Daily Archives: July 18, 2013

USDA Requires Magicians To Have “Disaster Plans” For Their Rabbits

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To say that American businesses are over-regulated is a bit of an understatement. In very small print, the USDA spends 14 pages to spell out regulations specifically pertaining to rabbits and requirements that need to be met to keep one’s “rabbit license.”

A 1965 law required that labs obtain government licenses in order to use animals for testing purposes. But in 1970, that law was amended to include not just labs, but any entity that exhibits animals. Like zoos and circuses. But because the regulations written to enforce these laws are so vague and wordy like every other law and regulation we have, anything can be said to “exhibit” animals. Not just the big things like zoos.

Apparently, magicians who use rabbits as props for their tricks are not at all exempt. So, they too must obtain a license to “exhibit” their pet rabbits. And since they have to have the proper government license to do so, they must follow all the regs associated with maintaining that license. They have to pay $40 a year, give their animal regular vet care and submit to random house searches.

But now they’ve apparently got a new requirement needed in order for these magicians to hold on to their “rabbit licenses.” 54-year-old magician Marty Hahne knows about it, because he got a letter from the USDA asking him for a “disaster plan” for his rabbit, Casey. You know, like, “What does Marty the Magician plan on doing to make sure his rabbit is safe in case of a flood, a hurricane or an earthquake?” This is not a joke.

Read more at Last Resistance

Colorado town considers licensing bounty hunters to shoot down drones

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Drone season opens in Colorado using Joe Biden rules.

But if anyone accidentally shoots down a remote-controlled toy airplane, the proposed ordinance warns, “the owner of the toy remote control aerial vehicle shall be reimbursed for its full cost by the shooter.”

The tiny town of Deer Trail, Colo. — barely more than a wide spot on Interstate 70 about 55 miles east of Denver, population 546 — is considering an ordinance that would authorize licensed bounty hunters to shoot down unmanned aircraft violating its “sovereign airspace.”

A six-page petition circulated by a resident says that the threat of surveillance from drones — regardless of who is piloting them — is a threat to “traditional American ideas of Liberty and Freedom” enjoyed by Deer Trail’s “ranchers, farmers, cowboys and Indians, as well as contemporary citizens.”

Therefore, drone incursions are to be seen as acts of war.

According to the proposed ordinance, which will be considered by the town council at its next meeting on Aug. 6, prospective bounty hunters can get a one-year drone-hunting license for $25.

Proposed bounties will be $25 for those turning in the wings or fuselage of downed aircraft and $100 for mostly intact vehicles. To collect the bounty, the wreckage must have “markings, and configuration … consistent with those used by the United States federal government.”

Such “trophies” then become the property of Deer Trail.

The ordinance spells out the rules of engagement. Shooters must use shotguns, 12-gauge or smaller, firing lead, steel or depleted uranium ammunition and they can’t fire on aircraft flying higher than 1,000 (a determination made using a range finder or a best guess). No weapons with rifled barrels allowed, and no tracer rounds.

An “engagement” is limited to three shots at an aircraft every two hours. Being unable to bring down the drone within those guidelines, the petition notes, “demonstrates a lack of proficiency with the weapon.”

Read more at the Daily Caller

Ham it up this weekend

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WILLIAMS—If you are a HAM operator or interested in learning, you might want to attend the annual Hamfest at the Bob Dean rodeo grounds in Williams. While many companies require that you are in possession of a HAM operators license to buy radio equipment proper, there are usually vendors selling a variety of test equipment and other useful electronic products, software and computer equipment.

At the other end of town in the lot beside the Williams Justice Center, the weekend swap meet will be held. The swap meet is a regular week end feature which funds Kiwanis activities throughout the year.

While the City Council has denied the swap meet vendors the right to “camp” at that event, you can be assured that vendors will be “camping” at the Hamfest this weekend just as they allowed vendors to do right downtown at the barbeque event.

St John’s Music and Faith camp Monday

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episcopal-bible-studyWILLIAMS—The 100-year old St. John’s Episcopal-Lutheran Church on the Corner of Second Street and Grant Avenue will be holding a Music and Faith camp starting Monday, July 22nd. The week-long event is free to kids ages 6 through 12 and will run from 10 am to noon each day.

The event will feature singing age-appropriate gospel songs and playing games. They will also be learning Bible verses.

The church camp at 202 W. Grant will be led by Williams residents George and Anne Albers. Space is limited, so they request you call 928-635-2781 714-323-0289 to sign your child up.

From the Bench: From the ashes…

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rob-krombeenby Justice of the Peace Robert Krombeen

This past month on June 28th, while at the judicial conference in Phoenix, I sat down with Judge Anna Mary Glaab from the Yarnell Justice Court and spoke with her about the fond memories I had of Yarnell while working for Yavapai County back in the 80’s. Neither of us knew at that time that lightning had just struck a mountain and started a fire that would change the community and so many lives forever. Judge Glaab reported this week that two of the four members of her staff lost their homes and possessions. The fire totally caught the community and Judge Glaab’s court by surprise, and now she is working diligently to continue and bring back services to the court. Courts in Baghdad, Prescott, and Mayer are scrambling to provide services for the most pressing and time-sensitive matters at that court. Please continue to keep the community and those families in your thoughts and prayers, as now the challenges of the losses really come to light as families attempt to rebuild their lives.

Because of possibility for that and other types of interruptions at our court, the Williams Municipal and Justice Courts have been working together with Coconino County Court Administration to develop our Continuous Operations (COOP) plan to enable our courts to continue providing services during any unanticipated emergency or contingency. The plan would cover a wide range of possible disruptions including forest fire, winter blizzard, gas leak or other evacuation, court facility structural failure, or other similar events which would cause a major interruption to the operations of our courts. COOP plans are being developed by proactive courts across the state and are being implemented in all of the Coconino County Court facilities. We have two off-site court locations identified and approved for our use in the event of an emergency, and a cache of all court supplies required for continued operations will be stored and maintained at a location outside of our facility.

Court Manager Jennifer Carter has selected Williams High School student Jaiden Pona to be our second high school intern during the upcoming school year. Jaiden joins Devin McNelly in the second year of our internship program at the courts. We applaud Jennifer’s investment of energy and effort in our community’s youth by providing a learning environment and an opportunity for our students to experience the criminal justice system and the operation of our courts.