2013 Desert Life Archive Stories

You will think it’s raining orange when walking beneath a Royal Poinciana tree in springtime. This showy tree is covered with clusters of bright-orange flowers from spring through mid-summer. Five petaled blooms resembling orchids cluster together, covering the entire tree with eye-popping color. Within five years of plant

The folks at a Yuma youth center aren’t doctors, but they certainly know the cure for summer boredom. Their prescription? Daily doses of camp for eight fun-filled weeks at The Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club in Yuma. The club’s leaders want to tell kids that summer camp is cool (te

Christopher I. FigueroaAir Force Airman Christopher I. Figueroa has graduated from basic military training at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas.Airmen who complete basic training earn four credits toward an associate in applied science degree through the Community College of the Air Force.Figueroa, th

Ashley Close (center) and Cruz Trujillo (far right) of Immaculate Conception School present a check for $400 for the Oklahoma tornado victims to Cynthia Synder from the American Red Cross. Students wanted to show how they are active Christians in supporting relief efforts.

Memorial Day weekend saw me in the cool San Bernardino mountains to learn all there is to know about blogging at Camp Blogaway. A blog is the contraction of two words, web and log. With the advent of web publishing tools in the 1990s, blogs became doable for the non-technical user. Blogs can be written about most anything, from raising c

American Legion Post No. 19Weekly events at H.H. Donkersley American Legion, Post 19, 2575 S. Virginia Drive, include: Thursday dinner with live entertainment 5 to 7 p.m.; pool tournament Fridays 6:30 p.m.; meat draw Saturdays 2 to 4:30 p.m.; bingo Fridays and Sundays 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. Special event: Dignified disp

Seattle is famous for its constant changes in weather on an hourly basis. It can go from cloudy to misting to downpours and then to sunshine, all while you're eating lunch.The National Garden Club Convention for 2013 was recently held in Seattle. Club members from all 50 states, along with international club members, gathered at the

Michelle Loynes is a pilgrim.Her ultimate destination, she may not be sure just yet, but she knows well enough what she's looking for: spiritual enlightenment. Her new show at the Yuma Art Center, “Seeker,” celebrates that search. “I'm looking for ‘it,' whatever ‘it' is,” she said.

WHERE TO BE• Fayuca — 8 p.m. today — Strummer's Village Tavern • La Vida Loca — 8 p.m. Fridays — Cocopah Casino's River Room • DJ Sloe — 9 p.m. Fridays — LZ Bar and Grill • DJ Rudy — 9:30 p.m. Friday — Paradise Casino's Sharky's Lounge • Ernie Shoemaker —

• Vacation Bible school — First Southern Baptist Church of Wellton will have “Colossal Coaster World” vacation Bible school from 5 to 8:15 p.m. June 23-27 for kindergarten through high school students. Registration is 4:30 p.m. June 23. Family fun night is June 27. For more information, call 785-4049.• Wel

Sitting in my house this last weekend, I thought, “Why am I so tired? All I have been doing is sitting here all day.” Then as many times before, I thought, “I really should get up and do something, but I am way too tired.”Monday morning as I sat at my desk and read some of the latest information on depression

Juneteenth is more than just a fun day for families at the park with food, music and games.Although it is all that, it is most of all a celebration of freedom that finally came to all African-Americans in the United States on June 19, 1865.In the United States, slavery began shortly after the first English colonists arriv

A comedian flying here from Germany for a show at Cocopah Casino says he can't wait to “juggle ping-pong balls in my mouth” and tear it up with some “laugh-out-loud” material on Gila Bend.He's David Deeble, a standup comic and magician who has performed at major venues, such as the prestigious Magic Castle in

Yuma County’s libraries have a full slate of brain-engaging activities this summer that are free, fun and family-friendly. The theme is "Dig into Reading," with many of the activities encouraging study of the natural world. (See list below) For young kids, there will be a magician, a balloon artist,

When young Veramae Morris, then Arnett, went to The Yuma Daily Sun to ask for a job as a newspaper girl, she was told the newspaper did not hire girls.It was the early 1940s and she was about 12 or 13 years old.Being refused only made Morris more determined. Upon insisting, she was told that no routes were available and s

At 80 years of age, Ed Maxwell is still strapping on a backpack and hitting the hiking trails to share his love of the outdoors with the next generation of boys.It's a commitment to the Boy Scouts that spans three generations of his own family and decades of mentoring boys who now affectionately call him “Grandpa.”

Happy Anniversary to Harold (Sonny) H. Jr. and Carol June Fowler of Yuma.  They will celebrate 50 years of marriage on June 7, 2013. They were married in Yuma, Arizona in 1963. Congratulations from Todd and Marian Fowler and Rod and Gina Fowler, 6 grandchildren and 6 great-grandchildren.

Berenice Adame, Enrique Aguayo, Jeffrey Aispuro, Justin Akset, Baily Alka, Jacob David Allen, Matt LaVon Allen, Arantxa Amaya, Mairany Amaya, Priscila Ambriz, Antashia Shuree Amick, Margarita Armenta, Joshwa Avalos, Nannette Avendaño Rodriguez, Sterling Averett, Fernando Avila, Jonathan Aviles, Ted Bacalso, Noelli Barajas, Caleb Barnes, I

Although she graduated from Arizona Western College with her associate's degree in accounting, Nancy Pendleton was soon called to be a teacher at Yuma Lutheran and hasn't regretted the decision since. Now, 38 years later, Pendleton is retiring from her career as an instructor — something she said she will deeply miss.

Another strong showing from Israel in Yuma's independent film series, “Off White Lies” is a father-daughter road picture in the spirit of “Paper Moon” way back in the '70s. Although “Lies” is set against the backdrop of the second war with Lebanon in 2006, it actually takes no political position and instead of

2013 Northern Arizona University graduatesBACHELOR OF APPLIED SCIENCEAdminstrationElizabeth Ashley Boyce, Kyle Wade Burgin, Katelynn A. Casier, Jill M. Colucci, Joy Ide, Karen Louise Dalrymple Malouff, Amanda Maxfield, Riley Jason McCormick, Courtney Katherine McIntyre, Tricia Lynn Murray, Monica Raye P

Editor's Note: Send submissions for Yuma Nightlife by 5 p.m. Tuesday to desertlife@yumasun.com.WHERE TO BE• La Vida Loca — 8 p.m. Fridays — Cocopah Casino's River Room • DJ Sloe — 9 p.m. Fridays — LZ Bar and Grill • DJ Rudy &m

• Wellton Library — Game board day is 1 p.m. today, Baby Time at 1:30 p.m. (pre-registration required 24 hours in advance; Magician Jim Blantz at 2 p.m. Friday; Summer Reading Program super sign-up day will be all day Saturday, Colorado River Riders presents gold mining in the Yuma area at 10:30 a.m.; Ric Fout, the balloon cowboy is 4

ASSOCIATE OF ARTS CANDIDATESAdministration of JusticeJhonatan Aispuro, Edgar Alderete, Vidal Amador, Mayra Arredondo, Erick Astorga, Arturo Ayon, Erica S. Barragan, Martika R. Bernal, Miguel Castillo, Florance Lo'reece Chisholm, Jose R. Cruz, Dulce M. Cuellar, Alonzo H. Dominguez, Keith Edwards, Jonathan Enr

Where will you find the best bird's-eye view of Phoenix? South Mountain Park and Preserve. With over 51 miles of hiking trails covering about 17,000 acres of Sonoran Desert, this park is loaded with beautiful scenery and plenty of native wildlife. The trails cover all ranges of abilities and are one mile to 14 miles in le