A recent examination of the Winslow Levee on the Little Colorado River gave reason to believe that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will be very valuable in making the levee effective and possibly removing much of Winslow from the flood plain, according to Winslow City Manager Jim Ferguson.
Ferguson noted that Colonel Mark Toy of the Corps of Engineers had been at the meeting and brought construction people with him. They seemed involved with discussing what needed to be done to make the levee effective.
Also attending the meeting were Arizona Senator John McCain and Congressman Paul Gosar. Ferguson said that seven people toured the area, and that the inspection was worthwhile and could well prove to be productive.
Ferguson also spoke of the oriented strand board (OSB) plant project, which would bring a plant to Winslow to clear forests of material that is often a cause of forest fires and use the materials to make building materials. He said that this project has been on a back burner while Congress was busy with debt limit negotiations, but there is reason to believe that it may draw attention again.
The rash of forest fires this year is just one reason this project may get Congress’ attention now. Given the concern over spending, this project would give the government an opportunity to turn what has been an expense for it into a profit-making operation. The company hoping to build the OSB plant would pay for the material it uses, which the government now pays to have removed. This would appear to make the proposal of interest to the Forest Service and Congress.
Another topic Ferguson spoke of was the public meeting at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 11, at the Winslow High School Performing Arts Center. Arizona State Department of Corrections Director Chuck Ryan and representatives of LaSalle Corrections will be there to share information and answer questions regarding a private prison proposed to be built and operated by LaSalle Corrections in Winslow. Ferguson said it would be beneficial for the city to be the site of a 1,000-bed private prison and suggested that citizens interested in the proposal attend the meeting.
