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N�� �� ��� 9th YEAR! Wednesday, APRIL 3, 2013 VOL. 9 #171 www.DesertMessenger .com • "Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper" • 928-916-4235 541-218-2560 Youngsters enjoyed Easter Egg Hunt Paige enjoyed the hunt! By Shanana Rain Golden-Bear Quartzsite, AZ – The annual Easter Egg Hunt was held Saturday, March 30, 2013 at Quartzsite Town Park. The excitement began even before the hunt began as the youngsters peeked into the boxes containering prizes on the Town's trailer. At 9am, the young children (second grade and under) began the hunt for the brightly colored plastic eggs scattered throughout the south side of the pavilion. Shortly thereafter, the older children began their search for eggs on the north side of the pavilion. Plastic eggs contained candy and included special tickets, indicating the finder could redeem it for a prize. One child found 19 tickets, for 19 prizes! Of course, there was the "Golden Egg" for each group, along with a "Silver Egg". The Special Egg winners received huge boxes overflowing with toys, stuffed animals, books and treats. Council member Carol Kelley was on hand to give out prizes to the youngsters. Every child went home with candy and prizes. Kelley said, "This was so much fun watching the children! It's a great event for the families in our community!" The Quartzsite Recreation Department and organizers are grateful for the following individuals, organizations and groups for their generosity and their support. Kym Scott of Tyson Wells Show Grounds, Quartzsite Community Thrift Store, Quartzsite RC Flyers Club, Hardies Jewelry & Beads, Quartzsite Metal Detecting Club, The Henshaw Family, Salvation Army, Town Council Member Carol Kelley, Monica Timberlake, and Desert Messenger. Yesenia Jackson, of Recreation Dept. said, "We are so happy everyone chipped in at the last minute. We could not have done it without you!" Alyssa won the Golden Egg! ������ | S������ R��� G�����-B��� Council completes AG monitoring By Shanana Rain Golden-Bear Quartzsite Town Manager Laura Bruno announced Tuesday Christopher Munns, Asst. Attorney General confirmed that the Quartzsite Town Council has successfully completed the oneyear monitoring period for open meeting law violations which ended on January 3, 2013. The monitoring period was placed after the Attorney General Tom Horne's office found Quartzsite Town Council members violated Open Meeting Laws in connection with the conduct of Town Council meetings and dealings with a member of the public. On June 28, 2011, while addressing the Council, Quartzsite resident Jennifer Jones was removed from the meeting by a vote of the council. She had turned her back on the council and was addressing the audience, which the council reasonably could object to. Public bodies can eject members of the public for disruptive conduct, but they must first give a warning, which the council failed to do. The second violation occurred on July 10, 2011 in which the Council convened an emergency meeting on at the Town Hall to discuss disruptions during previous meetings. The Council locked the doors to the meeting room and did not allow any member of the public to attend its meeting. Excluding the public from this meeting violated the Open Meeting Law. In the third and related violation, the Attorney General notes that the Council did not fully comply with the posting requirements for emergency meetings. As of December 9, 2011, the minutes of the emergency meeting were not posted on the Town website. The final violation involves the failure to comply with posting requirements for Notices and Minutes. The Council did not post minutes for the July 10, 2011 emergency meeting. In addition, the Council failed to post minutes for a number of its meetings labeled as "work sessions." As a remedy, Horne recommended that: 1. The Council would discuss the concerns listed in this letter with its legal counsel in open session during a properly noticed public meeting. 2. Each member of the Council and staff would participate in a training session with counsel from the League of Arizona Cities and Towns regarding the requirements of the Open Meeting Laws. 3. The Council was subject to oversight by the Attorney General's Office for a period of twelve months. CHECK OUT WHAT'S INSIDE 2 4 6 7 8 10 13 15 16 16 18 19 20 22 22 Art Guild Health Expo Editorial Letters to Editor Rotary Doings Around Town Voices from the Past Restaurants Adventures with Rocks Assessor's corner Churches Arrest Report Puzzles Paul Winer Comic Classifieds