b'By Bob Roloff,The Arizona DuuudeT he main theme increation of the Grand the stories I write forCanyon Village to serve Arizona Real Countryguests. Declining ridership has to be about someonedue to the popularity somewhere in Arizona thatof the automobile led has devoted most of theirthe Atchison, Topeka & lives to keeping the spirit ofSanta Fe Railway to cease the Old West alive. John haspassenger service of the not only met this standardGrand Canyon Railway in but far exceeded it with hisJuly 1968.career in law enforcement and as a civil servant. According to John,"I was police chief and I went to Williams, Arizonawas up in Flagstaff. What Friday, June 3rd to supporthappened was the guy that my friend John W. Moore,had originally bought the the mayor of Williamsrailway from Max Biegert in his run for Congress.couldnt raise enoughThat was the initial kick-off. John\'s actions saved the The prime rib dinnermoney to continue toGrand Canyon Railway and that led to its revitalization. was excellently served bydevelop the trailways thatGrand Canyon Railway is run by Xanterra Travel the staff of Miss Kittysit is today. He was goingCollection. I believe John W. Moores wide-ranging and Restaurant. Friends cameto scrap the rails and ties.diverse background of experience sets him apart from from far and near to showHe owed Max four millionany other candidate on the Republican Congressional their support for John anddollars. By scraping theprimary ballot in District 2. He has vast experience he gave a great speechties and rails he could payfacing endless challenges in emergency management on who he is and what he stands for. The entertainmentback the $4,000,000 he owed. Well, the people with theand law enforcement. He has worked closely for decades was performed by Ermal, a long-time John Waynepower in the city of Williams knew that if the rail gotwith federal, state, county, and local governments. He impersonator, and Paula Erlene, doing a great tribute totore up, the train was gone forever. They needed thatestablishes and maintains relationships across the board. Patsy Cline. Paula is a headliner in Branson, Missouri andtrain to boost their economy. So I get a call saying they\'reTo say that John W. Moore supports veterans would be an our friendship goes back many years. out getting ready to tear up the rails, and we need to stopunderstatement. John invites and welcomes several veteran them. So I hurried down from Flagstaff and the onlymotorcycle events every year to Williams, and in 2020 the Before going into the story of John saving the Grandthing I could do, that I could figure out was that theyNation of Patriots presented the coveted United States Canyon Railway lets go back to Johns childhood. Hewere operating without a demolition permit, and theyflag to the Honorable John W. Moore for his involvement was born in Kirksville, Missouri where he grew up on adidnt have a city business license. Now those are purtyand undying support of the city, the community, and his farm. John worked at McDonalds while attending Davidhokey deals. So anyway I go out and Im going to arrestactive involvement in making the NOP organization a H. Hickman High School in Columbia, Missouri. Afterthem. So I go out and meet the guy on the track, a bigstrong veterans support group in the state of Arizona, graduating, John entered into a law enforcement career.guy taller than me and Im pretty tall. I told him he hadincidentally making Williams the ONLY official Nation of He started as a patrolman in Richmond, Missouri, andto cease and desist, and he started laughing at me, andPatriots City in the entire United States. worked his way up through the ranks quickly.Eventually,said what are you going to do about it? Ill arrest you if I he became chief of the Richmond, Missouri Policehave. So he and I were on the track arguing, and I took Department, a position that he held for 10 years. In 1985my suit jacket off which I was wearing at the time. What while traveling with his wife Judy, the couple stoppedI noticed as I was walking over there, was a lady that in Williams, Arizona. They were immediately attractedwas following behind me. I kinda had an eye on her but to the small-town charm they found in this picturesquewasnt too concerned about it, and didnt know what she western hamlet and as fate would have it their timing waswas doing. So anyway he and I had words, and finally, it perfect. A position for Williams police department chiefgot down to an agreement with him. Im going to seize was open and shortly after applying, John was acceptedall of his equipment. So if you want to be a good guy,to be the new chief of police starting January 1st, 1986.I would let you take your truck and all of your personal After serving 6 years in that position, John went to workstuff. That was our agreement and we went to the station, for Max Biegert on the management team of the Grandand I wrote him a ticket. I never thought any more about Canyon Railway. John provided his expertise on allit. That night or a couple of nights later, Im sitting at aspects concerning public safety planning and emergencyhome and my phone starts ringing. Its ABC, NBC, CBS, management implementation. The popular attractionand the international news media calling. Are you the hosts thousands of tourists annually. guy that saved the railway? They had to have picked this up someplace. It dawned on me that what had happened And now, as Paul Harvey used to say on his popularwas that this lady that had followed me across thereradio show, Heres the rest of the story about howand watched the whole thing had written a story in Old John W. Moore rescued the Grand Canyon Railway.West fashion. She wrote, \'Two cowboys like John Wayne, The 64-mile railroad was originally built by Buckyor Rory Calhoun, standing in the middle of the railroad ONeill, run by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railwayready to shoot it out.\' That was exaggerating but sheCompany, and was completed on September 17, 1901.put that story in one of the local papers, and the The arrival of trains led to increased tourism to theAssociated Press picked it up and ran with it. It went JohnMooreForCongress.comarea, and the railway company was instrumental in theas far as the BBC."10 July 2022'