Desert Messenger

January 5, 2011

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J������ 5, 2011 Jay Bonham, singer, songwriter & entertainer will join “The Travelers” for one appearance, Friday night, Jan- uary 14th at the Quartzsite Senior Cen- ter. Doors open at 6pm, performance starts at 7pm. Jay started writing songs at age 16; CENTER’F FRIDAY NIGHT DANCE, JAN. 14TH “THE TRAVELERS” AT SENIOR JAY BONHAM WILL JOIN started touring in 1952 and made a good living with his music. His best known songs are “ It’s Such a Pretty World To- day”, “Angels Don’t Lie”, “100 Pounds of Clay” & “Dream Lover”. One of his favorite memories of the road, was a USO Tour in Viet Nam This Town Ain’t Big Enough For the Two of Us, Pahdnah Normally, I write about the peace and beau- ty of the desert, and the interesting things to do here in Quartzsite. Occasionally I write about the people and businesses that make our town exciting. I typically stay out of poli- tics and the public forum as much as possible, but once in a while a topic arises that I can- not, in good conscience, remain quiet about, like my article last April about the closing of the State Parks here in Arizona. Today hap- pens to be another one of those times. There is a bully here in Quartzsite. I know about bullies. I grew up in a rough Jewish/ Italian inner city neighborhood in Philadel- phia, during the 70’s and 80’s when deseg- regation of schools was taking place. In my neighborhood, when a bully showed up, he didn’t last long. We were tough and not eas- ily intimidated. We stood up for ourselves and each other. Even kids who weren’t friends beforehand banded together to fight a bully. If a new kid decided to be a bully or step on someone’s turf, he’d better be sure of the group dynamics of the neighborhood before he started something. That small, wimpy kid on the block could have a loyal gang of twenty brutes ready to back him up in the blink of an eye. Several months ago the Desert Messenger ran an article about bullying. I wonder if the editor of the brand new “newspaper”, the Desert Free Press, whose name I could men- tion, but won’t, read that article. The Desert Free Press has decided to bully its way into this community and try to stir things up. The challenge has been thrown, and the line has been crossed. Words have been printed and tactics have been used to cause people to choose a side. I have made my choice. I choose to leave the peace and quiet of the desert, metaphorically speaking, and come to the defense of my friends, some of whom have been personally attacked by this bully. I believe strongly in a free press, but I also understand that with freedom comes re- sponsibility. There is a fine line between free speech and slander, between fact and opinion, between reporting and ranting and raving, between citizen advocacy and per- sonal vendettas. Both the New York Times and the National Enquirer consider them- ���.D�����M��������.��� with Freddy Heart & “The Heartbeats”. “We got off the buses & they just left us right in the middle of the village. The agents eventually came back, after re- alizing they were missing several mu- sicians!” Jay’s extensive resume includes in the National Guard & lives nearby with his family. Jay loves spending time with family, along with hunt- ing, fishing & helping spoil a beautiful granddaughter. The Bonham clan is coming from opening for Ray Price, Willie Nelson, being the original “Jay” in “J” and the Americans, & for fifteen years, he was part of the famous band, the “Night Train.” Jay retired in 1985 after 33 years as a professional musician. After surviving a serious battle with cancer, Jay is now cancer free (6 yrs). He lives in Topeka Kansas with his wife, Mary, and his only son, who is selves newspapers, but that does not mean their quality or content are equal. I could go on a rampage and take some cheap shots at this bully, but I refuse to lower myself to that level. I prefer to look bullies in the face and call things as I see them. I will, instead, let the readers choose. The people of Quartzsite, the vendors, and the winter visitors, are intelligent, discern- ing citizens. We know solid decent journal- ism when we read it. When citizens partici- pate in town hall meetings, ask questions, and get involved in the community, the distinction between truth and lie becomes obvious. Hearsay becomes just juicy gossip without any solid foundation. Discrepan- cies, distortions to the facts, and half-truths can be discerned. Armed with truth, we, the people of Quartzsite, both permanent and temporary, can decide who our friends are and who the ranting and raving bully in the community is. In the Wild West, gun battles on Main Street were common to run a bully out of town. In my neighborhood in Philly we settled alot out in the street, too. Many times the bully showed up only to find the fight was way bigger than he expected, and had to make a hasty retreat. This winter, in Quartzsite, a bully has appeared and is trying to mess with us by dragging us into a childish game of name-calling, propaganda, cheap shots, and gossip. It will end quickly if we band to- gether and stand up to this bully. Let’s show this bully what this town, our neighborhood, is made of. One thing about bullies is that deep down inside they are cowards. They try to get their way by bluffing their way through with scare tactics, manipulation, and tricks. They try to appear bigger and tougher than they really are. But they are cowards, and they only win when the object of their bullying allows them to win. We didn’t start this fight. But we can fin- ish it. So let’s look this in the eye and call it as it is. A turf-war. A bullying situation. A barrage of propaganda and manipulative half-truths. And let’s stand up for each oth- er, join forces, and show this bully that she won’t win. Let’s show her what we’re made of. Let’s do it now and get it over with, so we can just get on with the business of the town and the season. And so I can get out of politics and the public forum, and go back to my peace and quiet out in the desert. for the past several years to visit two of his brothers in Quartzsite. He finds it to be a nice break from winter weath- er. He found out how much fun there is with “porch pickin” music here. His brother, Ed Bonham, is a member of the local band, “The Travelers”. Jay is looking forward to returning this year to entertain locals, winter visitors, and making new friends. Jay will be the star of the show on Friday night, January 14th; appearing with “The Travelers”. Mark your calendar ! Where else can you this quality music for only $3? Quartzsite Senior Center, Jan. 14th Doors open @ 6pm, music starts @ 7pm Don’t miss this event. all corners of the US; gathering in Quartzsite for a large family reunion; January 12-16th. All 7 siblings will be together, along with spouses, children, grandchildren & even one great great grandchild. Current estimate is for 20-25 Bonhams being together. This ought to be a very exciting week! Jay has been coming each January P��� 41 “Where ignorance is our master, there is no possibility of real peace.” -Dalai Lama Willow Creek Traders Ritter Hats custom made by Herb Buy Sell Trade Antiques & Collectibles Glass Trade Beads Leather Goods Handmade Knives Used Books Quartzsite Marketplace 50 E. Kuehn #22 Next to Bad Boys Cafe 208-431-0111 Quartzsite Radio KBUX 94.3 FM http://kbuxradio.com • Quartzsite’s Favorite “CLASSIC HITS” • Local Information • Weather • 24 Hours Day / 7 Days Week! 928-927-5111 First locally-owned and operated music station in Quartzsite, Arizona. Proudly serving the communities of Quartzsite, Bouse, Brenda, Rainbow Acres, La Paz Valley and beyond, since 1988. featuring now

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