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FEBRUARY 2021

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

FEBRUARY 2021

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald coveR and feature design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Beth Allen, Kevin Allman, Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Brett Newton, Dan Perkins, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Theresa Sama, Andrew Smith, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Madeline Zuckerman The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month.

All content is ©2021 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader.

Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, the Desert AIDS Project, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.

For nearly a year now, every significant in-person Coachella Valley event has been postponed, forced into the digital realm or cancelled entirely due to COVID-19.

We’ve even done stories about some of them—for example, theater companies’ plans to produce socially distanced productions. But none of them have actually taken place with live attendees—and, frankly, not a single one of these postponements and cancellations has come as a surprise. Since the pandemic arrived, there’s never been a point at which regular consumers of quality pandemic news could point at a date on the calendar and say, “Hey, we might be able to gather together then”—even in a limited way.

That is, there hasn’t been until now.

Yes, the vaccine rollout has been a debacle … but, honestly, shouldn’t we have seen that coming? Until noon on Jan. 20, our federal government was being led by an administration that had washed its hands of responsibility over vaccine distribution—leaving it entirely up to states, just like it did with testing.

Combine that with the fact that never before has there been a mass vaccination effort like the one taking place now, and … well, in some ways, it’s a miracle that things haven’t been more of a mess.

And, yes, the vaccines aren’t a sure thing.

It seems like every day, there’s news of a scary new SARS-CoV-2 variant that’s more contagious—and possibly more resistant to the vaccines.

However … the vaccination effort can only get better from here. As of noon on Jan. 20, our federal government is being led by an administration that is vowing to do all it can to get shots into arms.

There’s also a decent chance that while this issue is on stands, one or possibly two more vaccines will be approved—and one of them, from Johnson and Johnson, may require just one dose rather than two. And while the variants are indeed scary, the vast majority of the scientific world believes the vaccines will still work against them.

On Page 19, we have our latest update on Modernism Week. The first part of the article has to do with the challenges the organization faced in creating new online offerings—like virtual home tours— for the February “Online Experience.”

However, the second part delves into some of the in-person events being planned for April. While the events are all tailored toward social distancing and limited audiences, they’re real events—including the first events held at the Palm Springs Convention Center since … you know.

While it’s far from certain, I have hope that, hey, we might be able to gather together then—in a limited way.

Welcome to the February 2021 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent.

As always, thanks for reading.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com CVIndependent.com

4 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2021

OPINION OPINION

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS I

BY ANITA RUFUS

t’s hard for most of us to ask people for money—even on behalf of worthwhile causes—yet there are some people for whom it seems a natural extension of their interests and personality.

Such is the case with Palm Desert resident Gailya Brown—a woman who has truly found her calling.

Brown was born in Texas and moved to Southern California at the age of 4. She was raised in the Riverside area in a religious family; her dad was a pastor, and her mom, whom Brown describes as brilliant but a bit intense and eccentric, was a teacher who became a librarian.

“My mom went back to school to get a master’s degree,” says Brown, “and she was a serious career woman. The message I got from my mom was to have empathy and compassion for others, important skill.” because otherwise, I could lose my self.

Brown became an assistant to the chairman “My dad was a devout Christian and really of the board of the Los Angeles Music Center. “I lived it. He was laid back and practical, and learned what nonprofits were really about, and despite being a preacher, he rarely spoke much.

I really regretted not having found out much One thing I remember most was that he was a sooner. It became my calling,” she says. baseball addict! He gave me a sense of balance Brown was involved in the funding campaign about life, especially since he always made time that built the Walt Disney Concert Hall in to play. Following that example was hard for downtown Los Angeles, and in developing the me. I was more like my mom.

Younes and Soraya Nazarian Center for the “I also have a younger brother who has worked in the nonprofit world his whole life, on Performing Arts at California State University, Northridge, which she describes as one of issues like racial and social justice. He’s focused the most beautiful performing-arts centers on serving humanity. “ anywhere.

After earning a degree in English at California “I’m SO proud of that one,” she says.

Baptist College (now California Baptist In the desert, Brown has worked with the University), Brown went on to get a master’s Dezart Performs theater company, OneFuture degree in theater at Baylor University in Texas.

Coachella Valley, Habitat for Humanity of the “As a kid, I wanted to be an actress,” says Coachella Valley, and Palm Springs Concerts.

Brown. “I always had an intense fantasy life, She has done consulting on fund-development and I did act a little in school, but I was too campaigns, major-gift and capital-campaign much a Baptist pastor’s daughter. My first planning, donor-recognition programs, and jobs were in retail—behind a candy counter writing services that go beyond fundraising. or as a sales clerk. I worked in television doing “When it comes to raising money,” says program development for about 15 years, but Brown, “it’s very much the ability to articulate it’s an uncertain business, so in 1994, I started my own feelings about the project I’m doing consulting and marketing for nonprofits, representing. I admit I didn’t like it at first, doing grant-writing. I realized that maybe but now I don’t look at it as asking for money.

I could turn that into a real job. I’ve found I have to be passionate about what I’m raising that whether it’s writing thank-you letters, the money for, and then structuring the story scripts or funding proposals, writing is such an

CVIndependent.com

Meet Gailya Brown, a woman who loves to raise funds for worthy organizations

of the project to match the interests of the potential donor. Some of the biggest gifts are where I don’t have to ask; I just have to tell the story, and (explain) how supporting the project is a way to make a difference in people’s lives.

“I discovered that I love working with people, getting to know them, and matching their passions with an organization’s message.

People want to give to make a difference; I just have to find out what they care about. My best professional decision was to go into the world of nonprofits. “ Brown married a man who liked to move around a lot.

“I’ve lived in nine states, including Tennessee, Georgia, New York, Oregon and Hawaii,” Brown says. “It’s meant that my viewpoints over the years have evolved—but I have to say that one of my best decisions was to come back to Riverside.”

Now divorced, Brown has a son who is a graphic designer, and a stepdaughter who is a teacher with two teenage children.

“When you’re a parent, you want your kids to be happy and fulfilled,” Brown says. “It gives me so much pleasure that we’re all so close.”

How has Brown been getting through the pandemic?

“I hate being isolated. I love hugs,” she says.

“Normally, I’d be getting together with friends, going to movies—I love movies, but not if they’re predictable or have bad acting—the local film festivals, the theater or my book club.

But I have managed to work through it.

“Along with Dezart, I’ve also done consulting with College of the Desert and the Palm Springs Community Concert Association (which provides free concerts to students in the Palm Springs Unified School District).

I’m also on the board of the local chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals.

I’m very lucky. I have lots of friends, and they enrich my life every day.

“I’m staying busy, including some involvement in politics—making phone calls and sending postcards. I must admit that my birthday was the day they finally called the election. It takes a lot to make me cry, but I found myself absolutely sobbing when that happened.”

Brown credits many people with having influenced her life choices, particularly a pastor at a Baptist school in Hawaii.

“He gave me permission to ask questions about my faith,” she says. “I also had a great boss at the Music Center who gave me one opportunity after another, and was always happy to give me more to learn. And I had a

Gailya Brown.

professor at Baylor who exploded my mind about learning; she made me believe I could do anything I wanted.

“I’d describe myself as a person who thrives on relationships, friendships and family. I love surrounding myself with talented people. … I guess if I were going to give a message to my younger self, I’d say don’t let yourself be defined by others. Take your chances, and never be afraid of failure.”

Anita Rufus is also known as “The Lovable Liberal.” Her show The Lovable Liberal airs on IHubRadio. Email her at Anita@LovableLiberal. com. Know Your Neighbors appears every other Wednesday at CVIndependent.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

FEBRUARY 2021

OPINION OPINION

HIKING WITH T I

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Turn your new year’s fitness resolution into a goal by making a plan and sticking to it

BY THERESA SAMA

t’s safe to say most of us are glad to have 2020 behind us—and we now hope for a healthy and much-better 2021.

With that said, let’s talk about resolutions—and what is your New Year’s resolution?

Do you want to get outside and get more exercise? Well, saying it and doing it are two very different things. Getting more exercise may very well be the most-common resolution … and it wouldn’t be so common of most of us were actually holding to the resolution.

Instead of making a resolution, I find that setting a realistic and attainable goal can be much more effective—and it is a great motivational tool as well. Pre-pandemic, I would often sign up for different running events. That would give me a goal—something to look forward to, to “With social distancing being a priority strive for, and to be excited about. Therefore, right now, Joshua Tree is the perfect place I would be more motivated to get outdoors— to go, where you can wander on your own or my happy place!—to train every day and to with a select group of people,” she says. “I’ve reach my goal. conquered Barker Dam Trail, Ryan Mountain Needless to say, I haven’t been able to sign Trail, Lost Horse Mine Trail and Split Rock up for any running events for a while. So this Loop, and there’s a short four-mile hike new year, I set a new goal for myself: I plan outside of the park that I do quite often, to hike—and summit—Mount San Gorgonio (Old Greyback), located in the San Bernardino because it’s an easier hike down—but works my legs big-time coming back up … The best National Forest, the highest peak in Southern part of it all is being able to just be, and enjoy California at 11,503 feet. That hike translates what God has given us naturally, and be to a brutal 17.5 miles and a round trip that thankful every day for every new experience takes about 10 hours from the Vivian Creek life has to offer.”

Trail (the steepest route). Mount Gorgonio Another great friend, Dr. Laura Rush, has stands about 670 feet above San Jacinto raised the bar for hiking goals.

Peak—the second-highest peak in Southern “Hiking around the Coachella Valley is California, at 10,834 feet—which will be a way for me to train for a very important my training grounds. It’s 11 miles round goal of mine—which is to climb Mount trip from the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway Mountain Station; I have done this hike many Kilimanjaro, with my goal date in August 2022,” she says. times. It’s just more than 13 miles out and Rush has already started with some basic back (taking eight hours) from the Marion hikes and plans to work her way up to moreMountain side, a few miles north of Idyllwild; difficult terrain on Mount San Jacinto that I have done this hike just a few times. will improve her cardiovascular fitness and On my morning running route, as I make stamina. the last turn and head down the long stretch “Two and a half years ago, I had a total toward home, I see San Gorgonio Mountain knee replacement after many years of severe towering directly in front of me. It’s just 18 knee pain and an inability to participate direct miles ahead (but 40 driving miles to in physical activity. Having spent most of the trailhead). For months now, I have been my life as a multi-sport athlete, I got more dreaming about one day summiting that frustrated with my level of fitness,” says mountain—and now I have a plan in place to Rush. “On safari in Kenya, upon seeing get it done. I plan to be ready for Gorgonio by Mount Kilimanjaro for the first time, I was the time Vivian Creek Trail opens back up in immensely inspired to climb to the top and October. fully appreciate her and all her glory. I decided Some of my friends have amazing goals as at that moment that would be my goal, and well. Debey Do Chrastka has been getting her I’m fortunate enough to live in Coachella steps and mileage in while hiking the trails Valley, where I have access to amazing and and enjoying the beautiful surroundings of the high desert. Chrastka started out this year technical trails to set me on the path toward my goal.” by taking easy hikes, with a goal of 10,000 Whether your goal is big or small, you need steps a day. She quickly worked her way up to put a plan in place—and stick to it. It might to moderate hikes, surpassing the 20,000be a good idea to set up a workout schedule step mark within the first 12 days of the and get yourself into a routine, but you need year. Chrastka soon realized that Joshua Tree to determine what works for you and what is National Park offers many different levels of going to successfully enable you to reach your trails and is a magical place to hike.

Debey Do Chrastka: "The best part of (hiking) is being able to just be and enjoy what God has given us naturally and be thankful every day for every new experience life has to offer."

goal. You may need to start with baby steps— and that’s OK. Just don’t give up!

Remember: Continue to be safe by wearing

your mask and keeping at least six feet of distance when hiking with others. See ya on the trails!

CVIndependent.com

6 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS CENTRAL VALLEY CONCERNS T

by kevin fitzgerald

he new year brings new mayors in Coachella Valley cities where that title rotates—and in Palm Desert, the new mayor is Kathleen Kelly.

A graduate of Yale University and UC Berkeley’s School of Law, Kelly spent decades practicing and teaching law in California, and she has frequently assumed volunteer leadership roles here in the Coachella Valley. She takes the title of mayor as she starts her second term on the council, at a time when Palm Desert and the country as a whole are facing one of the biggest challenges in decades—vaccinating people to protect them from COVID-19.

“This has proved challenging, because the county has jurisdiction, power and responsibility to we want to make sure that there’s a level playing oversee this program,” Kelly said. “But (the City field. … It would be preferable to have some Council) tries to claim a role in anything that source of consistency throughout the Coachella affects our residents’ lives, so when we saw the Valley, but we don’t have that now, so we’re prospect of vaccines coming, we launched an working the best we can within the current effort to collaborate with the county and other system. possible partners to try to be a catalyst for more “Another thing I’m extremely pleased about sites and more access—particularly for more is that Palm Desert’s COVID relief (program) sites here in the central valley which would be includes up to $500,000 for rent relief. This helpful to our residents.” is so significant, because the federal and state How has that gone? “Well, it’s too soon to moratoriums on evictions provide short-term make any promises,” Kelly said. “I’d rather relief from catastrophe, but to some extent, surprise people with some good results than that (policy) is just kicking the can down the over-promise, but our efforts are intense and road. The fact that we’ve been able to find ongoing.” funds for rent relief for people qualifying Local businesses have been struggling due to circumstances related to COVID-19’s to survive because of the pandemic-caused impact enables our residents to come through closures. A much-needed additional $800,000 this much, much better. They won’t be facing was recently approved by the Palm Desert City a (financial) crisis when the moratoriums Council to provide forgivable loans to qualifying conclude.” restaurant owners.

This lifeline will provide a benefit to landlords “The loans are easily forgivable, so long as as well. a restaurant is following current guidelines “That’s been kind of a lost story in all of and orders, and they continue to operate this; not all landlords have deep pockets,” for takeout, and remain viable as it becomes Kelly said. “Many landlords might have one or possible for restaurants to open,” Kelly said. two properties, or it’s someone’s retirement “We really want to do everything we can to income. Many landlords are themselves small support our distinctive businesses, because businesses, so this helps both the tenant and they give the community character—and, of the landlord.” course, create jobs.”

We followed up with the city regarding the However, not all Palm Desert businesses have rent-relief program. Management analyst been obeying the orders from the state, which Christopher Gerry said via email that the city require all restaurants to close for in-person is currently reviewing applications from rentaldining—even outdoors. property owners. He said he anticipates the city “Some 95 percent of our businesses have will reopen applications for property owners in been compliant with all of the guidelines and February, and he encouraged interested renters have done everything they possibly could to to ask their landlords to apply to the program. support public health,” Kelly said. “We want The city of Palm Desert is stepping in to to support them. First and foremost, we want fill yet another void: Riverside County’s lateto help them get through this, because they’re December decision to shut down the highly making huge sacrifices toward the public good. regarded Great Plates Delivered program. It was The particular nature of this crisis is such that a set up by the state, and funded by the federal heavy part of the burden falls on our hospitality government and the county—in an effort to industry, which is vital to the economy. help out struggling restaurants by paying them “Now, to the extent that we have outliers, we to prepare daily meals for homebound senior want to get them on to the same page. We want citizens. to show them that they can be compliant and “I think that slightly more than 100 Palm get through this at the same time—and for the Desert residents and a handful of restaurants sake of the 95 percent-plus who are compliant, CVIndependent.com

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

Palm Desert Mayor Kathleen Kelly says her top 2021 priority is helping the city get through the COVID-19 pandemic

participated in the state-sponsored Great Plates program,” Kelly said. “This (new city offering) will be a somewhat more streamlined program with less paperwork, and it boils down to this: We wanted to find ways to support our restaurants while they’re limited to takeout— and, to the extent that we can actually fund something that will have a second benefit to someone else, so much the better. We’ll be exploring (providing meals to) not just seniors who might not currently be served by the Joslyn Center (Meals on Wheels) program, but other appropriate groups, such as our first responders, who are working so hard that they hardly have time to secure a meal.”

Next, the conversation shifted to the proposed 10,000-seat arena which was originally planned for downtown Palm Springs—but is now supposed to be built on a parcel located just over the northern city line of Palm Desert, near the intersection of Cook Street and Varner Road. What would be the extent of the city’s involvement?

“You would get different opinions from different council members, but there are the core facts about which everyone needs to be informed,” Kelly said. “As you point out, (the proposed site) is on unincorporated land.

It’s actually within Cathedral City’s sphere of influence. … That said, traffic doesn’t pay attention to city boundaries. Noise doesn’t pay attention to city boundaries, so we have to pay attention to what’s happening there. I’ve consulted quite a few people with expertise in planning who give this project about a 10 percent chance of actually happening. The proponents haven’t begun the formal process with the county that would lead to the approval of the details. They haven’t developed the kind of pro forma that is usually a first step in terms of showing economic viability. So, my perspective is that Palm Desert needs to stay alert to the status of this … so we can be participants looking out for the interests of our residents.”

The November election was the first in which Palm Desert used a district-based system. One large district elects four council members, while the “Civic Center Core District” elects one representative. Kelly said residents may have a variety of opinions about the change—but that now is not the time for debate over the brandnew system.

“Right now, I think it’s so critical that we use our airtime with the public to communicate the importance of continuing to follow the (pandemic) safeguards, since there seems to be confusion about that,” Kelly said. “Also, we

Palm Desert Mayor Kathleen Kelly.

need to communicate about the importance of continuing testing, and about access to the vaccines. Those topics have to be the priority for at least the next six to nine months. So, possibly having this issue on the ballot in 2022 would be a good way to ensure that everybody gets informed and has a chance to discuss their preference. But frankly, I’d feel derelict if I distracted attention to that issue right now in 2021.”

Last summer, the city completed the Phase 1 makeover of the streets adjacent to the city’s downtown along San Pablo Avenue—but only after many months of upheaval for businesses and residents in the area. Second-phase construction is now under way, and Kelly said she’s happy with what’s been completed.

“I so appreciate (businesses’ and residents’) patience and their participation in all the planning for this,” Kelly said. “I’ve been utterly amazed that it’s been able to achieve some of its objectives already, despite the fact that the pandemic prevents the kind of events that were envisioned for San Pablo. But the fact that we were able to move the Certified Farmers’ Market there on Wednesdays—and we’ll soon add a farmers’ market once a month on Sundays— has brought people to the location, which has helped the merchants. Everybody I talk to comments on the sense of vibrancy and their enjoyment at being in that space.”

In conclusion, Kelly again emphasized the need for the city to focus on the pandemic during her year as mayor.

“At the same time, though, we cannot lose momentum on the key long-term initiatives that will better position Palm Desert for the future, with or without crises,” Kelly said.

“Those include diversifying our economy, expanding program offerings at our (California State University) campus and improving (internet) connectivity. … We have to stay energized around those three topics, despite all of the time and resources that the pandemic takes up.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

‘THERE ARE JUST SUCH GLARING ISSUES’

N

After years of cuts, The Desert Sun’s newsroom employees form a union

by kevin fitzgerald

early all of the 20 or so employees that remain in The Desert Sun’s newsroom want to unionize.

On Dec. 17, employees of the Coachella Valley’s 94-year-old daily newspaper announced they had “filed a petition for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board and requested voluntary recognition from Gannett, the paper’s parent company. Members of the organizing committee also presented local management with the request after 90 percent of eligible staffers signed cards saying they want to be represented by The Desert Sun NewsGuild. The group will become a unit of Media Guild of the West, a local of The NewsGuild-CWA, the nation’s largest The merger and the expected resulting cuts union for news industry employees.” have received federal attention. In November Brian Blueskye is The Desert Sun’s arts and 2019, three members of the U.S. Senate culture reporter (and a former Independent called on GateHouse/Gannett executives to staff member). voluntarily recognize any union formed by a “We’ve seen a lot of changes at The Desert majority of workers in any of the companies’ Sun, such as our printing-press operations newsrooms. moving over to Phoenix,” Blueskye said. In “Union representation will empower workers September 2020, the Palm Springs-based to advocate not only for themselves but also printing plant run by Gannett was shuttered, their newspapers and communities,” said and that work was consolidated into the the letter which was signed by Sens. Sherrod Phoenix printing operation.

Brown (D-Ohio), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) and “Also, over the years, various colleagues Bob Menendez (D-NJ). “In many communities, who have contributed amazing journalism to local newspapers are the primary source of our publication have been leaving to other publications for better opportunities,” Blueskye news and information, yet the consequences of closing or hollowing out a newspaper are said. “And we’ve wondered: What can we do to not considered by news executives seeking start keeping our colleagues? There are many to maximize shareholder value and profit. of us who’d like to continue working at The Desert Sun, and we’ve basically tried to come up Through collective bargaining with the newsrooms, affected communities will have a with a way to ensure the publication survives, voice in decisions about their newspapers.” because we’re now a newsroom of 20 or so However, Gannett has failed to heed the people—and we used to be much larger. Right senators’ plea: Time and again, when Gannett’s now, we’re feeling the burden (compounded newsrooms have requested voluntary by the COVID-19 pandemic), and we’re feeling recognition of their newly established the squeeze, and if this is going to be the case, NewsGuild-CWA units, the parent company then how does the publication survive? We has refused—and then proceeded to make the want to create an environment that provides union adoption process as difficult as possible. opportunity, provides fair compensation and Gannett’s corporate-communications office produces high-quality journalism. did not respond to a request for comment from “We need a diverse staff, and we’ve really the Independent. pushed for diversity, because we’re a diverse Mark Olalde is the environment reporter valley. We need someone who’s able to cover the east valley who knows that community and at The Desert Sun, and a member of the staff’s union-organizing committee. knows how to reach that community. It’s only “As of today, our bargaining unit consists of fair that a news staff reflects the diversity of 20 people who are photographers, reporters its readership.” and producers,” Olalde said. Of those 20 Gannett Co., Inc., with headquarters people, 18 have signed official unionin McLean, Va., is the largest newspaper authorization cards, and in addition to those, company in the country, with $1.86 billion an additional person has signed a publicin revenues in 2019. The company was facing statement of support. So we had signed acquired in November 2019 by New Media support from 19 out of 20 staff members Investment Group, the parent company of before we went public, which only leaves one Gatehouse Media; the combined company member still trying to decide if this is the right then took the Gannett name. In recent years, decision for them specifically. So, right now, 95 as Gannett has made multiple rounds of percent of the unit is in support of the effort.” layoffs, consolidations and buyouts, various However, as with unionization attempts in company newsrooms have made the decision other Gannett newsrooms, the company has to unionize.

Eighteen of the 20 Desert Sun newsroom employees signed on to the unionization effort. desertsunnewsguild.org

not made that effort easy.

“We just need Gannett to say, ‘OK, it’s clear you guys want this, so we’ll voluntarily recognize you.’ That’s all we need right now,” Olalde said. “But they refused, so instead, this will be going to a vote overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, under the Federal National Labor Relations Act. After we agree on the unit, which looks like it will be 20 (staff members), we’ll need 50 percent plus one (to approve the establishment of the unit). So, we’ll need 11 votes out of the 20. What makes it such a head-scratcher is that when we came to Gannett, they said, ‘No thanks. We’re not sure you have enough support for this, and we want to push you to a vote.’”

The process to establish the union unit at The Desert Sun is now being driven by representatives of the NewsGuildCommunications Workers of America, which is the national umbrella union the paper’s staffers will be joining.

“Currently, they’re bargaining with the outside counsel that Gannett has decided to pay,” Olalde said. “They’ll be deciding on the terms of the vote, and then when they’ve decided on that, there will be a mail-in vote most likely, due to safety concerns. In the recent past, even during the pandemic, Gannett has sought to make these votes in-person to, I don’t know, endanger your health for no reason. When that vote happens, and we overwhelmingly win, we’ll be an officially recognized union—and at that point, we go to bargaining, and we’ll start fighting for the specific things that we want to see our members get in a contract.”

Olalde said he expected the vote to take place by the end of January, and for the union to be certified by the end of February.

“So around March 1, we should be in the union, and after that, we’ll be turning our

attention to the bargaining process,” Olalde said. “Now, the bargaining process could take anywhere from weeks to a year and a half or longer, which I’ve seen at some other newspapers.”

Olalde said the union is badly needed by journalists in The Desert Sun newsroom.

“There are just such glaring issues that need to be fixed here,” he said. “So what we’re trying to do is emerge from this process with pay equity for our members of color, and our female members. We want to emerge with guaranteed safety equipment and standards in place, for whether we’re reporting out in the field during the pandemic, or at wildfires, or riots or whatever it might be. We actually want to walk the walk in terms of prioritizing diversity in hiring as opposed to just setting goals that are never really enforced or honestly worked toward—and we want to protect our veteran members to make sure that, just because they get older, the company doesn’t move them over to the curb.

“You know, there are a lot of things that sound like common sense to me, but are things the company is so very slowly moving toward.

At this point, we’re Gannett in brand only.

We’re owned by a private-equity company on the East Coast. Now, I don’t know those guys personally, but you’d really have to convince me that they’re journalism fans (and appreciate) the things that we do, which is try to uphold truth in our communities and defend democracy. So I’m not convinced that these new owners, who are in the money industry, have those same priorities as us. But we’ll fight that fight at the local level. I think we’re fighting for a lot of good things for a lot of good people.”

For more information, visit www. desertsunnewsguild.org.

CVIndependent.com

8 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

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NEWS

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IMPORTANT LINKAGES T

by kevin fitzgerald

he Mojave Desert Land Trust has acquired a 227-acre parcel of important wildlife habitat that was previously owned by the Institute of Mentalphysics, near Joshua Tree.

Roughly 80 percent of the $780,000 cost was covered by grant funds from the state of California, with the other 20 percent provided by the MDLT via a combination of other grants and private donations.

It was the latest action in the land trust’s ongoing effort to guarantee that a valuable wildlife corridor/habitat linkage will be protected in perpetuity to enable the movement of both animal and plant species through regions stretching from the Morongo Basin to the west, and Joshua habitat, or the Marine Corps base became an Tree National Park and the Marine Corps Air islanded habitat without connections to other Ground Combat Center to the north and east. areas, certain species might eventually become “It ensures that the property will never locally extinct. The areas, even as big as they be developed,” said Geary Hund, executive are, might not be big enough to support, say, director of the MDLT, during a recent the tortoise long-term. But the two areas interview. “It will be permanently preserved linked together by a wildlife corridor would as wild land, which in and of itself is a good thing, because it’s a large chunk of Joshua Tree be big enough. So that’s why we’re so focused on protecting these wildlife corridors—and woodland—and as we know now, the western this property is smack-dab in the middle of an Joshua Tree is imperiled by a number of important wildlife corridor.” threats to its long-term existence. So it’s really The parcel, which is north of Highway 62 good that we’re able to preserve this Joshua and west of Joshua Tree, is known to be part Tree woodland. of a popular migration route for a variety “But what’s most important is that (the of animals, including coyotes, bobcats owls, parcel) is part of an important habitat badgers, desert tortoises, red-tailed hawks, linkage or wildlife corridor between Joshua jackrabbits, ground squirrels, desert iguanas Tree National Park and the Marine Corps and side-blotched lizards. Also, plant species Air Ground Combat Center at Twentynine such as Joshua trees, silver cholla, burrobush Palms,” Hund continued. “At first glance, it and creosote thrive in the area. might seem odd that we would be connecting The Independent asked if the land-trust a national park to a military base, but much team had seen any evidence that repopulation of the military base is not used for military migrations were taking place since the summer actions that cause disturbance to the habitat, blazes that charred lands on the western edges and they do manage wildlife on the base. So of this wildlife corridor. even though they do some pretty significant “What we see are animal tracks in ravines training there—including bombing in certain that run through the properties and go right areas—much of the base is managed for its up to the highway on both sides,” Hund habitat. Therefore, it’s very important from said. “So we know that animals are crossing a conservation standpoint that the two areas Highway 62—not frequently, but they do have been connected together to help ensure cross. And we know that movement across is that both areas remain more ecologically still occurring, so how that immediately affects sound. The habitat linkages help to maintain the recovery from the fire, we’re unable to tell genetic variation, which is important to yet—but it does illustrate that these linkages maintaining a healthy wildlife population.” are functioning. They are allowing the passage Hund offered an example of the value of of wildlife from one side to the other.” habitat linkages.

According to the U.S. Environmental “Say you had a big brush fire on the Marine Protection Agency, the average annual Corps base, or even in Joshua Tree National Park, that burned a pretty big area. Afterwards, temperature in Southern California has risen by more than 3 degrees Fahrenheit in the animals and plants—via their seeds—can last century. The warming has had a negative move through the corridor and repopulate impact on plant and wildlife sustainability the area that was damaged by the wildfire. So, in the region—especially when it comes to linkages are very, very important. Scientists Joshua trees. for many years, going all the way back to “Studies … show that Joshua trees in lowerthe 1940s and 1950s, have recognized the elevation areas are hardly reproducing at all relationship between the size of an area and anymore, because conditions have become how many species it can support. So, if the too warm and dry,” Hund said. “Now you have national park became effectively an islanded CVIndependent.com

The Mojave Desert Land Trust purchases a 227-acre parcel to make sure high desert plants and animals can migrate as needed

The Mojave Desert Land Trust’s new parcel—seen here looking west from the Institute of Mentalphysics—is part of an important wildlife corridor, said MDLT executive director Geary Hund. Courtesy of MDLT

periods of drought followed by periods of heavy rain. Those periods of drought can result in the death of young Joshua trees, or even prevent their germination in the first place. So, as a result of the climate models and the field data that’s been collected, on the most extreme end, predictions indicate that only 1-2 percent of the Joshua trees would be left in the Joshua Tree National Park. That’s pretty significant.”

Hund and his MDLT colleagues are committed to doing all they can to help the embattled plant species avert extinction.

“We’re working long term on ensuring that there’s an interconnected system of reserves across the desert, so that all of these large protected areas like parks, monuments and wilderness areas are all connected by wildlife corridors or habitat linkages, so the desert ecosystem will have an opportunity to remain intact and viable long-term,” Hund said. “Regardless of climate change, (the wildlife corridors) are important because of species-area relationship and the potential danger of losing species if you have extensive habitat fragmentation. Just isolation alone could result in insufficient genetic variations for animals to adapt to change over time.

People think of mutations as a bad thing, but actually, mutations can be beneficial—for instance, if you have a desert tortoise that has a mutation that allows it to be more resilient to drought. You want those genes to circulate throughout the desert tortoise population and not just be limited to Joshua Tree National Park.”

Is the MDLT eyeing any other land parcels in this developing wildlife corridor—and what other wildlands protection priorities are they pursuing?

“We are planning to buy another piece of land in the vicinity of the IOM,” Hund said.

“We have received a preliminary approval from the California Wildlife Conservation Board to

(pursue the purchase of) some 80 acres, which will then be protected on the same side of Highway 62. So it is a constant effort.”

Hund said local residents also benefit from the MLDT’s stewardship of our region’s wildlands.

“We are a conservation organization,” he said. “We buy these lands primarily to protect wildlife habitats and connectivity, but what’s really interesting is that this is an identified area that’s considered a gateway to the Joshua Tree National Park. It’s been prioritized in planning processes to remain as open as possible. Also, it’s been identified as being important to the Morongo Basin to keep open space between the communities. So it has become a community amenity, because it is protected open space that the communities can use to preserve the rural character of the communities, plus provide multiple benefits for both people and wildlife.”

The recently obtained 227 acres will still receive support from the former owners, too.

“The IOM has a real affiliation with that landscape, because it’s the viewscape for their facility,” Hund said. “They’re very interested in working together with us to do a joint fundraiser and to help us in our efforts to provide future stewardship and management of the land.”

Hund said the land trust’s goal is to protect open space while also allowing communities to grow in a healthy manner.

“We really focus on the big undeveloped open spaces, and there’s still a tremendous amount of available land for both planned development and housing,” he said. “We don’t really take away from potential development, because there are a number of desert lands that are adjacent to these properties that are still available for housing. We see it as a really nice combination of (wildlife) protection and smart growth, if you will.”

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2021-2022 EVENTS

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Mar 26-28

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Apr. 8-18

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Apr. 23-25

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Apr. 23-26

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11

FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS HEALTH IN THE TIME OF COVID C

by kevin fitzgerald

oachella Valley native Carmina Zavala was elected as the new Zone 3 director of the Desert Healthcare District (DHCD) board in November, getting more votes than opponents Kristal Granados and Shelley Kaplan combined. In December, she assumed the seat, which had been held for 23 years by retiring board member Mark Matthews.

“I grew up here in the Coachella Valley, so I know how special and unique it is,” said Zavala, a Palm Desert resident and a doctoral candidate in applied clinical psychology, during a phone interview. “Now, to be able to give back to the community, is such a treat and a blessing. I feel very lucky to be able to do that, especially in this position.” easy access to health-care services here in the During her campaign, Zavala emphasized Coachella Valley, as well as equal and easy that working to overcome the threat of access to mental and behavioral-health-care COVID-19 needed to be the district board’s services,” Zavala said. “That’s definitely one of primary focus. my priorities. Also, we still need to educate the “The district’s first priority is the health and community about COVID-19 and the vaccines, the wellness of the Coachella Valley’s 443,101 so I’d like to see more on that. And I’ll certainly residents,” Zavala said. “The vaccination be working with other community leaders and priorities are being set at the national and local agencies, including the Coachella Valley state level. But, that being said, the DHCD and Association of Governments and Riverside the foundation are continuing their funding County, to address the challenges we face of the Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative, around the homelessness issue here in the which is a multiple-agency partnership with Coachella Valley.”

Riverside County to improve access to COVIDZavala has been practicing at a Palm 19 testing and offer support services, (and) Springs outpatient clinic for individuals with to get the vaccine to farmworkers and other mental-health issues. She said she believes her vulnerable valley residents. The DHCD’s chief experience will prove beneficial to the district executive officer, Dr. (Conrado) Barzaga, board and valley residents alike. has been a vocal proponent of prioritizing “Back in 2019, the DHCD conducted a farmworkers as essential workers, and of mental- and behavioral-needs assessment their receiving the vaccines, in alignment with (of the residents in the valley),” she said. (efforts made by) Assemblymember Eduardo “The findings highlighted several gaps in the Garcia. I approve of, and agree with, what the provision of mental health and behavioral DHCD has been doing so far in supporting services. Some of the policy recommendations efforts to address the pandemic.”

To date, those efforts on the part of the district have been supported by $1.2 million in CARES Act funding, provided via Riverside County, to address local needs resulting from the pandemic. Through the district’s traditional grant-making process, eight local nonprofits and agencies have received critical financial support: Alianza Coachella Valley, El Sol Neighborhood Educational Center, Galilee Center, Lideres Campesinas, Pueblo Unido, TODEC Legal Center, Vision y Compromiso and the Youth Leadership Institute. Along with Riverside County and the DHCD, these entities now make up the Coachella Valley Equity Collaborative.

Barzaga explained the mission of this new collaborative in a recent press statement, saying: “The most significant aspect of this funding is peer education, delivering scientific, accurate information about COVID-19, and also linking families to resources and testing.”

Resources include food and rent assistance.

What other issues does Zavala view as priorities?

“I’d like to see all residents have equal and

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

A chat with Carmina Zavala, the newest member of the Desert Healthcare District Board

(resulting from this assessment) related to a need for access to services such as education, and to reducing the negative stigma connected to mental health. Also, I’d like to see professional development and expansion of the mental-health-services workforce.”

As Zavala begins her term, one high-profile DHCD initiative is the effort to identify a regional third-party medical provider that can create a quality health-care facility and outreach program to serve the heavily Black population of Palm Springs’ underserved Desert Highland Gateway Estates neighborhood. The DHCD recently issued a request for proposals. As Barzaga said in press statement on this effort, “My hope is that this will be a community effort to equalize the Desert Highland Gateway Estates’ access to a number of resources. Access to health care is very important, but also the hope of our board is that the Black community will have access to better educational and employment opportunities. There will be an augmented visibility of their needs. The long term goal is there will be a clinic there.”

Zavala said the work in the Desert Highland Gateway Estates neighborhood shows that the DHCD is working on behalf of all Coachella Valley residents. “I have faith that the DHCD will be working in this area to bring about positive results,” she said.

Zavala said she was thankful to the Zone 3 constituents—who live in portions of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage, Indian

Newly elected Desert Healthcare District board member Carmina Zavala: “I’d like to see all residents have equal and easy access to healthcare services here in the Coachella Valley, as well as equal and easy access to mental and behavioral-health-care services. That’s definitely one of my priorities.”

Wells, Palm Desert and La Quinta—for voting her into office.

“And, truly, I’d like to thank those who didn’t vote for me as well, because I’m really here to serve everyone in the (entire) community,” Zavala said. “… My personal mission and goal is to be able to provide the best support to our community, and be there for them, do anything to help them, and be that voice for them.”

TAKE THE INDEPENDENT CHALLENGE 1. Peruse the Independent. Look at the quality of the writing, the layout, the topics, etc.

2. Do the same with any other local publication.

3. Compare.

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FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS

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UNSUNG HEROES D

by madeline zuckerman

uring her distinguished 15-year career in law enforcement, Cori Muro dealt with a lot of domestic-violence calls—including many heartbreaking incidents involving children. She later transferred to the detective bureau, where she worked mostly with juveniles, with some cases involving battered women, abused children and narcotics.

After retiring from law enforcement, Muro knew she wanted to pursue volunteering that somehow involved babies, because Muro never had children of her own. She signed up to volunteer in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit of nearby Torrance Memorial Medical Center—but mother of many,” Muro says. “I love children, she said she was told there was a seven-year and I did take care of other people’s children wait to volunteer there. by babysitting for neighbors and for my nieces “When you are childless, you become the

Volunteer Cori Muro brings her expertise and love of little ones to Mama’s House

and nephews—as well as for some puppies and kittens along the way.”

Many months later, Muro would experience a life-threatening health scare that would change her life forever. When she recovered, Muro decided she needed change in her life, so she relocated to the Coachella Valley, where she had vacationed with her family.

“This was the best thing I could have ever done,” she said. “I felt I was definitely being directed by God. Many of my friends have been living in the valley for years, so I felt that my life just fell into place like dominoes here. I am happy and was able to find great churches and really nice people I could relate to.”

Once settled in her new home in the Palm Springs area, Muro enrolled in a Bible-study class at Southwest Church in Indian Wells. A dear friend in that class knew of Muro’s love of babies, so she told Muro about Mama’s House, the only residential home in the Coachella Valley providing shelter for women in crisis pregnancies. Mama’s House opened its doors seven years ago and has since served more than 230 mothers and their babies. Mama’s House offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for these mothers to conquer fears, face challenges and get back on track for success.

“This friend knew of my passion and love of babies, and knew of my disappointment with Torrance Memorial,” Muro said. “She recommended I meet with Jan Lupia, founder and executive director of Mama’s House. After that initial meeting, I was so impressed with this nonprofit’s mission and successful programs that I started immediately volunteering there by providing babysitting.

“The first baby I held was a beautiful baby girl with gorgeous blue eyes. As I held her and fed her a bottle, our eyes locked, and all I could think of was this has to be (like) a mother’s love. The baby’s name was Caitlin, and although she is gone now from Mama’s House,

I will always think about holding that little girl and how I was overcome with the feeling of love for this first baby I got to hold.”

Earlier this year, Muro completed a ninemonth program on Downline Discipleship Training at Southwest Church, which teaches people how to study the Bible and go out into the community to mentor others. She asked Lupia if she could present a program on spiritual mentoring to the resident mamas, and Lupia enthusiastically approved. Muro now teaches this one-on-one program at the Mama’s House Hope Center two days a week.

“We really need this right now in our country,” Muro said. “There is such a need for what Mama’s House is doing. The mamas are really good girls who just have not gotten a break. It is hard sometimes for them. I know, having been a police officer for 15 years who saw so much drug abuse and child abuse. I truly understand what some of these gals are going through, and they definitely need someone who can listen and understand them, in order to help them get back on their feet. I tell them no matter how alone they may think or feel they are, they have someone to lean on for help. It’s important to listen and to give direction and advice on better choices in life. I try to be a little bit of a mom that way.”

Like a mom, Muro is protective of her girls.

“We should never judge them,” she said emphatically. “When they came to Mama’s House, they made the right choice. The mamas have made a difference in my life, and I hope and pray I have made a difference in theirs. I am volunteering at Mama’s House and getting so much more out of it than I am giving.”

For more information on Mama’s House, visit www.themamashouse.org. Madeline Zuckerman is the owner and president of M. Zuckerman Marketing and Public Relations. Her firm represents Mama’s House.

Cori Muro (left) smiles with a Mama’s House resident. Courtesy of Mama’s House

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

FEBRUARY 2021

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

FEBRUARY ASTRONOMY

Jupiter, Saturn and Mercury emerge from the solar glare Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight For February, 2021 into early-morning skies

I

By Robert Victor

This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

February's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

N

n February’s evening skies, follow the moon nightly at dusk, from a thin crescent low in the west-southwest on Feb. 12, to full, low, north of east, two weeks later on Feb. 26. (Technically, it’ll be full shortly after midnight on Feb. 27.)

Moving an average of 13 degrees per day against the background of the zodiac constellations, the fat 44 percent crescent moon passes within four degrees south of Mars on Feb. 18. On the next evening, the moon—53 percent full and just past first quarter phase—is located in Taurus, almost midway between Aldebaran and the Pleiades star cluster. On Feb. 23, the 88 percent gibbous moon is just 4 degrees south of Pollux, the brighter of the Gemini twins. The other twin, Castor, is 4.5 degrees from Pollux. On the evening of Feb. 26, the full moon appears within eight degrees to the lower left of Regulus, middle of night, and low in the west at dawn. heart of Leo, the Lion. If you enjoy watching As Regulus appears at opposition, the orbital moonrises, then plan to catch the one on Feb. revolution of Spaceship Earth around the sun Regulus 27, when the moon will come up 10 degrees is carrying us away from the Pleiades in the Castor north of east around the middle of evening evening sky and toward a point just west of the Capella Pollux twilight. head of Scorpius in the morning sky.

As March opens, Mars, faded to magnitude The moon at dawn: After the full moon is 0.9, is moving about 0.6 degrees per day low in the west-northwest on Jan. 28, look for E Procyon against the background of Taurus, the Bull. the waning gibbous moon near Regulus in the Aldebaran Residents of Southern California with a west on Jan. 30; and near Spica in the southBetelgeuse clear, unobstructed view toward due south southwest at dawn on Feb. 2 and 3. Catch a on a very clear evening might enjoy searching waning crescent moon near Antares in the for the star Canopus, the second-brightest south-southeast on Feb. 6. The moon’s finale Rigel nighttime star, ranking next after Sirius. for this cycle will be on Feb. 9, when it will Sirius From the latitude of Palm Springs (34 degrees appear as a 6 percent crescent very low in the north), Canopus passes only three degrees southeast to east-southeast. above the south point of the horizon some Here come the planets! Binoculars will be 21-22 minutes before Sirius reaches its high useful as the planets emerge from the solar point. Around March 6, Canopus reaches its glare. In mid-February, Saturn, of magnitude high point after evening twilight ends, getting +0.7, emerges very low in the east-southeast nearly four minutes earlier daily: If you spot morning twilight. By Feb. 19, Mercury Canopus one evening and return to the same brightens to magnitude +1.0 and appears site on the following evening, the star will 4.7 degrees to the left of Saturn. By Feb. 23, Canopus appear in exactly the same place three minutes Mercury has brightened to magnitude +0.5. and 56 seconds earlier. Don’t wait too many Watch for bright Jupiter, of magnitude -2.0, S Evening mid-twilight occurs days after March 6, or the sky will be too rising 4.6 degrees to its lower left and 7.5 when Sun is 9 below horizon. bright to find the star. degrees to the lower left of Saturn. That same Feb. 1: 41 minutes after sunset. less than 10 weeks after their very close Mornings: Since Venus has moved into morning, Mercury reaches its least distance 15: 40 " " " conjunction, have bright twilight, the zero-magnitude stars— of 4.1 degrees to the lower left of Saturn, in a 28: 39spread " "to 8" degrees apart.

On Feb. 28, Mercury appears 3 degrees to the golden Arcturus high in the southwest, and quasi-conjunction. upper right of Jupiter. blue-white Vega high in the east-northeast About an hour before sunrise from Feb. After the epic close conjunction of Jupiter to east—are the most-prominent stellar25 to March 10, the moon makes an eventful and Saturn at dusk on Dec. 21, the giant appearing objects in February, until Jupiter two-week trek across the morning sky, passing planets have reappeared at dawn while emerges in the east-southeast late in month. three first-magnitude stars and three planets.

Look for these first-magnitude stars: Spica, On Feb. 26, the nearly full moon is five degrees spreading apart, to 7 degrees on Feb. 19, and 8 degrees on Feb. 27. The gap between them to the lower the left of Arcturus; Altair and to the upper right of Regulus, low in the west in the predawn sky will continue to grow until Deneb, completing the Summer Triangle with to west-northwest.

June 11, when they’ll be 19 3/4 degrees apart.

Vega; reddish Antares, heart of the Scorpion, On Feb. 27, an hour before sunup, the full After passing opposition on the nights of Aug. in the south-southeast to south; and Regulus, moon in the west is 12 degrees to the upper 1 and 19, respectively, Saturn and Jupiter will sinking in the west to west-northwest. left of Regulus. The same morning, Mercury, approach to within 15.4 degrees of each other Regulus, on the night of Feb. 17-18, is at brightened to magnitude +0.2, attains its in the evening sky on Oct. 24, before resuming opposition as Earth passes between that star highest altitude for this apparition, but it’s their widening separation. and the sun. That night, look 180 degrees from still very low in the east-southeast, 3.4 degrees To check for the post-pandemic resumption the sun for Regulus, heart of Leo the Lion: to the upper right of Jupiter and 5 degrees to of star parties hosted by the Astronomical low in the east at dusk, high in the south in the lower left of Saturn. Jupiter and Saturn,

Deneb

W Mars 15 22 1 8 Mercury 1

Fomalhaut

Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller

Society of the Desert, visit the club’s website at www.astrorx.org. Rancho Mirage Library’s Observatory is currently closed as well, although the library is open during limited hours; visit www.ranchomiragelibrary.org/ observatory.html for updates.

I originated the Abrams Planetarium’s monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968, and still produce issues occasionally. For subscription information and a sample, visit www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

Wishing you clear skies!

Robert Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is now retired and enjoys providing informal sky watching opportunities for folks in and around Palm Springs.

CVIndependent.com

14 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

BY MATT KING

AS COVID-19 RAGES ON,

many artists are reinventing the figurative wheel to keep music performances alive— creating new and exciting ways to fill the gap left by the lack of live, in-person concerts.

One of these creatives is Ryan Jones, founder of the California Desert Wizards Association (CDWA), which put on the annual Stoned and Dusted festival.

Since music festivals can’t take place right now, Jones and his colleagues have adapted to the times—in a big way: They’re streaming a five-part series of professionally recorded concert films, called Live in the Mojave Desert.

The goal? To, in Jones’ words, give music fans something “really rad.”

The series kicked off on Saturday, Jan. 23, with Earthless. It will continue with a show every other Saturday, featuring Nebula (Feb. 6), Spirit Mother (Feb. 20), Mountain Tamer (March 6) and Stoner (March 20), a new band featuring Kyuss alumni Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri. Tickets cost $10 to $20 for each show; purchasers get access to the livestream event plus access to replays for the next 48 hours.

(At some point, the series will be available for purchase via DVD and video on demand.)

During a recent interview, Jones explained that Live in the Mojave Desert was born out of the disappointment following the cancellation of the annual Stoned and Dusted festival last May. “What was really a bummer about canceling Stoned and Dusted was refunding all CVIndependent.com

FEBRUARY 2021

this money,” Jones said. “Not that I minded refunding it—but these people did not want refunds. They wanted to come to the party. We call it ‘no fun-ded’: They got their money back and had no fun, and it was a total buzzkill.”

Jones said he and his fellow festival producers wanted to give their disappointed fellow music-lovers “something cool” in place of the cancelled festival.

“I happened to escape from L.A. at the start of COVID and move down to Joshua Tree. My guy, Sam Grant—who is our editor on this, and one of the CDWA guys—he also just moved to Joshua Tree, and Mario Lalli (Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man) also lives out there. We were really trying to figure out what we can do, and we started hearing about this livestream thing. It was Mario’s idea

to say, ‘Let’s not do a livestream; let’s make something amazing. Let’s not just set up in a garage, film it and show it live; let’s make something beautiful and then show that.

So we made Yawning Man Live at Giant Rock and created a livestream event for it called Couchlock and Rock. We had a live, hosted event with Brant, Mario, Sean Wheeler, Nick Oliveri, myself and Sam, just kind of hanging out on the couches talking. I got to open the conversation, and those guys just had a blast talking together—and then we premiered the concert film.”

Couchlock and Rock was so much fun, Jones said, that he “saw the light”—and the result was Live in the Mojave Desert.

“I thought that this could be a thing that’s going to make winter bearable for everybody,

so I started a record label called CDWA Records … and made something amazing,” he said. “We’ll put it out live on the air on the internet for a ticketed event in the winter when everyone’s locked down. It’s a cold winter, and everyone’s shut up in their homes because of the coronavirus—so we’re bringing something rad to their houses.”

BRANT BJORK,

the local stoner-rock legend who founded Kyuss, is participating in Live in the Mojave Desert via his new band, Stoner. He’s been a part of Stoned and Dusted efforts from the beginning.

“Stoned and Dusted is a result of me meeting a gentleman named Mr. Ryan Jones, whom I refer to as Dr. Jones, because I have too many Ryans in my life,” Bjork said during a recent phone interview.

“We really came together with the idea of putting on a rock show out in the desert. We called that (2016 show) Desert Generator, and it was such a success that we didn’t just plan on doing an event annually; we also decided that he would manage me. That evolved into Stoned and Dusted, and because of the pandemic, Stoned and Dusted evolved into this new adventure of starting a record label with the whole purpose of recording a handful of bands out in the desert.”

Bjork said that when Jones told him his thoughts about starting the label, he thought it was “a hell of an idea.”

“I wasn’t super-surprised, because coming up with really interesting and creative Stoner. Miroslav Peric adventures is one of his fortes,”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15

FEBRUARY 2021

Bjork said. “I play a particular role in Stoned and Dusted, and I had really nothing to do with this. There’s a term I’m hearing that’s quite appropriate, and that term is ‘pandemic project.’ I think this is his pandemic project, and I have a feeling that it could potentially evolve even more once the pandemic comes to a close.”

Bjork said Stoner came together solely for this production.

“I was really inspired, but I was

TDESERT HE LIVE IN THE MOJAVE TRAILER

shows off the professional production of the concert films—including high-definition video and masterfully recorded tracks.

“Dan Joeright, from Gatos Trail Recording Studio in Joshua Tree, came out and recorded the thing on 24-track Pro Tools,” Jones said.

Nebula. Miroslav Peric simultaneously frustrated, because I love my solo band,” Bjork said. “They’re not just great musicians, but also my dear friends, but we all live in different areas. My bass player moved to Berlin; my guitar player is up in Seattle; and my drummer lives in Shasta. When it came to trying to exercise the band during the pandemic, it was pretty much impossible. … I thought that it would be a shame to miss this opportunity and not have a band where I could turn it up and really rock and unload.

All summer, I was creating demos and spending time with my in-laws, and was sleeping on it for a few weeks until I decided: What if I just started a new band? I called up my drummer, and he streams was willing and able.

Nick Oliveri, who is one of my oldest musical buddies from the neighborhood in Palm Desert—we go back to Little League Baseball together—he recently moved to Joshua Tree and was going crazy spinning his wheels just like all of us. Once you kind of come up with that idea, it all just snowballs.”

“We have great audio, and we had a crack squad of complete bad-asses doing the filming.

It was like watching a military maneuver, watching this team work. I’d call ‘action,’ and they would be moving around in these crazy, synchronized movements to capture the show. They were talking on walkie: ‘The drone’s coming in; everyone back out,’ and the drone would come flying in, and all the cameramen disappeared into the bushes. They were amazing.”

Jones said each show includes far more than just the concerts themselves.

“You’re buying a ticket to the Live in the Mojave Desert concert film, but when you get whose show there, you’re actually to be tuned into on March 20 going something you didn’t know was coming. It’s (also) going to be called Couchlock and Rock,” said Jones. “The first hour is going to be the dudes hanging out on the couch, and we’re coming up with all kinds of totally rad, psychedelic, weirdo visual shit.

We have old footage of some of these desert rockers playing back in the day, and it’s going

to be a super-wild, fun time. I’m going to compare it to MTV in the late ’80s if it was run by heshers and stoners. The second hour, we’re going to bring in the band whose film we’re showing that day, and we’re going to hang with them for a little bit, and then we’re going to premiere their concert film in full without a break.”

Jones said the goal of his team was to make something “really rad” for Stoned and Dusted fans.

“We have fans all over the world who fly in for our festival, and people that trust us to make the coolest shit we can possibly make,” Jones said. “That’s what we did—we thought of the coolest thing we could possibly make, and we worked our asses off to do it.

“With this particular thing, I needed to find a location that had a big-enough, flat-enough space that we can put production in. There also has to be a space where we can put the band that was flat and level, and also had to be parked in front of some giant boulders so we can project (the Mad Alchemy) Liquid Light Show. We tried all over Joshua Tree … but we just couldn’t find the right spot. It ended up being in Antelope Valley, which is also part of the Mojave Desert. It has a great place to put the band—and it had a four-story-high double pyramid of boulders that we could project the Liquid Light Show on.”

BJORK, LIKE JONES,

considers Live in the Mojave Desert a passion project.

“As a solo artist and as a member of bands, I’ve traveled a lot of ground,” Bjork said.

“I’ve been through many hills and valleys, and it’s all about touch and go, progression, let’s see what’s under this rock, let’s try this, experimentation, pushing yourself creatively and artistically to new horizons. During the pandemic, I’ve obviously had a lot of time to reflect, and I really felt like a 13-year-old—I just wanna rock. I’m not looking to invent something new. When you’re starving, you’re so stoked on a bag of Fritos.

“When I called Nick and gave him the idea to do this band, he said, ‘Hell yeah; that sounds great.’ I told him the concept that I was thinking of was just going back to when we played rock for the sake of rock. The reward was just doing it. There weren’t stages, or lights and PAs, or fans and record deals— there was none of that. I wanted to take the challenge of getting back to that place where you just feel. Within five minutes of our first jam as a trio, it felt so good and pure that I didn’t even care what we were playing.

“We had a couple of names we were throwing around, but after our third rehearsal, Nick said, ‘Well, shit, since we’re going all the way back, we should just call this Stoner.’ I thought, ‘Why would I argue with that?’”

Bjork said he hopes that people realize he continued on next page

"During the pandemic, I’ve obviously had a lot of time to reflect, and I really felt like a 13-year-old—I just wanna rock."

—Brant Bjork

Stoner,

Mountain Tamer. Miroslav Peric CVIndependent.com

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continued from Page 15 does what he does because of his love of music.

“Nick and myself are, and have been, professional musicians for many years, and I think that when you get to a level of professionalism, regardless of what your discipline or your craft is, there are things that you have to be accountable for in order to sustain and maintain and evolve on that level,” Bjork said. “There’s also the challenge— at some point, if you’re able to stay in the game long enough—to say, ‘Hey, let’s try to go back and not overwhelm ourselves with the pressures of what it means to sustain a living.

Let’s not impose that kind of pressure upon ourselves, and let’s just go back to being the original idea.’”

Bjork said he’s at a point in his life where he wants to put fans first.

“A great deal of my career as a musician has been selfishly just me feeling myself and thriving and being acknowledged as someone who is worthy of contributing to the world of rock music—which helped my self-esteem, as I wasn’t a super-confident person in my formative years,” Bjork said. “Evolving and growing through all that, and being an adult and a family man with kids and stuff—I think I speak for Nick when I say even back when we did Kyuss Lives! (which led former Kyuss members Josh Homme and Scott Reeder to sue Bjork), at that point, it was all about acknowledging we’ve accomplished enough individually and collectively. Now it’s about giving back to the fans who appreciate what we have created. It’s like walking into the kitchen. I’m a badass cook and having a passion for cooking, but instead of imposing a trippy recipe that I have, I’ll just ask what you want.”

As a side note: It appears that Homme may be feeling similarly. In a recent interview, the Queens of the Stone Age frontman expressed interest in a Kyuss reunion. However, fans shouldn’t get their hopes up quite yet.

Live in the “Nick texted me one night when that went down and told me to check it out,” Bjork said. “I really enjoyed listening to his words and his reflections, and I reached out to Josh.

I have a saying, which is: If you communicate, then you can relate, and if you can relate, then

Spirit Mother. Miroslav Peric you can create. I thought that we had to start communicating again, and through that, we might be able to relate just like we did years ago. … I reached out, and he said that we’d talk, but he never went further than that.

“I wasn’t reaching out as a member of Kyuss. People have to remember that Josh and I were kids, and we had a bond through music. During those years when we were sharing and exploring, Kyuss wasn’t even a thought. It’s kind of a parallel with the whole concept with Nick and me in Stoner. I had a separate relationship with Nick playing music, and it all kind of combined. That’s how you create a great band—you bring these rad musical minds together, and you just see what It may not Mojave Desert happens. be a harmonious relationship as far as personalities, but there might be an explosion of awesome music, which clearly there was. …

I reached out, and if (Homme) doesn’t want to grab hold and see what’s up, that’s fine; it’s all good.”

“Everyone, of course, was wearing masks; we had real water handwashing stations; we had hand sanitizer, of course."

—Ryan Jones

CVIndependent.com

Producer

BMOJAVE ACK TO LIVE IN THE DESERT:

The Stoned and Dusted festival has featured an impressive roster of acts, including Black Mountain, Melvins, Fu Manchu, Corrosion of Conformity. Jones that selecting the bands for Live in the Mojave Desert was not easy.

“We whittled it down to five, basically, and I wanted to do the same thing that I do for Stoned and Dusted, which is present some of your favorites, and present somebody new that you may not know that you’re going to love,” Jones said. “I’m listening to this music all year long and finding new bands, and there are certain ones you just love, and maybe they’re not famous yet, but you love them anyway.

“Earthless is a longtime favorite of mine, and Isaiah (Mitchell, the guitarist) has played almost every event I’ve ever had. Nebula, of course, are longtime favorites, and Brant Bjork and Nick Oliveri have both played our festival, but they never played it as this brandnew band, Stoner. Kyuss fans are going to be pleased. It came down to also finding who was available and who was nearby enough to do this. It actually turned out that all the bands had already been rehearsing—except for Stoner, of course, since they’re a new band— but the bands have already been together and had been rehearsing, so they were all pretty well warmed up and ready to go.

“One of the bands is called Spirit Mother, and I called them at the very last minute, because another band canceled on us at the very last minute. They’ve been wanting to play Stoned and Dusted for the last couple of years.

I really liked them, but I could never make them fit. Lance (Gordon), from Mad Alchemy Liquid Light Show, recommended I contact them. They’re an L.A. band; I called them, and they were all about it. As it turns out, though, they weren’t in L.A.; they were in Oregon.

The band was scheduled to play a show in San Francisco, so they had all gone up to Oregon, where the singer and the violin player lived, and rehearsed, and then went down to San Francisco. That show actually got cancelled. …

When I called them on Thursday night, they had just already warmed up and were ready to play a show, so they got in their van and drove all the way down from Oregon in basically in three days—and showed up just on time to set up and play.”

Of course, the pandemic is still a concern, even in the middle of the Mojave Desert. As a result, what would have always been a massive undertaking—recording five high-quality concert films in the middle of nowhere— became even more challenging.

“In order to get the go-ahead from the county, we had to have a 10-page COVID plan in place,” Jones said. “That included taking temperatures right when people got there.

Everyone, of course, was wearing masks; we had real water handwashing stations; we had hand sanitizer, of course.

“The hardest part was getting all that gear 30 miles into the middle of nowhere and up a giant sand hill. We had to hire these two guys with giant 4x4 monster trucks to get us up and down the hill every day. The bands had to come up every day; the food had to come up every day; the ice and the water and the beer had to come up every day; the photographers and videography team had to come up every day; our recordist had to come up every day.

We had porta potties up there; we had a giant generator; we had the light show. We had the same system we use at Stoned and Dusted, so we had a full live and loud production. It was a pretty big operation—25 people out there working for six days. We were there from morning ‘til night, because we weren’t trying to show the same thing for every film. So we would do a set in the daytime, a set in the evening, and a set at night under the liquid light show. But we pulled it off.”

For more information or to purchase tickets to Live in the Mojave Desert, visit www.californiadesertwizardsassociation.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17

FEBRUARY 2021

TAKE THE INDEPENDENT CHALLENGE

#1 for What’s Happening In Greater Palm Springs

1. Peruse the Independent.

Look at the quality of the writing, the layout, the topics, etc.

2. Do the same with any other local publication.

Find Us/Follow Us!

@ILoveGayPS

@GayDesertGuide #ILoveGayPalmSprings #ILoveGayCatCity

3. Compare.

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MOVIES & TV

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NOW SHOWING AT HOME C

By Bob Grimm

hadwick Boseman delivers an electric final performance in Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, the latest film adaptation of an August Wilson play.

Like Fences before it, the staging suffers, and it feels more like a play than a film.

However, Boseman and Viola Davis—as the title character—propel the movie into the stratosphere when they hit their stride.

The film is basically a day in the life of Ma Rainey and her band as they try to record an album in a sweaty, dank studio, in Chicago circa 1927. The band members go through various levels of conflict in a basement practice room while Ma, her lover and her nephew do the same upstairs. They all come together for some blues numbers that Davis manages to lip-synch with aplomb.

Boseman plays trumpeter Levee; he’s tired of playing standard blues arrangements and wants something with a little more zip. Boseman shows no signs that he was suffering from the cancer that eventually took although he has made a clunker or two. I loved his debut, Confessions of a Dangerous his life, delivering monologues with extreme Mind, and I liked Good Night, and Good Luck power and grace. You won’t step on Levee’s and The Ides of March. But then there were shoes if you know what’s good for you.

Leatherheads and Suburbicon; he was riffing on his buddies the Coen Brothers a little too obviously with those.

The Midnight Sky is quite nice visually, and it’s well-acted by Clooney himself. While it seems like a mishmash of films that have come before, it is an absorbing apocalyptic science-fiction thriller—albeit a slow-moving thriller, much like the remake of Solaris in which Clooney starred (a vastly underrated film), with added hints of Cormac McCarthy’s The Road. Hey, if you are going to borrow some elements, take from the good stuff.

Clooney plays Augustine, a scientist purposely left behind in an Arctic atoll after an unexplained planet-killing event. As one of few survivors on the planet, he starts scanning the stars for interplanetary missions Supporting work from Colman Domingo, that might be unaware of the conditions Glynn Turman and Michael Potts make this of Earth. He finds one—a mission to one one of the better ensemble casts in recent of Jupiter’s moons. The crew (including memory. You’ll hear no complaints about the characters played by Felicity Jones, David soundtrack—it’s a fine allotment of blues.

Oyelowo, Tiffany Boone and Kyle Chandler) Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom is now streaming is heading back to Earth and has no idea what on Netflix. happened.

Augustine tries desperately to communicate eorge Clooney’s latest directorial effort, with the mission while tending to a child The Midnight Sky, has been taking (Caoilinn Springall) accidentally left behind a drubbing from critics. Actually, Rotten Tomatoes has The Midnight Sky at 51 percent— at the facility. Their scenes together are cute, and their journey through the tundra but the audience score is just 26 percent! to a working satellite dish has some tense Still, I come down on the positive side. moments (including a wolf attack and some Clooney has always been a decent director,

G

CVIndependent.com

Chadwick Boseman is electric in his final performance; George Clooney’s latest is better than you may think

dangerous ice).

The movie moves at a slow pace, and that’s generally frowned upon in our fast-moving, let’s-get-on-with-it society. However, the pace and tone work here, because, hey, we have two generally quiet people surviving in desolation, with little chance for lively dialogue. Clooney manages to make the situation interesting. His performance anchors his film, and it’s a good-looking movie.

This is not Clooney’s best work, but it’s far from his worst. The Midnight Sky is worth a look if you like sci-fi.

The Midnight Sky is now streaming on Netflix.

C

hloë Grace Moretz is successful as an action hero in Shadow in the Cloud, a hysterical genre mashup that sees her World War II character battling sexism, Japanese fighter pilots and—oh yeah—a big-assed gremlin.

Moretz is Maude, a mysterious, last-minute passenger on a fighter plane going on what’s supposed to be a non-combat mission. She has a parcel that should not be opened, a gun nobody knows about, and a really bad English accent. The all-male crew of pigheaded trashtalkers stick her in the gun turret beneath the plane and start jawing about all the gross things they’d like to do to her.

Not long into the flight, Twilight Zonestyle, Maude sees something crawling on the plane, while also seeing a possible enemy fighter beneath the plane. Director Roseanne Liang—with the help of some snappy editing, terrific special effects and a pulsing soundtrack—cranks up the crazed action in a way that will have you cackling with glee.

The film is a blast. Its plausibility goes way off the rails, but you won’t care. Maude faces all of her enemies with fierce success, thanks

to some of Moretz’s best work to date. She has a career of kicking ass on film ahead of her if she wants it.

In addition to the Twilight Zone, the film pays fun homage to that great Warner Bros. cartoon in which Bugs Bunny battles a gremlin on his plane. It’s a fun film, and it gets 2021 off to an entertaining start.

Shadow in the Cloud is available via online sources including iTunes and Amazon.com.

U

ntil he was struck down by an assassin’s bullet in 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. was the subject of a massive FBI investigation led by J. Edgar Hoover—which was an attempt to undermine King’s character in the eyes of the world and obstruct the Civil Rights Movement.

Sam Pollard’s new documentary, MLK/ FBI, combines archive footage and recent interviews (with the likes of James Comey) with an investigation of newly declassified files—and well-known historical facts—to show just how archaic and disgusting Hoover and his cronies were. The film does a good job of displaying how backward the country’s government was then—from an attempt to label Black Americans fighting for their rights as communists, to denouncing King as a sexual degenerate. The film is straightforward and effective in its approach to these topics.

While watching this film, one can’t help but think about the horrible underbelly of racism that exists in our country today. Actually, calling it an underbelly might be wrong: It’s out in the open now, especially during the last four years.

King will always be one of the most important and positive historical figures in America— no matter what stupid shit Hoover and his bunch managed to record (and, perhaps, fabricate) while stalking him.

MLK/FBI is now available via online sources including iTunes and Amazon.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 19

FEBRUARY 2021

ARTS & CULTURE

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

ARCHITECTURE ONLINE E

By matt king

very February, Palm Springs is overrun with fans of all things midcentury modern—going on house tours, enjoying modernism-themed parties and shopping at the Modernism Show and Sale.

That is, every February but this one.

“Our 2020 Modernism Week in February was our biggest one ever,” said Lisa Vossler Smith, the executive director of Modernism Week. “It had 162,000 attendees, and it was our 15th anniversary. We really had an incredible, over-the-top experience. It was kind of the last party of the year, because a few weeks after that, everything changed.”

Unfortunately, the world is still quite changed top priority, even while we’re in production. …

It is really awkward. Imagine me saying to you, due to the COVID-19 pandemic—and as a ‘Can I bring three people that you’ve never met result, Modernism Week has been delayed until before to your house? And we’re going to walk April 8-18. However, Smith and her Modernism through every room and spend about four Week colleagues still wanted to make their hours filming? Do you mind?’” presence felt in February, so they’re taking However, Smith said the owners of the things online, with virtual events throughout featured homes have been very understanding. the month, including talks with authors and “What’s so magnificent is that the architects, films and virtual house tours. homeowners have been very collaborative with “Nothing’s a replacement for a live us,” she said. “They do understand that it’s experience, but at least it can help to provide important, and they appreciate the value of an online experience similar to the things that creating new video programming.” you see when you come to Modernism Week,” How did Smith and her team select the Smith said. “The programs that we’re working homes being featured during the “Online on are things that our repeat visitors would Experience”? enjoy, as well as new faces who may never have “In the beginning of the planning stages, the chance to come to Palm Springs.” you think strategically about what you’d Smith said she sees a silver lining in like to pursue, and then it always comes the February Modernism Week “Online Experience.” Tickets for all of the events will go down to the status of some of these homes,” Smith said. “Is it lived in? Does it have new on sale Feb. 1. owners? Is it under renovation? All of those “We have wanted to expand into some factors play into the availability of homes and online lectures and programs—more buildings for tours. It always comes down educational-based things,” Smith said. “We to collaboration with the homeowners and didn’t really (previously) consider the option with the neighborhoods. When we talk about to create tours, but with the pandemic, and Modernism Week getting larger, there’s really wanting to be able to enhance the virtual only so much inventory. Even though there is experience, we quickly realized that getting a great wealth of it, we certainly don’t want to to view a special location is, in the end, exhaust our homeowners, so we try to be very much more engaging than just looking at careful and not wear out our welcome.” photographs of architecture. It’s helping us Even though some of the homes have been start a library of online content that, in the featured on in-person tours before, Smith long term, we’ll be able to continue sharing explained that there’s always a new takeaway. with the public.”

“Homes change ownership over the years, Smith said creating the virtual tours has and they do often go through remodeling,” been quite a challenge.

Smith said. “There are occasionally homes “When we could film, and when people on tour that have been toured before. Frank could work, we had a very small production Sinatra’s estate is a great example of that. crew—only two to three people at a time Anytime we’re going to do an event, hopefully working on these projects,” Smith said. “Of that house will be open, because it’s so special. course, they follow mask-wearing and handThat home, and a few others, are on view sanitizing, and kept their distance from almost every year. There are always special themselves and their subjects. Because we private residences that are lived in throughout often work with homeowners who own the the year that the public would never see if it homes that are on the tours, they have also weren’t for Modernism Week tours. … You been very generous and very careful with us so really never tire of seeing the details. It’s like that we were able to make health and safety a

Modernism Week is ready for virtual events in February—and preparing for in-person events in April

a great movie: You get something new every time you watch it. Even walking through these very significant homes, I find that every time I see it, it’s new again.”

Smith said she thinks people all over the world who are confined to their homes will be excited to view the inside of other homes.

“You’re so tired of looking at your own walls, so it’s fun to look and see how they live in Palm Springs,” Smith said. “I think the desire for travel and upgrades to your own home is always a part of the popularity of Modernism Week tours, because people find inspiration in seeing how other people have decorated or designed their homes.”

Meanwhile, Smith and co. are continuing preparations for the delayed, in-person Modernism Week. Tickets are now on sale for the events—which will be socially distanced and altered to make things as safe as possible for attendees. That includes the 21st Annual Modernism Show and Sale, and the Modern Design Expo—which will be the first events held at the Palm Springs Convention Center since the shutdowns began last March.

Rosemary Krieger is the producer of both the Modernism Show and Sale, and the Modern Design Expo.

“The Show and Sale is really an important part of Modernism Week,” Krieger said.

“Palm Springs has always been the mecca for midcentury modern, and when we introduced the show in 2001, it was so well-received, and it’s just grown exponentially each and every year.”

Of course, safety—and not growth—is on the minds of Modernism Week producers this year.

“We always have an opening-night party that benefits Modernism Week, but we are not having one this year due to COVID,” Kreiger said. “Because the opening-night party generally draws in an excess of 1,000 people at one time, we’ve decided to spread it out over four days. We’re going to practice all the proper social distancing, timed-entry and face-mask policies, so we’re doing our best to ensure a safe experience for all in April—provided that things settle down in California, and we can carry on with the show.

“We’re going to space it out a little bit more than we usually do. We usually have 90 dealers in the Modernism Show and 45 dealers in the Modern Design Expo. I’m guessing we’re going to be at probably two-thirds of that, and have maybe 60 dealers in the Modernism Show and 30 dealers in the Modern Design Expo. The vaccine rollout is going to define everything, and we’ll see where we are when we get to

One of Modernism Week’s February online offerings will be the film The 1931 Aluminaire House Comes to Palm Springs. The house was designed for a 1931 exhibition in New York City, and it will eventually have a permanent home the Palm Springs Art Museum.

April. We’re going into this cautiously.”

Krieger said everyone, including the people at the Convention Center, can’t wait for the events to take place—as long as it’s safe to do so.

“Working with the Palm Springs Convention Center is amazing,” shared Krieger. “They’ve done everything that they can. … We’re just staying in touch with them, and they’re staying in touch with the state and the local guidelines.

We figure out where we’re at and what we need to do to ensure that we have a successful event.

The dealers are jonesing to get back to work.

The last show that we did was the February Modernism Show last year—and then we shut down right after that. Everyone is looking forward to coming out of the gate strong in April with a good show, hopefully.”

The Modernism Week “Online Experience” will take place throughout the month of February, and tickets will go on sale Feb. 1. Modernism Week will, pandemic permitting, take place from Thursday, April 8, through Sunday, April 18. For tickets and more information, visit modernismweek.com.

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FOOD & DRINK

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OPENING A RESTAURANT NOW?

L

BY andrew smith

ast year was devastating for the restaurant industry due to the pandemic—and law-abiding Coachella Valley restaurants have remained closed for everything but takeout and delivery thus far in 2021.

However, soon after restaurants are allowed to welcome in-person outdoor dining again, a shuttered Palm Springs spot will be reborn: The old Draughtsman location, at 1501 N. Palm Canyon Drive, will reopen as 1501 Uptown Gastropub. It’s a project that has two reputable local names behind it: Chad Gardner and Willie Rhine.

Draughtsman had been owned and operated by the neighboring Arrive Hotel. Last May, it became one of COVID-19’s earliest restaurant caught Gardner’s imagination. victims. Evzin briefly operated a weekend “My mother was a chef in more casual popup out of the space before owner John restaurants,” he says. “This gives me an Tsoutis left the Coachella Valley for Seal Beach, opportunity to do some of the dishes I was but it was sitting vacant when Chad Gardner familiar with growing up, as well as fill a nice was alerted to its availability in October. niche that Palm Springs didn’t have.”

Gardner has won a lot of plaudits with 533 Gardner’s French background is noticeable Viet Fusion and Roly China Fusion. Trained in in his Asian concepts, but he elaborates: “The French cuisine, Gardner has taken traditional opportunity to do some more Western-based concepts and incorporated his own unique cuisine was definitely attractive. I’ve been twists. 533 Viet Fusion is high on my list of wanting to do this for a long time.” recommendations; if you haven’t been, you The other “host,” as the 1501 Uptown must try the Vietnamese crepe.

Gastropub website puts it, is Willie Rhine.

The new gastropub concept had previously He and Gardner have collaborated on various

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Yes, they are: Chad Gardner and Willie Rhine are bringing an elevated gastropub concept to the former Draughtsman space

projects over the years.

“When I saw that the space became available, the first person I called was Willie,” Gardner says. “Things moved pretty quickly from there.”

Rhine has won accolades with Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge, owned by Rhine and John Paschal. While Gardner will manage the kitchen, and Rhine the hospitality, Rhine is also bringing his Scottish heritage (and unmistakable accent) to the food mix.

They’ve maintained the basic Draughtsman layout, including the fire station-style doors on each side that afford the interior a plein air feel.

“We both fell in love with the space,” Rhine says. “In these difficult times, the space is almost entirely outdoor dining.”

The patio seats 150, even under socialdistance guidelines, and they are allowed to seat people up to 10 feet inside the restaurant with the doors fully open under outdoor-dining rules.

Rhine also welcomes the flexibility of having three patio areas.

“Whether it’s intimate dinner for four, a bachelorette party, or a buyout, we’re able to divide the space pretty easily,” he says.

Structurally, they didn’t have to make very many changes. Gardner has upgraded the kitchen to meet the anticipated volume of business, and Rhine has added several personal touches and given the interior a facelift.

“Willie likes to shop,” Gardner says with a laugh. “We’ve gotten all-new furniture, making it look more like a restaurant that has a cool bar than a bar that serves food. It will look familiar, but it will also look fresh, vibrant and Palm Springs.”

I’d always had mixed feelings about Draughtsman. The building—a former Pizza Hut that was dramatically revamped by famed architect Chris Pardo—is most impressive. The craft-beer geek in me loved their beer program, but the food failed to deliver.

Gardner’s menu represents a significant upgrade; he refers to it as “upscale pub cuisine

and European comfort food.” You’ll find pub favorites, as well as items you’d find in a French bistro/brasserie.

“I’m one of those chefs who likes to color outside the lines,” Gardner says.

His chosen highlights include the mahi mahi with a sherry-tarragon cream sauce; the braised Kobe short rib with a zinfandel demiglace; and a sour-cherry balsamic pork. However, top and center is “Willie’s shepherd’s pie.”

“It’s a nice, savory, freeform shepherd’s pie,” Gardner says. “With slow-braised beef tenderloin, sherry and aged cheddar, it’s going to be a great hit, I think.”

There’s more casual, affordable fare, too, with an extensive list of small plates, salads, sandwiches and burgers, as well brunch on weekends.

The bar maintains the 24 tap handles from Draughtsman. Gardner anticipates variety and originality with some rotation, although with less-frequent changes than Draughtsman made.

Cocktails will feature classics and imaginative twists. One notable highlight will be the gin cocktail menu.

“It’s a niche we’ve settled on,” Gardner says, “and gins are common in British pubs.”

1501 Uptown Gastropub had originally been slated to open in early January. They’d already held a job fair prior to the regional stay-at-home order that closed down outdoor dining.

“As soon as the governor allows outdoor dining, we’ll open our existing restaurants, and immediately put out another call for staff,” Rhine says. “We plan to open 1501 two or three weeks after that.”

I’m really looking forward to 1501 Uptown Gastropub. It fills a niche in Palm Springs, and there are a number of eye-catching menu items.

I’ve missed the craft beer that Draughtsman had—and am happy the space is coming back to life, despite these troubled times.

For more information, visit www.1501uptown.com.

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1501 Uptown Gastropub is slated to open two to three weeks after outdoor dining is again allowed.

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VINE SOCIAL JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO

O

By KatieLOVE finn YOUR

What does it mean for a wine to be natural? Organic?

Biodynamic? Vegan?

HAIR

nce upon a time, buying a bottle of wine was simple: All you had to do was look for the name of the grape or the region you liked, in the price point you could afford, and BINGO! You had your bottle of wine for the evening.

Then things got a little more complicated. Consumers were faced with wine lingo like Country Club and Cook Street malolactic fermentation, sur lie aging, tannin structure and brix levels. Books offered De sertin an effort to definitions and information designed to make wine easy toPalm understand, demystify the complexities of this high-brow beverage.

760-340-5959 However, just when we thought we’d and bottling—that must be followed to the gotten it all figured out, we were faced with letter, if certification is to be granted. The www.jasondavidhairstudio.net a whole new series of wine jargon—organic, vineyard and winery must adhere to organic biodynamic, natural, vegan … vegan? Wait, practices for at least three consecutive you mean wine—made from grapes—isn’t years before they will even be considered already vegan?! for a certification—and you’d better hope Unlike the terms from yesteryear, these your neighbors aren’t using any nonorganic new categories of wine have devout followers material that could possibly float onto your and a cult-like status in the wine world. Alas, property, because you could be doomed it’s all enough to make someone want to start for rejection. Once you have achieved your drinking Jack and Coke. designation, you’re not out of the woods: You So … what does it all mean? While these must pass inspection from the governing terms, like organic and natural, seem to body every single year. be one in the same, they are, in fact, quite I think biodynamics may be the mostdifferent. misunderstood of all the farming practices.

Natural wine is the new cool kid on the It’s rooted in mysticism and guided by the shelf. Often graced with funky, artistic and lunar calendar, so some people tend to think quirky labels, these wines are the beverage of it as woo-woo, hocus-pocus nonsense. du jour for millennials and industry-insiders.

Really, it was created as a way to look at all They are often called the kombucha of the the elements of farming as a whole. Rudolf wine world because of their sometimes tart Steiner created this philosophy in 1924, and borderline sour fruit component; their maintaining that the soil, plants and livestock hazy, unfiltered appearance; and occasionally should be treated as one all-encompassing a fizzy sensation on the palate. More often entity. The philosophy also adheres to the than not, if you’ve never heard of the belief that days of the month are divided grape—like Jacquere, Trousseau, Poulsard or into four categories: Leaf days are meant Valdiguie—chances are it’s a natural wine. for watering; root days are for pruning; Wines don’t need to adhere to specific on fruit days, you harvest; and on flower laws or regulations to be called “natural,” days, you leave everything alone. There is but there is a sort of unspoken code among also the cow horn you fill with manure and the makers of these wines. Simply put, they bury in the vineyard, and a copper solution approach winemaking more like a midwife you spray over the crop. I am definitely than a doctor: They are there to interfere if oversimplifying the process, and those who something goes wrong, but other than that, follow biodynamics will surely cringe at they let nature take its course. The wines my dumbed-down explanation. Looking to are often described as low-intervention or try a biodynamic wine? Look for the word minimally handled. The fruit is picked early, “Demeter” on the back label. This is the so sugar levels (and ultimately alcohol levels) biodynamic governing body. are low; producers don’t add additional OK, so what about this vegan wine? How sulfites; and the final product is usually can a wine possibly be nonvegan? It comes unfined and unfiltered, which can make the down to the process of fining, which removes wine a little cloudy and gritty. In short, the all the little floaties that standard filtration principle behind these wines is that nothing misses. The common agents used for this are is added, and nothing is taken away. egg whites, fish bladder, gelatin or casein (a Organic wines, on the other hand, are milk protein). Before you throw up in your extremely regulated. There is a War and mouth, please note that these products don’t Peace-sized manual detailing every aspect of stay in the wine; their only purpose is to the process—farming, harvesting, producing bind to the floaties so they can be removed.

The biodynamic grape-growing process includes burying a cow horn filled with manure.

However, vegans are not likely to appreciate any animal part being used in production, even if they aren’t ingesting it. As a result, some winemakers have turned to substances like bentonite, a type of clay, to capture the cloudy bits. Vegan wines will also steer clear of beeswax to seal the bottle, and agglomerated corks, which use a milk-based glue.

But is vegan wine organic? Is organic wine vegan? No and no. Organic wine can use animal parts for fining as long as those parts are certified organic. Vegan wine doesn’t have to adhere to organic practices to be vegan.

Is biodynamic wine organic? Is organic wine biodynamic? Yes and no. Biodynamic farming employs organic practices, like not using synthetic fertilizers or pesticides, in favor of natural compost; it also doesn’t include the addition of sulfites. Organic wine is not obliged to follow the holistic and metaphysical

approach of biodynamics.

But what we really want to know is … do these wines taste better?

For whatever reason, in blind tastings around the world, biodynamic wines have been rated higher than their counterparts.

Ironically, it’s been shown in other blind tastings that there is no discernable taste difference between organic and nonorganic wines.

But don’t take my word for it. Go grab some organic, non-organic and biodynamic wines. Wrap them in foil, and have your own blind tasting. After all, what else have you got to do today?

Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with two decades in the wine industry. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@ gmail.com.

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CAESAR CERVISIA

Early in 2021, the state of the craftbeer industry is … not so strong

BY brett newton

W

e made it: 2020 is over. Despite the PTSD the year caused, I want to take stock of what happened in the world of craft beer—and look forward to what might happen in 2021.

I feel somewhat confident in this look back, even though I physically visited just three breweries during the entire year—one of which was where I work; another visit happened prelockdown; and one trip was just to pick up beer to-go.

The good news locally is that all five Coachella Valley-based breweries are still in business.

Seeing as we’re in the midst of the third lockdown, this is a relief. I’ve heard rumors that one may have remained open for in-person consumption despite the new stay-at-home order—which is no surprise, considering we have a county the pandemic. sheriff who vowed to not enforce any COVID It’s been fascinating to track and take regulations, and the Alcoholic Beverage advantage of the fact that many breweries Control folks are swamped. That leaves it up to have become well-oiled machines with regards all of us to avoid businesses that selfishly flout to shipping, delivery and to-go orders during the law. (You know you can get anything to the haunted-house ride that last year was. go and take it home, right?) I’ve fully detailed I documented some of what I knew several how tough times are for local breweries in my months back, and since then, more breweries past columns, and it’s certainly a huge worry have climbed aboard. With a visit to the to the owners of these businesses—but thanks websites of many breweries in SoCal, you to supportive customers and quick-thinking can have their craft beer at your door in less adjustments by the businesses, all of our than a week. I’ve left Riverside County only breweries remain open and will hopefully make once since March, yet I have been able to it through this nightmarish home stretch of try many beers from areas across this great

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state. You can also order online to pick up at a scheduled time or at your convenience, depending on the brewery—sometimes even in the parking lot. (Modern Times’ newest location in Anaheim does this, and I applaud them for taking the extra step to protect their employees.) Beachwood BBQ and Brewing in Long Beach has been offering all of this and its fantastic food to go; locally, Babe’s BBQ and Brewhouse is doing the same. Of course, every local brewery is open to pick up beer in various packages as well.

Let’s talk business. We won’t know the full extent of the impact the pandemic has had on the beer industry for a while, but it has not been good. According to the Brewers Association, 907 craft breweries were in operation statewide as of 2019—with more than 150 in San Diego County alone! This translated to almost $10 billion in economic impacts, and 3.9 gallons brewed per state resident of legal drinking age.

I don’t have reliable statistics on how many are in operation as of this moment, but I do know there have been some notable brewery closures. In Southern California, Brew Rebellion, Inland Empire Brewing, Iron Fist, Intergalactic Brewing and others shut down this year. San Diego’s Rip Current Brewing is for sale after winning tons of awards in recent years. Not all of the closures have been primarily due to the pandemic, but some definitely were.

Numerous people who have come into the brewery where I work have expressed their willingness to support their local breweries in whatever ways they can—but as this pandemic grinds on, it is getting tougher and tougher to draw people in with only to-go beer being offered. But for every sad story in this vein, there is a story about a brewery that

has transitioned and is doing well. Societe Brewing in San Diego has one such story—and deservedly so. (Try The Pupil IPA if you can find it—a lovely beer.)

Of course, things didn’t have to be this way. We didn’t need to re-open after the first lockdown so early. We could have all actually done our part, avoided personal contact, and not allowed a highly contagious virus to be politicized … I could go on, but that’s not what you’re here for. However, you’ll have to forgive me: If I suddenly found myself out of work, I honestly don’t know what I would do—and I know I’m not alone. This might be the worst time ever to be seeking a job, and I don’t know that I would want to work in beer locally again. Our beer scene was not very strong before March 2020, and it obviously has not improved.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: I love the Coachella Valley. I’ve spent many years here and am still surprised by its beauty regularly.

I have many family members and friends here (even if I haven’t seen most of them in months). I so badly would love a comfy, friendly, welcoming beer scene to sprout. For a little while, we showed some promise. But I’m just not sure we have it in us.

But, hey, it’s early in 2021, and vaccines are getting shot into arms. Who knows what this year has in store for us? I sincerely hope to be look back on this and think, “How could I be so mistaken?”

Come on, 2021 … prove me wrong.

Brett Newton is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and homebrewer who has mostly lived in the Coachella Valley since 1988. He currently works at the Coachella Valley Brewing Co. taproom in Thousand Palms. He can be reached at caesarcervisia@gmail.com.

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ON COCKTAILS I

BY kevin carlow

’ve been reading a few books from the ’70s lately. Trust me: I’ve had time.

In the novel VALIS (which was published in ’81 but written in the ’70s), the character Horselover Fat (author Philip K. Dick’s alter ego) declares in his exegesis that time actually stopped in 70 CE. I’m pretty sure it actually stopped in 2020 CE. But since I am on a nerdy nostalgia trip at the moment, let’s talk about some drinks nobody orders anymore. Where to begin, where to begin …

I am an ’80s kid, born at the tail end of the ’70s—one of those Xennials, the forgotten virgin ones at the long-gone (and lamented) subgeneration. So I wasn’t of drinking age Aloha Lounge in the Boston suburbs. Your when most of this stuff was in its heyday, but preferences will likely differ. Speaking of the the bartenders who taught me always made ’70s, if you want to put da lime in da co-co-nut, sure I knew how to make these before I got go right ahead. a chance to talk to a guest. Let’s start with a The rusty nail, which I covered in a recent drink I used to get orders for all the time, but column on midcentury drinks, is a mix of haven’t made in a minute … the piña colada.

The piña colada, according to Simon Difford, Scotch and Drambuie. The old guys used to make it 50/50 with something like a Johnny was invented in Puerto Rico in 1952 at the Walker Red or a Dewar’s. It’s no wonder Caribe Hotel by one of two bartenders. Or nobody ever ordered it twice! I wondered why at the Barrachina Restaurant in 1963 by a this was even a cocktail—until one time, after different guy. If you’ve been reading this hours while working in a nightclub circa 2005, column long enough, you know how that goes.

I tried it with Johnny Walker Green Label and I’m not taking sides on this one. Difford says less Drambuie. I was hooked. These days, I there was a drink from Cuba named the piña don’t hang with the big commercial blended colada (“strained pineapple” in Spanish) much Scotches, so something like Compass Box or earlier on. The boys in San Juan added the Pig’s Nose would work great without breaking new—at the time—Coco Lopez, and voila! the bank. (Not sponsored, by the way.)

So, should you order one? Absolutely do Should you order it? If you see the not. Oh, I love this drink—it’s an absolute ingredients, yes. Even the greenest bartender fave (and a virgin drink that doesn’t suck) who lied on his résumé can make this one if the bar (remember those?) knows how to if you tell him how. Try a 3:1 on the Scotch. make it right. You can certainly order it from a Watch out: This could get expensive at a reputable craft/tiki establishment whose staff restaurant (remember those?) if you have a doesn’t give you a look when you request it. mercenary server who punches it into the POS Maybe flirt a little, talk about how bad piña with Macallan 18. Oops—you drank it, pal; coladas are, and see if the bartender jumps in tough turkey. You can make it at home with with: “That’s just because bars don’t make it whatever the hell you want. No garnish, unless right!” In that case, order away! you have a nail handy for stirring.

Otherwise, make it at home. It’s pretty The Harvey Wallbanger is the stuff of simple: Mix pineapple juice (fresh is better), legends. I’ve probably made three of these in cream of coconut (Lopez is the classic; you can 15 years. I expected a comeback a few years ago do better, though) and rum (something Puerto from all of the people typing Harvey W. into the Rican, but with flavor—nothing with a bat search engine, looking for info on the disgraced or, for Pete’s sake, a pirate on the label). The film producer, and saying, “What the bleep proportions tend to be equal on the pineapple is a Harvey Wallbanger?” (I know that seems and coconut, and a little less rum than that. farfetched, but Corona beer sales are up, so … .)

Your mileage and taste buds will vary. There There is no shortage of stories out there, and I is so much difference in the sweetness of suggest you take a deep-dive into the history if canned juice versus fresh juice; the flavors you have a half-hour to kill. It was really popular of the various cream of coconut brands out in the ’70s; might have been invented in the there; and the intensity of the rum—so play ’50s; and was perhaps named after a surfer, around with it. Don’t have a blender? Shake or a surfing move, or a guy named Harvey and dump with some pellet ice from Sonic. banging his head on the wall while suffering Want a specific recipe? Sorry; that’s all you get from a hangover. Take your pick. Returning from me on this one. But make it; don’t order it. Also, a confession: I like the chemically neon to Difford, the thing that put this cocktail on the map is marketing by George Bednar using maraschino cherries in this, and only this, a poster drawn by an artist named Bill Young. drink. Reminds me of being a kid drinking the CVIndependent.com

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Maybe you should consider ordering (some of) these drinks from the 1970s when bars are a thing again Commissioned by Galliano liqueur, it features a monk who looks like he’s parachuting into Woodstock or something. I want a print, for real. The drink is basically a screwdriver with a little Galliano on top.

Should you order it? Probably not, unless you want to get a funny look. I have always found the drink too vanilla-forward, but not terrible. There’s a reason for that: The Galliano of the ’70s was different—they made it sweeter, and with vanilla added. No wonder we only kept the stuff behind the bar as a selfdefense weapon. (Seriously: My dad worked in Boston’s Combat Zone in the ’80s and taught me that one.) You can find the Galliano from the old days at better liquor stores,

and you should make the drink at home. It’s 1 1/2 ounces of vodka (take your pick) in a tumbler with ice; top with fresh OJ and stir; then float about a half-ounce of the original Galliano, if you can track it down. It makes a good hangover remedy, actually. If you change the vodka to tequila, it becomes a Freddy Fudpucker. Yup. Stay safe out there. And you know what? I think I might have to bring back the Harvey Wallbanger, made properly, when we have bars again—for all of you currently banging your heads on the wall, like me.

Kevin Carlow can be reached at CrypticCocktails@gmail.com.

Perhaps it's time for the Harvey Wallbanger to make a comeback ... that is, when bars make a comeback.

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THE SECRETS ABOUT J.LO’S OLIVE OIL CLAIMS AND PRO AGING

By Shonda Chase, FNP Nurse Practitioner, Co-owner, Artistic Director and Advanced Aesethetic Injector at Revive Wellness Centers in Palm Springs and Torrance, and Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center in Irvine

We love Jennifer Lopez at Revive, and I have wri�en about her appearance secrets before.

Her healthy lifestyle surely helps—but her claims about using olive oil to replace Botox and dermal fillers have li�le merit.

Pro Aging Secret No. 1: It’s hard to get too much olive oil … in your diet! The more EVOO you eat and cook with, the be�er it is for your health and skin. Olive oil is loaded with an�inflammatory polyphenols. You can Google that term to learn more.

Pro Aging Secret No. 2: All of the molecular compounds in olive oil are too large to penetrate your skin when applied topically.

Every pharmaceu�cal scien�st knows that effec�ve transdermal drugs (drugs that can pass Above: J.Lo in 2008 into the skin) have to have molecular weights (Universal Music Greece via (MW) that are smaller than water. Water’s MW is Wikimedia). Below: J.Lo in 2020 (Chris Miksanek via 18. A MW of 18 is the maximum size a molecule Wikimedia). can be to pass through the skin without being injected.

Drugs that are effec�ve generally have to have a MW between 7 and 12. Olive oil’s MW is 1382—76 �mes the size of water molecules! Olive oil can only sit on top of the skin, because its molecules are 76 �mes too large to penetrate our skin.

Pro Aging Bias Secret No. 3: Simply put, everyone has biases.

Uninformed biases are what can lead to poor decisions. One of J.Lo’s biases is that she has a skin-care company to grow. Her product line’s “ac�ve ingredients” are olive-oil compounds and hyaluronic acid (MW 105-107, more than five �mes the size of water molecules). J.Lo will sell a lot of her products if she can convince people that olive oil is her beauty secret—i.e., spending on skin care products and hoping for J.Lo’s results is an example of what can be a result of uninformed bias.

Pro Aging Secret No. 4: Hyaluronic acid is the major component of most dermal fillers. And its MW (105-107) is the reason we have to inject for it to be effec�ve.

Next month, I’ll share with you the secret drugs that help improve our sexuality, libido, emo�onal happiness and well-being. You can call any of our offices for your free consulta�on if you want to know why now is a good �me to improve your appearance. Un�l then, keep the secrets.

Our Revive Wellness Center loca�ons are in Palm Springs (760325-4800) and Torrance (310-375-7599); www.revivecenter.com. Our Medweight, Lasers and Wellness Center office is in Irvine (949-5869904); www.medweightandlasers.com.

You can email your individual ques�ons to Shonda Chase FNP, or Allan Y. Wu MD, Revive’s cosme�c surgeon, at info@revivecenter.com.

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ESSENTIAL ART OUTLETS A

By matt king

rtists in most of the world have been largely stuck at home for nearly a year now—and as a result, there’s been an explosion of new art and music. While these artists may be kickstarting a modern renaissance, of sorts, a huge debt is owed to the people behind the scenes who are help bring these artists’ visions to light—such as the engineers who safely run recording studios. as a driver for P&R Paper.

One of the most popular studios in the “I had to work anyway, so I had been out extended area is Room 9 Recording Studio in the middle of it,” Whiting said. “I was in Redlands. Jerry Whiting is a master of delivering to schools, restaurants and grocery making bands sound great on a budget and stores.” has produced local bands including Captain Room 9 is located inside Whiting’s home.

Ghost and Sleazy Cortez. (Full disclosure: I’ve “I think you’ll always feel safer at home,” recorded at Room 9, too.)

Whiting said. “Because I live here, I felt safer “We don’t let people bring extra people,” and more in control—as long as you just don’t Whiting said when asked about pandemic let a billion people over. You get these people, precautions. “We’ve got sanitary wipes, and and they want to bring their whole entourage.” we’re wiping things down after every session.

The pandemic wound up bringing Whiting It’s kind of hard, though. I had a woman in even more business than before. yesterday, and she wanted to wear a mask all “We definitely got even more busy— the time—but she had to sing, and you can’t especially with people who have their stimulus really sing with a mask. checks and are off work,” Whiting said.

“When it first hit, I was already booked out “People need that artistic outlet, so my second two months—and very few people wanted to engineer and I got busier, and we got pushed cancel their sessions, so we had to make the pretty hard for a while. Anytime something best of it.” like this happens, there’s going to be great art Whiting’s initial fears of the virus were coming out of it. minimized because of his other job: He works “It does get overwhelming and always has; that’s just part of studio life. You want to say yes to every project, and you think you can manage it all, even though there are not enough hours in the day. You want to make every mix the best and want to give everything its proper attention, or even more, but it’s always a bit overwhelming. Every year, I say I’m going to slow down … but it’s a constant tug of war in my brain.”

Whiting is considered an essential worker because of his delivery-driver job, but he said he felt the work of providing an outlet for artists was even more essential. “(Musicians) are stuck in their house.

They’re frustrated from politics, or they’re getting bored,” Whiting said. “I just felt like we were doing something positive in a bad situation. It’s not a positive that we’re getting more workflow—but that we’re doing something positive for people. We’re taking the necessary precautions, and that’s about the best you can do, unless you just decide to shut down—but then people lose their outlet and their voice. I think people need that in a time like this.”

Room 9's Jerry Whiting: “(Artists) are stuck in Sondy Studios is a newer facility—and it their house. They’re frustrated from politics, or has already proven its worth. Brothers Jake they're getting bored. I just felt like we were doing something positive in a bad situation.” and Luke Sonderman kickstarted their music-

and video-production studio in the midst of the mess that was 2020, but still managed to turn out projects by Pescaterritory and Selexa, among others.

“We needed to get a lot of rules in place in order to run it safely,” Jake Sonderman said. “I do the most I can. Obviously, you have to come in person (to record) … but I’ve been trying to do mixing and stuff that I would rather do in person online. We also are limiting the amount of people who can come in.”

Sonderman isn’t only limiting guests; he’s also limiting the number of band members in the studio at one time.

“With stuff like guitars and singing, we try to split it the best we can—especially singing, because you obviously can’t sing with a mask on,” Sonderman said. “With drums, I really try my best to get a good live feel, especially for rock bands, so they do need to be in the same room—but I just spread them out. …

A lot of the recording process can be done without everybody there. A lot of times, people want to be there, but we do have to make some sacrifices.”

Sonderman is a musician himself, and he understands why studio time is in such demand right now.

“You can’t play live, obviously,” Sonderman said. “Most of the people I’m working with are in a studio for the first or second time.

There’s always an excitement around that first time that they hear their track played back to them. That would be there with or without the pandemic.”

While some studios are out to make a quick buck, Sonderman said he and his brother are looking for experience more than anything else.

“The truth is, I really love music, and I especially love working in the studio,” Sonderman said. “I love engineering and producing; I’m applying to college for that, and I plan to eventually become an engineering producer. … I’m really looking to build my résumé and help people out here. I’m looking to build other people’s material and give them something that can get them notoriety—and get them some listens.”

Melrose Music is one of the best-known studios in the desert; in addition to its Palm Springs space, it also has a location in Hollywood. Melrose’s David Williams has been involved with a number of projects, from locals like Empty Seat and Krystopher Do, to big names like Heart and Def Leppard.

“When the pandemic first started, I walked away from the (physical) studios and did

Thanks to the pandemic, business is booming at local recording studios everything from my home studio via Zoom,” Williams said. “I didn’t take person-to-person visits, especially for the first month or two.

Then I started working toward meeting protocols. In my L.A. studio, I never come in contact with anyone. I’m inside the control room, and they’re on the other side of the studio. … It’s all separated by glass. In both studios, masks are required, as is social distancing. I have all the supplies for COVID cleaning: sanitizer for headphones, changing screens on microphones, and wiping down everything before people come in.”

Williams said he’s picked up new clients in both locations.

“I’ve never been this busy in the last 10 years,” Williams said. “I’ve been busier in a fivemonth span than in a five-year span. I’ve just been slammed with Zoom work. Palm Springs is a totally different scenario, as L.A. people are somewhat more cautious than in Palm Springs.

I’m doing stuff for Netflix and Warner Bros. and whatnot, and a lot of the actors that would do voiceovers in L.A. didn’t want to go near (the studio in) L.A. I picked up a bunch of work from actors who were stuck in Palm Springs, and it really blew my business up.”

Williams prides himself on taking the pandemic seriously.

“I got a kidney transplant 25 years ago, so I’ve got a low immune system, which makes me totally concerned about it,” Williams said.

“Unfortunately, my stepdaughter and her fiancé in L.A. just recently got it. It’s hitting home, and I know quite a few people who have gotten it. I’m super-cautious, more than ever.”

He said he’s not sure why desert musicians seem to be less concerned about the virus.

“There were definitely some who came into our studio who didn’t really think COVID was anything worse than the flu,” Williams said. “They’ll come up toward the studio door without a mask and will say, ‘Are you afraid or something?’ No, I’m not afraid; I’m just not stupid. … I thought I was the sheriff—I’d have to bust guys constantly because they just didn’t want to comply.”

While Williams said he appreciates being so busy, he’d rather not have all the business.

“I understand that people need the outlet, and I understand that a lot of people aren’t working, so they can really focus on their music,” Williams said. “People have had more time on their hands, so that’s why I’m busier.

But I wish the pandemic had never come around. I don’t need a surge in my business because of a surge of a virus.”

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A SPACE FOR MUSIC NO MORE

After more than four decades, Record Alley has closed its doors for good

By Matt king

I

would not be the person I am today without Record Alley. Since middle school (and before COVID-19’s arrival), I would take any chance I got to head to the mall and see what I could find in those sacred shelves and stacks.

Alas, Record Alley, as a physical store, is no more. In December, owner Jim Stephens announced the store would be shutting its doors after more than 42 years.

Stephens told me that he began the business the store long before he began working there. because, simply put, he had always wanted to “Record Alley was always my ‘gotta get out work in a record store. of the house and do something’ place to visit,” “I just thought it’d be cool,” Stephens said.

Olson said. “If I had lived closer to Westfield, “… I had no idea what I was doing. I just I would surely have been one of the many thought sitting around listening to music all regulars who popped in every day. day was a fun way to make money—but I soon “It’s possibly the only store I’ve shopped at realized keeping track of tens of thousands of in the mall in the 20 years I’ve lived out here. items is a lot of work.”

It always has reminded me of the shops I’d The store originated in Palm Springs, on drive hours to get to when I grew up on the North Palm Canyon Drive.

Minnesota prairie.”

“I lived here all my life and always thought the valley could use a good record store,” said s the popularity of various genres changed Stephens. “Nobody was really serious about over the years, so, too, did the formats for it. Right when we opened up, 12-inch singles music consumption—much to the chagrin of started becoming really popular. We were the Stephens. only place to carry them forever, and when the “There were times we had to duplicate our Sugarhill Gang got really popular, ‘Rapper’s inventory, and had to have the record, the Delight’ only came out on a 12-inch, and we 8-track, the cassette, etc., for all new releases,” were the only place you could get it.” said Stephens. “Finally, when CDs ruled back Of course, running any business comes with in the ’90s, I couldn’t be happier. Records warp a steep learning curve. and scratch; 8-tracks are crap. I had to send “I’m an old rocker, ’60s/’70s music for back 10 percent of what I bought because sure,” he said. “… When I got my original that’s how many defective 8-tracks I had.” record shipment, we actually rented a van Pressures from other businesses forced and went down and picked it up and kind of Stephens to make a location change. made a weekend out of it. We were just kind “It was a struggle in Palm Springs for sure,” of cruising … and went by the Roxy. This Stephens said. “I was ready to close down was probably late ’78, and Talking Heads was in ’85 when Wherehouse Music came down playing there. It was, like, half over, but we still here and opened two locations. Nobody down bought tickets and went in to watch the end of here was familiar with chain stores, and it. … They’re kind of really strange. New wave they just thought that was the biggest thing. music was just kind of starting off then, too, (Wherehouse) came in the middle of the and we were really confused. summer—the worst time ever—and they had “I did not know what the hell I was doing a three-month blowout. They were basically when I started out; I just lived and learned. … giving stuff away; everything was like $5.99.

I definitely didn’t know anything about punk, I worried when they opened up. Things were but everybody came in and started asking just looking really bad. for it, so we quickly found some distributors “The mall was about two years old then, and had an actual punk section—and people and there was this small chain called the were just crazy over that. Metal started Record Shop. They got locked out of their store getting popular, so we added a metal section. because they didn’t pay their record bill. They People would ask for stuff, and we just started came in with marshals, and they took all the carrying it. records, CDs and tapes. … They left everything “When I opened, I thought that as long as I in there—racks, cash registers, you name it. I had a Beatles and Zeppelin section, I’d be good heard about the mall’s rent. I wasn’t going to to go.” go down there, but I said, ‘What have I got to lose?’ The place was all set up; all I had to do att Olson is one of the employees at was change the sign. I made a deal with the Record Alley—but he was a customer at mall and my distributor. I was flat broke, and CVIndependent.com

A

M

Record Alley’s last day in business as a physical store was Jan. 18. Courtesy of Record Alley

it was right before Christmas. He extended my billing by 30 days, which freed up a lot of money. After we had a really good Christmas, we were out of the red and into the black from then on.”

D

erek Wade Timmons is a member of various bands, including Throw the Goat.

Not surprisingly, he’s a big fan of Record Alley.

“I’ve been here for 12 years, and I’ve been going there a lot the whole time,” he said.

“Growing up, there were always CD stores at the mall, and since CDs have gotten so cheap, it’s always been awesome to go there and get them for $2. I’ve probably bought hundreds and hundreds of CDs and probably 100 records from that place.

“It was always really cool to go there and talk to Eleni (Austin), Dale (Myers) or anybody that’s worked there. It is just a real fun thing that I’m really going to miss. There’s pretty much no reason for me to go to the mall anymore.”

R

ecord Alley thrived in the Westfield Palm Desert as all the chain record stores eventually died off—and it was the consensus top spot for music in the Coachella Valley for decades. There are a several reasons why the reign is coming to end—most importantly the health of Jim’s wife, Shelly.

“My wife is on biologic infusions, which weaken her immune system,” Stephens

said. “That makes her susceptible to the coronavirus. We’ve pretty much been shut in, and we can’t take a chance. I just don’t know what would happen if she got COVID right now. We’re so active, and it’s just really slowed her down a lot, but she’s functional.

“The mall is also a big issue. We’ve been year to year with them for the past five or six years. … They’re awful to deal with. They don’t realize that the mall’s not like Fast Times at Ridgemont High anymore. … We can’t even come to terms on the four months that we were shut down. Other places were offered three months free rent, or two months half rent—and we were not offered anything close to that. There were also clauses in there that said if the mall shuts down again, ‘We’re not offering any relief at all—you’re paying full rent.’”

Stephens said he’s thankful for his 42-plus years in business—and he said he’s happy that Record Alley will continue to operate online, on Discogs. However, even the online endeavor comes with challenges, including the resurgence in the popularity of vinyl.

“People are not selling their vinyl like they used to,” said Stephens. “I used to buy large collections several times a year, and this year, I bought two. … I’ll see listings on Craigslist, call them right away, and it’s gone. I’ll say, ‘I’ll come in at 10,’ and they’ll send me a message at 9 saying somebody already came and got them.

Can I even take a shower?”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

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MUSIC

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the

LUCKY 13

Get to know a radio instructor/Twitch streamer, and the guitarist for Avenida Music by matt king What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Musicals. Doesn’t matter if they’re Broadway or Disney; you may find me driving down the street singing out of my mind. I suppose that’s what happens when you’re a theater kid.

NAME Alexandro Zatarain MORE INFO Alexandro Zatarain makes his presence felt in the Coachella Valley in multiple ways. Among other things, he’s an instructor at College of the Desert, a radio producer at Alpha Media USA and a frequent Twitch streamer; visit twitch.tv/therealzatarain to watch his videos.

What was the first concert you attended?

The first that I can remember is Ozomatli at Veterans Park in Coachella. They’re an awesome Latin-rock band out of L.A. My first “big” concert was, surprisingly, Shakira. When Mom offers, you don’t say no.

What was the first album you owned?

Eight-year-old me got *NSYNC’s No Strings Attached. Would 28-year-old me do it again?

Damn straight.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Where do I start? The Beatles and Led Zeppelin are very common throughout my playlist. As of late, I’ve listened to a ton of The Weeknd, Drake, Poolside, Bad Bunny and System of a Down. Sprinkle in some Eminem, Elton John, Marvin Gaye, Daft Punk, Justin Timberlake, Prince and Queen, and now you have a rough idea of what my Spotify-liked songs look like.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

Mumble rap seems to have made its way into Top 40 and the youths’ playlists. Am I getting out of touch, or is it the children who are wrong? It’s definitely the children.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Led Zeppelin. Queen is a very close second.

What’s your favorite music venue?

I’m guilty of not checking out many of the great venues we have here in the Coachella Valley. However, I’ve seen multiple friends perform at The Hood, and it’s always been a great time—great music, paired with a beverage of choice and their Buffalo chicken pizza. Can’t go wrong with that.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

I have the terrible habit of singing the words, “You’re Welcome,” all thanks to Dwayne Johnson in Moana. I’ve got my wife doing it now. Did I mention I love musicals?

What band or artist changed your life?

Eminem. I never really listened to rap or hip hop growing up. Once I got into early adulthood, I began to avidly listen to Eminem’s The Eminem Show, and it took me to a place of deeper self-expression.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

I’d ask Robert Plant if he’d like my vocal chords. I’d gladly give them to him.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Come Sail Away” by Styx. Because why not?

NAME Vince Gonzalez GROUP Avenida Music MORE INFO Avenida Music’s unique take on classic songs has provided the soundtrack for many shows and private events in recent years.

This band of brothers is more than just a band, however; they also operate Little Street Studio, a performance space, recording studio and lesson space in Indio. To learn more, visit www. littlestreetmusic.com. Vince Gonzalez is the guitarist and backup vocalist for the group.

What was the first concert you attended?

I went with my youth group to SoCal Harvest at Angel Stadium in 2005. There was a band from the U.K. that I remember well called Delirious?

What was the first album you owned?

I want to say The Art of Translation by GRITS. “Ooh Aah” was on that album, and the track ended up going platinum and being featured in the film The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, which I thought was really cool.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Bad Suns, especially their Language and Perspective album, plus Switchfoot, Twenty One Pilots, James Bay, Colony House, and NF. Oh, and I just got my record player working again, so The Eagles and Bruce Springsteen are usually spinning at our house.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

I’ve noticed a lot of people my age getting really into lo-fi music/covers. It’s not bad, but I don’t quite get the craze, specifically when it’s a cover.

these bands were releasing their hits, so I guess it makes sense.

What’s your favorite music venue?

It’s got to be The Wiltern in L.A. It is a cool venue, especially for the lighting production.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

“What if you had it all, but nobody to call, maybe then you’d know me,” from Justin Bieber’s “Lonely.” I listened to the song once a couple of weeks ago, and the lyric stuck.

What band or artist changed your life?

Being a part of Avenida has changed my life more than any other band or artist. To be in a group working with your brothers can be very challenging. The first few years, it was.

Over time, we matured and started to love one another better.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

The question: “Can we jam sometime?” directed to Jon Foreman.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Your Love Is Strong” by Jon Foreman would be my choice.

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

U2. They have such big songs that play well for a large audience. I also like Bono’s voice and the Edge’s guitar playing/tones.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

When I Was Younger by Colony House. The whole album was excellently crafted. I was listening to it during a really rough time in my life.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Early 2000s rock music: Nickelback, Daughtry, Lifehouse, 3 Doors Down and Keane. I was just hitting my middle school years when a lot of

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“On, And On, And On …” by The Vizitorz. It’s my brother’s group where we write and play original music. It’s a great song.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

The Beatles’ Abbey Road. A great listening experience through and through. You can never go wrong with it.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Regardless” by Christine Nguyen and Justice Gbada. I’ve been following Christine on Instagram for a while now—great voice and very chill vibes. I definitely recommend giving her a listen.

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OPINION SAVAGE LOVE

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FULL DISCLOSURE?

BY DAN SAVAGE

I

could really use your advice. I recently found my boyfriend’s HIV meds while I was housesitting for him and went into his cupboard for a multivitamin. We’ve been dating for a year, and I had assumed he was negative. I’m negative myself and on PrEP, and he is undetectable, so I know there is essentially zero risk of me getting infected, but we agreed to some degree of “openness” at the start of the relationship—having threesomes together—and I recently found a guy we’d like to invite over.

I’m trying to get over the feeling of betrayal from the fact that my boyfriend hid his status from me for so long, but I’m fine with continuing the relationship knowing his status now. The thing is: He told me that only five people on Earth know—and his obligated to disclose that he’s HIV-positive mother, whom he talks to almost every day, isn’t to a casual-sex partner, WEASS, but in some one of them. He says being poz has really fucked states, he is legally obligated to disclose with his self-esteem and that he has had suicidal that fact. While rarely enforced, these HIVthoughts because of his status. disclosure laws almost always have the Is it unreasonable for me to expect him to opposite of their intended effect: Instead of disclose his status to guys who join us in bed? creating a culture of testing and disclosure, What about asking him to share with a therapist these laws disincentivize getting tested— or “come out” as poz to his mother? I really love because someone who doesn’t know they’re him and just want him to be happy and healthy.

HIV-positive can’t get in trouble for failing to disclose.

Wannabe Ethical And Supportive Slut These laws were passed decades ago, back when contracting HIV was perceived—mostly If you’re worrying about HIV at the moment, accurately—as a death sentence. But they WEASS, you’re worrying about the wrong don’t reflect what it means to have HIV virus. Unless you’re lucky enough to live today or to sleep with someone who has HIV in New Zealand, you and the boyfriend today. Having even unprotected sex now shouldn’t be inviting men over for threesomes with someone who is HIV-positive and has right now. an undetectable viral load is less risky than Assuming you do live in New Zealand … having protected sex with someone who I don’t think your boyfriend is morally hasn’t been tested. Condom or no condom,

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Should my HIV-positive boyfriend tell other people about his status? the HIV-positive guy with an undetectable viral load—undetectable thanks to meds like the ones your boyfriend is taking—can’t infect someone with HIV. Undetectable = untransmissible. But a guy who assumes he’s HIV-negative could be HIV-positive and could infect someone with HIV—even if he does use a condom, which could leak or break. (There are lots of other STIs out there we should be using condoms to protect ourselves from, including a nasty strain of antibiotic-resistant gonorrhea, but we’re just talking HIV here.)

If the presumably sexually active, sexually adventurous gay man you’re thinking about having over to your place in Christchurch isn’t an idiot, WEASS, he’ll know your boyfriend— the guy with the undetectable viral load— presents no threat to him, at least where HIV is concerned. And while you absolutely shouldn’t out your boyfriend, WEASS, you could raise the general subject of sexual safety and see how this guy reacts. If he seems reasonable—particularly if he mentions being on PrEP, too—he’s probably not gonna freak out about your boyfriend being HIV-positive for the exact same reason you didn’t: There’s zero chance your boyfriend could infect him with HIV. (We’re both assuming this guy isn’t HIV-positive himself, WEASS, which he might be.) If he seems reasonable, you should encourage your boyfriend to disclose to him.

Being told it’s no big deal from someone your boyfriend wants to fuck before he fucks him could help your boyfriend feel less insecure about his HIV status.

Finally, you can’t order your boyfriend to come out to his mom about being HIVpositive, WEASS, but you might inspire him to. He obviously worries people will judge him or shame him for being HIV-positive; that’s one of the reasons he hid it from you—and, yes, he should have disclosed his HIV status to you sooner. He obviously underestimated you: You didn’t reject him when you stumbled over his meds after tearing apart the cupboards in his absence while you were searching for—what was it again?—oh, right, a multivitamin. (Sure.)

Anyway, WEASS, tell your boyfriend he’s most likely underestimating his mother in the same way he underestimated you—then let him make his own decisions about whom to tell and when.

part was easy, but the cuckolding part is a lot trickier to realize during a pandemic. She ended a longstanding FWB arrangement with a co-worker when we began to get serious a year ago. Her former FWB is a safe choice, emotionally speaking, since there was no romantic interest on either side, and he’s safe where COVID-19 is concerned, since they are in a “pod” at work.

(And they’ll both be vaccinated soon!) She keeps saying he’s the perfect bull, but he’s not right for me—which is a weird thing for me to say, since I’m not the one who’ll be sleeping with him.

I don’t want to sound conceited, but I’m much better-looking than he is, and I’m also betterhung. My cuckold fantasies revolve around my girlfriend fucking a guy who’s hotter than me and better-hung than I am. I worked with a therapist for a long time—not to “cure” me of my kinks, but to better understand them. And what I came to is this: It’s both deeply threatening (in an erotic way) for my girlfriend to fuck someone who’s “better” than me and deeply reassuring (in an emotional way) when she chooses to be with me when she could be with a “better” man.

I’m a submissive straight guy who finally— FINALLY—met a woman who is open to my main kinks: bondage and cuckolding. I’m into handcuffs and leg irons, so the bondage

Read Savage Love every Wednesday at CVIndependent.com; www.savagelovecast. com, mail@savagelove.net; @FakeDanSavage on Twitter.

Better Example Than This Erotic Rival Something about this guy works for your girlfriend—there’s a reason she keeps bringing him up—and if you want to have a future with this woman, and you want cuckolding to be a part of that future, BETTER, then going with someone she’s comfortable with the first time/few times she cucks you is a really good idea. And while he may not be better-looking than you or have a bigger dick, BETTER, he’s gotta be “better” than you are in some other objective sense— better-educated, makes better money, better at eating pussy, etc. Surely there’s something about him your girlfriend can throw in your face that tweaks your insecurities (when she heads off to fuck him) and meets your need for reassurance (when she comes back to you).

And how do you know your dick is bigger than his? Because your girlfriend told you it was. You might want to ask her if she lied about his dick being smaller than yours, BETTER, because that’s definitely the kind of lie women tell new boyfriends about their exes and old FWBs. Given a chance to walk that back, BETTER, your girlfriend very well might—and it might even be true.

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FEBRUARY 2021

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

“Must Be ’21 to Enter”— happy new year to you!

By Matt Jones Across 1 21 ___ (2003 Sean Penn film) 6 Go on and on 10 1982 movie with a 2010 sequel 14 Quick text that’s usually abbreviated even more 15 Pilot’s prefix 16 Mandlikova of tennis 17 Raging Bull boxer Jake La ___ 18 Person, place, or thing, in grammar 19 One of many for Game of Thrones 20 Band whose album No Need to Argue features the track “Twenty One” (followed by their biggest hit, “Zombie”) 23 ___ de los Muertos 24 Largest continent 25 Trivia locale, once (and hopefully in the future) 28 Frozen snowman 31 Great British Bake Off fixtures

35 Ending for suburban 36 Rattled 38 Actress Falco of The Sopranos 39 1950s news involving Charles Van Doren and Twenty-One 43 Primal calling 44 Holiday spread 45 Kind of wind or will 46 Opposite combatant 48 Live! cohost for 20+ years 49 1994 and 1997 U.S. Open winner Ernie 50 Icicle lights locale 53 Skyfall actor Rapace 55 Place to play TwentyOne 62 Penguins’ milieu 63 Former Whose Line host Carey 64 Spunk author Zora ___ Hurston 66 Present prefix 67 “Rondo ___ Turca” (Mozart piece) 68 Casual goodbyes 69 Calamities 70 Bigfoot’s Tibetan cousin 71 Singer with the Grammy-winning

album 21

34 Markets successfully 37 Public TV chef Ming Down ___ 1 Workout facility 40 Back to the Future 2 Square or cube follower director Robert 3 Short story-writer?

41 $100 bill, in old slang 4 Inaudible on Zoom, 42 Fleet-footed heroine of maybe Greek myth 5 Full of legroom 47 It’s milked in Tibet 6 Munich star Eric 51 Truman declaration of 7 Florida explorer Ponce 9/2/45 de ___ 52 Country-blues guitarist 8 Caribbean island near Steve Venezuela 54 Draw ___ on (take 9 Skeletal makeup aim at) 10 Poem with the line 55 Waxing target “Darkness there and 56 Chauffeur-driven nothing more” vehicle 11 Mr. Robot actor Malek 57 Rice who writes of 12 “The joke’s ___!” vampires 13 Some House votes 58 Ancient British Isles 21 Lord of the Flies leader settler 22 2014 World Cup final 59 The Bridge on the River city ___ 25 Irritated state 60 Hurrying, maybe 26 Half a 360 61 Airline to Jerusalem 27 Neutral, blah color 65 Language suffix 29 Starting on 30 Less numerous © 2021 Matt Jones 32 Murphy of 2021’s Coming 2 America Find the answers in 33 Former One Direction the “About” section at member Horan CVIndependent.com!

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FEBRUARY 2021

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS OF A GREAT RELATIONSHIP:

Eisenhower and you.

Over the past 50 years, Eisenhower Medical Center has grown from a small community hospital to the hub of a robust health system, with expert primary and specialty care throughout the Coachella Valley. The community counts on Eisenhower Health for comprehensive, high-quality care, from education, wellness, and prevention to diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. Whether we’re providing specialty LGBTQ care, launching our new Family BirthPlace, or becoming an accredited teaching hospital to attract talented new doctors, we continue to anticipate and address the valley’s changing needs. Thanks to our generous donors and a vocal, engaged community, we are proud to support the health of our community – now and for many decades to come.

Learn more about our services at EisenhowerHealth.org EisenhowerHealth.org

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