Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com September 21, 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 PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.DesertMessengerOnline.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2022-23© 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 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 Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published.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 Street addresses will not be published.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 cation 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. DEADLINE : WED. OCT. 7 TH for OCT. 19 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com fi cers voted No-confi cence in their Chief and there was standing room only crowds at council meetings with a mayor who encouraged an- gry outbursts. The summer of 2011, the Oathkeepers, an American far- right anti-government militia, held a rally and march here, vowing to "occupy Quartzsite!" I met and in- terviewed the founder Elmer Stew- art Rhodes, who now faces charges of conspiracy, obstruction of an of- fi cial proceeding and entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds following his alleged participation in January 6th. His law license was revoked after prac- ticing law without a license for two Quartzsite residents; one client was a rival publisher who lost her fed- eral court lawsuit against me for publishing an offi cial government press release about her. I was often the target of angry people, because I would not join in their anger against the government. I prefer to focus on working towards peace in our world starting in our lo- cal community. We all have a role to play in fostering peace. We can sup- port movements for equality and human rights everywhere. We can speak out against hate speech both offl ine and online. I invite you to join the efforts of the United Nations as people work towards a world free of racism and racial discrimination. A world where compassion and empathy overcome suspicion and hatred. A world that we can truly be proud of. But achieving true peace entails much more than laying down arms. It requires the building of so- cieties where all members feel that they can fl ourish. It involves creating a world in which people are treated equally. Racism, xenophobia and re- lated discrimination and intolerance exist in all societies, everywhere. We all lose in a society characterized by discrimination, division, distrust, intolerance, and hate. Spread Peace today and everyday! Today is International Day of Peace. The International Day of Peace (or World Peace Day) celebrated annu- ally on September 21 is devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples. At a time when war and violence often monopolize our news cycles, the International Day of Peace is an inspiring reminder of what we can create together. Peace. I've been attending the League of Arizona Cities and Towns Annual Conferences since 2012. I wanted to know what our local government offi cials were being taught and gain a better understanding over local government, so I've kept "showing up" every year since. Quartzsite's reputation has really improved since 2012. Back then, wearing my Quartzsite Camel t-shirt was said to be "brave" by a mayor I encoun- tered in an elevator. When a council member introduced himself as be- ing from Quartzsite in 2012, there were audible murmors in the crowd. The presenter said, "Yes, we're very aware of your issues." For those who don't know or remember, Quartzsite was in the national news for many reasons. There was drama almost every day at Town Hall. Police of-

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