Desert Messenger

8 www.DesertMessenger.com June 17, 2015 Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com /DesertMessengerNews Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain To Donate $10 to American Red Cross - Text "REDCROSS" to 90999 The Smoke Shop Open Year-Round for our local residents Thank you for your support! SEASONAL HOURS 8AM - NOON MONDAY THRU FRIDAY CLOSED SATURDAY AND SUNDAY Antiques • Collectibles • Teacups & Teddy Bears See's Candy Fundraiser for GFWC in season 455 E. Main St. Quartzsite Open Tues. thru Sat. 9-3 928-927-4223 The La Paz County School Superin- tendent, Jacque Price announced last week there are two board seats avail- able for appointment. Price stated, this "is an opportunity for residents of Quartzsite Elementary School District #4 to apply to serve as a member of the Governing Board." The board positions are both for two- year terms that run through December 31, 2016. If the appointees for these two positions want to stand for reelec- tion at the next regularly scheduled election, the positions will appear on the General Election Ballot in Novem- ber, 2016. One will be as a regular four year term and the other will be for a two year term. The District is governed by a fi ve-per- son board. Quartzsite Board members attend one regularly scheduled Board meeting per month (Monday evenings) during the year and other meetings or events, as needed. Applications may be picked up at the following locations: La Paz County Education Service Agency, Monday through Thursday, 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Quartzsite School District Offi ce Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; or by downloading the applica- tion from the La Paz County ESA web- site, www.lapazschools.org. The application process includes a completed application form and nota- rized affi davit of qualifi cation. Completed applications must be received at the La Paz County Education Service Agency, 1112 Joshua Ave., Ste. 205, Parker, AZ 85344, no later than 5 p.m., July 15, 2015. Eligibility requirements to serve on a School District Governing Board: A citizen of the United States and resident of Arizona. Be 18 years of age at the time of appointment. Be a registered voter of the State of Arizona. Be a resident of the Quartzsite El- ementary School District for one year prior to the date of appointment. Employees of the District and their spouses are not eligible. QES Board openings announced Special to the Messenger Phoenix, AZ - The Arizona Depart- ment of Transportation has iden- tifi ed the need for a new project to prevent erosion underneath the Interstate 10 eastbound and westbound Tyson Wash bridges in Quartzsite near milepost 19, just west of the State Route 95 junction in La Paz County. The Tyson Wash is one of the two largest washes that run through the town of Quartzsite. Without improvements to the 410-foot-long Tyson Wash Bridges, these bridges could be vulnerable to scour- ing/erosion because major fl oods events occur in this area. If funding is secured, the project would temporarily cut off access underneath the bridge for up to six months of construction and require one-lane restrictions along I-10. ADOT understands that this area underneath I-10 is frequented by ATVs and other means of trans- portation by locals and other win- ter visitors. Knowing how impor- tant this is to the local community, ADOT will mitigate the impact of construction as much as possible, including trying to schedule work outside of the winter months. However, ensuring the safety of the motorists who travel daily on the bridge is ADOT's top priority. Bridge improvement ID'd by ADOT If the project is delayed, it could require a much more extensive rehabilitation project in the fu- ture, not to mention the potential closure of this bridge for a longer period of time, which would have a signifi cant impact to the travel- ing public. Currently, more than 10,000 vehicles per day cross each of these two bridges daily. The project will include replac- ing the existing bridge deck joints along the north- and southbound Tyson Wash Bridges. The project will also include removal of sedi- ment, such as sand and rocks from bridge abutments or piers. The scouring work would protect the foundation and the bridge structure from erosion, which can occur when swift-moving water un- dermines the integrity of the bridge structure. Currently, the project is currently not listed in Tentative 2016-2020 ADOT Five-Year Facilities Con- struction Program. However, ADOT is pursuing funding to add it for construction in Fiscal Year 2017 (July 2015-June 2016) with federal and state highway funds. The estimated $1.2 million project is expected to take up to six months to complete. Dustin Krugel ADOT Communications Statewide PIO www.azdot.gov

• Cover