In an effort to prevent wildfires, the Route 66 town of Flagstaff, Ariz., has taken a novel approach — paying for prevention measures itself.

According the Atlantic Monthly:

Funded by a $10 million bond that voters approved by a three-to-one margin in November, the program puts local tax dollars to work clearing trees and brush, and lighting carefully-managed fires, in an effort to stave off the devastating, astronomically expensive megafires that have become increasingly common in the West. If successful, the project could also untether the community from a withering federal firefighting budget.

It seems usual Flagstaff residents would approve an increase in their taxes. But locals are all too aware of fire dangers — dense forest surround the city from all sides. Combined with persistent drought, a wind-fueled fire could lead to catastrophic results for the town.

Also, because of budget cuts, the U.S. Forest Service won’t have as much money to combat wildfires. Critics also say the Forest Service spends a disproportionate amount on firefighting instead of fire prevention.

And when a fire happens, the cost is mostly shouldered by locals.

Take the Schultz Fire, a June 2010 scorcher that burned 15,000 acres outside Flagstaff. It cost $60 million to put out, but flood damage, lost property value, habitat loss, cleanup, and other post-fire costs more than doubled the bill to $146 million. That difference is largely carried by local agencies and residents. Spend that same $60 million on prevention, Vosick argues, and the other costs likely could have been avoided. If she’s right, Flagstaff’s $10 million bond is a great bargain for local taxpayers.

Flagstaff’s approach to prevention will be closely watched by other wildfire-prone areas, the Atlantic says.

And it may not take long to see whether the city’s program is effective. According to the latest U.S. drought map, the Flagstaff region remains in moderate to severe drought.

(Image of the Kaibab National Forest near Flagstaff by Pete Zarria, via Flickr)

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You’ll see cool images from the Mother Road during this 38-minute presentation.

Some of Sammon’s Route 66 gallery can be seen here.

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According to her obituary, Kraft died in Miller Healthcare Center in Kankakee, Ill.

Born in Valparaiso, Ind., she married Bob Kraft in 1971. Together, they owned the Riviera for 37 years until they retired in 2008. They were long appreciated for their colorful stories and hospitality. The Riviera was inducted into the Illinois Route 66 Hall of Fame in 1994.

Long before the Krafts arrived, the restaurant and tavern was long known as a hangout for gangster Al Capone during the late 1920s. Actors Gene Kelly and Tom Mix were known to stop there as well.

A fire destroyed the Riviera in 2010.

Surviving are her husband, of Manteno, Ill.; one son and daughter-in-law, Chuck and Laurie Campbell of Manteno; five grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; three great-great-grandchildren; three nieces; and one nephew. Cremation rites have been accorded. Private family services will be at Mount Hope Cemetery in Chicago.

Memorials may be made to the National Historic Route 66 Federation.

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After many months of delays, it appears the restoration of the historic El Garces Hotel in Needles, Calif., will begin soon.

According to a story Monday in the Needles Desert Star, the City Council approved a $188,000 bid from a glass contractor to install windows as a part of the restoration’s second phase.

The newspaper reported:

The phase II project is designed to enclose the building and to complete enough of the building so it can be used as an intermodal transit facility. The project has been ongoing for years and has seen various setbacks.

Finally, the city council approved moving forward with the project with only the transportation portion so the nearly $5 million in grant money from the Federal Transit Administration could be used. Work is already being done to put in the civil package, which means addressing utility needs such as plumbing and electricity.

Some residents were concerned the windows wouldn’t be historically accurate. But a councilor said it was important to enclose the building so it can be used.

In February, the city took steps to remove lead from the building. It’s hoped the lead abatement will be finished by October.

El Garces opened in 1908 as a Harvey House, and the complex closed completely in 1988. Allan Affeldt, who guided the resurrection of La Posada Hotel in Winslow, Ariz., is doggedly pursuing the restoration of El Garces.

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But when you examine the story closely, this tour is a bit different.

First, the tour is coordinated by the U.S. Department of Commerce. Two workers at the U.S. Embassy in Uruguay came up with the Route 66 tour idea.

So the old Mother Road has a bit of Uncle Sam in its corner for this trip. The Uruguay riders can be followed at this site.

But the most significant part of the story is this:

Also traveling with the group is Sebastián Beltrame and his film crew who will produce a travel series which will tell stories about the route and the places visited, as well as the experiences of both travelers and locals.

This film has the support of the Ministry of Education and Culture of Uruguay and will be aired on national television by 163 cable channels, the Uruguayan television network and 22 over-the-air channels, including the channels that belong to the main cities in the countryside.

When this film airs, don’t be surprised to see a subsequent flock of Uruguayans traveling the Mother Road. Showcasing Route 66 on a nation’s television networks often produces a tourism surge later. Route 66 businesses who saw all the Britons after “Billy Connolly’s Route 66″ series in 2011 will attest.

A Uruguayan invasion probably won’t be as pronounced as the UK’s. After all, Uruguay is a nation of 3.3 million people, versus England’s 63 million.

But unlike many South American countries, Uruguay’s economy has become relatively prosperous in recent years. So its prospects for sending over a lot of tourists are high.

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The newspaper caught up with the camera crew at the Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo.

Producers chose the iconic Amarillo restaurant after deciding to film down historic Route 66. The crew began filming May 8 in Springfield, Miss., then traveled to Weatherford, Okla., and wrapped shooting in Amarillo on Monday. Two segments were filmed in each town.

I’m certain the reporter meant Springfield, Missouri, not Springfield, Mississippi, which doesn’t exist. Here’s what happened at the Big Texan:

In the scenario, actors Nicolette Pierini, 9, and Anthony Ippolito, 12, both from New York, play a brother and sister selling sweet tea to patrons. Though the sign says $1 customers soon learn there is fine print and they are being charged for everything from Pierini taking their picture to cookies, napkins, straws and even drink umbrellas.

The program’s premise is thrusting real-life people into uncomfortable ethical dilemmas and seeing how they react, with hidden cameras capturing everything. Here’s an example:

I would hope this series is better than the last reality program on Route 66 — the much-maligned “Great American Road Trip” back in 2009.

The Amarillo segment of “What Would You Do?” will air June 21, the newspaper said.

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Those who have traveled an old alignment of Route 66 recently along northeast Los Angeles may have gazed up into one of the hills overlooking the city and found an unfamiliar — yet familiar — sight.

It’s a massive “Glassellland” sign halfway up a hill above the Glassell ParkRecreation Center. According to a report in the Los Angeles Times, the sign with 10-foot-tall letters was erected by an artist named Justin (no last name given) who has planted cutouts of movie stars in the Glendale area.

Times reporter Steve Lopez spoke to Howard Seth Cohen, a publicist for the “Glassellland” sign:

Cohen told me he thinks Justin is trying to instill a sense of civic pride in Glassell Park and suggest that romanticism is not confined to the hoity toity Westside neighborhoods.

The sign pays a sort of homage to the world-famous “Hollywood” sign in Los Angeles, which actually was “Hollywoodland” many years ago.

Scott Piotrowski, an expert on Route 66 in Los Angeles, said by email after sending a photo of the sign:

The hill is a part of Mount Washington (the hill, not the community in Los Angeles). It literally is surrounded by Route 66 on three sides, and another portion of 66 sits slightly north. In other words, coming down from the hill, you almost HAVE to at least cross Route 66 to get anywhere. [...] The view of the sign is from the west side of the hill, along Eagle Rock Boulevard and Verdugo Road. In this Google maps link http://goo.gl/maps/CWrXx the Glassell Park Community Center is marked. Just south / east of there is Mimosa Drive. The sign sits between Mimosa and Kinney on the hillside.

And Piotrowski agrees the “Glassellland” sign isn’t mocking the “Hollywood” sign so much, but was created by “someone calling this community their home and taking great pride in that fact.”

(Hat tip: Scott Piotrowski)

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