Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com May 3, 2017 By Shanana "Rain" BearCat LETTERS TO EDITOR POLICY Desert Messenger encourages letters from its readers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words, and may be edited for grammar, content and length. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE DESERT MESSENGER. We invite you to not only see a problem, but search for the solution to share with the community, keeping the benefit of all in mind. Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published. Third party letters will not be accepted. To avoid confusion over people with common or similar names, writers must provide a full name and indicate the name they are known by. Writers must provide a full street address and phone number. Rvers can provide the location of park/BLM land, etc. Street addresses will not be pub- lished. Phone numbers are for verification only and will not be printed. Mail letters to: Desert Messenger, P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 or E-mail to Editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 DESERT MESSENGER Quartzsite's FREE Community Paper Proud to be a Quartzsite Licensed Business 928-916-4235 O� T��� - E���� T���! Founded by Walt Akin October 1, 2004 P�������� �� P���� R��� P��������� C�. P.O. Box 3185 Quartzsite, AZ 85359 P�������� ����� � ����� 1st & 3rd Wednesday Sept. thru May with Special Summer Editions June, July & August EDITOR/PUBLISHER Shanana "Rain" BearCat CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Joanne Winer GUEST COLUMNIST Jedidiah Free GUEST COLUMNIST Gypsy Jane Finley CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE LETTERING Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain Just Rambling... Provided by Elmer London, Quartzsite and Desert Messenger DEADLINE : WED. MAY 10 TH for the may 17 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com Neighborhood Watch to meet Thurs. MAY 4 Town of Quartzsite invites every- one to attend the next meeting of Neighborhood Watch at 6:00 PM, on THURSDAY, MAY 4, 2017, at the Quartzsite Community Center. Chief William Ponce said he looks forward to working with the resi- dents to create a safer community. Launched in 1972, Neighbor- hood Watch counts on citizens to organize themselves and work with law enforcement to keep a trained eye and ear on their communities, while demonstrating their pres- ence at all times of day and night. Sponsored by the National Sher- iffs' Association (NSA), the Nation- al Crime Prevention Council says, "Neighborhood watch is one of the oldest and most effective crime prevention programs in the coun- try, bringing citizens together with law enforcement to deter crime and make communities safer." For more information contact the Quartzsite Police Department at 928-927-4644. "The person who graduates today and stops learning tomorrow is uneducated the day after" ~Newton Baker Well, it's been a week, as they say! How do you write about death without sounding morbid? Death happens to everyone eventually, but it seems like we really don't want to talk much about it...until we're forced to. I don't know what it is about dead- lines, but over the past few years, people I've cared about have taken their fi nal journey just before I go to press. I suck it up, and push through it, putting feelings aside, to get the job done. This time, though, was different, as I was more involved than I planned to be. So I apologize for the lateness of this edition, but having to deal with the Gyspy Jane's death was a bit more than I could handle and deal with all the details required, while trying to focus on this edition of the paper. In Arizona, an excecutor of the will is called "personal representative." I als suggest when you list someone as your power of attorney, that there is a conversation about what that entails. I recently came across the guy who runs deathcafe.com This is appar- ently a Swiss concept – a cafe where people get together and talk about – you guessed it – death. Does that make you uncomfortable? Kristie West said, "What is morbid and unhealthy is that we try to sit death quietly in the corner, still pretending it can't see us and we can't see it. We try to keep it away from children, and lie to them about it, to 'protect' them' – all the while creating unnecessary fear and perpetuating the vicious cycle of denial around the only thing in life that is an absolute inevitability." We have grieving groups for those left behind, but I don't see much support for those who care about terminal patients. I realized there are some wonderful caretakers in our community, and hospice workers do the best they can. But for those who are single, it can be a real challenge to get help in our county. With the county in its fi nancial crisis, this complicates matters more. In many traditions, the elders would take their final walk away from the tribe. That's kinda hard to do these days and then there will be drama with the police. I would like to see our com- munity embrace this discussion. What do you think? Wow, the skeleton of the famous 47 Saguaro cactus Is now on display, at the Quartzsite museum. Thanks to Archie Lumbert and three other volunteers. A pipe to support it was raised and cement poured to secure it. On Tuesday, April 25th the skeleton was raised and secured. Thanks guys well done.

• Cover