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February 6, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 1360 N. Moon Mountain, Quartzsite Amenities: Club House, Laundry Room, Library, Big Screen TV, 2 BBQ Areas with Picnic Tables, Mail Services & Showers. T ews & Date Palm RV Park Fire Station Tyson St. MAIN ST. Hwy. 95 Moon Moutnain N N Moon Mt. Ave. Tyson St. www.TewsRV.com 1360 N. Moon Mtn. Ave. PO Box 4870 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 928-927-8929 928-273-3442 (mobile) Welcome to our new manager Jorje LOCALLY OWNED AND OPERATED! Absolute Mechanical is Bonded & Insured with over 35 Years Experience! Owner Phil Brown has been in Quartzsite area for 12 years serving the community with Residential and Commercial needs. WE SPECIALIZE IN AC /HEATING INSTALLS & REPAIRS We Install & Repair: • AC/Heating Units • High Efficiency Mini Split Systems & Solar Mini Split System • Restaurant Equipment • Washer & Dryer Repairs - Residential & Commercial •Sheet Metal Work •Soda & Vending Machines •Home Stoves, Water Heaters, Refrigerators, Plumbing •Automotive AC & Heating GIVE US A CALL AND WE WILL SCHEDULE YOU FOR SERVICE! (480) 283 - 5163 ROC 255833 By Jackie Deal You went. You enjoyed. It's over for another year. The 53rd Annual QIA Pow Wow Gem & Mineral Show of 2019. But did you ever wonder what goes on inside this tremen- dous event; how is it engineered overnight by a team of about 300 volunteers? Overnight, it seems, the huge bare parking lot around the Quartzsite Improvement Asso- ciation (QIA) is transformed into a tent city of 500 spaces selling rocks, gem and minerals. This is the inside story from volun- teers who have worked the event and interviews from many involved with this miracle. We can't begin to cover everyone and everything involved in this organized mayhem. Pow Wow 2020 has already started. Many of the vendors have already hurried to the office to reserve their spots for next year. Sandy King has handled this for seven years. She was originally recruited to help in the office. For two weeks she was the assistant in the Pow Wow office and then after the summer the Chairman didn't return and Sandy was it! Over the seven year period, she has developed relationships with many of the vendors. She knows their preferences, some of them call her with their problems and some even send Christmas cards. Sandy's leaving and she will be replaced by Mike and Caroline Zinno who are already in training. When Caroline was asked what she thought of her new job, she laughed (almost hysterically) and said, "I didn't realize the amount of behind the scenes work that was involved." During the Pow Wow, Sandy and her new recruits often started their day at 5:30 a.m. and didn't end it until 6 or 7 pm. Food seems to be a big part of the Pow Wow. The Kitchen runs three shifts with Pat Baker in charge. How did she get started? It seems she volunteered her husband for "latrine duty" and he reciprocated by volunteering her for the kitchen. Now they work together and over- see the production of mountains of food for vendors, general public and volunteers. Pat recalls the be- ginning when she was confronted with a six pound sausage and told to make sausage gravy. She had never cooked for more than six people before. Maintenance men do more than just run around in ATV/golf carts. They untangle problems in the 500 or so spaces and try to keep vendors happy while they strug- gle with equipment that insists on breaking. The volunteer office staff answer a myriad of questions. Most con- versations start "I'd like to speak to Sandy." And the volunteer re- sponds "Which Sandy? Pow Wow Sandy or Office Sandy?" Inside the Pow Wow I've been too busy to see the miracle occur but next year… I will. Over- night (well, maybe two nights) the desolate parking lot burgeons with vendors stalls covering every inch. Indoors, the stage in the Desert Sky Room disappears as if by magic and tables of gems, jewels and rocks swarm around the room. After Pow Wow in the same period of time, the parking lot empties, the stage reap- pears and life returns to normal. Whew! DEADLINE : WED. FEB.13 TH for the feb 20 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com