28 November 2006
Polygamist town to build tourist center
Colorado City, Ariz. will host country's first Beds & Breakfast
COLORADO CITY, Ariz., -- At a news conference here today, Mayor Jeff
Warrens announced, “Acting on orders from God, I have allocated $3.2
million to build and staff a tourist information center near the town
square and located right across the street from the new
FBI building, now under construction."
 Noting
that Colorado City has been in the news much lately due to the criminal
trial of Warren Jeffs, Warrens said, “It is time to capitalize on the
publicity that the town is getting.”
The tourist center will house and display
historical documents such as the proclamation passed by the city council
changing the name of the town to Colorado City
on the last day of 1960 and all 657 marriage licenses currently on file listing 17 men and their
1233 wives.
A 400 seat theatre will show films documenting the history of the city and of
its most famous citizens, including Warren Geoffs, organizer of the
annual Father's Day Parade where all 17 husbands in the community are
honored.
The new tourist center will also provide visitors with maps to historical sites
such as the former home of Jacob Lauritzen, a cattle rancher who
founded the town of Short Creek (the previous name of the city) in 1913.
Driving directions to J&R Demolition will also be provided. There
visitors will be able to view the
red Cadillac Escalade in which Warren Jeffs was arrested In Las Vegas,
Nev. on
August 28, 2006.
Mayor Warrens himself hopes to build on the potential tourist trade. In a
telephone interview with the Mayor, Warrens told Travel Fox, "The little
women and I will be devoting our energies to establishing
the first Beds & Breakfast not only in Colorado City, but in the
nation." Named the Short Creek Inn, after the
town’s prior name, it will feature one king- and several bunk-beds in
each room to, in Warrens' words, "reflect the lifestyle of the local community."
In a reference to Warren Jeffs, the self-proclaimed 'prophet of God' and leader
of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or
FLDS Church, Warrens said, “First I know that our names are similar, and
I am often contacted by the media to learn if I am related to him. Hell…
I mean heck no! Jeffs is a prophet. I am a simple witness... and now an
entrepreneur too."
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© 2006 Applied Psychology
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