Desert Messenger

4 www.DesertMessenger.com September 15, 2021 Desert Messenger offers FREE Classifi ed Ads! Here's t Here's t H he small print: Items for sale under $500. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Garage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or 928-916-4235 or 928-916-4235 Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain BLM reopens LTVA for winter 11,400 acres in size, fl at landscape, sparsely vegetated with plants such as Creosote bushes, Palo Verde trees, Ironwood trees, Mesquite trees and various species of cacti. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in Arizona is planning to of- fer normal services and facilities at the Long-Term Visitor Areas (LTVA) for the upcoming winter season. The LTVA season began on schedule on September 15. The four La Posa LT- VAs near Quartzsite (La Posa North, South, West, and Tyson Wash), and the Imperial Dam LTVA near Yuma are a popular winter tradition for the visiting public. It may take a week or two to get all their facilities up and running up to capacity, but "it will be business as usual." BLM asks every- one to do their part to ensure a suc- cessful LTVA season. BLM staff will continue monitor- ing COVID-19 guidelines from state and local health offi cials, and will adjust operations as needed to com- ply with those guidelines. According to a notice published on their website, BLM plans to main- tain facilities and services as they do each year. LTVA visitors can be best prepared by bringing their own sanitation supplies such as toilet paper and hand sanitizer. "We remind our visitors to fol- low the CDC's guidance to prevent the spread of infectious diseases, including maintaining social dis- tancing, covering your mouth and nose when you cough or sneeze, and staying home if you feel sick. We continue to keep most BLM public lands in Arizona accessible during the COVID-19 pandemic, al- lowing the public to have a place to be socially distant, together. We ap- preciate our visitors' cooperation in making this winter's LTVA season a successful one." For more details visit blm.gov/ or call 928-317-3200. Every year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities of- fered at BLM´s Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs), where visitors may camp for as long as seven months. Winter visitors who wish to stay in an LTVA, must purchase a long term permit. Long Term Visitor Area Permit is required from Sep- tember 15th through April 15th each season. The cost is $180.00 and is valid for up to 7 months. A Short Term Permit can be purchased for a 14-day stay. This permit is $40.00. Permits may be purchased on site or at the BLM Yuma Field Offi ce in Yuma. From April 16th through Sep- tember 14th, the fee is $10 per ve- hicle for day-use, $15 per vehicle for overnight use, or $75 annually per vehicle, for up to 5 people per ve- hicle. There will be a $1 per person fee charged for each person over the 5 person limit. The maximum stay is 14 days in a 28-day period. Visi- tors must pay daily fees or purchase annual permits at the La Posa South Contact Station or at the BLM Yuma Field Offi ce. The LTVA was created in 1983 to fulfi ll the needs of winter visi- tors and to protect the local des- ert ecosystem from over-use. The campground is approximately Be part of the solution Be part of the solution Be part of the The food bank is busier than ever. What can you do to be part of the solution? 3 things: FOOD TIME DONATE Drop off groceries at the Horizon Bank, Dollar General, Family Dollar, Coyote Fresh or RoadRunner Market. Volunteer if you can. Come at 7:30 am to volunteer for an hour or up to 4 hours. If you are staying at home you can still help by donating to help us keep operating. We are a pri- vate nonprofi t that needs your help. We are a 501(c)3 tax-deduct- ible and AZ Tax Charity Credit organization. You can use both at tax time. Updates are posted on https:// www.facebook.com/FRIENDSOFT- HEQUARTZSITEFOODBANK. Thank you to those that have been stepping up to help during this time of need. The Arizona Charitable Tax Credit lets YOU choose to pay AZ taxes or donate to FQFB –Up to $400 for in- dividuals and $800 for couples! You can donate up to April 15 and use on this year's AZ taxes. More info & donate at QuartzsiteFoodBank.com Or mail a check and make it out to Friends of the Quartzsite Food Bank, PO Box 4671, Quartzsite, AZ 85359. For more info call 480-286-8373. Thank you from FQFB and all our hard-working volunteers. Lois Dupre, President The Arizona Department of Hous- ing is excited to announce that we are implementing a new Homeown- er Assistance Fund (HAF) Program that provides mortgage and utility assistance to homeowners who have experienced fi nancial hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The HAF program can help homeown- ers with mortgage payments, home insurance and utility payments, and other expenses that many home- owners have struggled with during the pandemic. ADOH will be accepting applica- tions for assistance soon but home- owners can take action today to fi nd out if they are eligible for this new mortgage assistance. Homeowners can now access the ADOH website for the HAF program to review their eligibility, get answers to 'Frequent- ly asked Questions', and fi nd addi- tional resources and information. Please visit the ADOH HAF website at: https://haf.azhousing.gov/. There will be more information on the application process in the com- ing weeks. New homeowner assistance fund DEADLINE : WED. OCTOBER 8 TH for O CT. 20 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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