Wettaw honored as grand marshal

At the end of the year, State Senator John Wettaw is retiring from his District 2 seat in the state legislature after 27 years and will return to his first love — teaching chemistry full time at Northern Arizona University.

This year he will be honored as the grand marshal for the Labor Day Parade.

"I’ve always had a special affection for Williams," he said.

Wettaw said in his 20 years as a state representative and seven years as a senator he has worked on many issues for northern Arizona and Williams.

"I chose to come back home because I love teaching," he said about Flagstaff, his home since 1967. "For all these years, I’ve taught (at NAU) for about eight months of every year."

The event that first got Wettaw interested in politics occurred when he was very young.

"I convinced my mother, a neighbor lady and her son to see a campaign train for Eisenhower," he said. "So we went and I was able to shake his hand as the train started to leave. He came out in a bathrobe. My brother got to touch his shoe."

At that time, he was 12 years old and in the seventh grade. In eighth grade he was the campaign manager for Eisenhower at his school.

"Low and behold he won," Wettaw said about his first campaign. "That’s how I got started.

"I won my first election with 181 votes and have been re-elected 13 times since."

Wettaw said it’s his constituents that matter to him.

"People have been very nice to support me and I always try to put forth as much effort as possible and represent them in a responsible manner," he said.

The parade is just one part of the Williams Labor Day Rodeo events. It’s non-motorized and starts at 10 a.m. on Sept. 2. The honorary grand marshal is Cecil Wells, a resident of Williams for the last 54 years.

Sept. 1 starts everything off with the Women’s Professional Rodeo Association Pro Divisional Tour barrel racing at 7 p.m.

The three-day rodeo starts on Sept. 2 at 1 p.m. and will showcase top competitors from the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association (PRCA) and will continue through Sept. 4.

Events include saddle bronc riding, street wrestling, team roping, bareback riding, calf roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

There will also be a dance, with Latigo performing, at the Bob Dean Rodeo Grounds barn 8 p.m.-midnight Saturday. Cost of the dance is $5 per person. Anyone who wants to drink alcoholic beverages is reminded to bring identification.

An addition to this year’s PRCA rodeo is Las Vaqueras De Tucson, a women’s Quadrille team, who will be performing during the weekend events.

Rodeo tickets are $8 at the gate for adults and $4 for children ages 6-12. Kids less than 6 years old are admitted free. A three-day admission ticket can be purchased in advance at the City of Williams/Kaibab National Forest Visitor Center and Kaibab Cowboy located downtown. They cost $15 for adults and $7 for kids aged 6-12. Purchasing tickets in advance saves 38 percent off the regular ticket price.

For more information call the visitor center at 635-4061.