Coachella Valley Independent May 2016

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT | MAY 2016

VOL. 4 | NO. 5

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CVIndependent.com

MAY 2016

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

MAY 2016

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 Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye ART direction Andrew Arthur Advertising Design Betty Jo Boegle Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Victor Barocas, Max Cannon, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, ValerieJean (VJ) Hume, Brane Jevric, Keith Knight, Robin Linn, Marylee Pangman, Erin Peters, Dan Perkins, Sean Planck, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Christine Soto, Robert Victor

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, Get Tested Coachella Valley, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.

COVER DESIGN AND PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY aNdrew arthur

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2016 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.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 $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

I’ll never forget how I felt when I posted the first articles on CVIndependent.com.

On one hand, it was frustrating as hell. I was posting those first articles—mostly short event previews that I knew nobody would ever read—as I built the website from the ground up using an open-source content-management system.

It’s safe to say I didn’t necessarily know what I was doing, technology-wise. While my web-developer husband was around to help me when I got truly stuck, I was largely on my own—and there were several times when I launched into profanity-laced snits when the frustration became too much.

On the other hand … the experience was beyond exhilarating. Frustration aside, I knew I was taking the first steps toward building something that had the potential to become truly special.

Well, we’ve come a long way. More than 3 1/2 years have passed since I posted those first stories—and we’re approaching a milestone: Sometime in early May, we’ll post our 3,000th piece at CVIndependent.com.

Join Independent staffers, contributors, friends and readers as we celebrate this occasion on Tuesday, May 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill, 350 S. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. It’ll be a simple gathering; there will be no band, nor will there be any big speeches. Instead, the emphasis will be on acknowledging the community the Independent has built, and will continue to build, by finally giving the Coachella Valley an honest, ethical, professional alternative news voice.

I hope you’ll join us. Come and say hello if we’ve never met.

A fair number of those 3,000 stories have focused on the unique issues of the Eastern Coachella Valley. This month’s print edition includes two such pieces.

On Page 10, Kevin Fitzgerald has an update on an effort called Agua4All. Many East Valley residents lack access to safe, clean drinking water, so the folks behind Agua4All have been working to install drinking-water stations at various schools and community centers, where students and residents can fill bottles to take home. Kevin’s excellent piece explains how Agua4All is doing—and what still needs to be done.

Then on Page 13, you’ll find our cover story, by Brian Blueskye, on the McCallum Theatre’s Crisalida Community Arts Project, a two-year effort to find and promote the East Valley’s artistic and creative voices. You can see the results of those efforts on May 14 at the McCallum—but you’ll want to read Brian’s fantastic story before you do.

Thanks, as always, for reading and being part of our Independent family.

Welcome to the May 2016 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com ON THE COVER: A scene from Tacos, Teardrops and Tequila, a 10-minute play festival produced by East Valley Repertory Company and the Crisalida Community Arts Project.

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

MAY 2016

OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

Palm Springs Residents Support Efforts to Clean Up the Dangers Left Behind During the Vietnam War

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BY ANITA RUFUS

he Paris Peace Accords, which were supposed to end the Vietnam War, were signed Jan. 27, 1973. The United States pulled what American troops remained out of that country.

Congress then passed the Foreign Assistance Act of 1974, cutting off all military aid to South Vietnam’s government in Saigon. As the North subsequently advanced effortlessly toward Saigon, President Gerald Ford ordered the evacuation of all American personnel, including the removal of as many refugees as possible who had been friendly toward America. The U.S. Embassy was not intended to be a major departure point, but many became stranded there, including thousands of South Vietnamese hoping to claim refugee status.

I still remember the iconic pictures of those evacuation efforts through the night of April 29, 1975, and that last American helicopter taking off from and reduce explosive remnants of war (ERW) to a the roof with people hanging off the sides—and level where local people can live without fear, and many still lined up, unable to get out. development is not impeded.

More than 58,000 Americans were killed in Benson, originally from Massachusetts, the war, with more than 300,000 wounded and was an elementary-school teacher when she more than 2,000 missing in action. volunteered to teach English at the National Vietnam has come a long way in the 40 Institute of Administration in Saigon in 1967. years since then. It has transformed from a She met Nichols, a third-generation descendant rice-producing farming economy into a service of two prominent Palm Springs founding economy, dominated by the tourism industry families (the Stevens and the Nichols), while he with manufacturing, construction, mining and was also a volunteer, teaching with International transportation.

Voluntary Services.

However, in the area of Quang Tri Province “Like a number of others, including many and what was known as the DMZ (demilitarized veterans, we have stayed engaged with the zone), remnants of the war are still blocking problems and people the war left behind,” says full-scale development and threatening people’s Benson. “Through the family legacy foundation health and safety. The area was the focus of what Steve started here in Palm Springs, we were able has been described as the heaviest bombing to financially support projects we knew about, campaign in the history of the world. Weapons including Project RENEW. that failed to detonate were left behind and pose “Gayle Hodges’ friend, (Vietnam veteran) dangers similar to landmines.

Chuck Searcy, had the vision, along with the These dangers led to the formation in 2001 Vietnamese, to do this work. We helped support of an effort in Quang Tri Province called Project the building of their visitors’ center and have RENEW. Palm Springs resident Sally Benson; her supported their Mine Risk Education Center, husband, attorney Steve Nichols; Palm Springs where Vietnamese children learn, through plays philanthropist Gayle Hodges; and part-time meant to entertain and educate, how to identify resident and author Myra MacPherson have all ERW and report it to the emergency hotline so worked through the Chino Cienega Foundation, teams can immediately respond.” started locally by Nichols, to help support the Project RENEW claims that more than work of Project RENEW and other worthy non850,000 square meters of land have been cleaned governmental organizations (NGOs). up and released for safe development, with Part of Project RENEW’s mission is to locate more than 30,000 cluster bombs, grenades, landmines and other ordnance safely removed and destroyed. However, the group also estimates that in Quang Tri Province alone, 83 percent of the land still has landmines and other unexploded ordnance. Benson says it was originally expected that it would take as long as 100 years to remove and/or disarm all remaining ERW, but through the work of Project RENEW and its 3,000-4,000 demolitions each year, they estimate that within 5-7 years, almost every square meter of Quang Tri Province will be safe.

Project RENEW team members unload a shell that was found in the Ben Hai River and then “Do you know what a cluster bomb is?” asks transported to a demolition site for destruction.

Benson. “It’s made up of small components, each LANDMINES.ORG.VN

of which is a separate little ‘bomblet’ designed to disperse and kill. I remember a lovely school with walls covered with bright painted pictures in one village. At the edge of the playground, a couple of the boys pushed through a wooded area and spotted something. One stayed there so no one else could get hurt while the other boy ran back and reported it through the emergency call system. When the call came in, we got to see how they broadcast through the local area to keep people away, and then the Project RENEW team mobilized to retrieve it and explode it harmlessly.”

Quang Tri alone has had 8,000 casualties from ERW accidents; 31 percent of the victims are children. They also claim that Quang Tri has more than 15,000 victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, including 5,000 children with birth defects.

Project RENEW claims to have provided new, artificial limbs for 1,000 amputees injured by bombs, and to have assisted almost 700 disabled bomb-accident victims to earn income from raising animals and crops and making products.

“We expect Project RENEW to be a model for

other provinces,” says Benson. “We can’t forget that there are still bombs throughout the rest of Vietnam as well.”

Perhaps the most compelling part of this story is Benson’s experience of the Vietnamese people.

“Most people are stunned by how open and forgiving the Vietnamese are,” she says. “They say it was our government that caused what happened there, not the American people. And Project RENEW is doing its work with educated and highly committed young Vietnamese whose own families have suffered from the war.”

My mother always used to say: “If you made the mess, you clean it up.” Benson, Nichols, Hodges, MacPherson and so many others are setting an example of the difference accepting that responsibility can make.

Anita Rufus is also known as “The Lovable Liberal,” and her radio show airs Sundays from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on KNews Radio 94.3 FM. Email her at Anita@ LovableLiberal.com. Know Your Neighbors appears every other Wednesday at CVIndependent.com.

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MAY 2016

OPINION

THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN

Evict Boring Walls With the Help of Pots and Plants

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BY MARYLEE PANGMAN

o you hate it when you look through your yard and see a fence or block wall?

A majority of our desert homes are cordoned off by walls. These walls can seem restrictive—but they certainly do not have to be prison-like. Walls are linear—that is, they go on in a line. Even when the wall is curved or turns a corner, it is still linear (just not straight).

Unless your design is minimalist in its truest, purest form, these simple lines can get rather tedious.

If your walls are boring, be creative while enhancing the view from your home. This can certainly be done with landscaping: Trees, shrubs and even vines can go far in limiting the view of the wall.

Structures such as a gazebo, shade sails or even a planting shed can also move the eye away from the wall.

But sometimes, we just don’t want to put more things in the ground—or perhaps we don’t have the ground to put plants in, if there is a solid “floor” of pavers, bricks, flagstone, concrete or tile.

Well … container gardens can come to the rescue!

When your home has a wide backyard with a wall or, as is the case in these before and after pictures, a metal fence, you can add potted

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plants to serve any purpose you want.

If you have a view beyond the barrier, you do not want to block it—instead, you want to lead the eye beyond it. With the large pots as a backdrop to this pool, the viewer is encouraged to look from the front pots, to the pool, on to the back pots, and then off to the distant mountain view. If a guest visiting this home in the “after” picture were asked whether there was a wall or fence around the yard … that guest might not even remember!

Not all of us have wide backyards, of course.

Smaller homes often come with diminutive yards, patios or courtyards. In community developments, these spaces are always bounded by walls of some sort. These walls can give you a boxed-in feeling—a feeling that does not make you want to spend a lot of time in these outdoor living areas.

Once again, you can use a container garden to soften the setting, as well as create a small living feature that will attract birds—especially when you add a water feature. People often think that they need a water source to have a fountain.

However, you only need power and a way to fill the fountain, which is easily accomplished with a hose or bucket. Be sure you don’t let the pump run dry, though.

Also, some of us have “seat walls” that are so long that we’ll never have enough guests to fill them. Many builders use these seat-height walls as dividers to create different “rooms” on a patio. Well, I’ll bet we can come up with even more ways to put them to good use.

Some seat walls are built into an outdoor “room.” I once worked on an al fresco dining area enclosed by full and half walls in a U-shape, with a large barbecue on one side. With the help of some well-placed pots and plants, the hard corner was not missed.

Sometimes all it takes to change up your viewpoints is to look at what you already have.

You do not always have to go shopping for new pots and plants. Think about adding some metal art; hanging pots from the wall in shadier areas; or even painting the wall. A little creativity and imagination is all it takes. Just be sure though to make necessary adjustments for the desert.

We are not going to put a wax candle on a sconce in the sun … right?

Your May To-Do List 1. Plant summer flowers in pots and beds.

2. Monitor irrigation and watering as heat rises, especially with newly added plants.

3. Place shade cloth over tender vegetables and herbs, like tomatoes and basil, especially in the low desert.

4. Fertilize citrus trees around Mother’s Day. Water in thoroughly.

Marylee Pangman is the founder and former owner of The Contained Gardener in Tucson, Ariz. She has become known as the desert’s potted garden expert.

Marylee’s book, Getting Potted in the Desert, is now available. Buy it online at potteddesert. com. Email her with comments and questions at marylee@potteddesert.com. Follow the Potted Desert at facebook.com/potteddesert.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

MAY 2016

OPINION

ASK A MEXICAN!

Why Are Some Mexican Americans Voting for Donald Trump?

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

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BY GUSTAVO ARELLANO

EAR MEXICAN: Dude, can you please write about why Mexicans are voting for Trump?

My cuñado and I were talking about the candidates over dinner yesterday and about how this will be his first presidential vote. He became a U.S. citizen last year. He’s from DF (Mexico City). He started from the ground up in this country and now is a successful business owner. I think he wants to keep the gap between him and other immigrants. He’s voting Trump.

Greed is what I sense, but I’m not sure.

I then spoke with my friend (my go-to source for wab news in SanTana), and she informed me that a lot of Mexicans and/ or Hispanics are voting for Trompas. Please enlighten us with your take on the matter.

Feeling El Bern DEAR GABACHO: Yeah, the vast majority of Mexican Americans despise Trump—a Los Angeles Times poll found only 9 percent of Latino voters in California (really: MexicanAmerican ones) liked Trump, while 87 percent want him to become Chapo pozole.

There will always be that self-hating tío who’ll vote for any politician who talks trash on their own kind. But it’s actually not surprising why Mexicans would vote for Trump—he’s the ultimate Mexican presidential candidate. Mexicans can’t stand political correctness, and appreciate powerful people sin pelos en la lengua—“without hairs on the tongue,” a Mexican aphorism when someone speaks their mind. Sure, Bernie Sanders is as straight-talking as Trump, but where he fails as a Mexican candidate, and Trump succeeds, is that the latter also passes himself off as a caudillo—a strongman. Simply put, Mexicans don’t want a perceived pussy in office, and Trump’s bellicose babadas make people think he’s tough, when he’s actually little more than a chavala.

Finally, Mexicans don’t mind corruption in government as long as they get theirs … which is essentially the Trump platform.

Supporting a GOP blowhard isn’t new for Mexicans, by the way: We voted in surprisingly large numbers for pendejos such as Dubya, Arnold Schwarzenegger (when he ran for the California governor’s seat),

Reagan and even Nixon way back when. The difference between them and Trump is that they at least pretended to like Mexicans, while Trump doesn’t give a shit—to his detriment.

Hear me, inútil? If you didn’t call us a bunch of rapists and drug-dealers, un chingo más raza would be voting for you, and you would’ve ran away with the presidency.

Instead, we’re getting ready to kick your ass come November and deport you back to your suit factory in Mexico.

DEAR MEXICAN: I’ve always wondered during my travels in Mexico why they paint the bark of their trees white. I’ve heard that it helps with controlling pests, or that it helps with protecting young trees from sunburn.

Can you please tell me the reason why this practice is followed? Trees are much more attractive when you leave them in their natural state and natural color.

Go Green DEAR GABACHA: What you’ve heard is right. Also: Trees are much more attractive when they’re alive instead of dead.

Catch the Mexican every Wednesday at CVIndependent.com. Ask the Mexican at themexican@askamexican.net; be his fan on Facebook; follow him on Twitter @ gustavoarellano; or follow him on Instagram @ gustavo_arellano!

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MAY 2016

NEWS

TARGETS FOR THE TRIBE

Chairman Jeff Grubbe and Other Leaders Offer Hints About the Agua Caliente Tribe’s Plans

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

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BY BRANE JEVRIC

he Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians is at a crossroads.

The tribe, which has some 32,000 acres of land across Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Rancho Mirage and outlying areas, is making big plans for its prime downtown Palm Springs real estate. Meanwhile, the tribe is involved in a controversial lawsuit against the valley’s two largest water agencies over control of the area’s water rights.

In addition, tribal leadership, with Chairman Jeff Grubbe at the helm, is preparing for an uncertain future that includes online gambling—which may or may not hurt the tribe’s casino revenues.

The late Richard Milanovich (1942-2012) reigned as the tribal chairman for 28 years, during which he placed winning bets on the gambling industry. He led his people from obscurity to become the first Native American tribe in California to own and operate two major casinos—Spa Resort Casino in Palm Springs, and Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa in Rancho Mirage.

The Tribe’s 480 members significantly benefit from the casinos. “There’s a direct per-capita payment to all tribal members, both minors and adults,” Milanovich told me in a 2003 interview.

Milanovich was a brilliant speaker and a clever leader who was always open to the media.

However, Grubbe is a different kind of leader.

He’s not media-savvy like his predecessor was, and prefers to lead from the background.

The current Tribal Council consists of familiar names. Grubbe’s close childhood friend, Vincent Gonzales III (whose aunt Barbara Gonzales was a tribal chairman) is the secretary and treasurer.

Tribal councilmember Anthony Andreas III needs no introduction; after all, Andreas Canyon is named after his family. The vice chair, Larry Olinger, 78, is the oldest councilmember; the youngest is Richard’s son, Reid Milanovich, at 32.

Grubbe, who was elected to the council in 2006 and became chairman after Richard Milanovich’s passing in 2012, recently granted the Independent a rare interview. He recalled an occasion at what was then the Wyndham Hotel in Palm Springs when Richard Milanovich “threw him in the fire” to test his mettle.

“It was one of the first times I spoke publicly for the tribe,” Grubbe said. “Richard called me and said he wanted me to speak instead of him, and to welcome everybody to the tribal reservation at this conference. He said it’d be about 20 people.”

When Grubbe got there, he realized there were actually 500 people present.

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“I started my opening remarks with how Richard had just pulled an Indian trick on me,” Grubbe said. “Later, Richard told me that I did great, and that at some point, I’d have to talk, anyway.”

During his first stint as governor, Jerry Brown appointed Grubbe’s grandfather, Lawrence Pierce, to the state Water Quality Control Board. Today, Grubbe said, the tribe enjoys a positive and a solid relationship with the governor.

“Gov. Brown has been good to us, and he respected us,” Grubbe said. “I’d been close to the governor. We had dinners a few times, and we talked several times.”

The tribe is presently pursuing two hefty lawsuits, regarding water rights and taxes.

Grubbe said he could not talk about the lawsuits. “But the water issue is that the aquifer is overused, and the quality of the water dumped in is low,” he said. “And for some reason, both the (Coachella Valley) Water District and the (Desert) Water Agency refused to hear our concerns. So we had to address the issue.”

The water litigation is ongoing.

As for the tax lawsuit: Riverside County assesses and collects a possessory interest tax from leaseholders on tribal lands in the valley. In a sense, the tax is a replacement for a property tax. Tribe spokeswoman Kate Anderson claims those taxes are not returned to the valley in the form of services, but are primarily used elsewhere in Riverside County. The tax lawsuit is also ongoing.

From time to time, tribal leadership gets criticized for a lack of transparency.

“I think that is not necessarily true. The tribe has been open, and it continues to be open,” he said. “I just spoke at a Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce meeting before 300 people—

local and state officials, business owners and community leaders—and talked about what the is tribe working on. Sometimes, when the tribe does something that certain groups don’t like, they throw in that the tribe is not open enough.”

The tribe has plans for a new Agua Caliente Cultural Museum building on Tahquitz Canyon Way in Palm Springs. However, the tribe wants the community to chip in to help with the $65 million capital campaign.

“It’s a tough job to raise the money for it,” Grubbe said. “My mom’s been on the (Cultural) Museum Board for years. I’ve been talking to the mayor and a couple of City Council members in hopes that the city could possibly get involved, too.”

Grubbe addressed the relationship with the city of Palm Springs, considering the two governments need to exist side by side.

“I try to meet with the mayor nearly every month or so,” Grubbe said. “And there are two new City Council members, Geoff Kors and J.R. Roberts, who seem interested in talking and working with us. But Ginny Foat said some negative comments about us in the newspaper.”

I asked Foat about her comments, made to The Desert Sun last year, during which she was quoted as saying she “would never do anything on Indian land.”

“I didn’t say what was in the paper,” Foat said.

“They took my quote totally out of context. I didn’t say anything negative about the tribe and tribal land.”

Grubbe also talked about former Mayor Steve Pougnet and the current federal investigation of him and the city of Palm Springs.

“We’ve been very careful not to get involved with anything that will put the tribe in danger,” Grubbe said. “I always thought that the mayor (Pougnet) did some good things for the city, and I had no idea about all these other things. I still don’t know what’s going on, and the tribe does not deal with those kinds of things. We’re far removed from it.”

Of course, everyone in the area is curious about the goings-on around the Spa Resort Casino in downtown Palm Springs. Grubbe and the other tribal members have thus far been tight-lipped regarding their plans, although he did offer some hints about what is to come.

“We’re excited about the plans and design for

Agua Caliente Chairman Jeff Grubbe.

the new downtown hotel, about the style of the rooms, etc.,” Grubbe said.

According to Grubbe, the old Spa Resort hotel had to be torn down because of errors made when the building was constructed in the 1960s. He cited a poorly designed and located entrance as an example.

“We’re looking for possibilities to have a new hotel with an entrance from Indian Canyon (Drive),” Grubbe said. “We’re talking to our membership about all these ideas. We want to build something special to redefine the downtown.”

Tom Davis, the chief planning and development officer who’s been with the tribe since 1992, offered yet more hints. He said it was possible the tribe could construct two hotels downtown.

“I expect that sometime this year, the tribe will come up with a certain architectural plan for a spa development, and perhaps some type of a boutique hotel,” Davis said.

Davis also said the tribe expects the city to return the street portions of Calle Encilia and Andreas Road to the tribe.

“This is consistent with the Section 14 master plan and the existing agreements with the city,” Davis said.

Grubbe—a former football jock who stands tall at 6 foot 2 inches—also addressed the current lack of women on the tribal council.

“We’re a very democratic tribe,” he said. “We have a strong presence of women at our tribal meetings, and they tell us exactly how they feel.

In the past, we had an all-female tribal council.

We don’t have any women running now for the council, but I’m sure it’ll change.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

MAY 2016

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MAY 2016

NEWS

POTABLE PROGRESS

Agua4All Meets Its Goal of Giving East Valley Students Access to Safe Drinking Water—but There’s a Lot of Work Left to Do

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

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By Kevin Fitzgerald

he initial East Valley goal of the Agua4All campaign: Bring relief to thousands of students who had no access to safe drinking water by installing 60 bottle-filling stations at the schools of the Coachella Valley Unified School District (CVUSD).

An April 8 rally at Toro Canyon Middle School in Thermal celebrated success: By the end of March, that goal had been eclipsed, as 75 stations had been set up. As a result, students now have free reusable water bottles and on-campus access to one or more Agua4All stations, providing safe drinking water on a continuous basis.

“It’s been an extremely important effort that was initiated by the California Endowment, the Rural Community Assistance Corporation (RCAC) and Community Water Center. Now we want to take it statewide,” said Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia, of the East Valley’s 56th District, in an interview. “We introduced a piece of legislation (AB 2124) that allocates the resources to enable taking this effort across the state of California.”

The bill is currently in the hands of the state Assembly.

Sarah Buck, the RCAC Agua4All campaign supervisor and rural development specialist, said she hopes the program will be expanded to

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other Coachella Valley schools.

“One of our goals down the road is to get the interest and attention of the Desert Sands Unified School District to create a partnership and replicate what we’ve done with the CVUSD so that we can install filling stations in all of their schools as well,” she said. Desert Sands operates schools in parts of Bermuda Dunes,

Indio, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Indian Wells.

“But that may be a little ways out. Right now, we’re in the phase of looking for and waiting for funding to continue those efforts.”

Still, a lot of work remains, especially when it comes to the numerous unpermitted trailer parks where so many families live without infrastructure.

“We have installed at least one filling station and up to six at every single one of the schools in the Coachella Valley Unified School District, with the exception of Westside (Elementary School in Thermal),” Buck said. “But we’ve only put a few stations in community access sites.

We put two at the Mecca Boys and Girls Club and two at the San Jose Community Learning Center. So in this next phase in Coachella, the goal is to put them in more community places so that not just kids have safe water access … but that their families (do) as well.”

Victor Gonzalez, a Coachella resident, shed more light on the depths of the problem. “I lived in Lake St. Anthony trailer park from 1992 all the way up to 2015, so I grew up in those conditions,” he said. “We were not connected to the (Coachella Valley Water District) system, so a lot of these trailer parks resorted to using wells. For a long time, we were getting water in our homes that had dirt in it. This was the water that we would be drinking. We’d shower in it, and my mom and my dad cooked with it.”

Fortunately, recent actions have improved life for Gonzalez’s sister and friends who still live at St. Anthony’s.

“About two years ago,” Gonzalez said, “Pueblo Unido Community Development Corporation established a reverse-osmosis center in the trailer park where people can go to get safe water for cooking or brushing their teeth, for example. But the tap water is still untreated.”

Is it possible to bring about permanent and convenient solutions that would deliver safe drinking water to the homes of all residents of the Eastern Coachella Valley? Garcia said he could foresee such a reality. “I do. In some places far sooner than others, but I really do. I think the Flint, Mich., case has shed light on what I call the smaller Flint, Mich., communities throughout the country—and I’m speaking specifically of those in California.

“California adopted a position that water is a right, and everyone should have access to safe

Agua4All has installed 75 drinking-water stations at schools and some community centers in the East Valley.

water. Last year, we were successful in getting a bill signed by the governor that would allow very specific point-of-use technologies to be utilized in remote, rural areas to address the high levels of arsenic being found. This bill was directly beneficial to households in the communities of the eastern Coachella Valley, and it was sponsored by Sergio Carranza (executive director of PUDC) and the Pueblo Unido Development Corporation out of the eastern valley.”

The Coachella Valley Water District must play a prominent role in implementing permanent long-term solutions for the communities of the eastern valley it serves. Toward that end, a Disadvantaged Communities Infrastructure Committee was established within CVWD late in 2015. Garcia said the committee came into existence “thanks to the leadership of (CVWD board member) Castulo Estrada, who represents the district that has the majority of these communities being affected by the lack of infrastructure. He’s to be credited for that effort. He’s spearheading the CVWD efforts to address these issues in a timely and responsible way.”

Gonzalez also said Estrada’s election to the board in 2014 is leading to positive change. “For a long time, our area was not really represented by the board members we cast our votes for,” he said. “But in these last elections, we were able to vote for someone who really represented the people of our community. And it came as a result of community input and advocacy to change the voting mechanisms.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11

MAY 2016

NEWS

GOOD GAME!

After a Disaster That Would Have Crippled Other Startups, Escape Room Palm Springs Is Open—and Giving Gamers a Workout

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

M

By jimmy boegle

ark Fruchtman is, in the most glorious sense of the word, a nerd.

He’s a gamer. He was an application developer before he opened a computer-repair business with his wife, Dominique. And now he and Dominique are the masterminds behind Escape Room Palm Springs.

For the uninitiated who don’t know what an escape room is: It’s a game. After being given a backstory, a group of two to 10 people is put in an elaborate room—and given 45 minutes to solve a series of complex riddles and puzzles using all of the elements of that room, with the goal of finding the key to escape before time’s up. A gamemaster watches and gives hints, if needed, from the control room throughout the game.

Escape Room Palm Springs currently has four rooms. The Saw Room is a large bathroom where a man, kidnapped and imprisoned by mysterious captors, left behind clues as he worked toward his escape—but he didn’t make it out in time.

In the Dark Shadows Room, players help a man who was transformed into a vampire by an evil witch—and it turns out that vampire can’t open his coffin. The Mystery Room is a bright, quirky place with all sorts of symbols and shapes, while in the just-opened Titanic Room, players have 45 minutes before the ship sinks to find a lifeboat key hidden in the captain’s stateroom.

(There are actually two identical Titanic Rooms, so teams can compete against each other to see who escapes first.) Play costs $30 for each player and is open to people age 12 and older.

It’s not easy to get out of these rooms. Mark said the target is for 10 to 15 percent of teams to escape. (He added that one simple change to one puzzle can make a big difference: In the Dark Shadows Room, for example, the escape rate went from 7 percent to 30 percent with just one tweak.)

All of the rooms were custom-designed by

Mark Fruchtman used his background as a gamer and application developer to design his escape rooms. JIMMY BOEGLE

Mark and Dominque. They visited a lot of escape rooms themselves to get inspiration, but Mark emphasized they never copied any puzzles from the rooms they visited.

He said his background as a gamer and programmer gave him the skills needed to design the escape rooms.

“Between my knowledge of game theory and application development, this was actually a very easy adaptation,” Mark said as he stood next to an ornate secretary’s desk in the Dark Shadows Room. “As a matter of fact, the way the rooms are designed is through flow charts—the same way you’d design a computer program.”

Even after a room is developed, thoroughly tested and opened to the public, the design work is not over. Mark said the goal is to change an element of each room once a week or so, in an effort to keep the games fresh. That means someone could play a room, and then return several months later to play the room again without knowing all of the clues and answers.

While escape rooms have been popping up all over the world in recent years— escaperoomdirectory.com lists 20 in the Los Angeles area alone (with three in …

Bakersfield?!)—the Coachella Valley did not have one as of last year. The Fruchtmans, who owned and operated tech-service company Desert Cow Computers, saw an opportunity— and Escape Room Palm Springs was born.

Dominique (who serves with me on the Desert Business Association board of directors) said she and Mark first got the idea for Escape Room Palm Springs after she received an email from Psycho Clan, a group that puts on a renowned haunted house every year in New York City, where the Fruchtmans used to live.

“They sent an email on June 24 (of last year)—I still have the day memorized—saying,

‘Look at what we’re doing with our venue the other 11 months of the year,’ meaning not October,” Dominique said. “They went on to establish and explain the concept of an escape room. I thought, ‘Wow. How clever is that?’”

That email catalyzed a speedy series of events leading up to what was supposed to be the fall opening of Escape Room Palm Springs. The Fruchtmans started visiting various escape rooms throughout Southern California and Nevada—in fact, Dominique said they visited 25 in July alone.

In August, they leased a building at 560 S. Williams Road, just off the intersection of Ramon Road and Gene Autry Trail. By October, Escape Room Palm Springs was hosting the Fruchtmans’ friends and professional acquaintances (myself included), and was ready to open to the public with two rooms on Oct. 28.

“It was going to be a big, cool Halloween

opening,” Dominique said.

But that was not to be. On Oct. 24, Mark and Dominique were standing in the control room when all the sound and video equipment suddenly went dead. A power surge had hit the building—and the surge protector had failed.

About $25,000 in equipment was fried.

Thankfully, the Fruchtmans are savvy businesspeople. They had insurance that covered the equipment, and enough in cash reserves to survive the delay. They decided to regroup, make repairs and upgrades, finish a third room, and start work on the fourth room.

Escape Room finally opened its doors to the public on Feb. 4—and has been receiving rave reviews ever since.

“It’s going great,” Dominque said. “We’re getting a lot of attention on social media.”

For more information, visit escapeps.com.

CVIndependent.com

12 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

NEWS

MAY ASTRONOMY

a Mid-Twilight Blue Moon, Planets and This BrightMonth Stars inOffers Evening For May, 2016 Epic Pairings and a Transit of This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

Mercury Across the Sun!

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

May's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

N

By Robert Victor

M

Deneb

ake necessary preparations to safely observe the transit of Mercury across the sun on May 9. Jupiter is brightest “star” in evening sky this spring until Mars offers serious competition in late May, as the red planet presents its brightest and closest approach since 2005. The moon and Jupiter will pair up on May 14, while a “blue moon” and red Mars, at its brightest, team up on May 21.

On our chart depicting the sky at evening mid-twilight in May, we find two bright stars—Rigel south of west, and Aldebaran in the west-northwest—departing early in the month. The brightest star, Sirius, the Dog Star, is next to go, in the west-southwest. All that then remains of the Winter Hexagon will be the “Spring Arch” of Procyon, Pollux (with Castor 4.5 degrees to its right) and Capella. Orion’s shoulder Betelgeuse, below the arch, drops out by late May, soon after Sirius.

Bright Jupiter follows Regulus across the sky’s vertical north-south-overhead line, crossing it high in the south. Golden Arcturus climbs high in the east, while blue-white Spica is in the southeast, climbing toward the south. In the southeast, Mars first appears in evening mid-twilight around midmonth—and competes with Jupiter in brilliance—while Saturn and Antares follow about a week later. You can see Mars, Saturn and Antares earlier in May, by observing later in the evening, or before dawn.

Low in the northeast in May’s evening twilight, bright blue-white Vega appears, followed by fainter Deneb to its lower left.

For illustrations of the following sky events in May, download and reprint the free May 2016 Sky Calendar and evening sky map, available at www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

May 6: The new moon occurs at 12:30 p.m.

May 7: At dusk, look for the young crescent moon, age 31-32 hours, very low in the westnorthwest. Aldebaran, eye of Taurus the Bull, is just to the moon’s upper left, beautiful in binoculars! On May 8, the moon will be higher, to the upper left of Aldebaran.

May 9: The transit of Mercury is visible from sunrise until 11:42 a.m.

If proper equipment is used, and precautions are taken to avoid eye damage, you will be able to observe Mercury in silhouette against the disk of the sun. During this transit, the tiny dot cannot be detected by simply looking through a solar filter without magnification. Instead, use a telescope suitably protected by a certified safe solar filter, securely installed at the front end of the telescope, before sunlight enters the optical system. Use a magnification of at least 50 power, or use your telescope to project an image of the sun on a screen or a piece of white cardboard.

Whichever method is used, be sure to remove CVIndependent.com

the finder scope so nobody will be tempted to look through it at the sun.

From here, the transit will already be under way at sunrise. The planet passes closest to the center of the solar disk at 7:58:31 a.m., with the sun 25 degrees up in the east. At 11:39:06 a.m., the leading edge of Mercury will meet the edge of the sun. Egress lasts 3.2 minutes, until 11:42:18 a.m., when Mercury moves off the disk.

May 10, 11: From one evening to the next, the moon leaps over the line joining Pollux and Procyon.

May 13: The moon, just past first quarter phase, is in the afternoon and evening sky. Note Regulus, heart of Leo, above the moon.

May 14: Using binoculars a few minutes before sunset, can you spot Jupiter not far to the upper left of the moon. Also: This is Astronomy Day! You’re welcome to attend our star party that evening; details below.

May 15-21: Mars, going west one-third of a degree daily against background stars, passes closely north of Delta, brightest and middle star of three in the head of Scorpius. Two hours after sunset, Mars is the brilliant reddish object low in the southeast.

May 17, 18: The bright star near the moon is Spica, in Virgo.

May 21: The full “blue moon” and red Mars hang out together from dusk until dawn. In spring 2016, we have four full moons: On March 23, April 21, May 21 and June 20. The third full moon of four within the same astronomical season is called a “blue moon.” Also tonight: Mars is at opposition—as Earth overtakes Mars, we observe the red planet all night long in the direction opposite to the sun.

Today’s “blue moon” rises in the eastsoutheast around sunset, with Mars quickly becoming visible 6 to 7 degrees to the moon’s right. Within two hours after sunset, below the moon and Mars, look for Saturn with the

Vega

Mercury

1

Capella

Aldebaran Arcturus

E

Pollux

W Betelgeuse

Regulus

Jupiter 1

29 Antares 22

15

22

29

Rigel

Procyon

Spica

Saturn 15

8

Sirius Mars 29

twinkling red first-magnitude star Antares, Evening mid-twilight occurs whenabout Sun is 7.5 9° below horizon.

“Rival of Mars,” degrees to Saturn’s May 1: 42 minutes after sunset. right. For the rest of the night, these four bright 15: 45 " " " objects form a striking 31: 46 "quadrilateral. " " Also that night: Syrtis Major, the most prominent of the dark markings on Mars, lies near the center of the Martian disk as the planet reaches its highest position in our southern sky, when telescopic viewing is best. This feature was discovered by Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens, who included it on a drawing of Mars in 1659. He used repeated observations of the feature to estimate the length of a day on Mars.

Because Mars’ day is slightly longer than Earth’s, around opposition, we see the same face of Mars about 36 minutes later on each successive night.

If you’re inclined to observe the predawn sky at this time of year, despite the early sunrises, you’ll find the triangle of Mars, Saturn and Antares sinking into the southwest; Arcturus in the west to west-northwest; the Summer

S

Triangle of Vega, AltairStereographic and Deneb overhead; Projection and

by Robert D. Miller Fomalhaut low in theMap southeast.

Star Parties On Saturday, May 14, from 8 to 10 p.m., the Astronomical Society of the Desert will be hosting the last star party of the season at the Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, on Highway 74, within four miles south of Highway 111 in Palm Desert. The website at www.astrorx.org has directions and a map to our year-round highaltitude star parties at Sawmill Trailhead. Also check the link to our “Impromptu Star Parties,” which could be announced on short notice.

Robert C. Victor was staff astronomer at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is now retired and enjoys providing skywatching opportunities for school children in and around Palm Springs.

MAY 2016

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

Voices of the East Valley

The McCallum Theatre Spent Two Years Finding and Promoting the East Valley’s Creative Talents—and Is Showcasing Them on May 14

T

he McCallum Theatre, the venue, is well-known for top-notch Broadway musicals, concerts by world-class musicians, and a wide variety of other arts programming.

However, the McCallum Theatre, the institution, does much more than host shows.

The McCallum has an education wing, the McCallum Theatre Institute, that has served hundreds of thousands of locals over the years—and through its Crisalida Community Arts Project, the McCallum has spent the last two-plus years seeking out the artistic voices of the Eastern Coachella Valley.

Some of the results of that search will be presented on Saturday, May 14, at the McCallum in a showcase titled East Valley Voices Out Loud, which will feature singers, rappers, poets, storytellers, musicians, actors, playwrights and visual artists—all from the Eastern Coachella Valley.

Jeffrey Norman, the director of communications and public affairs at the McCallum Theatre, said the Crisalida Community Arts Project came to be thanks to inspiration from McCallum president/CEO Mitch Gershenfeld, and funding from the James Irvine Foundation.

“Mitch Gershenfeld got this idea in his head,” Norman said. “We knew that the James Irvine Foundation had funds available, but that they wouldn’t be necessarily for the conventional presentations that the McCallum does.”

The McCallum asked David Gonzalez—a professional storyteller, poet, playwright and musician who is a cultural ambassador for the U.S. State Department—to spearhead the effort. The McCallum had worked with Gonzalez before, Norman said.

“David Gonzalez had appeared through the McCallum Theatre Institute several times and visited classrooms throughout the valley as part of our education program. He just seemed like the guy we could partner with,” Norman said.

The grant from the James Irvine Foundation is the largest ever received by the McCallum.

“I have a history of grant-writing, and Mitch, David and I were all going to be in New York at the same time,” Norman said. “We sat at some restaurant and just kind of riffed on

By Brian Blueskye

this for a couple of hours. I went home and wrote the grant application. We submitted it, and they asked us to change a couple of things. It’s a very competitive grant, and we got it.”

Art’s role in building community is an important topic to Norman. Before arriving at the McCallum, he was the vice president for public affairs at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, N.J., a city that was victimized by riots in 1967.

“We built a $187 million theater in downtown Newark. It was very important to us that this performing-arts center be built, because so many things were promised to Newark after the riots that never came to fruition,” Norman said. “My boss had a professor (back in 1967), and the professor said, ‘It’s going to be 30 years before anything happens.’ We opened 30 years later, on Oct. 18, 1997. It was important that we build a place that appealed to the Mozart and Beethoven crowd, but also to the residents of the community. As it turned out, at our best, we had an audience that was 28 percent other than Caucasian, which is unheard of in the arts. … We did a lot of stuff in the Newark schools and the urban schools throughout the state. This kind of stuff, about making the arts available to disparate communities, is my passion.”

W

hen Gonzalez arrived in the Coachella Valley and began work on the Crisalida Community Arts Project, he immediately started finding talent.

“It seems like every rock I picked up, there was a creative voice,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve met so many fabulously talented people in visual arts, music, poetry and the theater arts. It’s just been a wonderful experience for me to make so many artistic friends and collaborators.”

Gonzalez said some widely held perceptions of the East Valley—an area which includes some of the most economically disadvantaged areas in the state—are not accurate.

“It’s certainly not a monolith, and there’s certainly a lot of diversity in the population CONTINUED ON NEXT PAGE

Mario “The Giant” Garcia will be performing as part of the East Valley Voices Out Loud show at the McCallum.

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14 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

Voices of the East Valley Co-Chairs

Steven Henke Steve Kaufer

3rd Annual A So-Cal Lip Sync Competition benefiting Desert AIDS Project

Wednesday, June 1, 2016 Emcee

Ethylina Canne

VOG

Bella/Brian

Contestants

Trixie Garnett

Mystic Befierce Miller

Anita Rose

Tommi Rose

Pinkie Meringue Shimmer

Jazmyn Simone-Echelon

Judges

Delta Work

RuPaul’s Drag Race Season 3

Gypsy

Carnival Cabaret

Maude Chapeau & Dottie Du Bois Les Dames du Soleil

out there,” Gonzalez said. “Some families I’ve met have been in that valley and on the land for a couple hundred years. There are some of the pioneer families, who are the old Mexican families that go way back before there was even big agriculture. There are also families who just arrived a year or two ago.

“There’s also a lot of diversity when it comes to economic status. Some of those towns have a healthy middle class, and even in the places where there is lower income, there’s so much dignity. If you go to Mecca, the median income is less than standard, but the quality of life is good: The streets are clean, and there’s so much community spirit—but there are some problems. I think there’s a misconception about the monolithic, uneducated poverty out there, and it’s simply not true.”

Both Norman and Gonzalez said it was not always easy to gain trust in the East Valley.

“The first year was about relationshipbuilding,” Norman. “We expected some skepticism. I think a lot of people have promised a lot of things to the east side of the valley and have walked away.”

Fortunately, Gonzalez was up to the task.

“I think this is a common story: When an arts institution that’s seen … in a way as elitist tries a new hand in being a community partner, there’s a lot of suspicion and doubt,” Gonzalez said. “My job was to go and meet folks and listen to folks, because nothing

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 13

communicates a willingness to partner better than listening to the concerns and interests, as well as seeing what’s there instead of telling people what they need. The grant was written in such a way where we could use the first eight to 10 months to go out and meet folks and see what was there.”

Gonzalez said not everybody he encountered was willing to participate in the Crisalida Community Arts Project.

“Because the grant is only a two-year grant, I couldn’t spend too much time trying to convince them that they should,” he said. “We did partner up with some wonderful community organizations like the Coachella Valley Housing Coalition, the Indio Teen Center, the Indio Senior Center, the (Coachella Valley History) Museum, and Pueblo Unido.”

O

ne example of the talent Gonzalez found is Francisco Rodriguez.

“Francisco Rodriguez has a degree in creative writing and poetry from UC Riverside,” Gonzalez said. “He’s from Mecca, and he’s a brilliant young man. I’ve hired him to do a series of interviews with community elders and in some of the housing projects. He did one poem with Leonardo Espinosa, who worked for 40-plus years as a farm worker and was quite active in the farm-worker strikes back in the day with

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Crisalida artist Francisco Rodriguez (left) and David Gonzalez (right) with Leonardo Espinosa (center), a farm worker for 40 years who once worked with Cesar Chavez. Rodriguez was commissioned to write a poem about Leonardo’s extraordinary life.

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15

MAY 2016

Cesar Chavez and others. Francisco brought his listening ear to Leonardo’s house, and Leonardo told him, in two installments, part of his life story. Francisco memorialized it into a poem, and that will be presented at our event.”

Rodriguez said he was delighted to take part in the Crisalida Community Arts Project.

“It was really beautiful and really nice to be able to hear the voices of the valley,” Rodriguez said. “… Being able to hear different people’s stories, experiences, things they’ve been through, and even things they’re going through right now that are good or bad—it’s part of life, and to see them being passionate and moving on, it’s really refreshing.”

Rodriguez said even he didn’t realize how much talent could be found in the East Valley.

“I’ve lived here in the valley just about all my life,” Rodriguez said. “When I met David Gonzalez and became part of the Crisalida Community Arts Project, I was able to meet different people, and it wasn’t as isolated as I thought it was. There are so many artists here, so many writers, and so many musicians. It was really refreshing to discover that part of the valley and to see how things tend to be a little obscure—but you see and get to know they exist, too.”

Gonzalez said he played a role in developing a theater group.

“Something we noticed in the East Valley was the interest in developing theater,” Gonzalez said. “I collaborated with Carlos Garcia, a retired drama teacher from Desert Mirage High School, to create the East Valley Repertory Company, which is bilingual theater, and its focus is to encourage people in the theater arts from the East Valley to participate in community theater. We’ve had a number of successful events, such as a 10-minute play festival, which was very well-attended. We published seven 10-minute plays in a book.”

Gonzalez said the East Valley Voices Out Loud event should be fantastic.

“It’s going to be a really thrilling event, because you’re going to hear, see and come and touch a very wide variety of artists in the East Valley,” he said, “everything from hiphop artists to a brand-new band of seniors who sing bolero with themes of social justice and how they see their communities. There are also going to be singer-songwriters and documentary videos, and it’s going to be a kaleidoscopic night where you can experience a lot of artists who are vibrant in the East Valley.”

Gonzalez said the Crisalida Community Arts Project has had numerous positive effects—both at the McCallum and in the East Valley.

“The McCallum is, along with a couple of other institutions in the valley, the

Arturo Castellanos will be performing as part of the East Valley Voices Out Loud show at the McCallum.

premier cultural beacon,” Gonzalez said. “Its credibility, its pool of talent and its brain trust are a tremendous resource for the broader community. I’ve watched the staff of the McCallum grow in their interest in the community, and it’s been a thrill to see the leadership and the board get behind a new initiative that brings the McCallum out into the community, so it’s appreciated and understood in a way it hadn’t been before.”

Gonzalez said the Crisalida Community Arts Project proved the arts can make a positive difference in the East Valley.

“Art is a critical component to a healthy society,” Gonzalez said. “Art connects us through dialogue around intellectual challenges and beauty. There’s a tremendous vitality and aliveness in the East Valley, and they have enjoyed traditions for a very long time. The influence of this grant has been to support the impulses that were already there and bring them to greater fruition.

There have been a couple of instances where this was a first-time experience for people. I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily saving lives, but it’s giving people the opportunity to see themselves as creative people and contributors to the creative dialogue in their community.”

East Valley Voices Out Loud will take place at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 14, at the McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, in Palm Desert. Tickets are $9 to $22. For tickets or more information, call 760-340-2787, or visit www. mccallumtheatre.com.

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CVI SPOTLIGHT: MAY 2016 Beyond Mobiles and Stabiles: Heather James Gallery Offers a New Take on Calder Left: "Circus."

Right: "Le Petit Rouge."

F

undamentally antagonistic is an appropriate phrase to use when describing the works of John Sloan and Alexander Calder, two celebrated artists who set benchmarks during the first 75 years of the last century.

Over the first half of the century, Sloan incorporated New York City’s energy with social commentary through his oils, drawings and prints. As a Sloan protégé, Calder learned to create highly detailed, technically exacting and subtly nuanced oils, prints and works on paper. Sloan’s influence was reflected in Calder’s early works. However, Calder did not imitate his teacher.

Shortly after graduating from art school, Calder—who had previously earned a mechanical-engineering degree—reinvented himself, in the process redefining sculpture.

Sometime in the early 1930s, a Calder piece at a gallery exhibition announced his unique and highly personal aesthetic: One avant garde artist called it “mobile.”

About five years later, the artist re-branded himself yet again, and further broadened the definition of sculpture. Calder coined the word “stabile” when asked to define it.

Calder’s mobiles and stabiles demonstrated his unique ability to create unexpected artistic synergies. More specifically, he produced art that reflected his ability to leverage his creative right brain (art degree) concurrent with his analytic left brain (engineering degree).

CVIndependent.com

While Calder is best known for the mobile and stabile, Calder’s creative output included both two-dimensional (paintings, fine art prints, works on paper, drawings) and threedimensional works until his death in 1976.

Often, there appears to be a “conversation” between works on paper and sculptures. In other words, a work on paper may be the basis for a sculpture, or vice versa.

The fantastic Calder show on display through May 30 at Heather James Fine Art in Palm Desert includes a number of stabiles and mobiles. Most are smaller and intimate, making Calder’s language and aesthetic more accessible.

However, the stars of this exhibit are Calder’s prints, drawings and works on paper. The Heather James team wonderfully organized a show that introduces Calder as a visual artist who moves seamlessly between two- and three-dimensional art.

The impact is most pronounced when facing the expansive wall at the back of the gallery. The entire space, from floor to ceiling, is populated with an array of strong Calder prints, drawings and gouaches. A first look at the wall can be overpowering. However, if one mentally breaks the wall into smaller groups of Calder’s works, understanding replaces overload. Almost all of Calder’s works on paper and prints do three things: They engage the viewer, require interpretation and are infused with humor and whimsy.

In “Le Petit Rouge,” a later gouache and ink on paper, the artist paints two four-legged animals: one red, and one blue. While painted clearly, what they are, exactly, is defined by the viewer. A jackal? A dog? Both have claws, not paws, as well as Doberman pinscher-like ears that might also be seen as horns. Lastly, the blue animal sports a grin reminiscent of that of the Cheshire Cat. However, is this grin playful or impish … or perhaps sinister?

Throughout his life, Calder remained fascinated with and inspired by the circus. A large number of his sculptures and works on paper contain circus-related themes, dating back to his years at the Art Students League.

In the print “Circus,” the artist effectively synthesizes and encapsulates the energy, complexity and delight Calder found when visiting the big top, all without sacrificing his trademark palette of primary colors, plus black and white.

As expected, the ringmaster, much like the conductor of an orchestra or band, stands front, albeit just left center. Like a conductor, he is dressed in top hat and tails. However, the ringmaster here traded in his baton for a bullwhip. Swirling around the ringmaster is a horse, presented in red and outlined in blue, creating a sense of ongoing motion and flow without seeming forced. A clown in the bottom left foreground appears to be engaging the audience. A trapeze artist, clearly preparing to jump to a new swing,

adds to the dynamic.

To reinforce the sense of motion, Calder— by adding two large red circles and a series of 12 broadly printed blue lines—creates the illusion of spotlights moving around the performance area. As in “Le Petit Rouge,” Calder’s horse smiles. There is also an irony: All of the human circus performers show no apparent emotion.

In “The Handstand,” a bronze created in 1944, Calder conveys the sense of whimsy, imagination and fun with which he is associated. In keeping with his style, the artist leaves the viewer to determine the gender and age of the figure. However, this and another small sculpture, “Cheval II,” created during the same years, appear totally un-Calderesque. In sharp contrast to the simplicity and elegance associated with his mobiles and stabiles, these pieces seem like unfinished, rough first drafts that require significantly more work. They appear heavily influenced by Giacometti, with a roughness unexpected in a Calder work.

The Alexander Calder exhibition is on display through Monday, May 30, at Heather James Fine Art, 45188 Portola Ave., in Palm Desert. The gallery is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 760-346-8926, or visit www. heatherjames.com.

—Victor Barocas

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17

MAY 2016

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CVIndependent.com 4/20/16 8:52 AM

18 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

ARTS & CULTURE

FROM SILLY WALKS TO ABBA

The McCallum Theatre Announces Its 2016-2017 Season

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

M

By jimmy boegle

itch Gershenfeld has been booking shows at the McCallum Theatre now for 16 years, give or take, and has been the president and CEO of the Palm Desert venue/arts organization for four.

Every year, he books many dozens of shows at the theater—which, despite its relatively small size, during the first quarter of each year becomes the top-selling performing-arts venue in the state, and one of the Top 10 in the country.

He’s also a man—as one would expect, given his job—with incredibly diverse tastes when it comes to the performing arts. Given all of this, it would be utterly foolish for a journalist to ask Gershenfeld to pick the one upcoming show about which he’s most excited. Yet I was dumb enough to ask that very question when we recently sat down to discuss the just-announced 2016-2017 season lineup. on as a social activist. His Facebook following Much to my surprise, he had an answer. is amazing. He’s a tremendous social-media “Personally, John Cleese,” he said. “I’ve tried person.” to get him here before, and finally, all the stars Fans of Broadway classics will find a whole aligned.” lot to like during the upcoming season. Shows The Monty Python and Fawlty Towers coming through include The Sound of Music comedy god, who will be in Palm Desert for (Nov. 22-27), Mamma Mia! (Dec. 2-5), Annie two shows on Sunday, March 12, is just one of (Jan. 10-11), Rain: A Tribute to the Beatles (Feb. the huge names coming to the McCallum in 17-19) and Chicago (March 17-19). Meanwhile, 2016-2017.

Broadway greats like Bernadette Peters Like comedy? Then you may want to get (Saturday, Feb. 4) and Kristin Chenoweth tickets to see Jay Leno on Saturday, Jan. 21.

(Friday, March 24) will also take the stage.

Like a more folksy brand of comedy? Well, you Miss the Palm Springs Follies? Catch the can see Garrison Keillor on Friday, Jan. 27, or McCallum’s tribute starring John Davidson Rita Rudner on Friday, April 7. and Ann Hampton Calloway on Wednesday George Takei (Saturday, Nov. 19) is also and Thursday, March 8 and 9. Like watching bound to offer some humor, mixed in with comedic actresses singing songs? Enjoy “See some serious commentary about his fascinating Jane Sing!” with Jane Lynch on Saturday, life, which included a stint in an internment Oct. 29. Like hearing really talented kids sing camp for Japanese Americans during World War Christmas songs? The Vienna Boys Choir will II, and many, many years in the closet. be in town on Monday, Dec. 5. Like … um, “George is such an interesting and iconic drum lines? Well, on Sunday, Jan. 22, you’ll person,” Gershenfeld said, “not just for having want to be at the McCallum for DRUMLine been on Star Trek, but for the role he’s taken Live, a staged show featuring music performed

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the tradition of historically black colleges.

“I grew up playing in marching bands, and I used to love watching Grambling,” Gershenfeld said, referencing the renowned college band.

For the last several years, Gershenfeld has touted a handful of shows as “Mitch’s Picks”—featuring under-the-radar performers for whom Gershenfeld will personally vouch.

The first of the half-dozen Mitch’s Picks for the upcoming season is Jake Shimabukuro, performing on Tuesday, Nov. 29.

“He’s a virtuoso of the ukulele,” Gershenfeld said. “I think people will really enjoy that.”

Up next is a former member of the Ten Tenors who always stood out: Daniel Belle will present a mix of pop, opera and Broadway in An Unexpected Song, on Friday, Jan. 20.

“He has the best voice I’ve ever heard in that group,” Gershenfeld said. “In fact, he has one of the most outstanding voices I’ve ever heard, period.”

Mitch’s other Picks: On Friday, Feb. 3, Michael Griffiths stars in the scripted musical Cole, during which the talented Australian performer will perform as the great Cole Porter; Simply Three features three amazing string players performing rock and pop hits on Wednesday, Feb. 15; the Mnozil Brass band mixes humor and technically brilliant music on Thursday, March 23; and Max Raabe and Palast Orchester re-create American and German standards from the 1920s and 1930s on Thursday, March 30.

Many other McCallum traditions are also back for another year, including the Fitz’s Jazz Café series, selected in part by local radio

John Cleese is slated to perform two shows at the McCallum on March 12.

great Jim “Fitz” Fitzgerald; the 15th season of Jeffrey Siegel’s Keyboard Conversations; a concert series by the Desert Symphony; the McCallum Theatre Institute’s Choreography Festival (Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 12 and 13); the Fifth Annual Family Fun Day, this year featuring The Underwater Bubble Show (Sunday, Oct. 23); and the fifth annual concert by the McCallum Theatre Concert Band, conducted by Gershenfeld himself (Sunday, March 26).

We could go on and on, but there’s pretty much something for everyone in the lineup.

The McCallum is currently wrapping up its most successful season ever, Gershenfeld said, and he’s excited to see how audiences respond to what lies in store over the next year.

“We have 21 or 22 performers who have never been here before,” he said. “That’s more than usual.”

Tickets for the McCallum Theatre’s 20162017 season are now on sale. Visit www. mccallumtheatre.com for details.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 19

MAY 2016

Harvey

MILK

Diversity Breakfast

Coachella Valley FRIDAY, MAY 20, 2016 | 9:30AM - 11AM NEW LOCATION! PS CONVENTION CENTER Honoring

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STUDENT TABLE SPONSORS

Corey Borey and Shann Carr, Grace Helen Spearman Foundation, Gelson’s, Tom Stansbury & Larry Fechter, Desert Business Association, The LGBT Center of the Desert, Steven Henke, Desert Gay Tourism Guild, Toucans Tiki Lounge, Sarah Millet, Reaction Marketing, Western Wind Foundation / Jeremy Hobbs STUDENT TICKET DONORS The Community Foundation, Hunters

Visit bit.ly/MILKPS or HarveyMilk.us for more information and tickets CVIndependent.com

20 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

the

FOOD & DRINK Join Fellow Coachella Valley Craft-Beer Aficionados on a Trip to San Diego for the Stone Belgian Fest WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

B

By Erin Peters

elgium is reportedly home to 195 breweries, 93 beer firms and five gueuzeries.

But you don’t need to visit Belgium to enjoy the country’s amazing beers.

The season of beer festivals is upon us in full force; the Coachella Valley may not be the home of as many festivals as our neighbors in Los Angeles or San Diego—but you can always make a day trip to one of those aforementioned cities.

That’s what I’ll be doing on Sunday, May 15.

Join us as we head out on the party bus from the Coachella Valley to Belgian Fest 2016, at Stone Brewery World Bistro and Gardens at Liberty Station in San Diego for a wonderful

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day of Belgian brews paired with delicious dishes. The bistro opened in May 2013 in Point Loma’s now-historic Naval Training Center.

More and more craft beer lovers have descended upon the desert, and a loyal group of us are planning a second annual trip down to Stone Brewery. Last June, we chartered a bus and took a trip down to Stone’s headquarters in Escondido for the Stone Sour Fest.

This year, prepare for dubbels, tripels, quadrupels, wits, saisons, lambics, gueuzes and Flanders-style red ales—all without taking a trip to Brussels.

A $125 ticket includes: • A round trip luxury bus tour; the motor

coach leaves from Coachella Valley Brewing Co. at 9 a.m.

• Breakfast at CVB before departing.

• A bottle share on the bus.

• Stone Belgian Fest admission.

• A commemorative glass.

• All tasters are on draft, and Belgianinspired food dishes at the event are included.

The second annual Stone Belgian Fest is held at the hip gastropub and brewery, which encompasses more than 23,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor dining and bars.

Food stations will be set up throughout the gardens. Enjoy Flemish carbonnade (with caramelized onions and beer-braised Belgian beef) or croquettes—with a thick, creamy beercheese filling! Don’t miss the dessert station, featuring apfelstrudel, Belgian chocolate raspberry truffle tarts and a waffle bar.

While Belgian beers may account for only 1 percent of all beer produced in the world, they have an unrivaled heritage and display some of the greatest diversity among the original beer styles.

A partial list of what will be poured at the festival: • Brasserie D’Achouffe La Chouffe, an outstanding Belgian pale ale with notes of Belgian yeast, caramel and brown sugar.

• Cascade Brewing Barrel House Kriek Ale, a gold-medal-award-winning barrel-aged and sour beer from Portland, Ore. This “Belgian Flanders Style Red Ale” is re-fermented with a blend of fresh whole Northwest cherries and then hand-bottled.

• Dogfish Head/Victory/Stone Saison du BUFF, a collaboration between the three award-winning breweries. Sam from Dogfish, Greg from Stone and Bill from Victory joined forces to create the Brewers United for Freedom of Flavor (BUFF). The saison is brewed with parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme—with the same recipe at each brewery.

The 2016 release will be from Stone.

• Epic Brainless on Peaches. Utah’s Epic took the award-winning Brainless Belgian, added organic peach puree, and aged it in French chardonnay casks from Sawtooth Winery. This is delicious and perfect in warm weather.

• Mikkeller / To Øl Juicebag Barrel Aged Grand Marnier—a collaboration and a treat.

To Øl is a gypsy brewery out of Denmark, while Mikkeller’s Mikkel Botg Bjergso is one of the most innovative and cutting-edge brewers in the world. Find notes of chocolate, apricots, sour raisins and red berries.

• Off Color Brewing Apex Predator, an outstanding farmhouse ale with a solid aroma of banana, melon and lemons.

• Sierra Nevada Ovila Quad With Cherries: Think clove, banana, cherries, vanilla, bubblegum, fig and brown-sugar complexity— done beautifully.

• Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale: What can I say … this one goes to 11! This 9.4 percent alcohol by volume ale is brewed with Anaheim chiles from New Mexico’s Hatch Valley, plus whole cinnamon sticks.

• The Bruery Tart of Darkness is a sour stout aged in used oak barrels that previously housed Bruery beers such as Sucré or Black Tuesday. “Sour stout” may sound weird, but it’s nothing short of amazing: It starts like a tart wild ale and finishes like a dark roasted stout, with gorgeous complexity in between.

• The Lost Abbey Cuvee de Tomme, an 11 percent ABV American wild ale aged in bourbon oak barrels with sour cherries for one year, giving it layers of vanilla and sourness.

This is a big beer; pair with one of the dessert dishes.

To reserve your ticket on the bus, contact Gary Grotsky at garygrotsky@aol.com.

This isn’t a typical beer festival—this is a festival for beer geeks. This is a festival for foodies. This is a festival for Belgian-beer lovers. Enjoy it with your fellow Coachella Valley craft-beer drinkers!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

MAY 2016

FREsh gRound . handcRaFtEd

the

FOOD & DRINK

INDY ENDORSEMENT

This Month’s Yumminess: Chicken and Waffle on a Stick … and Drinking Vinegar!

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle WHAT The Chicken and Waffle on a Stick WHERE Frankinbun, 540 S. Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $9.95 CONTACT 760-318-4841; www.frankinbun.com WHY It’s a tasty and unique take on a classic.

Sausage. Is it possible for a non-vegetarian to not like at least some forms of ground, seasoned meat? I dare say: It is not. Or at least, in a logical world, it shouldn’t be possible.

These musings bring us to our recent visit to Frankinbun, a new Palm Springs restaurant that focuses on sausage—specifically, sausage in tubular form, presented in a variety of ways.

Frankinbun has hot dogs, of course— delicious dogs offered in ways both expected (a chili-cheese dog; a newly added Chicago dog that looks amazing) and unusual ’round these parts (the “currywurst,” a cut-up kielbasa smothered in curry sauce, with a chutney offered on the side). The restaurant also offers a variety of weenies such as hot Italian sausage, bratwurst, linguica, tri-pepper pork and even a vegan option, made with mushrooms and blackeyed peas. Yum. However, the sausage that really caught our attention at this little eatery with the cool patio and the impressive selection of bottled drinks was, paradoxically, the most familiar and the most creative: The chicken and waffle on a stick.

The chicken here is actually a Bavarian apple-cinnamon chicken sausage, wrapped in a Belgian-waffle coating; the two dogs are baked, not fried, and served with real maple syrup. Yum. I did have one minor issue with my lunch: It was not exactly filling. The hubby enjoyed the aforementioned currywurst ($7.95), and we split a tornado potato (a spiral-cut potato fried and then topped with a choice of seasoning, $2.95)—and after spending more than $25 (with tax and tip included), we both left wanting more. Yeah, we can be big eaters at times, but I have a feeling others will leave Frankinbun feeling similarly un-full.

That bit of gluttony aside, I’ll be returning to Frankinbun quite soon.

Because, y’know … sausage.

Mmmm.

WHAT Black Pepper Pok Pok Som Drinking Vinegar WHERE Dead or Alive, 150 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $4 CONTACT 760-864-7193; www.deadoralivebar.com WHY It’s an equally attractive nonalcoholic beverage.

Back when I was in college, the university had a policy: Any group that threw a party on campus with alcohol also had to offer EANABs— equally attractive non-alcoholic beverages—for attendees who were eschewing booze.

However, this policy was a joke: The EANABs at parties were almost always terrible—a couple cans of Diet Coke, perhaps, or maybe a halfflat two-liter bottle of Sprite off in the corner somewhere. These lame beverages were certainly not equally attractive to anything, in any way.

EANABs have been on my mind as of late, because the hubby recently quit drinking. (He was never much of a drinker in the first place.

He just doesn’t care for it.) Therefore, in recent months, we’ve learned that most bars and restaurants are horribly uncreative when it comes to non-alcoholic beverages.

That’s why the Pok Pok Som Drinking Vinegar offered at Dead or Alive, the fantastic new wine and beer bar across the street from Mr. Lyons on Palm Canyon Drive, is so refreshing—in several different ways.

It’s refreshing because it’s a perfect warmweather beverage. Many of you are reading this and thinking, “WTF is drinking vinegar?!” The answer: It’s a tart, sweet, nuanced beverage that in no way tastes like the stuff one would use to make salad dressing. Dead or Alive offers several different flavors in rotation, including Meyer lemon, grapefruit and passion fruit. However, my favorite is the black pepper: You don’t really taste all that much pepper, but you feel a pleasing, subtle burn on the back of your tongue.

It’s also refreshing because it’s truly an EANAB. Hooray to Dead or Alive (full disclosure—co-owner Christine Soto is a contributor to the Independent) for offering nondrinkers an equally attractive beverage. Here’s hoping other bars and restaurants follow suit.

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22 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

FOOD & DRINK

WELL RED

Meet Andre de Carteret, the Man Behind Spencer’s Award-Winning Wine List

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By christine soto

A

ndre de Carteret is the wine and spirits manager at Spencer’s Restaurant, home to one of the most expansive wine lists in the desert.

With 1,052 wines on the list, the Palm Springs restaurant is a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner. While the list has an emphasis on California cabernet and chardonnay (the “bread and butter,” as de Carteret puts it), every major wine-growing region is represented—and there are wines in the cellar that aren’t even on the list “I’m always looking for room,” says de Carteret.

De Carteret hails from Guernsey, one of the Channel Islands, under the authority of the British crown. At 16, he joined the British Armed Forces and trained in mountain and arctic warfare.

From there, he taught and skied professionally—a career which brought him to the United States in 1982. He also worked in

restaurants during his ski-racing career, and later started working in restaurants full-time.

Before Spencer’s, he worked at restaurants in Reno, Lake Tahoe and elsewhere in the Coachella Valley, including La Spiga, Morgan’s in the Desert at the La Quinta Resort, and Fleming’s.

We sipped My Essential Rosé while we talked Spencer’s, wine, pairings and desert living.

When did you first become interested in wine?

Late in the 1980s, I was teaching skiing in Courchevel, France. I had a very, very, wealthy clientele who had incredible collections of Burgundy and Bordeaux. One of my clients would come back one week every month to ski with me, and we’d go to restaurants every night, and when he walked in, it seemed like everybody bowed down to him. He would buy all these incredible wines, and I started tasting them, and I would think, “Wow.” … In the ’80s, it was basically white, red and pink in restaurants. If you had six wines by the glass, that was a huge list. During that time, I drank all these incredible wines that I would never, ever, ever otherwise have a chance to touch: Hermitage, Romanée-Conti—you name it.

That was my introduction.

What was your first wine love?

Burgundy.

What brought you to the desert?

I was a big tennis fan; I used to come for the tennis tournament. In 2007, I wanted a change, so I decided to move to Palm Springs.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

I get a kick out of turning people on to something they may never have tried. When somebody comes back and says, “I remember you. You sold us a bottle of wine; it was amazing! What else do you have?” I get a kick out of that. I also like it when people come back for different vintages of the same wines; we have a lot of customers like that. (I also like) showing people the gems on the list, the good-value wine.

What wines are you loving on your list right now?

My favorite wines probably at the moment, and some of the best values, are the interesting reds: Paso Robles, Central Coast, Santa Ynez, Santa Barbara. Some phenomenal values come out of that area. There is great value if you want to experiment with different varietals.

What are you drinking now?

Beer (laughs). Right now, I’m drinking A Tribute to Grace Grenache. Lovely. I also love

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Andre de Carteret

the Gruet Sparkling Rosé, which we serve by the glass.

Your desert island wine?

Russian River pinot, probably Merry Edwards Pinot Noir. I like the Merry Edwards a lot.

Favorite Pairing?

I have so many favorite pairings: Sauternes and foie gras. Port and California artisanal cheese. Zinfandel and chocolate. Oysters and sauvignon blanc. Champagne and anything.

Your favorite wine book?

Windows on the World. That was probably the first wine book I picked up. And my go-to is The Wine Bible.

What’s your favorite thing about living in the desert?

The hot weather in August (laughs). No, really, I think it has to be the weather—and a location close to the beach when it gets hot here.

Palm Springs native Christine Soto is a co-owner of Dead or Alive wine bar in Palm Springs. She can be reached at christine.soto@gmail.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23

MAY 2016

FAT IS NOT WHERE IT’S AT!

By Shonda Chase, RN Co-owner and aesthetic director of Revive Wellness Centers Palm Springs and the South Bay area of Los Angeles

Last month, we revealed how NeoGraft can permanently restore thinning hair without a scar. This month, we’re going share the secret of the new SculpSure medical device, and how it can permanently eliminate unwanted fat without surgery, pain or downtime—in less than 30 minutes per area.

The title begins the SculpSure story. The pictures show the end of the story. The next three paragraphs tell the middle of the story.

We have the same number of fat cells as an adult as we were born with. Genetics dictate the number and placement of our fat cells. Our lifestyle dictates the size of our fat cells. Are you active but frustrated that your stubborn fat is still there? It’s not your fault—you can legitimately blame your relatives from previous generations.

Medical devices can make the difference, because fat cells can’t survive cold or heat. CoolSculpting freezes fat cells to death, but the potential downsides are uncomfortable and long treatment times (one to two hours per area), long recovery times (3-12 months), potential nerve damage and uneven results.

SculpSure’s approach kills fat cells with laser heat. This approach is better in every way. SculpSure treatments are safer and quicker (only 25-minute treatments per area); there’s no discomfort, downtime or recovery time; and they’re equally effective for men and women. SculpSure can safely treat every area of unwanted fat you might have.

Next month, we’re going to share secrets about Revive’s new FDA study that provides feminine rejuvenation without surgery, discomfort or downtime.

And men: You’re next up to bat to benefit from this breakthrough technology. Until then, Before and after SculpSure results keep the secret. for flanks and abs.

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Read the entire article at www.revivecenter.com/blog.

Email your individual appearance and aging questions to Ms. Chase at Shonda@revivecenter.com.

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24 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

FOOD & DRINK fast food CAN be healthy!

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By Jimmy Boegle NEW: ELIXIR AT THE V PALM SPRINGS HOTEL Could Palm Springs be entering an era when hotel-pool restaurants are all the rage with locals?

Given the wild success of Reservoir at the Arrive Hotel, at 1551 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, it’s possible—especially if the new restaurants at the V Palm Springs live up to their potential.

The V Palm Springs, located at 333 E. Palm Canyon Drive, is not quite finished yet; about half of the former Curve hotel opened just before April’s big music festivals, with the rest of the rooms slated to open later this year.

As for the food: The V’s owners enlisted the help of the New York-based Blank Slate Group to develop the restaurant concepts. Keep your fingers crossed that Solstice, the V’s signature restaurant, will be open late this summer (i.e., September or so). Press materials say Solstice “will be a desert-inspired, simple, modern American restaurant and cocktail lounge, serving creative farmto-table fare with a commitment to the freshest locally sourced ingredients,” during breakfast, lunch and dinner. Slated for the menu are dishes including “roasted bass with preserved blood orange, fiddleheads, spring peas and lemon balm,” and “grilled skirt steak with cilantro spaetzle, black garlic puree, crispy shiitake and mache.”

You don’t have to wait to check out Elixir Pool Bar and Grill, which opened in mid-April. “Asianfusion BBQ fare” is the emphasis here, with dishes including a green curry guacamole for starters, and entrées including fried rice noodles with sautéed vegetables.

During a preview event at the V, I was able to taste a couple of the V’s signature cocktails. I especially enjoyed the Cucumber Crush, with citrus-infused vodka, cucumber juice, lime, Velvet Falernum and pineapple.

Brian Kabateck, one of the attorneys who owns the V, told me he does not want the V to just be enjoyed by visitors.

“The local community is very important to us,” he said.

Get more information at vpalmsprings.com.

UNITED WAY OF THE DESERT’S ANNUAL GALA THIS YEAR IS ‘SHAKEN, NOT STIRRED’ Like martinis? Want to help out a fine cause? Have an extra $275 sitting around?

If your answer to all of those questions is, “Why, sure!” you’ll want to get your tickets for “Shaken, Not Stirred,” the 2016 edition of the annual gala put on by the United Way of the Desert.

It takes place at 6 p.m., Friday, May 6, at the Ritz-Carlton, Rancho Mirage, at 68900 Frank Sinatra Drive. Your $275 will get you live music, dancing, entertainment—and, of course, signature martinis!

For more details, call 760-323-2731, or visit www.unitedwayofthedesert.org.

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IN BRIEF The Funkey family—the people behind Giuseppe’s, Bar and Smoke Tree BBQ, all located in Palm Springs—have opened a second Smoke Tree BBQ location in Palm Desert, at 73850 Highway 111.

Get smoked pork baby-back ribs, Angus choice brisket and other yummy food, plus cocktails, daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; smoketreebbq.com. … Chad Gardner, the owner of Dash and a Handful catering and Pho 533, has announced plans to open a new restaurant at the Andaz Palm Springs, 400 N. Palm Canyon Drive, when it opens in 2017. Fez Modern Moroccan will emphasize Moroccan fare, obviously, as well as vegan and vegetarian delights. Keep up to date at www.facebook.com/ fezmodernmoroccan. ... We were zooming down the road through Rancho Mirage the other day when we noticed a sign announcing that Fisherman’s Crab Restaurant would soon be taking over the old Crab Pot location at 70030 Highway 111. That’s all we know for now; watch this space for more information. … Coming soon to the Henry Frank Gallery at 276 N. Palm Canyon Drive: Tipper’s Gourmet Marketplace. From the Facebook page: “Tipper’s Gourmet Marketplace is poised to be the No. 1 destination when it comes to quality grab-and-go-prepared foods in Palm Springs. The store will be an international market and deli that will feature a signature rotisserie chicken. In addition to the chicken, the store will offer prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner items as well as specialty food items and gifts from around the world.” Watch www.tippersgourmetmarketplace.com for updates. …

Downtown Palm Springs’ La Plaza will soon be the home of Grand Central Palm Springs. Restaurant veteran Aaron Rogers is the general manager, and the restaurant’s website says Grand Central will have a full bar and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Expect the fare to be “American contemporary, a mix of updated classics and comfort foods” using locally sourced, sustainable ingredients where possible. Visit www.grandcentralpalmsprings.com for more information.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 25

MAY 2016

27 27 29 29

Kal David Finds a Home at Oscar’s—When He’s Not Touring the World, That Is THE BLUESKYE REPORT: LUDACRIS, Lynyrd Skynyrd—AND MR. MICHAEL BOLTON! THE LUCKY 13: MEET DANIEL PERRY, THE FLUSTERS' NEW DRUMMER THE LUCKY 13: GET TO KNOW MONREAUX'S CHRIS DUB

www.cvindependent.com/music

TACHEVAH? CHECK! COACHELLA? CHECK! Brightener’s Will Sturgeon Is Flying High

26

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26 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

MAY 2016

MUSIC

HE'S GOTTA WEAR SHADES

Brightener’s Will Sturgeon Is Flying High After Playing Coachella, Making the Tachevah Finals

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye

U

ntil recently, brightener was flying under the radar in the Coachella Valley music scene.

Then brightener advanced to the finals of The Desert Sun’s Tachevah competition. And then the group was added to the first-weekend lineup of Coachella.

Add in the fact that a new album in the works, and brightener’s Will Sturgeon is definitely on the rise.

During a recent interview, Sturgeon discussed how he came up with the band’s name.

“I had been putting out a bunch of solo stuff for years on the Internet, and there was a period of time when I had an active YouTube following from all over the world,” he said. “At one point, I released a solo record under my name, and some Turkish fans commented on my page and said they called me brightener, because I brightened their day. I kind of liked that, and it meant something to me. So I just went with it.

“It’s kind of a solo project, but right now, I have a band that’s solid. The writing and recording is generally my thing, and I wanted to have a name that could kind of evolve and (be) a band. I didn’t want it to just be about me.

It allows me a lot of creative freedom.”

While Sturgeon has that band of musicians backing him now, he recorded his previous record, Hummingbird, almost entirely on his own, playing every instrument.

“When I was a teenager, I had a Mac, and I had GarageBand; I started writing songs, and I would layer instruments on top,” he said. “I’ve been playing piano for years, and I picked up guitar and drums in middle school jazz band.

So I know how to do it all, and I really like the process of arranging and recording. I’ve been doing that for almost 10 years.

“Hummingbird was more normal. I went to a studio and worked with a mixing engineer, but it was very small process, because only two people were involved (along with) a couple of friends of mine. … It took me so long, because when you work by yourself, you work on your own schedule. When you work with one other person, it takes forever. That record, from the beginning to recording to the release, (took) almost two years, which drove me crazy, because the songs were four years old at that point, anyway.”

In May, Sturgeon will release a new record.

“I went back to my roots. They’re recordings that I feel are authentic and fresh to me, as opposed to the other album, which was a bit more stale because of the process,” he said. “…

I really want to get to a point where conception of the song, recording of the song and release of the song is as fast as it possibly can be.

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That’s partially in response to the last record.”

One of brightener’s former members is Nick Hernandez, who at one time was the frontman of CIVX. Sturgeon said Hernandez has remained supportive and even helped Sturgeon put his current band together.

“Nick is currently starting a new music project, and he was really busy with work. He left the band after we played the 111 Music Festival. He was really great and hooked us up with our drummer, who lives in Pasadena and who comes out here whenever he can to rehearse,” Sturgeon said. “We got our bassist from our drummer, and it feels like a family now.

“It’s hard to keep a band together for brightener, because in Los Angeles, where I was living for a while, all the friends I had there were professional musicians. I’d have them play with me, but because they were professional musicians, they needed to get paid; they brightener

couldn’t do my thing exclusively. After coming out here … this is the city of events, where we get hired for events, and we get paid, which is incredible. That’s an income source I never had. I can pay these guys in the band, which is really nice, but they don’t do it for money, which is even better. But I want them to know they’re appreciated, and we split whatever we can.”

Sturgeon explained that his writing happens in spurts.

“I need the time to write, and I go through waves of being really busy or not too busy,” he said. “It’s hard because right now, I don’t have a full-time day job. That’s actually how I wrote this past record coming up, because I had a job that supported me, and I didn’t need to do all these crazy things for money. It just goes in phases, and right now, I’m super busy.”

As for advancing to the finals of Tachevah— on Wednesday, May 18, at The Date Shed— Sturgeon said it was surprising that the band advanced, although the process to get there was a little bit … well, annoying.

“I’ve been in the desert for the past Tachevahs and didn’t have an active band,” he said. “I didn’t really want to throw my name in the hat, because the first step is annoying all your friends online to vote for you, which I don’t like to do unless it’s something you really should do. This year felt like the right time, and I was very surprised that we made it into the Top 10. … Tachevah has been very good to us so far, and we advanced to the semifinals at

Pappy and Harriet’s. I got to be onstage with people I loved, and that was super-sweet and legitimizing, in a sense.”

Sturgeon has played a role in another up-and-coming local group: He is producing The Flusters’ upcoming EP. During a recent visit with Doug Van Sant, frontman of The Flusters, he played me a track from the EP and praised Sturgeon’s abilities to help the band members rewrite or add to their material.

Sturgeon said it’s been great to work with The Flusters.

“Given I do all my own arrangements, I’m my own producer,” Sturgeon said. “Producing another band has always been a dream and a goal of mine. This is the first project for me to start with, because they’re really guitar-based surf rock, and I was in a surf-rock band in college. I understand what they really want, and I think we got some really good takes in the studio. … Doug was looking for another outside perspective, because they’ve been living for the songs for so long, and I know what that’s like. I care a lot about songwriting, and I spent about a month with them in their rehearsals, and if I had a suggestion, I’d throw it out there. A lot of the songs have become more concise, I’d say. That was the goal. It all sounds so colorful, and it’s been really awesome.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ brightenermusic.

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MAY 2016

MUSIC

The Blueskye REPORT

BLUES BROTHER

May 2016

By Brian Blueskye

Kal David Finds a Home at Oscar’s— When He’s Not Touring the World, That Is

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye

K

al David is a white guy from the South Side of Chicago—but, man, can he play the blues.

Kal—aka David Raskin—appears at Oscar’s Café and Bar with the Kal David Trio on Monday evenings from 6 to 9 p.m. for “Blues and BBQ” when he’s not off touring the world. He also plays regularly at the Purple Room.

One interesting fact about Kal David: He played in a band called Kal David and the Exceptions, which included Peter Cetera, who went on to join the band Chicago, and Marty Grebb, who went on to join The Buckinghams.

“Peter was in my band and was my bass-player, and I like to kid around and say I taught him everything he knew,” Kal David said during a recent interview. “He came to me fully skilled, and we were just kids. I was just out of high school, and he was still in high school. I, of course, was alongside him through his career, and I remember when he was invited into that band, which was called The Big Thing and eventually became Chicago. They didn’t have a bassplayer, and after Peter and Terry Kath buried the hatchet, given they didn’t get along, Peter came into the band, and he was great.

“When Terry passed away, I did call them and offer my services, as did a number of people who were considered for the position, but they went for a longhaired younger guy named Donnie Dacus at the time. They did what they did, and that’s great.”

David has had a successful career on his own, and has collaborated with a number of largerthan-life musicians.

“I have performed several times with B.B. King, and I could say that he was my first idol,” David said. “I looked at that man playing guitar standing in front of a band, and I said, ‘I want to do that when I grow up.’ Meeting him was spiritual, and no one has a bad thing to say about Mr. King. He was IT as far as I’m concerned.

“I shared the stage many times with Stevie Wonder, opening for him, and (we also had) a few jam sessions. He was one of my first idols, and I still revere him. It’s as if the hand of God came down, pointed at him, and said, ‘You!’ I admire many of the guys I’ve played with, too, and I’ve had the privilege of playing with guys who have gone on to do other great things.”

When I asked David which of his records was his favorite, he asked me if I had kids, and implied that choosing a favorite album would be like choosing a favorite child. However, he then talked about the experience of making his latest album, Living the Dream, with his partner, Lori Bono.

“We found ourselves in Germany, and we were offered the chance to go into the studio,” he said. “This was all with German musicians, and I called my drummer in New York and asked if he could join us in Germany. He came over and did the record with us. It was a great experience, and I told the studio owner, who is also an organ-player and the engineer, that it was the best experience we ever had in a studio. … Anytime anything was getting tense at all or people were questioning what was going on, the owner would invite us upstairs to eat. There’d be 14 of us taking in a meal.”

David is loyal to Gibson guitars and always plays his sunburst Gibson Firebird onstage.

“I’ve played a Gibson Firebird since the ’60s,” David said. “Eric Clapton was a Gibson guy for many years, and when I first saw him, was playing a Gibson SG. Then he became a Fender guy, for some reason. I can see why, because those Fenders stay in tune: You can throw them down the stairs, and they’ll still be in tune. I actually own a Fender Telecaster, but I can’t seem to get away from my Firebird. I saw Brian Jones from the Rolling Stones playing one, and I saw one in a store, and the guy told me to try it out, and there’s nothing like it. It’s my sound.”

After living in Los Angeles for many years, David said that he and Lori Bono were attracted to the Palm Springs area for the same reason that many others are.

“I discovered Palm Springs because of the weather,” he said. “I used to come out here whenever I could just to take a couple of days off from the crazy Los Angeles scene. I came out here with Lori one time, and we actually had four days to spend in Palm Springs in a row, and it was like a big deal. I had the chance

to look around at some real estate, and I said to Lori, ‘You think we could make it out here?’

After we moved here, I was commuting back and forth to Los Angeles, sometimes twice a week. But I did eventually find work out here, and it’s cool. It’s very cool.

“I didn’t know what to make of it at first.

Usually, my band is Lori and me and two other guys. I have a pretty good Rolodex of great players I work with, and now I have a more steady band, which is called The Real Deal. I got called to play this gig (at Oscar’s), and it didn’t feel like it was going to be a suitable place for me, Lori and a band. We like to make a certain amount of money, and this was on Monday, and I quoted them a price for my trio, and they went for it. I discovered that just playing with the trio and without Lori, I could do any tune I could think of, or even take requests. I really enjoy the casualness and the looseness of playing here—it’s like a jam with my guys, the Kal David Trio.”

For more information on Kal David, visit www. kaldavid.com.

Kal David

Ludacris

May means the big festivals are behind us, and traffic is starting to ease. Unfortunately, May also usually means a drop in entertainment offerings at our local venues. This month is indeed a little slow, although there are still some great events going down.

The McCallum Theatre will host a few shows before signing off until the fall. At 3 p.m., Sunday, May 8, An Afternoon at the Popera is a presentation by the Coachella Valley Symphony and the California Desert Chorale featuring selections by artists from Bublé to Bizet. Sounds like a great local event! Tickets are $27 to $67. At 4 p.m., Sunday, May 15, the McCallum will close out the season with a performance by the All Coachella Valley High School Honor Band.

You’ll get to hear a selection of music picked by guest conductor H. Robert Reynolds, of the University of Southern California’s Thornton School of Music, performed by 70 talented high school students from throughout the Coachella Valley. Tickets are $12. See you in the fall, McCallum! McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has several of events worth mentioning. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 14, the man with hoes in different area codes, Ludacris, will be stopping by. While he may have three Grammy Awards, Ludacris has managed to piss off a lot of people on his way to the top, thanks to his explicit content. He also earned the scorn of Bill O’Reilly! Tickets are $39 to $79. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 28, Mexican pop-rock group Camila will take the stage. Mexico has a lot of great rock bands, and Camila is one of Latin music’s biggest success stories, with more than 2 million records sold. What do Camila continued on next page

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The Blueskye REPORT continued from Page 27

and Ludacris have in common? They both have three Grammy Awards! Tickets are $39 to $79. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

The good news: Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has a great schedule for May. The bad news: Two of the best shows, featuring comedian Gabriel Iglesias and Jackson Browne, are sold out. However, as of our press deadline, there were will tickets left for Lynyrd Skynyrd; the Southern rock legends are performing at 9 p.m., Friday, May 20. That’s right: Get ready to scream “Free Bird!” all you want, and be sure to hold your Bic lighter in the air when the band plays it … at the end of the show, of course.

Tickets are $86 to $126. The Show at Agua

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Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. hotwatercasino.com.

Spotlight 29 is hosting two big names in May. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 7, get ready to croon with Michael Bolton. Every housewife went crazy for Bolton in the 1980s and jettisoned him to success. Just in time for Mother’s Day … I guess this is something to which you can take your mom. Tickets are $55 to $85. At 8 p.m., Friday, May 27, Ziggy Marley will be performing. He started out with the Melody Makers in 1979 when he was only 11 years old, and performed with them until 2002, when he decided to go solo. Tickets are $46 to $76. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www. spotlight29.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace was the place to be in April thanks to all of the events in the orbit of Coachella. While the month of May represents a bit of a slowdown, Pappy’s is still hosting some great shows. At 9 p.m., Friday, May 6, punk-band the Bronx will be bringing alter-ego project Mariachi El Bronx to Pappy’s. When you listen to the Bronx, it’s hard to believe that these same people can turn around and perform mariachi music—but they do both quite well. Their brand of mariachi includes both humorous songs and works that may just bring a tear to your eye. Tickers are $15. At 8 p.m., Saturday, May 7, Four Tet will take the stage. Four Tet is an electronica musician who has written jazzy and folk-sounding tunes, while also remixing songs by Thom Yorke of Radiohead, Aphex Twin, Explosions in the Sky and many others. Tickets are $25. At 9 p.m., Saturday, May 14, soul singer Charles Bradley will be performing. Bradley has sort of an odd story: He spent many years as a James Brown impersonator while holding down various

Mariachi El Bronx

jobs (he was a cook, for example) and playing small shows. In 2011, well into his 60s, he released his first album, No Time for Dreaming.

Shortly thereafter, he was the subject of a documentary called Soul of America, which told his story. Now late in his life, he’s become a smash success. Last year at Coachella, he brought the house down on the Main Stage, performing a spectacular set. Tickets are $22.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www.pappyandharriets.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

MAY 2016

MUSIC

the

LUCKY 13

Meet the Newest Member of The Flusters and Monreaux’s Mighty Bassist WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye NAME Daniel Perry GROUP The Flusters MORE INFO Daniel Perry is the newest member of the reigning Best of Coachella Valley Best Local Band. The drummer also played briefly in Sunday Funeral and The Purple Gang. Congrats to The Flusters for making Coachella’s Weekend 2 Lineup! Visit www.theflusters.com.

What was the first concert you attended?

Rush, in Las Vegas back in 2008.

What was the first album you owned?

Take off Your Pants and Jacket, Blink-182.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Palisades, Big Sean, Childish Gambino, Maroon 5.

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

Trap.

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

Hamilton on Broadway.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Video-game soundtracks.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The House of Blues in San Diego.

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

“So it’s gonna be forever, or it’s gonna go down in flames. You can tell me when it’s over, if the high was worth the pain,” “Blank Space,” Taylor Swift.

What band or artist changed your life?

Travis Barker, after reading his autobiography Can I Say. It helped me get my musical life back on track.

You have one question to ask one musician.

What’s the question, and who are you asking?

I would ask Matt Sorum: “What’s the key?”

NAME Chris Dub GROUP Monreaux MORE INFO Chris Dub has a mighty bass sound that makes him one of the valley’s standouts.

Monreaux is one of the finalists in the CV Music Showcase; the band will compete at the Hard Rock Hotel at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 7. Visit www.facebook.com/monreauxmusic.

What was the first concert you attended?

311 at the Hollywood Bowl.

What was the first album you owned?

I’m pretty sure it was an Eminem album.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Queens of the Stone Age, Incubus, Pennywise, the Descendents, Agent Orange, Kyuss, Krum Bums, Rancid, Deftones, Black Flag, Anti-Flag, D.R.I., The Hives, Millencolin, The Unseen, Transplants, Suicidal Tendencies, Wiz Khalifa, Tribal Seeds and so many more.

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

Music speaks all styles of music. I love it all.

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

I would love to see Rage Against the Machine.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Singing along to country songs while driving.

What’s your favorite music venue?

Locally, The Hood. Out of town, the Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Chula Vista.

Monreaux

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

So many that I can’t think of one, ha ha!

What band or artist changed your life?

A lot of music changed my life. The players would be like P-Nut, the bass player from 311; Marcus Miller; Victor Wooten; Matt Freeman; Robert Trujillo; and probably a thousand more.

You have one question to ask one musician.

What’s the question, and who are you asking?

The man with the master plan, who would be the drummer: “Hey, bro, you want to take a shot before we go on?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

Tribal Seeds, “Beautiful Mysterious.”

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

Pennywise, Full Circle.

What should everyone listen to right now?

Monreaux, “Blow Me Away.”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen.

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

Truth in Sincerity, Amber Pacific.

What should everyone listen to right now?

Pierce the Veil’s cover of “Just the Way You Are,” which is originally by Bruno Mars.

MAKE PLANS NOW FOR THESE SIGNATURE PALM SPRINGS EVENTS: May 20 Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast @ PS Convention Center June 1 3rd Annual Queen of the Desert benefiting Desert Aids Project June 10-12 LA Pride 2016 June 21-27 Palm Springs International Short Fest July 15-17 San Diego Pride Sept. 22-25 Cinema Diverse Film Festival Oct. 21-23 Modernism Week “Fall Preview” Oct. 27-30 Palm Springs Leather Pride Oct. 28 Center Stage benefiting The Center Nov. 4-6 Palm Springs Pride (OUT PSP Kickoff Nov 4 )

GayDesertGuide.com

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MAY 2016

CANNABIS IN THE CV

POLITICS AND POT

What Do the Various Presidential Candidates Think About Weed?

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

BY SEAN PLANCK

B

oy, this has been an ugly election cycle. The candidates and their supporters have been dragging some pretty dark parts of our society into the spotlight, and it has not been pretty.

But there is at least one shining green light to be seen: Both parties appear ready to be getting ready to accept cannabis into our “legitimate” society in one form or another—although there are still some fairly stark differences in their stances.

So, with the California primary coming up in June, let’s look at where the remaining presidential candidates stand on cannabis.

The Red Team A Republican administration is generally viewed as a setback to the legalization movement. But even the Red Team is getting on board with a wider acceptance of cannabis.

GOP front-runner Donald Trump is typically vague regarding marijuana, and has changed his publicly stated views on legalization several times over the years. In 1990, he said that all drugs should be legalized and regulated to end

the failed War on Drugs. Now that he’s the GOP Golden Boy (Orange Boy?), he’s hedging his bets regarding legalization for recreational use. In a recent interview with Bill O’Reilly, when pressed on the issue, the closest Trump would come to supporting legalization was to say that “there are some good things about” it.

However, Trump did not hesitate to assert his complete support of medical marijuana.

Running a distant second in the GOP race is

The Pizza Pipe. Courtesy of Nikolas Gregory

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz. At the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference, Cruz said he was opposed to legalization for adult recreational use. But earlier this year, he said he would not roll back the laws enacted in Colorado and Washington, so he appears to be softening a little on the topic. He told radio talk-show host Hugh Hewitt: “When it comes to a question of legalizing marijuana, I don’t support legalizing marijuana. If it were on the ballot in the state of Texas, I would vote no. But I also believe that’s a legitimate question for the states to make a determination. And the citizens of Colorado and Washington state have come to a different conclusion.” Cruz also says states should regulate medicinal use without federal interference: “I think it is appropriate for the federal government to recognize that the citizens of those states have made that decision.”

The GOP’s longest lasting also-ran, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, has been completely opposed to cannabis, even for medical use.

But he appears to be loosening up a little.

While still generally opposed to legalizing marijuana for recreational use, he said at a town hall in Hollis, N.H., “Medical marijuana, I think we can look at it.” Kasich, who has admitted using marijuana himself several times, recently discussed the topic on The Late Show With Stephen Colbert. While he opposes incarceration in favor of treatment for drugabusers across the board, he explained his opposition to legalization thusly: “The problem with marijuana is this: We don’t want to tell our kids, ‘Don’t do drugs, but by the way, this drug’s OK.’” Colbert fired back with a wry: “Isn’t that what alcohol is?”

The Blue Team A Democratic White House is the great green hope for the legalization movement, with Bernie Sanders being wholly in favor of a complete end to the War on Drugs, and Hillary Clinton now stating 100 percent support for medical cannabis.

Clinton’s position is in an evolutionary phase. In 2011, she opposed complete legalization in favor of decriminalizing the possession of small amounts of marijuana.

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But on March 24, she told Jimmy Kimmel: “I think what the states are doing right now needs to be supported, and I absolutely support all the states that are moving toward medical marijuana, moving toward— absolutely—legalizing it for recreational use.”

She continued: “Let’s take it off … Schedule I and put it on a lower schedule so that we can actually do research about it.”

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is the only candidate to receive an “A” rating from the Marijuana Policy Project. Sanders has long expressed support for allowing states to make decisions regarding cannabis legalization, even going so far as to say that he, personally, would vote in favor of legalization in his state. On a national level, he staunchly supports marijuana decriminalization and medicinal use.

While other issues in the election cycle are causing wide rifts, it appears that marijuana’s time has come at last. It’s a new day for cannabis, America!

In Other News • With California barreling toward expected legalization, the county of Los Angeles is giving itself a time-out, of sorts, to figure out how to handle cultivation in unincorporated areas. The county has banned dispensaries from operating on county land since 2011, and has temporarily banned all cultivation—even by patients.

The current ban is in place for 45 days to let the county assess the best way to approach cultivation, including environmental impacts and possible criminal activity. Coupled with the long-standing ban on dispensaries, the ban leaves few options for patient access. The ban can be extended for a year if deemed necessary by the county Board of Supervisors.

• On the lighter side, pizza-delivery app Push for Pizza has teamed with Nikolas Gregory Studio in Queens, N.Y., to produce a pizza box than can be used to make a pot pipe. The brain-child of 25-year-old Nikolas Gregory, the box features a perforated cutout that serves as the body of the pipe. And, y’know that miniature plastic table thing that supports the middle of the box? Well, they’re making it a ceramic bowl that slides into the cardboard body from the box top.

Genius!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 31

MAY 2016

COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

Across 1 Hoover, e.g.

4 He came back for a Big Holiday in 2016 10 Participates in an auction 14 Roswell craft 15 ___-Lorraine (area in northeast France) 16 A Streetcar Named Desire director Kazan 17 ___ de mer 18 Veteran Marine, in slang 20 Cold one 22 Corleone patriarch 23 A year in Paris 24 Lawsuit 26 Pair with a lot of pull?

27 Spherical treat that comes from a toroid 32 Bowler’s place 33 Hockey Hall of Famer Cam 34 Kal Penn’s co-star John 37 Hitchcock title word 38 ___ au poivre 39 The Grapes of Wrath family name

40 Neither’s partner 41 Graphics program included with Windows 1.0 42 Carried, as by the wind 43 Sprays some sticky stuff as a prank 45 Answer sharply 48 Plasma particles 49 Not mine, in bucolic comic strips 50 Carpenter’s leveler 53 Autocorrect target 56 Poopo or Titicaca, e.g.

59 Empty (of) 60 About, formally 61 “I can’t hear you!”

62 Four-color card game 63 King with three daughters 64 John Doe, e.g.

65 Part of RPM Down 1 Like some mistakes 2 In the distance 3 Like some small biological projects?

4 Chum

5 Late hour, for some 6 Caprica star Morales 7 Light bulb unit 8 Reverb (and a cliché when a character thinks it’s someone else) 9 Ultra-wide shoe size 10 He was associated with the Jets 11 Mr. Belvedere actress Graff 12 Vegetable cutter 13 Fermented rice drinks 19 Recover from a setback 21 Final Jeopardy! amount 25 Not forthcoming 26 Eleventh U.S. president 27 “Shoot!”

28 It’s sold in bars and tubs 29 No later than 30 Pint-sized 31 Events at meets 34 Sweetener under recent scrutiny 35 Install in a gallery,

maybe 36 Neruda works 38 Seasonal addition?

39 It usually gets rolled 41 Schroeder’s prop 42 ___-country (2010s music genre) 43 Comparatively agile 44 Opportune 45 Emmy-winning title role for Sally Field 46 All’s opposite 47 Tony-winning actress McDonald 50 Graceful swimmer 51 Xbox series since 2001 52 “Was ___ inside job?”

54 Maine’s state tree 55 Paper factory side effect 57 Ft. Lauderdale locale 58 Aries’ animal ©2016 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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MAY 2016

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