Family Fun & Fireworks is being planned for Friday, July 3rd at the Town Park Pavilion.
Once again the community will be gathering to celebrate
Independence Day. Our celebration this year will be on Friday July 3, 2015.
Quartzsite Transit newly named The Camel Express (by popular vote) will be
providing transportation to the activities. Please call Town Hall at
928-927-4333 prior to July 3rd to make reservations for
transportation.
Fireworks will start shortly after 9:00 pm.
Activities will start
at 5:00 pm and include a water slide for the kids, rock stacking contest, dunk
tank, corn hole games, frozen T-shirt contest, hot dogs, corn on the cob, free watermelon & more!
All community groups
are welcome to set up a tent or displays sharing their information and events.
Call Quartzsite Town Hall for more details: 928-927-4333.
Quartzsite, AZ - Town of Quartzsite hosts their annual Summer Program for youth at the Community Center. This year is jam-packed with events for every day! Each day has a theme planned with lots of brand new experiences planned for the children. Children will participate in Yoga & Tai Chi, Rock Painting, Quartzsite Police Tape Maze Race, Quartzsite Fire Dept. Demonstrations, Mexican Folk Dancing, Native American Gourd Painting, Army Boot Camp Obstacle Race, Wacky Science Experiences, Nature Scavenger Hunts, Water Fun and so much more!
Quartzsite First Assembly of God Church provides the youngsters with a meal each day. Staff and volunteers have worked countless hours to provide an education and fun summer program for the youth. The 6-week Summer Program started Monday, June 1st and runs through July 9th. For more information, visit ci.quartzsite.az.us. Or call Quartzsite Town Hall at 928-927-4333.
Quartzsite, AZ - Desert Messenger is proud to coordinate with the Town of Quartzsite in publishing the New 2015/2016 Quartzsite Visitor Guide & Business Directory. The Guide will debut at the Arizona League of Cities and Towns Annual Conference in August, 2015. The Guide will be available for year-round distribution at local businesses and distribution centers, too!
The Official Guide will be widely distributed this year with 50,000 copies for excellent circulation (a whopping 250% more copies than in previous years!) The Quartzsite Business Chamber of Commerce volunteers are excited as they will be able to mail more copies to Chamber offices around the nation.
Advertising is a real bargain this year!Ad prices are actually lower than last year’s rates. There’s also a new selection of full color Ad Sizes this year, which offers something for every advertising budget.
We’re also adding 16 more pages, so the 2015/2016 Official Quartzsite Visitor Guide & Business Directory will have more of the information visitors are seeking. The entire publication will be posted to multiple high traffic websites, including TOWN OF QUARTZSITE, DESERT MESSENGER, & VISIT QUARTZSITE, etc. as an E-Edition Flip Page with direct links to the advertisers.
2015/2016 PRINT ADVERTISING RATES
• Full Page - Back Cover - $1,300
• Full Page - Front/Back Inside Cover/Pg. 3 - $1,100
• Full Page Regular - $900
• 1/2 Page H $550
• 1/2 Page V $550
• 1/3 Page $350
• 1/4 Page - $300
• 1/5 Page - $225
• 1/8 Page - $150
To Reserve your Ad Space in the 2015/2016 Official Quartzsite Visitor Guide & Business Directory,
Email Rain at Editor@DesertMessenger.com.
or Call 928-916-4235.
Deadline is June 20th, so get your space reserved today!
Quartzsite, AZ - Within hours after losing her bid for Arizona State Representative District 5 in August 26th primary election, Jennifer Marie Jones filed a new claim in U.S. District Court - Phoenix, AZ.
The claim dated August 27th, 2014 names the following defendants:
The Town of Parker, Town of Quartzsite, Parker Magistrate James Putz-Artrup, Quartzsite Prosecutor David Ward, former Quartzsite Town Manager Laura Bruno (& husband), former Quartzsite Community Developer Director Stephen Henrichs (& wife), Quartzsite Council Members Mark Orgeron, (& wife) Norma Crooks (& husband), Carol Kelley, and Mike Jewitt (& wife); and Desert Messenger Publisher Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear.
Jones, who represents herself, alleges in the 28-page Complaint CV-14-01907-PNX-SPL, that defendants violated her rights when Quartzsite Police Dept. and Henrichs visited her location at Rice Ranch Swap Meet on August 22, 2013 with a warrant to inspect a 1956 trailer to ensure compliance with Town Codes. According to a press release issued by the Town of Quartzsite they found 15 Pit Bull dogs housed in cages in the trailer. The Town of Quartzsite emailed the press release to the Arizona Republic, Parker Pioneer, Palo Verde Times, and Desert Messenger. It was published on this blog on Aug. 26, 2013. Jones alleges the Press Release was "libelous and defamatory."
Jones' Facebook page profile photo
Jones publishes The Desert Freedom Press, a free tabloid, and proudly proclaims on the paper's Facebook page, "MY FREE SPEECH IS NOT NEGOTIABLE".
In the past few years, Jones ran failed political campaigns for Quartzsite Town Council, Quartzsite Mayor, La Paz County Supervisor and Arizona State Representative Dist. 5. Jones became famous when the 2011 video of her being removed from a town council meeting went "viral." Jones stated she retired from her dog grooming business in the spring of this year.
In her latest claim, Jones alleges Golden-Bear (along with other defendants):
"Violated the First Amendment Right to Free Speech, Press and
Assembly; First Amendment Right to be Free from Retaliation; Fourth Amendment
Right to be Free from Unreasonable Search and Malicious Prosecution;
Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress; Conspiracy to Violate the
Constitutionally Protected Rights of the Plaintiff; see paragraph 66.
Intentional Interference with Contract; Violating of Equal Protection by
Singling out Plaintiff for Unequal Treatment for no other Reason Other Than
Malice, as a Class of One."
Jones is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, along with "attorney's fees" and also demands a jury trial.
As of today, Desert Messenger has not been able to confirm that any defendant has been legally served a summons in this case. See below for the full document.
On a personal note: There is much more I would love to say about a self-proclaimed Free-Speech-Advocate tabloid publisher filing a federal court claim against me for publishing an Official Press Release issued by the Town of Quartzsite, but I won't... for now!
Quartzsite, Arizona- During Wednesday's Coffee with Cops meeting, Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert read the letter (see below) received from La Paz County Sheriff John Drum. According to the letter, Drum has "rescinded" Quartzsite Police Department's (QPD) "authority to 'concurrent jurisdiction' throughout the unincorporated areas of La Paz County." Drum "expects" QPD to contact his office immediately if any Quartzsite Police activity extends into the Sheriff's Office jurisdiction. Drum also stated any self initiated investigation would need "pre-approval."
Gilbert told the crowd that the matter has been handed over to the Town Attorneys. Gilbert stressed that the residents in the unincorporated communities just outside of Quartzsite, namely La Paz Valley and Rainbow Acres, would still be protected by law enforcement officers.
"If we are needed, we will be there for you!" Gilbert stressed. "It's about protecting the public first," he said. Gilbert explained, that many times, QPD officers are the first on the scene, even if it's located outside of Town Limits. With such a large county to cover, often La Paz County Sheriff Deputies are not available in the area, and QPD is called out.
County Attorney dissolved the county Task Force, known as C.A.D.R.E. on June 13th. Police Departments of Quartzsite and Parker were members of the Task Force prior to Drum taking office in January. Since then, Drum and the two Police Chiefs have been at odds in public, sending multiple press releases to local media. Drum made it clear he wants to form his own Task Force, but with recent events, it's unclear whether the only two incorporated Towns in the county will join.
Chief Gilbert also announced QPD's new "No Drugs…No Thugs…No Crime" Campaign aimed at
the prevention and the apprehension of illegal drug and criminal activity in
the Town of Quartzsite.
Gilbert said, "The recent
events that have resulted in the dissolution of the joint drug task force by La
Paz County officials has led the Quartzsite Police Department to take a
different approach in its fight against illegal drug and criminal
activity."
“No Drugs…No Thugs…No Crime”
In a press release issued July 1st, Gilbert stated,
The police
department has already implemented efforts that have led to the arrest of five
individuals for felony drug offenses and one individual for misdemeanor drug
offences in the past few weeks. Illegal
drug activity is often the catalyst to other victim crimes such as burglary,
theft and assaults.
The
Quartzsite Police Department will continue to work with all Local, State and
Federal agencies to further drug investigations and to deter criminal activity
driven by such crimes. “We will take an
aggressive approach to enforcement and prevention through enhanced efforts by
the members of this department.”
Recently,
the Quartzsite Police Department was assisted by the Parker Police Department
in conducting a search warrant after a felony drug arrest. “Chief Mendoza and I are committed to working
together effectively as our criminal activity often crosses boundaries.”
Citizens
are encouraged to report illegal drug activity or any information that could
lead to the arrest of subjects involved with any type of criminal
activity. Please call the Quartzsite
Police Department at (928) 927-4644 or Central Dispatch at (928) 669-2281 and
always remember to call 911 if it is an emergency.
Gilbert assured local residents that the Quartzsite Police Department will continue to serve and protect the public.
Quartzsite, Arizona - According to a Press Release issued January 27th by Quartzsite Town Manager, Alex Taft, the town did not fire attorney Michael Frame as public defender, as previously reported online. [Editor's note: this press release was not reported on by Desert Messenger earlier, due to time constraints and deadlines. I apologize for the lateness.] The following is the press release:
TOWN OF QUARTZSITE
PRESS RELEASE
January 27, 2012
"The Town of Quartzsite has not “fired” Michael Frame as its public defender. Michael Frame was not a Town employee and had no long-term contract to serve as the Town’s public defender. Although the Town submitted a Request for Qualifications in the Spring of 2011, no one, including Michael Frame, submitted qualifications for consideration for a long-term contract with the Town.
Because Michael Frame’s contract with the Town had lapsed, the Town believed that it was in an implied month-to-month contract with Frame. When Frame increased his rates without giving a month’s notice to the Town, the Town realized that either its belief that it had a month-to-month agreement with Frame was erroneous or that Frame was intentionally breaching the month-to-month agreement by raising his rates without providing proper notice. In either event, the Town elected to follow the June 28, 2011 guidance from the Council and cease using Michael Frame as an exclusive public defender and to make appointments using the Superior Court’s appointment list while the town continued searching for a qualified public defender in search of a long-term agreement.
The decision by the Town Council to use the Superior Court’s rotation list was made by a unanimous vote of the Town Council, including then-mayor Ed Foster, and preceded the hiring of Martin Brannan as the Town Attorney and was not influenced by Brannan in any way. The decision to cease its perceived month-to-month contract, which was either perceived in error or breached by Michael Frame, was made solely by the Town Manager and was not influenced, in any way, by Brannan."
Gary Lynn Howell passed away at home from heart failure on October 31, 2011. He is survived by his loving wife, Tona and his children, Shon, Millie, Gary Jr., Robert, Amanda, and Angie. He also has 11 grandchildren. He is also survived by his siblings, Marvin, Danny and Trudy.
A Memorial Service will be held at 10am on Monday, November 7th
at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, located at
455 S. Riggles Rd., Quartzsite.
Gary was a loving and devoted husband and father. He served more than 26 years in the Army and Army Reserve. He loved his home and country. At the time of his death, he was working for the Town of Quartzsite as Code Enforcement. He loved living in Quartzsite. He loved people and people loved him back.
There will be a Summerland Farewell for friends and family at Gary’s home (645 Spring Lane) at 6pm for a final sendoff. Parker Funeral Home Dignity Memorial has taken care of details. 928-669-2156
