12/30/2009 11:55:00 AM 2009 Williams Year in Review: Part II More news from the past year around Williams
Photo Dennis Shirley
Williams Mayor John Moore and Representative Ann Kirkpatrick christen the new Gateway Arch.
Submitted photo
Police responded to the Williams Circle K after reports of an irate woman ramming a fuel truck. The suspect, Sheri A. Zulpo, threatened to kill the president of the United States, prompting an FBI and Secret Service investigation.
Schools in the Williams area switched to a four-day school week at the beginning of the 2009-2010 school year. Members of the Williams Unified School District's Governing Board voted to approve the measure during their regular meeting April 8. With the decision, students no longer attend classes on Fridays, but attend longer classes Monday through Thursday.
School officials said there were relatively few negative comments in regards to the four-day school week proposal. Two public forums were held on the proposals April 2 and April 6. Roughly 30 people attended each forum.
"I've kind of heard rumors that there's grumbling, but I haven't actually heard it or seen it, so I am just curious if anyone has actually heard it," said Board Member David Nenne.
"I was pleased by the positive responses," said current Board President Becky Nelson. "I was at the Thursday (April 2) meeting. It was a small turnout, but it was all positive responses."
According to WUSD survey results, 14 responses were filed during the April 2 forum that favored the four-day week proposal. Twelve responses were filed following the April 6 forum. Of those 12 responses, one was against the four-day school week, while 11 responses were positive in regards to the proposal. Comments included those who felt a four-day school week would make instructional time more efficient and that a half-day on Friday is a "waste of time." Other comments said the four-day school week was "long overdue" and that the increased hours Monday through Thursday would help teachers offer more when it came to classroom instruction. The one negative comment, according to the survey, came from a parent who believed the overall quality of the school was in question and that the school's attitudes caused parents to take their children out of the school.
School officials said they plan to re-evaluate the four-day schedule in about two years. By moving to the new schedule, officials hope to see cost savings in utilities and other areas, as statewide budget cuts and a recent drop in enrollment continue to hamper the district in Williams.
Woman threatens locals, Obama
While Williams is typically quiet during February, Feb. 12 proved to be different for the Williams Police Department.
Police responded to Circle K for a report of an irate woman. When officers arrived, they found the woman had rammed a fuel tanker truck, which was unloading fuel at the time into underground tanks, with her pickup truck. Responding officers and the fuel truck driver subdued the woman when she attempted to ignite the fuel storage tanks with a lighter and cigarette.
Police arrested Sheri A. Zulpo, 30, of Edgewood, N.M. According to police, Zulpo had threatened customers and clerks to blow up the business and made threatening statements to kill the president of the United States. Because of these actions, Zulpo faces state and federal charges. The FBI and Secret Service investigated the federal charges regarding the threats made towards the government and President Barack Obama. Officers arrested Zulpo for attempted homicide and numerous other felony charges. She was transported to the Coconino County Jail.
Gateway Arch dedicated July 4
A number of dignitaries came out for the dedication ceremony July 4 for the city's new Gateway structure on Grand Canyon Boulevard, including Congresswoman Ann Kirkpatrick. Kirkpatrick and Williams Mayor John Moore christened the structure with a bottle of champagne during the ceremony.
City employees began erecting the structure, located on Grand Canyon Boulevard near the McDonalds and Taco Bell/KFC restaurants, in June.
Former Williams City Manager Dennis Wells said the arch has gone through a number of changes since the idea first began to create a historical marker for the community.
"What basically happened was we kept talking about it and throwing ideas around and it evolved," Wells said. "It's not really an arch, it's a Gateway feature. Not only does it commemorate our history, it helps promote our tourism as well, because it's going to be located right down amongst the fast food restaurants. We all know that a lot of people pull off I-40 to grab a burger, fill their tank with gas and get right back on the freeway. One of the ideas behind this Gateway feature was to pique their curiosity and get them to come into town."
Besides the large, historic railroad cantilevers used in the construction of the Gateway, a middle section was fabricated by city employees. Grand Canyon Railway employees also helped in the project. A grant made possible through Al Richmond and the Arizona State Railroad Museum also helped defray many of the costs involved in creating the Gateway. Arizona Public Service donated a crane to help set the Gateway in place once construction was complete.
Wells said the idea for the Gateway Arch germinated among members of the community last November. After reading a book about the history of Ogden, Utah, Wells said he saw a picture of a historic arch in that community.
"A lot of communities have some kind of a gateway feature in their town," he said. "We started talking about it and a couple of things came up. We had this Gateway to Grand Canyon trademark for many years, very valuable to the city of Williams, probably more so in the future even than it is today."
The arch, he said, commemorates the Gateway trademark, the city and its railroad history. Al Richmond, founder of the proposed Arizona State Railroad Museum in Williams, donated two large cantilevers for the project.
"That's when this thing started taking off," Wells explained. "We actually started putting this project together and it actually started to come together."
Bearizona theme park breaks ground
It looks like bears, wolves, mountain lions and buffalo will likely be moving back into the hills above the city of Williams. According to developer Sean Casey, the Bearizona theme park is expected to be up and running in its first phase by May 2010. The park will be located near the Highway 64 and Interstate 40 junction on a parcel of land previously owned by the Keethler family.
Casey spoke to members of the Williams Rotary Club Oct. 8 saying that the city of Williams and its residents have been extremely supportive of the project.
"I want to say thanks to Williams. We've been just welcomed here with open arms," he said. "Whether it's the chamber or the city council, mayor, city manager, Planning and Zoning, all the way down the line. They all welcomed our project."
Casey said that roads have been roughed in for the theme park. The attraction plans to hire 60-seasonal/full-time employees along with 10 year-round employees.
"We're planning to open the first phase in May with the drive through portion," Casey said. "Bears, wolves, buffalo, Rocky Mountain goat, and big horn sheep. So probably those five or six on the drive through. We're going with roads, some infrastructure, fence, maintenance building and some restrooms. That's our Phase one."
Phase two of the park involves the construction of a walk-through area that will feature 20 to 25 large areas for smaller animals in a more traditional zoo environment. Casey did not specify when construction of Phase two would begin, but he was optimistic that it would follow shortly after the initial development was complete.
"If we hit even a quarter of our projections, Phase two is going to go. I mean we're planning on just rolling into Phase two," he said.
The Williams City Council voted at its Sept. 10 meeting to approve the facility's developmental master plan with city officials also voting to approve a variance for signage at the park during the meeting.
The Williams City Council did throw Casey a minor curve ball during its Oct. 22 meeting. That curve ball came as council members questioned impact fees for the proposed animal park in the form of credits that would be applied for portions of construction in and around the park, including water lines, road construction and more. Council members questioned whether or not they would set a precedent in crediting the fees.
Council members tabled the question during the Oct. 22 meeting and met again for a special work session Oct. 26, where they reached a consensus on an 80 to 100 percent credit on the road near the proposed development. Developer Sean Casey had asked that council members approve an estimated $387,000 in credit on the road portion of the project. In lieu of fees, developers said they would dedicate the road back to the city after it is completed.
Signage at the entrance to the park will resemble rocks and logs but will have digital signs inside. Casey explained that the signs will rotate, with some of the rotation time dedicated to local events.
"Twenty percent of that sign time goes towards public purpose," Casey said. "That could be Rotary, United Way Golf Tournament, car shows, gunfights, all that kind of stuff. So I think that will really help Williams to drag a few more people off the highway. It's good for us as well."
Casey went on to say the park will be open most of the year with the possibility of a short closure during the winter.
"We're hoping to stay open throughout the year," he said. "I thought we would close January and February, but the Polar Express goes through the middle of January so I'm sure we'll try to stay open for that."
Casey and other members of his family currently operate Bear Country U.S.A. in South Dakota, online at www.bearcountryusa.com. The South Dakota park is one of the top four attractions in the area, Casey said. While Casey said the proposed park is not affiliated with Bear Country U.S.A., the park would be similar in a number of ways.
Reader Comments
Posted: Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Article comment by:
Maroussia
It will be great to watch Masters Golf Tournament - Monday Practice Round,i have bought tickets from TicketFront.com looking forward to it.
