Desert Messenger

6 www.DesertMessenger.com November 15, 2023 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 NOW PUBLISHED ONCE/MONTH on the 3rd Wednesday of each month OWNER/EDITOR/PUBLISHER GRAPHIC DESIGN/ AP AR MARKETING EXECUTIVE/CLASSIFIEDS Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER Starr BearCat NAME PLATE DESIGN Paul Winer www.DesertMessenger.com www.DesertMessengerOnline.com E-mail: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 2023-24 © 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 QUARTZSITE ROCKS! EDITORIAL LETTERS TO EDITOR POLICY Desert Messenger encourages letters from its readers. Letters should be no longer than 300 words, and may be edited for grammar, content and length. OPINIONS EXPRESSED HEREIN DO NOT NECESSARILY REPRESENT THOSE OF THE DESERT MESSENGER. We invite you to not only see a problem, but search for the solution to share with the community, keeping the benefit of all in mind. Letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited or dominated by Scripture quotes will not be published. Third party letters will not be accepted. To avoid confusion over people with common or similar names, writers must provide a full name and indicate the name they are known by. Writers must provide a full street address and phone number. Rvers can provide the location of park/BLM land, etc. Street addresses will not be published. Phone numbers are for verification only and will not be printed. Send letters to: Desert Messenger, P.O. Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359 or E-mail to: Editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 Desert Messenger News celebrates 20 th year anniversary Quartzsite, AZ – Shanana Rain Golden-Bear, Publisher of Desert Messenger News, announced at the monthly Ladies Luncheon on Tues- day, August 1st that she will be re- tiring the print edition of the com- munity paper in May, 2024. She explained when she took over the 4-year old paper in 2008, she com- mitted to publishing the paper for only four more years. She said, "The number four is very sacred to me. Those four years went by, and I made commitment to an- other four years. Those four years went by again and another commit- ment was made. This year will be the completion of my fourth 4-year commitment and also happens to be the 20th anniversary!" The paper was founded in 2004 by Walt Akin, a plumber and Quartzsite Town council member, who later was appointed Mayor. The newspaper industry has faced signifi cant challenges in recent years due to the rise in printing costs, de- clines in print advertising and read- ers adopting digital news sources. In 2008, when Golden-Bear acquired the paper, it was only 12 pages, and there were a total of three Quartzsite papers available. Also back then, both the Blythe and Parker weekly news- papers actually covered Quartzsite news, but they cut back local cover- age many years ago. Golden-Bear said plans are in the works for readers to be able to ac- cess 20 years of past editions online at www.DesertMessenger.com. "I'm excited to share the past 20 years of Quartzsite history from the eyes of a small town publisher. I am open to possibilities and look forward to what the universe has in store for me!" Be sure to check out the online ed- itoins for expanded editions of 20 years of Quartzsite History! Keep up to date by LIKING Desert Messenger News Facebook page. DEADLINE : WED. DEC. 13 TH for Dec. 20 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com I remember what decency looked like. When I fi rst started waitress- ing in my teenage years, we all knew the manager would protect us if customers misbehaved. Then I became a restaurant manager in a fi ne dining establishment, and I defi nately would not allow custom- ers to be rude to my staff or disturb the dining experience of others. Customers were expected to com- municate dissatisfaction while still preserving decorum. It was very rare to witness a person in public raging at a service provider. People could actually express their frustra- tion without pulling a weapon and threatening each other. Yeah, those were the good 'ol days, right? We all feel fear and anger at times, but we can control how we react to those feelings. Dr. Asa Don Brown, Ph.D. ex- plains in Psychology Today, "Avoiding the use of yelling, is not an indication that we are weak, per- missive, laissez-faire, or lacking in personal strength. Rather, by avoid- ing yelling, we are capable of being in personal self-control and compe- tent during challenging times." He suggests when engaging with others, be mindful and aware of your personal demeanor. Consider using breathing techniques, prayer, or meditation. I totally understand the frustra- tion we all are feeling these days. Social media has provided an outlet for suppressed anger. But how to en- gage without being a jerk takes prac- tice. And a lot of counting to 10! Let us commit to being more com- passionate towards each other as this season of Thanksgiving is upon us. It's that time of year when visi- tors to our small town create more lines. Take a few moments to just say hi to those around us. Smile and breathe into a beautiful new day. Remember to fi nd something to be grateful for each day. Wishing our winter visitors a warm welcome to our small town. Most of us are glad you chose to come to Quartzsite! Enjoy your time with us and hope you return! "A single act of Kindness throws out roots in all directions, and the roots spring up and make new trees. ~Amelia Earhart

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