Discussion
The Future of Planet Ranch
Oct 1st
Mohave County isn’t happy about the sale of Planet Ranch. Why? Read on.
It’s been used by the U.S. Defense Department to simulate low-yield nuclear weapons. It’s been purchased by the City of Scottsdale for its rich water rights from the Bill Williams River. Some of its 171,000 acres have been used for farming alfalfa. It’s been eyed by various business interests for various reasons. It lies within remote La Paz and Mohave Counties.
As is the case with many other patches of non-government land across western Arizona, Planet, AZ was mining land. The Planet copper mine, the mainstay of Planet and the second copper mine in Arizona to be worked by Americans, was discovered in 1863. Slowly a town grew around the mine and finally got a post office in 1902. When the mines played out in 1921, Planet succumbed to financial ruin as miners went elsewhere for work.
When Scottsdale bought the property back in the Eighties, they envisioned it as a water source to allow them continued sustainable growth as a city, having acquired the water rights which they could then funnel through the existing Central Arizona Project canal. But the plan never got off the ground.
Now, a mining company called Freeport McMoRan has struck a deal with Scottsdale to purchase the land for its water. The deal is worth a reported $24 million and is described as a “win-win situation for everybody” by the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Not only would it get Planet Ranch off Scottsdale’s back, something the city has wanted for years – and give the company the extra water it wants for its mines in places like Bagdad, AZ – it may also effectively extend the nearby Bill Williams National Wildlife Refuge, since Freeport would be using the property for its water, not for land development.
But Buster Johnson, District III Mohave County Supervisor, has some objections. In a recent guest column for the Arizona Independent newspaper, Johnson says:
“If this land is used merely for its water rights, future generations of Mohave County residents are going to lose out on the great potential this land could offer. We could build a county park or even a resort on the land. It would be a great economic benefit for the county not to mention a place future generations could go to enjoy.”
Some are sure to see this as somewhat presumptuous, considering that a significant portion of Planet Ranch falls on the La Paz side of the County line, and neither County owns the land. Since the Freeport deal is worth $24 million and both counties are operating a lean budget in hard economic times, it’s difficult to see how Johnson’s dreams of Mohave County Parks and Resorts could be a reality, or how putting this rare parcel of private land into public hands would be a step forward.
But Johnson may not want to make a fair play for the land. As a government official, he speaks the language of government: forceful coercion. In the same Independent editorial, Johnson admits he’s trying to block the deal:
“The state of Arizona along with the Arizona Department of Water Resources (ADWR) should be looking at all ways possible to make sure Arizona along with Mohave County contains and keeps all the water rights we currently have. This is why the Board of Supervisors voted at our last meeting to put together a letter of opposition to the ADWR and intervene in regards to this issue.”
What makes this mystifying is the reference to “all the water rights we currently have” in relation to Planet Ranch, the water rights of which are not currently owned by Mohave County at all, but rather the City of Scottsdale which paid $11 million for them 26 years ago. Johnson is attempting to block a transfer of water rights between the rightful owners of private property without any legitimate claim to the rights himself, and without a thought that Planet Ranch is a La Paz County property too.
What is in the future for Planet Ranch? Well, this deal will likely be finalized, and Freeport will use part of an existing water pipeline to bring their water from Planet to their existing mine operations in Arizona. As for the land itself, perhaps Freeport can work out a deal with some lessees who want to do something non-disruptive there, or even the Department of the Interior next door.
Alternatively, the site will remain a remote desert region, a safe spot for wildlife along the Bill Williams River. That doesn’t sound so bad either.
Cellphones in Parker: SURVEY
Sep 22nd
How good or bad is your cellphone experience in the Parker area? Help us compile a report by answering a few questions about your phone. Who knows, maybe the carriers will listen!
This will only take a minute or so. (General questions only; no personal info taken.)
Fall recipe: best dessert ever?
Sep 21st
It’s becoming pie season. Every time we talk about Banoffee pie, we hear from people who want to try the recipe, and for good reason… this British dessert is delicious… so delicious it got me my first job in America here in Parker 6 years ago. Here’s the simplified version of how to make the banana-and-toffee goodness:
- Take a can of condensed milk, throw it in a pot to boil for three to five hours (without opening the can).
- Afterwards, open it carefully and spread caramelized contents over a Graham Cracker crust.
- Chill in the refrigerator.
- Slice 2 bananas over the top, add whipped cream and serve.
IMPORTANT: Be sure to top up the water during boiling, as it will evaporate. There is no danger of the cans exploding whatsoever, unless the water evaporates! So, make sure there is always enough water in the pot.
The result is the best dessert ever. For the more elaborate ‘official’ recipe click here. If you haven’t tried this yet, you can thank me later.
UFOs or military flares?
Sep 14th
A few weeks ago, I was sitting on my deck one weeknight and happened to observe in the eastern sky a bright light, appearing suddenly as if switched on. As it ‘switched off’ again, another one, further south, lit up, and then a third, fourth and fifth. We watched them for a few minutes before they went out, and then several minutes later the whole sequence happened again in another part of the sky.
Last night, Parker residents saw this same phenomenon, some remarking that it happens “all the time”, or at least isn’t entirely uncommon. In 1997, a phenomenon in Phoenix which came to be called the Phoenix Lights caused a stir, some residents describing the lights in a similar way, others perhaps embellishing on the shape and adding extra details such as seeing a triangular-shaped craft. They happened again in metro Phoenix ten years later, captured on video clips like THIS one.
The military explanation is that they’re flares on chutes, released by plane. Because of their light weight, they fall so slowly that they can appear to be motionless to bystanders miles away. According to globalsecurity.org:
Air-deployed LUU-2 high-intensity illumination flare are used to illuminate targets. The LUU-2B Flare has a light output rating of 1.8 x 10(6) candlepower and at 1,000 feet altitude illuminates a circle on the ground of 500 meters at 5 lux. The LUU-2 is housed in a pod or canister and is deployed by ejection. The mechanism has a timer on it that deploys the parachute and ignites the flare candle. The flare candle burns magnesium which burns at high temperature…
More info here. Various military training exercises are regularly conducted in western Arizona and eastern California airspace, on exercises from Luke Air Force Base, Yuma Marine Air Base, Barry Goldwater Gunnery Range and others. This would explain the prevalence of this here activity in these here skies.
Have you seen these lights at night? Do you buy the military explanation? If not, what are they?
6 months without measurable rain!
Sep 8th
Yes, we know, there have been some scattered showers, including some of the wet stuff falling in some areas on Monday night. But the official weather station for the National Weather Service recorded no rain on 6th Street in Parker, and hasn’t since March 8th, 2010. That means today marks a full six months since the last recorded rainfall in Parker, AZ; a very dry summer.
Will this be the last heat warning of the summer?
Sep 3rd
An excessive heat warning has been issued by the National Weather Service for today and tomorrow (Fri and Sat). It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. each day, and includes temperatures of up to 115 degrees and increased humidity.
After the weekend, though, the weather looks much more fitting for September in the Parker area, with maximum temps between 97 and 102 degrees and – even better – overnight lows in the 60′s meaning a good portion of the day in the ‘sweet spot’ 70s and 80s.
Could this be the last heat warning this summer as we wind down into Fall? Many area residents hope so.
Piranha headlines
Aug 23rd
Piranha 3D surprises with 81% approval
Aug 23rd
Rotten Tomatoes, a website which aggregates movie reviews from as many sources as possible to give a comprehensive rating, shows a current rating for the Lake Havasu-based Piranha 3D at 81%. The movie, which debuted at the box office Friday, was not expected to do well with critics, but – in its category – most of them had time for it:
“Those who go in craving blood, gore, breasts, and Ving Rhames going medieval on a school of prehistoric, flesh-eating piranha are going to leave the theater with big, silly grins on their faces.” – Screen It!
“Piranha 3D is nothing less than the Avatar of B movie schlockfests.” – Hollywood.com
“Crams more blood and body parts (attached and otherwise) into a 90-minute time frame than any other movie in history.” – eFilmCritic
“Has a bit of build up but once the carnage finally hits, it’s 20 – 30 minutes of absolute, beautiful, mayhem.” – Eclipse magazine
“Gushers of blood, ripped flesh by the kilo, and acres of bare booty and boobs (some of them real).” – MTV
My own take on it is that it’s insane, and extremely funny for those who can handle gratuitous violence with a wink and a nod.
I saw Piranha with a sold-out crowd at the 10pm showing in Lake Havasu City on Friday night. The theater was bubbling from the beginning with reactions from the local audience who recognized just about every location in the film and lots of references to the culture here. A couple of local businesses get exposure: Kokomos was mentioned by one character, and a few shop-front signs are visible on McCullough (I wonder if they paid for it).
A local Havasu boy is derogatorily called a ‘sand rat’ by Jerry O’Connell, which got some laughs from the audience, giving the impression that most thought the moniker a tad ridiculous. Will ‘sand rat’ now be added to ‘desert rat’ and ‘river rat’ in the river lexicon? The city is called “podunk” at one point, though that’s not the impression the movie leaves, with its scenes of hard-partying crowds and lots of references to the influx of college kids during spring break.
It’s got to be said, for those who worry about the portrayal of law enforcement, there couldn’t have been a better depiction by Elizabeth Shue. She was the competent, brave and likable Sheriff who patrolled the water during party-time and never gave the impression of being anything but in full control (except, of course, when the Channel was invaded by man-eating fish).
I’ve said it before and I’ll reiterate; this is not one for the kids. It’s probably the goriest film in a decade or more, but it’s got a sense of humor for the sake of which tongue is placed firmly in cheek as director Alexandre Aja decides how to methodically kill off his characters one at a time. He’s having fun making his movie, and he wants you to know. Much is made of the boobs in the film, and they’re certainly there in all their glory.
It’s interesting the degree to which the river is portrayed as a hedonistic party zone. In real life, that is best exemplified by the MTV specials from Lake Havasu in the 1990s, and perhaps the wet T-shirt contests for which places like Roadrunner are famous. But the general image of the river projected in the film, aside from the message that you may be eaten alive, is one which I think reinforces a young crowd’s desire to find a safe place to have a ton of fun where the rule of law still applies.
After all, everyone knows the piranha aren’t real, right?
Piranha 3D: the Oscars
Aug 17th
Piranha 3D isn’t the kind of movie likely to win any Oscars. The crazy horror flick shot on Lake Havasu fits in the genre which adult audiences like at the summer box office, but not typically picked by critics. This video is a plea by the cast and crew of Piranha 3D to be considered for Oscars “in all categories” (warning: do not view if you’re easily offended).
In other Piranha news, it seems the studio isn’t providing a copy of the film to BlueWater Cinemas in its first week (though possibly the second week, if you can wait).
Regarding Bizland
Aug 16th
Q: Hi John and everybody. Do you suppose that Bizland was a strong supporter of Obama and didn’t like the way we think here in the outback, so they retaliated by pulling the plug? – King Clapperton
A: Haha, anything is possible King! Not that we’re politically partisan, or anything. Seriously, Bizland unwittingly treated the people of this community very poorly by taking this website out to the trash. But, we’re still here. Thanks!
