John Wright
John is Editor of Parker Live. He is also the host of a daily afternoon radio show on KLPZ 1380am, broadcasting to Parker, Lake Havasu, Blythe and surrounding area. He can be reached by sending an email to johnwright@klpz1380.com.
Homepage: http://www.parkerliveonline.com
Posts by John Wright
Otter refuels on Colorado River on route from Alaska
Jan 7th
This is a de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter. It landed on the river north of Parker this afternoon to be refueled by Parker Oil. The aircraft, which seats 11, was making a journey from the state of Alaska and needed a waterway in the desert on which to refuel. Its destination is unknown. A Parker Oil employee said they are called upon occasionally to refuel sea planes which choose Parker as a good spot, made possible by the company’s fuel trucks. More below.
Jeanie Gault: hospital address
Jan 4th
Well-known Parker resident and KLPZ regular Jeanie “The Nickel Queen” Gault had a stroke recently. Her address at hospital in Phoenix is: Room 2R02, St. Joseph’s Neuro Rehab, 240 W Thomas Rd, Phoenix, AZ 85013.
Machines we want to see in Parker #18
Jan 3rd
Not your ordinary RV, the Unicat Expedition Vehicle is the go-anywhere off-road luxury motorhome. If any vehicle is suited for Parker, AZ, it’s this one. (Unfortunately its $600,000 price tag is prohibitive to most of us!)
New Year’s Eve in Parker
Dec 30th
Wondering where to welcome in 2011 in Parker? We’ll name three New Years hotspots in the Parker area, and leave the comments section below open for your additions.
- BlueWater Resort & Casino. The Dig Lounge features live and DJ music. Los Audaces performs at 8:30pm at the Bingo Concert Hall.
- Club Roadrunner. A masquerade party all night long with DJ Joe on the decks. Bring in the New Year right on the river.
- The Desert Bar. Ken’s famous bar features prime rib dinner with fires at night and is open till 1am.
Where do you plan on celebrating the turn of the decade?
La Paz now part of Operation Stonegarden
Dec 27th
Sheriff Press Release
Sheriff Don Lowery is pleased to announce that the La Paz County Sheriff’s Office is now participating in “Operation Stonegarden”. Operation Stonegarden is a federal grant administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), a component of the Department of Homeland Security, as part of the State Homeland Security Grant Program. Stonegarden provides funding to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies to enhance their capabilities “to jointly secure U.S. borders and territories”. Sheriff Lowery stated that funds are to be used for additional overtime and mileage costs to deploy Deputies to further increase our presence in the travel corridors of La Paz County.
Sheriff Lowery stated that funding from “Operation Stonegarden” would be $40,320.00 for this fiscal year. The Sheriff’s Office will be looking at additional funding for the next cycle of the grant.
BLM allows Parker races, implements land closures and speed limit in Bouse
Dec 22nd
Since 8 spectators were killed at an off-road desert race in August this year, Parker race fans have been anticipating the response from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) with regard to their rules for the upcoming Parker 250 and Parker 425 races in January and February.
Today, BLM made it clear they support the Best In The Desert races in Parker and wish to prolong the perfect safety record of the events. BLM states that they are implementing land closures “to help ensure public safety” from 2pm on Friday, January 7th through 6pm on Saturday, January 8th and from 2pm on Friday, February 4th through midnight on Saturday, February 5th.
There will be the usual spectator zones, with a new 25 mph zone for race vehicles around the spectator areas in Bouse, leaving the famous Parker Python unaffected.
“As in past years, we will have designated spectator areas so people can enjoy the races,” said BLM representative Mike Henderson. “Given the tragic events at a similar racing event earlier this year, spectator safety is of heightened concern. Rather than closing a spectator area or moving the race course away from spectator areas, race promoters have agreed to implement a ‘speed zone’ of 25 miles per hour at the two spectator areas in Bouse. The five-mile long spectator area long Shea Road outside of Parker is above the race course, is protected with a post and cable along the bluff and will not require a speed zone.”
Henderson added, “The Parker Races are an important tradition to the community and public. We’ve had a perfect spectator safety record for 39 years and we want to keep it that way.”
The race course and closure areas descriptions, restrictions, and maps of the designated race course are available at the Bureau of Land Management Lake Havasu Field Office, 2610 Sweetwater Avenue, Lake Havasu City, AZ 86406.
For more information contact Michael Dodson, Field Staff Ranger, BLM Lake Havasu Field Office at (928) 505-1200.
CRIT largest recipient of federal stimulus funds in County
Dec 21st
Parker Live has been taking a look at Recovery Act spending in La Paz County. A total of $17 million in stimulus funds has been allocated within La Paz County (around $855 per capita), much of it going to the Colorado River Indian Tribes in the form of grants.
Here are some of the notable checks written as grants to La Paz County entities from the federal stimulus program:
- $4,561,213 to CRIT for the “construction of a new juvenile detention facility” on the reservation.
- $3,089,908 to CRIT for “road and bridge repair and restoration on various roads and bridges” on the reservation.
- $1,948,590 to Parker Unified School District for various education-related funding.
- $1,800,000 to CRIT for improvements to the airport.
- $945,480 to CRIT for housing block “construction, acquisition, rehabilitation.”
- $720,000 to CRIT for Road Construction Project CRIR 10(1) Phase 1.
- $71,202 to La Paz County relating to the administratition and management of criminal justice programs.
The total amount in stimulus funding allocated to the Colorado River Indian Tribes is $11.6 million, almost 70 percent of the total allocated in La Paz County.
Some loans were also made to entities in La Paz County, most notably $1,150,000 to Salome Shopping Center. (This must be paid back and is available only to entities unable to get commercial loans for business.)
For more details, or to track the allocations of stimulus funding, click here.
