Coachella Valley Independent June 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT | JUNE 2018

VOL. 6 | NO. 6

VOTING FOR THEIR LIVES After the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., students took to the streets.

Now they’re registering to vote.

BY BRIAN BLUESKYE | PAGE 13

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JUNE 2018

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

JUNE 2018

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 coveR and feature design Mark Duebner Design Contributors Stephen Berger, Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Michael Grimm, Dwight Hendricks, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Brane Jevric, Keith Knight, Brett Newton, Dan Perkins, Guillermo Prieto, Laurel Rosenhall, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Baynard Woods The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month.

All content is ©2018 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher.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.

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, CalMatters, 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.

A couple of weeks ago, I received a notice from my printer saying the Independent’s print costs were going to go up.

I saw this coming … but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt.

Here’s what’s going on: Because of a complaint from one—yes, just one—hedge-fund-owned paper mill in Washington state, the Commerce Department has slapped tariffs of up to 32 percent on newsprint imports from Canadian paper mills. (The exact tariffs vary from company to company.)

Of course, those costs are being passed on to the consumer—in this case, newspapers, including the Independent. In other words … because of these tariffs, newspapers, including the Independent, may need to make serious cuts to the journalism we produce.

Canadian newsprint is vital to the American newspaper industry. Only five paper mills in the U.S. still produce newsprint—and even if all five of those mills ran at full capacity, they’d only be able to produce a fraction of the newsprint needed in this country. Some 25 paper mills in Canada fill the gap—and as a result, about 75 percent of American newspaper publishers use Canadian newsprint, according to a recent Columbia Journalism Review piece.

Not only is just one paper mill asking for these tariffs; pretty much everyone else in the United States—including other paper mills—is opposed to them.

“The Commerce Department definitely is open for business for these types of complaints,” said Paul Boyle, from the newspaper trade association News Media Alliance, to the Columbia Journalism Review.

“They want to push and show that they’re trying to protect American jobs and potentially create manufacturing opportunities for businesses in the United States, which is a laudable goal. But anyone who’s in the newsprint industry knows that the decline in newsprint manufacturing has everything to do with the shift from print newspapers to digital, and nothing to do with prices on products coming from Canada.”

This mess has led to the formation of a coalition called Stop Tariffs on Printers and Publishers, or STOPP (www. stopnewsprinttariffs.org). While there is encouraging movement in the battle against these tariffs—including a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate in May that could stop the tariffs temporarily—print bills are already on the rise … as I learned from that notice from my printer a few weeks back.

Want to help? Please contact our federal representatives—Rep. Raul Ruiz and Sens.

Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris—and ask them to fight these tariffs. I’ll be doing just that after I send this issue to press.

The actions of a company with just 300 employees is needlessly threatening the newspaper industry, which employs 600,000 people nationally—and, of course, produces the journalism on which the country depends.

That’s not right.

Welcome to the June 2018 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading.

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

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JUNE 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

JUNE 2018

OPINION OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS T

BY ANITA RUFUS

om Davis is philosophical regarding his work: “I wouldn’t change a thing. I enjoyed having my own business, but when it became tedious, my attitude was, ‘I’m outta here.’”

That attitude was a lucky break for the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians.

Davis, 68, a Rancho Mirage resident, was born in Teaneck, N.J., and grew up in Anaheim. He started doing consulting work in the desert in 1990 and made the full-time move from Orange County in 1997.

“I had my own land-planning and development consulting business,” says Davis, “but when the recession that everybody forgets about happened, many of my competitors were heading to Las Vegas because there was so much development going on there. I wanted to expand my business reach and profile, and I knew the desert had collaborative work with (Southern California great growth potential. Plus, my wife’s parents planning consultant) John Q. Adams—yes, he’s were here, and her grandma and grandpa a real descendant. I was the physical planning had the first liquor store and motel in Palm guy; he was the policy guy. Then he died Desert, so there were personal connections as suddenly, and a friend he worked for told me well as business potential that made this area about the Agua Caliente looking for a planner. desirable.”

That was in 1992.

Davis earned his degree in landscape “The tribe was looking for an outsider, not architecture from California State Polytechnic someone beholden to local politics. The tribe University, Pomona. is an extended family that understands the “My dad always said to be in a profession importance of outreach and the need to be where you can be independent,” Davis said. “I connected to all sides politically. was strong in math and had an artistic flair—I “For six months, I was doing a variety of liked to draw. I also had a strong design sense. different things as staff to the Indian Planning They had an accredited program, which was Commission. When I started with the tribe, hard to find in the Western United States. they had only six employees, with me and their “I met my wife, Debbie, at Cal Poly in 1970 general counsel as outside contractors. Then at a Three Dog Night concert on a blind date. A we got involved with Caesars Palace when the friend said, ‘You need to meet this young lady.’ tribe was getting into gaming and expansion.

We were married after less than two years. After Land development is highly political. You have school, I went to Denver because I wanted to to go through architectural review committees, ski all the time, and I worked for a company planning commissions and city councils. I went planning a ski resort.” to Washington, D.C., and Sacramento. We all Davis worked for a firm while he was in learned a lot as we went along.” college that did work in Palm Springs.

Davis is currently the chief planning and “They educated me about the development officer for the Agua Caliente Band interrelationship between the tribe and the of Cahuilla Indians. He has built the department city,” he said. “I was originally out here in to a staff of about 35. the desert working the territory and doing A bout with cancer changed Davis’ life.

“I used to be really athletic, but the cancer set me back. I go through life now week by week,” he said. “We bought a house in 2008 on a kind of remote mountain at June Lake in the Eastern Sierras. I hike and go fly fishing. It’s pristine and quiet. I might not see another person for days.

For me, a bucket-list item would be to visit with an old friend, sit on the porch, and tell stories … although I would like to make it to Italy.”

For a long time after his cancer treatment, Davis was resistant to make use of a support group. “When I got the bad news from the Tom Davis with his wife, Debbie. doctor, I was thinking about all the stuff I’d be

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Meet Tom Davis, the Agua Caliente tribe’s longtime planning officer—and a cancer survivor

faced with. They asked me questions like, ‘Are you worried about your treatment?’ Duh. “Finally, I went to a support group and I was amazed how therapeutic it is. I could speak frankly, and realized that everybody has something to deal with. That was when I began to talk about what I’d been through. We could all cry and laugh. We could all share our experiences and tell others what works. We talked about lots of simple things we take for granted. I came to realize the positive impact of all that. It’s helpful to share.”

After obtaining a master’s degree in education, Davis has been sharing his knowledge of the tribe by teaching classes, including “Agua Caliente: Then and Now,” through the Osher Institute at California State University, San Bernardino’s Palm Desert campus.

Davis’ guiding principle is to work hard and play hard. “I want to tell young people, based on my experience, to do something you love.

There are different specialties in every era. Find a profession you love to do, and even if one day you wake up with a layoff or disappointment, you’ll just work harder and still enjoy every day.

“I’ve changed a lot in the last several years.

Between my cancer and the loss of both my parents within eight months of each other last year, now I wake up, and I’m just happy to be here.”

Anita Rufus is also known as “The Lovable Liberal.”

Her show That’s Life airs weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon on iHubradio, while The Lovable Liberal airs from 2 to 4 p.m., Saturdays. Email her at Anita@ LovableLiberal.com. Know Your Neighbors appears every other Wednesday at CVIndependent.com.

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JUNE 2018

NEWS

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A NEIGHBORLY AFFAIR O

Mike Wilson and Waymond Fermon bring different political values to their race in Indio’s District 2

By Kevin fitzgerald

n Nov. 6, Indio voters will cast their ballots in the city’s first district-based elections, after the City Council moved away from “at large” or city-wide elections under the threat of a lawsuit to force compliance with the California Voting Rights Act of 2001.

Of the five districts newly established in Indio, District 2 is the home of the race that’s generating the most early interest. The final candidate pool will not be established until August, but so far, two candidates have announced an intention to run: the incumbent and current mayor, Mike Wilson, who has been on the council since 1995; and political newcomer and lifetime Indio resident Waymond Fermon.

In many respects, the two candidates are polar opposites. Wilson, a self-described conservative Republican, is now serving his fourth stint as Indio’s mayor. Fermon has worked for 17 years as a correctional officer, and has already garnered support from Coachella Valley Democrats and the liberal left.

Last year, Wilson drew the ire of many when, in the wake of the violent white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., he tweeted: “It doesn’t matter what POTUS says, liberals and the media will always attack him. It shows the real problem in U.S. is the libs and media!” In a recent phone interview with the Independent, Wilson explained the episode.

“What happened, which I explained right after, was that my intent was to say that (it was) the mainstream media and the Washington, D.C., Democrats, but in shrinking it down (to 140 characters), I didn’t really think about the response to it.”

The response turned out to be angry, swift and strong. Because of that, we asked Fermon—who currently lives in District 4, not Wilson’s District 2—if he chose to move his family to District 2 to set up a head-to-head confrontation with Wilson.

“I’m very self-motivated,” Fermon said. “I don’t need any specific target to have a goal. My concern isn’t (Mike Wilson) right now.”

Wilson and others have called attention

to the carpetbagger appearance of Fermon’s decision to move his residence to, and run for office for, the new District 2.

“I’m in the planning phase of that (family move), and that will be over with real soon,” Fermon said. “Actually, I’m past the planning phase, and we’re in the transition phase right now. I know it’s public information at the end of the day, but I’m not willing to throw my living quarters (details) out there freely, but we’ll be moved soon.”

Assuming that the candidacy qualifications are met, we asked each candidate about their priorities and objectives.

“First and foremost, always, is public safety,” Wilson said. “As you know, I’m a retired fireman, and having a relationship with law enforcement as well, we need to grow our police department. Based on population and the ratio of one officer per every thousand residents, we are still quite a bit below where we should be.”

Next, he said: “Repairing our streets and roads and overpasses, etc., and building new ones is a priority for me. I sit on the Riverside County Transportation Commission and the CVAG Transportation Committee, so it’s one of my specialties. Over my years, I’ve had some great accomplishments in bringing federal, state and regional money into Indio to do these things.

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But (right now), we’re $36 million behind in street repairs, and we need about $6 million a year just to maintain what we have. (Moving forward, both Senate Bill) 1, that brought us more street and road money, and Measure X (the Indio sales tax measure that passed in 2016), should bring us $7 to $8 million this next year to put into street and road projects. This is long overdue for Indio, so one of my priorities is going to be catching up on that work.”

Wilson’s third priority: “Continuing our economic development and economic recovery in the city by maintaining forward progress in making the city attractive for new businesses, stores and new projects. We’ve had some success. We have new hotels being built. We’ve got a new theater project coming in. There’s a lot of housing stuff going on that’s positive. But on the top of the list is (the future of) the Indio Fashion Mall, which is on Monroe Street and Highway 111. That project has just been bought

by Alex Haagen of the Empire Polo Grounds, and we’re working with him to completely reposition that whole mall property (so it) will be a benefit to the city for years to come.”

Fermon responded by saying that he’s “canvassing the residents” and “meeting and greeting” to learn about their concerns. We asked Fermon what he has been hearing from constituents thus far.

“One is public safety,” he said. “I just think that, at the end of the day, we all want to be safe wherever we go. Next, we need smart economic development, not only that will bring retail and different businesses, but we also need jobs.

“The homeless situation (is another issue),” Fermon said. “I am meeting with people who

are concerned about the homeless and the growing problem that we have, but I’m also meeting with homeless people who want to be informed about the resources that are available to them currently, and want those resources to be made more easily available. I’m speaking with businesses about the homeless problem, because sometimes it can create a nuisance for businesses. So the communication seems to have broken down there, and I’m talking to all sides.”

Fermon said he also wants to focus on Indio youth. “In the district that I’m running in, I want to bring more activities for the youth in that area—recreational activities like sports, and other things they can do during their leisure time in that area. As we have it now, there’s really nothing for our youth to do in that area.”

We asked both candidates what message they most wanted to convey to Indio’s voters.

“I think it’s important that experience matters,” Wilson said. “We have a council right now that’s working extremely well together.

We have a vision that we share, and we work together to put that vision together. We’re very respectful of each other. Looking at the last eight years, and where Indio had been and where it is today, I think that the leadership in Indio is strong. I think that this council has earned the trust of the voters in Indio.”

Fermon responded philosophically.

“What I want to leave you with is what I tell the students I work with. I have mantras, or quotes, that I internalize for each week, and this week’s is: ‘The secret to living is giving.’ It’s been interpreted many times by many people, but I first heard it from my psychology teacher at Indio High School.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

JUNE 2018

NEWS

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A MORE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL?

L

By bRANE JEVRIC

isa Middleton got more than 7,000 votes to lead the way in last year’s at-large Palm Springs City Council election, becoming the first openly transgender person to be elected to a nonjudicial office in the state of California.

That may have been the last at-large City Council election that Palm Springs will ever hold.

The city of Palm Springs—like other jurisdictions across the state that currently don’t elect representatives in district-based elections—has received a letter from Shenkman and Hughes, a Malibu-based law firm representing the Southwest Voter Registration Education Project, claiming the city is violating California Voting Rights Act of 2001. The Southwest Voter Registration Education Project aspires to increase the presence of Latino candidates in municipal elections.

Indio and Cathedral City, facing similar threats, moved to district-based elections this year.

The letter claimed Palm Springs’ current election system has “resulted in racially polarizing voting” and is diluting the influence of Latino voters.

The letter may have a point. The last Latino who served on the Palm Springs City Council was Joseph Garcia, who was in office from 1972 to 1976—even though Census numbers show that about a quarter of Palm Springs’ population is currently Latino.

The City Council recently decided to start moving toward district elections and is hiring a demographer to analyze how to draft boundaries—a process that Middleton said has cost other cities $30,000 to $60,000.

We recently interviewed Middleton regarding the issue.

far from my own neighborhood. I’m so happy to represent those neighborhoods. I did not want to lose that one-on-one connection with each of our neighborhoods. But after a few days, it was clear this was not about me; this is about what’s best for our city. My job is to do what is best for all of our city—today and tomorrow.

Does Palm Springs have an inclusive nature, politically speaking?

My campaign and my election wouldn’t be possible in many, if not most, cities in the U.S., but it was certainly possible here in Palm Springs. The LGBTQ community has been coming to Palm Springs almost since the founding of the city, and in the last 20-25 years, Palm Springs has (become) a community substantially inclusive, not only of LGBTQ people, but progressive individuals as well. Our community has clearly evolved in terms of its politics.

Do you see the City Council as being more diverse in the future?

We are working to set in motion a series of reforms that should result in greater participation of our residents throughout the city in their government. I am convinced that we can increase the participation of all of our residents. The more our city represents all of the people of our city, the better. It is easy to lose faith. It is not easy to put yourself out front as a potential representative for your community and your city. I’m working on a City Council that is committed to have a hand out to help those ready to step up.

How did you personally feel when you read the letter from Shenkman and Hughes?

I truly enjoyed running city-wide. I was extremely proud that my campaign resonated in every part of our city and that I knew the people and issues on the ground in each of our 45 neighborhoods. I found myself, in the first few days after receipt of the letter, in meetings

How do we get to the point of electing a Latino representative with a district election?

The Latino population in Palm Springs, in comparison to other ethnic groups, is disproportionally young. We’ve seen it in public schools in Palm Springs that are overwhelmingly Latino: 75 to 80 percent are students obviously not yet eligible to vote, but will be at some point. … What we’re doing is moving in the right direction. It might not be in that first (district) election, and perhaps not even in the second election. … Down the road, we can bear the fruit of something that will lead to electing those individuals to the City Council and other offices.

We chat with Councilwoman Lisa Middleton about Palm Springs’ steps toward changing to district elections

specifics. The issue has risen, and we’re responding. We’re trying to respond in a positive way.

What would be the ideal way to structure the municipal government with future district elections?

Municipal governments are organized in a number of ways. Our largest cities trend toward a strong mayor, who is the chief executive and does not sit on the City Council, but has a veto on City Council actions. Those cities trend toward City Council members elected from geographic districts. Some cities (like Palm Springs) have a weak mayor with additional ceremonial responsibilities, but no additional authority. Such mayors sit as a member of City Council. Other cities rotate the mayors’ responsibility among the various members of City Council. This, along with a city manager as the chief administrative officer, is the most common municipal form of government. … We will evaluate every option, seek extensive public input and make our decisions by year-end. Our goal is the best form of government to address the needs of our city.

What is the role of the demographer hired by the city? Is there a deadline on his report?

We will employ an outside demographer who has worked with numerous California cities to develop reports that will allow the city to draw and select the district boundaries that are best for our city. In drawing boundaries, (the) goals (are): Maximize the goals of the California Voting Rights Act; prioritize creation of majority-minority districts; to the extent practical, keep organized neighborhoods

Palm Springs City Councilwoman Lisa Middleton.

intact; and maintain the principle that the best interest of the city as a whole remains the first responsibility of all elected officials.

(The) process: Evaluate our demographics and structure of government; compare with and learn from other comparable cities, and recommend the structure of government that best achieves the goals of the California Voting Rights Act and the long-term needs of our city; and encourage and work through communication platforms to obtain participation from as many residents and stakeholders as possible in the process.

If we had district elections in place when you ran for the City Council, do you think you’d have won your district?

I hope that I would’ve won, but we will probably find it out when the time comes to run for re-election.

What about the allegations that the city violated the California Voting Rights Act by racially polarizing and diluting the influence of Latino voters with at-large elections?

I have not seen any specific allegations and would not respond without seeing any CVIndependent.com

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

JUNE 2018

NEWS DEMOCRACY IN CRISIS E

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

The case of Mexican journalist Emilio Gutierrez Soto portends a grim future for press freedom

By baynard woods

milio Gutierrez Soto had to flee Mexico a decade ago to seek asylum in the United States— because people there took his journalism too seriously.

He may get sent back because an American judge does not take it seriously enough.

In 2005, on page 10 of El Diario, a Juarez daily, Gutierrez published a story with the headline: “Military personnel rob hotel in Palomas.”

“Six members of the Army, and one civilian who have been positively identified, robbed the guests at a motel in this town on Friday night, taking from them their money, jewelry and other personal belongings,” the story read, according to the translation of Molly Molloy. “The robbers then fled, but not before threatening their victims with death.

Yesterday, the victims gave up their right to file formal complaints about the events to denounce the crimes against them, facing the possibility that the threats they had received would be carried out.”

Gutierrez later told Charles Bowden, a great chronicler of the border, that army officials were angry about his story and summoned him to a hotel in the center of the town of Ascension, near Chihuahua Ciudad. He was told: “If you don’t come, we’ll come looking for you at home or wherever you are.”

When he got to the hotel, he was surrounded by soldiers. “You have no sources for that information,” the general said. He asked Gutierrez why he didn’t ever write about the narcotraficantes. Gutierrez confessed that he was frightened of them.

“You should fear us, for we fuck the fucking drug traffickers, you son of a whore. I feel like putting you in the van and taking you to the mountains so you can see how we fuck over the drug traffickers, asshole,” a general said.

“You’ve written idiocies three times, and there shall be no fourth. You’d better not mention this meeting, or you’ll be sent to hell, asshole,” another officer said in a final sendoff.

Gutierrez knew they were serious.

In April 2007, he shared a byline with a reporter named Armando Rodriguez. The story was about a third reporter, Saul Noe Martinez Ortega, who “was found wrapped in a blanket and appeared to have been dead for several days, possibly after his kidnapping that took place last Monday, April 16, in the city of Agua Prieta, Sonora.”

The penultimate line is a gut punch: “It appears that an agent of the Municipal Police was present at the abduction of the journalist, but he did nothing to hinder the kidnappers.”

Molloy added a brutal translator’s note about Gutierrez’s co-writer on that story: “Armando Rodriguez was a well-known crime reporter for El Diario de Juárez. He was shot to

death at point-blank range on his way to work in Ciudad Juarez on Nov. 13, 2008.”

Rodriguez had been threatened, but ignored the threats.

“I can’t live in my house like a prisoner,” he told the Committee to Protect Journalists.

“I refuse to live in fear.” Then he was gunned down in his driveway, with his 8-year-old daughter in the back seat.

Gutierrez had left for the United States in June 2008, several months before the murder of Rodriguez.

Molloy, a border and Latin America specialist at the New Mexico State University Library, hit on the insane logic of the infernal machine that governs the asylum process.

“He received a death threat, and he fled rather than waiting around,” Molloy said when I called her up to talk about Gutierrez. “Emilio is seen as in less danger because he is still alive.

If you take a threat seriously and flee for your life and seek asylum, people aren’t going to believe your story, because you’re not tortured, and you’re not dead.”

Gutierrez and his son were separated and held in custody for seven months. Shortly after Obama took office, they were freed. Although Obama was often called the Deporter-in-Chief by immigration activists, Gutierrez attributed his release to the American president.

When he was finally released, Gutierrez and his son went to live in Las Cruces, N.M., in the house of some friends. Bowden had also recently moved to Las Cruces to live with Molloy. Bowden published Gutierrez’s story in Mother Jones, while Gutierrez had a hard time adjusting to life in the U.S. “He was sort of at a loss for what he was going to do,” Molloy said. “He wanted to write newspaper stories, but he really couldn’t, because he’s living in the U.S. and couldn’t write in English.”

Like so many immigrants, he had to piece together a living, working in landscaping and food service as his request for asylum dragged on. The request was finally denied last December, and Gutierrez and his son Oscar were locked up once again.

Emilio Gutierrez Soto believes he will be killed if he is sent back to Mexico. NOEL ST. JOHN/NATIONAL PRESS CLUB

Among the reasons that Judge Robert S. Hough gave for denying his request for asylum was a claim that Gutierrez wasn’t really a journalist.

“He didn’t really believe that Emilio was a journalist, because he didn’t produce many articles he had written,” Molloy said, noting that Gutierrez’s house had been ransacked before he left—and that Mexican papers weren’t as fastidious as, say, The New York Times at keeping clips. Nevertheless, she compiled well more than 100 stories bearing his byline—and translated a few of them.

Still, Gutierrez and his son were put in a van and driven toward the border—and what he thinks would be certain death. A last-minute stay halted the van and bought Gutierrez a little more time and another shot at asylum.

The Association of Alternative Newsmedia (of which the Independent is a member), the

National Press Club and other journalistic organizations have come out in support of Gutierrez.

But the Trump administration’s deep hostility to those seeking asylum from Mexico, along with his hatred of the press, does not bode well for him.

Charles Bowden often wrote that Juarez was the city of the future. Trump’s attacks on the press sound an awful lot like the Mexican general who threatened Gutierrez a decade ago. Trump hasn’t started to actually kill journalists—but sending Gutierrez back to Mexico would be a start.

Baynard Woods is a reporter for the Real News Network and the founder of Democracy in Crisis, a project of alternative newspapers across the country. Email: baynard@therealnews.com.

Twitter: @baynardwoods.

CVIndependent.com

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JUNE 2018

NEWS

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CULTIVATING CLOUT By laurel rosenhall, calmatters

L

obbyists in slick pinstriped suits and burly veterans with tattooed arms crowded into a Capitol hearing room in early May as lawmakers considered a bill to make it easier for Californians to buy legal marijuana. One supporter said people need more access to the “beautiful sacred plant.” But at its core, this was a business dispute—a question of whether legislators would allow cannabis companies to reach more customers, and make more money.

The committee passed Senate Bill 1302—which would stop cities from banning delivery services that sell pot to customers at their doorsteps—despite objections from cities and counties that favor local control. And the standing-room-only crowd that showed up to push for it revealed the new reality in California, where cannabis interests have become a formidable lobbying force.

As marijuana companies seek laws more favorable to their industry, they are using the traditional tools of politics: hiring well-heeled lobbyists and donating money to politicians.

Cannabis is big business in California, with sales expected to hit $3.7 billion by the end of the year, according to BDS Analytics. The industry’s spending on California politics soared in 2016, when voters made it legal for adults to use the drug.

“They want to be treated like every other business, and part of that is making campaign contributions so they can get access to politicians and have their voice heard,” said Jim Sutton, an attorney who represents cannabis businesses organizing political campaigns.

Cannabis companies, entrepreneurs and advocates spent at least $1.8 million to help pass the legalization measure in 2016. Since then, the industry has donated more than $600,000 to California political campaigns—more than four times as much as it spent on politics in the state during the 2013-14 election campaigns.

Cannabis money is flowing to both Democrats

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Taking cues from other businesses, the marijuana industry is throwing a lot of money into California politics

and Republicans running for re-election to the Legislature, as well as to Democratic candidates hoping to be elected governor and attorney general. With the money comes a mainstream political presence for an industry quickly shedding its counterculture image.

At the California Democratic Party convention in February, the roster of receptions for delegates included one sponsored by Eaze, a company whose website allows people to order home delivery of marijuana. It was one of three marijuana companies that donated to the state party for the first time this year, for a total of $45,000.

“I’m sure we will (continue) soliciting from the cannabis industry,” said party chairman Eric Bauman. “It’s a legal industry in California. It’s not one that hurts the environment; it’s not undermining our society.

So we welcome their dollars.”

Interestingly, the party prohibits donations from tobacco and oil companies.

Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the front-runner in the race for governor, has raised more money from cannabis interests than any other California politician: at least $495,000 as of April. Newsom championed the legalization ballot measure and now talks about California rejecting the “war on marijuana” as part of his gubernatorial campaign.

One of his opponents, state Treasurer John Chiang, is also touting his cannabis cred. A Democrat who has received at least $10,100 from marijuana interests, Chiang has highlighted his interest in creating a state bank that could serve cannabis businesses. He visited a San Francisco dispensary on April 20, then issued a press release calling the date “National Weed Day.” It included a photo of him examining a cannabis chocolate bar and a jar of buds.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra has taken at least $21,000 from cannabis interests in his campaign to be retained. It’s a marked difference from the last election for that office—in 2014, then-Attorney General Kamala Harris reported no donations from marijuana businesses. She made a deliberate decision, an adviser said, to avoid contributions that could raise questions about her role as the state’s top law-enforcement officer.

Although marijuana remains illegal under federal law, attempts to ban contributions from the cannabis sector have been unsuccessful.

The state of Illinois prohibited political contributions from weed businesses when it approved its medical marijuana law in 2013, but the ban was thrown out last year by a federal

judge who ruled it unconstitutional.

Cannabis businesses in California now have several trade associations and a political action committee for raising money to dole out to politicians.

“It’s just one tool folks in cannabis-policy reform are using to move the conversation in a positive direction,” said Lindsay Robinson, executive director of the California Cannabis Industry Association, referring to campaign contributions. That PAC has raised more than $290,000 since launching in 2014.

“The goal we’re striving for is for cannabis businesses to be regulated and treated like any other business, taxed fairly and able to thrive in the market. … The political giving piece is important,” she said.

That point was illustrated back in the hearing room, where lawmakers were considering the bill to expand marijuana delivery services, authored by Sen. Ricardo Lara, a Democrat from Bell Gardens who has taken at least $18,900 from cannabis interests and is now running for Insurance Commissioner.

Marijuana businesses that want to get ahead have to play politics, said Hilary Bricken, a Los Angeles attorney who specializes in cannabis law.

“Cannabis has learned from Big Pharma, Big Alcohol and Big Tobacco that they have to step up in this way,” she said.

CALmatters.org is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media venture explaining California policies and politics.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11

JUNE 2018

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

JUNE ASTRONOMY

The brightS outer T planets are the

BE D E T VO Gamb

A

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight (figurative) stars of the2018 skies this month leFor June,

is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, tbutoThismayskybechart e used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico. c a l P N

By Robert Victor

t dusk in June, two planets clearly outshine all the stars. Venus, at magnitude -4 in the westnorthwest, sets about 2.5 hours after sunset. Jupiter, near magnitude -2.4 in the southeast to south at dusk, reaches its highest point in the south about three hours after sunset on June 1, moving to one hour after sunset at month’s end.

Mercury passes superior conjunction on the far side of the sun on June 5. Near the perihelion of its orbit, it emerges very swiftly into the evening sky. Using binoculars, look very low in the westnorthwest twilight glow, to the lower right of Venus, by 25 degrees on June 16; 20 degrees on June 25; and 17 degrees on June 30.

Later in the evening, Saturn rises within two hours after sunset on June 1, moving to around sunset on June 24, three days before 27 degrees to its upper right. opposition. Mars rises within four hours of June 6-8 at dusk: A week after forming an sunset on the 1st, moving to about two hours isosceles triangle with the “Twin” stars Pollux after on the 30th. Find the Summer Triangle in and Castor, Venus now passes within 5 degrees the eastern sky at dusk as the season begins. to the lower left of Pollux. mornings: Jupiter on but June 1 June 7-12, dawn: The Martian south system, and ifbefore you lease, the company IDuring knowJune I should explore solar, sets in been the west-southwest nearlyWhat 1.3 hours polarlease cap, where springit, haslowering recently begun, you from takes your is I’ve procrastinating. will before sunrise, and then 4 minutes earlier each now tipped 4-5 degrees toward the sun monthly payment. Solar companiesand also motivate me to take the next step? morning. If your predawn walk occurs after a favorable 15 degrees into our view from have some panels in stock now that were The best motivation should be the Jupiter sets, you’ll see a sky dominated by Earth. Using your telescope with as high of a here before components and/or panels savings you cantoexpect with solar.while In Mars, in the south south-southwest, magnification as atmospheric conditions allow, were subject to the new tariff—so that exchange for just a little bit of your time, brightening nearly a magnitude, from -1.2 look for a large bright area near the southern means great pricing right now. reduce average electric toyou -2.1.can Saturn, nearyour magnitude 0, is lower inbill edge of you Mars’have reddish disk. anywhere percent—and just the southwest,from 28 to25-50 34 degrees west of Mars.

June 11 at dawn: The moon is very low in the Wow. How much time we talking? keep thatstars money in your pocketTriangle, each Prominent include the Summer east-northeast to east.

Useare binoculars to spot Give Renovacluster a call,15and we’lltolook at your month.

Then you canFomalhaut take your time passing west of overhead; in the the Pleiades degrees the left of the southeast towhat south;toCapella rising the risingwhile moon.you’re on the phone and give roof deciding do with the from savings! northeast; June 12, 35 minutes before sunrise: Try you an initial If youand Aldebaran emerging late in the month in the to find the very old, thin crescent moon, 3 evaluation. decide to east-northeast.

This month features bright visible outer percent full, less than 3 degrees up, 17 degrees Assuming move forward planets!

On the morning of June 1, Spaceship north of east. things look quickly, your Earth is heading June 14, 30 minutes after good, sunset:aThe site system can betoward constellation Aquarius, about 35 degrees to the east (left) of Mars. As crescent moon, some 32 hours old and 3 survey at your up and running our planet follows its nearly circular orbit, we percent full, is 6 degrees up the in westhome will before the huge overtake all three bright outer planets within 79 northwest. The moon sighting marks the end of collect detailed summer bills days, the shortest interval until 2078.

Ramadan. hit. you at lease, For If events dawn, we suggest you begin June 15, 30 minutes after information sunset: The 8 about roof you’llatenjoy viewing least one hour before sunrise. For percent crescent moon is 18 degrees up in dimensions, no money events at dusk, look one hour after sunset. the west to west-northwest, with Mercury 20 tilt and shade, down; June 1 free at dawn: The moon, nearly three degrees to its lower right. Venus is within 7 installation; days past full, is in the south-southwest at degrees to the moon’s upper as left.well as a few dawn, degrees to the east (upper left) of June 19: The moon, nearing first-quarter other items, and,5with Saturn andand 23 degrees to thefixed westpayments (lower phase, almost 90 degrees of thepanel. sun in like theiscondition of youreast electric Renova SunPower, right) of Mars.

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Yep! 30The percent Federal JuneThe 2 at full dawn: waning gibbousTax moon above opposite horizons at mid-twilight, it! after If you decide to makes move four is still full effect untilwith theMars end is Credit in the south toin south-southwest, 47That’s minutes sunset.

That forward, installation takes only 2-3 days, of 2019.

If you purchase, you receive 12 degrees to the left, and Saturn 17 degrees planets, Mercury-Venus-Jupiter-Saturn, visible depending on the size of your system. to lower cost of your tothe the Tax lowerCredit right. Four hoursthe after sunset: The simultaneously! moon, very low in the east-southeast, has Mars June 21 at 3:07 a.m.: The sun stands directly Paid advertisement brought to by of Cancer, and summer begins within 3 degrees to its lower right, and Saturn overyou the Tropic

June's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

Deneb

Capella 15

Solar Q&A

Vega

22 29 Mercury Castor

Altair

Pollux

15

1 8 Venus 22 29

E

W Arcturus

Procyon Regulus

15

Saturn 22 29

Spica

Jupiter 1

8

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Antares

Evening mid-twilight occurs

S

Stereographic Projection

for Earth’s Northern with the the full moon on June Map 27. by Robert D. Miller when Sun isHemisphere, 9o below horizon.

Juneand 1: 46 minutesday. after sunset. shortest night longest June 28 at dawn: The moon, just past full, " "Spica " in Virgo June 21 and15: 22 47 at dusk: is in the southwest, with Saturn, a day past 30: 46 " " " appears within 7 degrees to the lower left, and opposition, 3-4 degrees to the moon’s lower then 13 degrees to the lower right, of the waxing right. At dusk, Saturn is within 13 degrees to gibbous moon. On June 22, Jupiter appears the upper right of the moon. within 10 degrees to June 30 at dawn: Mars is within 8 degrees THEthe moon’s lower left.

June 23 at dusk: Jupiter is 5 degrees to the to the left of the moon. On evening of June 30, CHAMBER lower right of the moon. Mercury is 20 degrees Venus, Jupiter and Saturn span 135 degrees.

2015of & 2017 to the lower right Venus and closing.

The website of the Astronomical Society of OFMercury THE YEARpasses within June 24BUSINESS at dusk: the Desert (www.astrorx.org) has a listing of 5 degrees to the south (lower left) of Pollux. our evening star parties. Sawmill Trailhead, our Jupiter is 17 degrees to the moon’s upper right. high-altitude site (elevation 4,000 feet), will On June 24 and 25 at dusk, Venus and Jupiter have a star party at dusk on Saturday, June 9. are about 90 degrees apart.

Wishing you clear skies!

June 25 at dusk: Antares, heart of Scorpius, is 8-9 degrees to the moon’s lower right.

Robert C. Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams June 26 and 27 at dusk: Mercury forms a Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is 54, Coachella CA.retired | augustinecasino.com nearly straight line with84-001 PolluxAvenue and Castor to its now and enjoys providing sky watching right. Saturn is 11 degrees to the moon’s lower opportunities for a variety of groups in the left on June 26, and 1-2 degrees to the right of Coachella Valley.

GREATER COACHELLA VALLEY

COACHELLA’S BEST KEPT SECRET

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12 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JUNE 2018

WOMEN’S REJUVENATION ‘OUT OF CLOSET’ SECRETS

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

T

his is just between us girls, right?

We decided a long �me ago that we are not going to age like our mothers and grandmothers. And over the past two years, we have been able to include effec�ve, pain-free innova�ons for “downstairs remodeling.”

Let’s remind ourselves of what’s new in the last few years: Gummy breast implants guaranteed for life. Dermal fillers that last up to two years. Lasers that brighten any skin type and safely treat melasma.

Radio-frequency medical devices that permanently destroy up to 35 percent of stubborn fat in an hour that can rejuvenate skin without fillers.

On the other side of the pool, men have also decided to not age like their fathers. Aging men are much healthier than previous genera�ons and more sexually ac�ve, thanks to Viagra and Cialis.

All of this current history brings me to a new medical device for women called Juliet.

I don’t expect you to know about Juliet, because it’s brand new to the U.S. market. Millions of women in Europe and Asia have already been enjoying its rejuvena�on magic for years. Here are some of the secrets of how the Juliet has improved youthfulness for my pa�ents: 1. Juliet treatments greatly decreases urinary incon�nence issues for women of all ages. As women have children and age, our ureters go from kinked and strong to straighter and weaker. Juliet helps restore the “kinks” and strengthens the �ssue to improve leaking issues.

2. Juliet improves moisturiza�on. Who doesn’t “want more toppings on their pizza”?

3. It improves atrophy issues from aging. Laxity becomes �ghter, and flexibility is improved.

4. Juliet treatments increases vasculariza�on in vaginal �ssue.

This also helps turn back the clock visually so that grey �ssue becomes pink again—an indica�on of overall �ssue health and vitality.

5. External �ssue becomes visibly �ghter and more youthful.

6. Juliet is also effec�ve for women who have had chemo or radia�on treatments.

Juliet treatments use no estrogen, and are pain-free, effec�ve, safe, affordable and available. I thought you’d like to know about this new device that is helping women who thought there were no solu�ons to their aging and sexual vitality issues.

Next month, I’ll share more secrets about the exci�ng new op�ons for women’s rejuvena�on. Un�l then, keep the secret.

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

CVIndependent.com

VOTING FOR THEIR LIVES

JUNE 2018

After the school shooting in Parkland, Fla., students took to the streets.

Now they’re registering to vote.

BY BRIAN BLUESKYE

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

The Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Fla., in February changed something among many young people in the United States.

First came the March for Our Lives protests on March 24, with teens around the country organizing and speaking out in favor of tighter gun-control laws.

Now those same youngsters, as they turn 18, are registering to vote—and trying to put political pressure on congressional leaders who oppose stricter gun-control laws.

Matthew Chang, a senior at Palm Desert High School, is one of those teens: He helped mount a voter-registration drive among his classmates.

“It was very successful,” Chang said. “During the days we had the drive, we registered about 35 people to vote, and then we worked in conjunction with a club that was planning a walk-out protest, and we helped them register people to vote, too.”

Robert Westwood, the president of the Democrats of the Desert, got to know Chang when the student showed up at a meeting looking for help with his voter-registration efforts. Chang isn’t alone: Westwood said students from Palm Springs High School and Shadow Hills High School have also reached out.

“We had Matthew and four young ladies from Shadow Hills High School come to one of our Democrats of the Desert meetings,” Westwood said. “They really energized our club. They gave us a lot of information about what they’re doing and their enthusiasm for getting young people registered to vote, and then out to vote—which are two very different tasks. We can’t go onto a campus, and (registration) can only be done within a campus with permission from the administration.”

Chang said the school walkouts that have been taking place throughout the country are sending a message.

“Whatever anyone’s stances are on the walkout, we can all agree that it helped to show that we, as teens, have a bigger voice than we originally thought,” Chang said. “I think registering younger people to vote comes from that. If we do things like walkouts, which shows people we have a voice, more people will want to register to vote to enhance their voice and become politically active.”

What made Chang decide to become politically active?

“During my freshman year, I joined a club called Youth in Government, and it was with the YMCA,” he said. “It really changed my perspective, because before, I was really apathetic to what was going on around me, and it showed me that I have a say in what’s going on, and if I have an opinion, I need to share it.”

What do his parents think about his political involvement?

“They’re not really into politics,” Chang said. “I don’t think they even knew that I was doing the voter-registration drive. It was just something that I took on. They’re not really into politically related things.”

Talking to other young people about political subjects is not always easy, Chang said.

“I do think that talking to young people who have not had a government class yet is difficult,” Chang said. “Not many young people keep track of the news as much as people wish that they did. … More-educated young people are easy to talk to about politics. Because of that, I think we should try harder to educate younger people.”

Westwood said Chang’s involvement with the Democrats of the Desert has been inspirational.

“He came and talked to us and led us in the Pledge of Allegiance at one of our meetings where we had 150 people, and everybody got up and cheered him—and some people were crying,” Westwood said. “He also had the student body president from Palm Desert High School come with him, and she gave a rousing talk about the importance of young people keeping this going, and asked for our help. She offered their help to register young people and get young people out to vote. Now we’re moving on projects to get people to vote by mail and show up to vote on June 5.”

Chang’s time at Palm Desert High School is about to come to a close, and he said he plans on remaining active in college.

“Next year, I am going to college at Harvard, and I want to join the Democratic Club at Harvard,” he said. “I’m going to work on some campaigns and help some Democratic candidates I support.”

While Chang is optimistic overall, he did admit he has some concerns about politics.

“I think that we are becoming increasingly polarized in politics. A lot of the exchanges I hear between different parties are often not attempts to work with the other party, but are often trying to degrade the other party as much as possible. I don’t think that’s the direction that we need to be going in. We need bipartisan proposals to make sure that all perspectives are heard, and we can all work together as a nation.”

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14 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JUNE 2018

CVI SPOTLIGHT: JUNE 2018 Miscreant Music: Sleazy Cortez Does Not Want You Taking Lessons From the Band’s Songs

I

f the desert-rock gods of Kyuss had a baby with the members of the band Primus … you’d get Sleazy Cortez.

The local outfit that features bassist Derek Timmons, guitarist Nick Hales and drummer Damian Garcia has played a long list of shows over the past year—and released the album Trailer Trash Blues late in 2017.

But Sleazy Cortez actually goes back some years … eight years, to be exact, when Timmons was part of Robotic Humans with Lalo Beat, and a jam session with Nick Hales indirectly led to the creation of Sleazy Cortez.

“We’ve existed since 2010, although not consecutively,” Derek Timmons said during an interview on the patio of The Hood Bar and Pizza. “There are some big gaps where we were busy with other bands, but we would still jam.

That was back in the days when we had Lalo Beats on drums. Lalo and I were in Robotic Humans at the time, and we started jamming, and we had a gig come up at the Red Barn, and we were unable to do it as Robotic Humans.

We were like, ‘Let’s just do it as Sleazy Cortez, even though we don’t have any songs.’ We went there and made it up on the spot, and there were a bunch of people groovin’ and loving the songs. We decided to go ahead and put some songs together.”

The songs on Trailer Trash Blues have existed for years. Former drummer Lalo Beats even came back to help finish and style them.

“A lot of those songs have existed since I was living in Indiana years and years ago— not exactly as they are now, but mostly fully formed,” Timmons said.

Drummer Damian Garcia was praised by Hales and Timmons during the interview as

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bringing more groove and funk to the band— elements which have helped them stand out in the local music scene.

“It was very complicated for me to switch between Lalo’s drums and mine. … He was more metal, and that was what he was doing in Robotic Humans,” Garcia said. “When I heard this, I was obviously going to try to imitate his style, given it was already there, but I threw some of my own style into it. The way I emphasize that is to add accents on the songs and bring them out more. I added more feeling and more groove to them.”

The album actually sat collecting dust for a long period of time.

“It was recorded back during the fall of 2015,” Hales said. “From the time we started, it took about five years to actually come from, ‘Hey, we played this random-ass show with no fucking songs,’ to a whole full-length EP.” Timmons said the delay was due, in part, to Sleazy Cortez being put on the backburner.

“It was everyone’s part-time thing for a while,” Timmons said. “We had that whole album already done, and then didn’t play for a year before we got back together and got it together the way that it finally came together.

Every song except ‘Backwoods Woman’ was already like it was for the album. But we would play ‘Bud the C.H.U.D.’ however we wanted. We would be like, ‘We should at least determine how long we’re going to play that one,’ instead of 15 minutes one time, and seven minutes the next time.”

Timmons was frustrated—amusingly so— the day he received their initial shipment of CDs late last year after he spotted a defect in the artwork on the cover. He declared that as

Sleazy Cortez. BRIAN BLUESKYE

long as they and others had been waiting for the album, they were willing to wait longer for it to be perfect.

“The cover is still not perfect, though,” he said. “We’ll probably do another pressing of it, given it bothers me when shit isn’t right.

It’s good now, but later, it’ll be better.”

Songs like “Mountain Man”—about a guy who owns a marijuana farm who shoots trespassers—as well as “Beat Up Your Mom” make some people raise their eyebrows.

“We don’t advocate anything we sing about,” Timmons said. “We like to sing about picking up high school girls from the bowling

alley, killing people trespassing on a drug farm, and backwoods prostitutes. It’s more fun to sing about them than get involved in any of those things in real life. People can do whatever they want with our music, but I feel I’m not responsible, even if I said to do it.”

Sleazy Cortez will perform with Throw the Goat and Bossfight at 9 p.m., Friday, June 1, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert.

Admission is free. For more information on Sleazy Cortez, visit sleazycortez. bandcamp.com.

—Brian Blueskye

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15

JUNE 2018

ARTS & CULTURE

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

A MESSAGE OF LIBERATION J

By stephen berger

uan-Manuel Alonso is a familiar figure at Palm Springs art events. He is tall and handsome, usually with shoulder-length silver hair and a beard. He dresses colorfully and is quick with an interesting story or witty remark.

I spent some time with him recently observing his newest creation: a new outdoor mural at the LGBT Community Center of the Desert in Palm Springs.

Juan was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1952. Although his family moved to New York City in 1960 after the Cuban Revolution, he retains vivid memories of his childhood in Cuba: The colors, sounds and tastes of those early years are evident in his paintings today. Alonso was particularly drawn to the Afro-Cuban music and religious ceremonies in his neighborhood. His mother said that whenever she wanted to find him, she would just listen for the drums and follow the sound: Juan would always be there, dancing.

Alonso talked about growing up in New York City. He loved going by himself to Radio City Music Hall, and designing dresses made out of Play-Doh for his toy soldiers. He attended Erasmus Hall High School and later the City College of New York. He decided he wanted to be a fashion designer.

“The arts have always been something I enjoy,” he said.

After studying at the Fashion Institute of Technology under Donald Claflin, designer for Tiffany and Co., Alonso worked for Nino Cerruti and Willi Smith, and had an exclusive contract to design his own label for Bergdorf Goodman.

Alonso started painting in 1995. Around that time, he moved to Miami to care for his parents. He opened his own showroom for art, upholstery and fashion in Bal Harbour—but after a couple of years, he was forced to give it up for health reasons. When his parents passed away, he decided to move to Palm Springs and

Juan-Manuel Alonso. DAVID A. LEE PHOTOGRAPHY

concentrate on his painting. It’s a decision he said he has never regretted.

“Art opened my eyes, to be aware of the incredible energy that flourishes here,” Alonso said. “It has improved my health, and I have become very creative and developed my own style.”

Alonso has had numerous shows and successes in the area, but is not currently associated with a local gallery. This past December, he broke into the red-hot Miami art market with an exhibition at Art Basel. He will be spending the summer in Santa Fe, N.M. “My inspiration comes from the memories of where I was born,” Alonso said. “I’m also very inspired by the period of time from 1890 to 1930 when the world was revolutionized and brought into the modern era. I’m inspired

by Josephine Baker”—the African-American dancer who became wildly famous after dancing in Paris in 1925. “She was so liberated and had a vision of the future that is still to be realized.

“In my own work, I want to have a subconscious message—something of freedom, a message of liberation. I paint lips as hearts, because finally, they are doing no evil to each other. It’s about love and openness.”

Alonso recently dealt with another serious health crisis, and during his recovery, he was inspired to give something back to the community. He said he approached the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, at 1301 N. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, and asked if he could donate a mural in a restroom there to commemorate the upcoming 30th anniversary of Keith Haring’s mural in the men’s restroom of the Lesbian and Gay Community Services Center in New York City. The Center responded that they wanted to commission an exterior mural on the staircase leading to the third-floor Center.

The mural covers the two curved walls of the staircases. Between the first and second floor is Alonso’s depiction of what Palm Springs means to him. There are mountains and a deep blue sky, as well as the bell tower of Desert Regional

Juan-Manuel Alonso celebrates Palm Springs and those we have lost in new murals at the LGBT Community Center

Medical Center rising above palm trees and buildings, complete with swimming pools.

One can also spot the tram and multitudes of windows painted in the colors of the rainbow flag. Everything is rendered in a joyful and whimsical style.

As one ascends the stairs, the wall between the second and third floors reveals five life-size dancers floating in the same deep-blue sky, one for each of the letters L, B, G, T and Q. “These dancers represent all of those who are

only with us in spirit now,” Alonso said.

The wall rises up to an open ceiling where the blue of the paint exactly matches the sky above.

The dancers are surrounded by doves of peace— and they look like they could float upward to dance across the real sky. It’s a reminder that although many loved ones might no longer be in our physical presence, our memories keep them alive, and they are still watching over us.

For more information, visit www.alonso-art.com.

Solar Q&A

I’ve been told that the panels are the most important part of a solar decision.

Is this right?

Yes—since this is the primary component of your solar system, it’s the most important decision you will make.

If you’re leasing the panels, you want them to produce an optimum amount of electricity so you can stay as close to 100 percent offset as possible. If you’re purchasing your system, you want panels with as long of a life as possible.

With either arrangement, you want panels with a strong, comprehensive warranty and a slow rate of degradation.

Degradation is how quickly a solar panel loses its efficiency. Luckily, SunPower is an option that is the leader in both these areas—a 25-year comprehensive warranty, and the slowest rate of degradation of any solar panel. In fact, they are guaranteed to still be producing at 92 percent efficiency after 25 years. Try to think of any other piece of equipment that can say that!

also be from an American company with a strong history in solar, like SunPower.

They’re an American company with more than 30 years in solar, and more than 800 solar patents.

Wow—good stuff!

Anything more I should know?

With SunPower, if you lease, your lease will also be with SunPower. So that means if there are any questions later, you’re dealing with a single company for the equipment and your financial arrangement. It should also be reassuring to you that the SunPower dealer network is composed of companies that have been thoroughly vetted, and if a company fails to comply with their high standards, they are not allowed to sell SunPower panels anymore.

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DESERT CICERONE When it comes to beer and

SPECIAL THANK YOU!

consumers, IBUs need to just go away

I

By brett newton

dislike IBUs. Allow me to explain.

Approximately a decade ago, hops were king in the craft-beer world. People could not get enough, and breweries were finding ways to jam more hops into beer (double dry-hopping, for example). This led to all sorts of excesses.

This is where IBUs enter into the more mainstream picture. IBUs (International Bittering Units—it sounds ridiculously over-important, but it’s indeed a thing), as you might have guessed, measure how bitter a beer is ... kind of. Hops contain compounds called alpha acids that make beer bitter during the boil through a process called isomerization. The longer the beer is boiled, the more bitter the beer is, given the same hop strain. (Some strains contain more alpha acids than others.) Hops are vitally important, as this captured craft-beer fans’ imaginations. Some bitterness can counterbalance the otherwise brewers then set about making beers with as sweet wort that is to become beer later on. many IBUs as they possibly could. San Diego’s Hops also contribute flavors and aromas when Mikkeller Brewing (whose beers I have enjoyed added later in the process; they’re antiseptic, for years) planted their flag in this trend with a which helps keep bad bacteria out; and they are 1,000 IBU beer. I tried it … and it wasn’t great. “cousins” to cannabis.

The thing is, anything over about 110 IBUs is The brewer then dips in the IBU Detector not discernible by the human palate—so this and finds out the exact number. was just pure wankery, and it really confused Actually … no, they don’t. many beer-drinkers.

When an IBU is provided on a beer’s label The biggest reason why this is all so or a brewery’s menu, that is a theoretical inane is the aforementioned fact that IBUs number, in all likelihood. One of the biggest only tangentially have to do with perceived misunderstandings about the IBU is that it bitterness. Some malts contain bitterness somehow measures perceived bitterness. It just from the malt itself—never mind actually measures the amount of iso-alpha roasted malts or any other potentially bitter acids in the beer. In order to do that accurately, additions (herbs, for example). A huge, malty spectrophotometry needs to be employed. imperial stout can have a high level of IBUs, This means chemistry and a lab, and that but perceptually, the beer can be quite malty is prohibitively expensive. Instead, brewers on balance. People come into the taproom generally rely on a formula that is a rough where I work with the idea that they need to approximation. If I typed out that formula know which beer has the highest IBUs—and here, it would make you feel like you were back therefore will be the hoppiest. For one, what in your high school algebra class. does “hoppiest beer” even mean? Secondly, Brewers use this calculation to help them that’s not at all how it works anyway. with quality control—and that’s a good thing.

All of this nonsense needs to end. I am not However, at some point years ago, IBUs blaming consumers here; it is not their fault.

They like hoppy beers, and they want to try more. They hear about this measurement (It’s gotta be accurate, too, right? I mean, it’s printed right there on the label!) so they go in search of the beer with the highest amount of these IBUs. Free yourselves from the thought of IBUs, people. Stop torturing yourselves with math.

Enjoy the beer in your glass. Much happiness and enjoyment will come to you.

And go away, IBU. You are not needed anymore.

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

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ON COCKTAILS S

Our intrepid imbiber visits a favorite Palm Springs craftcocktail joint—and a brand-new bar in an unexpected location

By Kevin Carlow

ometimes, when you feel like you may have run out of inspiration, you have to go back to the beginning.

Allow me to explain myself.

I sometimes wonder how much of a cocktail scene there is left to cover in the Coachella Valley.

Most of my “research trips” land me in yet another Moscow mule or margarita joint—one after another. Don’t get me wrong; these can be fine drinks when properly executed. In fact, these are perfectly sane choices for many establishments, whose clientele or menus warrant keeping things simple and refreshing … but as far as I am concerned, I don’t think anyone wants to read the musings of a Moscow mule correspondent.

After more than a few of these outings this up with caravans of people walking through month, I was feeling a little uninspired. (By the and rubbing their hands on everything, saying, way: Shoot me a line if there is a bartender/ ‘Ooh, great space!’ … and not buying a darn program you think I should spotlight, especially drink. Let me tell you: Building a bar clientele in if it’s in the valley outside of Palm Springs.) a place without a sign or an address ain’t easy.

Then I remembered that there was a glaring But we did it. It took lots of pretzels. hole in my coverage.

The reality is that a bar is more than drinks, I have never truly written about Seymour’s, and Seymour’s is a perfect example. It has a located inside Mr. Lyons at 233 E. Palm Canyon great back bar, a two-way mirror that hides a Drive. Yeah, I mentioned that I worked there, TV (campy ’80s movies and commercials are and shared a recipe or two, but I never really regular features), a spectacular patio setup and wrote about it; some sort of journalistic a hip playlist; Seymour’s could serve only vodkaintegrity prevented me from self-promoting sodas, and I would show up. The drinks are columns. It’s only now, after at least six months really tasty, though, with a wide range of both of being back in Palm Springs, that it dawned classics and originals. on me that I never gave one of the top cocktail The Little Owl—Steen’s mix of rye whiskey, bars in Palm Springs its due. Now that I work walnut liqueur, amaro and IPA syrup (take IPA elsewhere, I can finally do so. and boil it down; then add sugar; and … actually, In case you have ever wondered how this don’t do it; it’ll stink up your house)—is a vodka-bashing Boston curmudgeon began bartender’s after-work favorite. “Zane’s Avocado terrorizing your local bar scene … let’s just say Drink” (it will never have another name to me) I was here on vacation from the San Diego is a creamy, spa-ready mix of gin, mint, lime suburbs, and yadda yadda yadda, I got offered and, yes, avocado. Avocado isn’t your thing? Try a job as the first bartender at Seymour’s the Ocotillo Blossom, a mix of bourbon, bell (following co-owner Steen Bojsen-Möller). The pepper and egg white. Steen’s Desert Yardarm rest is history. The two of us rocked it behind (vodka, yellow chartreuse, basil, lemon and the stick for a few months, trying to get people soda) and Chamo Car (chamomile-infused to walk into a steakhouse and go through the brandy, lemon and black-pepper honey) are heavy velvet curtain to find us. Then Zane guest favorites as well.

Tessay joined the team, and the three of us put I would be remiss if I didn’t mention “Gin

*

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N Jams,” the Wednesday night tradition with discounted gin drinks and rockin’ old vinyl on a classic turntable. Feel free to bring a record or three from your own collection.

Speaking of former co-workers and beautiful bars, there is now, finally, Paul. I had the pleasure of working with proprietor Paul O’Halloran at Mr. Lyons during my tenure at Seymour’s. On our nights behind the bar together, it was a rare combination of New York and Boston—one part Broadway, one part Fenway. I have known for some time that he and his husband (also named Paul) were opening a bar (with food!) of their own at the corner of Vista Chino and Gene Autry Trail—so it goes without saying that I have been waiting to see this place open.

I am thrilled with the results. This place has personality. The original back bar looks straight out of a movie; the fact that it was previously sitting unloved in an empty place is a sin. The walls are a tasteful dark hue, and there are subtle faux-Chinese touches appropriate to the address.

Despite Paul’s background, this ain’t no “craft cocktail” bar. Yes, the cocktails are certainly crafted, but don’t look for a list of drinks with clever names and occult ingredients. Come here for a properly made dry martini—like the one I had on my first visit, with the lavender-forward Dorothy Parker gin. This, of course, led to my quoting her famous quatrain regarding martinis … which, after a little digging, I learned that she likely never wrote—but she did at least inspire it.

Drink anything you want here—as long as it’s a proper drink. Want a margarita to go with the guacamole and chips? De nada. A negroni with your homemade meatballs? Prego.

Have a Manhattan with your steak frites, or Cosmopolitans to live out your Carrie Bradshaw moments. While I am sure a Last Word cocktail wouldn’t be a problem, please don’t ask for

MOTher’S dAY

Sun, MAY 13

The bar at Seymour’s. KEVIN CARLOW

muddled lychee and cilantro.

When I asked Paul if he had anything he wanted to say, he thought for a second and said: “No more than two checks.” Bravo.

The sign outside just says “Bar/Food,” and the place is wedged between a carneceria and what appears to be some sort of cannabis operation.

Paul may look like it’s closed. It’s not. Bring a photo of your pooch for the nascent “Wall of Dogs.” I realize this just sounded like something Stefon would tout on Saturday Night Live. Trust me, it’s a real place.

Forgive me if this whole piece seems like a cheap endorsement of my friends—but if you haven’t been to either of these places, you really should go check them out. I would gladly drink a Moscow mule in either bar. That’s high praise.

Kevin Carlow is a bartender at Truss and Twine, and can be reached at krcarlow@gmail.com.

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VINE SOCIAL

Wine scores are a scourge on the industry—and are no good for consumers

JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO

By KatieLOVE finn YOUR

W

HAIR

is such a thing as a “perfect” wine: 100 points awarded for being flawless! According to that guy. On that one day. And that guy’s palate on that day. By giving power to the points, we fail to acknowledge that wine is a moving target. It is a living thing affected by all kinds of variables, the most important of which is you. I actually feel sorry for wines that get 100 points; chances are, they will never achieve that status again, and thus, they’ll never be quite as good as they used to be. In that same vein, I feel pretty sorry for us consumers, too: We will constantly be subjected to a wine industry chasing those big scores and crafting wines to appeal to what that guy likes— row after row of wines like little Stepford wives that are perfectly bland and soulless.

I often wonder if the scores these wines get would change if the circumstances were different when the wines were tasted. Maybe that Central Coast syrah wouldn’t taste like 95 points with a plate of yellowtail sashimi. Just maybe, in that same scenario, the 87-point chenin blanc got a little bit better? Points eliminate context. Are we always just drinking wine alone, without food, in a vacuum—or do you actually eat during the day? Just last night, I opened a bottle of Spanish cava with some friends as we downed a bucket of cheap fried chicken. It was glorious (seriously, one of the best pairings you’ll ever have), and the bubbles were exquisite. Would I have enjoyed it any less if the cava received an 82? Nope. And I find the very notion of my pleasure being dictated by a number irresponsible and more than just a little bit laughable.

“I give that donut a solid 91!” “That massage was an 88 at best.” “Your house is lovely, but there’s no pool, so you get an 83.”

Sounds ludicrous, right?

ine is scary and intimidating. I get it; it has its own language full of science-y words. It comes from places we’ve never heard of, from grapes we can’t pronounce.

It doesn’t help, of course, that there is a whole fleet of wannabe wine experts just Country Club Street waiting to correct that word you mispronounced, or inform you thatand evenCook though the wine you like is ”OK,” they like one that is, by far, better. And just how do they know Palm Dethat sertthis wine of theirs is superior?

It got a huge score, naturally.

760-340-5959 Before I proceed to rip apart the wine-scoring system that Americans cling to like cellophanewrapped cheese, I want to point out that we not be distracted with thoughts of their longwww.jasondavidhairstudio.net have come a long way in our wine journey. overdue Hawaiian vacation.

Before wine became hip in this country, we were Giving a wine a score—a hard and fast a Jack-and-Coke, Seven-and-Seven, cosmonumber to hang around its neck like a noose— drinking culture. Wine was for snobs or elitists does nothing positive for the wine industry. In or Europeans. Nowadays, you’d be hard-pressed fact, I will say it has been the greatest hindrance to go to any city and not find at least one wine to our blossoming wine culture. It infantilizes bar. We no longer associate all pink wine with our decision-making and hogties us from being sweet swill, or turn our nose up at something able to discover what we like about certain foreign. Walk into any supermarket today, and wines. Take me, for example: I happen to love you will find a highly developed wine section wines that are bracingly acidic. I want there with multiple offerings spanning the globe—a to be so much raging acid in my wine that it far cry from the olden days of one wall of wine stings my tongue and makes me wince a little. that featured domestic, cheap chardonnay and What if gave 100 points to every wine that merlot. Well done, America! resulted in a slight chemical burn? It seems silly So … why—with all this wine sophistication for a professional to tout such a concept, but I and savvy that consumers now have—do we assure you it is no different than Robert Parker still hold tight to stupid scores? awarding 100 points to wines that are tooEvery time someone tells me that wine XYZ concentrated, overly alcoholic, hyper-extracted got 98 points, or that Chateau Crème de la fruit-bombs. The only benefit I’ve ever found Crème got a disappointing 87, I start twitching, in such ridiculousness is that if Parker gave it a and my insides get hot. There are so many big score, I knew I’d hate it. My wallet and I are things about the point scale that bother me, very grateful for that, because the other pitfall but the No. 1 thorn in my side is the notion is, of course, that as soon as a wine reaches Wine that I am supposed to care about that number.

Spectator or Wine Advocate stardom, not only There is a pervasive idea that we should respect does that wine immediately sell out; you are a system that reduces wine to nothing more guaranteed to see that wine double in price, if than a high school science project graded by a you ever see it again. potentially burnt-out expert who may or may Points give consumers the false idea that there

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Scores will obviously continue to be used, and despite my ranting, I do understand why; I don’t agree with it, but I understand it. Scores act like little life vests to shoppers drowning in a sea of options. The idea is that scores help people paralyzed with the fear of buying the “wrong” wine. I’m here to tell you there is no such thing: No matter what the score is, you’ll always be faced with the unknown flavor in the bottle.

Scores are not a guarantee that you’ll like the wine. They simply imply that someone likes the wine, and maybe you will, too.

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Restaurant NEWS BITES

By Jimmy Boegle GREATER PALM SPRINGS RESTAURANT WEEK BOASTS 100-PLUS PARTICIPANTS FROM JUNE 1-17 Hey, foodies: That wonderful time of year known as Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week is almost here!

From June 1-17—so, yeah, it’s more of a Greater Palm Springs Restaurant 2 1/2 Weeks— restaurants valley-wide will be offering special prix-fixe menus for lunch and/or dinner. Those lunch menus, with at least two courses, will cost $15, $20 or $25, while dinner menus, with at least three courses, will be $29, $39 or $49.

As of this writing, the Restaurant Week website listed a whopping 104 participants, from AC3 Restaurant + Bar to Zin American Bistro.

There are truly fine offers available at every price point for both lunch and dinner. However, because I earn a journalist’s salary (read: a half-step above “pauper”), I tend to focus on the $29 dinners—and, man, there are some great deals to be had. For example, we can go to Catalan Mediterranean Cuisine in Rancho Mirage and get the amazing paella (or one of five other main courses) and one of three first courses and one of two desserts for just $29. Or we can go to Jake’s in Palm Springs and choose one of six mains—including petite filet mignon!—plus a starter and dessert, again for just $29.

And now, a word of caution: While the majority of the Restaurant Week prix-fixe meals are indeed good deals … not all of them are. I’ll be diplomatic here and won’t name names … but some restaurants are offering menus under the Restaurant Week banner that are no better and no more exciting than what’s usually available. So, I recommend doing due diligence and researching the menus first.

Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week takes place Friday, June 1, through Sunday, June 17. For more information, including a constantly updated roster of participants with their menus, visit www. visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/dinegps/restaurant-week.

First Course Beer-Poached Scallops greens, citrus beer blanc, crispy prosciutto Pairing: Desert Swarm Honey Double Wit 7% ABV

Second Course Duo of Pork schnitzel, honey wit gravy, braised kale, nuskies slab bacon, honey wit glaze, smoked cheddar grits Pairing: Phoenix Vienna Style Lager 6% ABV

Third Course Filet Mignon mushroom crusted, IPA demi glaze, whipped Yukon gold potatoes Pairing: Monumentous Rye IPA 7% ABV

Fourth Course Beer-Infused Chocolate Lava Cake black widow espresso ice cream, Chantilly cream Pairing: Black Widow Imperial Stout 13% ABV

$65 per person • 6 p.m., Saturday, June 23 RSVP required for limited-seating event • Call 760-776-6685 Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse • 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage

NEW: TOMMY BAHAMA MARLIN BAR OPENS IN DOWNTOWN PALM SPRINGS The ever-controversial downtown Palm Springs redevelopment project is now home to yet another place to dine—and there’s nothing controversial about saying that the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar is a whole lot of fun.

The Marlin Bar, located at 111 N. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 150, is—like the Tommy Bahama restaurant and bar in Palm Desert on El Paseo—attached to the beachware-themed clothing store.

However, the Palm Springs menu is a bit more limited than the Palm Desert one, although there’s still plenty of food to satisfy any appetite—and the prices are quite reasonable At a recent media preview, I was able to sample some of the Marlin Bar’s signature offerings. The coconut shrimp ($9) were simply divine, while the ahi tuna tacos with wonton shells ($8) were fresh and delicious. The Cuban sandwich ($11) was a messy delight, while the all-American burger sliders ($10) were juicy and delectable.

Beyond the ample selection of appetizers and “hand-helds” (i.e., tacos, sandwiches and burgers), the Marlin Bar also offers entrée salads ($13-$16) and mains ranging from a vegetarian bowl ($13) and a Thai shrimp bowl ($14) to guava-glazed baby back pork ribs ($18) and steak frites ($22).

What about the cocktails? There are a lot of yummy rum and island-themed drinks—no surprise there—along with martinis and standards that’ll cost you from $11 to $13.50. Select wines and cocktails are knocked down to $6 during happy hour, weekdays from 3 to 6 p.m., during which you can also enjoy select martinis for $8; select beer for $4; and well drinks for $5.

Oh … and the patio, just off Palm Canyon Drive, is pretty epic.

The Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar in Palm Springs is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., daily. Call 760778-0019, or visit www.tommybahama.com for details.

r i s t o r a n t e family owned and operated | since 1976

Enjoy great classic delicious Italian food with flair as Johnny’s sons, grandsons and nephews continue the family tradition, perfectly executing the family recipes and delighting celebrities and locals with a dining experience that is amazing.

Frank Sinatra himself was a regular at this Italian restaurant, where the chairman’s two favorite dishes – the Steak Sinatra and Linguini Clams are still on the menu. patio dining | full bar | bar menu private dining | groups Open for Dinner Nightly at 5 p.m.

(Closed Sundays) Reservations can be made through our website on OpenTable.

PHOTO BY GREGG FELSEN

IN BRIEF As promised … Grand Central Palm Springs is finally open! The restaurant is located inside the historic building at 160 La Plaza; for now, coffee, breakfast and lunch are being served from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Thursday through Tuesday, with dinner to come later. Oh, and there’s a full bar, too! For more information, including menus and a history of the building, visit www.grandcentralpalmsprings. com; you can call ’em at 760-699-7185. … New to Indio: Sushi Bento, located in the old China Jo’s location at 82280 Highway 111. The place opened in March; get more info by calling 760775-3444, or visiting this very odd and apparently in-progress website: sushi-bento-pan-asianrestaurant.business.site. … New to La Quinta: Enzo’s Bistro and Bar, at 78121 Avenida La Fonda.

Enzo’s opened its doors in April and offers upscale Italian fare; the bar opens at 3 p.m., daily, with the dining room opening at 5 p.m. For more information, call 760-564-7333, or visit www. enzosbistroandbar.com.

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FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT Forget the diet: This month, we’re having pizza and ice cream in Palm Springs!

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The pizza Italia WHERE Spaghetteria Pasta and Pizza, 611 S. Palm Canyon Drive, No. 13, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $20.95 for a medium, as shown CONTACT 760-322-7647; www.facebook.com/ Spaghetteria-184803948227261 WHY A bevy of tasty ingredients.

I was in the mood for pizza.

It had been a long work day—including a meeting with a friend/colleague who had extolled the virtues of the thin-crust pizza at Spaghetteria, the longtime family-owned restaurant in Palm Springs. Therefore, I put two (my hankering for pizza) and two (my friend’s recommendation) together, and called up Spaghetteria for a to-go order.

Spaghetteria offers a variety of reasonably priced pies, but the one that caught my eye was the pizza Italia, thanks to the menu description: “everything on it.” When I called in my order, I asked for some clarification. “It has all of the ingredients we offer, except for pineapple and anchovies,” the woman replied.

It turns out that not everything else offered, toppings-wise, was on the pizza; I did not see any broccoli, spinach or chicken, which are also available on other Spaghetteria pizzas.

However, this is not a complaint, as there were ingredients aplenty: The pizza came with mushrooms, onions, black olives, artichoke hearts, sausage, ham and pepperoni, all with mozzarella on top—and it would have had green peppers on it had I not declined ’em.

After I picked up my pizza and brought it home, I could not wait to dive in—and my friend’s recommendation rang true: This was a great pizza. The crust was tasty and had a fine texture, while all of the many ingredients were excellent. Other than the inadvertent inclusion of some inedible onion-skin pieces, I had nary a complaint.

Spaghetteria offers all sorts of other Italian fare, including, yes, spaghetti, and I look forward to trying other things there.

“From Florence with love,” it says on the menu. This makes sense: It was clear that my delicious pizza was indeed made with love.

WHAT Ice cream (specifically, the cookies and kreem) WHERE Kreem, 170 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $6 for two scoops, as shown CONTACT 760-699-8129; www.ilovekreem.com WHY It’s revelatory … but your favorite flavor may not always be available.

There’s something to be said for massproduced products.

Take, for example, a Snickers bar. If I want a Snickers bar—pretty much any time day or night, and pretty much anywhere in the world—I can get a Snickers bar. It’s that simple.

Alas, the same cannot be said for the cookies and kreem ice cream at Kreem.

When I made my inaugural visit to the newish “artisanal ice cream and coffee shop”—located in the part of Palm Springs where Palm Canyon Drive changes from a north-south thoroughfare into an east-west road—I ordered the cookies and kreem ice cream. It beat out flavors including strawberry rose, lavender coffee, vegan turmeric ginger and vegan ube … and it was revelatory. It got better with each passing bite, and when I was finished, I had to talk myself out of ordering more.

Flash forward to several days later, when I decided to take an ice cream break from work.

I hopped in the car and made the short trek to Kreem, with my mouth watering the entire way.

I walked in, opened my mouth to put in my order … and then realized cookies and kreem was not on the menu anymore. You see, all of Kreem’s ice creams are made fresh in-house, and the cookies and kreem had sold out.

The kicker: I was told more had just been made … but it had not yet set, and was therefore not ready to be served.

Sigh.

So I ordered the chocolate chip ice cream. It’s what’s shown in the picture above. It was very good. But it was not the cookies and kreem I so deeply desired.

Damn you, artisanal yumminess! Damn you!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23

JUNE 2018

24 25 26 27

The Paul Chesne Band brings its alt-country music back to Pappy’s The goal of local band Instigator is to forge a musical movement Kansas, coming to Morongo, has plans for more new music the lucky 13: two women who are rocking the local music scene

The Blueskye REPORT June 2018

By Brian Blueskye

www.cvindependent.com/music

TRAVELIN’ BAND Little Big Town

Despite a change in lead vocalists, Creedence Clearwater Revisited keeps on playing the hits

26

It’s June, which means that summer is officially arriving. While some venues close or slow down for the summer, there are still plenty of great shows from which to choose this month.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has some fine events. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 23, Latin-music greats Pandora and Yuri will be performing. They have become world-famous since they started performing music together in the ’80s. The vocal power that these women have is remarkable. Tickets are $49 to $89. At 8 p.m., Friday, June 29, country group Little Big Town will take the stage. Little Big Town performed at Fantasy Springs in 2015 to a packed house—and the electrifying show was one of the best I’ve seen. The group puts on a mind-blowing show no matter the size of the stage. Tickets are $69 to $129. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has a nice variety of events. At 8 p.m., Friday, June 1, Mexico’s hilarious comedy duo, Adrian Uribe and Omar Chaparro, aka Imparables, will be performing. Uribe and Chaparro are known for their battle style of comedy that includes numerous colorful characters. Tickets are $55 to $85. At 8 p.m., Friday, June 15, Michael Carbonaro will bring his magic to The Show.

On top of his awesome talents as a magician, he’s also an actor who has appeared in Grey’s Anatomy and Another Gay Movie; he also has his own truTV television show, The Carbonaro Effect.

Tickets are $25 to $160. At 7 p.m., Saturday, June 30, my favorite annual event, Art Laboe’s Summer Love Jam, will return for its seventh year. I used to listen to the dedication hour of the radio show just to hear the “love and kisses” to people’s loved ones in prison, with names like “Baby Joker,” “Lucky” and “Little Brown Eyes.”

Performing at this year’s event will be Peaches and Herb, Manhattans, Deniece Williams, MC Magic, Lighter Shade of Brown, Aalon, and the man himself, Art Laboe. Tickets are $45 to $65.

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

Spotlight 29 Casino’s June calendar includes a couple of heavy hitters. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 2, Banda Los Recoditos will be performing. Banda Los Recoditos, from Sinaloa, continued on Page 25

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MUSIC

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

GETTING LOOSE, HAVING FUN

By Brian Blueskye

A

handful of performers are semi-regulars at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace—and Paul Chesne is fortunate enough to be one of those select few.

He performed at the Campout in 2014, and has turned in some New Year’s Eve concerts there in the past. He’ll be returning for a show on Saturday, June 16.

Why is Chesne a Pappy’s regular? For one thing, his band’s alternative-country sound works nicely on Pappy’s stage—and Chesne’s stage presence works nicely anywhere. During a recent phone interview from Los Angeles, Chesne talked about why he loves coming back to Pappy and Harriet’s.

“It’s kind of like that every night there “The people (who go there) are great,” now,” he said. “It’s a congregation of people on Chesne said. “There’s something about it any given night, and Pappy’s always has that that I say sometimes from the stage: Because certain vibe. I always thought of New Year’s you’re so far away from everything, you can Eve in general as arbitrary numbers that were do whatever the hell you want, as long as you sort of meaningless. It’s a reason for amateurs don’t hurt anybody. You have freedom, and it’s to get drunk—but I’ll take a gig if they’re close enough to Los Angeles, but you’re in a getting drunk and having fun. (At Pappy’s), it’s whole different world. You’ve transferred into getting loose and having fun in the desert. It’s a place where you can let loose, and the crowd always nice to bring that kind of milestone in really does let loose.” people’s lives, and we all share that changing of The crowds at Pappy and Harriet’s New the number, whether it’s arbitrary or not.”

Year’s Eve shows were huge when Chesne Playing country-style music in Los Angeles played them. can be tough, but Chesne said he has it

figured out.

“Over the years, I’ve sort of honed in on places that are welcoming through a collective of musicians and friends,” he said. “The interesting thing about Los Angeles is that it’s so compartmentalized, and there are so many different neighborhoods, so we can play in Hollywood and have no people come out from the westside of Los Angeles. It feels like you can do a tour of Los Angeles where you have different crowds every night. We’ve gone from Venice to Santa Monica, playing two nights in a row, and having 150 people each night.”

In 2016, Chesne teamed up with singersongwriter Matt Ellis for a song called “They Don’t Make Them Like They Used To,” which talked about the changing times in terms of culture and music.

“I’m pretty progressive and open to the things that are happening technologically and culturally,” he said. “… The resistance parts and women’s rights are at the forefront with gay rights, and Black Lives Matter is still trying to fight back against the never-ending war that we’ve been fighting forever in this country. It feels like things have only gotten better slightly.”

Chesne comes from a unique family: His father is a surgeon, and one of his siblings has had a successful career in music.

“My brothers are both very talented. One

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The Paul Chesne Band brings its alt-country music back to a favorite haunt—Pappy and Harriet’s

Paul Chesne. GUILLERMO PRIETO/IROCKPHOTOS.NET

of them wrote music for television shows like Family Matters and Full House and other ones back in the ’80s or ’90s,” Chesne said.

“Now he’s a music teacher and has a music institute that he runs out of his house with his wife for kids. My other brother taught me everything I know about guitar. When I’d ride in the car with my dad, I heard a lot of Mozart and Beethoven. My brothers would always bring around The Beatles’ Let It Be or Bob Dylan’s Blonde on Blonde. I wound up with the bug, and I’m mostly self-taught, but I started writing and singing—and I couldn’t really stop.”

There are a lot of reasons to go see the Paul Chesne Band—and there are testimonials in that regard, ranging from serious to funny, on his website. Here’s my testimonial: Seeing him at Pappy’s is always a treat.

“It’s a great place to let the city sort of wash off your back and get some fresh air,” he said. “They have great food, and we put on a happening, spectacular extravaganza of music.”

The Paul Chesne Band will perform with the Shadow Mountain Band at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 16, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53668 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown.

Admission is free. For more information, call 760365-5956, or visit www.pappyandharriets.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 25

JUNE 2018

MUSIC FINDING THEIR VOICE L

By Brian Blueskye

ast year, a group of teenagers from La Quinta High School became the talk of the local music scene thanks to their unique brand of instrumental music.

The group known as Instigator participated in CV Weekly’s Battle of the Bands competition, opened for Mondo Generator at The Date Shed, and enjoyed some gigs at The Hood Bar and Pizza. Now the band has a recording—Built to Defy, produced by Throw the Goat guitarist Brian “Puke” Parnell, which was slated to be released on Friday, May 25.

I asked Parnell why he wanted to record Instigator.

“When Throw the Goat played with Like most bands, Instigator had problems Instigator last year at The Date Shed, and we gaining credibility at first. were both opening for Mondo Generator, I was “I think we struggled with not being taken really blown away by them,” said Parnell. “I was seriously for a while,” Boomer said. “I feel like talking to the guys after the show and talking we had to fight for any amount of respect to their parents. I asked them if they had any we’ve earned. We had little issues everywhere. recordings, and they didn’t. It was something At the time, it felt like major setbacks. We had I definitely wanted to do for them, because I a security guard at a venue not let us into our wanted to make sure that it sounded right. I own show. I think we’ve gotten to the point knew how to capture the sound already at that where we have a little more respect now—or point by ear.” we just don’t care. We don’t need to worry When I first saw the band last year, I loved about impressing people anymore.” the fact that it was entirely instrumental— Wadlund agreed. despite criticism from the Battle of the Bands “I think the music speaks for itself,” judges’ table via House of Broken Promises and Wadlund said. “You have to show people what Unida guitarist Arthur Seay, who didn’t like you’ve created. That’s what it’s all about.” the lack of lyrics. Seay will be glad to learn the Instigator recently played a show at West band has now begun to incorporate lyrics— Hollywood’s legendary Whisky a Go Go—but and the group sounds even better. there was a downside: The band was required During a recent interview with the band to sell a certain number of tickets. members in La Quinta, they said they were “The pay-to-play thing threw us off,” embracing the vocals.

Boomer said. “Most of the tickets we sold were “It helps to broaden the dynamic of the entire band, especially with how you have to get a message to your listeners,” said lead guitarist and vocalist Mark Wadlund.

The members’ individual lists of influences make for a strange mix when put together.

For starters, all of the members agree that drummer Joe Boomer’s punk and hip-hop influences are a big part of their music.

“They ruined me,” drummer Joe Boomer said about his bandmates with a laugh. “I was on track to being a normal drummer. It was cool, though, because I never felt challenged by school band or marching band, because there’s a lack of creativity. They give you music and expect you to play it. With these guys, I didn’t know how to do what they were doing, so I latched myself onto them and started to learn.”

Rhythm guitarist Jaxson Fischer is influenced by psychedelic rock and blues.

“We’re all individually inspired by different tastes and things, and we incorporate that personally into the way we play,” said Fischer.

“Joe is the only person I know who can combine death metal and hip-hop into a song through his drumming. It just works.”

Instigator.

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

The Blueskye REPORT continued from Page 23

The goal of local band Instigator is to forge a musical movement to friends and family. We obviously couldn’t sell them out there in Los Angeles, so all we could do is sell them to family members.”

“Or to whoever was available on a Thursday night,” added bassist Garrison Calkins with a laugh. “We kind of fed off the four other bands that played. They sneered at us a little bit, but not when we got up and played onstage.”

When it came time to record, the band members’ parents dropped them off at Parnell’s house in Idyllwild for a weekend.

“All he had for us was a couch that only one of us fought for. I brought a cot, and the rest of us slept on the ground,” Calkins said. “Being in the studio was a whole new thing for us. When you’re in there, you have all these monitors surrounding you, and you can hear every little mistake.”

Wadlund said the band’s name is also its mission.

“We literally are all about instigating a movement out here in the valley,” Wadlund said. “Obviously not by starting metal—metal started a long time ago—but we’re about instigating a movement of people. It’s a musical get-together, and it’s an entire music scene, or a huge crowd of people, or meeting new friends at an Instigator show. It just feels inspiring.”

For more information on Instigator, visit www. facebook.com/instigatorofficial.

Mexico, includes performers with different vocal ranges, as well as a huge brass section. The group was nominated for a Latin Music Grammy in 2010; one of the group’s songs is “Ando Bien Pedo,” which translates as “I Am Very Drunk.”

Hey, sounds like a good time to me! Tickets are $59 to $79. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 23, Eric Paslay will bring the country. Paslay had a hit song called “Friday Night” that reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Hot Country Chart in 2014.

Tickets are $25 to $45. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www. spotlight29.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace has some big things slated for June, along with appearances by regulars. At 10 p.m., Saturday, June 9, Rancho de la Luna will be celebrating the release of its very own branded mezcal.

It seems appropriate, given tequila seems to be the adult beverage of choice at the ranch, seeing as there’s a sculpture outside including a lot of Patron bottles. Performers include Mojave Lords, Bone Acre, Sinner Sinners and some “surprise guests.” Who knows who will show up? Tickets are $20. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 23, enjoy the majestic comedic country vibes of Pappy’s regulars The Evangenitals.

The group always puts on a show that will make you laugh until it hurts. The Evangenitals recorded an album that tells the entire story of Moby Dick, and created “The Vagina Song,” so you can’t go wrong. Admission is free. At 8:30 p.m., Thursday, June 28, Scottish indie-band the Trashcan Sinatras will be performing. If you’re thinking this is some kind of tribute act with a name like that, you’re wrong: Trashcan Sinatras is a fantastic indie-alternative band that has been compared to The Smiths, and the album Cake is considered by some to be a masterpiece. Tickets are $20 to $25. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-365-5956; www. pappyandharriets.com.

The Purple Room Palm Springs is preparing to go on a summer break—but it will be open through the end of June! At 8 p.m., Friday, June 1, R&B and pop performer Jake Simpson will take the Purple Room stage.

He’s performed with Stevie Wonder, Adam Lambert, and Earth, Wind and Fire, and he’s been on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Tickets are $25 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 23, the alt-cabaret performers known The Skivvies will perform. The show features musical comedy …performed by Skivvies duo Lauren Molina and Nick Cearley in their underwear.

Wow! The “undie rock” stars will also be joined by surprise guests. Tickets are $30 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 30, it’s the last The Judy Show of the season. It’s performed by Purple Room owner Michael Holmes, in drag as Judy Garland … and others. It’s wild, over the top and one of the most popular regular live events in Palm Springs. Tickets are $25 to $30. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www. purpleroompalmsprings.com.

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JUNE 2018

MUSIC

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THEY CARRY ON

TRAVELIN’ BAND

Legendary rock band Kansas, coming to Morongo, has plans for more new music

Despite a change in lead vocalists, Creedence Clearwater Revisited keeps on playing the hits

S

By Brian Blueskye

tu Cook and Doug “Cosmo” Clifford of Creedence Clearwater Revisited celebrated their 73rd birthdays back in April—but they are still rocking.

Creedence Clearwater Revisited will be stopping by Fantasy Springs on Saturday, June 16.

After Creedence Clearwater Revival broke up in 1972, frontman John Fogerty went solo.

Guitarist Thomas Fogerty passed away in 1990, but in 1995, the other two members of Creedence Clearwater Revisited—bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug “Cosmo” Clifford—decided to reactivate the band under a new name. The band’s lineup now consists of Cook, Clifford, lead guitarist Kurt Griffey, rhythm guitarist Steve Gunner and lead vocalist Dan McGuinness—the newest member, following the 2016 departure over it all these years,” Clifford said. “It’s now of John Tristao. finally in bonus tracks on one of the packages During a recent phone interview with they released, but we’re not in the film with our Clifford, we discussed the history of Creedence peers. To this day, it rubs me the wrong way, Clearwater Revival—including the performance and it’s ridiculous that we weren’t in it.” at Woodstock in 1969.

After all these years, Clifford said he still loves “Under the circumstances, everyone had the to tour and perform live. same level playing field. Going on when we went “I don’t know what I would do without it. on, in the pitch-black dark of night between We’ve been doing it for so long, and the passion 1 and 3 in the morning, I think we did fine,” is still there,” he said. “We love what we do. I Clifford said. “We had a long day getting there; have two lives. I’m a grandfather, and I have travel changed several times. We were doing five grandkids, and I love them and love to see an Andy Williams television special, and they them. The other life is I’m a touring musician kept having problems, and we canceled the fight and encompassed in that. Back in the day when three times. We had one shot at it to be in New we were touring, we had trips in limos. Now we York state, and it was our last chance to get travel in commercial jets and 15-passenger vans. there when we did. It was the most historic rock If a limo shows up now, we send it back. We’re ’n’ roll concert ever. … I was happy to be there very efficient in what we do, and the reason is and experience it. It was an absolute mindbecause it’s called “show business.” What you blower, and Stu hit the nail on the head when do is get the business done. You’ll always have he said, ‘It’s not about the bands; it’s about problems here and there, but that’s part of the the audience.’ (Audience members) endured beauty of life. Jump on it, and be very creative tremendous hardships such as the weather, to make sure you finish what you start.” shelter, food and water, and all the basics.

Clifford said the change in frontmen in Instead of resorting to violence, they all shared 2016 was not as much of a challenge as it with strangers. It made the hair on my arms could have been. stand up when we were there.”

“We had an understudy for John Tristao, Clifford explained why the footage of their who had been with us for 20 years,” Clifford performance was not in the Woodstock film. said. “He did a terrific job, and he had his own “That was John Fogerty’s call. We would have personality. We let him be him. He’s a big loved to have been included, and we had fights tattooed biker guy, and he comes off a bit gruff, but it’s a setup, because he’s a big teddy bear.

John had some medical issues, and we hope he’s going to be OK. Now we have Dan McGuinness, who is a big guy in his 30s; he’s 6 foot 2 and very handsome and could be in the NFL. He doesn’t have the growl and the swagger, but he does it his own way.”

Creedence Clearwater Revisited. JEFF DOW

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Creedence Clearwater Revisited will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, June 16, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, in Indio. Tickets are $39 to $59. For tickets or more information, call 760-342-5000, or visit www. fantasyspringsresort.com.

I

By Brian Blueskye

n 2016, Kansas released a new album—the first by the band in 16 years. That album, The Prelude Impact, received generally good reviews and made the Billboard Top 200 chart.

Today, the group continues to consistently tour, even though original lead guitarist Kerry Livgren and lead vocalist Steve Walsh are no longer in the lineup. Kansas will be stopping by Morongo Casino Resort Spa on Friday, June 1.

I talked by phone with bassist Billy Greer—a member of Kansas since 1985—while he was on a tour stop in Iowa. He discussed The Prelude Impact.

“I think, in essence, we captured the old progressive rock of Kansas,” Greer said. “We signed with a German record label called Inside Out, and they’re known as a progressive-rock label.

They gave us a bunch of freedom and didn’t put any restraints on us, like, ‘Hey, we need two or three songs that might be hit records.’

They just wanted a Kansas album, and that’s what we gave them.”

Greer said the recording sessions offered the Kansas band a clean slate. from the Recording Industry Association of “It was more exciting, and everyone was into America for that.” it,” Greer said. “We had new blood and new The lyrics in many of Kansas’ older faces in the band. Kerry had always been the recordings reference a lot of subjects related to main writer, and Steve was also one of the main philosophy and religion. However, that is not writers as far as lyrics and music. Steve retired the case with the newer material. and wasn’t interested in trying to record new “Kerry was the main lyricist of the band,” material. We finally got Ronnie (Platt) as our new lead singer, and David (Manion) as our new Greer said. “Kerry is, without question, a very spiritual person, and when he left the band keyboard player; our new guitarist, Zak (Rizvi), (the first time), he and our old bassist, Dave who was producing the record, brought in a Hope, put together a band called AD, which bunch of material he had written for this band was a Christian rock band. Some of those 15 to 20 years ago when he was trying to pitch songs to the band, which we ended up recording religious lyrics are kind of masked where they can be construed to mean other things, but (on The Prelude Impact).” they’re there, and people know that, and we Greer said that it’s frustrating, as a classic don’t try to hide that. The lyrics we write now rock band, to try to get new material used for are not so much as spiritual as when Kerry was commercials, shows and soundtracks. the lyricist.”

“They’re usually only interested in ‘Carry There are plans for another new album, On Wayward Son’ or ‘Dust in the Wind,’” Greer said.

Greer said, citing two Kansas classics. “They “We do have a new album in the works, and want the old the hits that have been played 5 we’re already behind on it,” he said. “We were million times that everyone is familiar with. supposed to be in the studio back in January Everything has changed. The music business and February, but we had been on tour for our has changed; the radio business has changed; 40th anniversary of our album Leftoverture, and the concert business has changed. You and it’s something that was larger than have to be creative in how you market yourself anything we had ever done before. and how you get people to listen to your new “That was 2 1/2 hours of nonstop stuff and know it’s available.” entertainment without a bathroom break,” Those aforementioned two best-known Greer added with a laugh.

Kansas songs could not have been bigger hits.

“If you put all of the times that ‘Carry On Kansas will perform at 9 p.m., Friday, June 1, Wayward Son’ and ‘Dust in the Wind’ played at Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole on a tape loop (on the radio), they’d be played Drive, in Cabazon. Tickets are $39 to $59. For nonstop for 5 years—they’ve been played that tickets or more information, call 800-252-4499, or much,” he said. “That was about four or five visit www.morongocasinoresort.com. years ago when Kerry received those awards

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 27

JUNE 2018

MUSIC

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the

LUCKY 13 Meet two women who are rocking the local music scene

By Brian Blueskye the Goat, Sleazy Cortez, Right On Right On, 5th Town and Thr3 Strykes.

NAME Esther Sanchez GROUP The After Lashes MORE INFO Esther Sanchez is known as a Coachella Valley music journalist, but she’s also got another thing going on: fronting the local all-female punk band The After Lashes. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ theafterlashes.

What was the first concert you attended?

I spent the vast majority of my young life in church, and that is where I grew my musical performance chops. It may have been Amy Grant, but I also have strong memories of seeing Stryper in Pomona as a kid with my mom who was, and is, still a big fan of Christian metal.

What was the first album you owned?

I can’t for the life of me remember the first actual album I ever owned, because I was raised under a very strict “no secular music” rule.

The first music I remember purchasing myself when I was a kid (behind my mom’s back) was the single for Young MC’s’ “Bust a Move.”

What bands are you listening to right now?

We have so much great music locally, and I spend a lot of time listening to guys like Throw

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

I don’t get modern pop/country. I love me some Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Dwight Yoakam, etc. I just don’t get the majority of the new country.

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

The Fugees had one amazing album, and I hate that I never had the opportunity to see them live.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Easy: Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats.”

One of these days, I would love for The After Lashes to do a punky cover of it.

What’s your favorite music venue?

Some of the coolest concerts I have ever attended have been intimate shows at various House of Blues locations.

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

Probably from my peeps from 5th Town: “Why don’t you tell me I’m pretty?!?!”

What band or artist changed your life?

Led Zeppelin, because my mom layered them, and they are arguably the greatest. A Tribe Called Quest and The Pharcyde showed me how deep and poetic hip-hop could be.

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

“Hey, Little Richard? What do you really think of Elvis?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Damn It Feels Good to be a Gangsta,” Geto Boys.

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

The Fugees, The Score.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Tight Pants/Body Rolls” by Leslie Hall.

Desiree McCaslin

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

Rebelution. It is just so uplifting and groovy!

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Listening to ’80s pop music. None of my friends care for it, but I’ll bump the hell out of it!

NAME Desiree McCaslin GROUP When Tides Turn MORE INFO When you watch local metal band When Tides Turn, you can’t help but notice drummer Desiree McCaslin—who rivals another local female drummer, KT Cathcart of Bridger, in terms of intensity and technical prowess. For more information, visit www. facebook.com/whentidesturn.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Glass House in Pomona is a pretty cool venue; they have some of the best pizza there.

What was the first concert you attended?

My first concert was OzzFest. I fell in love with so many amazing metal bands that day, and it was an experience I’ll never forget.

What band or artist changed your life?

Korn. The band wrote incredible music, and the lyrics were just so powerful. It felt as if Jonathan Davis knew what his fans were going through.

What was the first album you owned?

Alanis Morissette’s Jagged Little Pill was my first album—not by choice, and I blame my older sister for this one. She tossed the CD in the trash, so I grabbed it and started bumping it on my little boom box. I ended up getting made fun of, since my childhood best friend listened to Slipknot, Pantera, Black Sabbath and such.

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

Matt Heafy from Trivium: “Wanna jam, dude?”

What bands are you listening to right now?

Fit for a King, Oceans Ate Alaska, Whitechapel, I See Stars, Palisades, Senses Fail, and Rebelution.

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

Hip-hop/country collaboration, or what I like to call “hick-hop.” I just don’t get what the hype is all about.

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

“Good Vibrations” by Marky Mark and the Funky Bunch. If I hear that song, it’ll replay over and over in my head all day.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Drive” by Incubus—such a beautiful song on the acoustic guitar. But if my family would allow it, “Back That Thang Up” by Juvenile.

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

Thrice’s The Artist in the Ambulance.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Our Last Night’s cover of 1-800-273-8255.

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I

It’s time to take farmers’ market values and apply them to marijuana

BY CHARLES DRABKIN

have long proclaimed the greatness of using local produce grown and picked at the height of ripeness—something I learned after working in the restaurant industry.

I visit the farmers’ market in Palm Springs every week. The example I use to justify the extra expense and time it takes to shop at a farmers’ market is a tomato: Imagine those little red bags of water on the shelf of every grocery store. They have almost no smell, very little flavor, and often a mealy texture; they seem barely worth the effort. Now … think about the tomato you can get at the farmers’ market, or better yet, fresh out of a garden: They smell slightly acidic and rich with accumulated sunshine. All you need is that fresh tomato and a little salt, and you have a perfect lunch.

So … why shouldn’t I apply these same values to cannabis? If it makes sense to buy a fresh tomato from a local farmer, why wouldn’t I buy marijuana from a local grower?

Although the Coachella Valley is becoming a hot bed of the cannabis industry, our … shall I say, harsh summers mean most local growing is being done indoors. However, marijuana can be grown outdoors here; after all, plenty of farmers in northern climes have farms that are dormant at least three months of the year, so why can’t we? Cannabis is a hearty plant and has been cultivated by humans for eons, and to grow it commercially with success, one needs hot days, warm nights, lots of sun exposure and low humidity. That sounds like a perfect description of the Coachella Valley to me.

When I was growing up, indoor-grown cannabis was considered vastly superior, in large part due to prohibition: Outdoor growers couldn’t grow in optimal conditions, as they needed to keep their plants shaded (i.e., hidden) to protect them from both the feds and organized crime. (If this sounds familiar, yes, it is the plot to every Cheech and Chong movie.) However, shade-grown cannabis produces lower yields, with lower THC content, than plants grown in the full sun.

With the huge amount of money to be had on the black market, indoor growers developed technologies to grow their crops quickly, with high THC percentages. However, the amount of energy it takes to control indoor-grow operations is phenomenal: Between heating, air conditioning, lighting and fans for airflow, published estimates have said cannabis is responsible for 1 percent of the total U.S. energy consumption—and 3 percent of California’s energy consumption! This means sun-grown cannabis has a much smaller carbon footprint. Even with the marijuana industry taking advantage of solar power and other sustainable technologies, sun-grown plants

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will always win by comparison.

Pest are another concern for both indoor and outdoor growers, although sun-grown cannabis has a natural resilience to many insects, meaning outdoor grows can be kept healthy with minimal cost or hassle. Indoor grows are also much more susceptible to mites, as well as mildew, which the grower must then control with a variety of chemicals—chemicals I personally do not want to consume. They also must utilize a larger variety of commercial fertilizers to optimize their investment.

Terrior is important, too. Sun-grown cannabis, much like a sun-grown tomato, has a much more complex flavor—and, I think, more interesting effects. After comparing the tastes and smell of indoor versus sun-grown product, I am finding sun-grown to be a much more enjoyable experience.

For these reasons, I am making a conscious choice to seek out sun-grown cannabis for my own consumption. Of course, I will never turn down cannabis when it is offered to me, but I want to use my purchasing power to support a sustainable industry. Unfortunately, since most sun-grown cannabis is coming out of Northern California as of now, there is the associated environmental cost of transportation to think about.

The best solution for me would be to grow my own plants, outdoors in my yard.

Proposition 64 allows households to grow up to six plants at any given time. With an approximate three-month growing period, I could probably harvest three times a year. If each plant yields a half-pound of smokable product, that is about 9 pounds per year—plus all the extra bits that can be used to make oils.

There is only problem with this: I have the exact opposite of a green thumb. I have killed every “easy to keep alive” plant I have ever gotten. Luckily for me, I have several friends with green thumbs who have offered to give me hand.

As soon as summer ends here in the Coachella Valley, I plan on trying to cultivate a few plants. I’ll let you know how that goes.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

JUNE 2018

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JUNE 2018

OPINION SAVAGE LOVE

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HANGING AND GLIDING F

BY DAN SAVAGE

irst let me say that I think you give excellent advice, even if it is a bit pedestrian at times. I have a small problem: Last fall, my penis bent up and to the left at an almost 90-degree angle. I know from Google that this is not an unusual problem. And at 59, I am thankful that things are working as well as they are. But I fly gliders, and the relief system is a “Texas catheter,” with a drain line to outside the glider. I believe that the bending on my penis may be the result of trauma caused by removing the catheter.

In your many years of dealing with penis problems—I know you are not a urologist, but still—have you run across problems of a similar nature? Is there a way to remove adhesive from the penis that will not cause trauma? Gliding season will be starting soon, and I dread using the same system if it will cause more damage. My partner is an amazing woman—70, by the way, and by far the best partner I have ever had (oh, my brethren, do not look only to youth!)—but I dread further damaging my member.

Hanging Under Nice Glider First let me say thank you for the qualified compliment—you sure know how to flatter a girl—and I’ll try to keep my trademark excellent-if-pedestrian advice coming, HUNG. Also, you’re right: I’m not a urologist. But Dr. Keith Newman is. He’s also a fellow of the American College of Surgeons and my go-to guy for dick-related medical questions.

“It is not likely that HUNG’s drainage system caused the problem,” said Dr. Newman. “His condition sounds like Peyronie’s disease, a possibly autoimmune disease thought to be

related to microtrauma, though some penile fractures may result in similar deformity.”

Men with Peyronie’s disease come down with, well, bent dicks. Sometimes the bend is slight and doesn’t interfere with reasonable penile functions. Sometimes the bend is severe enough to make erections painful and intercourse impossible.

“Most sufferers will return to within 10 to 20 percent of their baseline curvature within two years without intervention,” said Dr. Newman. “Thus, it is considered best to defer therapy until such time has elapsed. Ninety degrees is quite a big bend, however, and less likely to resolve spontaneously, but it is still worth waiting.”

If your big bend doesn’t resolve spontaneously, HUNG, there are treatment options.

“The only real therapies are Xiaflex

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Could my severely bent member have to do with flying gliders?

injections and surgical repair,” said Dr. Newman. “The former is not approved for patients less than two years from diagnosis or with less than 35 degrees of curvature. The latter is fraught with increased complication rates due to scarring so near the tip. Both can straighten the penis, but at a cost of length in many cases. As for drainage alternatives while gliding, I suggest the following product: freedom.mensliberty.com.”

brain, mouth and cock) before and during insertion.

I’m a 37-year-old male. I’ve been with my wife for 15 years. I know that passion transitions in a long-term relationship, but I’m having a hard time finishing lately. Yes, I’m on SSRIs— antidepressants—but that has only exacerbated the issue. We all know that a lot of people who own a vagina enjoy foreplay to help the orgasms along.

Will foreplay help people who own a penis get to the moment faster? I’m pretty sure I know the answer, and I figured you’re the one to ask what the best foreplay options are, because your sexual knowledge is vast, and you regularly deal with two penises at a time. As someone who pleasures a penis and who has a penis that is pleasured, you tell me: What is the best preparation to get guys off before the insertion happens?

Diagnosed And Dazed And Confused

Seeking Weapons Of Male Penile Satisfaction Foreplay isn’t just for vagina-havers, SWOMPS! Penis-havers have nerve endings all over their bodies—inside ’em, too—and while many younger men don’t require much in the way of foreplay, older men and/or men taking SSRIs often benefit from additional forms of stimulation both prior to intercourse and during intercourse. Like tit play. I know some men can’t go there because that titplay shit—like feelings, musicals, sit-ups and voting for women—could turn you gay.

But if you’re up for it, SWOMPS, have the wife play with or even clamp your tits, and then shove a plug in your ass that stimulates your prostate while also remembering to engage what’s often called “the largest sex organ”: your brainz. Talk dirty to each other!

If you’re already proficient at JV dirty talk— telling ’em what you’re about to do (“I’m going to fuck the shit out of you”), telling ’em what you’re doing (“I’m fucking the shit out of you”), telling ’em what you did (“I fucked the shit out of you”)—move on to varsity dirty talk: Talk about your fantasies, awesome experiences you’ve had in the past, things you’d like to try or try again with your partner. To get your dick there—to push past those SSRIs—fire on all cylinders (tits, hole,

I’m a 32-year-old English guy, and this morning I was diagnosed as HIV-positive. I’m in a bit of a state. I haven’t told anyone, and I needed to get it out. I’m in a long-term, mostly monogamous relationship, but my boyfriend is overseas for work at the moment, so I can’t really talk to him about it. So I’m talking to you.

I’m so sorry, DADAC. I hope you have a friend you can confide in, because you need a shoulder to cry on, and I can’t provide that for you here.

What I can provide is some perspective. I’m just a little older than you—OK, I’m a whole lot older than you. I came out in the summer of 1981—and two years later, healthy, young gay men started to sicken and die. During the 1980s and most of the 1990s, learning you were HIV-positive meant you had a year or two to live.

Today, a person with HIV is expected to live a normal life span—so long as they have access to treatment, and they’re taking their meds. And once you’re on meds, DADAC, your viral load will fall to undetectable levels, and you won’t be able to pass HIV on to anyone else (undetectable = uninfectious). Arguably, your boyfriend and your other sex partners are safer now that you know than they were before you were diagnosed.

Because it’s not HIV-positive men on meds who are infecting people; it’s men who aren’t on meds because they don’t know they’re HIV-positive.

I don’t mean to minimize your distress, DADAC. The news you just received is distressing and life-changing. But it’s not as distressing as it was three decades ago, and it doesn’t mean your life is over. I remember holding a boyfriend on the day he was diagnosed as HIV-positive more than 25 years ago, both of us weeping uncontrollably. His diagnosis meant he was going to die soon.

Yours doesn’t. You have a lot of time left, and if you get into treatment and take your meds, DADAC, you will live a long and healthy life, a life filled with love, connection and intimacy.

Spend some time feeling sorry for yourself; feel the fuck out of those feelings; and then go live your life—live it for all the guys who didn’t get to celebrate their 33rd birthdays.

P.S. Don’t wait until your boyfriend returns to tell him. He needs to get tested right away.

Read Savage Love every Wednesday at CVIndependent.com; mail@savagelove.net; @ fakedansavage on Twitter; ITMFA.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 31

JUNE 2018

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

44 Practiced 45 Swashbuckler who left his initial as a mark Across 46 Place to extract some 1 Collaborative website chalcopyrite 5 Not as many 49 Business reps.

10 Sign-___ (farewells) 53 Start of many 14 Like fine whiskeys Quebec place names 15 Up and about 54 Opposite of old, in 16 Sci-fi royal German 17 Naomi Campbell or 55 Pasture mom Cindy Crawford, e.g. 57 British isle that 19 It might be sounds like a number hammered out 58 Ending of many 20 Chips go-with nonprofit URLs 21 Tooth material 61 Old voting machine 23 Article from France part 24 Channel with Wheel 63 Box office event of Fortune repeats 65 2001 Nintendo video 27 Respect for Acting game with a really author Hagen thin premise?

28 Primus frontman 68 Dot on a state map Claypool 69 Mushroom in miso 31 Chute opening? soup 33 It’s a real grind at 70 Holed, as a putt dinner?

71 Lion lairs 36 Finnish Olympic 72 Star-___ mole runner Nurmi 73 “___ quam videri” 38 Wireless company (North Carolina’s named after a Finnish motto) city 39 Top of the corporate Down ladder 1 “Hey, how’s it going?”

“The Curly Shuffle”—it’s stylin’ in each theme answer

2 Pet lizard 3 Astronomer Johannes 4 March middle 5 Direct relatives, slangily 6 “Mr. Blue Sky” band 7 Expansive 8 Balance 9 Be sympathetic 10 “Ye ___ Shoppe” 11 Prefer 12 Ominous sight in shark movies 13 Took to the couch 18 Dusting item 22 Silas ___ (George Eliot novel) 25 Email that gets filtered 26 Cal ___ Resort and Casino (Lake Tahoe property once co-owned by Frank Sinatra) 29 Tiger Woods’s ex Nordegren 30 Bed frame piece 32 “Not ___ out of you!”

34 Guy with an eponymous scheme 35 Jason who plays Aquaman 37 Impassioned

39 Lines at the checkout?

40 Scheme 41 “Quiet!”

42 Top quality 43 Sprung up 47 Come back after renovation 48 Nissan SUV named for a suburb of Venice 50 Z director Costa-___ 51 Advertising promos of sorts 52 Minigolf motion 56 State tree of North Dakota 59 Possesses 60 Mailing centers, for short 62 Facilitate 63 Pt. of PST 64 Long-handled farm tool 66 Make do, with “out” 67 Relieve ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords. com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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32 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JUNE 2018

Deals available ONLY in the Independent Market as of June 1:

Get a gift certificate to Lulu California Bistro for 25 percent off!

Get a $25 certificate to Broken Yolk for $12.50—a savings of 50 percent!

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Get a $25 gift certificate to Acqua California Bistro for 25 percent off!

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Get a $40 gift certificate to Johnny Costa's for $20, or a $20 gift certificate for $10—a savings of 50 percent!

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Deals available only at CVIndependent.com.

Look for more deals to be added during the month!

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