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P��� 18 Quartzsite Fire Academy holds Graduation ceremonies by Joanne Winer The Quartzsite Fire Dept. held graduation ceremonies for the Fire Academy students for the class of 2010-2011. The ceremony was held at the Quartzsite Elementary School on Friday, April 15, 2011. This class was one of the biggest classes in Quartzsite, and all of the students who en- rolled in the class went on to graduate. Fire Chief Hess thanked all the instructors who worked with the students to help train them in all aspects of fi refi ghting and rescue opera- tions they will have to face in their future jobs. He especially thanked all the families of the students who helped by supporting the stu- dents while they put in long hours and came home tired every day--he mentioned that if not for the families’ support these students would have a harder time doing what they want to do--become fi refi ghters. After the slide show with all kinds of scenes of the fi re academy students learning how to work together to do their jobs and depend- ing on each other without question, you got a whole new perspective and a lot of respect for these men and women who go through all this training so they can work for their communi- ties and know they are as well trained as they can be. ���.D�����M��������.��� M�� 4, 2011 The new graduates are: Back row standing (l to r) Chris Kincaid (Quartzsite), Kenny Cameron (Parker), Lane Collier (Quartzsite), Prentice Taylor (instructor @ Lt. @ QFD), Rich Gilbank (instructor, retired Buckskin FD Capt.), Steve Rossi (QFD POC FF), Kevin Hess (QFD Chief, and AWC Lead Fire/EMS instructor), Bill Frieze (Lake Havasu), Brandon Pasqual (Lake Havasu), Cody Purcell (Bouse), Blake Ambrose (Mayer), Jesse Thomp- son (Lake Havasu), Brett Miller (Lake Havasu). Front Row (kneeling): Craig Smith (Lake Havasu), Matt McKee (Lake Havasu), Tomas Mejia (Bouse), Wil- PBS Premier of “Two Spirits” fi lm SAN FRANCISO, CA - Fred Martinez was a Navajo boy who was also a girl. In an earlier era, he would have been re- vered. Instead he was murdered. Two Spirits interweaves the tragic story of a mother’s loss of her son with a revealing look at the largely unknown history of a time when the world wasn’t simply divided into male and female, and many Native Ameri- can cultures held places of honor for people of integrated genders. Power- ful and moving, Lydia Nibley’s Two Spirits explores the life and death of Fred Martinez and the ancient Native American two-spirit tradition. Two Spirits will premiere on the Emmy® Award-winning PBS series Indepen- dent Lens, hosted by America Fer- rera, on Tuesday, June 14, 2011 at 10 PM (check local listings). “The fi lm team is working with over sixty organizations nationwide to have six million people see the fi lm and to help expand the national conversa- tion about gender,” says the director of Two Spirits, Lydia Nibley. Lois Vossen, the producer and founder of Independent Lens explains, “Two Spirits is an important fi lm that tells a modern story with deep histori- cal roots and does so in a way that is surprising and striking. It’s a fi lm that shows humankind at both our best and worst. It’s gut-wrenching at times, but also hopeful and very engaging.” Two Spirits explores issues of national concern including the bullying and violence commonly faced by LGBT people, and the epidemic of LGBT teen suicide, and reveals the range of gen- der expression that has long been seen as a healthy part of many of the indig- enous cultures of North America, and of Navajo culture in particular. To learn more about the fi lm, and the issues involved, visit the companion website for Two Spirits at www.pbs. org/independentlens/two-spirits. liam Aaron (Lake Havasu), Derek Walker (Parker), Sa- mantha Hess (Quartzsite), Spencer Hess (Salome-Qtz.), Jorge Barragan (Lake Havasu), Vinnie Alcaraz (Avon- dale), Justin Hess (instructor, POC, QFD FF). Chief Hess also thanks the Quartzsite Fire Board (John Prutch, Tony Carnevale, and Larry Eckberg) for all their support and help with use of the equipment and facilities that are needed to help run the academy. He also thanked everyone else who gave their support to the students. Congratulations to the students of the Fire Academy!! Locals share wedding date with Royals QUARTZSITE, AZ - When Quartzsite residents, former Mayor Wes Huntley and his wife, Mary chose their wedding date in 1961, they had no idea they would be sharing their 50th Anniversary with worldwide attention on the Royal Wed- ding of Prince William and Kate Middleton. An estimated 2 billion people watched the royals wed, but the Quartzsite pair enjoyed their special day of love with friends and a trip to Mexico. Congratulations!