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Page 36 PERSPECITVES FROM PAGE 19 Town? No. Is there room for improvement? Naturally. Don't we all? Look around you, your property and our town. How are things? We have wonderful visitors, vendors, busi- nesses to feed us, entertain us, supply us, etc. The roads look great with the beautifica- tion process, clean, neat. Troubles? Rarely. We have a good police department handling any needed issues. It is good here because caring townspeople are involved and literally help each other and the town. Now, there's John Prutch as a write- in candidate. In his campaign letter, he says he is a veteran and I commend him for his duty to the US. Continuing, his ac- complishments as Town Manager were not his personally but with the joint effort of the Council and staff. What is interesting though that these accomplishments were stated as completed in 3.5 years, why? I started to hear rumors when I asked around on who this man is. So, I investigated. He was fired by the sitting Council according to the Council Special Meeting minutes of June 4, 1996. John Prutch was then the Town Manager and was fired from his posi- tion but with a generous 120 day severance pay. He tried to sue the Town one whole year later, apparently he failed and lost the case with prejudice. This means he could not sue the Town again for being let go. I don't know about you, but when someone is fired from the Town, I do not feel com- fortable letting that person back in. This now brings us to Bill Moore. Town documents show that a former Town Man- ager/Attorney wrote to Bill and evicted him from Town Hall due to misusing town property. Needless to say, Bill Moore was also successfully recalled. Ouch, don't want him back in. Pat Workman, another candidate I un- derstand was allegedly fired from her job recently as an RV Park Manager. I see her around town and next to Ed but never helping or volunteering anywhere 'for' our town. Pat states that 40% of town em- ployees were terminated for disagreeing with the Town Manager. Clearly she exag- gerates the percentage. The Quartzsite-10 has become Quartzsite-7 today and that case is still slowly winding through the courts. I guess that they had nothing to do with disagreeing with the Town Manager. (Note: DPS asked the Town to get an in- dependent investigation, it did. The re- sults: The Police Chief and the Town were exonerated and were asked to take some www.DesertMessenger.com sensitivity training.) Some employees had been around for many years, some newer, but if they were terminated, the reasons are listed in their personnel records. They are allowed their due process as well. If employees are found constantly belliger- ent, not following reasonably established rules, leaking private information, and so on, these are grounds for dismissal. That is not for Workman to make a statement on. Sorry, don't want her in. Now Sean Austin and Dean Taylor; the only times I have seen these two were ei- ther at Town Hall Meetings verbally scoff- ing and/or yelling at our Council members or town staff. Being quite involved as many are in our town, you do not see any of these naysayers on our boards, commis- sions, or as volunteers to really care and help our town. I am very pro-Quartzsite and the problem I have is this, all of these naysayers above preach wanting transparency yet will use any twisted rhetoric to make news. In other words, it doesn't have to be true; it just has to be so negatively crazy to get it published for outsiders who know nothing about Quartzsite to join in on the ruckus. Well, the good people of Quartzsite do know this town and all of the craziness that has occurred every few years here over and over again. Most are vehemently tired of the nasty words and actions this all entails. Our townspeople are spent, but they also understand the need to get out and vote to keep this insanely staged production out of here and out of our town government. One thing for sure, after all of the viral circus died down and the unseating of for- mer Mayor Foster, things are back to the usual quiet, peaceful, lovely town we have, Quirky Quartzsite. No matter how tired you are of the "politics", the unrest of a few, nasty words being thrown about, this is your town, our town, and it is running just fine, thank you. To keep it this way, and for no other reason, it is most necessary to vote. Let Quartzsite continue with its building, growth, beautification, education, and keeps its arms open to all who come our way. Keep in mind that although every- thing is not perfect, it is good, our Coun- cil not only works for us but they do many good things in other ways by volunteering, working, and attending events. They are involved. Do what is best for Quartzsite, not for personal agendas, please VOTE! Keep our town moving forward! Peaceful Simplicity Housekeeping, Elder Service, Pet Care, Earrands, yard Work, House-Watching, RV & Auto Care, etc. Hygeia Halfmoon & Family 928-276-2952 peacefulsimplicity@yahoo.com PO Box 2258, Quartzsite AZ 85346 (Mobile Business) References Available NEIGHBOR FROM PAGE 17 near the Pease's Place. "Wonderful," I thought, "a family with children for Rich- ard to play with." Harold, their eldest was several years older than Richard, as was Martha a pretty girl with wavy auburn hair. Next was Mary who had beautiful blue eyes and golden blond hair. Frank was nearly the same age as Richard, closely followed by Karl and then little freckled-faced Ruth who was just a toddler. What a family! Here I was with one child running around in all directions and Madeline with her six who always seemed cool, calm, and collected no matter the situation. In October of 1943 our second child, Pat- ty was born in Prescott. We had lingered at our place in Chino Valley after the high- country honey harvest was over so I would be close to Dr. Yount and the Prescott Hospital. When Charles came to take us home, we went directly to Quartzsite and Madeline came to see the baby. It was so good to see my friend and know that she would be available if I had questions about taking care of a baby girl; after all she had three of her own. I wouldn't say Madeline and I was girl friends, it was more like we were sisters. Yes, that was it—we were "Illinois Sisters!" Charles always teased me that I was a refu- gee from Illinois, so it was nice to have a counterpart in that regard. I truly loved Ar- izona, but I also knew my roots ran deep on Grandpa Venable's farm in Pleasant Hill. Anyway by January of 1945 our family had grown to three children when Hellen was born. After a lengthy confinement at the Prescott Hospital I was glad to get back to Quartzsite and the warm desert sunshine. Madeline also had a new baby girl, Maxine. Millie Scott informed me that Madeline delivered Maxine at home with Max as the midwife. After my hospital de- livery, my admiration for my "Illinois Sis- ter" grew even more. Dr. Yount said that Hellen would be my last baby so it was bittersweet a couple of years later when Madeline delivered anoth- er baby at her new home, the John Stock- mer Place just across the old sweet potato field from our place. Madeline's new son, Paul, had the features of his father and his sister Mary's blond hair, he was an ador- able baby. A couple of years later another boy, David, was delivered in their amazing natural rock home with saguaro rib ceil- ings put in by Mr. Stockmer. Madeline and DEADLINE is WED. March 14 for March 21st issue of the Desert Messenger Email: desertmessenger7@yahoo.com Phone: 541-218-2560 www.DesertMessenger.com March 7, 2012 Max's family was rounded out at ten chil- dren when beautiful Elizabeth was born over at the Blythe Community Hospital. Being the mother of three children with a neighbor "across the field" who had ten of her own, under normal circumstances, could have posed a problem when our chil- dren had disagreements—as children often do. But my "Illinois Sister" and I were not neighbors of normal circumstances. After Harold and a couple of his classmates, Ste- ven Brown and Dewey McKnight chased Richard home from school one day, I went over to ask Madeline to get the older boys to stop teasing Richard. During our visit the two of us came to the conclusion that the best thing to do was to commit to a truce and stay at arms length when it came to the disagreements between our children because, even as we talked, the kids were already back at play like nothing had hap- pened. When mothers get involved, often bad feelings can linger for weeks or even months. Our truce lasted a lifetime. In our beekeeping business the honey flowed when the desert flowers and trees bloomed in late April and May. As soon as school was out we trucked our bees up to Yavapai County to gather nectar from the higher altitude flowers and trees that bloomed in June, July and early August. During the long days of honey flow I tried to balance my household chores with help- ing Charles with the bees. The summer of '48 Richard was nine-years-old, Patty and Hellen were four and two respectively. Charles needed my "uncapping arm" and suggested I ask around Chino Valley for a teenager to help out. Before we left Quartz- site I told Madeline of my plan and she sug- gested Martha might enjoy earning money while spending the summer up where it was cool. Martha packed a bag and joined us. She fit right in and the girls loved hav- ing someone to take them on walks, read stories and bake treats for the family. When Martha married we invited Mary to join us for the summer. During the sum- mer of '54 we also hired another Quartzsite kid, Clifford Brown, to join us in helping Charles with taking off honey while Rich- ard assisted me in the honey house. If it hadn't been for Mary and Clifford's help during that summer we wouldn't have been able to extract as much honey. After Mary married and Clifford joined the Air Force, Patty and Hellen shared household duties and running the honey house extrac- tor along with Karl, Madeline's next son. When Patty and Hellen went off to school and later married, Charles and I were fortunate to be able to count on the last of Madeline's sons, Paul and David who helped out during honey-flow. In my later years it was the youngest of Madeline's children, Beth who often stopped by for a chat after she visited with her mother, my neighbor and friend. I will always be grateful that Max and Madeline became our neighbors "across the field" and that we were privileged they shared their amazing ten children with Charles and I.