Desert Messenger

Page 10 By Joanne Winer Operation Hero Comfort of Quartz- site will be holding their annual Flag Retirement Ceremony on June 16 at 7 p.m. at the Town Park. The ceremony will include a special fl ag service by the Denim and Dust 4-H group this year. Everyone will meet at the pavilion at the park, where the ceremony will start with the 4-H group and will also include some patriotic music. The fl ags that have been collected will be taken by an honor guard to the burning barrel, where they will have the grommets removed and will be burned according to protocol. The grommets will then be sent to the 9 adopted troop units that get packages sent by Operation Hero Comfort. If you have an American fl ag (Stars and Stripes) that has seen better days and needs to be "retired" with digni- ty, please bring it to the ceremony or drop it off at the Senior Housing offi ce, Business Chamber, Quartzsite Com- munity Thrift Store, or Town Hall and it will be disposed of with the honor it deserves. Hundreds of fl ags have also www.DesertMessenger.com Flag retirement ceremony June 16 been given to the VFW to be disposed of, and these will also be taken care of at the ceremony. The ashes from the fl ags will be buried according to regu- lations after they have cooled down. Everyone is invited to come out to be part of this very special ceremony that honors not only the fl ag of our coun- try, but also pays tribute to those brave men and women who have fought or are still fi ghting for our freedoms. They deserve to be acknowledged for their contributions and sacrifi ces. If you have anything that you would like to send in the packages to the troops--non-perishable food items, toiletries, books, CDs, DVDs, etc., please bring them with you to the cer- emony--they are greatly appreciated. For further information, please call Anita Carlson at 927-4292--if she is not there just leave a message and she will return your call. Come on out to the park on June 16 and join us as we honor the fl ag and our troops. Weather Terminology — Understanding Watches, Warnings, and Advisories • Watches mean that widespread severe weather is possible. A watch means that severe weather has not oc- curred yet, but atmospheric conditions are favorable for severe weather to occur. Pay close attention to the weath- er, and tune into TV, radio, or NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts frequently. • Warnings (Severe Thunderstorm, Flash Flood, Dust Storm, or in rare cas- es, Tornado) mean that life-threatening weather is about to occur, or has been reported. Take action immediately. • Severe Thunderstorm Warnings are issued for individual thunderstorms producing winds of 58 mph or stron- ger, one inch diameter hail, or both. NWS meteorologists utilize Doppler radar and spotter reports to determine the severity of thunderstorms. • Flash Flood Warnings are issued when life-threatening fl ooding has rapidly developed, or is imminent. Ex- cessive runoff will cause small stream beds to overfl ow their banks, perhaps entering homes and businesses. Flood waters may also fl ow rapidly over roadways, creating a very dangerous situation for motorists. If fl ooding ex- pected to be less serious, a Flood Ad- visory is issued. This seemingly minor fl ooding can still become dangerous if improper actions are taken such as playing or walking in normally dry June 13, 2012 Monsoon Awareness - Weather Terminology washes or driving through water fl ow- ing across a roadway. • Most thunderstorms, no matter how weak, produce potentially deadly cloud- to-ground lightning. This makes it im- practical to issue a warning for every ground strike. Therefore, it is important to know the proper actions to take when any thunderstorm near your area. • Heat Advisories mean that a po- tentially hazardous period of unusu- ally hot temperatures is ongoing or predicted to occur. The conditions could become life-threatening if spe- cial precautions are not taken to avoid prolonged exposure to the sun or to remain hydrated, especially by those with health conditions that make them susceptible to heat stress. • Excessive Heat Warnings mean that a life-threatening period of un- usually hot temperatures is ongoing or predicted to occur. Extreme cau- tion should be used by those exposed to the sun or confi ned indoors without air conditioning or adequate ventila- tion. Check on elderly neighbors and keep yourself hydrated. Heat stroke is a good possibility if these precautions are not taken. • Red Flag Warnings are issued when the combination of low humidity and strong winds are likely to cause a fi re to grow and spread rapidly into a po- tentially life-threatening wildfi re, given favorable fuel moisture conditions. http://www.monsoonsafety.org FULL SERVICE SALON See us for all your hair needs! Perms, Cuts, Colors and All Nail Services: Manicures, Acrylic, Gels and Shellac. We also do Pedicures. Come in and try our new pedicure massage chair. Tanning bed packages available! Corner of Moon Mt. & Cowell • Quartzsite • 928-927-5400 QUARTZSITE'S ONLY YEAR ROUND SALON Now Open in Quartzsite! WiGo Communication Computer Sales & Accessories Computer Repair Center Cell Phone Service Provider & Accessories Wireless, Keyboards, USB Cords, Data Storage, Routers, Switches, More! 395 N. Central Blvd. Open Mon-Fri. 10-5 928-927-5958

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