Archive for February, 2012
Today’s election is not a primary
Feb 28th
Today is Arizona’s Presidential Preference Election (called the PPE by election officials). This is NOT the primary election. The primary election will take place on August 28th and will be open to ALL properly registered voters.
The election being held today is a preference election and is strictly for Republicans and Green Party voters. The purpose of this election is to let the respective parties know which candidate of each party the voters prefer at this time. This election is strictly an information gathering event for the political parties and will not determine which candidate will become the nominee for that party. The Democratic Party has chosen not to participate in this election because they already know which candidate they will nominate. The winner of the PPE will not necessarily become the nominee for the party.
If you do not vote in today’s election, you will still be eligible to vote in August.
If you have any questions, please feel free to contact the La Paz County Recorder’s Office at (928) 669-6136.
BlueWater Cinemas goes digital
Feb 28th
Like many movie multiplexes, BlueWater Cinemas in Parker, AZ is making the switch to digital.
Up until today, the local movie theaters were using 35mm film projectors, which involved a projectionist cutting and splicing reels of film together and spooling them through the projectors. These films were sent by a distributor for Hollywood movie studios to BlueWater Cinemas in time for a movie’s opening.
Digital systems allow movies to be uploaded by the studios to theaters directly, where the films are served from hard drives to digital projectors on the separate screens. The advantage to theaters is the ease with which films can make it to the screen, and less overhead and hassle.
Because the old system relied upon BlueWater Cinemas being able to negotiate delivery of a physical film print (which exist in limited quantities), it sometimes meant that the Parker multiplex inevitably missed out on some movie releases that people wanted to see. The new system will allow BlueWater to receive one of a theoretically unlimited number of digital copies of movies, which – in theory – should make it easier to get many movies locally. In addition, sound should be better, and some material should be brighter and better-looking (like special-event screenings and disc-derived video).
Because of the upgrade, this week movie screenings will be subject to change. Please call (928) 669-5737 for up-to-date movie times.
See Swansea in March
Feb 28th
The BLM Lake Havasu Field Office will present guided tours of the historic Swansea Mining Town site from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. each Tuesday throughout the month of March.
You will see remnants of a small town that began 100 years ago and became known for its copper mining and smelter. The Swansea site is located southeast of Parker, Arizona. Take Highway 95 to Shea Road, turn east, and follow signs to Swansea (graded dirt road until the last five miles). A high clearance vehicle is helpful but not required. Please bring water and hiking shoes.
For more information on these tours, please contact Dr. George Shannon, BLM Archaeologist, at 928-505-1255, gshannon@blm.gov or BLM Volunteer Mike Riddle, 928-716-2723, mriddle@blm.gov.
When you get more than you bargained for
Feb 27th
I spent the weekend in Scottsdale. We were there for the 57th Annual Arabian Horse Show, which attracts thousands of owners and their horses each year in no-expense-spared form. Melissa was there to photograph the show for Arabian Horse World magazine, so I dropped her off Saturday morning to work her magic and went to check out a used digital piano I wanted to buy. (I ended up getting it.)
On the way, I stopped for gas at a Chevron station in Scottsdale. I always pay at the pump; it’s quick and painless, but I wasn’t in any rush so, when the prompt asked me if I wanted a car wash, I thought, “Why not? The car could use it.” $15.99 was the price of the wash, which I thought was a little pricey but not completely insanely, outlandishly pricey, so I went for it.
So, now I’d paid for gas, and a wash.
After filling, I drove over to the wash entrance, where a guy was waving me through. “Oh,” I thought, “it’s not a machine.” I pulled into a sort of staging area, where at least 20 cars were being processed through along with mine. I’ve never seen a car wash operation of such scale! A huge team of dudes were running all around the cars, frantically washing them, rinsing them, polishing them, waxing them. I saw some vacuums further down the line, so I guess I was now getting gas, a wash, and the interior vacuumed.
A bunch of guys attended to everything. One asked me, “Air freshener?” I replied, “Uh, ok…” He told me the options: ‘Beach Breeze’, ‘Mountain Air’, ‘New Car’. “Um, new car.” So I’d now gotten gas, a wash, a vacuum, and an air freshener.
“Sir?” I turned around toward the voice that was addressing me now. “You see these three little cracks in your windshield?” (I knew about one of them.) “Yeah, we’ll get those repaired for you.”
Now, hold on a second. All I wanted was gas. But he explained it’ll cost me nothing, because the insurance will pay for it. Okay, but even if that’s true, surely it’ll affect my premiums? I left the car in the hands of the mighty hoard of worker ants, and went to the counter at the side, where at least 5 other people were being processed for windshield sealants. They put my insurance company on the phone to settle my questions. (I could tell they’d heard the questions a million times.)
My insurance company told me they’d cover the sealant with no cost to me, and that it wouldn’t affect my premiums. I asked them why they’d cover it so willingly, and the agent on the phone was honest: “Because it helps prevent it cracking further, and becoming a claim for an entire windshield replacement.” Okay, then. So, with the cost to me showing ‘$0′, I signed the thing. I had now gotten gas, a wash, a vacuum, an air freshener and a windshield repair.
I was told I could go wait in the attached McDonald’s, so I did, and ordered a burger for good measure. A few minutes later, my car rolled out the other side flanked by a few lanes of other shiny vehicles either side of it, with probably 50 still processing behind, and I hopped in and drove away. I sniffed. New car smell. I looked around. Clean. Windshield? Still intact. Fuel gauge and stomach? Both full.
And that, friends, is the story of how I stopped to get gas and ended up with… gas, a car wash, a vacuum, an air freshener, a windshield repair and a burger.
I love America.
High winds expected today and tomorrow
Feb 27th
The National Weather Service has issued a high wind advisory for today that could impact drivers.
A Pacific storm system will bring strong southwest winds to Arizona late this morning with increasing wind speeds in the afternoon. Gusty winds as high as 25-40 mph, including gusts up to 55-65 mph, are predicted in some areas.
The Arizona Department of Transportation is urging drivers to take extra precaution as strong winds over desert areas can result in sudden periods of limited or zero visibility due to blowing dust.
Drivers are urged to monitor travel conditions by calling 5-1-1 within Arizona, 1.888.411.ROAD outside the state, or at www.az511.gov. ADOT Traffic Operations Center will post advisory messages on sign boards with the dust storm warning information.
Accident at Bill Williams: one lane open
Feb 22nd
8:00pm– An accident just north of Bill Williams Bridge has one lane of Highway 95 closed, with emergency services responding from Parker and Havasu to the scene. Multiple vehicles involved.
DPS findings into Jennifer Jones arrest released
Feb 22nd
The Desert Messenger is reporting that the results of a DPS investigation into the actions of Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert after he removed resident Jennifer Jones from a public meeting last summer has resulted in no action being taken. The video of Jones’ removal went viral on YouTube, prompting rallies and nationwide outrage about Gilbert’s conduct during 2011.
According to the Messenger, “The findings were reviewed by Arizona Deputy Attorney General Andrew Pacheco,” and that, ”The investigation was declined for prosecution based on no reasonable likelihood of conviction. The investigation will be closed and no further action taken.”
Arizona Department of Public Safety Detective Ron Baroldy was assigned to the investigation, which focused on the charge of Disorderly Conduct by Chief Gilbert, QPD Sergeant Garcia and Officer Paterson.
Baroldy interviewed the council members and the officers involved, along with Jennifer Jones and former mayor Ed Foster, who opened the complaint against Gilbert.
The report says:
“A review of the Investigative Questionnaires completed by council members, identified a majority vote was not obtained on the motion to remove Jones from the council meeting.”
Nevertheless, Sergeant Garcia “said she heard a majority vote obtained by the Council and was directed to remove Jones.” After Jones resisted, she was forcibly removed from the meeting and was put under arrest outside the council chamber.
According to the DPS interviews, council member Joe Winslow made the motion to remove Jones from the meeting over the objections of Mayor Ed Foster and general commotion in the room, and Bob Kelley seconded the motion.
The now infamous video, highlighting an example of what the Town of Quartzite’s critics insist is corruption and abuse of power, can be viewed here:
