Category Archives: Amusement

Governor signs HB 2324 as a boost to Arizona military families

Posted on by

PHOENIX — A bill to allow spouses of active duty military personnel stationed in Arizona to qualify for Arizona resident hunting and fishing licenses has been signed into law. Governor Doug Ducey signed House Bill 2324: G&F; military spouses; resident licenses, sponsored by Representative Frank Pratt (LD-8, Casa Grande).

The Arizona Game and Fish Commission voted unanimously at their January 2016 meeting to support this expression of gratitude for the families whose service and sacrifice protect our liberties. Under current law, an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States stationed in Arizona either permanently or temporarily may purchase a resident license permitting the taking of wildlife. HB2324 now extends that privilege to their spouses as well.

“In partnership with Rep. Pratt, the Arizona Game and Fish Department and Commission are proud to honor our active duty military and their spouses. We thank them, and all our veterans, for their sacrifice and service to this country.” said Commission Chairman Kurt Davis.

A valid license is required for taking wildlife, including fish, in Arizona. A resident of Arizona can enjoy the benefits of a combination Hunting and Fishing license, valid for 365 days from the date of purchase, for only $57.

In general, an Arizona resident is a person who is domiciled (claims the state of Arizona as their permanent home and principal residence) in this state for six months immediately preceding the date of application for a license, permit, tag, or stamp and does not claim residency for any purpose in another state or jurisdiction.

Through the years, the department has consistently implemented programs that provide hunting tags and opportunities for veterans, wounded warriors, and military personnel to hunt on military installations throughout AZ.

The Department also has partnered with non-profit organizations serving veterans so that unused hunting permits or tags may be donated to veterans with service-connected disabilities.

One-day fishing licenses are 50-percent off: get yours before the holiday weekend

Posted on by

PHOENIX — Your next outdoor adventure just got more affordable: through May 30, the Arizona Game and Fish Department is offering half-price discounts on short-term fishing licenses. The license discount is only available online.

This is the first time the Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) has offered such a license discount. AZGFD is excited to be able to offer better products and increased value while continuing to conserve wildlife for future generations.

Just in time for the Memorial Holiday weekend, short-term (one-day) fishing licenses are only $7.50 per day for Arizona residents and $10 per day for non-residents.

Pick your favorite spot, and get back to basics with some quiet time at the lake. This is the perfect opportunity to tussle with some tiger trout that will be stocked into Mogollon Rim lakes just in time for the first big camping weekend of the year.

In spring 2013, Senate Bill 1223 gave the Arizona Game and Fish Commission authority to change license structure and fees through a streamlined, customer-focused process. AZGFD, which receives no general fund tax revenue, now has the flexibility to offer new products and pricing in response to changing conditions and customer needs.

Visit azgfd.gov for more information and to stay “in the know” on future offers and products.

In Williams, fishing licenses are available at the Outdoor Store on Fourth Street and Route 66, Saya’s on First Street and Route 66 and other locations.

Got bonus points? Protect them with “PointGuard”

Posted on by

PointGuard_Logo_ColorPHOENIX — All of us know what it feels like to deal with the frustration and disappointment of an unforeseen event. After all, life happens.

That’s why the Arizona Game and Fish Department is excited to announce an innovative new program in “PointGuard,” which essentially will provide hunters with peace of mind in knowing that they can surrender their hunt permit-tag for any reason without losing their coveted bonus points.

A bonus point is an accumulated credit that authorizes the department to issue an applicant additional computer-generated random numbers during a draw. An applicant accumulates a bonus point each year in which he or she submits a valid application and does not draw a hunt permit-tag. PointGuard ensures that if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.

Here are the requirements:

  • PointGuard is available to applicants who apply online for a hunt permit-tag.
  • All applicants must sign up for a free AZGFD Portal account to purchase PointGuard (visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select the “Create an Account” option).
  • PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant, purchased at the time of completing the online application, or prior to the application period deadline. The fee is non-refundable.
  • Only one hunt permit-tag may be surrendered, per species. If an applicant is drawn in the future for that particular species, that hunt-permit tag must be used, expending all accumulated bonus points. Only then may an applicant participate again in PointGuard.

The primary applicant (the person who takes the lead in completing the online application for the other applicants) will be prompted to purchase PointGuard at the time of completing the online application. That primary applicant can purchase PointGuard for each additional applicant who has a verified Portal account. This process must be completed prior to the application period deadline, which is 11:59 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, June 14.

Here is the process to surrender a hunt permit-tag:

  • A hunt permit-tag must be surrendered prior to the close of business the day before the start of that particular hunt.
  • An applicant who has purchased PointGuard will present the original hunt permit-tag to be surrendered, along with a completed tag surrender application form, in person to any customer service representative at any of the department’s statewide office locations.
  • The hunt permit-tag being surrendered and PointGuard purchase will be verified by the department.
  • The department will restore all accumulated bonus points for that particular species, including the bonus point the applicant would have accrued if not successful in the draw.
  • The hunt permit-tag fee is non-refundable.

A person who donates, or transfers, his or her hunt permit-tag to a qualified nonprofit organization, also can participate in tag surrender, provided the requirements listed above are fulfilled. An acceptable proof of the transfer must be provided to the department (a receipt from the qualified nonprofit organization, for example). The tag surrender application form and an acceptable proof of the hunt permit-tag being donated must be completed within 60 days of the donation, and no less than 30 days before the next application deadline for that particular species.        

According to rule (R12-4-118), the department has several options for the reissuance of a  surrendered hunt permit-tag. The proximity to the start of a particular hunt, the type of hunt permit-tag, and demand for that hunt permit-tag will factor into how it will be reissued.

For more information, call (602) 942-3000.

American Legion car show runs through 6 tonight

Posted on by

CarShow16-05-21-01WILLIAMS — A blustery wind greeted the crowd of the car show on route 66. Six-blocks of downtown were cordoned off to pack in cars and pedestrians. The car show attracted a number of classic cars. Some of the vehicles are extremely rare such as the Chevy Yeoman station wagon brought in by the American Legion Post #88 in Dolan Springs.

The car show will run through 6 p.m. tonight. More images on our Facebook page.
CarShow16-05-21-10CarShow16-05-21-08CarShow16-05-21-11

AZGFD hosts Life Jacket Exchange to kick off National Safe Boating Week

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department and agencies across the U.S. and Canada will join forces to promote life jacket use and boating safety as part of National Safe Boating Week.

The annual event begins Saturday, May 21 and ends Friday, May 27. To help mark the occasion, the department’s Boating Safety Education program will hold Life Jacket Exchange events from 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the 10-lane boat ramp at Lake Pleasant, the London Bridge Beach at Lake Havasu City and Community Park boat ramp at Bullhead City, and from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the fisherman’s access in Laughlin, Nev.

During the exchanges, people with old, warn and less-effective life jackets can swap them for a new life vest, while supplies last.

“Boating in Arizona can offer a great experience for everyone on the water, but only if it is done safely and responsibly,” said Josh Hoffman, AZGFD Boating Safety Education coordinator. “While time on the water can be fun, it can quickly turn dangerous if you’re not prepared. National Safe Boating Week serves as a reminder to all boat and watercraft users to always wear their life jacket. It could very well save your life.”

National Safe Boating Week is the launch of the 2016 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This yearlong campaign promotes safe and responsible boating and the value of voluntary, consistent life jacket wear by recreational boaters through the national theme, “Wear It!”

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in three-fourths of recreational boating fatalities in 2014, and that 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.

“Each year hundreds of people lose their lives, and they may still be alive if they had been wearing a life jacket,” said John Johnson, chief executive officer of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. “You never know when there may be a boating mishap, so it’s important that everyone onboard always wears a life jacket.”

New life jackets are much more comfortable, lightweight and stylish than the bulky orange style most boaters know. There are innovative options, such as inflatable life jackets, allowing mobility and flexibility for activities like boating, fishing, paddling or hunting and are much cooler in the warmer weather.

“It is critical that everyone practice boating safety,” Hoffman said. “Always wear a life jacket, boat sober, follow proper navigational rules and have a proper lookout. By doing so, you’re ensuring everyone goes home safely.”

For more information on boating in Arizona or to sign up for a free safety course, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.

Game and Fish Heritage Fund properties benefit from passage of Senate Bill 1361

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department is grateful for the support of Governor Doug Ducey and the state Legislature in passing Senate Bill 1361, and helping to preserve Arizona’s 16 Heritage Fund properties that are essential to the state’s native wildlife and important habitats.

Sponsored by Senator Gail Griffin, Senate Bill 1361 grants the Arizona Game and Fish Commission the ability to spend a portion of the Heritage Fund monies that are allocated to the department on the operation and maintenance (O&M) of properties that have been, or will be, purchased to support endangered, threatened and sensitive wildlife species.

“Because passive property management is never a sound management approach, it was absolutely critical that the department be given the flexibility to use some of the Heritage Fund monies for operation and maintenance of the 16 properties purchased over the years, and those that will be acquired in the future,” said Commission Chairman Kurt R. Davis. “The cost for operating and maintaining the properties is already in excess of $1 million and growing rapidly as more properties must be purchased as part of the obligations under the Heritage Fund.”

The Heritage Fund was created in 1990 by Arizona’s voters to support wildlife and habitat by directing up to $10 million each year from lottery ticket sales. The department must use a portion of it to acquire properties that further its mission to protect and recover native wildlife species and their habitats.

The department does not receive any state General Funds and previously has used revenue generated from the sale of tags, permits, application and license fees, which comprise the majority of the department’s funding, to pay for the O&M obligation of Heritage-acquired properties.

Examples of ongoing and unanticipated O&M costs include preservation of structural assets, refurbishing agricultural wells, septic system replacement, stabilization of wetlands to reduce permeability, construction of flood control levees, replacement of culverts, removal of exotic vegetation, and control of dangerous fire fuels.

For more information about the department’s Heritage Fund, visit www.azgfd.gov/heritage.

Public workshop to be held in Tusayan for Grand Canyon Airport master plan study

Posted on by

TUSAYAN — The first public information workshop for the master plan study for the Grand Canyon National Park Airport, owned and operated by the Arizona Department of Transportation, will take place on May 25 in Tusayan.

The public will be able to review data collected by the study team regarding aviation forecasts and how it relates to current airport facility capabilities. Members of the community will also be able to provide comments and input on the study.

The meeting will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. at Tusayan Town Hall, 845 Mustang Drive.

Airport master plans are required by the Federal Aviation Administration. The update for Grand Canyon National Park Airport will evaluate the facility’s capabilities and role, forecast future aviation demand and plan facility improvements to meet that demand over the next 20 years.

In addition to public meetings, comments and questions can be provided to the study team online atazdot.gov/gcnairportmasterplan, by phone at 1-800-574-6334 or by mail to Grand Canyon Airport Master Plan Study, c/o Coffman Associates, 4835 E. Cactus Road, Ste. 235, Scottsdale, AZ 85254.

For more information on the Grand Canyon Airport and the master plan study, please visitazdot.gov/gcnairportmasterplan.

Online applications for 2016 fall hunts now being accepted

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department now is accepting online applications for 2016 hunt permit-tags issued through the draw process for deer, fall turkey, fall javelina, bighorn sheep, fall bison and pheasant.

To apply online, visit https://draw.azgfd.gov/ and scroll down to “Apply for a Draw.” The deadline by which the department must receive all applications – online or paper — is 11:59 p.m. (MST) Tuesday, June 14. Postmarks do not count. Paper applications can be mailed to: Arizona Game and Fish Department, Attn.: Drawing Section, P.O. Box 74020, Phoenix, AZ 85087-1052, or dropped off at department offices statewide.

The department is announcing an exciting, innovative program beginning with the 2016 fall hunt application period. “PointGuard,” the newest benefit for AZGFD Portal customers, ensures that if a successful applicant is unable to participate in a hunt for any reason, the accumulated bonus points that were expended to draw that hunt permit-tag will be reinstated.

PointGuard is available to applicants who apply online for a hunt permit-tag. All applicants must sign up for a free AZGFD Portal account to purchase PointGuard (visit www.azgfd.gov, click on the “Sign in to Account” button in the upper right-hand corner of the home page, then select the “Create an Account” option). PointGuard is $5 per species, per applicant, purchased at the time of completing the online application, or prior to the application period deadline.

Applicants who encounter issues related to PointGuard are encouraged to call the department at (602) 942-3000 beginning June 1 through June 14.

For more information about PointGuard, visit https://www.azgfd.com/hunting/pointguard.

As a reminder, applicants must possess a valid Arizona hunting license to apply for a hunt permit-tag. That license must be valid on the last day of the application period (June 14). Licenses are available online and at department offices and license dealers (PDF) statewide.

Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day on Friday, May 20

Posted on by

PHOENIX — The Arizona Game and Fish Department, together with boating professionals and enthusiasts nationwide, will demonstrate the importance of remaining safe on the water by participating in Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day, Friday, May 20.

The annual event, hosted by the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) serves as a fun, educational element ahead of National Safe Boating Week, which runs from May 21 to 27. The event helps to raise awareness of different life jacket types, while demonstrating their comfort and versatility by wearing them to work.

life_jacket_fitting_-_reduced_1“The life jackets of today are simply more comfortable and less bulky than those of the recent past, and Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day helps to demonstrate just that,” said Josh Hoffman, AZGFD Boating Safety Education coordinator. “Another family-fun boating season has returned and many Arizonans are heading out on the water. Wearing a life jacket should just be another part of putting the boat in the water – it’s literally the simplest thing you can do to protect yourself and your loved ones from drowning.”

U.S. Coast Guard statistics show that drowning was the reported cause of death in approximately 68% of recreational boating fatalities in 2014, and that approximately 84 percent of those who drowned were not wearing life jackets.
Wear Your Life Jacket to Work Day coincides with the official launch of the 2016 North American Safe Boating Campaign, which focuses on educating the boating public about the safety and comfort of life jackets.

AZGFD and the National Safe Boating Council each ask participants to take a picture of themselves in their life jacket while at work and post it to the Ready, Set, Wear It! Facebook page (facebook.com/readysetwearit) or submit directly to the NSBC at outreach@safeboatingcouncil.org. Participants are also encouraged to tweet their picture using #readysetwearit.

Members of the boating public as well as those interested in showing the wear-ability of life jackets are encouraged to participate. More information about the event and safe boating is available at facebook.com/readysetwearit.
For more information on boating in Arizona or to sign up for a free safety course, visit www.azgfd.gov/boating.

MYSTERIES OF THE GRAND CANYON: Vintage Harveycar located in Williams, AZ

Posted on by

Margaret Hodgkins Mason
© Imagine

Magnificent Maggie is partner in the Marvelous Marv’s Private Grand Canyon Tour team in Williams, Arizona. (Facebook)

Harvey Car 3I’ve always been interested in old cars and old men. Williams, AZ and the Grand Canyon National Park are the perfect places to pursue my passions. In attending public lectures concerning heritage tourism, I became aware of a local mystery. This mystery is tied to the Indian Detours program that operated nearly one hundred years ago. Sometime after 1987, a vintage 1929 Cadillac 341-B six passenger touring car was purchased by Amfac, now Xanterra, successor corporations to the Fred Harvey Company at Grand Canyon. This piqued my interest in finding the old vehicle, and maybe some old man to tell tall tales about the vehicle

Fred Harvey’s Indian Detours, operated between May 15, 1926 and 1931. The Indian Detours excursion began as the guest disembarked the ATSF’s westbound California Limited at Las Vegas, New Mexico for a three day excursion in Indian country. The cost of the tour with meals and lodging was 45 dollars. The tour left the Castaneda Hotel and stopped at historic and prehistoric sights in the area. The itinerary included an overnight La Fonda in Santa Fe for the first night. The second day included Tesuque, Santa Clara and San Juan Pueblos and then Puye cliff dwellings. Returning to Santa Fe for the second overnight, the third day’s events included descending La Bajada Hill to Santo Domingo Pueblo before traveling to the Alvarado Hotel in Albuquerque to re board the westbound California Limited. (Eastbound guests had similar itineraries.) Longer detours could be arranged to include, Mesa Verde in Colorado, Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico or the Grand Canyon in Arizona.
Harvey Car Upload
This vehicle is presently located in Williams in the GCR Locomotive Shop in Williams, AZ. Harold Stacy’s grandfather, Jack Stacy, and grandmother, Lucille (Ridout) Stacy, Indian Detour driver and Courier, respectively, bought the car and kept it in the family for many years. It was last registered in 1989. What a beautiful relic of a bygone era.

What was it like to ride in the open touring car on the dirt roads of Desert View Drive and Hermit Road in the late 20s? Betty Kent Meyer reveals a personal glimpse in Pioneer Footprints “Memories of Life at the Grand Canyon in the 1920s and 1930s”. (1) What if the weather was adverse, hot or windy? What if the vehicle breaks down? At one time the Fred Harvey Company at Grand Canyon used homing pigeons to send word back that a vehicle had trouble (2). Just imagine.
Continue reading →