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Page 2 www.DesertMessenger.com Editorial "The time has come to educate people, to cease all quarrels in the by Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear name of religion, culture, countries, different political or economic systems. Fighting is useless. Suicide." ~ Dalai Lama If ya'll have been reading my edi- torials, you probably know I'm not enthusiastic about politics. I am very passionate about bringing people together for the benefi t of all. When I attended the League of Cit- ies and Towns Conference this past week, I met many politicians who felt the same way, saying that is why they became active in the political scene. It was a very informative and enlighten- ing experience for me. During the Showcase of Towns, cit- ies and towns across Arizona had the opportunity to brag about their com- munity. Well, that's right up my ally! We began asking if people actually knew where Quartzsite was? Did they know anything about our town other than the politic drama in the news? Then we remembered to "frame the question to get a positive answer" that was taught in a session earlier that day. So our questions became really positive, focusing on why snowbirds love coming to Quartzsite and residents chose to live here. The audience was totally made up of Arizona's mayors, council Like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com /DesertMessengerNews members, and business leaders. It's real easy for me to boast about Quartzsite, 'cause I love living here! I even bragged about Quartzsite while vending in Oregon...besides, I'm a half- glass-full kinda gal. Www.smallbiz- survival.com has a small business Brag Basket, where folks can cheer each other and spread some good news. So council members and volunteers shared the joys of Quartzsite and suggested all those political folks add visiting Quartzsite to their "bucket list" for all the fun we have! One of the unique qualities of Quartzsite is our RV and ATV friendly atmosphere. Consider that the town is totally surrounded by BLM lands, where snowbirds can camp in any of the fi ve 14-free dispersed camp- ing areas plus 11,000 acres of Long Term Visitor Area camping. Vendors and seasonal businesses sprout up everywhere to serve the needs of the millions of visitors passing through our little town of Quartzsite. For those of us living here full time, we get to enjoy two "faces" of Quartz- site: the quiet, slow paced summer season where we appreciate the small things in life, visit with our neigh- bors, and watch the quail run. Then beginning this month, our snowbird friends will begin return- www.MyQuartzsite.com Read Desert MESSENGER ONLINE @ Follow on Twitter @DesertMessenger @QuartzsiteRain of the Desert Messenger Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com DEADLINE is WED. SEPT. 12 for Sept. 19th issue Phone: 541-218-2560 www.DesertMessenger.com ing to their favorite nesting places in and around Quartzsite; in the desert, in one of the 60+ RV Parks, to their winter homes, on a friend's property or maybe it's their fi rst time here and will try all of the above. Activities pick up with live music shows, fi ne art shows, bingo, craft shows, exercise classes, shopping, gem & mineral shows, music jams, gold mining, rock hounding, ATV fun, parades, Karaoke, quilt shows, author signings, jewelry classes, club activi- ties, arts & craft shows, holiday events, RV gatherings, shopping, solar needs, new choices in restaurants, meeting old friends, enjoying shopping at swap meets...did I say shopping? Gotta love those deals! Folks can argue all day about who is right or wrong in any political story. When it comes down to it, "fi ghting is useless." The more you brag about what you love about your town, the more folks will want to come visit. The damage has been done by some who want to point out what is wrong with our town, but it's up to us to not participate in the quarrels for the ben- efi t of Quartzsite. Remember, it takes two to argue. September 5, 2012 BLM provides our snowbird friends with beautiful places to boondock for the season. This is one thing we can all brag about: The La Posa Long Term Visitor Area (LTVA) was created in 1983 to fulfi ll the needs of winter visitors and to protect the local desert ecosystem from over-use. The campground is approximately 11,400 acres in size, fl at landscape, sparsely vegetated with plants such as Creosote bushes, Palo Verde trees, Ironwood trees, Mesquite trees and various species of cacti. FACILITIES PROVIDED: 10 vault toilets (handicap accessible), dry DESERT FEES / PERMITS REQUIRED: A Long Term Visitor Area Permit is required from September 15th through April 15th each season. The cost is $180.00 and is valid for up to 7 months. A Short Term Permit can be purchased for a 14-day stay. This permit is $40.00. Permits may be purchased on site or at the BLM Yuma Field Offi ce located at 2555 E. Gila Ridge Road in Yuma. From April 16th through September 14th, the fee is 10 per vehicle for day-use, $15 per vehicle for overnight use, or $75 annually per vehicle, for up to 5 people per vehicle. There will be a $1 per person fee charged for each person over the 5 per- son limit. The maximum stay is 14 days in a 28-day period. Visitors must pay daily fees or purchase annual permits at the La Posa South Contact Station or at the BLM Yuma Field Offi ce. LIMITATIONS: In addition to exist- ing rules and regulations, there are thirty three supplemental rules which are used to help manage the camp- grounds. These rules are published each season in brochure format. For those of us who hung up our keys and settled down in Quartzsite, we hope everyone enjoys the beauty of the Sonoran Desert around our town. When you all leave, please remember to pack it all out, so those who stay behind can enjoy the natural beauty also. We continue to brag about our wonderful snowbird friends who visit each year and hope you will brag about Quartzsite, too! dump station, dump station with water, water station (eight faucets), trash services, some paved / improved roads, dance fl oor and ramada. FEATURES: Cultural sites, rock- hounding, watchable wildlife, unique desert scenery, solitude, hiking oppor- tunities and security. Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Founded by Walt Akin, October 1, 2004 Contributing Writer, Joanne Winer PUBLISHED BY PILOT ROCK PUBLISHING CO. P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 www.DesertMessenger.com • www.QuartzsiteBlog.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com Published twice a month on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday, Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions in June, July & August Opinions expressed are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, Publisher 541-218-2560 Copyright © 2012 MESSENGER Name Plate Lettering by Paul Winer Contributing Photographer, Starr BearCat