Quartzsite People to People Ambassador

The Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a "Quartzsite Grouch" Contest to benefit seventh grader, Zach Behrendt and other local students. Zach has been chosen to be a a Student Ambassador for People to People with plans on going to China this summer! People to People Ambassadors Program was founded in 1956 by President Dwight D. Eisenhower. The following is provided by the Chamber: Grouch Nominees – are nominated by at least 3 Grouch Sponsors (ensuring a consensus of three citizens) with the express permission of the nominee and a $50 Entry Fee – which 100% goes to the 2009 Scholastic Award – Zachary Behrendt’s trip to China. Voting – Voting will occur - at an event to be announced in advance before April 10th – where Grouch Sponsors will collect Pledge Votes ($1 Dollar Per Vote). ALL VOTES will be cast at the Event with Dollars collected, including Individual donations and credit card charges which will also be accepted. Grouch Garb – Groups and clubs will be encouraged to prepare and submit "Grouch Garb" to include a Crown, a Rod, a Cape and such other "presentable" accessories. A $25 Entry Fee will accompany all Grouch Garb submittals, and VOTES will be cast in Quarters (US $.25). Reigning Grouch Duties – The winning Grouch will be invited to participate at most events and other selected appearances throughout the year. Alternate Grouches may participate should the Reigning Grouch nominate substitute Grouches to appear in the grouch’s place. If you have any questions, concerns, suggestions or suggested Grouches, please call the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce Event Info line 928-927-4416. All suggestions will be considered and decided by consensus. The Grouch Contest is proposed "all in fun… in good humor and jest", and we would hope the FUN can be shared by all – always. There is no personal offense, diminishment or derogatory inferences intended and we expect that mature adults can share some fun for the benefit of our Quartzsite students.

Testimonials for Free Paper Week

National Free Paper Week, March 15-21, 2009 was a great success in Quartzsite! On page 13 of March 18 issue, the following letters were published. What a wonderful response from this community! Also the first Desert Messenger newspaper box was place right in front of Town Hall. We are woking on a few more to be place in key locations around town. Watch for them soon!
Here are the sweet letters from advertisers and readers:


Dear Rain,
After being a Real Estate Broker for in access of 30 years and spending thousands and thousands of dollars in advertising with radio, TV and newspaper, I must say for dollar spent and dollar returned your paper is the best. Not only do you do excellent work on your layout and publishing, you are very conscientious and a joy to work with. Thank you. Keep up the good work.
Hank Covey
Broker for AZ Properties
Unlimited, LLC


Dear Editor,
Thank you for wonderful newspaper. It has been a rewarding experience to write the column, Thoughtbuster.com for your paper.
I have gained wonderful feedback and new clients from my articles. Just goes to show people do like good news. Thank you, Coach Louise


Dear Rain,
I want to send this letter to you in appreciation for your wonderful help in publicizing my cardio vascular screening business! I have met a number of people who have read your paper and responded to my advertising. You have been so creative and helpful. I appreciate your willingness to "brainstorm with me about my ads."
I look forward to a continuing warm relationship with you and this great community newspaper! And now with the confirmation that Medicare will cover this screening, there will be many more who see my ad and will come to see me.
THANKS!
Vern L. McNally, Ph.D.



I would like to thank Rain and the Desert Messenger for all the help they have provided to assist me in reaching out to people to help make my business successful. Arizona Westcoast Realty became Quartzsite’s newest Real Estate Company a year ago this month. In these difficult economic times we have remained successful thru hardwork and the help of the Desert Messenger. This print advertisement has been our best mode of advertisement. It has benefited us by bringing in people inquiring about property and sellers who want us to market their property, in part to our full page colored advertisement in the Messenger. I selected the Desert Messenger for our marketing purpose because of its circulation, "neutral" articles and information it provides. I also think it helps by being a "free" newspaper. People won’t hesitate to pick it up if it doesn’t cost anything. I like "free".
It has also been a pleasure to work with Rain. She has been very professional and well organized. She has always communicated and responded when I need her help. She has made the advertisement process easy and simple, but yet I think she still makes me work too hard. I will continue to support Rain and her endeavor with the Desert
Messenger and wish her continued
success, as her success will also be
mine. Thank you,
John Yackley
Arizona Westcoast Realty
Owner/Broker


I’d like to thank the "Desert Messenger" for always having a free newspaper. While I was the Director of the Quartzsite Chamber of Commerce, one of the best items we gave to all of the visiotrs who came into our office was a copy of the "Desert Messenger".
This paper gave the visitors helpful information for their visit to our community. I would like to thank "Rain" for keeping this paper professional and informative. Rain, you are an asset to our community as well as to our visitors. Keep up the great work, we really do appreciate you.
Angie Masales, 5 year resident of this community

Those three little Donna Dae’s Crafts ad have done more for our business than any before. Customers are commenting on how they now see our ads in the paper. It’s always fun to look for our ads, because you never know where they will pop up! As soon as we get our deliver [of the Desert Messenger] they go out the same day! Everyone enjoys the "Good news only" concept of your newspaper. We suffer through enough bad news in this day and age, so pleasant news is a welcome reprieve!
Donna Fowler, Donna Dae’s Crafts


To the editor,
Desert Messenger,
Dear Rain,
Thank you for offering a kinder, considerate, more thoughtful editorial approach to Quartzsite news. It is refreshing and interesting to see a no-nonsense, non- rancorous policy. We can understand the support you enjoy from your advertisers as well as the reading public. On behalf of, National Free Paper Week, we salute your efforts and offer our thanks to your advertisers.
Margaret and Elmer London
Quartzsite

Funeral Services for Chen

Chengwen (Carlos, Chen) Chen


Date: Friday, 12/26/2008

Visitation: 8-10 AM CA Time
at Frye Chapel and Mortuary of Blythe on 7th St.

Church Service: 10-11:30 CA Time
at St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church on Chanslor Way.

Reception/Wake: 2pm AZ time at Q-Laundromat.


Age 51 of Qaurtzsite, Az, passed away on December 21, 2008 of asthma attack which resulted in congestive heart failure. He was known to his brothers and sisters as Chengwen, to his wife and son as Carlos, and most fondly to his friends as Chen.

Chengwen was born in Taipei, Taiwan on March 10, 1957 to the late Mr. and Mrs. Bing H. and Hai Mei Chen. He immigrated to the United States in 1970, attended University High School in West Los Angeles, graduated from University of California at Irvine and worked for Hewlett Packard in San Jose, CA. as a Software Engineer for over 20 years. Chengwen met his wife Ana while traveling and learning Spanish in Durango Mexico. They were married in 2001 and gave birth to their son Luis the following year.

Chengwen wanted a small town life style for his family. After two years of extensive search, he found and fell in love with Quartzsite. He bought and operated the Q-Laundromat for the past five years. Chengwen loved Quartzsite for its diversity of people and the laundromat where he could let his creative juices flow. The greatest love of his life was Ana and Luis. His laundromat business gave him the freedom and time to be with them. Chengwen lived his life doing exactly what he wanted.

Chengwen is survived by his wife, son, seven siblings, four nieces, eight nephews, and his friends and customers, who he considered his family.

Another loss in Quartzsite

Monday, Dec. 22.
My heart is sad today as I learned of the death of a wonderful man, Chen, the owner of the Q Laundromat. Yesterday, I visited with him while doing laundry. He didn’t act like himself, and I asked him if he was okay. He answered, "It's just my medication". Evidently it was much more than the meds. He crossed over last night as the helicopter was taking him to Yuma. He died of asthma attack which resulted in congestive heart failure. He was a bold, large man, full of energy and life.

This morning, the atmosphere at the Q Laundromat was heavy, as people gave each other hugs, and tears flowed. Even those that really did not know him shared how much they will miss his bright greetings and thought provoking discussions.

Chen was famous for seeking ways to improve the town. He was always coming up with fresh, and sometimes wild, ideas to make Quartzsite a prosperous and welcoming place for visitors and locals. Chen supported this town in many ways, some quietly and some very boisterous. From helping the kids with their fundraisers, to handing out free coffee to customers because the town officials hadn’t approved his permit to sell espresso yet, to having clean showers available for folks, to providing turkeys for his potlucks for holidays, to lending support for local parades.

The Q became the local gathering place…because of Chen.

The day before I left town last spring, Chen and I were discussing my new project, the Desert Messenger. After listening to my vision of the paper, and how I wanted to keep the positive focus, he told me he would advertise with me the whole season. I asked him if he had a previous ad, and he told me he did not need to. But he wanted to support me by advertising. I told him I couldn’t sell advertising yet, since my business license didn’t start until September. He told me as soon as I return to town, to look him up and I did. We had many talks about the direction the town was moving, his many ideas to help that had fallen on deaf ears, and his challenges with Town Hall. He never gave up!

He made me think and I am forever grateful! We will truly miss Chen! Cheers to the Journey!

Chengwen (Carlos, Chen) Chen

Christmas Coloring Contest

This was my first attempt at a Coloring Contest for the kids of Quartzsite. There was a bit more work than I originally thought! When I worked for other newspapers, the kids would drop off their entries at the office. Since I now work out of my fifth wheel, and I'm a member of both chambers in town, I figured that they would be great locations to drop off the entries. Ehrenberg and Quartzsite Elementary Schools also needed boxes, so I decorated 4 big boxes.

On Friday, the day of the dealine, we retrieved those boxes, sorted through the entries, made sure we could read the names, called the school for last names that were missing. Next came the hard decisions, but luckily, I had help with deciding on the winners. I gathered the prize certificates from the 3 sponsors: CRIT Theatres, Addicted to Deals, and Silly Al's Pizza. Monday morning, I scanned nine winning entries, resized and cleaned up the art in Photoshop, designed the full page, matched the names to the entry, and got the paper to the printer fifteen minutes before deadline. Then I made up 9 envelopes, matching each one with a certificate and their prize from the sponsors.

Destiney Hayes, age 10, from Ehrenberg, AZ

won 1st place in the 8-10 year-old category!

The Qtz. school had a great idea. All the kids would be at the Christmas Dinner and Program the night the paper came out, so I went and awarded the winners at the end of the program in front of their parents and teachers. It was a great adventure and I plan on doing again...go figure!

Christmas Tree Project

This year, the Rotary Club of Quartzsite joined forces with the Quartzsite Senior Center and provided a wonderful Community Christmas Party on Sunday, Dec. 14. Businesses and organizations donated decorated Christmas Trees and Wreaths to be raffled off. The money raised supported the Quartzsite Fire Auxiliary "Angel Tree", the Salvation Army and the Gift of Life Foundation. The trees had been on display at the Town Hall for the past few weeks. Carol Kelley, Activity Director of the Q Senior Citizens Center, wished to thank the Quartzsite General Store, the restaurants around town who donated 17 dinners to the seniors at the Senior Apts., the mayor, coundil members and all the volunteers who donated so much time and effort to make this event such a huge success! Kelley's volunteers who worked in the kitchen really did an awesome job, as well as the decorators who transformed the hall into a winter wonderland. At times there were so many folks dancing to the sounds of "The Travelers" they started bumping into each other. Everyone appeared to be having a wonderful evening!
24 Trees and 6 Wreaths were donated this year! A new record! Also over 90 dinners were served!

Bit of History of the Desert Messenger

Quartzsite, Arizona has a FREE Community Paper, called the Desert Messenger. It was founded by Walt Akin, who is now the "Acting" Mayor of Quartzsite. Walt began the paper on October 1, 2004. His last issue was in May, 2008. After taking the summer off, I began publishing the Desert Messenger again. I redesigned the look and feel of the paper, keeping the positive focus Walt had built. The Desert Messenger is published twice a month, October though May. This year, there is an extra publication on Dec. 31, as the season really starts to kick in!

Here is my first EDITORIAL published on October 1, 2008:

As you know by now, I am the new publisher/owner of the Desert Messenger. Walt Akin has "passed the torch" to me! To clarify, Walt Akin gave me this business and this incredible opportunity. Walt has built a great foundation for this paper and I plan on building on that. This was not exactly what I had in mind when we had lunch together back in the spring. After 4 seasons of being a waitress at La Casa Del Rancho in Quartzsite, "serving the people", my body told me to pay attention to it and do something different. I sent out a prayer asking, "How can I still be of service to the people of Quartzsite?" Evidently, Walt had put out his intention of finding someone to take over the paper. And here we are today!
In the Indian world, the richest person is not the one who has the most "stuff". It is the one who gives away the most. Walt Akin is to be honored for his generosity and his "give away". During the summer I saw the movie, "Pay it Forward", a wonderful story about a young boy who truly believes he can make a difference in the world by helping someone, then that person "pays it forward" by helping someone else, and on and on. It’s a powerful movie with a heartfelt message. "Paying it Forward" in the Indian world is through our Give Away Ceremony and our way of life. In honor of Walt’s gift, I have gifted my vending business to a Sun Dance brother and his family. I tell this only to challenge you to "Pay it Forward" in your own life! When every citizen of Quartzsite begins "Paying it Forward" on a regular basis and doing their give aways, imagine the how much the town will be blessed and full of prosperity!
As you can tell, I’m a positive thinker and I like to have fun! Yeah, there’s negative stuff in the world, however, I know deep in my bones that the more we focus in on the positive, the more positive we will have in our lives. It’s just the way it is. Whatever you focus on you will attract more of that to you! So what do you want in your life?
I say, "Pilamaye" (Lakota for thank you) to Walt Akin!
- "Rain"