WILLIAMS — The First Baptist Church of Williams is hosting a viewing of the movie Do You Believe this Saturday, September 19 at 5:30. They ask that you RSVP at their office or by signing the sheet at their table in the sanctuary of the Church to ensure enough snacks and drinks. The Church is located on Grant Street behind the Safeway. Their phone number is 928-635-4692.
Category Archives: Amusement
Thunderstorm hits Williams
WILLIAMS — Williams received the dose of wet weather it was promised though it looked like we might have a clear day during the morning. The rain started about 2 p.m. and is continuing on through the afternoon.
Thunder and lightning has been light, so far. Thunderstorms are expected to continue through Wednesday night, as of the latest long-range forecast. The long-range forecast also predicts clear and warm weather through next weekend as fall colors are forming in the trees and bushes.
Brown’s Carnival here through Saturday
WILLIAMS — Brown’s Amusements carnival opened last night and will run through Saturday. They are set up along Railroad Avenue across from Rod’s Steak House and the Route 66 Diner. They come to Williams after entertaining at the Coconino County Fair over Labor Day weekend. Tickets and wristbands may be purchased at the carnival or at the Williams Kaibab Forest Visitor Center.
Slight chance of rain Saturday afternoon
WILLIAMS — Clouds rolled in yesterday appearing ready to douse Williams with yet another monsoon rain. A few thunder-claps could be heard in the distance and a few raindrops fell, but it fell silent.
It was predicted to be clear through Saturday night, but it appears now that there is a slight chance of rain Saturday beginning in the afternoon.
Sunday and Monday there is a 50% chance of rain. This could produce heavy rains and lightning.
The extended forecast shows a possibility of rain through Thursday of next week.
Boxcar bridge in place in Williams
WILLIAMS — Traffic on Route 66 was halted for several hours and a crowd formed in Williams, yesterday, to watch as they filled a gap left by the city across the drainage channel through Glassburn Park. The City of Williams worked with historian Al Richmond and the railroad to emplace a 50-foot boxcar to be used as a covered bridge.
The accompanying video mistakenly informs that the property belongs to the Grand Canyon Railway, but it actually belongs to BNSF Railroad.
The City of Williams has been working with Al Richmond and the Railroad to build a railroad history museum in Williams for several years. While that appears to becoming a reality, this bridge project is not part of that, specifically.
The Railroad and the City have been building railroad-themed parks along the property for the last year.
Crews worked into the night to secure the new boxcar bridge.
Williams originally intended to turn the Babbit-Polson Warehouse into a museum, but technical difficulties could not be overcome at the time. The Community Stage was added about two-years ago.
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Award of Hospitality Contract on South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park
Grand Canyon, Ariz. – Grand Canyon National Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced the award of a concession contract to Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. Xanterra will provide lodging, food services, retail, transportation, mule rides, and other services on the South Rim.
Xanterra, the incumbent operator, submitted the selected offer in response to a prospectus issued earlier this year. Superintendent Uberuaga stated “We are pleased to continue our long relationship with this important park partner, and we look forward to working together to implement some exciting improvements to services on the South Rim.”
The new 15 year contract is one of the largest in the National Park Service (NPS) in terms of revenue and lodging inventory. The services required in this prospectus have generated an average of approximately $66 million in gross revenues annually. New services will include a re-constructed Maswik South Lodge, improved food offerings including food trucks, and other improvements to operations and services.
This historic lodging and hospitality contract (CC-GRCA001-15) will include lodging, retail and food service in the historic Grand Canyon Village including the El Tovar, Bright Angel Lodge, Thunderbird and Kachina Lodges, Maswik Lodge and Phantom Ranch, as well as retail and food service at Hermits Rest. It will also continue to include transportation services such as bus tours, taxi service and mule rides.
Concessions contracts are developed and issued under the authority of the Concessions Management Improvement Act of 1998, P.L. 105-391, and its attending regulations in 36 CFR §51.
Martin Milner dies at age 83
Martin Milner best known for the roles of Corvette owner Tod Stiles in the television series Route 66 and stone-faced police veteran Pete Malloy in Adam-12 passed away at the age of 83. The communication office of the LA Police Department issued an Instagram which stated, “Pete Malloy, you are end of watch.”
Milner started his career with a 1947 appearance in Life With Father. He went on to do roles in many World War II movies, such as Sands of Iwo Jima, Halls of Monezuma, Fighting Coast Guard and other television shows and movies. He even stood out in his minor role as a southern shore patrol officer in Mister Roberts.
I remember him for his movie The Private Lives of Adam and Eve. He also stared in the Irwin Allen production of Swiss Family Robinson and the short-lived television series of the same name.
It was his role of Tod Stiles in the 1960 to ’64 Route 66 that brought him the most fame during this period. My father told me that when he was working on the Glen Canyon Dam, the show was filming somewhere in Arizona. He and a friend passed by and the friend said something that the producer liked and paid his friend $50 to allow him to use it in the show. My father said that he wished he had said something—anything—at the same time.
He played the role of Stephen Banner in the Dragnet series of 1951 to 1959. He returned to his association with Jack Webb in the Dragnet which ran from 1967 to 1970. He played to role of officer Pete Malloy. That character did not rest, however, appearing in The D.A. series and the television series Emergency! while the television series Adam-12 was running from 1968 to 1975.
His last role was Detective Halloran in the mystery television series Diagnosis Murder staring Dick Van Dyke. But he continued to draw fans and autograph seekers as this YouTube video at an event in Chicago in 1996 shows.
Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink parking area to temporarily close
WILLIAMS — The parking area that provides access to the Oak Hill Snow Play Area and Keyhole Sink Trail on the Williams Ranger District of the Kaibab National Forest will be temporarily closed beginning Sept. 8 due to the presence of heavy equipment and construction materials.
Old toilet facilities are scheduled to be removed in the area and replaced with new ones. Forest managers expect the construction work and disturbance of the parking area, which is located off of old Route 66 just west of Parks, to last from Sept. 8 through Sept. 16. It is anticipated that the parking area and the new facilities will reopen to public use on Sept. 17.
Due to no other available parking nearby, there will be no motorized access to the Oak Hill and Keyhole Sink areas while the construction work is taking place. The Keyhole Sink Trail will remain open, but the trailhead will only be accessible via nonmotorized means.
“This construction work will result in an improved recreation experience for our visitors once it is complete,” said Lisa Jones, recreation staff officer for the Williams and Tusayan Ranger Districts. “We hope to have the parking area cleaned up and reopened for public use by Sept. 17. Until then, we ask our visitors to understand that the temporary inconvenience will result in better facilities in the long term.”
ADEQ: Lake Powell safe for all uses
PHOENIX — As the Labor Day holiday weekend approaches, Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) officials announced today that their analysis of water entering Lake Powell shows that the lake is safe for normal uses.
“ADEQ wants Arizona residents and visitors to know that Lake Powell is safe for Labor Day recreational activities including swimming and boating,” said ADEQ Water Quality Division Director Trevor Baggiore. “ADEQ and the multiple cooperating agencies are reviewing and analyzing new information as it becomes available as part of our everyday work to protect Arizona’s waters,” he added.
Scientists and specialists from several Arizona agencies have been and are continuing to monitor and assess data related to the mine spill. Arizona’s cooperating agencies agree that Lake Powell and the downstream Colorado River are safe for all uses including recreation and agriculture as well as a drinking water source for public water systems.
To establish baseline water quality, ADEQ conducted water quality sampling on August 12, 2015. Test results of these samples are consistent with historic water quality data from Lee’s Ferry (downstream of Glen Canyon Dam). These results, along with ADEQ’s data analysis of water entering Lake Powell (San Juan River test data collected by Utah) are available for review on the Arizona cooperating agencies’ Gold King Mine spill information website: https://ein.az.gov/gold-king-mine-spill-response, located on the Arizona Emergency Information Network (AZEIN) website.
As part of the ongoing water quality monitoring and assessment work, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is collecting and testing fish tissue and water quality samples from the Arizona portion of Lake Powell. As new test results become available, ADEQ will compare them with Arizona surface water quality standards and historical data to support water quality protection efforts and continue to share updated information on the AZEIN website.
Coconino County Fair opens tomorrow
FLAGSTAFF — The 66th Annual Coconino County Fair opens tomorrow and runs through Labor Day. The County Fair features traditions like youth livestock shows and auction, carnival rides and games, fair food, exhibitions by community members, live entertainment (PDF Schedule), a demolition derby, pie-eating and watermelon-eating contests, and more. The cost of admission is from $5 to $8.
Williams schedule is also filled with events. Tomorrow is the Casino Night at the Sultana to benefit Save Meant to Rescue with happy hour from 6 to 7 p.m. and gambling from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. On Labor Day is the annual Route 66 Mountain Man run to benefit the activities of the Lions Club. The Kiwanis Route 66 Street Market will be open Friday morning through Monday for four-days of bargains.