Desert Messenger

September 20, 2023 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 Look up at the stars and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious. ~ Stephen Hawking GFWC Arizona ViSaWen Women's Club WELCOME BACK TO THE DESERT Can you believe it? It's time to begin the next year of fun for the ladies of ViSaWen. I'm sure the president and vice president have planned many interesting activities for ev- eryone throughout the coming year. Our first meeting will be September 7th. That's just around the corner ladies. We will begin finalizing plans for our 2023 events at this meeting so members will want to be there to put in their two cents worth. FROM THE PRESIDENT Was it HOT this year? Yes! Yes it was. Was there a monsoon? Maybe a little. Isure hope we get wonderful weather for this fall/winter season! ViSaWen is going to have so much fun! Gonna be working on projects, and crafty stuff as well as the usual fund raisers. Come, give us a test drive! I can't wait to see all the smil- ing faces and willing hands. I will be there by October. For now, the best from Washington!! Nancy Eidsmoe, President DICK WICK HALL PIE SALES Yes! This event is coming soon: Oc- tober 14th. ViSaWen will once again be making their delicious pies. More on this subject in October. HOLIDAY BAZAAR November 11th has been set as the date of the Club's annual Holiday Bazaar. This is also Veterans Day and members felt it would be a good addition to our annual sale. It will be a Red White & Blue Holiday Bazaar. More will be announced as plans are finalized. CUTLERY Members can be found at the Club- house, located at 66918 Avenue C, Salome, AZ, each Monday morning for assistance in selecting any RADA cutlery that's needed. Although our inventory is large, any item not in stock can be ordered and received quickly. If dropping by on Monday isn't convenient, you may contact Deb Banks (806-336-2896) or Bev Owens (925-550-1362) any time to place an order. And while sup- plies last, for every $50 of RADA purchased, the buyer may pick out an item from our discontinued in- ventory stock as a bonus. Contact Deb or Bev and they'll be happy to help you! Remember, RADA makes wonderful gifts! NEXT MEETING The first business meeting is set for September 7th, 1:00 pm in the clubhouse located at 66918 Avenue C, Salome, AZ. Dues for the 2023- 2024 year are now payable. GFWC- AZ ViSaWen is open to all women who wish to volunteer in pursuit of helping better our community. See any club member for an application; business meetings occur September through May on the first Thurs- day. Monthly socials begin in Oc- tober and are normally on the third Thursday. Members gather every Monday at 10:00 a.m. to socialize and work on projects throughout the year. The clubhouse is located right behind the McMullen Valley Fire Station. GFWC: "Dedicated to Community Improvement by Enhancing the Lives of Others through Volunteer Service. BLM reopens LTVA for winter Mule Mountain, Pilot Knob, and Tamarisk. If you arrive after business hours, please park and set up your campsite at the LTVA, then proceed to one of the locations above the following morning to exchange your pass for a permit and decal(s). Passes are non-transferable, non-re- fundable, not replaceable if lost or stolen, and are void if altered or reproduced. The Yuma Field Office manages 1.2 million acres of southwestern Arizona and southeastern California. The area includes 155 miles of the lower Colorado River, a destination for hundreds of thousands of visi- tors seeking water-related recreation year-round. In winter, the desert becomes a small city as long-term campers escape the northern winter. The river and desert provide habi- tat for desert bighorn sheep, Yuma clapper rail, flat-tailed horned liz- ard, and other wildlife, as well as wild burros and horses. The field office oversees four wil- derness areas, along with significant archeological and historic sites. It is home to Juan Bautista de Anza Na- tional Historic Trail, three Areas of Critical Environmental Concern, five properties listed on the National Reg- ister of Historic Places and Betty's Kitchen National Recreation Trail. BLM also manages FIVE free camping areas around Quartzsite. Free camping not to exceed 14 days in a 28-day period is permitted in non-fee Quartzsite BLM areas. Plomosa Road: Off 95 north of Quartzsite on north and south sides of Plomosa Road. Hi Jolly/MM112: About 3 miles north of Quartzsite on US Highway 95. Dome Rock Mountain: West from Quartzsite about 6 miles. Scaddan Wash: About 3.5 miles east of Quartzsite. Road Runner: On the west side of US 95, about 5 miles south of Quartzsite. The Yuma Field Office is part of the Colorado River District. For more details visit blm.gov/ or call 928-317-3200. Every year, thousands of visitors come to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities of- fered at BLM´s Long Term Visitor Areas (LTVAs), where visitors may camp for as long as seven months. Winter visitors who wish to stay in an LTVA, must purchase a long term permit. Long Term Visitor Area Per- mit is required from September 15th through April 15th each season. The cost is $180.00 and is valid for up to 7 months. A Short Term Permit can be purchased for a 14-day stay. This permit is $40.00. Permits may be purchased on site or at the BLM Yuma Field Office in Yuma. Signs currently posted at each check in station states, "Due to a contracting issue the Long Term Visitor Area print order has not been completed in time for the Sept. 15th opening. We apologize for this inconvenience and ask that you continue in and establish your campsite. We hope to have this is- sue corrected by october 15, 2022 or sooner. When the American Flag is flown at any station, all visitors will be required to return and purchase a permit. Thank you!" The LTVA was created in 1983 to fulfill the needs of winter visitors and to protect the local desert ecosystem from over-use. The campground is ap- proximately 11,400 acres in size, flat landscape, sparsely vegetated with plants such as Creosote bushes, Palo Verde trees, Ironwood trees, Mesquite trees and various species of cacti. A Long-Term Visitor Area (LTVA) pass is required to use a Bureau of Land Management (BLM) desig- nated LTVAs. A long-term visitor pass allows for continuous use of BLM LTVAs from September 15 to April 15 (a total of 7 months), while a short-term visitor pass covers any 14 consecutive day period from Sep- tember 15 to April 15. The start date for a short-term visitor pass begins the day it is exchanged for a permit and decal. The permit and decal(s) are valid at all Bureau of Land Man- agement LTVAs, which include Hot Springs, Imperial, La Posa, Midland,

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