Category Archives: Entertainment

Bearizona Howly Growly Owly festival weekends

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Howly-6970WILLIAMS – Howly Halloween, Batman! Bearizona is hosting Howly Growly Owly Festival weekends in October. Visitors are encouraged to dress up in costume and those that do will get a “beary” special treat.

Don’t forget to judge their scary bear scarecrow for the scarecrow contest being sponsored by the Williams Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce. Pick up an entry form at any participating merchant and judge at least nine scarecrows. You must get a sticker from the merchant. Drop off your entry at the Chamber of Commerce in the Williams-Kaibab National Forest Visitor Center by October 28th and you could win a gift basket.

Festivities Include:

Howl-O-Ween Express: Hop on the windowless bus that takes visitors through the drive-through animal exhibits. This is about as close as you are going to get to our animals, so you don’t want to miss out. Patrons can howl with the wolves in the Alaskan Tundra & Arctic Wolf enclosure and watch the bison interact with a special Howl-O-Ween enrichment treat. Bus rides depart from the Fort Bearizona parking lot at 10:00 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m. & 3:30 p.m. every Saturday and Sunday in October.

Howly-012Growly Bear Cave: Those who dare can walk through our super scary Haunted Mine Shaft (PG-13 Rated)

Raptor Show: Guests should plan to catch an Owly Raptor Show at 11:00 a.m., 1:00 p.m. or 3:00 p.m., after visiting Fort Bearizona’s baby and smaller animals.

Howly-4293Wandering Entertainers: Every Saturday and Sunday between 11:30 a.m. -2:30 p.m. members from Circus Bacchus are here to entertain guests with juggling performances, balloon twisting and more.

Photo Ops: Several areas of the park are decorated in different themes so visitors can take photos with their families.

Bearizona’s mission is to promote conservation through memorable and educational encounters with North American wildlife in a natural environment.

Last Man on Earth too close for comfort?

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As Halloween approaches, we like to share some of those old “B” movies from around the Internet. Our first concerns The Last Man on Earth. Vincent Price plays a scientist trying to find a cure for virus that is spreading throughout the globe. As he watches his family die, he does not even realize he has the cure.

This movie was remade in the sixties. The Omega Man stared Charlton Heston. It was remade again in the recent thriller Legend staring Will Smith.

This film is exceptionally eerie this year with the recent news of the Ebola virus permeating the news.

Thunder Over Coconino this weekend at Valle Airport

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640-140605eagleftVALLE – The Valle Airport (40G) is sponsoring the Thunder Over Coconino X fly-in this weekend. The event features guest speaker George Marrett. Mr. Marrett was the pilot of a Skyraider who flew “Sandy” missions over Vietnam.

You will also have the opportunity to fly in the 1929 Ford Tri-Motor aircraft for $99 a person. This is your only chance to fly in this historic aircraft.

The annual event will be held Saturday from 8 am to 3 pm. The event includes a pancake breakfast from 6:30 to 10 am for an additional fee. The event is $12 for adults and $6 for children. There is a max family package for $30.

640-140605valle2The event also includes a car show. The airport, however, has their own cars and motorcycles on display all year. Their display is free.

While there you can visit the Planes of Fame museum full of various aircraft civilian and military. The Valle Planes of Fame museum is the home of the L-749 Constellation which was used as the private plane of General Douglas MacArthur. The museum is not part of the event but is open all year long so you can visit anytime. The entry fee for the museum is $6.95 for adults and $1.95 for children under 12. Tours of the Constellation are $3.00

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Video of the L-749 Constellation, the private plane of General Douglas MacArthur, uploaded July 2010. The plane is now part of the collection of the Planes of Fame museum in Valle.

Bearizona Backwoods BBQ- Redneck Family Fun for All

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Bearizona Backwoods BBQ music into the night. - Photo Courtesy of Bearizona

Bearizona Backwoods BBQ music into the night. – Photo Courtesy of Bearizona

WILLIAMS – Bearizona is hosting a Backwoods BBQ on July 26, from 12:00 p.m – 9:00 p.m. This event will be held in the Fort Bearizona walk-thru area of the park and is open to the public.

Live country music throughout the day, headlined by Marble Heart at 5:00 p.m., will set the mood for the event. Kids can jump ‘til their hearts content and get some Bearizona ink, in our Kid Zone. Barbecue food will be available for purchase as well as local beverage favorites Grand Canyon Brewery, Grand Canyon Winery, Historic Brewing Company & all your domestic favorites as well.

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Bearizona BBQ 2013. – Photo courtesy of Bearizona.

Bearizona is excited to welcome the Phoenix Herpetological Society who will be at the event with an alligator and an 18’ snake that attendees, who are adventurous enough, can get up-close, touch and get their picture taken with them. There will also be Bearizona’s walk thru animals on exhibit for all to see, including those adorable bear cubs.

Advance discount tickets for the Bearizona Backwoods BBQ can be purchased by going to www.bearizona.com. $8 ages (4-12) and $18 (13 & Up). Tickets at the event will cost $10 ages (4-12) and $20 (13 & Up). Tickets will get you into both the drive-thru and walk-thru areas of the park, however the drive-thru closes at 7p.m. Bearizona pass holders get into the event for free.

Folks who are interested in staying the night are encouraged to book their room at our preferred hotel vendor The Grand Canyon Railway.

Bearizona’s mission is to promote conservation through memorable and educational encounters with North American wildlife in a natural environment.

We will be available for live interviews at Phoenix Herpetological Society Wednesday morning with critters (gator, snake & baby porcupine). Please call to schedule.

Williams holds parade and events against a backdrop of Slide Rock Fire smoke

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WILLIAMS – The appearance of Smokey the Bear at the Memorial Day parade in the City of Williams against a backdrop of smoke was a somber reminder of the result of carelessness. The Slide Rock fire in Oak Creek and Woods Canyon fire near Payson are human-caused fires being fought by fire crews who cannot stop to enjoy the festivities.

975 fire fighters are still on the Slide Rock fire which has consumed nearly 11,000 acres and is still only 5% contained. They are fighting with air craft, as well, and are reporting some positive results with air-dropped fire retardants. Winds have died down—as they usually do around this time—which helps the fire fighters.

With them in mind, the City of Williams went on with the annual parade in honor of those who are fighting, have fought and who died doing their duty for their country.

Members of the American Legion Cordova Post #13 carry the colors followed by the Vietnam Veterans Association.

Members of the American Legion Cordova Post #13 carry the colors followed by the Vietnam Veterans Association.

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The parade naturally starts with members of the American Legion Cordova Post #13 carrying the flag. They were followed by the Vietnam Veterans Association.

Entries included the Bill Williams Mountain Men, the First Baptist Church and Saint Joseph Catholic Church and the Shriners. Camp Civitan, The Flagstaff Kennel Club K-9 Drill Team entered and the Cancer Society entered a float for breast cancer awareness.

Of course there were classic cars, politicians, first responders from Junipine, Ponderosa and Williams fire departments and Lifeline Ambulance.

After the parade a concert was held at the community stage. The Williams Aquatic Center was opened thanks to the efforts of the Friends of the Williams Aquatic Center including a pool party.

Attractions such as the Zipline and Bearizona were open for business.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars Matthew Broehm post held a fundraising barbeque and sold tickets for their August raffle. They are raffling a Remington Model 870 tactical shotgun to be drawn for during the August Cool-Country Cruise In. Raffle tickets are $5 each or 5 for $20. Only 500 tickets will be sold.

Events included the opening of the Williams Aquatic Center and rides on the Zipline.

Events included the opening of the Williams Aquatic Center and rides on the Zipline.

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Memorial Day legacy events in Williams

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The lone soldier at the Williams Own Veteran's Memorial watches over the names of those Williams residents who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

The lone soldier at the Williams Own Veteran’s Memorial watches over the names of those Williams residents who paid the ultimate sacrifice.

KOREAWILLIAMS – 36 USC §116 designates the last Monday in May as Memorial Day. Memorial Day was established in 1868 to pay tribute to those who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms that are supposed to be guaranteed to us in the Constitution and the inalienable Bill of Rights.

This is the legacy of Memorial Day. One should keep in mind on Monday what the day is for. Everyone should remember that we still have men and women overseas on ships at sea and on land. We also have thousands of those who have yet to return. Prisoners of war unaccounted for and those missing in action. The United States government promised those it sent into harms way that it would never have a “presumed dead” category.

Unfortunately we must also add to our prayers those fighting the Slide Rock fire and those in Sedona and the Oak Creek area affected by it. The smoke from the fire is reaching Flagstaff and may hamper some of the activities they have planned.

The Williams Memorial day parade in honor of military members living and passed on begins at 11 am on Saturday. On Monday the American Legion Cordova Post #13 holds ceremonies at the Williams cemetery honoring those who have paid the price.

Flagstaff, Williams and other northern Arizona cities will provide activities that we can enjoy thanks to the sacrifice of these service members.

In Williams, the Cataract Creek Gang have begun their gunfights and will continue throughout the summer each night at 7 pm.

The Kiwanis Club Route 66 Street Market opens Friday morning and runs through Monday. The Street Market, formerly Williams Swap Meet, will continue after Memorial day and generally runs to September or October. The Street Market is located on the west end of town across from Williams Memorial Park.

There will be music on the Babbit-Polson Community Stage in the Williams Visitor Center parking lot next to the Recreation Center on Saturday from 12 to 2 pm.

The Williams Aquatic Center will open from 10 am to 4 pm Saturday with a Hawaiian Luau Pool party from noon to 2 pm sponsored by the Friends of the Williams Aquatic Center. There will be free food and games. There will be drawings for free individual and family passes, youth swim lessons and punch cards for individual sessions.

LATE BREAKING NEWS! Cataract Creek Gang spotted.

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Go 'head, Marshal. Kick o'er my sodie water. I Dars ya!

Go ‘head, Marshal. Kick o’er my sodie water. I Dars ya!

Marshall John B. Goode of Williams has received a telegraph and asked media outlets in Williams to extend this warning.

From: U.S. Marshall, Richmond, Virginia
Five or six polecats identified tentatively as the Cataract Creek gang were arrested Tuesday last…STOP…Were turned over as stowaways on a boat from Bahamas…STOP…Nice tans…STOP…Broke jail and took a stage…STOP…They did not book passage on the stage, they just took it!…STOP…If you are laughing…STOP…They are presumed to be heading your area…STOP…them.

According to the date of this telegraph (for y’all city folks, that is what we call emails), the time of travel and if the wind is agin’ ’em or for ’em, the Cataract Creek Gang could be here toward the end of May, or so.

It ain’t likely they’ll put out a schedule or anything.

View the heavens Friday

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You will not see this.

You will not see this.

WILLIAMS – The Coconino Astronomical Society will be holding a viewing of the night sky on Friday, March 2d between 7:30 and 9:30 pm. The viewing will be held in the vacant area across from the laundry and Rod’s Steakhouse on Railroad avenue. The viewing is free.

The Society held a viewing last month in the same location and hopes to make this a monthly event. Tourist and residents of Williams are invited to come tour the skies.

The group picked this day because the brightness of the moon will not interfere with the viewing of other heavenly bodies. The group donates their telescopes and time to interest people in the science of astronomy.

Gosnell movie gets amazing funding via Indeggo.

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UPDATED: 4/30/14, 9:28

640px-GOSNELL_FB_Cover_plainDonald Sterling is now a household name. He is the Clippers owner who allegedly made distasteful racist remarks and is well-known for his donations to Democratic candidates and causes. His remarks, released by TMZ, have received massive media coverage. He was recently barred, apparently, from the NBA.

Kermit Gosnell is probably not a name known except to a select few. He was an abortion doctor in Philadelphia who delivered live babies and killed them by severing their spinal cord with scissors. He called the process “snipping.” He is not the only one at his clinic that conducted this process. It is alleged that sometimes his nursing staff and even administrative staff would conduct the snipping. It is unknown how many babies he snipped because he destroyed many of the records. He was only accused and convicted of a few of the murders and is now serving several life sentences.

The story of the Gosnell trial is not the trial itself, but the lack of coverage of the trial. CNN has become known as the missing plane network and all media outlets have donated various amounts of time to the Donald Sterling story. The benches reserved for the media at the Gosnell trial, however, were virtually empty. PBS and Associated Press did cover the trial and did a good report on the trial.

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Empty seats reserved for the media at the Gosnell trial in Philadelphia.

Spike Lee is also a household name. He is a movie producer who has produced some pretty good movies—including Malcom X—and made millions. His campaign on KICKSTARTER is making headlines for raising over $1.4M of $1.25M requested for his new movie which is apparently a thriller about vampires. There are no details about the movie on the site because it is a thriller. This so-called “crowdfunding” campaign has been covered by the various mainstream media agencies.

Phelim Mcaleer is not a household name either. He is a documentary producer who has three titles to date. His conservative documentaries are the ire of the “progressive” movement. Especially Not Evil Just Wrong which is an anti-global warming movie. It screened across the nation, but did not receive the press of other award winning documentary makers who support the progressive agenda.

The media also did not cover the amazing crowdfunding for Mcaleer’s latest effort through Indegogo. The movie Gosnell and is the story of the abortion doctor aforementioned. The campaign started on March 28 and has raised over $1.5M of the $2.1M sought. The movie is breaking records for funding through the web site.

The movie is being made for television so it is questionable what networks would run a film contrary to the present agenda.
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Still time to get in on some of the Easter egg hunt

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bunnyaWILLIAMS – The Easter egg hunt is still going on at the Williams Recreation Center. Most of the eggs, however, have been found. There is still time to get in for barbeque chicken, hotdogs, cole slaw and other treats.

High above the event the Zip Line is running and drawing a crowd.
zipline

There is also a yard sale at the First Baptist Church of Williams on Grant street across from Safeway.

You still have time to partake of some of the activities.