Quartzsite loses Bob Nickerson, publisher of Quartzsite Crier

Quartzsite residents are grieving the loss of a dear friend, Robert "Bob" F. Nickerson who died Friday, January 25, 2013 at his home at the age of 63. Bob, who many referred to "Chef Bob" or "Nick", gave so much to the community of Quartzsite.

Bob came to Quartzsite very little, but soon began working at local businesses on W. Main St., including Kittie's Ice Cream and Addicted to Deals.

Bob also served as the caretaker at Quartzsite Senior Center and enjoyed cooked many meals for the elders. He had an unusual flair with flavors, much to the delight of the seniors. He also helped in the remodeling of the Senior Center kitchen.

Bob and I talked about options for his Bible Word Search Puzzle, as it would not be a perfect fit for the Desert Messenger. He soon decided to publish the free "Quartzsite Crier", which was full of funny cartoons, jokes, sayings, and of course, his famous Word Search Puzzle. He was so excited when he received his business license, and then published the "Quartzsite Crier" the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of the month. Advertisers supported his project of sharing his sense of humor with folks around town. He published Quartzsite Crier for over two years before his health began to decline.

His latest endeavor was the free publication "Quartzsite Funny Bone" which came out just last month, with the support of Norm Simpson, owner of Mountain Quail Cafe, as publisher.

Bob studied very hard and became a licensed Minister. He started "The Voice in the Wilderness Ministry". He was a staunch supporter of "Giving a Hand Up" not "a hand out". As his health declined, Bob would often call his friends and just say how much he appreciated their friendship. He knew his time was short and lived life fully.

Bob's Facebook page reads, I "am an ordained Minister, Have an Open Air Ministry, "The Voice in the Wilderness" dedicated to serving God and helping those in need with housing, food and other daily needs, utilizing funds or products donated to my ministry. If unable to personally help, will refer them to someone who can. I will not rest until those coming to me, asking for help, are helped. Didn't JESUS say: "So you've done unto the least of me, you've done unto me also."

His favorite quote was, "Laughter is the best medicine!"

Rest in Peace, Bob. Services are pending.


Shanana Rain Golden-Bear
Publisher/Editor Desert Messenger
www.DesertMessenger.com

Quartzsite Senior Center weighs in on "us vs. them"

Letter to editor from Wayne Wilson,
President, Quartzsite Senior Center:

The Quartzsite Senior Citizens Center (QSC/Senior Center) was organized for educational, recreational and entertainment purposes, for enrichment of the lives of the senior citizens of the community. QSC strives to maintain a congenial and stress-free atmosphere by disallowing offensive behavior and confrontational discussions.


During the short time I've been involved with the Senior Center that all seemed to be working pretty well. Until this past spring. A result of the unrest in Quartzsite is that some QSC members stated in March and April 2011 that they would not come to the Senior Center anymore as long as The Desert Freedom Press remained available there. This concern was discussed at some length at the April 2011 QSC Board Meeting where it was decided that individuals have the choice of reading or not reading any publication available at the Senior Center. (The Desert Messenger has been available for quite awhile, as well as the Quartzsite Crier News.)

The "us vs them" situation in Quartzsite is serious enough without using who-reads-what criteria to add to it. I miss the members no longer coming to the Senior Center and invite them to return to socialize and have fun with all of us again. I don't care what publications they read or ignore. I only care about our members and the pleasure of their presence.

Wayne Wilson
Quartzsite Senior Center President