WILLIAMS — There is about a 20% chance of thunderstorms tonight and through Friday. It is expected to clear up Saturday morning remaining sunny through Memorial Day. Monday night partly cloudy skies return. Winds will be from 9- to 17-mph tonight and tomorrow with gusts as high as 24-mph. Williams Memorial Day weather has returned.
Tag Archives: Memorial Day
Williams remembers those who passed
WILLIAMS — After the graduations, the parade, the roping and all of the other Memorial weekend activities, Williams ended with a memorial service to honor those who went to serve our country and did not return.
Veterans and the families of loved ones who have passed gathered in the Williams Cemetery to honor their memory. The solemn occasion was accompanied with a 21-gun salute and the playing of taps by Lu Carle. Volunteers assisted in the placing of flags to mark the resting places of veterans. Some with only a small marker to indicate their presence.
The event was scheduled by “Perico” Avila and the American Legion Cordova Post #13. Father Killian of St. Joseph The Worker Catholic Church gave the invocation.
Unfortunately, due to a scheduling conflict, we could not get the names of all of the participants.
Memorial parade over
American Legion Cordova Post #13 color guard leads the parade.
Williams Memorial parade starts soon
WILLIAMS — The American flag lines Route 66 from west-to-east along the Williams Memorial parade route. The Williams Police Department went all out to make sure people understand not to park in the parade route this year. KPBX 91.1 FM is blasting from the announcers stand. The 4-H club is setting up for their bake sale at Circle-K.
The parade is ready to begin in a little less than one-hour. The parade starts from the Banker’s Real Estate plaza in the area of the Williams Memorial Park on the west end. It will travel Historic Route 66 past 1st Street where it will end.
The Weekend: Brought to you by Williams, Arizona
Thursday
- The eighth graders will be promoted to High School tonight at p.m. Congratulations
- The Cataract Creek gang is out and around. Gunfight at 7 p.m.
- Bearizona open all weekend.
- Marvelous Marv tours available all weekend.
Friday
- High School graduation 7 p.m. Congratulations graduates.
- The Route 66 Market opens for the season! The market will be open all summer. Tables $10 each or $25 for the weekend whether a three- or four-day weekend. The market is located on the west end of town across the street from the Williams Memorial Park, next to the Williams Justice Center. Open from morning until dusk.
- Gunfight 7 p.m.
- Star Gazing at the Glassburn park area across from Rod’s Steak House on Railroad Avenue 7:30 p.m.
Saturday
- Annual Memorial Day parade begins at 11 a.m. in Williams. Please do not park on Route 66.
- Jack Fuller Roping at the Rodeo Grounds.
- Williams Aquatic Center opens. FREE SWIM. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Route 66 Market
- Gunfight 7 p.m.
Sunday
- Jack Fuller Roping at the Rodeo Grounds.
- Williams Aquatic Center open. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Route 66 Street Market
- Gunfight 7 p.m.
Monday
Happy Memorial Day.
- Williams Aquatic Center open. 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Route 66 Street Market
- Gunfight 7 p.m.
More at Grand Canyon Chamber of Commerce
Memorial Day services in Williams
WILLIAMS – The flags at the Williams Own Veterans memorial hung at half-staff as they held a Memorial Day service at the cemetery with ceremonial-songs and testimony and a 21-gun salute.
Perico Avila, Williams American Legion Cordova Post #13.
The ceremony was conducted by Perico Avila, Chaplain of the American Legion Cordova Post #13. Father Kilian of St. Joseph the Worker Catholic Church conducted a prayer service.
Army veteran Mike Rioux gave a speech detailing his return to active duty at age 49 and combat service in Afghanistan. Debbie, Pamelia and Beverly sang in honor of those who lost their lives in battle.
The ceremony ended with the honor guard giving the traditional a 21-gun salute and Lu Carle played taps.
Williams holds parade and events against a backdrop of Slide Rock Fire smoke
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.
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.
Memorial Day legacy events in Williams
The lone soldier at the Williams Own Veteran’s Memorial watches over the names of those Williams residents who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
WILLIAMS – 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.
Run for the Wall reminds us of what Memorial day is about
WILLIAMS – While most Americans feel that Memorial Day is to mark the beginning of summer and barbeque season, there are those who actively participate in what Memorial Day was actually meant to be. The day is meant to honor the approximate 7% of those Americans who have actually served and are serving to keep this country free from tyranny.
In about a week, the motorcycle riders of Run for the Wall will arrive in Williams once again. The Run for the Wall mission actually consists of three routes with the Central route making its first stop in Williams at the Cordova Post American Legion Hall.
Run For The Wall (RFTW) was started in 1989 by Vietnam veterans James Gregory and Bill Evans. The mission is to promote healing among all veterans and their families and friends and to call for an accounting of all still listed as prisoners of war (POW) or missing in action (MIA).
Sergeant Bowe R. Bergdahl of Idaho is still a prisoner of war in Afghanistan.
The ride consists mostly of Vietnam veterans, but younger veterans are invited and are starting to answer the call. Some riders are not veterans, but are friends, relatives and others who want to honor those who gave all.
The run begins on the 14th, this year, and the riders usually begin arriving between 4 and 5 pm. The American Legion Cordova Post #13 in Williams hosts a barbeque for the group between 7 and 8 pm. The riders then rest up for the continuation of their ride through New Mexico. The three routes converge in Washington, D.C. at the Vietnam Veteran’s Wall memorial for the Memorial weekend.
The group Rolling Thunder, founded about the same time, makes a Memorial Day run to Washington, D.C. as well. Their mission to bring attention the POW/MIAs is the same as Run for the Wall.
Their motto—We ride for those who can’t—indicates the fact that they ride in honor of those fallen heroes killed in action and those serving in the active duty military, as well as the POW/MIAs.
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Memorial Day recap
WILLIAMS—A parade, the Kiwanis Swap Meet, and a free swim were the order of the day for the Williams Memorial. The members of the American Legion Cordova Post #13 lined route 66 with the American flag on Saturday and Monday.
The Grand Marshal for the parade was Carla Lugo of Williams. Carla is an Army as a logistics readiness officer set to deploy to Afghanistan in July. Leading the Grand Marshal was the American Legion Cordova Post #13 color guard.
The Bearizona shuttle made its debut this week also participating in the parade. The bus makes a run throughout the City of Williams to pick up passengers destined for the park. The bus picks up starting at Denny’s Restaurant at ten-minutes after the hour. At twenty-minutes after the hour the shuttle picks up at the Williams Visitor Center with a pick-up at the Wild West Junction at the half-hour. The shuttle bus allows you to visit the park and take the open-air bus, take in the raptor show and stroll through the walk-through area. The normal park entry fees apply.
Two new businesses opened just in time for the holiday weekend. Glenn and Linda opened Treats N Treasures candy store next to the Sultana for their mother. The store features candy, ice cream, sodas and other great treats and souvenirs you won’t find in other stores. Ivo, with wife Christine, have opened up their beautifully decorated restaurant next to Addicted to Deals.
The free swim signaled the opening of the Williams Aquatic Center for the summer season. The Kiwanis Swap meet brings deals into Williams that cannot be found elsewhere. The swap meet attracts visitors—including a lot foreign tourist. The swap meet also causes less of a blight on the landscape of Williams than the smokers allowed on the sidewalk outside of the bars.