Columns

My fourth year as full-time RVer found me not skipping off to my newspaper job in Idaho, but stranded in Quartzsite after a local publisher stiffed me for three month’s work. Oh, goody. Summer in Arizona. More new experiences. I landed a gig where I could park my rig and hired on as caretaker for some large, closed-for-summer facilities. That …

It’s another sizzling hot July here in Parker and we are at the height of our summer tourism season. Thousands of people flock to our little chunk of red hot paradise to enjoy the river and see how many safety regulations they can violate without getting caught. Meanwhile we locals have adapted to the heat with our settled habits of …

I’ve known Bob Talley since my first visit to the United States when I was 20 years old. My new girlfriend Melissa (who I’d met only several weeks before, in Ireland) was a family friend of the Talleys and introduced me to the man, who I thought at the time – and still think today – was one of the …

A week ago my car broke down. I was driving into town and the tire went flat which then caused irreparable damage to the rim. The rim was a special rim for that year, make, and model (of course! Why wouldn’t it be?), so replacing it will take a few weeks. This is just another example in a long line …

In the early 1980s I lived near Las Vegas, Nevada, where I met a group organizing a barter system for exchanging goods and services. They wanted nothing to do with money, they said, because the government was putting magnetic strips into the fabric to track the money. “They could drive by your house,” the barterers explained, “zap it with something …

This past weekend showed exactly why people love the Parker area. It was Memorial Day weekend, the first of three summer holidays. (Many would argue that we have four holidays if you count the Parker Tube Float that brings thousands to the river each summer. I would have to agree with that.) Sunny skies, cool water, boats, wave runners, coolers, bikinis, …

As you read this I’m in the air, somewhere between Parker, Arizona and Belfast, Northern Ireland. My plane lands on the Emerald Isle early Tuesday morning (very early, much to my dad’s chagrin – he’ll be picking me up). My mom, dad, brother, sister, nieces, uncle and a lot of old friends all live there, and until recently, most of …

Introducing Parker Stripped, a new column by Louie Marsh, part-time minister at Christ’s Church on the River. Today, Louie starts with some well-considered words about reducing busyness in life, a message that suits the Parker area very much at the beginning of summer! Instalment 1 I suppose I should start this first column off by telling you that “Parker Stripped” …

Foodie, well maybe The last of my snowbird neighbors left early this morning, cheerfully honking as they flew away. “Welcome to SUMMER!” I bellowed and cranked up the radio. Sometimes snowbirds jettison the contents of their coffers before they migrate to cooler northern climes. Sometimes I am the lucky recipient of their unusual treats. Sometimes the treats are delicacies rare …

Since last week’s story went out about suspected drug dealers being arrested in a ’roundup’ by the La Paz County Task Force, the reaction has been overwhelmingly in support of law enforcement. The feedback (some of which isn’t visible anymore as a result of a technical update on the new Parker Live site) includes these comments: “Great job, Law Enforcement. …