PRIMETIME of your life FREE | VOLUME 4 • ISSUE NO. 6 | JUNE 2015 Interesting features for our 50+ audience
Luca & Arlene DiCecco a musical journey for two
sible standards. Eventually, the boy and the man tangled in a last-straw confrontation that convinced Luca to abandon the instrument “for the rest of my natural life.” Music, however was deep in his DNA, as he would rediscover when the time was ripe.
SUMMERTIME HOBBIES PAGE 4
Arlene Osler was born in Johannesburg, South Africa and raised there until the age of 10, when her older sister, Edith Joyce, won a government scholarship to study music abroad. “It was the end of WWII,” Arlene explained. “Since there was still a lot of upheaval and travel was difficult, it was not advisable to let her go alone.” So, the entire family relocated to London and settled into a bustling Post-War England.
Luca and Arlene in Temecula wine country By Lucinda Sue Crosby
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932 was a memorable year for a number of reasons. For one thing, the Great Depression had reached its nadir, shoving millions of Americans to the brink of emotional and physical starvation. For a couple of other reference points, Amelia Earhart became the first woman to solo the Atlantic Ocean; the Polaroid camera and the parking meter were invented; and Al Capone was convicted of income tax evasion. In Waterbury, Connecticut against this backdrop of dramatic world shift, a genial and gifted musician was born to Mr. and Mrs. Mario
DiCecco, immigrants from Cerce Maggiore, Italy. Mario, a founder of the Waterbury Symphony Orchestra, had definite ideas about raising children. He named the boy Luca and insisted that his son would be a violinist, whatever the heaving tides tossed in his path. “My father told me I was going to learn the violin … and that was that,” Luca said. “In fact, all of us six children were required to play an instrument, and do it well.” Under his father’s increasingly rigorous tutelage, Luca attempted gamely yet unsuccessfully to master a set of what seemed like impos-
In those days, the arts were esteemed as 1) valuable contributions to a recovering society and 2) conduits to reestablish lines of communication among ever changing populations and between former enemies. Arlene started out studying the piano but soon enough discovered she had a real flair for the violin. By the time Luca was 15, his younger brother was taking cello lessons in Waterbury from Adolf Abbenante (who wound up as a soloist with the San Antonio Symphony). For lack of something more scintillating to do, Luca began tagging along. story continued on page 12
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY PAGE 6
MONTHLY RECIPE PAGE 8
TOPIC OF DISCUSSION Los Angeles votes to raise minimum wage to $15 Here’s some of what’s been reported
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os Angeles on Tuesday became the biggest U.S. city to raise its minimum wage to $15 an hour. Following a hot debate, the city council voted 14 to 1 to approve a plan to gradually increase the required wage to $15 an hour by July 2020. The current $9-an-hour minimum wage was already slated to increase to $10 in January. The pay bump will affect about 567,000 workers in the city. The move comes less than a year after the city council voted to raise hourly pay to $15.37 for nearly
10,000 hotel workers. The debate over the new minimum wage divided the city. Business groups, including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Valley Industry and Commerce Association, warned that the increase would hurt small companies and lead to layoffs. “A lot of businesses are going to struggle,” said Stuart Waldman, president of the Valley Industry and Commerce Association. “There’s a lot of employees are going to get raises, but there’s also some employees that are going to lose their jobs.”
Los Angeles, the nation’s secondlargest city, joins other West Coast cities, including Seattle and San Francisco, which raised their hourly wages to $15 following waves of protests across the country. Meanwhile, the federal minimum wage has stagnated at a paltry $7.25 an hour for the last four years, despite calls to raise it from President Barack Obama. “People like me, who work hard for multibillion-dollar corporations like McDonald’s, should not have to rely on food stamps to survive,” said a 29-year-old mother of two who works at a McDonald’s in Los Angeles, said in a statement sent by
a Fight for $15 spokeswoman. “My life would be completely different if I were paid $14 an hour. I could afford groceries without needing food stamps, my family could stop sharing our apartment with renters for extra money, and I’d be able to provide my daughters with some security.” The wage hike will face one final council vote later this year after City Attorney Mike Feuer drafts a plan to implement the new base pay. What do you think? Is this a good move for the City of Los Angeles? Do you think the California minimum wage should be raised?
Feel free to send us your thoughts on this subject by emailing desertmobilehomenews@gmail.com. We will publish a few reader responses in the July issue of PrimeTime.
PrimeTime of Your Life provides local editorial and advertising content for our active adults (50+). We strive to educate, inform through lifestyle features and human interest profiles. PrimeTime is distributed throughout the Coachella Valley. Deb Geissler Publisher dgeissler@desertentertainer.com Jose De La Cruz Editor news@desertentertainer.com Kimberly Brucks Senior Marketing Executive kbrucks@dmhnews.com Judy Telander Marketing Executive jtelander@desertentertainer.com Agustin Alejandre Graphic Artist ads@dmhnews.com (760) 776-5181 | 41-995 Boardwalk Suite L2 | Palm Desert, CA 92211 A Product of the Desert Mobile Home News. Titles registered and all contents copyright 2015 by Hi-Desert Publishing Co. All Rights reserved.
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Summertime hobbies
ot sure what to do in your spare time this summer? Find your calling in this great list of hobbies to try! Photography: Photography isn’t what it used to be — expensive rolls of film have been replaced with tiny SD cards. Big bulky camera with tripods have become mini digital cameras that fit right into your pocket.Summer is the perfect time to pick up photography! Making Jewelry: The best thing about this hobby is that now, you can get a little more sophisticated with it, add clasps and intricate beading. And, you can do this hobby outside. Just make sure to bring your Caboodle of tools! Art: There’s something magical about bringing life to a blank canvas. Art as a hobby holds so many possibilities too – you can work with pencils, oil paint, water paint, pastels, charcoal, or something
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even more creative. You can paint on paper, on a canvas, on a rock, wherever you please. One of those hobbies where you don’t have to be a master or even skilled to enjoy it. Sculpting: Take a pottery class and get those hands dirty! Clay is an amazing medium to work with. You can make sculptures, pottery, teacups, basically anything you want. Just be careful with those spinning wheels, when used incorrectly they have a tendency to spin clay everywhere, trust me.
Painted Rocks
with clothes? Besides, you can do this one pretty much anywhere. Gardening: Break out that green thumb and plant a garden. It’s relaxing, good for the Earth and, you’ll get a great looking garden out of it! This is not a hobby that you can just pick up for a week and then never think about again! Calligraphy: There is something cool about being able to change your handwriting with the flick of a wrist. It’s not very costly to learn! You can take a class or buy a book.
Scrapbooking: This hobby can get a little expensive and a lot obsessive but it really can be a lot of fun. Just make sure you use good pictures, this is something you’ll have for a very long time.
Meditation: Find inner peace and get in touch with your spiritual side with a few minutes of meditation every day. It’s a calm and easy hobby to take up and stick with.
Embroidery: It’s not the 1800’s anymore but embroidery is making a come back. Especially in fashion. So why not learn to embroider on a piece of cloth and then experiment
Writing: Start a journal this summer and write in it every day. Write a story about something that happened to you that day or just one simple line about something that stood out to you.
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It’s always fun to take something as ordinary as a rock and turn it into a piece of art! On top of just being pretty, you could also use them as a paper weight or door stop. Perhaps these could be gifts for someone! You will need smooth (and preferably flat) rocks to get started. Clean them really well and rub them down with rubbing alcohol to help the paint stick. Use an acrylic craft paint for your base coat, and after it dries, a fine permanent marker to make your outline. Fill in your design with more paint for fine detail work.
JUNE 2015
History This Month in
June 3, 1972 - Sally Jan Priesand was ordained a rabbi thus becoming the first woman rabbi in the U.S. She then became an assistant rabbi at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City.
June 4, 1989 - The Chinese government ordered its troops to open fire on unarmed protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing. 1,000 students marched to mourn the death of Hu Yaobang, a pro-reform leader within the Chinese government. June 5, 1968 - Robert F. Kennedy was shot and mortally wounded while leaving the Hotel Ambassador in Los Angeles. June 6, 1944 - D-Day, the largest amphibious landing in history, began in the early-morning hours as Allied forces landed in Normandy on the northern coast of France.
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June 11, 1991 - Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines erupted, spewing ash into the air, visible over 60 miles. June 12, 1963 - Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in Jackson, Mississippi, by a rifle bullet from an ambush. June 13, 1966 - The U.S. Supreme Court ruled (5-4) in the case of Miranda v. Arizona that an accused person must be apprised of certain rights before police questioning. Known as the Miranda rights. June 14, 1922 - Warren G. Harding became the first U.S. President to broadcast a message over the radio. June 16, 1963 - Valentina Tereshkova, 26, became the first woman in space as her Soviet spacecraft, Vostok 6, took off from the Tyuratam launch site.
June 17, 1972 - Following a seemingly routine burglary, five men were arrested at the National Democratic Headquarters in the Watergate complex in Washington, D.C. However, subsequent investigations revealed the burglars were actually agents hired by the Committee for the Re-election of President Richard Nixon. June 18, 1983 - Dr. Sally Ride, a 32-year-old physicist & pilot, became the first American woman in space. June 24, 2010 - Labor Party deputy Julia Gillard became Australia’s first female Prime Minister.
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June 25, 1950 - The Korean War began as North Korean troops, led by Russian-built tanks, crossed the 38th parallel and launched a full scale invasion of South Korea. June 28, 1919 - The signing of the Treaty of Versailles formally ended World War I. June 30, 1971 - The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was enacted, granting the right to vote in all federal, state and local elections to American citizens 18 years or older.
JUNE 2015
Monthly Recipe Summer Frittata Frittata with Summer Squash, Spinach and Linguine
Ingredients
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Frittata with summer squash, spinach and linguine
rittatas are our go-to recipes. They’re a snap to put together, they’re filled with ingredients we nearly always have on hand, and they’re delicious. This time of year, it’s easy to build on the usual ingredients—pasta, eggs and cheese—by adding whenever is fresh at the local farm stand— squash, red bell pepper, spinach and basil. On top of the veggies go
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leftover pasta and whisked up eggs. Cook until nearly set, then sprinkle cheese on top and broil until perfectly golden. If you’re watching your cholesterol, use 2 egg whites and 4 whole eggs (744mg cholesterol) instead of 6 whole eggs (1116mg cholesterol) in this recipe.
• Nonstick cooking spray • 2 teaspoons butter • 2 cups diced summer squash • 1/2 cup diced red bell pepper • 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided • 2 cups cooked linguine (4 ounces uncooked pasta) • 1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well • 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil • 6 eggs • 1/3 cup 2 percent reduced-fat milk • 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
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Directions
1. Coat a large ovenproof skillet with cooking spray. Add butter and melt over medium-high heat. Add squash, red pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until squash is lightly browned, about 6 minutes. 2. Add linguine, spinach and basil to squash mixture. Whisk eggs, milk, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper. Pour over noodle mixture. Jiggle pan to make sure egg mixture seeps down among noodles. Cover and cook until top is almost set, about 8 minutes. 3. Preheat broiler. Sprinkle cheese on top and broil until golden brown. Serves 6.
JUNE 2015
? KNOW DID YOU orseradish is a member of the mustard family and can count cauliflower, kale and brussels sprouts among its cousins.
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ashews are always sold without their shells because the shell contains an oil that can cause a rash similar to poison ivy.
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iribati is the only country that falls in all four hemispheres.
erald Ford is the only person to serve as both president and vice-president of the U.S. without having been elected to either office.
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ruise control and automatic transmissions were invented by a blind engineer named Ralph Teetor.
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hile Stephen King sets many of his stories in Maine, the state actually has the lowest violent-crime rate in the U.S.
cademy Award-winning actor Kevin Spacey has an older brother, Randy, who makes a living as a Rod Stewart impersonator. dolf Hitler was Time Magazine’s Man of the Year for 1938.
t took three people to compose “The Hokey Pokey.” Roland Lawrence “Larry” LaPrise, Charles Macack, and Taft Baker wrote the tune in 1949 to entertain tired skiers at nightclubs in Sun Valley, Idaho.
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story continued from page 1 In a manner of weeks, his hands were drawn to the slender throated yet curvaceous instrument and wonder of wonders, he realized that he had quite the affinity for it. In 1957, Arlene received a British Arts Council award to study the violin at the noted Santa Cecilia Academy in Rome…where she would meet fellow music scholar Luca during a New Year’s Eve bash being held at a pied-a-terre south of the Tiber. Soon after, they were classical colleagues – he playing first cellist and she first stand of violins. He was old-world mannered and a bit on the shy side; she was feisty and a definite dish with legs up to THERE. Fate and life and melody constantly threw them together until they married in April of 1960.
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Since then, their lives have revolved around The Road in all its exhaustive demands and glory. They were co-founding members of both the Ciompi Quartet (then and now out of Duke University) and the Rowe String Quartet (University of North Carolina at Charlotte). As they toured their way around, Arlene made most of the travel arrangements, finalized contracts, arranged for hotels and meals. “I was the manager!” she said with a laugh. “It was a lot of work.” Luca looked thoughtful when he added, “Arlene could have done it without me but I couldn’t have done it without her.” Stateside, they played Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, the Kennedy Center and scads of lesser-known and intimate venues – anywhere accomplished chamber music was
welcomed. In fact, to help ensure its continued health and presence, they also co-founded the Garth Newell Music Center (along with Christine Herter Kendall)… whose mission is to share, explore and celebrate the infinite variety of chamber music. According to the organization, “This mission is nourished and sustained through high-quality performances, educational programs, and personal interaction among musicians and guests.”
cultivate their beloved children and grandchildren, host wicked good meals (he’s the wine connoisseur; she’s the gourmet chef) and do their bit to contribute to the genre that has given them so much. “Because of its form and nuance, classical music often takes maturity to appreciate,” Luca said. “Classical music has given us so much. We will always do what we can to foster its understanding and appreciation.” With or without a violin!
Full hearts have encouraged full lives. Although retired from serious work-fed travel, they spend their days between homes in Virginia and Palm Desert. When not walking their Hungarian Viszla Brandy or challenging one another to singles matches on the tennis courts, they
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uca is also involved in teaching a musical perception course for Learning in Retirement (LIR is self-directed study for the intellectually curious). Designed for the 50+ student, LIR courses, given right here in the Coachella Valley, are available in cinema, art, history, literature, economics and the law,
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For more information on the Garth Newell Music Center, visit www. garthnewell.org. Photo is of The Rowe String Quartet.
among a wide variety of subjects. Classes usually last 8 weeks; there are no grades; costs are affordable. If you are interested in making more of your leisure time, in meeting likeminded people, in adding to your wealth of knowledge while exercising your little gray cells, visit www. lirpalmdesert.com.
JUNE 2015
SCAM ALERT! CROSSWORD Stand up to fake debt collectors T he caller is irate, intimidating and - despite the foul language - sounds convincing. He says you must make good on a bill or your wages will be garnished. You might start questioning your memory: “Did I miss a payment? The caller has my information, so this must be legit…” So you pay. Thing is, you don’t owe them a dime. It’s a scam.
“Z-Z-ZOOM!” Across 1 Farm building 5 “___ Lama Ding Dong” 9 Stuns 14 Black & white cookie 15 Australian birds 16 Coral island 17 Aquarium swimmer named for an animal on land 19 Took without asking 20 ___ in a million (rare) 21 Throw trash on the ground 23 ___ out a living 24 Cracker type 26 Actress Bancroft or Heche 28 Donkey’s sound 29 Nose, eyes, etc. 31 Self-importance 34 Twelve 37 ___ mignon 38 Baby doggie 39 Norse god 40 Ranted and ___ 41 “The Way We ___” 42 Howard or Paul 43 Watch brand 44 TV show they’ve already shown before
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45 Dog’s bark 46 Beers 47 Brooks or Gibson 48 Land measurement 50 Shop class noisemakers 54 ___ Lisa (famous painting) 56 Harsh sound 59 Last month: abbr. 60 Country whose capital is New Delhi 62 Renee of Hollywood 64 Strict 65 Having the power 66 Donated 67 Songs for one person 68 Tampa Bay’s baseball team 69 Got larger Down 1 Fools 2 Stadium 3 Fight back 4 Neither here _ there 5 Make more elegant 6 Not much 7 Has to 8 Tennis great Arthur 9 The, in German 10 When some local news shows begin 11 Works with animals 12 Fashion magazine 13 Wintertime transportation
18 Creature from outer space 22 Went quickly 25 At that point 27 Badminton barrier 29 Bills with Lincoln 30 “Jeopardy!” host 32 Wise one 33 Sign on a store 34 “___ the Explorer” 35 Unpleasant scent 36 Wine store choice 37 Renown 40 Agitates 41 Use a blowtorch 43 Road goo 44 Extend your magazine subscription 47 Trees used in syrupmaking 49 Egypt’s capital 50 Actress Field or astronaut Ride 51 ___ Allan Poe 52 Christopher of “Superman” 53 Nail’s cousin 54 Hit or ___ 55 Not fooled by 57 Former Russian ruler 58 McEntire of country 61 Part of Q&A 63 ___ McMuffin
The FTC’s and the Illinois Attorney General’s complaint against K.I.P., LLC, Charles Dickey and Chantelle Dickey is the latest effort to stop scammers from trying to collect fake debts from consumers. According to the complaint, callers threatened to garnish wages, and they offered to accept, or “settle the debt,” for significantly less than the amount allegedly owed. In addition, the caller didn’t give the person any proof of the debt - even when asked. But the calls were so convincing that many consumers actually made payments.
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Here are a few tips for standing up to these scammers: • Ask the caller for his name, company, street address, and telephone number. Tell the caller you won’t discuss any debt until you get a written “validation notice.” If the caller refuses, don’t pay. • Put your request in writing. The Fair Debt Collection Practices Act (FDCPA) requires any debt collector to stop calling if you ask in writing. • Don’t give or confirm any personal, financial, or other sensitive information.
• Contact your creditor. If a debt is legitimate – but you think the collector isn’t - contact the company to which you owe the money. • Report the call. File a complaint with the FTC and your state Attorney General’s office with information about suspicious callers.
JUNE 2015