In the post, Turnbow looks at what she calls some “dismal” statistics on La Paz County health:

“We are second worst in AZ for premature deaths (under the age of 75). We are the worst county when it comes to being physically inactive and excessively drinking. You are more likely to die in a motor vehicle crash in this county than most other counties in Arizona. Almost half of all families in La Paz are single parent families. We are the second worse for teen pregnancies (age 15-19). Almost 1 in 3 adults lack insurance and are obese. A few months ago I was presenting these statistics to a Rotary Club when someone chimed in with, “So you are saying that we are the oldest, laziest and drunkest count in AZ?” Well, we are also the poorest.”

She goes on to talk about how inspired she was that local officials were able to persuade the Arizona Diamondbacks to open a new “professional, Little League approved, bare feet compatible, green, luscious Diamondback sponsored” baseball field in Parker, “paid for by the Arizona Diamondbacks, APS and Aaron Hill himself.”

Turnbow believes the people of La Paz County hold the key to turning some of the statistics around:

“If you need an ounce of inspiration, look no future than your own community. It’s here and it’s growing faster than our health stats.”

See the whole post HERE.

Just during the last seven weeks the Parker Police Department responded to 14 Domestic Violence calls. One incident involved a Machete and another involved a woman being punched in the face and choked by her boyfriend. These are a few of many cases of Domestic Violence within our community. Many cases involve physical injuries but more times than not the emotional injuries are just as intense. Unfortunately too many of these incidents have occurred in front of their children. Men and Women have both been victims of Domestic Violence but a vast majority of victims are Women.

Our community is not immune to Domestic violence and the horrific effect it has on families. There are many false assumptions regarding Domestic Violence. Domestic violence is not about a perpetrator’s anger issues but is about one person’s ability to establish and maintain power control over another person. The abuser is extremely well versed in the ability to masquerade his violence from friends, coworkers and family. However, whenever alone with the victim the abuser becomes demanding, controlling, demeaning which usually over time turns violent. The abuser does a good job at keeping the victim isolated from anyone outside of their immediate family leaving the victim with no one to turn to for help for fear of embarrassment, ridicule or self blame.

Many of these assaults are witnessed by relatives or friends but they chose not to report or take any action because they do not want to get involved. Domestic Violence usually does not start with a punch or a kick; it starts through the use of “Power and Control” methods.

If you know someone who is in an abusive relationship sometimes just saying “I’m afraid for you, is there anything I can do to help,” will go a long way toward providing an avenue of help for the victim.

In our community we are fortunate to have the Colorado River Regional Crisis Shelter. They have trained staff who will answer questions; provide counseling and provide emergency shelter if necessary. Phone calls are strictly confidential. When you call for assistance, advice or information your identity will be protected. If someone needs help or just wants some questions answered, please call their hotline number at 1-888-499-0911, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

The primary purpose of this article is to elevate awareness, inform and educate our community to these types of crimes and how to protect you, a friend or family member. For further information please contact the Parker Police Department at (918) 669-2264.

Police Chief Rod Mendoza

The tragic incident at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. has shaken our country and renewed conversations about what can be done to prevent something like that from ever happening again.  While it’s unknown if the person who committed this act had a serious mental illness, there needs to be a discussion about mental healthcare, which is often misunderstood and almost always underfunded.

Mental illness is no different than other common medical problems in society such as heart disease or cancer.  More than a quarter (26 percent) of all Americans age 18 and older suffer from a diagnosed mental disorder in any given year.

What happened in Connecticut is certainly the exception, and not the rule, when it comes to people who have a mental illness.  Most persons with a mental health challenge do not commit violent acts and with proper treatment can live healthy and productive lives.  The key is prevention, early intervention and providing adequate care and treatment.

One way to get involved is to learn more about mental health by attending a Mental Health First Aid training seminar. These 12-hour interactive courses will teach you about mental illness, risk factors and how to notice potential warning signs so that you can identify a potential issue and get proper care early.

If you need help or may know of someone who requires immediate assistance, call Cenpatico of Arizona’s 24-hour crisis hotline at (866) 495-6735.

Cenpatico of Arizona offers an anonymous online screening for mood and anxiety disorders to help determine if professional counseling is needed.

And for parents and educators helping children to cope with the shooting, there are multiple resources available:

• Caring For Kids After A School Shooting
• Talking to Children in Trauma
• Mental Health Resources for Parents
• Coping with Loss and Trauma
• Helping Your Children Manage Distress in the Aftermath of a Shooting
• Resources to Help Parents, Children and Others Cope in the Aftermath of School Shootings
• Talking To Children About A Shooting

Let’s use the tragedy in Connecticut as a teaching moment about mental healthcare – why it’s important and how, by having knowledge about it, you can help your loved ones and those in your community overcome challenges from mental illness.

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Cenpatico is the Regional Behavioral Health Authority for Cochise, Gila, Graham, Greenlee, La Paz, Pinal, Santa Cruz and Yuma counties.  Cenpatico Behavioral Health of Arizona (Cenpatico) services are funded through a contract with the Arizona Department of Health Services/Division of Behavioral Health Services (ADHS/DBHS) and AHCCCS.  For more information, visit:  www.cenpaticoaz.com

What is the plan for the Alewine property on Riverside Drive? Is it going to be turned into something?

Parker Live spoke with Jimmy Alewine this morning, asking him this common question. The property, which was razed after a series of fires, is on a prominent stretch of the main drag in Parker, AZ and so it’s not surprising people have an interest in it.

The property takes up 11 city lots in total, most of which are zoned for either industrial or commercial. The Riverside Drive lots are commercial, as well as those opposite Western Park on Desert Avenue. A developer could apply to rezone other lots if need be.

The property is currently for sale for $1.1 million and, contrary to reports, has not been sold already.

This raises the question: what kind of development would suit this property best? What kind of developer could get the most out of it?

If you have an opinion on this, leave a comment below. I’ll get it started.

On October 11th 2011, at approximately midnight, a male subject picked up three of his friends and took them for a ride in his car. The driver did not tell the three occupants that he had been drinking alcohol prior to picking them up. Initially, one of the passengers had asked the driver to take them to pick up her young child from the babysitter’s house, however; prior to doing that, he decided to take them out to Shea Road.

While driving down Shea Road, the driver reached speeds up to (approximately) 100 miles per hour in a 25 mile per hour zone. He then lost control on a corner and launched the vehicle into the air, landing nose down into the ground. At the time of impact, nobody in the vehicle was wearing seatbelts. When the vehicle did a “nose dive” into the ground, all of the passengers came out of their seats striking the dashboards with their heads. This caused all three passengers to suffer spinal chord injuries to their necks. Two of the passengers died as a result, the third is now a quadriplegic.

The driver of the vehicle was saved by the fact that his airbag pinned him in place and he only suffered fractures to his wrists and ankles.

We have placed this vehicle on display in front of the Parker High School (16th Street and Laguna). There are two points I would like the teachers to make to their students.

First; please notice that the passenger compartment is in good condition and if everyone had been wearing seatbelts, they would have most likely walked away from the scene.

Second; if the driver had not been under the influence of alcohol, he may not have made the bad decision to go drive out on Shea Road at unreasonable speeds. Remember, alcohol not only affects your ability to react quickly but it also affects judgment.

Please keep this incident in mind the next time you or someone you know is considering drinking and driving and please always wear your seatbelt. There are three things I would like the reader to take away from this incident. 1st: Do not drink and drive 2nd: Do not get into a vehicle with someone who has been drinking 3rd: Always wear your seatbelt.

Curt Bagby
La Paz County Sheriff’s Office

At Parker Live, we love to hear from you, the reader. Only about 30 percent of Parker Live’s readers are in Parker, AZ. The rest are reading from Lake Havasu, Quartzsite and the rest of La Paz County, Orange County, Phoenix, and many other cities around the United States.

Some of these faraway readers are winter visitors. This came in from Ann F:

 Just discovered Parker Live and I love it. I stayed in the Parker area all winter and will be back in the fall of 2012. This is a great way to stay in touch with all the news. Thank you for providing this web site.

Thanks for reading, Ann. Listen to Parker radio too by checking out KLPZ 1380am online.

Hi John:

Regarding the caption on the jet at Parker: I think that’s an L-39. Not an L-79. A google search does not show anything for an L-79 jet.

Hope this helps.

Mike

Each year, we get questions in the run-up to the famous Parker Tube Float about some aspect of the event. Here’s the latest:

Q:  This is the first year we’re attending, just want to confirm: Will the float pass by or end at the Blue Water Resort? Where should I start, as far as purchasing tickets? Do they have tubes available there? We have a 4-seat Eliminator boat; do we have to register it the same place we register for the float? Any other tips? Thanks in advance; we’re SOOO EXCITED to attend this year.

A:  The Float ends at the BlueWater Resort & Casino beach, where there’s usually a great atmosphere and plenty of space to rest and recover at the end of the day.

Register each floater who plans on attending with the Parker Area Chamber of Commerce: call them at (928) 669-2174 or visit parkeraz.org. You can buy tubes at Spanky’s RV & Marine in Parker (they may even have tubes for sale at Patria Flats, where the Float begins).

As for the Eliminator, technically there are no boats in the Float (but many people do launch their boats anyway). As long as the people in your party are registered to float and the boat is moving slowly around floaters, it’s unlikely that there will be any major objections to it being on the water. For maximum brownie points, responsible boaters can register as patrol boats for the event, helping ensure the safety of the event. (Contact the Chamber if that’s you.)

I’m glad you’ll be here! It’s a blast. Tips: Bring lots of sunblock and wear it, a lot. People get dehydrated drinking only alcohol too and end up in hospital…. don’t be one of them! Bring water or Gatorade too. You should have a great time.

For more information on the Tube Float, CLICK HERE.