We apologize for the delay in our reports. Computer casualties and vacation time interfered with our timely reporting.
WILLIAMS—The dinner by the Grand Canyon Renaissance Experience group at the Sultana theater catered by Anna of the Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe seems to have been a success.
Crowds shuffled in to dining, music, magic, and song all with a Renaissance flavor.
Mark Worden explained that the original intent was to have a regular renaissance festival, but had a stroke in February. They have had regular renaissance festivals in Flagstaff over the past few years.
This and other fundraising efforts is to build a castle on five-acres provided by Sean Casey of the Bearizona drive through wildlife park for future renaissance affairs.
GRAND CANYON—On June 23rd, 34-year-old tight rope walker Nik Wallenda will attempt an 8th world record by crossing the Grand Canyon. His last record was crossing Niagra Falls.
A poll by Niagara Bullet News asks readers if they will watch the Grand Canyon attempt. As of this writing 53.6% said they wouldn’t miss it, 36% said they were not interested with the rest not sure what they will be doing June 23rd.
Nik Wallenda was born in Sarasota, Florida as a seventh-generation member of the famous Flying Wallenda family. His parents are Delilah Wallenda and Terry Troffer.
Wallenda credits God for his success, saying that what he does on the high-wire is a gift from God. He grew up in a “a Bible-believing, God-fearing family” and describes himself as a “born-again Christian”. Faith is “the most important part of my life,” he says. Before every wire walk, he joins his family in prayer and he always wears a cross as he performs. He remarks, “The Bible says pray without ceasing and I’m always praying.”
TEMPE, Ariz.—The naked body of a woman with severe, deadly wounds was discovered lying in the street of a usually calm Tempe neighborhood Saturday morning.
The woman, believed to be about 20-years-old, had no clothing and no identification, making it difficult for police to figure out who she is.
Now they’re asking for the public’s help identifying her and finding whoever killed her and left her battered body in the middle of homes.
At about 4:30 a.m., a person driving to work near McClintock and Baseline came across the young woman’s body and called the police.
“Kind of sick to my stomach actually.”
Debbie Douglas was sickened that a young woman’s naked body was found battered and bruised, lying on the street in a neighborhood she’s called home for 22 years.
Read more at FOX 10
This video shows, starting at about 30-seconds, that some people just should not have a motorcycle license.
Seems an appropriate time to ask you to please be careful driving over the Memorial weekend. Watch for kids excited to be out of school. Try to avoid arguments over whose fault it was simply by watching out for the other driver. Slow DOWN. You will get there.
Visitors must be aware that the speed limit in downtown Williams is 15 miles per hour. Remember that it is a one-way traffic scheme downtown. As you come in traveling west from Flagstaff, stay to the right on Railroad avenue. If you are traveling east, again stay to the right. Route 66 is one way going from west to east. Railroad avenue is one way going from east to west.
If you need help finding activities in Williams, the Williams Visitor Center is located on the corner of Railroad Avenue and Second Street across the street from the Pine Country Restaurant. Visitor parking is located across the street from the Red Garter. We recommend that you use that parking and walk downtown, as much as possible.
Please have a safe Memorial weekend. Do not forget to thank veterans and active duty military. Memorial day was meant to remember the sacrifices of our military, not to mark the beginning of summer vacation.
Apparently, the new five-year mission of Star Trek is to sell Audi. That mission, though, is limited to two crew members—Well, one crew member. The older Spock against the newer Spock.
This mission taken on by Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy will probably much less than even the television series from the sixties. And, of course, the success of this mission depends on how many Trekkie stickers you see on new Audis. Wonder if the two Spock bobble-head dolls come with that?
The one thing that is apparent, however, is that experience has taught the old Spock something over the new Spock. How to cheat.
The conflict between law enforcement and armed military personnel in the community around Fort Hood, one of America’s largest military bases, has recently and repeatedly involved the issue of gun control — and the tension has been exacerbated in part by an Obama-supporting prosecutor described as a “bandleader” of anti-gun efforts in the heavily conservative community.
The conflict reached a fever pitch last month, when Texas police arrested an active-duty Army sergeant for “rudely displaying” a hunting rifle. The sergeant, C.J. Grisham, established an online legal defense fund after he was, in his words, “illegally arrested and disarmed” for carrying the firearm.
“While out hiking with my son through backcountry roads to help him earn his Eagle Scout rank, I was illegally arrested and disarmed without cause. I was thrown in jail and my lawfully owned weapons were confiscated without receipt or notice,” Grisham wrote on the website for the defense fund.
Video of the incident obtained by The Daily Caller shows officers defending their behavior to Grisham while restraining him.
“In this day and age, [people] are alarmed when they see someone with what you have,” one of the officers tells Grisham in the video. “They don’t care what the law is.”
WILLIAMS—At the City Council meeting March 28th, Mike Brown of Western Destinations proposed the instillation of a ride called Zip Line perhaps in the area of Cureton Park. The proposed cost of rides would be approximately $39 with a re-ride costing half of that. Williams residents would get a discounted price.
The ride, Mr. Brown indicated, could provide as many as forty jobs in Williams. Local residents would be trained to conduct the ride safely and the ride would be insured for $5 million.
Councilman Don Dent considered what affect such a ride would have on the Route 66 image that Williams has built up. Joplin Missouri and Branson Missouri have theme parks along, or in the area of, Route 66 both trading off on the Route 66 name. Knight’s Action Park operates in Springfield, Illinois along the Mother Road.
Blog BatesLine by Michael Bates of Tulsa Okalahoma asked: Wouldn’t it be cool to restore Crystal City on Historic Route 66 as an amusement park, right next to a restored Red Fork Main Street?
Dwayne the canoe guy commented:
This is great news. There is a small amusement ‘park’ on Route 66 in Joplin but it would be great to have a good sized park like Bell’s rockin & rollin on the Mother Road. Especially with a minigolf with 66 icons (wigwam motel, round barn, gemini giant, cadillac ranch)
Right here in Williams, Napolitano approved a special taxing district for a theme park in Williams that never developed. That action even caused the County Board of Supervisors to raise property taxes for a short time. So you now know what a “special taxing district” is.
Flagstaff operates a smaller version of the Zip Line ride at their Extreme Adventure Course near the fairgrounds as seen in the following video.
There are currently Zip Line rides in Indianapolis, Las Vegas and Hawaii. For the longest and fastest Zip Line in the world, you will need a ticket to South Africa.
Mr. Brown indicated that the ride would be “low impact” meaning that it could be easily removed leaving no marks if it did not do well. However, the engineering in the videos presented does not appear to bear that out. It appears that Williams would have to build a large tower to make the ride. It is also unclear how the project would impact softball and little league games at the park.
While the project does not seem appropriate in the indicated area, it could be an interesting compliment to the Bearizona drive through wildlife park. Another area of possible interest might be the Williams snow play area.
ARKANSAS—Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has asked Exxon to preserve all documents relating to the oil spill in Mayflower, Arkansas last Friday the 31st. The rupture of the pipeline caused evacuation of families from the affected neighborhood. This accident comes on the heels of the accident at the Arkansas One nuclear power plant. That accident release no harmful material into the atmosphere.
The spill covered lawns and streets and may have an affect Lake Conway. The 6700-acre lake is the largest man-made fishing reservoir in the U.S.
One resident documented the event in the following video.
The spill occurred from a burst in the 65-year old, 848-mile Pegasus line which routes crude oil from Canada to Texas. This calls into question the safety of a proposed Keystone XL pipeline project which would carry oil from Canada to the Gulf Coast.
Diamondback Police Supply in Tuscon rescinded the order of a Sig Sauer M400 semi-automatic rifle for Mark Kelly. Mark Kelly is famous for his alleged obsessive-compulsive disorder in attempting to purchase weapons throughout Tuscon to show how easy it is to obtain a weapon that is Constitutional to own under the Second Amendment.
Douglas MacKinlay, Owner/President, Diamondback Police Supply Co., Inc., explained on their Facebook page:
“While I support and respect Mark Kelly’s 2nd Amendment rights to purchase, possess, and use firearms in a safe and responsible manner, his recent statements to the media made it clear that his intent in purchasing the Sig Sauer M400 5.56mm rifle from us was for reasons other then for his personal use. In light of this fact, I determined that it was in my company’s best interest to terminate this transaction prior to his returning to my store to complete the Federal From 4473 and NICS background check required of Mr. Kelly before he could take possession this firearm. A full refund was sent to Mr. Kelly, via express mail, on Thursday of last week.
The Sig Sauer rifle will be donated to the Arizona Tactical Officers Association where it will be raffled off to generate funds the association can use to purchase much needed tactical equipment for the organization’s members. The A.T.O. A. represents the SWAT and Special Response officers of the state’s law enforcement community who regularly place their lives on the line to protect the residents of this state.
Additionally, Diamondback Police Supply will make a $1295.00 contribution (the selling price of the M400 rifle) to the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program that teaches children, in pre-K through 3rd grade, four important steps to take if they find a gun. The emphasis of the program is on child safety, something that is important to all of us and at the core of the current debate on gun control.”
David Smith, who apparently has never bought a gun, commented, “so douche-bag ‘merchants’ are free to violate The Constitution??”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives “Firearms Transaction Record Part I – Over-the-Counter” Form 4473, Question 11a clearly states:
Are you the actual transferee/buyer of the firearm(s) listed on this form? Warning: You are not the actual buyer if you are acquiring the firearm(s) on behalf of another person. If you are not the actual buyer, the dealer cannot transfer the firearm(s) to you. (See Instructions for Question 11.a.) Exception: If you are picking up a repaired firearm(s) for another person, you are not required to answer 11.a. and may proceed to question 11.b.
Kelly, after being caught purchasing the weapons, stated that he was going to turn them over to the police department. While some state that this may constitute a “straw purchase,” the instructions for Question 11.a. on Page 4 of the form does state:
You are also the actual transferee buyer if you are legitimately purchasing the firearm as a gift for a third party.
This would seem to mean that anyone can legitimately purchase a weapon as a gift for a family member or friend. The purchaser would have to ensure that the person receiving the weapon is an eligible person. You are required to certify that on the form.
The form also clearly states:
I also understand that making any false oral or written statement, or exhibiting any false or misrepresented identification with respect to this transaction, is a crime punishable as a felony under Federal law, and may also violate State and/or local law.
It is unknown if any dealer has filed a form to the BATFE indicating the multiple purchase of weapons in a five-day period which is an unconstitutional provision of the form.
