New state park for Arizona

With all the financial problems the states are having, and especially in Arizona where several of the state parks have already closed, you wouldn't think that the state would be adding a new state park.

Well, actually, they aren't. But they are about to change the name of Hololovi Ruins State Park to a different name, possibly dropping the word "Ruins" from the name as has been requested by the Hope Tribe, who will be operating the park.

With the grand re-opening of the State Parks/Hopi Tribe partnership to launch on March 18, the State Parks Board asking for public comment. They are open to any suggestions the public may have to offer about this name change and will discuss this at the March 17, 2011 public Board meeting in Winslow City Council Chambers.

Public suggestions about changing the name of the State Park may be directed to the Arizona State Parks website "Comments" section.

These Hopi ancestral villages at Homolovi Ruins State Park include four major pueblos, numerous smaller structures and site features ranging in size from one-room pithouses to a 1200-room pueblo, and panels of petroglyphs with numerous depictions of katcina and clan symbols. The sites date from AD 620-850; AD 1050-1225; and AD 1260-1400.