LifeStraw

Personal Water Filter

LifeStraw is a water filter designed to be used by one person to filter water so that they may safely drink it. It filters a maximum of 1000 litres of water, enough for one person for one year. It removes 99.9999% of waterborne bacteria and 99.9% of parasites.

The LifeStraw Family, a larger unit designed for family use, also filters out 99.99% of viruses.

LifeStraw includes LifeStraw and LifeStraw Family, which are complementary point-of-use water filters designed by the Swiss-based Vestergaard Frandsen for people living in developing nations and for distribution in humanitarian crisis. LifeStraw Family filters a maximum of 18,000 liters of water, providing safe drinking water for a family of five for up to three years.

 

Eartheasy.com

price: $19.95

 The LifeStraw is a plastic tube 310 millimeters long and 30 millimeters in diameter. Water that is drawn up through the straw first passes through hollow fibers that filter water particles down to 0.2 microns across, using only physical filtration methods and no chemicals. The entire process is powered by suction, similar to using a conventional drinking straw, and filters up to 1000 liters of water. While the initial model of the filter did not remove Giardia lamblia, LifeStraw removes a minimum of 99.9% of waterborne protozoan parasites including giardia and cryptosporidium.

 

 

 

 

 LifeStraw Family

 

LifeStraw has been generally praised for its effective and instant method of bacteria and protozoa removal and consumer acceptability. Paul Hetherington, of the charity WaterAid, has criticized the LifeStraw for being too expensive for the target market. He also points to other important problems linked with accessing the water in developing countries, which wait to be solved, but are not addressed by the device itself.

 

Although LifeStraw is available for retail sale in the developing world, the majority of LifeStraw are distributed as part of public health campaigns or in response to complex emergencies by NGOs and organizations that give them away for free in the developing world.

 

LifeStraw has been praised in the international media and won several awards including the 2008 Saatchi & Saatchi Award for World Changing Ideas, the ‘INDEX: 2005’ International Design Award and "Best Invention of 2005" by Time Magazine.

Fallen Heroes

Officer William Murie #721

 

Officer Murie was en route to Phoenix from Flagstaff on Nov. 16 when he stopped just north of Phoenix on Interstate 17 to assist at a crash scene. He was struck by a passing vehicle, crushing his legs and a wrist. Complications resulting from these injuries led to his death on Nov. 19, 1980.

( MAP )

End of Watch:

Wednesday, November 19, 1980

Tour: 8 years

Badge # 721

 

 

 

 

Fallen DPS Heroes

 

Jordan Mahoney

Flagstaff student died Sunday as she rode her bike

 Jordan Mahoney's

smile could light up anyone's day.

 

That's how friends and classmates of the 21-year-old NAU student are remembering her in the wake of her death on Sunday night.

 

Mahoney was killed when a suspected drunk driver hit her while she was riding her bike in a south Flagstaff residential neighborhood.

 

A few candles and a lone flower marked the accident site on Tuesday.

The 22-year-old suspect has been arrested on charges of manslaughter and fleeing the scene of an accident.

 

The university is shocked and saddened by the sudden loss of Jordan, said university spokesperson Thomas Bauer. "It is always difficult to lose a member of the NAU family, and the circumstances surrounding Jordan's passing make it extremely upsetting."

Mahoney, a double major in English and psychology, was set to graduate in the spring semester. The university is making on-campus counseling available.

 

Family friends said that Mahoney's parents drove to Flagstaff on Monday from her hometown of San Jose, Calif. She graduated from Catholic Presentation High School in 2009.

EMBRACE THE CHAOS

 

Friends began leaving condolences for the family on an online obituary for Mahoney on Tuesday.

"While your passing is tragic, we can only take comfort in the fact that you are now in heaven and watching over us all," wrote Jennafer Lane of San Jose. "Your senior quote is tragically appropriate.

 

'Life is divine chaos. Embrace it.'

We will love and remember you always.

 

A rosary, or set of prayers, was said for Mahoney at the Holy Trinity Catholic Newman Center on NAU campus Monday night, where she was a parishioner.

Pastor Brendan McGuire of Holy Spirit Church in San Jose broke the news to members of her family's church on Monday.

 

"Please give your loved ones a hug and kiss tonight," he said. "Remind them of your love for them and do not allow all the petty things of life to take a moment away from the joy of being alive. Life is too precious to waste."

 

Mahoney was an active member of that church, where she worked to organize youth Mass.

 

"She was a special young woman who will be dearly missed," McGuire said.

The priest described Mahoney as "the gem" of her parents' lives.

"This is a devastating loss for their family," he said.

 

 "She was a beautiful human being with a generous and open heart. She ministered to so many young people in our community and had an effervescent smile that would light up anybody's day."

 

GOING 60 MPH

Flagstaff Police have not released additional details of the collision, but witnesses told the Daily Sun that the truck was going at least 60 mph down Walapai Drive in the moments before the accident. By the time neighbors left their homes and reached the scene, the truck had already turned down a nearby street.

 

Flagstaff police officials said they arrested Kelsey Lou Cody of Flagstaff on charges of manslaughter and fleeing the scene of an injury or fatality accident. Investigators believe that alcohol was a factor in the incident. She is being held in the Coconino County Detention Facility on $250,000 cash bond.

Carol and Patrick Mahoney, the victim's parents, wrote in a message to the Daily Sun.

"Her beaming, smiling face is 100% Jordan! She means the world to us. We are so very, very proud of her. She touched many lives here at NAU and Flagstaff as we have learned since arriving Monday. Jordan is a true gift from God and is very special to our family, friends, classmates, and parishioners back home in San Jose."

 

Melissa Birkett, Assistant Professor of Psychology at Northern Arizona University

"I knew Jordan as a student in an upper division psychology class last semester. The class worked closely together and the group came to know each other well. Jordan was a good student and a wonderful person. She was positive, energetic and engaged. She approached every situation with an open-minded attitude and a willingness to learn and collaborate. She will be missed by many in the student and faculty communities. My heart goes out to her friends and family - this is a staggering loss for all."

Story from Flagstaff Daily Sun

Stone Dam Ash Fork Arizona

Railroad Dams

Darren

Mike Hites

Trying to stay calm water on one side and 20 foot drop on the other

 and a strong wind blowing. 

The old U.S. Route 66

That's Darren standing the old U.S. Route 66

Till Next Time!!

Tara Michelle Shermerhorn

Memorial

Crown King Arizona

What began as a missing-persons report Thursday afternoon ended as an apparent murder-suicide Friday morning that shocked residents in the southwest Valley.

Thomas Watson, 47, and Tara Shermerhorn, 31, both of Goodyear, were found dead inside a truck near the Horse Thief Basin Recreation Area, north of the Valley.

It appears that Watson shot Shermerhorn and then himself, said Cmdr. Ralph McLaughlin with the Goodyear Police Department.

The pair had broken up in December after dating about a year, acco

rding to authorities and friends.

Shermerhorn was well-known in the community, having worked for a foundation supporting area charities and as a volunteer for Luke Air Force Base.

Litchfield Park Councilman Peter Mahoney, who owns the Old Pueblo Cafe and Pub in Litchfield Park where Shermerhorn was a longtime regular, said her death "was like a punch in the stomach."

Her family had reported her missing Thursday afternoon.

Watson left a note that morning saying he was despondent, with instructions on how to dispose of his property, McLaughlin said.

The pair had e-mailed one another on Wednesday and agreed to meet, McLaughlin said.

Authorities looked for the pair near Crown King after tracking her cellphone to the area.

Deputies with the Yavapai County Sheriff's Office found the bodies Friday shortly after 10 a.m. inside Watson's Ford F-150 pickup. They believe the pair died that morning.

Goodyear and Yavapai County authorities continue to investigate.

Those who knew the couple are struggling to cope.

"She didn't deserve what she got," said Peter Katsars, owner of Dino's Greek and Italian Bar and Grill in Goodyear, where Shermerhorn worked as a bartender.

Friends described her as "classy, sophisticated and beautiful."

Luke officials had met Shermerhorn at community events when she oversaw the House of Elliott foundation, the charitable arm of a local publishing group. A couple of years ago, they invited her to be part of an honorary squadron-commander program.

She embraced it with gusto, said Steve Yamamori, the former director of Fighter Country Partnership, which supports Luke.

"She was so excited to be part of the program," he said. "She lived life to the fullest. She was very active in the community, and it's a huge loss for us in the West Valley."

A friend, Sara Nicholas, described her as always smiling.

Birth:

Dec. 10, 1979

Sydney Nova Scotia, Canada

Death:

Feb. 3, 2011

Yavapai County Arizona, USA

Japanese War Camp

Gila River Arizona

Memorial marker for the Gila River Japanese internment camp

The Gila River War Relocation Center

The camp was located on the Gila River Indian Reservation about 50 miles southeast of Phoenix, near the town of Rivers. The 16,500-acre site actually consisted of two separate camps, with the larger of the two, Butte Camp, located 3-1/2 miles west of Canal Camp. The Sacaton Mountains rise three miles to the south and the Superstition Mountains are visible in the distance. The average summer temperature is 104 degrees and has been known to reach 125 degrees.

Despite the Gila River Indian Tribe’s objections, the site was approved, and construction began on May 1, 1942. The camp officially opened on July 20, 1942, and evacuees streamed in from the Sacramento Delta area, Fresno County and the Los Angeles area. (Another 2,000 came from the Jerome Relocation Center in Arkansas after its closing in June 1944). By December 1942, Gila River had a peak population of 13,348 and was Arizona’s fourth largest city. Canal Camp closed on September 28, 1945, and Butte Camp closed on November 10, 1945.

Gila River Internment Center - Rivers, Arizona

Memorial marker at Butte Camp

Butte Camp had 821 buildings, including 22 administration offices, warehouses, and staff housing. There was a post office, garages, mimeograph buildings, warehouses, police office, court, water filtration plant, refrigerated warehouse, laundry, gas station and various other staff buildings, most of which were built by the evacuees. Butte Camp had 627 residential barracks of which 46 were used for the schools, 6 for churches, and 29 for other services, including a shoe repair shop, sewing shop, laundry and dry cleaning, barber shop, beauty shop, canteen, store, and a kitchen.

Memorial marker at Butte Camp listing the names

 of Japanese Americans from the

  Gila River Relocation Center killed in World War II.

These barracks were made of wood and fireproof shingles that blocked out the desert heat. Each barrack was made to house four single families in separate apartments. Unfortunately, the camp exceeded its capacity: it was designed for 10,000 residents, but held over 13,000. Because of this some families resorted to living in the mess hall or recreation buildings and used blankets as makeshift walls. Water shortages also plagued the camp, and poisonous rattlesnakes and scorpions kept Butte Hospital extremely busy.

Cultural, civic and religious activities flourished with in the camp. Recreation buildings and barracks were used for churches, meeting rooms, libraries, and other community services. There was an active Japanese American Citizens League, as well as Boy Scouts, American Legion and other groups.

Both Buddhist and Christian congregations held church services.

Internees could also maintain relationships with people on the outside and were able to obtain passes for visitors to enter the camp.

The schools enrolled several thousand students from kindergarten through high school. One entire block housed an elementary school and another was used for the high school. The internees built an auditorium and additional classroom buildings for science, home economics, and vocational studies.

Students and teachers alike had to make do with a lack of materials, but they were resourceful in creating ways around the shortages. The typing class had only two typewriters, so students practiced on cardboard diagrams of an actual keyboard. Desks and chairs were made by students in the vocational school, and painted walls served as blackboards. Most of the teachers were Japanese American, many with college degrees and some with teaching experience.

The State of Arizona accredited the schools in both camps, and 97 seniors graduated from Canal High School in 1944. In addition, a variety of adult classes were held during the day and in the evening under the direction of an adult education department.

Memorial marker at Canal Camp

Canal Camp had 404 buildings, with 44 for administrative purposes, 232 barracks for living quarters, 16 mess halls, 17 ironing rooms, 17 laundry rooms, 34 latrine and shower buildings, 24 school buildings and 20 community service buildings. Residential sections were divided into blocks of 14 barracks. Each barrack was 20 by 100 square feet and divided into four single-family apartments.

Rebuilding their lives on the outside was a difficult prospect because many who had been interned were not sure where to go. Some families were able to relocate to the Midwest or the East Coast; the rest remained in Arizona or returned to the West Coast. By the fall of 1945, the last to leave were 155 Hawaiian Japanese. In December most of the buildings were moved to other institutions in Arizona, although many of the internees chose to stay in the camps until the war ended and restrictions were lifted in January 1945.

 Butte Camp, Gila River Relocation Center

 Canal Camp, Gila River Relocation Center

Group of Japanese American children at the Gila River Relocation Center, August 1943.

 Harvesting cucumbers at the Gila River Relocation Center

 Growing experimetnal plants at the Gila River Relocation Center

 Harvesting daikon at the Gila River Relocation Center

 Sites in the western U.S. associated with the relocation

of Japanese Americans during World War II.

What the Camps look like today.

Americans of Japanese Ancestry Who Died in World War II

Unit	First Name	Last Name	Rank	Hometown	Date Died	Battles	Grave	Camp
1.100-C	Masashi	ARAKI	Pfc	Selma, CA	02-Jun-44	Anzio to Rome	US	Gila River
6.MIS	Russell T.	FUJINO	T/Sgt	San Francisco, CA	4-Aug-45		Golden Gate	Gila River
1.100-A	Tatsumi	FURUKAWA	Pvt	Concord, CA	20-Oct-44	Battle of Bruyeres	Golden Gate	Gila River
3.442-L	John T.	HASHIMOTO	Sgt	Fresno, CA	14-Nov-44	Vosges Mtn -St. Die	Seattle, WA	Gila River
2.442-E	Yeiichi	HIYAMA	Pvt	Fowler, CA	23-Apr-45	Po Valley Campaign		Gila River
2.442-G	Minoru	ISHIDA	Pfc	San Marino, CA	23-Apr-45	Po Valley Campaign	Evergreen, LA	Gila River
1.100-A	James J.	KANADA	Pvt	Concord, CA	05-Apr-45	Po Valley Campaign	Golden Gate	Gila River
2.442-F	Shaw	KOJAKU	Pfc	Gardena, CA	17-Jul-44	Rome-Arno	Evergreen, LA	Gila River
2.442-E	Nobuo	KOMOTO	Pfc	Selma, CA	17-Oct-44	Battle of Bruyeres		Gila River
2.442-E	Henry M.	KONDO	Pfc	Pasadena, CA	19-Oct-44	Battle of Bruyeres		Gila River
6.MIS	Satoshi B.	KUROKAWA	T/4	Guadalupe, CA	13-Aug-45	Plane Crash, Okinawa		Gila River
2.442-F	Kazuo	MASUDA	S/Sgt	Santa Ana, CA	27-Aug-44	Rome-Arno		Gila River
2.442-E	George H.	MASUMOTO	Pfc	Selma, CA	16-Oct-44	Battle of Bruyeres		Gila River
1.100-C	Takanori A.	NISHI	Pfc	San Francisco, CA	15-Jul-44	Rome-Arno	Golden Gate	Gila River
4.442-Can	George	OTA	Pvt	Parlier, CA	15-Aug-44	Rome-Arno		Gila River
2.442-G	Kazuo	OTANI	S/Sgt	Visalia, CA	15-Jul-44	Rome-Arno		Gila River
2.442-G	Todd T.	SAKOHIRA	Pfc	Fowler, CA	04-Jul-44	Rome-Arno		Gila River
6.MIS	George M.	SHIKATA	T/3	Los Angeles, CA	21-Jul-46	Died Non-Battle		Gila River
1.100-C	Katsumi L.	TAKASUGI	T/Sgt	Ventura, CA	05-Apr-45	Po Valley Campaign	US	Gila River
4. 442-?	Masuo	WAKITA	Pfc	Santa Ana, CA	23-Aug-45	Died Non-Battle		Gila River
3.442-L	Mitsuru T.	YETO	Pvt	Oxnard, CA	19-Apr-45	Po Valley Campaign	Evergreen, LA	Gila River
7.Army	Makoto	YOSHIHARA	Pvt	Guadalupe, CA	22-Dec-44	Died Non-Battle		Gila River

List of Figures

Gila River Relocation Center

As the land for the camp sites is owned by the Gila River Indian Tribe and is considered sacred by them, public access to the sites is currently restricted. Although all the main structures are long gone, some artifacts such as the road grid, concrete slab foundations, manholes, cisterns, several rock alignments and dozens of small ponds remain today.