Desert Messenger

12 www.DesertMessenger.com April 15, 2020 Read Desert MESSENGER ONLINE @ DesertMessengerOnline.com There shall be rumors By Jackie Deal "As of 5:00 p.m. today the Gover- nor has declared Martial Law. We have to be inside and LOCK OUR DOORS!!" A friend of a friend shouted this news from her car window. (Of course, it isn't true) And I immediately had a vision of the little corona virus bugs –they're always pictured with spikey things poking out all around—careening up to my door and inserting one of those proboscises into my key hole and unlocking my door. And who would I call? The police are busy locating toilet paper for frantic cus- tomers. And the Governor? Well, he's probably retired to his ivory tower to fi ddle or look for the Mar- tians in order to institute Martial Law. Maybe Martial Law is related to Marital Law and not Martians, should I Google that?? Talk about rumors! That one takes the cake and the frosting too. (Reminds me, I bought one of those little one serving cake-in-a- cup thingies to microwave maybe I should imbibe after lockdown tonight!) After all, one has to keep one's spirits up, right? And with the door safely locked I won't have to share my cake-in-a-cup with any- one…or Anything. You know what one of the most fearsome things about stay-in-place is, for me anyway? It's not having a schedule. All my life I've had to be someplace at a certain time every day: don't be late. Younger years, it was working. Retirement, it was volunteer jobs and those carried a sense of responsibility. How did I know if it was Tuesday or Wednes- day if I didn't have to be some- where? This morning I looked at the clock and thought, "I don't have to be anywhere. I can do whatever I want." Surprise of surprises, I couldn't decide what I wanted. I'm sure I'll get used to it and enjoy be- ing just as slothful as possible. But in the meantime, my Calvinist na- ture says, "Thou shouldest be doing somethingest." Something to do? "The Desert Messenger" published a full page Easter Egg to color, but I don't have any color crayons. Do you sup- pose going to the store for colors is an "essential trip"? While I'm there (to make the trip "essential") I could visit the empty toilet paper aisles and offer someone a "Desert Messenger"; the paper isn't slick, it should do the job. I suppose the so- phisticates would prefer "The Wall Street Journal" but I left my copy in the corporate jet after our last round-the-world yacht trip. And really, I doubt if 911 has an answer. Let's fall back on the old standby: Read. Nap. Nap. Read. Tomorrow, I'll…….. Keep Quartzsite Clean and Beautiful As snowbirds return home to their favorite winter nests, the Desert Messenger wishes to remind everyone not to put their trimmings/ brush in the washes. Please dispose responsibly, anytime, at the Town's chipper yard, near the transfer station on Hwy. 95, 1/2 + mile north of the Firestation. THE TRANSFER STATION IS OPEN SUN. - WED. 7:30AM-2:30PM. Also please remember coyotes are wild animals... please don't feed the wildlife! Computer replacement requires four-day MVD shutdown starting this weekend. All offi ces, third party services and ServiceArizona.com affected The Arizona Department of Trans- portation Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) is scheduled to transition to a new computer system. The transition will require an extended system out- age from 5:00 p.m. Friday, April 17 through Tuesday, April 21, 2020. During this time, no MVD ser- vices will be available online through ServiceArizona or at MVD or Autho- rized Third Party offi ces. This interruption is mitigated some- what by several factors. The fi rst is that registration renewals occur at the beginning of the month or on the 15th. The dates for the shut- down fall between those periods, so customers don't risk missing a re- newal deadline. Also, the COVID-19 health situa- tion has resulted in a delay of the REAL ID deadline by a full year, so customers should delay getting the AZ Travel ID. In addition, Arizona driver licenses set to expire between March 1 and Sept. 1 have had those expiration dates automatically ex- tended by six months. The introduction of this state-of- the-art computer system has been planned for nearly fi ve years and is required because the current plat- form used by MVD has elements that are more than 35 years old and are no longer sustainable. When it becomes operational, the new system will broaden the num- ber and type of services available online any time. The AZ MVD Now application that has been available for several years through ServiceAr- izona.com will expand to approxi- mately 30 services. It can be ac- cessed at azmvdnow.gov or through ServiceArizona. MVD to shut down for 4 days Some of the enhancements avail- able to customers after April 21, in- clude: Central Fulfi llment MVD is making it easier for you to get license plates, registration tabs, titles, and other important docu- ments. Those items will now be mailed to our customer's home or offi ce. Mobile Homes Mobile home titles will be processed through a new system, separate from the MVD's primary system. The title will then be mailed to the customer. AZ MVD Now AZ MVD Now is the Motor Vehicle Division's new online platform. It's fast, easy, secure and personal- ized for you. Every current Arizona MVD customer already has an AZ MVD Now account waiting to be ac- tivated. It's a free, secure, personal account where customers can add funds to pay for various fees and services. • AZ MVD Now is customized for you. Once you set up your account and log in, you will see your infor- mation on your personalized home page. From there, you can easily conduct motor vehicle business. • The account is free. Charges for in- dividual services are set by the State of Arizona. There are no additional fees for online services. ServiceArizona.com will continue to operate for some basic transactions, but customers are encouraged to ac- tivate their personal AZ MVD Now account at azmvdnow.gov for most MVD services. For more information: azdot.gov "Some people are always grumbling because roses have thorns; I am grateful that thorns have roses!" ~ Alphonse Karr

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