Here comes the next contestant...

Who will they appoint to  the Quartzsite Town Council  on Tuesday night? That's the question on everyone's minds now that "Just say - No way Jose" Lizarraga has officially resigned from his council seat to run against "People's Mayor" Ed Foster, in the August recall election.

NEW BUSINESS:


062811 – 1. Discussion and possible acceptance of Council Member Lizarraga’s resignation and discussion regarding filling the vacancy. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

Many are speculating that they will reinstall their favorite puppet, former acting like a mayor "Waffling Wes" Huntley. Huntley is currently a co-defendant in the Jennifer Jones harassment lawsuit against the town council, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert, and Town mismanager Alex Taft. Jones, the publisher of popular newspaper "the  Desert Freedom Press" is apparently also running for the mayor's seat.

Some speculate that other possible appointees are political mouthpiece Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, Violet Kiss(ass), welfare granny Hygea "half wit" Halfmoon, or dark horse and recent roll over Steve Bennett.

Other items on Tuesday night's agenda are:

062811 – 2. Discussion and possible approval of Resolution No. 11-10; declaring as public record that certain document filed with the Town Clerk and entitled “The 2010-11 Amendments to the Tax Code of the Town of Quartzsite”. (Not open for public discussion)
Karen Norris, Town Clerk

062811 – 3. Discussion and possible approval of Ordinance No. 11-07; adopting “The 2010-11 Amendments to the Tax Code of the Town of Quartzsite” by reference, establishing an effective date; providing for severability and providing penalties for violations. (Open for public discussion)
Karen Norris, Town Clerk

062811 – 4. Discussion and possible appointment of Public Defender for the Town of Quartzsite Magistrate Court. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

062811 – 5. Discussion and possible appointment of Prosecutor for the Town of Quartzsite Magistrate Court. (Not open for public discussion)
Alex Taft, Town Manager

062811 – 6. Discussion and possible approval to advertise a request for Statement of Qualifications for Professional Engineering and Related Services on a Task Order Basis on Town of Quartzsite Transportation and Public Works projects. (Not open for public discussion).
Al Johnson, Asst. Town Manager

062811 – 7. Discussion and possible censure of the Mayor regarding violation of the Quartzsite Council Procedure Manual by releasing for publication comments not shared by the majority of the Council, and without the knowledge or permission of the Town Manager. (Not open for public discussion).
Joe Winslow, Council Member

After the childish show that council members put on at the June 14th meeting, I wouldn't be surprised to if they were so embarrassed that they all phone in their attendance, to avoid having to look their constituents in the eye.

Who will fill the shoes of the fireman who turned his back on the police? See for yourself. "Come on down! You're the next contestant" on our municipal game show. And now, a word from our sponsors - the tax payers of Quartzsite!

Just say "NO WAY" to Jose! He got us into this mess...brought to you by the my pet goldfish could do a better job committee for election reform.

Quirky Quartzsite makes LA Times!

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-quartzsite-20110416,0,1914587,full.story

By Kate Linthicum, Los Angeles Times

April 16, 2011

Reporting from Quartzsite, Ariz.— 

Desert town clings to its quirkiness

Quartzsite, Ariz., is a truck stop town of 3,600 that draws about 1 million visitors in winter with its gem shows, swap meets and 'naked bookseller.' Officials are looking for ways to boost revenue in the off-season, but locals and the snowbirds don't want the town's character to be lost.

Debbie Eldridge was lolling about her 40-foot-long Monaco Diplomat luxury motor home with her twin sister, Betty Hayden, cooling off with a Diet Pepsi after a marathon morning at the flea markets.

Eldridge, 58, had reaped a modest haul — a dog toy for her beloved bichon, Boomer, and a decorative sun sculpture that she planned to display in the backyard of her real home in Merced, Calif.

Hayden was sporting her newest acquisition: a pink fringed T-shirt that read, "Quartzsite, Arizona."

The girls, as their husbands call them, come here every winter for some shopping, some sun and a break from the rhythm of retired life. Begrudgingly, they bring the boys along, too.
 
PHOTOS: The "naked bookseller," snowbirds and the desert 


The couples moor their RVs side-by-side at the Desert Oasis trailer park off Highway 95, where about $300 a month gets you a parking space, sewer hookups and a front-row seat for one of America's oddest annual migrations.

During the scorching summer months, Quartzsite is little more than a hiccup on the highway, a truck stop town of 3,600 baking in the Sonoran Desert where road trippers pull off for gas before crossing into or out of California.
Then winter blows in.

From October to April, more than 1 million people pass through, town officials estimate. Some stay only a week or two. Others call it home for the season.

During that time, Quartzsite may be the most eccentric place in the country, a weird Western outpost where "tea party" retirees mingle with cigarette-rolling rock hounds and white-haired hippies — and where no one bats an eye at a bare-bottomed bookseller.

But with that diversity come various views of what the town should be, and sometimes they conflict. After decades of watching its population rise and fall, Quartzsite has hit a midlife crisis, with some wondering if the town needs to rein in its freewheeling ways.

"This was like an Old West town," said Jake Jakubec, a 66-year-old retired truck driver who has wintered in Quartzsite since the 1990s. "We bought and sold and partied and camped. We had a ball here."

Jakubec, who lives out of a souped-up Chevrolet van, was sitting on a porch just off Main Street, trading tall tales with his old friend Harold Donaldson, 64. Both men have the archetypal Quartzsite look: sun-freckled skin that bears a resemblance to boot leather, and T-shirts the color of dust.

"Alien intervention is very real," Donaldson was saying when Jakubec cut him off.

"Harold, am I right or am I wrong?" Jakubec said. "They're trying to make this place into Palm Springs."

"Ah, it's a commercial deal now," Donaldson said, sighing. "It used to be you could just drive up here, throw your tarp down, pay the property owner $5, and that was all."

Town Manager Alex Taft would like naysayers like Donaldson and Jakubec to spend a week in her shoes. Then they'd have to reckon with the question she faces: How is a town with no supermarket and only 13 police officers supposed to cope with such a massive swell of people?

"It's kind of a wall of humanity," Taft said. Some days, traffic is so thick it's faster to walk than drive.

The snowbirds putter in from all directions in motor homes and campers, which they hitch up at one of Quartzsite's 70-plus trailer parks or on the federal land that sprawls in all directions beyond the town limits.

With metal roofs glittering amidst the saltbush and saguaro, the rigs look like covered wagons from a distance. Some part-time residents, like the Eldridges, dress up their lots with plastic flamingoes and fake palm trees.

Many are drawn by the gem and mineral shows that materialize each year in windswept tents along the side of the road.

One of the largest is the Tyson Wells Rock and Gem Show, a temporary tent city where bargain hunters pick through cardboard boxes brimming with onyx, rose quartz, meteorite and Brazilian jade. Other essentials for sale include gun holsters, hula hoops and diabetic socks, along with the sorts of deep-fried concoctions typically hawked at state fairs.

At 10 a.m. on a recent day, patrons were already knocking back cold ones at Beer Bellys, a bar set up on a patch of AstroTurf in the middle of it all.

"It's kind of like a big carnival," said Charlene Mullens, 58, who was dusting off jewelry at Dave's Bead Emporium. "People just have a good ol' time."

Nobody's sure exactly how Quartzsite became a haven for the RV set. But many say it may have started in the 1960s when a woman traveling west broke down on Interstate 10.

She had four young girls and no money to fix her station wagon, so she sold the kids' toys. Soon, others were imitating, exhibiting their wares in the backs of pickup trucks.

A man named Howard Armstrong decided to make it official. He started a winter swap meet called the Main Event, which drew crowds with its bargains and diversions (hot air balloon rides and camel races). Armstrong died in 2004 and the ownership changed. The swap meet still takes place every January, but now "a lot of that festivity is gone because he's gone," Taft said.

Taft is from Connecticut, by way of Phoenix. She is slim with chin-length silver hair and wears a silk scarf patterned with cats. She started coming here in the 1990s and stayed because the climate helped her health. She volunteered at the library — which sees 1,000 daily visitors in the winter — and was eventually drafted to help the town deal with its unique budget challenges.

Taft said the town charges vendors only $50 for a six-month license. Quartzsite does not collect property taxes and relies heavily on grants, which help pay for extra workers in winter. What the town needs, Taft says, are year-round attractions, fairgrounds maybe, as well as industry and stores. But she said the seasonal population shifts make it hard to attract investors.

Still, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert said growth is inevitable. "It's kind of a blank slate," he said. "It's a prime opportunity!"

To some folks, that's the problem. Jade Jones, editor of the Desert Freedom Press, helped organize a campaign this year to recall five of seven town council members.

A few weeks before the March election, Jones, 45, was bent over a laptop in a cramped trailer, strategizing with her closest political allies, Michael Roth, who pens a column in the paper called "The Patriot's Corner," and Quartzsite Mayor Ed Foster. A row of caged dogs howled at full volume. (Jones also runs a pet grooming and boarding business.)

"I get about as much respect here as I get on the council," Foster said.

"You probably get more here," Jones quipped.

Jones and Roth met a few years ago at a presidential campaign event for Ron Paul. They were upset with town officials, who they felt were too intent on steering Quartzsite away from its free-market swap-meet roots.

So they started attending council meetings with cameras and posting the footage on YouTube. Roth was arrested at one meeting. Not long after, Jones was arrested at her home after an altercation with a building inspector. Her framed mug shot hangs near her collection of dog show trophies.

"We're taking back America one small town at a time," Jones said.

When voters went to the polls March 8, they chose not to recall the council members. Taft, the town manager, said the results showed that people want to move Quartzsite into the future.

But for now, eccentric Quartzsite remains. Consider Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, editor of the town's other weekly newspaper, the Desert Messenger, who has thunderclouds tattooed on her cheeks; or Pinky Williams, a mountain man from Texas who journeys to Quartzsite each year to sell knives fashioned out of arrowheads and raccoon jaws. "I was born a hundred years too late," he says.

And then there's Paul Winer, who started coming here with his wife, Joanne, 61, in the 1990s to sell used books — three for $1 — out of a tent, but who now owns a bookstore with 180,000 titles.

Winer, 67, saves on taxes because the store, which has plastic tarp walls that unfurl from a frame, is technically an outdoor structure. He's good at skirting laws. A nudist, he covers up at work with a teeny thong, narrowly fitting the criteria for public decency.

Quartzsite's famed "naked bookseller" estimates that he poses for photographs 8,000 times a year with a variety of visitors, from Asian tourists to Willie Nelson types. He once performed across North America, family in tow, as an "adult cabaret" artist (stage name "Sweet Pie").

In 1991, after watching "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" with his daughter while on the road, she asked, "What is a neighborhood?" So they settled in Quartzsite, near Yuma, where Winer's parents retired.

Several years later, his daughter died at age 8 of a viral heart infection. Winer said he and his wife stayed "because this is the place where people remember her."

They stayed, too, because Quartzsite is a good fit. As night fell on the desert, Winer sat at a piano in his shop and danced his fingers across the keys, unsettling dust.

"I got a little nothing," he crooned. "A little nothing nowhere."

kate.linthicum@latimes.com

Copyright © 2011, Los Angeles Times

Desert Messenger photographer files false charges againt candidate!

A "bearcat" or binturong is basically a big angry weasel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Binturong

Besides being the photographer for the local tabloid "Desert Messenger" who, or for that matter what Starr Bearcat is...well that's still anybody's guess.
Who or what he/she was before changing his/her name to Starr Bearcat is a mystery. What is Bearcat's real name? Did Bearcat really serve on a navy ship? Why did  Bearcat refuse to clear up the gender question under oath last fall in the La Paz County Justice Court, even after Judge Newman repeatedly referred to "that man as Ms. Bearcat"? Was Bearcat a felon? Was Bearcat a child molester? Was Bearcat a sexual predator? Was Bearcat a drug dealer, armed robber, arsonist or maybe even the person who sent the Quartzsite mayor a death threat? If you know any information about Mr./Ms. Bearcat, please contact the FBI in Phoenix or post it here as a comment. And by the way, who was Shananna "Rain" Goldenbear before she had to change her name and leave Oregon for a fresh start. Do they have a history of trouble before landing in Quartzsite? Inquiring minds want to know!

What is known is Bearcat's close relationship with Police Chief Jeff Gilbert. Bearcat has written several statements supporting investigations conducted by Gilbert and the QPD. Bearcat appears to have access to information that should be privileged, or available only to someone with access to restricted databases, like the chief.

The following letter was reportedly sent to several sources, including La Paz County Prosecutor Sam Vederman and QPD imperious leader Jeff Gilbert:

Statement RE: Case # 11-00164

Dear Mr. Vederman,

On February 16^th, 2011, Sgt. Xavier Frausto initiated an investigation against me because of a sworn statement made by Starr Bearcat, photographer for The Desert Messenger. This is the second violation of A.R.S. 13-2907.01 (two false statements) made by Starr Bearcat to the QPD against me in the last six months. Please refer to the criminal complaint filed against Starr Bearcat and Shanana “Rain” Goldenbear with La Paz County Sheriff Lucas, case #101000713 on October 28^th, 2010.

Bearcat’s statement references a prior conversation and accuses me of claiming to not pay taxes because it was unconstitutional. Not only is this hearsay, but also I have never discussed my personal financial disposition with Starr Bearcat. However, now that I am lawfully running for office, I am open to public scrutiny and I will therefore openly admit that I live below the poverty level, but in America, even the poor can run for public office.

Bearcat claims that I “refuse to abide by the Town’s laws and ordinances” because I am “operating three businesses without licenses”. This is also false and completely unsubstantiated. I hold a valid town vendor permit for “pet grooming and pet sitting” DBA “A Fur Salon”. No other license has been proven to be required and I have never been fined for operating any business in Quartzsite without a license, ever. This is either my tenth or eleventh season as a seasonal service business vendor in Quartzsite.

Further, Bearcat states that I have been given an eviction notice “for violating the zoning laws”. Also, completely untrue. I have never been convicted of violating any Quartzsite, La Paz County, Arizona, or Federal law.

I leased the back lot of J & S Covers for the 2010-2011 season from property owner Jim Aaron in June of 2010 when I groomed his ShihTzu “Rio”, shortly before my previous vendor permit at “Greasewood” expired on June 30^th, 2010. “Greasewood” is a mobile home park doing business as a swap meet. It is on record in the La Paz County Justice Court, Quartzsite Division, that I leased part of that property, after I became a resident of Quartzsite. As near as can be documented, my residency commenced on 10-6-09, although it may actually have been the end of September ‘09. At that time, I did not realize the subsequent length of my stay would eventually require me to declare Arizona residency.

Although I had been residing in Quartzsite for about six months out of the year, over the past six or seven years, I was not even aware that I had actually become a resident of Quartzsite, until the late spring of 2010. When Quartzsite Police Chief Jeff Gilbert and Town Manager Alex Taft initiated an investigation into the residency of then candidates Chaunce Hamilton and Russell Sias I had the opportunity to view documents related to that investigation, provided to Mr. Sias by your office. I then did an internet search and found information which stated something to the effect that I needed to have an identification from the MVD if I had been in Arizona for 7 months during any calendar year. Because my stay in AZ was no longer “temporary” or “transitory” and because as of June I intended to be “domiciled” in Quartzsite for more than 7 months of the 2010 calendar year, I acquired an Arizona ID at my first available opportunity, on June 1^st, 2010.

On the MVD application, there is a box you can check which states, “Are you a United States citizen who wished to register to vote or update your existing voter registration?” So I did.

On June 8^th, 2010, I served the Town of Quartzsite with a legal Notice of Claim resulting from Police Chief Jeff Gilbert’s assault on my husband and subsequent harassment by his officers under Duty Sergeant Xavier Frausto. Upon the advice of my attorney, I did not make a public appearance in Quartzsite for several weeks, until the time for their legal opportunity to respond had expired.

Over the summer, outraged citizens recalled the council members I am currently pursuing a civil claim against. My friends asked if I would consider running for town council. I told them that I would, if I was eligible. I surrendered my old driver’s license to the MVD on 10-28-10 , and filed to run 1-6-11.

If the investigating officer, Sergeant Xavier Frausto had done his “due diligence”, he would have discovered the fact that I have never registered to vote in Oklahoma or filed a state tax return as a resident of Oklahoma, or even operated any business in the state of Oklahoma, ever. I have not “re-established residency in Oklahoma” as he asserts in his report. Rather, I relinquished all ties to a part time vacation address, where I used to be a summer caretaker.

I believe that all statements sworn to on my Arizona Nonpartisan Nomination Paper Affidavit of Qualification are factually true and were true when I swore to them. I am now, and have been for at least one year prior to the election, a resident of Quartzsite, Arizona. Based on the evidence, no reasonable person would have cause to believe otherwise.

Additionally, because these false allegations involve an election issue, the complaint by Starr Bearcat should have been immediately turned over to La Paz County for investigation. The Quartzsite Police Department was not the proper investigative authority and a serious conflict of interest exists due to ongoing civil and criminal matters between my husband and I, and the QPD that have not been yet been resolved.

If you intend to pursue this matter further, convene a grand jury and get a warrant this time.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Jones


It appears that Vederman may have actually convened a grand jury today and QPD Sergeant Xavier Frausto may have testified, but nobody at the county will disclose whether or not candidate Jones case was heard. Speculation is that incumbents are desperate to discredit yet another qualified and popular challenger and these underhanded tactics only serve to prove that the current council can't possibly win if they play fair and just stick to the facts.

Desert Messenger defames pet groomer AGAIN (and again, and again...)

And Mayor Foster too!

After a restraining order hearing that lasted over three hours on Thursday afternoon through evening in the La Paz County Justice Court, Quartzsite Division,  Judge Newman announced that he would not rule on the evidence presented or motions made until next week because of the amount of material to be reviewed (including this blog). So, let's all give a warm welcome to our newest reader, Judge Newman! (sound of applause...we "may be seated".)

Claimant Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear's most recent issue, page 4 which can be viewed online at: http://www.epageflip.net/title/6362 features a libelous and defamatory letter to "The People's Voice" by Violet Kiss' husband,  "Proud Quartzsite Resident" Ron Jones.

The letter states "People were appalled at the unacceptable behavior that was allowed from the podium at the last Town Meeting by Jennifer 'Jade' Harris [Jones]. Shame on her for that reprehensible behavior and shame on Mayor Foster for allowing it. By allowing this behavior, it appears the Mayor wants to incite hatred and anger. Since my wife and I heard Mayor Foster strongly encourage Jade Harris [Jones} to sue the town and town officials at a coalition meeting, it appears there is a conspiracy between those two and others to make things so bad that our Town and Police force are disbanded. Is lawlessness what the good people of Quartzsite want? Why should the good people of Quartzsite allow bullying and vicious, slanderous venomous hatred from the podium and from internet blogs? Are we going to allow a few anarchists take over our town and make it a miserable place to live?...Jade Harris [Jones] was not discussing town issues, she was promoting her business, bullying and spewing vicious hatred. This is not her first time. The good people of Quartzsite need to band together and make sure this is not allowed. The Town Council should vote to bar her permanently from Town Meetings."

What did she really say in that two minutes and twenty six seconds that was allegedly such "vicious hatred" deserving of permanent banishment in violation of AZ law? This:
"Good evening. Tonight I have three brief announcements and one short report. The first announcement, I'm going to indulge myself in a personal nature and I'd like to say that my dog 'Jade's Dynasty Kennels Butterscotch Sundae' took first place at the national specialty last weekend. So, I just had to brag a little bit. The second announcement that  I would like to make this evening has been something that has not been an easy decision to come to. I've served this community for ten long years and I've loved every minute of it. You guys have been wonderful to me and it is not without some serious thought, as a matter of fact, I even went out in the desert and prayed on it. But I have decided that I would like to continue to serve this community and I would like to announce that I am going to run for one of the open seats on the Town Council. I look forward to debating all of you on the issues, and keeping it to the issues and doing the business of the people. The next announcement that I have is because I have been grooming for so long and I can't do it forever with this back, it's not going to hold out , I will be grooming this year and I look forward to being open soon but I am starting a new business venture. I am going to be starting a free community newspaper. I anticipate that I will have the first issue on the stands on the first week of December and I've got some great specials. And the last thing that I have is a report. I would like to give my report on the update of the restraining order filed against me by Shannana "Rain" Golden-Bear and Starr BearCat. And let the community know that even thought I don't like to start my candidacy...(big, rude interruptions by "Machine Gun" Joe Winslow and others) I would like (more interruptions) I would like the community to come to the hearing on this. (Councilwoman Anderson interrupts with "I would like to ask our Town Attorney is this permissible?" Then Mayor Foster states "It's a report" To which attorney Pamela Walsma replies "This section is designated for announcements, typically it's public announcements.") Harris-Jones continues "Reports and Announcements. I'm inviting everyone to come to the hearing on October 21st at the magistrate court across the street at 3 pm to hear for themselves why Ms Golden-Bear and Mr. BearCat think that they need to be afraid of me. And I have all of the evidence that was submitted on that claim and if you'd like, after the meeting, you are more than welcome to approach me and I will let you read all of it. Thank you"

As you can see, Ron Jones' letter, like so many others published in Ms. Golden-Bear's paper was just another gross misrepresentation by the small group of nasty people who seem to believe that the truth is what you can get enough people to believe and was clearly printed with malice and intent to diminish the public reputation of a popular voice of opposition in the community.

Ms. Golden-Bear has a "policy" for "People's Voice", which forbids "letters considered libelous, in poor taste, on a personal issue, mean spirited...", yet she gleefully violates this "policy" in every issue. Although she attempted to play the role of frightened victim in court, her hypocrisy and inflammatory publication clearly show that she is the perpetrator of the  hate and divisiveness that is tearing apart our community. From the very first issue with her name listed as "publisher", Golden-Bear went on the attack against then rival news publisher Bob Miller, devoting two full pages to defaming him! She set the bar for journalistic standards very low to begin with, and as you can clearly see from her recent issues, it has declined from there. The message seems clear, opposing voices must be silenced. Here's a letter she refused to publish:
http://www.quartzsitenews.tv/fosterbashing.pdf

It was interesting to note that Town mismanager Alex Taft went scurrying out of the hearing to procure additional documents for Golden-Bear's claim against Harris-Jones. Hey Alex, where's the open records request for those police reports? The gallery was also filled by the usual suspects with Councilpersons Winslow, Anderson, Lukkasson and wife Michelle, former "acting" Mayor Wes Huntley and wife Mary, Police Chief Jeff Gilbert and wife Sondra and the rest of their usual "cheering section". One thing is for certain, after the masterful defense by Quartzsite pet groomer Harris-Jones, they were NOT cheering as they left the courtroom.

Stay tuned for more on this story and Judge Newman's ruling, as it becomes available.

This Week's Council MEETINGS! And yes, that's PLURAL!

A special meeting of the Town Council has been called by Town mismanger Alex Taft, for tomorrow, Friday, July 30th at 1pm to discuss approving the application for ADOT enhancement funds for beautification of West B 10 (Main St,) and "Hi Jolly Wayfinding Signage". Not surprising, Mayor Foster wasn't even notified about this special meeting as of close of business today, even though The "Desert Toiletpaper...I mean Messenger" had it posted by 17 minutes after noon, and, the meeting agenda was uploaded to the town"s website .

Why didn't Taft want this item discussed Tuesday night, when the majority of citizens would be watching? Why wasn't the Mayor notified? Why was Foster defamer Shanana "Rain" Golden_Bear apparently notified before the Mayor?

A quick highlight of Tuesday evenings Regular Meeting of the Common Council:

The proposed drastic increase in Cemetery fees, as requested by the Cemetary Board was Tabled.

Taft convinced the Council to borrow another million for expansion of the waste water treatment plant, but the interest rate is only .5 percent!

The budget was approved.(No mention of how much will be paid to Taft's private charity Willpower Inc. for animal sheltering, even though Paw Power is now turning away animals.)

And at "Reports and Announcements" Quartzsite resident Sean Austin, gave a report on the status of the investigation into the statutory rape of his daughter by QPD Officer Josh Starr, to which Police Chief Jeff Gilbert responded that it was a personnel matter that he was not at liberty to discuss...

No "clean" election in Quartzsite! Attorney General investigates...

At the previous Town Council meeting, it was approved to ask the State for a recount of the vote. Then, facts were exposed relating to evidence of potential felony electioneering and voter fraud at "Call to the Public". At Tuesday evening's regular meeting of the Common Council, Mayor Foster revealed that the State Attorney General's Office of Public Corruption is currently investigating. Now, many are left wondering who really won the election for Quartzsite's open seats on the Town Council on May 18th. After all, less than ten votes separated the bottom four contenders..

The hefty file of correspondences at County Prosecutor Sam Vederman's Office clearly shows that after the primary election, Town Manager Alex Taft conspired with Police Chief Jeff Gilbert to investigate voters they personally selected with hopes of turning them over to the County for prosecution. What was the selection criteria? Well, I'm going to speculate that none of the voters Wes Huntley bragged about personally driving to the Registrar's Office were on that list.

This fascinating document shows that  Quartzsite's "news" paper publisher was an eager participant in this improper investigation:

Desert Messenger Publisher
Shannana "Rain" Goldenbear
Notice the date on the above email. It was sent to Alex Taft and Jeff Gilbert on Monday, March 29th -  four days after Alex Taft had sent a letter to the County, requesting the names of everyone who had registered to vote in the last six months and a full 20 days after the primary election! Surely if Ms Goldenbear was truly concerned about Russell and Susan's identification, then she would have immediately contacted the County Elections Board instead of waiting almost three weeks and corresponding with Taft and Gilbert. After all, that would have been the proper thing to do.

That's right folks, while she was editorializing about being fair and impartial, Rain was simultaneously conspiring to alter the outcome of the election. I hope her advertisers are paying attention. Are the "Proud Neighbors of Quartzsite" proud of this? Rain is. She proudly marched up to the podium and said as much after the email was read aloud at the previous meeting.

Keep in mind that even after weeks of QPD investigation, The Sias' were finally cleared of any crimes by Vederman's Office. So in keeping with the mission statement of Rain's beloved Thirteen Indigenous Grandmothers, how would putting innocent people in jail affect the next 7 generations? Tell us please Rain, inquiring minds want to know.

Ok, let me break this down for you. This is not speculation. The information in this post is verifiable fact that is now in the hands of the FBI and others. Town mismanager Alex Taft and Police Chief Jeff Gilbert combed through names on the list of Quartzsite's registered voters, primarily voters that had registered in the six months preceding Taft's written request for the list. They then chose specific voters for investigation. Chief Gilbert used his official capacity to investigate these individuals, who were targeted for no other "probable cause" than the decision to become a registered voter. At Tuesday night's meeting, Gilbert insisted that he did nothing wrong and was directed to investigate at Vederman's request, but the documents themselves expose this claim as a bold face lie. Vederman had Haws investigate at the request of Gilbert and Taft.

All of this is more than ironic once you appreciate that Police Chief Jeff Gilbert and his wife Sondra voted under circumstances that were probably far more questionable than those of Russell and Susan Sias.

The Gilbert's did purchase lots 6 and 7 in the Palo Fiero subdivision on Feb. 11th, 2010 from then Council  candidate Erik Larson (after reportedly harassing Larson with assistance from Building Official Al Johnson until the price dropped by 20k). And they used to have a home in "Rainbow Acres", (lot #APN 302-32-422) purchased on July 27th, 2006, but they sold it on Feb. 26th, 2009. So where did they live from Feb. of 2009 to Feb. of 2010? My guess is 3210 Newport Dr., Lake Havasu City, a home they've had for about four years.

Take a look at the tiny trailer at 450 N.  Pilgrim Pl. that Police Chief Gilbert was registered to vote at.

It's more like an office really. But the garbage cans were a nice touch, even though I think the same garbage bag has been in it for a while now...and I never saw Jeff's "QPD1" black SUV parked there this spring, but maybe he was just out breaking the law when I drove by. The utilities have never been in Gilbert's  name, they are in the property owner's names, Lowell and Elizabeth Williams. (Beth Williams is the Justice of the Peace in the Quartzsite Division of the La Paz County Court.) Most revealing is the fact that Councilwoman Barbara Cowell of Arizona Westcoast Realty had it listed in her Desert Messenger ad as " never been lived in"! Oh, and Gilbert's wife Sondra had to vote with a provisional ballot because she showed up with a Havasu driver's license.

Who really won this dirty election? Certainly not the voters. If you take the six and seven votes that prevented Chaunce Hamilton and Russel Sias from prevailing, deduct the Gilbert's two votes, add back in Ms. Austin's legal vote for the full "reform slate" then there's only three or four votes separating the winning Council candidates from the losing two. Let's factor in that Taft and Gilbert had no motivation to investigate incumbent supporters and double check to see if that dead woman whose name was still on the rolls voted for anyone, and I believe we would have had an entirely different outcome.

Stuff the Desert Messenger didn't tell you...

The pre election issue of Quartzsite's "news" publication, The Desert Messenger, sank to an all time low in journalistic standards this week.

Residents and winter visitors have become accustomed to editor "Rain" Shanana Golden-Bear's nauseatingly benign articles but since "Rain" and her partner "Star" have purchased property here in Quartzsite (and now they need building permits...) the pro incumbent sucking up is leaving a journalistic vacuum. Well, actually more like a gigantic black hole.

After a hypocritical editorial on impartiality, "Rain" printed a free advertorial column by our incumbent "mayor" , and article advising voters to call Town Hall and reserve a free ride to the polls by candidate Bob Kelley, and a libelous paid for ad against mayoral candidate Ed Foster. The ONLY letters published in "The People's Voice" were by an incumbent's wife, an incument, and the wife of "mayor" Huntley...

This after giving lip service to the US Constitution via the following email:


--- On Fri, 2/26/10, Desert Messenger wrote:

To Political Candidates and Town Officials,

As a courtesy, I am sending this information for educational purposes. Please pass on to others.

There have been anonymous flyers placed through doors of unopened businesses, on bulletin boards, etc, throughout the town regarding a certain candidate's arrest. Please note the following and take appropriate actions to protect all political candidates' rights. I run my newspaper accordingly, and I hope all candidates will also follow the Arizona laws.

from the Arizona Newspaper Association's

ADVERTISING BY NEWSPAPER

A Comprehensive Guide to Newspaper Advertising

Under Arizona Law:

"CANDIDATE ADVERTISEMENTS

Any advertisement by a candidate or political committee that advocates the election or

defeat of any candidate or solicits contributions to a political committee shall state that it

was paid for by the candidate or the candidate’s campaign committee, if that statement is

accurate, or shall state the name of the political committee that paid for the

advertisement, identify the chairman of the political committee and provide a telephone

number for that individual.

If the literature or advertisement is not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s

campaign, the advertisement shall so state. If the advertisement is an independent

expenditure (i.e., an expenditure by a person or political committee, other than a

candidate's campaign committee, that expressly advocates the election or defeat of a

clearly identified candidate, that is made without cooperation or consultation or at the

request or suggestion of any candidate or committee or agent of the candidate) by a

political committee, the advertisement shall also state the names and telephone numbers

of the three political committees making the largest contributions to the political

committee that paid for the advertisement. If an acronym is used to identify any political

committee, the name of any sponsoring organization of the political committee must also

be identified. The required disclosures must be printed clearly and legibly in a conspicuous manner in the advertisement...."

for the full report visit: http://www.ananews.com/advertising/adbook2006.pdf

Sincerely,

Rain

PS. The Fifth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution reads, in part, "No person shall be ... deprived of life, liberty, or property without due process of law ..." Therefore we always say, "allegedly" when referring to charges made.

Shanana "Rain" Golden-Bear, Publisher
Desert MessengerQuartzsite's FREE Community Paper

PO Box 3185, Quartzsite, AZ 85359

Quartzsite, Arizona, The Rock Capital of the World!

928-785-7204

541-218-2560

www.desertmessenger.com

http://desertmessenger.blogspot.com

OK, so what didn't she tell you that happened recently? Well, the meltdown tirade by Police Chief Jeff Gilbert was so disgracefull that he reportedly apologized THREE times - the third as attendees were leaving the building. (And why was Gilbert's attendance necessary at a meeting between local contractors and the newly hired building inspector anyway?)

At this weeks "Coffee with Cops" Gilbert admitted to having a formal complaint filed against him with AZPOST,

http://www.azpost.state.az.us/

conceded to threatening a local pet groomer with arrest for "disorderly conduct" at her own business, bragged about how he will be writing new traffic ordinances for the Town this summer, and said he has a policy of "No drugs, no thugs, and no crime" He went on to define "thugs" as "People who take advantage of people. People who con people. People who swindle people." Gee Jeff, I guess Town Hall should keep your department pretty busy then - oh wait, don't you get paid by those folks to look the other way?

The Quartzsite Senior Center lost a valuable volunteer. Newsletter editor Judy Abbott resigned in frustration after volunteer politics and hypocrisy pushed her to her limit. Abbott had hopes for improvement in cooperation between the volunteers after the recent Senior Center Elections, but was disappointed. Her newsletter will be missed, and we hope that Judy arrives safe and sound to Wyoming.

The wife of a relative of a Yacht Club employee revived a man who suffered an apparent heart attack while dancing with Helen, the owner.

http://www.quartzsiteyachtclub.com/

Local emergency response was quickly on the scene. Good job everyone!


Reportedly, The AZ State Board of Cosmetology paid a visit to Deena's Nail Clinic. Or maybe it was the Health Department. Either way...the buzz was that the investigator was displeased.

And that big journalistic vacuum of real news has been filled by a FREE newsletter called "Quartzsite's MINESHAFT". If You don't see it around Town, DEMAND IT!!