Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com January 6, 2021 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 OWNER/EDITOR/PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN/ AP AR MARKETING EXECUTIVE/CLASSIFIEDS Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING JOURNALIST Jackie Deal CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.MyQuartzsite.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2020 © Copyright All Rights Reserved Copyright 2013 Opinions expressed herein are not necessarily those of the Desert Messenger. LIKE US on Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews FOLLOW US on Twitter @QuartzsiteRain By Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear DEADLINE : WED. JAN. 13 TH for Jan. 20 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com I refuse to allow any man-made differences to separate me from any other human beings. ~ Maya Angelou QUARTZSITE ROCKS! Licensed & Insured BLM Approved! 27 Years Experience 27 Years Experience Miller RV Repair is BACK IN QUARTZSITE! 406-212-0155 COVID-19 Testing available in La Paz County Regional Center for Border Health in Parker offers drive-thru testing every Monday thru Thurs- day, 7- 11 AM. (928) 680-1468. La Paz Regional Hospital is avail- able for same day COVID-19 test- ing. Due to the overwhelming re- sponse to same day testing, the hospital has implemented a system to reduce wait times. 601 Riverside Drive, Parker (928) 256-4110. A testing station has been set up in the Serenity Garden to the left of the front entrance of the hospital. Testing will begin at 8 a.m. and is limited to 60 tests per day. There has been such a high demand for testing that wait times have ex- ceeded our expectations. In order to ensure we are meeting social dis- tancing guidelines, we need to limit people in the testing area. "We want to limit exposure and prevent any long waiting times in this winter weather, so we will check patients in and give them a time to return for testing," says Kevin Brown, CEO. "While the tests will continue to be offered on a fi rst-come, fi rst- served basis to the fi rst 60 patients, the actual tests will be staggered on an hourly basis. The fi rst 60 pa- tients will be tested the same day, with patients given a time to return for their test. This way, patients may leave for breakfast or go home until their testing time occurs." La Paz Regional Hospital offers same day turnaround on COVID- 19 testing. The rapid, point-of-care diagnostic test uses a sample from your nose and you get your results the same day. No doctor's order needed and most insurance covers the test. No insurance cash price is $70.00. Results are available the same day through our confi dential patient portal on our website, www. lapazhospital.org. 1200 Mohave Rd. Parker (928) 669-9201. So, it's fi nally the new year in Quartzsite with shows opening up all over Town. Some folks are wear- ing face coverings, while many oth- ers are not or will not. There is no mask "mandate" in Quartzsite, oth- er than on Town Properties, such as Library (closed), Community Cen- ter (closed), and Town Park. Without a town-wide face cover- ing mandate, it's up to businesses and all of us to decide how keep the public safe in our community. Many concerned business owners joined together in the fall to address their concerns as visitors began to arrive. It was suggested to encourage our visitors and residents to join with us and make a pledge to keep everyone safe while in public. Hence the new buttons available at the chamber. I grew up in a community that we were actually concerned about the welfare of our neighbors. I know, that may sound Pollyannaish, with the antimaskers arguing, "I take care of myself; you worry about you." I've been yelled at for encour- aging people to be mindful or our elderly population during this pan- demic. I've been chastised for wor- rying about our seniors. Then our Senior Center got hit with the virus and good folks are sick and quaran- tining. We've already lost too many good people after becoming sick with this virus. Like in politics, people can say anything they want, but just saying it does not change the facts. We cannot allow ourselves to get so angry each other that we become enemies in our own neighborhoods. We donate to the food bank, we give to charities, we help the homeless, we support our veterans, we take in stray animals. We humans do care about each other, but sometimes forget how interconnected we really are. So, it's the same connection to each other that I choose to wear a face covering while in public and I hope you do also! Our nation has survived wars, pro- tests, anger, discontent, fear before. Our nation can survive, if we all re- alize how important relationships and community are to society. Franklin D. Roosevelt's Last Message to the American People: Today we are faced with the pre- eminent fact that, if civilization is to survive, we must cultivate the science of human relationships—the ability of all peoples, of all kinds, to live together and work together, in the same world, at peace.

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