Desert Messenger

January 15, 2014

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36 www.DesertMessenger.com Ron and Opal in concert If you've been coming to Quartzsite, AZ for any time at all, you know the name Ron and Opal Erickson. Ron and Opal are three time recipients of the Country Gospel Music Assoc International DUO OF THE YEAR award. Though they make their home near Branson, MO, they travel the USA sharing their southern/country style gospel music all year long. Yes, once again Ron and Opal will be right here in the Quartzsite area for just a few limited engagements. If you've seen them in the past, or have not yet had the opportunity, don't miss this year. They first came to Quartzsite in 2000 and fell in love with the wonderful folks from all over the USA and Canada that make their winter home here in the desert or come for a short visit. Either way, they've grown to love each one of us and desire to give their best performance ever this year. In 2003 and 2004 you may have seen them at the Desert Opry Tent in Quartzsite where they brought their friend Barbara Fairchild from Branson out here to perform nightly, while Ron and Opal performed their show each afternoon during those two years. Last year Ron and Opal started a weekly concert series in Yuma, AZ at the Community Christian Church on Hwy 95 just a few miles before arriving in Yuma. They are continuing this concert series each Tuesday afternoon at 1:00pm. They start off with a pot luck of snacks and desserts then move on to a concert with the best band in the southwest. If you enjoy the old type of country/traditional gospel music or enjoy singing along with the band, Tuesdays in Yuma are for you. This month Ron and Opal will be performing here in the Quartzsite area on the following dates. January 18, Quartzsite Southern Baptist Church 6:00pm January 19, Parker, AZ Emerald Cove 9:00am January 22, Brenda, AZ Brenda RV Park 7:00pm January 25, Quartzsite, AZ Assembly of God 6:00pm January 26, Hope, AZ Little Church of Hope 9:00am & 6:00pm There is no charge for any of these events, however a free will donation will be received. Hope to see you there. BLM meets with Land Access Assoc. Friday, January 24, 2014 7pm, Quartzsite Alliance Church 720 Desert View If you enjoy spending time in Quartzsite during the winter months, and you ride your ATV or off road vehicle during that time, then you must attend the American Lands Access Association (ALAA) meeting. The NEPA plan for La Posa is already in progress. It has been commented on, and now the results of those decisions are coming. If you didn't have a chance to see the maps and comment, you will learn about them here. We will have John MacDonald, Field Manager, BLM, Yuma, AZ with us to speak to this issue. In addition, we will have a staff member, Penny Pew, from Congressman Gosar's office (R. 4th District, AZ) in attendance. We urge you to attend and bring a friend. Rockhounds & Off road enthusiasts must step up and attend or all is lost. Shirley Leeson, ALAA President • • • • • • • BUYING Old Costume Jewelry Old Fountain Pens Silver & Gold Coins Sterling Silverware Gold Filled Jewelry Old Watches Gold & Silver Jewelry Any Condition • Gold Nuggets • Dental Gold Hi Ally Swap Meet ~ Front Row Main St., Quartzsite January 15, 2014 Native American group wants Giant Intaglios declared National Monument Native American Group Wants Blythe Giant Intaglios, Kokopilli/Cicimitl and Fisherman's Site Declared as a National Monument Thousands of years ago, Indigenous people living in the Lower Colorado River Valleys created gigantic figures on the mesas that are geoglyphs which are designs on the surface of the desert along the river. The geoglyphs were constructed on the dark gravel pavement. You can picture it as a blackboard seen from above. These areas are fragile and should be respected and not disturbed. Alfredo Acosta Figueroa is one of the Chemehuevi Tribal Monitors of the sacred sites. He is the Elder/Historian/Coordinator of La Cuna de Aztlán Sacred Sites Protection Circle and a member of Californians for Renewable Energy (CARE) and resides in Blythe, Calif. Charles F. Wood, Chemehuevi Chairman, stated, "The Chemehuevi were just one of the nations of people whose ancestors freely used the area in question. At one time we would have called the area between the Tehachapi Mountains to the Colorado River and from Death Valley to nearly Yuma, AZ as our ancestral territory." Figueroa told Desert Messenger, "We will be sending our California Congressman, Raul Ruiz and Raul Grijalva, your Arizona Congressman, updated information of the sacred sites that are all here in the area that we want to proclaim as a national monument. My nephew, Cuauhtémoc Figueroa, has his own lobbying group in Washington and has good contact with Department of Interior and the State Department." Figueroa continued, "We need more people to contact their congressman so they can also lobby President Obama to declare these sites national monuments." This following is an excerpt summarized from the book, Ancient Footprints of the Colorado River, by Alfredo Acosta Figueroa Most of the geoglyphs are along the Lower Colorado River between Needles, Ca and Yuma, Az. According to Boma Johnson, there are over 275 Intaglios that have been identified up and down both sides of the Lower Colorado River. These include humans, animals, serpents, eagles and abstract geometric designs. The BLM believes that they are 10,000 years old and have been found only on the Lower Colorado and Gila River Valley mesas, extending down to El Cerro del Pinacate, in Sonora, Mexico. The most famous and most impressive of these unique geoglyphs are the Blythe Giant Intaglios and the Kokopilli/Cicimitl group. The intaglios are numbered among the world's ancient mysteries and have been featured worldwide. They are included in the National Register of Historic Places. These famous intaglios have been featured in various journals, magazines, books, newspaper articles and documentaries. The most well-known documentary is the, "Chariots of the Gods," By Erich Von Daniken. In this documentary he states: "that because the figures are best viewed from the sky, the natives perhaps were trying to communicate with people from outer space." All the tribes have their interpretations of the geoglyphs but they all lead to the same creation story. Our research is based on the Uto-Aztecan story which reveals that the precise placement of the human figures illustrates the duality representing humans on earth with their cosmic counterparts. Figueroa stated, "We need to get President Obama to immediately declare these geoglyph sites as National Monuments. The President does not need the Congress approval to declare sites national monuments. This in turn, will help us eventually declare them as World Heritage Sites under the UNESCO."

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