Desert Messenger

May 1, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 3 Meet Congressman Gosar's staff in town Quartzsite Senior Center is open Monday thru Friday, 9am -3pm. Lunches are being served Monday thru Thursday until May 16th. Donation is only $3.50. Yard Sale is 3rd Saturday of the month all summer long. 7am-noon. Arts & Crafts group meet Wednesdays at 12:30pm. Card games, too. Drop in and cool off this summer; WiFi available, too! Senior Center is located at 40 Moon Mountain Ave., Quartzsite. Senior Center updates DATES DEADLINE Wed. May 15 May 8 SPECIAL SUMMER EDITIONS: Wed. June 12 June 5 Wed. July 10 July 3 Wed. Aug. 7 July 31 Desert Messenger Summer Publishing Schedule Call 928-916-4235 E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com The staff of Congressman Paul Gosar will be holding office hours in Quartzsite at the VFW Post 769 on Friday, May 17th, 2019. Hours are from 10am-12 noon. Meet with Staff: • Raise any concern you may have about federal and state topics • Get to know the Congressman's staff • Receive Help with Federal Agencies • Social Security Administration • Department of Veterans Affairs • Small Business Administration • Internal Revenue Service and more! VFW Post #769 is located at 305 North Central Blvd. (Hwy. 95 ) Quartzsite. For more information call (480) 882-2697. Paul A. Gosar, D.D.S., is serving his fifth term in Congress as the Repre- sentative from Arizona's Fourth Congressional District. First elected in 2010, he came to Congress with no prior political experience. A ban on hand-held cell phones while driving is now the law of the land in Arizona with Gov. Ducey signing HB 2318 on April 22. Nine people die in distracted driving incidents across the country every day. Distract- ed driving comes in many shapes and forms. Whether it's texting, eating, putting on make- up -- these activities take your eyes, hands, and attention off the road. Arizona was only one of three states that didn't have these kinds of restrictions. Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on April 22, joined by members of the Arizona Legislature, law enforcement personnel and ad- vocates of safe driving, signed legis- lation to prohibit texting while driv- ing in Arizona. The legislation, HB 2318, bans the use of hand-held mo- bile devices while driving a vehicle. "Too many lives have been lost be- cause of texting and driving," said Governor Ducey. "Too many fami- lies have needlessly grieved the loss of a loved one due to a preventable tragedy. I called on legislators to provide a solution that will save lives — and I am grateful for their efforts to do just that. This legislation takes important, clear and common sense steps to prevent texting and driving. I thank everyone who worked to get this legislation across the finish line and especially the Townsend family for their courage and advocacy." "Today Arizona takes a critical step toward making our roads safer," said Senator Kate Brophy McGee. "Distracted driving is a public health crisis. With this reform, Arizona is ensuring drivers stay focused on the road — not their phones — helping prevent countless tragedies from happening in the future. Thank you to my colleagues in the Arizona Legislature, both in the House and Senate, for moving this important measure forward. And my thanks to Governor Ducey for making this re- form a priority." New Cell phone & texting ban in Arizona "Distracted driving has to stop," said Toni Townsend, mother of fall- en Salt River Police Officer Clayton Townsend. "Although we feel the pain everyday of losing Clayton, we hope that this much-needed reform can save the lives of countless oth- ers moving forward. I want to ex- press my gratitude to Governor Du- cey and to members of the Arizona Legislature for putting this ban on texting while driving on the books." In January of 2019, Salt River Police Officer Clayton Townsend died in the line of duty after be- ing struck by a vehicle driven by a distracted driver. Following Officer Townsend's passing, the Townsend family joined many other families in becoming strong advocates for a ban on texting while driving. Police officers can begin issuing warnings right now, but no cita- tions until Jan. 1, 2021. So, you can be pulled over right now anywhere in Arizona if you have a phone in your hand. States implementing hands-free laws have experienced 16 percent reductions in fatalities within the first two years. Studies also show that texting while driving increases the likelihood of a crash or near- crash by 23 times. Unless you are parked or stopped at a red light, don't hold your phone or balance it on any part of your body and, even if it is docked or in your cup holder, don't write, send or read text-based communications. If you want to talk on the phone, use an earpiece, answer the phone in hands-free mode from a docking station or through Bluetooth.

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