Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com April 20, 2022 DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Proud to be a Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 O� T��� - E���� T���! Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 NOW PUBLISHED ONCE/MONTH on the 3rd Wednesday of each month OWNER/EDITOR/PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN/ AP AR MARKETING EXECUTIVE/CLASSIFIEDS Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Jackie Deal CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.DesertMessengerOnline.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2021-22 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear DEADLINE : WED. MAY 6 TH for MAY 18 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com QUARTZSITE ROCKS! LETTERS TO EDITOR POLICY Desert Messenger encourages letters from its readers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words, and may be edited for grammar, content and length. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE DESERT MESSENGER. We invite you to not only see a problem, but search for the solution to share with the community, keeping the benefit of all in mind. Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published. Third party letters will not be accepted. To avoid confusion over people with common or similar names, writers must provide a full name and indicate the name they are known by. Writers must provide a full street address and phone number. Rvers can provide the location of park/BLM land, etc. Street addresses will not be published. Phone numbers are for verification only and will not be printed. Send letters to: Desert Messenger, P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 or E-mail to: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 Stay up to date with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifi cations on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a confi rmation message asking you to reply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be 0-4 text messages per month with a notifi cation from the Town regarding the categories you are opted-in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mo- bile phone carrieer for more details. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notifi caiton list. Also are you looking for an- swers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to fi nd answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed be- low, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Wa- ter, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ." TextMyGov will help you to quick- ly fi nd the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. "The beautiful spring came; and when Nature resumes her loveliness, the human soul is apt to revive also. ~ Harriet Ann Jacobs As many of you know I received a new knee at the end of January. There's a lot "they" don't tell you about the recovery process, but thankfully I know a few folks who have "gone before..." And then at around 7 weeks after surgery, a friend introduced me to "Poi Spin- ning." Poi is a performing art and also the name of the equipment used for its performance. As a skill toy, poi is an object or theatrical prop used for dexterity play or an object manipulation. As a perfor- mance art, poi involves swinging tethered weights through a variety of rhythmical and geometric pat- terns. Poi artists may also sing or dance while swinging their poi. Poi can be made from various materials with different handles, weights, and effects (such as fi re). Poi originated with the Māori peo- ple of New Zealand, where it is still practised today. Poi has also gained a following in many other countries. The expansion of poi culture has led to a signifi cant evolution of the styles practised, the tools used, and the defi nition of the word "poi." Poi has the perfect mix of physical movement, cognitive stimulation, and playfulness to keep the brain and body engaged as we age. In fact a clinical trial conducted on poi, health, and older adults found that after just one month of poi practice, participants improved their grip strength, balance, and attention. I was so intrigued that I grabbed a pair of knee-high socks, put some weight in the toe, and began spin- ning. I cannot believe the improv- ment in my recovery, both from the surgery and my strokes last year. We are never too old to learn some- thing new and I encourage our seniors to grab a pair of socks, put a baggie with a half cup of rice in the toe and be- gin playing. I tied a knot at the end for easier grasp. Kids will love this too! Who knows... maybe our commu- nity will grow in Poi! Poi socks or contact Poi can be purchased online, but ordering from New Zealand will take a while! If you're interested in learning more, just ask me or Google Poi Spinning. The fun thing is you don't have to be an expert to benefi t from the activity. Adding Poi spinning to my physical therapy added some giggles with my physi- cal therapists, and some fun chal- lenges. There's some great beginner videos on YouTube to get started. Let's have some fun this spring and learn something new!

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