Welcome to Quartzsite TODAY!
So this is me!
My name is Shanana Rain Golden-Bear, but everyone knows me as "Rain". I do it all: editor/publisher/ad designer/layout/you-name-it gal of Desert Messenger News since October 1st, 2008. I've worked in the newspaper business since 1989-ish when I began working as an outside display ad sales rep for Miracle Miles, a free paper in Gilroy, California. I had been working as a waitress at the Gilroy Bowl Restaurant, just a few doors down from Miracle Miles office on Main Street. The owner was a regular customer and one day said she wanted me to work for her, offered me a great salary, so I thought, why not? It was a great place to learn the ropes, as they say!
After moving north to Oregon, I went on to work at Ashland Daily Tidings as an account executive (fancy title for an outside retail sales rep) for over 2 years. After an internal shack-up at the paper, my colleague and I joined forces and started up two free publications in Ashland. That lasted for a couple of months before we realized it was just too darn difficult us to focus on really diverse publications. So, we worked individually on our passions. My publication lasted about two years. After my mother died in 1998, I went to work in the Classified department of the Medford Mail Tribune. And boy, do I have stories to share later about that exciting time. After commuting over the Siskiyou Mountains for over two years, I went to work at the Siskiyou Daily News in Yreka, CA. I took the job as an account executive, then worked on Special Projects, and then became pre-print director. I look forward to sharing more of my memories along the way.
Three years ago, on March 1st, I suffered two strokes. It's been a complicated recovery and I'll be sharing some of these stories with you all, too.
I've always enjoyed helping small businesses, whether in designing successful marketing campaigns in print, or on social media. I get excited when a customer calls to cancel their classified ad because they sold their item. Yay! It worked! I'm always happy to refund their money, but most often they say, "Don't worry about it... it's worth it!"
Part of the reason for this blog is to share my journeys with you all, including the crazy process of healing as a stroke survivor. I'm not an expert at personal blogging, so hang in there as I learn this process. I still have a blog of new articles at www.QuartzsiteBlog.com. But that was as a journalist. Keep it simple. Just the facts. And I tried to keep my editorial commentary few and far between.
My editorials in the Desert Messenger have been a great place where I was able to express myself, sort-of. I do have a personal guideline of "how best could my words benefit the community of Quartzsite?" So, I've tried over the years to share the positive attributes of my community, even during the political drama times.
I had planned on retiring in May, but after hearing from the community and knowing this is a challenging time for our nation, I decided to keep printing the Desert Messenger. There is a "Patriot" tabloid in town that is right-wing, full of John Birch Society articles and opinions masquerading as journalism. That's fine for some folks but realizing there would only be that available to our residents and visitors became difficult to swallow. I have some energy left, so I'll keep Quartzsite local news, events and entertainment in the Desert Messenger.
You are welcome to ask questions. I do ask for folks to be respectful, and kindness is aways good in my book! I'd love to hear from you, so drop me a line or comment.
Reach me at desertmessenger7@yahoo.com.
Check out the paper online at www.DesertMessengerOnline.com. (yeah, I know, simple, right?)
