado River, such as the scenic roads from U.S. Highway 95 through Nelson and Eldorado Canyon, through Searchlight to Cottonwood Cove and through the mountains down to Laughlin. Roadside flowers on highways paralleling the river south of Laughlin and Bullhead City, and the highway to Lake Havasu City, should also get an early start.”

She adds, “Desert wildflowers should keep blooming until the onset of hot days.”

That brings us to the scorpion weed, also known as Blue Phacelia or Wild Heliotrope. It’s a pretty purple flower that grows in abundance in the Lake Havasu area and has a vivid purple color. But don’t be tempted to pick this desert blossom, not that you should pick any wildflower. Coming in contact with scorpion weed can have a similar reaction as touching poison ivy or oak.

Scorpion weed flowers, stems and seed pods are covered in dozens, or even hundreds of “hairs,” each containing an oil that can cause rashes and itching comparable to the effects of poison oak or poison ivy. Scratching the itch does little more than to spread the oil on a person’s skin and making the problem worse.

Scorpion weed oil can also be transferred indirectly from clothing, furniture, rugs and family pets that have been exposed to the weed.

It’s best to look, but don’t touch.

The Desert Botanical Garden’s Wildflower Info Site, based in Phoenix, provides up-to-date reports on desert wildflower blooms. The site, a collaborative effort by 21 parks and gardens, is live during the months of March and April.

In western Arizona, participating parks and gardens include: Kofa National Wildlife Refuge and BLM – Colorado River District (Lake Havasu).

For a list of wildflowers commonly found in the Lake Havasu region, visit the Lake Havasu City CVB website at GoLakeHavasu.com.

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Become a Hiking Insider: Follow the SARA Park Trails Association

Lizard Peek Trail, SARA Park Lake Havasu City

Lizard Peek is just one of the hiking trails in SARA Park.

Want to become a hiking insider when you visit? One way is to visit the Convention and Visitor Bureau’s website for a list of trails. In addition, to learn about upcoming group hikes, and see some truly amazing trail photos, including lots of animal images, head over to Facebook.

The mission of the SARA Park Trails Association (SPTA) is to promote, maintain and improve the SARA Park Trail System (which stands for Special Activity Recreation Area).

Founded 2009, the group is passionate about visiting 50+ miles of trails that are available for hiking, mountain biking, equestrian, dog walking, trekking, exploring, bird watching, orienteering, running, navigation and climbing.

SPTA coordinates volunteer trail maintenance crews, hosts trail workshop days, and applies for state and federal grants to improve trailheads.

“Lake Havasu City is a wonderful hiking destination because the trails are literally in your backyard. Most of the five- or six-mile return trip hikes are a 10-minute car ride to the trailhead,” said SPTA’s website administrator Kim Goodwin.

“I am an avid photographer and I am continually amazed at how unique and beautiful each hike is from the other.”

Kim helpfully adds, “The weather conditions are so good that you can hike for seven months, October to April, without worry about heat or snakes.”

There is no membership fee. Just “like” them on Facebook to view scenic photos, including a visit by an enthusiastic group of 44 people to Rovey’s Needle. You’ll even see an image of a gas station with a giant rooster on the roof.

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Brooklyn’s Loss is Lake Havasu City’s Gain – Hiking Lake Havasu City with Steve Eskenazi

Steve Eskenazi hiking in Lake Havasu City, Arizona area
What Ansel Adams is to Yosemite National Park, and John Muir is to the Sierra Nevada of California, Steve Eskenazi is to Lake Havasu City. It’s not a bad legacy for a Brooklynite.

Steve Eskenazi, 67, has an enviable nomadic life. A lifelong bachelor, he lives out of a 24-ft. motorhome and has been hiking in the western national parks for the past 30 years. In the summer he moves his RV to Oregon. That way, as he put it over some breakfast bagels recently, he can “get my ocean fix.” Hiking? Not so much in the summer. “There are too many trees hiding the bears in Oregon.”

Originally from Brooklyn, he couldn’t be any more of a New Yorker. He grew up two blocks from the Coney Island Cyclone in famous Luna Park, right near Nathan’s Famous hot dogs stand. He started working at a Carvel ice cream store at age 16.

“I never had to pay for ice cream as a kid,” he boasts.

Steve first discovered Lake Havasu City in November 2000 when he came to visit a friend. He has been coming back to Crazy Horse Campgrounds on the Island to enjoy the mild winters from November to March ever since

Quick to admit his lifestyle is “not for everybody,” the retired Florida high school physics teacher with a degree in chemical engineering started off leading hikes for groups of his friends at the campground.

One day while visiting the Lake Havasu City Visitor Information Center, he met Visitor Services Director Jan Kassies. Jan immediately recruited him to update an old hiking brochure. The rest is hiking history. He turned it into a 32-page book with text and photos.

He also volunteered his time and energy to develop the vast majority of the editorial content and maps and provided many photographs contained in the Hiking section of www.golakehavasu.com. Much of the information is periodically updated to account for changing environmental conditions, such as natural erosion.

Today he leads hikes around the region. Dead Burro Canyon is his favorite. It travels through a deep scenic canyon in Havasu National Wildlife Refuge, a wilderness setting where very few trails exist. Wild burro and bighorn sheep are often sighted. Steve calls it a real adventure with drop-offs and two-foot ledges.

“It’s not a walk in the park,” he says, adding, “Hiking in the Lake Havasu area is growing. People are using the trails more and more and there’s a wealth of hiking information on the CVB’s website and at the Visitor Information Center.”

Steve also has a list of “secret” hikes he doesn’t like to publicize because of limited trailhead parking. You’ll just have to get to know him better to pry those locations out of him.

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The Egg Hunt Is On At The Shops

Children of all ages hunted for Easter eggs at The Shops Saturday morning in hopes of winning the grand prize. The younger children took over Ultra Star Cinemas in search of the plastic eggs filled with candy, and the other children hunted in the main courtyard.

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No Pain No Gain At The Lake Havasu Tattoo Show

The 9th Annual Tattoo Show took place at the Quality Inn this weekend in Lake Havasu City. Tattoo enthusiasts gathered at the show to decorate their bodies in ink with images of everything from flowers to Marvel Comic Book cartoon characters.

During Saturday’s event, Beauty and the Beast Sideshow performer Jason Rigstad pierced his arms with hooks and pulled an Anderson Nisson car.

The Tattoo Show continues on Sunday afternoon.

 

Artist Sid Avis tattoos on Sheri Mauer's foot Saturday afternoon. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Artist Sid Avis tattoos on Sheri Mauer’s foot Saturday afternoon. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Dixie Smith gets tattooed by artist Larry Topping Saturday afternoon at The Tattoo Show. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Dixie Smith gets tattooed by artist Larry Topping Saturday afternoon at The Tattoo Show. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

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Museum Of History Honors Robert McCulloch With A Birthday Breakfast

The Lake Havasu Museum of History honored our city’s founder, Robert McCulloch, Saturday morning with a pancake breakfast in celebration of his birthday.

Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Gary Bjornson pours a Mimosa Saturday morning at the Robert McCulloch Birthday Bash. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene
Gary Bjornson pours a Mimosa Saturday morning at the Robert McCulloch Birthday Bash. Jillian Danielson/RiverScene

 

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Teen Break 2016

While college students come to Lake Havasu City to enjoy our beaches during Spring Break, local teenagers are treated to their own fun at Rotary Park. The Aquatics and Recreation holds Teen Break each year full of activities, food, and carnival rides for ages sixth-twelfth grade.

Here is a wrap-up video social short by Empire Video.

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