Free Republic

TUSAYAN, Ariz. (AP) — Nearly two dozen people have been issued citations for entering Grand Canyon National Park after a partial government shutdown forced its closure. Grand Canyon Chief Ranger Bill Wright says some people have been caught at the South Rim, on trails, attempting rim-to-rim hikes or trying to sneak in through dirt roads. All of the citations will be handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Wright says each of the 21 citations issued as of Monday has a mandatory order to appear in federal court.

Jon Ostendorff @JonOstendorff Workers at Pisgah Inn forced to throw out food today as #shutdown lingers. #avlnews #ncpol The Pisgah Inn sits on federal land on the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. When the government shut down, the inn was forced to close right in the middle of the fall foliage tourism season. Federal workers are likely to be paid retroactively, but the Pisgah Inn is losing money. And now, several days into the shutdown, the kitchen is tossing out food.

“I am now occupying the building at this time.” And with that one decision – restaurant owner Glenn Helseth joined the ranks of Americans who’ve decided to defy the strong-arm tactics of the National Park Service. For the past 11 years Helseth and his wife have operated the Carrot Tree Kitchens Restaurant inside the historic Cole Digges House in Yorktown, Va. At least 20 of Helseth's longtime employees are facing unemployment. They can’t make rent and some are faced with choosing between buying food or buying medicine. The National Park Service owns and operates the building. So when the government...

I[f] anyone had any doubt about the vicious and petty character of Barack Obama and his administration the past week should have put those doubts to rest. Not even Nixon’s “enemies list” can compete with Obama. Nixon’s list was focused on not inviting certain pustulent bags of crap, like Daniel Schorr, to White House function. Obama and his minions have effectively declared all Americans the enemy in an attempt to make the impact of the government shutdown artificially painful. This could not succeed without the assistance of a corps of facilitators, Little Eichmanns, if you will, who are willing to...

The National Park Service is allowing an Oct. 8 pro-immigration rally on the national mall, even as it posts pickets and barriers to bar Americans from visiting their open-air memorials. “They’re going to be allowed to go [ahead] because it is a First Amendment activity,” Shannon Maurer, a spokeswoman for the “March for Immigrant Dignity and Respect,” told The Daily Caller. “They allowed us to have it because it is part of the First Amendment of the constitution,” said Susana Flores, a spokeswoman for CASA in Action, which is organizing the rally. ”We’re going to have a stage and microphones,”...

Folks who live in the Great Smoky Mountains have just about reached their breaking point with the federal government. “It’s almost like they are pushing to see how far they can push before the American people say enough is enough,” said Ed Mitchell, the mayor of Blount County, Tenn. “We were founded on a declaration of independence. And they are about to push the people to the line again.” Nearly a third of Blount County is inside the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. So when the federal government shut down the park, it also shut down one of the area’s...

<p>The Monitor in McAllen (http://bit.ly/1huO8fh ) reported Sunday that County Commissioner David Garza said no federal money is spent on staffing, managing or maintaining the park. However, he was reluctant to question the federal authorities' decision.</p> <p>"We don't want to get into a fight with the federal government at this time," he said.</p>

Whatever the perceived shortcomings of Ted Cruz and his hardy band of stalwarts, they've performed a remarkable public service by highlighting the fate that awaits all who rub wrongly the translucently thin skin of King Barack the Petulant. The Spartans may have had their shields, Native Americans their tomahawks and arrows, the Samurai may have wielded his sword with all the deadly grace of a tiger in mid-attack, but pound for pound, nothing comes close to the audacious stupidity of "Barrycades" and people in pointy little Smokey the Bear hats, poised to protect America's monuments from law-abiding citizens Welcome to...

WASHINGTON, DC - So far, the National Park Police don't seem to be targeting visitors jumping over barricades to see the monuments or use federal parks. But violators could technically be ticketed and fined $50. Fox 5 found many out-of-town tourists ignoring signs that say parks and attractions are closed. Dozens of locals who normally play beach volleyball in a section of West Potomac Park were there enjoying the weather and some games this afternoon. Some didn't realize the park was closed. Others aware of the government shutdown thought a $50 fine was too steep. We called the Park Police...

During the Government Shutdown, the National Park Service Police are the first defense against society collapsing under the onslaught of tourists and World War II veterans overwhelming the Barry-cades at our most precious national monuments. These are their stories.

Tax-paying, hard-working families aren’t letting White House shutdown politics stop them from enjoying America’s beauty. They’re defying the orange cones at Mount Rushmore. They’re breaching the barrycades at Zion National Park. And now, the Badlands of South Dakota. Noelle Bruno tweets that she and her family made it through Mount Rushmore despite the White House obstacles:

Evil Thought of the Day: If the Park Service is evicting residents from homes built on Federal Park lands. . . . . . .isn't the White House on National Park Land. Under Equal Protection Under Law, shouldn't the Obama's be evicted, too ??? Not that it will happen, as Some Animals are More Equal than Others. but. . .

Washington’s grown a bit nastier and colder since the last government shutdown, and the casualties of the partisan fight are the family memories lost from being denied access to public landmarks that are supposed to belong to the people. The government doesn’t see it that way anymore – it’s all just a “damn game” and the folks running the Capitol are just toying with the American people. That’s right – public memorials, monuments and parks remained open under President Clinton and the Republican Congress in 1995/96, causing one to wonder how much inconvenience and financial hardship this partial government shutdown...

Local organization finds way to allow visitors to experience memorial "It's sad. A lot of people are coming over and expressing their disappointment on not being able to view the memorial or walk on it," said Mike Carr, president and COO of the USS Missouri Memorial Association.

Signs like this are being posted by union thugs. Government workers are instructed to "make life as difficult for people as we can" and these signs are used to assign the blame. What is the correct message that should be on the sign? If you are going to one of these Unnecessary Shutdown sites, please consider posting the corrected signage. The "official" signs appear to be durable materials and have official logos and department letterhead. If there is not a thug around, you might tape your message onto the sign under their letterhead. Remember, almost everything you do in life...

The government shutdown is being felt close to home for some locals. They say they're being forced out of private homes on Lake Mead because they sit on federal land. Joyce Spencer is 77-years-old and her husband Ralph is 80. They've been spending most of their time in the family ice cream store since going home isn't an option. The Spencers never expected to be forced out of their Lake Mead home, which they've owned since the 70s, but on Thursday, a park ranger said they had 24 hours to get out. "I had to go to town today and...

George Washington’s home – Mt. Vernon, sustained a direct attack from the Obama Administration today. Mt. Vernon just became the latest victim of the government shutdown, reports The Daily Caller. The home of America’s first President is privately owned and operated by the Mt. Vernon Ladies’ Association, reports The Free Beacon. Since the home itself isn’t run by the National Park Service, the house couldn’t be justifiably closed. However, the parking lot area and the trails surrounding the home are technically owned by the government. Today, the Feds decided to close the bike/walking trails and barricade the parking lot. They...

First reported by the Washington Free Beacon Wednesday, Fox News' On the Record reported Thursday on the Claude Moore Colonial Farm, which sits on federal land and was forced to close by the National Parks Service until Congress again funds the government. The government provides no resources for the farm's maintenance or operation.

The Pisgah Inn, a private hotel that holds a concession on the Blue Ridge Parkway, has become a national sensation as it defies "intimidation" and a National Park Service order to close its doors. After a tumultuous few days, inn owner Bruce O'Connell told The Washington Times on Friday morning that he had just reopened his doors for customers, despite the park service telling him he had to shut down. He says he's essentially private property, on a road that's still open, and uses no government personnel, so he sees no reason to quit operating

Park ranger breaks down "sometimes you just want to punch these congressmen in the face."Park ranger "you know who was moving these barricades in the first place? The damn congressmen."