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.

Grand Canyon "Star Party" not for Hollywood set

If you'd like to look at some really heavenly bodies, head for either the North or South rims of the Grand Canyon in early June for the big Star Party. No, you won't find the flashing of Paparazzi cameras, and no models worthy of the annual "Swimsuit Edition." Rather, the Star Party is looking up--way up!

Each year the National Park Service teams up with astronomers to bring the starry heavens closer to earthly viewers. With telescopes, park visitors get a chance to zoom in on real stars and planets. With its location far away from big city sources of light pollution, the Grand Canyon is an excellent venue for a good views of the stellar heavens.

Running a full eight days (and nights) from Saturday June 5 through the following Saturday, June 12, amateur astronomers will bring their equipment to give visitors a chance to view planets, star clusters, nebulae, and galaxies at night; and to view the sun by day. At the South Rim venue, events include a slide show nightly at 8:00 p.m. next to Yavapai Observation Station, followed by free telescope viewing. Across the way on the North Rim, telescopes will be set up on the porch of the Grand Canyon Lodge every evening.

Park folk remind visitors that at the Grand Canyon the high elevation spells cool nights. Bring yourself sweaters, jackets, a layered outlook on clothing. For South Rim visits, Plan to walk or arrive by free Village Route shuttle bus which runs until 11:00 p.m. For a comfortable spot at the slide shows, arrive early and bring something to sit on. Telescope viewing continues well into the night; visitors may arrive anytime after dark. Visitors to the South Rim Star Party will need a flashlight for the walk to the viewing area, but are asked to keep flashlights pointed down to protect everyone’s night vision. A red flashlight is best, and can be made by covering any flashlight with red cellophane or red nail polish or even red magic marker.

For more information visit this site: http://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/grand-canyon-star-party.htm

photo courtesy Ron Short through the National Park Service

Speed cams vanish on Arizona highways

Mark your calendar: On July 16, Arizona's famous (or infamous, depending on your perspective) speed cameras are shutting down. And depending on your perspective, this will either prove to be a day to celebrate freedom from government intrusion into our lives, or as an editorial in the Arizona Daily Republic puts it, the situation will be "turning the state's highways into an amateur version of Phoenix International Raceway."

The controversial fixed and mobile mounted highway speed cams were established on Arizona's highways during the administration of the last Governor, Janet Napolitano. At the the time both safety and financial issues were cited, suggesting that the unmanned radar-operated cameras could reduce accidents and help the Grand Canyon State's sagging coffers. Like a lot of other controversies, it depends on who you listened to as to if any of those projections really came true.

One thing is certain, the highway cameras did fire up plenty of opinion, and action. The negative responses tallied in from the childish--shooting of "silly string" over camera faces--to the completely villainous--shooting to death the civilian employee operator of one of the mobile mounted cams. One area judge ruled the system unconstitutional, and dismissed more than 8,000 of the speed cam generated citations.

Just how traffic will react, and what the final outcome will be will have to be determined long after the cameras vanish--like a fading Polaroid picture left out in the desert sun.

photo: Pistols Drawn on flickr.com by creative commons license.