Desert Messenger

December 16, 2020 www.DesertMessenger.com 25 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! OHV Decal required for nonresidents to ride in Arizona, purchased only through AZGFD Out-of-state residents wishing to legally ride their off-highway ve- hicle and support OHV trail main- tenance, education and law en- forcement efforts in Arizona can purchase a nonresident OHV decal beginning September of 2019. The new decal was supported and pushed by the OHV riding commu- nity during the 2019 legislative ses- sion and was signed into law by Gov. Doug Ducey. The law requires non- resident OHV owners to purchase a decal to operate the machines with- in the state. All OHVs designed by the manufac- turer primarily for use over unim- proved terrain and that weigh 2,500 pounds or less are required by law to display a valid OHV decal to oper- ate on public and state trust lands. This includes "street legal" OHVs that meet these two requirements. Before the law was passed, nonres- ident OHV owners could ride their machines within the state for up to 30 days only if their state had a sim- ilar in-state resident decal program. There is no longer a grace period allowing nonresidents to operate without an Arizona decal and own- ers are now required to purchase a decal before operating their ma- chines within the state. Those caught riding without a cur- rent decal can be fi ned. Both resident and nonresident OHV decals cost $25 (plus a $5 pro- cessing fee) and are good for one year from the purchase date. While the resident OHV decal can be pur- chased at any Arizona Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Division offi ce or at www.servicear- izona.com, the nonresident OHV decal can only be purchased online through an Arizona Game and Fish Department portal account, which can be created at www.azgfd.gov by clicking "My Account." After registering for a new account, users should click on "AZGFD Apps" and select "special licenses" from the dropdown menu to purchase the nonresident decal. The decal will not be sold at AZGFD offi ces and nonresidents with multiple ma- chines must purchase additional decals as each OHV must have its own decal. Owners should also know that: • Decals are not transferable be- tween OHVs. • The nonresident OHV decal will be mailed within two to three weeks from the date of purchase, but pur- chasers can show their emailed re- ceipt (or a screenshot of it) for up to 30 days as proof of decal purchase. • Owners/riders must have the re- ceipt readily available if requested by law enforcement or until they re- ceive their decal. • Exemptions from the law include those participating in OHV special events; operating on private land; loading or unloading from a vehicle; operating during an emergency, if directed by a law enforcement offi - cer; or if the OHV it displays a valid dealer license plate. • Helmets are required by law to be worn by all operators and passen- gers under the age of 18, but they're strongly recommended for everyone. Funding raised by the decal program supports OHV opportunities and rid- er education in the state. Thirty per- cent of the funds collected go into the state's Highway User Revenue Fund, which is distributed to counties and cities for road and highway mainte- nance. The remaining 70 percent of the funds are split as follows: •60 percent to Arizona State Parks for grants and agreements, trail construction, development and maintenance, signage and maps. • 35 percent to the Arizona Game and Fish Department for law en- forcement, education and outreach. • 5 percent to the Arizona State Land Department for mitigation, signage and enforcement. Learn more:azstateparks.com/ohv Non-resident OHV riders require decal By Jackie Deal Ubie needs a raincoat. You see, we're wintering where it's a bit rainy. We had to decide: spend the winter in dear ole Quartzsite or try some- thing new. Maybe the Bahamas? Ubie didn't think she'd like the hur- ricanes. The very thought made her strings vibrate, hhhm, hhhmm. So we're in dear ole rainy Oregon. And when I take Ubie to her lessons she's exposed (exposed?? OH, My!) to the rain! For those of you who aren't devoted readers: Ubie is my adopted uku- lele/banjo. She's far more adept and talented than I am but she tolerates my pestering her. I just Googled it, as you know I Google everything. I tried "car- rying cases for ukuleles" and found some but Ubie has a very long neck and a round bottom (that's how I know she's a she) like a banjo. So I tried banjo cases. Wow! There were padded ones and one that was a "hard-shell professional fi ve string banjo" case. There's a "hard-shell professional fi ve string banjo? I didn't know that, but then there's a lot that I don't know. Ubie only has 4 strings, I wouldn't want her to feel inferior, would you? A ukulele teacher here invited me to join her—I can't say class since we're meeting; one-on-one- but she's trying to teach me something. It's not her fault that my fi ngers still have a mind of their own. She loaned me a tuner and so Ubie proudly sports a bright shiny blue adornment on her head. It fl ashes red, yellow and green and tells me what key I'm supposed to be tuned to for each string. I very gingerly adjust her strings; it's like my friend's dog I don't want to aggravate it cuz the little thing gets nippy. Right now Ubie is nestled in her little basket. The other day she got out of the basket and disappeared. I don't know how it happened but she was #11 Saga of an inept ukulele student Licensed & Insured BLM Approved! 27 Years Experience 27 Years Experience Miller RV Repair is BACK IN QUARTZSITE! 406-212-0155 under my chair. Under? Oh, hor- rors. She's okay, no visible dam- age but I expect the Social Service workers or the Humane Society to appear at any minute and declare me an unfi t Mother. Maybe even the Society For the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals might come. I promise to be more careful and Ubie promises to stay in her basket. Time to go give her some attention. Pray for me!

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