Category Archives: Amusement

The 12 Days of Williams: August 2014

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Williams started August with rain and hail so heavy that it caused traffic to slow to the speed limit.

The weather caused some beautiful displays in Williams.

Congressional Democrats were so busy complaining about obstruction by the Republicans that they forgot to pass over 350 bills which languished on the desk of Harry Reid. Steve Stockman of Texas introduced a bill to address the border crisis. Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas submitted her own proposal. This probably helped Independent voter registration to rise in Arizona.

The Panama Canal saw its 100th anniversary.

Senate Web Site photo

Senate Web Site photo

Deputy County Attorney Ammon Barker received Prosecutor of the Year Award.

Arizona State Senator Chester Crandell passed away in August. Former State Senator Sylvia Allen was chosen to replace him on the ballot in November.

Using sophisticated statistical analysis, the Northern Arizona Gazette predicted the outcome of the city council race in Williams. Primary 2014 had few surprises.

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Cool Country Cruise-In returned to Williams. (See Also)

Friends of the Williams Aquatic Center held a pool party.
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The annual Thunder Over Coconino event was held in Valle.

A 38-year-old male was arrested for trespassing on a houseboat on Lake Powell and apparently holding a party. A man turned himself in for sexual misconduct with a minor. A Flagstaff man was arrested for sexual assault.

Coconino County Sheriff Photo

Coconino County Sheriff Photo

Coconino County Deputies were called to investigate a man struck by lightning and participated in an armed intruder response exercise.

The Coconino County Sheriff and Flagstaff Police warned against phone scams.

A serious accident occurred on I-40 near Bellemont.

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Williams held its annual Labor Day weekend celebration.
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Deaths
Arizona State Senator Chester Crandell

Little Jimmy Dickens, beloved ‘Opry’ star, dies at 94

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jimmy-dickensCountry Music Hall of Famer Jimmy Dickens, the Grand Ole Opry’s most beloved and diminutive ambassador, died Friday at a Nashville area hospital. He was 94.

Mr. Dickens starred for decades on the “Opry,” where he was a vital part of the scene both onstage and backstage. His dressing room was an essential stop for performers on the show, and it was there that he held court for a variety of artists, some of whom came to the Opry more than a half century after Mr. Dickens’ 1948 debut.

He remained a vital performer throughout his life, last playing the “Opry” on Dec. 20, a day after his 94th birthday and five days before he would be admitted to the hospital after suffering a stroke on Christmas Day. He died of cardiac arrest on Friday.

Read more at The Tennessean

‘Beverly Hillbillies’ star Donna Douglas dead at 81

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Donna Douglas and Elvis in Frankie and Johnny.

Donna Douglas and Elvis in Frankie and Johnny.

Donna Douglas, the actress who won over TV viewers as Elly May Clampett on “The Beverly Hillbillies,” has died. She was 81.

The star’s granddaughter told TMZ Douglas died in her Louisiana home surrounded by friends and family.

The cause of death was pancreatic cancer, her niece told The Associated Press.

Douglas appeared “The Beverly Hillbillies,” a comedy about a backwoods Tennessee family who moved to Beverly Hills after striking it rich from oil on their land. for all nine seasons of the show and reprised her role in a TV movie reboot of the series in 1981.

As Elly May, she seemed blissfully unaware of her status as a bumpkin blond bombshell. Typically she was clad in a snug flannel shirt and tight jeans cinched with a rope belt, and she seemed to prefer her critters to any beau.

Chosen from more than 500 other actresses, Douglas said she felt at ease playing the role because, like her character, she grew up a poor Southern tomboy. Her childhood in Pride, Louisiana, came in handy when she was asked during her audition to milk a goat.

Read more at FOX News

One more problem with those electric cars

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It has recently been revealed that hybrid cars may not save you any money. Studies indicate that, when you factor in the price of the car and maintenance, it might take you decades to see any significant return. Even if gasoline prices were to reach $5 a gallon.

There is another problem which this surveillance video from December 30 shows. You might go so long between fillings that you forget where the gas cap is.

NOTE: I am aware that this is probably not a hybrid car. This is satire.

New Year snow

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640-141231-7WILLIAMS – The riders on the last few days of the Polar Express will find Santa Clause in snow for the first time. After a couple of months of winter waiting, Williams finally got a significant snow today. The long range weather forecast predicts about seven-inches by the end of the day with about an inch of new snow on New Year’s Day.

Flagstaff is expected to get about 10-inches with 3 to 5-inches overnight. They could get up to 2-inches tomorrow.

Last night until about 7:30, the sky was clear and stars were visible. Later that night the clouds moved in and snow started to fall about 10:58 p.m.

This morning Williams woke up to about two-inches and it continued to fall through the day piling up to about five-inches at about 1 p.m. Snow removal crews are on the job and Williams residents are taking pictures like tourists.

Many of the restaurants and shops are open, but Bearizona closed early in the morning. They, like everyone else, are shoveling snow and removing it from the roadways. Bearizona should re-open on Friday.

A funny thing about the weather

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santa-fe-201412270-02WILLIAMS – Friday night I came home after walking the dog in about 25-degree temperature. The wind chill factor made it seem more like about 18-degrees. A friend reported that overnight temperatures reached the predicted 12-degrees.

I turned on the news and the Phoenix weather man reported that it was going to get cold in Phoenix and that temperatures had already dropped to 40-degrees in some areas.

That was more than our daytime temperature.

This being our coldest month, Williams and Flagstaff can expect a chance of rain and snow showers starting Tuesday through Friday with a possibility of about 3-inches, according to the long range forecast.

The highest temperature expected will be about 38-degrees tomorrow dropping to around 33 on New Year’s Day. The low at night will be about 17 tomorrow dropping to about 14-degrees on the First of January.
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While the cool weather has caused ice to form on top of the Santa Fe reservoir and kept snow on the ground, so far it is not near enough to affect a change in the water situation of the northern Arizona.

Williams gets white Christmas

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sno141225-05WILLIAMS – Williams is experiencing a white Christmas with approximately an inch expected to fall throughout the day and overnight. Sunny skies return tomorrow. There is a chance of snow showers returning starting Monday night. Friday through Monday temperatures will range from around 37 during the day to a low of around 17 at night.

Flagstaff has a 10% chance of snow tomorrow morning but otherwise is about the same as Williams.
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Last St. John’s Advent concert a great success

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L-R, Elana Gonzlez, Tony Norris and Bill Burke

L-R, Elana Gonzlez, Tony Norris and Bill Burke perform folk and international music for the last Advent concert.

WILLIAMS – A crowd gathered for the last Advent Concert sponsored by St John’s Episcopal-Lutheran Church. The music was performed by Tony Norris, singer and storyteller from Flagstaff, and his friends. Tony was joined by Bill Burke with whom he has worked for over thirty-years.

They were joined by violinist (that’s a fiddle for you rural folks) Elana Gonzalez who has performed with them for about five-years. Tony credited Elana with injecting a classical influence into the group. She performed a beautiful interpretation of Canon in D by Johann Pachelbel and It Came Upon a Midnight Clear.
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They even prompted the crowd to join in on their rendition of Come Out of the Wilderness. The author of the song is unknown.

Tony interjected a story concerning his youth as a cowboy in Flagstaff. He had a horrific climate change experience in which a turkey froze solid in the sky and he rode a log down a crevasse to be deposited on Aspen Street in Flagstaff. I know that most people today associate journalists with storytellers, but you will have to get a hold of Tony in Flagstaff to get the details.

The concert series this year was tremendous from beginning to end. This concert was a beautiful end to the series with folk music and music from the Emerald Isle mixed with a little folklore.

Santa showed up in casual dress with the grand kids.

Santa arrived in casual dress with the grand kids. Somehow he’s much taller and thinner than I remember.


And what is bluegrass without a hound?

And what is bluegrass without a hound?


Here is a sample of the Advent concert:

Evidence of the Grinch spotted on Sheridan

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grinch-02WILLIAMS – It appears that the shadow of the Grinch was spotted on a garage door at Sheridan and 1st. Make sure the presents are still under the tree.