Desert Messenger

October 21, 2020 www.DesertMessenger.com 11 Keep Quartzsite Clean and Beautiful As snowbirds return home to their favorite winter nests, the Desert Messenger wishes to remind everyone please dispose of your trimmings responsibly at the Town's chipper yard, near the transfer station, on Hwy. 95, 1/2 + mile north of the Firestation. Please cover your loads. FOR TRASH: THE TRANSFER STATION IS OPEN SUN.- WED. 7:30AM-2:30PM Please do not dump outside the gate during off hours Also please remember coyotes are wild animals... please don't feed the wildlife! Read Desert Messenger online! Sign up for free email alerts when the Desert Messenger becomes available online! Join thousands reading the paper online at: www.DesertMessengerOnline.com The unprecedented coronavi- rus pandemic has a lot of people on edge. There are rising levels off anxiety, uncertainty and fear across the country. The Salvation Army has launched, what it's calling, the fi rst nationwide hotline to provide emotional and spiritual support to anyone impacted by the crisis. The service is open to anyone looking for spiritual guidance, local ser- vices, or just someone to talk to. The Salvation Army says they have pastors and emotional-care per- sonnel ready to listen. During this time of increased stress and anxity, if you need some- one to talk to, please call our free emotional and spiritual support hotline. Staff are available from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. EST, and counselors speak English and Spanish. 1-844-458-HOPE (4673) If calling after hours, The Salvation Army says callers are encouraged to leave a message. Emotional & spiritual support from TSA Stay up to date with Town Hall Town of Quartzsite now offers text notifi cations on your phone through TextMyGov. iWorQ is excited to an- nounce a strategic partnership with @TextMyGov to expand citizen en- gagement with text messaging To opt in, text the word "QUARTZSITE" to 91896. What to expect: After the initial keyword is sent, you'll receive a confi rmation message asking you to reply "YES" to verify opt-in. There will be 0-4 text messages per month with a notifi cation from the Town regarding the categories you are opted-in for. Message and data rates may apply. Check with your mo- bile phone carrieer for more details. How to Opt-Out: Text "STOP" at any time to remove yourself from the notifi caiton list. Also are you looking for an- swers? Need to report an issue? Now you can Text the Town of Quartzsite directly. Introducing the new way to skip a phone call and use your mobile phone's text messaging to fi nd answers to your questions. Text "hi" or one the words listed be- low, to 928-260-4442. "Trees, Sewer, Contact, Street, Wa- ter, Pothole, Weeds, Departments, FAQ." TextMyGov will help you to quick- ly fi nd the answers your looking for or help you to report an issue to the Town. COVID-19 Rapid Testing available in La Paz County The Battle of the Bunnies and What to Plant When By Alex Taft Growing up in the northeast with a single growing season did not pre- pare me for the desert's growing seasons. One is upon us right now. The plants know, even if we don't. A second blooming or new green leaves sprout to let us know a growing season is upon us. To sort out what to plant when, since natural rhythms are so different here, I went to the library. "Month by Month, Gardening in The Deserts of Arizona" by Mary Irish mapped the growing seasons out for me. It spells out what to plant by month, sorted by vegetables, shrubs, fl owers, trees etc. This book will help anyone indoctrinated in the northern grow- ing season mindset to regroup and enjoy a garden all year. The library has two copies. Now what to plant when is part of the battle of having a successful landscape – winning the battle of the bunnies is the other. In Dennis's master gardener class on growing fruits and vegetables he describes in minute detail how to outsmart all the critters who are determined to enjoy what we plant. Gardening with Dennis - The Master Gardener Program Battle of the bunnies, by the way, is his term, not mine. He discusses in his class how to prevent bunnies, lizards, ground squirrels and birds from invading the garden. His solution: he built a fortress. This may sound like overkill, and you do not need to go to quite these lengths but Dennis was thorough. He dug a ditch around his garden and placed screening in it to dis- courage critters from burrowing. He built a frame that he stretched screen over so they could not hop in and help themselves and he built a roof with the ability to shade and screen to keep the birds out. His garden was very successful. We all enjoyed what he grew. He shared what he grew or cooked with what he grew and shared what he cooked. Anyone who worked in the library or belonged to the garden club ben- efi tted from Dennis's generosity. His discus- sion of his learning pro- cess to defeat the bun- nies and other critters was an insanely funny part of his class and also very informative. He communicated all the frustration of someone who just spent $20.00 on a plant, only to have it mowed down by morning. The moral of the story is to use screening, or plant in raised beds or containers that bunnies and lizards cannot reach and enjoy the sense of accomplishment that growing things can bring. shared what he grew or cooked with what he grew and shared what he cooked. Anyone who worked in the library or belonged La Paz Regional Hospital in Park- er, AZ is now offering same day turnaround on Covid-19 testing. The rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test uses a sample from your nose or throat and you get your results the same day. No doctor's order needed and most insurances cover the test. No insurance cash price is $70.00. Re- sults are available the same day thru our confi dential patient portal on our website. Don't wait a week or two for your results. At La Paz Re- gional Hospital, challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic reinforce our commitment to caring. Offered at the hospital main lab by appoint- ment, call 928-669-7300, Monday thru Friday 8 am to 1 pm. The hos- pital is located at 1200 S. Mohave Ave., Parker, AZ.

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