Desert Messenger

October 5, 2016 www.DesertMessenger.com 7 Opinions expressed in letters to the editor do not necessarily represent those of the Desert Messenger. letters to the editor PRIVACY MATTERS Despite all of the political signs, Facebook postings, Tweets, and newspaper ads, politicians main- tain a private side. In general, people tend to be very private creatures. More than sim- ply valuing their privacy, people go out of their way to keep certain things hidden from others. People who do bad things are inclined to hide their bad deeds. People who do good things are equally inclined to hide their good deeds. It is not surprising that people who do really bad things are inclined to hide their works; but some may find it mystifying that people who do really good things may also go to great lengths to hide what they do. The reason is simple: They live by a code. While people hide the bad that they do to avoid censure or, perhaps, prosecution, many people hide the good that they do in order to avoid glory-seeking, boasting, and pride. Under normal conditions, most of us are inclined to let others have their privacy; we do not pry. Until the political season comes. As No- vember approaches in an election year we try to figure out the candi- Corner of Moon Mt. & Cowell • Quartzsite • 928-927-5400 QUARTZSITE'S ONLY YEAR ROUND SALON Cheyanne, Debbi, and Sandy ARE HERE FOR ALL YOUR OPEN YEAR ROUND! Hair, Nails, and Pedicure Services dates. We want to know what they stand for, judge their work ethics, estimate their intelligence, and sum up their levels of integrity--not easy to do when candidates (like the rest of us) tend to keep both the good and the bad far from public view. Deciding who would make the best leaders can be tricky, especially when one of the qualities of a great leader is to take responsibility for anything that goes wrong and pass the credit to others for all that goes right. Realizing we can never learn all there is to know about a candidate's experience and past actions, and recognizing that there is a natural disinclination to be transparent with truly personal matters, voters are not left to make random guesses as to the best people for political office. I invite you to take every opportu- nity to meet the candidates. There are some people of excellent charac- ter and sound judgment running for office in La Paz County. They may not tell you of their personal victo- ries and their many good works, but they cannot hide the warmth of their handshakes, the joy in their smiles, and the light in their eyes. I express my gratitude to all of the good people who are willing to step forward to shoulder the burden of public duty. I urge voters to choose men and women of character to lead our county, our state, and our nation. Karen L. Hobbs Chief Deputy La Paz County Attorney Superintendent Douglas Headed to Parker for Education Public Meeting Superintendent of Public Instruc- tion Diane Douglas will host "We Are Listening" Tour 2016 from 6:30-8:30 p.m on Tuesday, Oc- tober 4, at Parker High School, Alumni Hall 1600 Kofa Ave., Parker. Douglas will hold 1:1 discussions with Arizona educators, parents, students and citizens about K-12 education, provide a brief over- view of the formal state education plan AZ Kids Can't Wait!, and go over the basics of the new federal education policy Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) and its rami- fications for Arizona students and teachers. All K-12 topics are open for discussion. Events are free and open to the public. Riggles RV Community and Event Center will host a Grand Opening Saturday, October 22, 3pm to 7pm. The new RV Park is located at 240 N Riggles Ave. VFW Post 769 will do a flag dedication at 5:15 pm. Everyone is welcome to come and see what they have to offer. There will be sloppy joes and hot dogs, chips and a beverage. Live enter- tainment will be provided by Paul Winer. The building will be open for the community to rent year- round for special events. Come and meet Manager Nancy, Saltie and Pepper. For more infor- mation, phone 928-927-2091 or Email:rigglesrvpark@gmail.com. New RV Park hosts Grand Opening We are listening tour

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