Desert Messenger

16 www.DesertMessenger.com April 19, 2023 Facebook.com/ DesertMessengerNews • Birth • Obituary • Anniversary Place it FREE in the: Desert Messenger! 928-916-4235 Got something to share? COUNCIL FROM PAGE 15 as a fi tness center or have another building to use as a fi tness cen- ter. She said, "The community de- serves a place where they can come and stay fi t, relas, enjoy and talk." Council Member BearCat asked if she wanted the building expanded. Jewel prefers a separate building to put fi tness equipment in. BearCat asked if the annex can be used as a preschool and after-school program. Jewell said that this can be possible and certifi cation will be needed to provide services. Currently there are 20-32 kids attending the after- school program. Annex has capac- ity of 150. Council Member Rosner asked if there are projects for the Town to expand community ser- vices. Town Manager Ferguson said that this is of course something we would like to do, offer more servic- es. "We should have a good concept of what we want to do by the end of the year." Janet Collier presented the Tran- sit budget and copy of the current rider's guide seeking Council's opinion. Janet also provided ac- complishments for the budget and what they are looking to do in the future. Transit had a survey for pas- sengers to let them know how they can improve. "ADOT has different processes which means we need to approve this budget request in De- cember. We redesigned our budget to match what our needs are and what monies we have received and how to best use them. Every June, WACOG contract is renewed. "We don't know what kind of funds they will have available for distribution although they have stayed consis- tent with around $17,500. Transit is back serving Yuma and Lake Havasu City. All buses are on replacement schedules. The price went up due to COVID. They were given 18 months for delivery of the new buses, and there are no additional funds due. The Town repaired one of the bus- ses so now there are three running. General Fund Contingency has not been used. The American Relief Plan Act Funds. The town received $628,389 which was used for Well #4. There are some funds left which they would like to use for the storage tank. Town Manager Ferguson spoke about grant writing and classes that were taken by some of the staff. These classes are available for all staff members and Council Mem- bers. He also thanked the staff for all the work they put into the budget workshop presentations. This purple wildfl ower acts like poison ivy As the weather warms, our desert begins to bloom. Not all beautiful fl owers are safe. Scorpion Weed, Phacelia distans, is native to local walking paths, washes, slopes, and roadsides. It is an annual shrub that grows from one – three feet tall, dis- tinguished by a coiled purple fl ower resembling a scorpion tail. Pretty purple flowers ... ouch! Desert Messenger offers FREE Classifi ed Ads! Here's the small print: Items for sale under $500. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Garage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com This member of the Borage fam- ily blooms from February through June. Oils on the hairs of the seed pods and stem can cause a rash similar to poison oak. Oils rub onto socks, pant bottoms, shoes and pet fur. The itchy rash can last several days. Scratching will exacerbate the ir- ritation and risk spreading the oil. Suppose you have come into contact with scorpion weed. In that case, the Mayo Clinci self-care approach includes avoiding the irritant, ap- plying anti-itch cream such as hy- drocortisone cream, taking an anti- itch drug such as diphenhydramine, and applying a cool wet compress to relieve itching. Protect your skin by avoiding scratching, covering the area with a dressing, and leaving the blisters alone. Also, avoid the sun while healing. ~ La Paz County Health Dept. DEADLINE : WED. MA Y 10 TH for May 17 TH edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com Read Desert Messenger News while traveling Sign up for free email alerts when the Desert Messenger becomes available online! Join thousands reading the paper online at: www.DesertMessengerOnline.com

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