Joanne Winer
QUARTZSITE TIMES
September 28th, 2005
With the coming of the
fall season, more people are returning to Quartzsite, and that means that more
of our volunteers will be coming back to work in Celia’s Rainbow Gardens. It is
so nice to see them returning and getting back to some of the major jobs that
need to be done this winter.
One of the areas that we are hoping to get finished this winter is the
amphitheater area. This area has been worked on for the past several years by
members of the Mormon community in Quartzsite. A few years ago, one of the
elders of the church was visiting Quartzsite and one of the local members of the
church took him out to see the Gardens. Elder Davenport toured the Gardens and
was very impressed with what was being done. He contacted us and offered to have
the project brought before the board to see if they would approve of it being a
church project. Volunteers from this church have done many projects throughout
the community they live in as part of their service to the church. The project
was approved by the board, and they decided that they would take on the job of
doing the amphitheater area.
The seating areas include three tiered levels that are about 5 feet wide each,
faced with colored rock. The three tiers have now been faced with rock, and are
ready for the gravel and dirt to fill them in so the top layer can be finished.
This was an enormous job, and the results look beautiful. All the rocks were
cemented in by hand, and a topping of cement put at the edges.
Once the fill has been added and the side walkways delineated, it will be ready
for the stone top levels to be added. There will be a handrail down each side,
and a large patio area added on the flat area in front of the seating tiers.
Landscaping will be added to finish it off once all the dirt and cement work is
finished.
The amphitheater will seat several hundred people, with the tiers being wide
enough to add extra chairs, and the lower level will be set aside for anyone
with wheelchairs. The amphitheater can be used for outdoor seminars, weddings,
exhibits, concerts, etc. and will have solar lights added for use in the
evenings eventually.
The funding for this area was a gift from the Lombardo family of East Boston,
friends of our family for over 50 years. The work is being done by members of
the Mormon church under the direction of Arden Levie, who spent many years doing
this type of construction before retiring.
It will be a wonderful addition to the Gardens, and it is hoped to have many
uses in the coming years. We would like to thank all the men who have come out
to help in the past years, and hope to see them all again over this winter. They
have made a big difference.