Coachella Valley Independent October 2018

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT | OCTOBER 2018

VOL. 6 | NO. 10

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OCTOBER 2018

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Some items worth noting as we head into the much-welcomed fall season: • Thanks to all of you who voted in the first round of our Best of Coachella Valley 2018-2019 readers’ poll.

Whether you voted or not in the first round … well, now’s your chance to vote in the second and final round!

The top three to six finalists (five, in most cases) from the first round are now up for your consideration at CVIndependent.com. Polls are open through Monday, Oct. 29.

Unlike other “Best Of” contests ’round these parts, for the Best of Coachella Valley, we only ask you to vote once per round. While a goal Editor/Publisher of other “Best Ofs” is for their sponsoring Jimmy Boegle publications to get as much web traffic as possible from people visiting their websites Assistant Editor over and over again, we’d rather have everyone vote just one time, so our list of winners can Brian Blueskye be as fair and accurate as possible.

The winners will be announced on advertising sales Monday, Nov. 26, at CVIndependent.com, Dwight Hendricks and in our December 2018 print edition.

Thanks. Now … go vote!

• In our June print edition, I used this coveR and feature design space to mention the tariffs that had been Beth Allen placed on imported Canadian newsprint— and how those tariffs were so severe that Contributors they were threatening the survival of many Stephen Berger, Max Cannon, Kevin U.S. newspapers, because some publications’ Carlow, Ben Christopher, Charles print bills were being jacked up by as much as 30-40 percent as a result. (The Independent’s Drabkin, Katie Finn, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, print bill had “only” gone up about 12 percent … which is painful nonetheless.) I Michael Grimm, Dwight Hendricks, also asked concerned readers to contact our Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Brane Jevric, elected officials to encourage them to fight Keith Knight, Brett Newton, Dan Perkins, these tariffs—which were being requested by just one U.S. paper manufacturer, owned by a Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen private-equity firm.

Sorenson, Robert Victor These tariffs were truly unfair and misguided. If all five U.S. paper mills that The Coachella Valley Independent make newsprint operated at full capacity print edition is published every month. (due to the decline in the newspaper All content is ©2018 and may not be industry, there aren’t as many as there used to be), they couldn’t come close to producing published or reprinted in any form enough newsprint for U.S. newspapers. without the written permission of the Well, I have some good news to report: publisher. The Independent is available The United States International Trade free of charge throughout the Coachella Commission, after hearing from a number of Valley, limited to one copy per reader. concerned members of Congress, overturned the tariffs in late August.

Additional copies may be purchased Thanks to all of you who heeded the call for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The and spoke out against these tariffs.

Independent may be distributed only by Corrections: In the September 2018 Know the Independent’s authorized distributors. Your Neighbors column, Jeanie Ribeiro’s age was incorrect; she is 67 years old.

The Independent is a proud member and/or supporter The byline on “Senate Showdown” in of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the September 2018 edition was incorrect.

CalMatters, Get Tested Coachella Valley, the Local The story was actually written by Kevin Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Fitzgerald.

Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed. We apologize for the mistakes.

Welcome to the October 2018 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading; if you have questions or feedback, please contact me at the email address below.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

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OCTOBER 2018

OPINION OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS W

BY ANITA RUFUS

hen you meet John McMullen, one thing becomes immediately clear: He likes to talk.

Considering McMullen has spent his life in radio and alternative media, it’s clear he recognized his direction very early.

McMullen, 55, and a Palm Springs resident since 2007, began his obsession with media arts in elementary school.

“I had always been fascinated by the people’s voices coming out of the box on the dashboard,” he recalls. “My uncle was a well-known radio personality (in the Seattle area), and I remember sitting in his lap while he was on the radio. I told my uncle, ‘I’m going to go into TV—you can get awards!’ He said, ‘Why not radio? There are awards there, too.’ He relished having me want to follow in his footsteps. My cousins and I spent and the importance of family. He taught me to summer vacations from age 12 working at my never judge a book by its cover.” uncle’s radio station.

During his junior year, a teacher put a halt “I remember in the fourth-grade, my best to the broadcasting. friend and I terrorized the principal when “He said they were going to bill our we discovered they had video equipment. We parents for the equipment use, or I would be insisted they let us make game shows. By the suspended,” McMullen says. “After spending seventh-grade, a guy I’m forever grateful to— Christmas with my grandparents, who were Dick Dunbar, who taught English, media arts then in Tucson, they said I could come and live and journalism—let us begin producing a TV with them the rest of my junior year. I walked show. KING-TV was the station in town, and into the principal’s office and said, ‘I’m not we got to see behind the scenes. We did our going to pay, and you’re not going to suspend own version of a show, and they came out and me.’ They gave me my transcript; I flew to did a story on us.

Tucson; and I started school there in the “When I was a sophomore in high school, media-arts program. I was in heaven.” my uncle’s radio station affiliated with Mutual McMullen’s career began to take off while he Radio Network. I wanted to build a high was a senior in high school. school radio station. I picked up the phone “A guy from the Seattle radio station was and called the affiliate-relations department then running KMPC in Los Angeles,” he at Mutual and asked, ‘If we build a station, can says. “He asked me to return to Seattle. He I get programming from you?’ They ended up had a Christian station they wanted to turn donating studio gear to the project. I even got into a Top 40 station, and he wanted me to to be a guest on Larry King when I was 16!” come back and help him build it. I got to be McMullen and his younger brother, operations manager for what became KUBEMatthew, were raised in Seattle. His mom FM. One of the best things I learned there was was a housewife and then became a humanthat when you think you know the answer to a resources manager. question, ask it anyway.”

“She taught me that we need to be kind A turning point came when McMullen heard to others, sensitive to people less fortunate, that a man on another station had committed and respectful of others’ feelings. She was suicide. “He had left a note mentioning that also a big influence in my being a Democrat,” he was an old man in a young man’s game. It McMullen says. made me stop and think: ‘What would I do if I Along with McMullen’s grandfather, his didn’t do radio?’ father ran a hide-curing business.

“I took a vocational test that showed I had “Dad was a life-long Republican, never an aptitude for desktop publishing, so I got a intolerant but more about how government temp position doing user testing. When the shouldn’t dictate what happens,” he says. “I company merged with Adobe, I got the chance watched his metamorphosis into voting for to go to Europe for a couple months.

Obama, which blew my mind. It was such a “That led to Reel Networks, which ultimately positive thing for me to see him change about came out with audio/video streaming software public policy out of sheer common sense. His where I got to create a project doing LGBT main influence on me was about work ethic programming. A friend had just launched

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Meet iHubRadio founder John McMullen, a veteran media man, entrepreneur and fervent talker

Planet Out, and I started doing five-minute drop-ins and a two-hour talk show, Hangin’ Out. Next, I started my own company and built an audience of over 2 million with all-talk for LGBT audiences. That’s when I fully realized the power of digital media.”

McMullen’s radio and media experience includes stints in Honolulu, San Francisco, Salt Lake City, San Diego and New York City, where in 2002, he became director of news/ talk entertainment programming at what would later become SiriusXM Radio. In 2005, McMullen moved to Los Angeles, still working for Sirius, and in 2007 accepted the position of director of news, talk and sports programming with KNews Radio, then owned by Morris Media, in Palm Springs.

“At KNews, I was committed to building as much local content as possible,” he says. “Local advertisers want to reach a local audience.

When I started, KNews had only three hours a day that was local; when I left five years later, we had seven to nine hours, seven days a week.”

McMullen has now started iHubRadio, in conjunction with the Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP), which helps entrepreneurs provide local jobs through their Palm Springs iHub “incubator” for startup operations. (Full disclosure: McMullen hired me to work at KNews in 2007, and I am now on iHubRadio.)

After spine-fusion surgery in 2014, McMullen had another health setback earlier this year: a mild stroke.

“I opened my mouth to speak and only heard gobbledygook,” he says.

Now fully back on the job, McMullen is building iHubRadio into what he hopes will grow and expand into other markets.

“My focus now that we’re up and running is

John McMullen.

less on the product itself and more on where it goes next. CVEP’s mentorship has shown me how much personal and professional growth I still need to do, like learn to delegate,” McMullen, says with a laugh, “but I could do this the rest of my life and be happy.”

As long as he can talk.

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.

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OCTOBER 2018

OPINION OPINION

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

NEWLY CHRISTIAN T

How Donald Trump helped me turn away from atheism and move toward a newfound faith in God (with help from the royal wedding)

by brian blueskye

he presidency of Donald Trump has made many Americans angry, frustrated, sad and fearful for the future. But in my case, the presidency of Donald Trump helped turn me from a staunch atheist into a Christian.

Let me explain.

I was raised by my grandparents. My grandfather was an Episcopalian, and my grandmother was a Catholic. My first exposure to religion came from my grandfather taking me to Episcopalian services in my hometown of Mentor, Ohio, whenever he was up early enough on Sundays. I remember those experiences fondly: I got to know the other kids in Sunday school, and enjoyed the fun arts and crafts that reflected the values of the Episcopalian Church.

Then came a sleepover at a friend’s house when I was 9. The next morning, we all went to my friend’s Baptist church, where rather than being nice, the teachers told us fire-andbrimstone stories that frightened me. After a few interruptions by other kids, the pastor came into the classroom, yelling at us—and praying for Jesus to save us from evil.

I never wanted to go to church again. When my grandfather would go to the Episcopal parish, I’d ask to stay home.

Later in life, I practiced Buddhism for about a decade; I even had a refuge ceremony performed by a Theravada monk on my 21st birthday. However, I never really found my place in Buddhism; the Asian cultural elements didn’t mesh with my life in the United States, and I didn’t get the answers to questions I needed from my teachers and fellow Buddhists.

After that, I abandoned religion, and came to embrace atheism.

Earlier this year, I found myself in a deep depression. I was spiritually drained as I tried to make sense of my life in these uncertain times. I turned to books written by Ram Dass, who I had always admired; they helped. Then, of all things, the royal wedding uplifted me: The sermon by Michael Curry, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, at the ceremony for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was nothing short of remarkable. I began to think about the things my grandfather believed in and tried to instill in me as a child—values inspired by his Episcopal faith.

Ram Dass once said, “Faith is what is left after all your beliefs have been blown to hell.”

I had essentially reached that point: I was questioning all that I believed in, and ironically, the only thing I felt faith in was that there had to be something greater than myself.

I’ve been shaken to my core several times during my life. I dealt with an alcoholic mother who died at the age of 40; my father abandoned me before I was born; even my

grandfather was not as accessible to me as I would have liked during my childhood. Despite the despair I’ve felt at times, I’ve always survived—through the grace of God, I now believe. There were many times when things could have turned out much worse. An open mind and a new perspective have led to my newfound faith in God. What does the current president have to do with all of this? The climate he created helped blow all of my beliefs to hell. The despair he’s fomenting is inescapable on television and on social media—from Milo Yiannopoulos bullying people over the internet in the name of “free speech,” to white supremacists hitting activists with cars, to the general dark cloud that seems to be hovering over our country.

Political discourse has turned ugly, and people are becoming more and more vindictive over political matters.

A fairly recent poll from the Public Religion Research Institute showed that, incredibly, 75 percent of white evangelicals still support Trump. Famous religious figures such as Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell Jr. have turned faith into a partisan game. Trump and his cabinet have been using religion as a means to promote an agenda that opposes diplomacy abroad, and both human rights and civility at home and beyond.

Given my life experiences—including those as a gay man—I’d come to see religion as part of the problem rather than the solution. In many ways, I still feel that way. I also couldn’t wrap my head around the concept of a vengeful God, and I was disgusted by the “loving intolerance” expressed by many so-called Christians regarding people who believe differently than they do, and people with lifestyles different than theirs.

When I told friends I was starting to think back to the values instilled in me by my grandfather and the Episcopal Church, and that I was thinking of going back to church, most were supportive. Others were—and are— deeply concerned about me. I am often asked how the person who once fervently denounced religion is now a regular churchgoer.

I’ve long known the Episcopal Church is LGBT-affirming, stands for social justice, and allows clergy—both male and female—to marry. Still, I was wary when I first found myself at the Church of St. Paul in the Desert in Palm Springs. The rector, the Rev. Andrew Green, encouraged me to explore my new interest and told me I was welcome to attend services at the church whenever I was ready.

I began attending services on Saturday afternoons. At first, I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, but I soon felt welcomed and comfortable.

One particular service “sold” me: The Rev. Green was talking about what makes someone a good Episcopalian. He pulled out three simple rules that were on a sheet of paper: “Love God; love others; and love yourself.”

Those three simple rules, combined with my experiences in reading both The Book of Common Prayer and the Bible with my

newfound open-mindedness, have given me a perspective on life that not even the horrors of the Trump presidency can diminish.

The Prayer of St. Francis of Assisi has also become important to me, and I have recited it to myself many times: Lord, make me an instrument of your peace; where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is discord, union; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.

In this confusing and dark time, Donald Trump has not only led me to reaffirm my beliefs in the values of human rights for all, equality for all, and social justice; it has also led me to a place where I have found solitude, comfort and a belief in civility—even at times when civility is seemingly nowhere to be found.

Brian Blueskye is the assistant editor of the Coachella Valley Independent.

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OCTOBER 2018

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

PARTY CRASHER C

by ben christopher, calmatters

alifornia state politics only comes in two flavors: Democrat or Republican. And according to the conventional wisdom, that isn’t changing anytime soon. We know, because we asked.

We recently teamed up with California Target Book to find out whether political insiders around the capitol think a viable third party might emerge onto the California political scene by 2025. Not a single respondent in our Target Book Insider Track Survey said that it was “very likely.” Roughly two-thirds, in fact, said the opposite.

But Tom Campbell—a Chapman University law professor, former congressman, former state senator and former Republican—says they’re wrong. He’s setting out to bust up the Republican-Democratic lock on political power in Sacramento by launching a third party—and he predicts candidates will be running for the Legislature under the new banner as soon as 2020.

He insists that it might not even be that hard.

Under California law, a new political party can get on the ballot in one of two ways. One option is to gather roughly 700,000 signatures.

But there’s an alternative, which Campbell characterizes as the easier way: convince a little more than 60,000 already-registered voters to either go online or contact their county registrar and switch their registration to the new, still unnamed, party. With the right targeted email pitch, it could be pulled off for less than $100,000, he said. He thinks he could revolutionize the state political system for less than a legislator’s annual salary.

Who might want to join the new party?

Prospects abound.

Take the 4.9 million voters who identify with no political group at all, but simply register with “no party preference.” There are now more of those non-committed voters than registered Republicans; Campbell would only need to convince a little more than 1 percent to join him.

And a half-million Californians are registered with the American Independent party—despite the fact that an Los Angeles Times survey from two years ago found that a majority of them believe that makes them politically unaffiliated, not members of a party founded by segregationist George Wallace. Which they are.

“If we reached 83,000 of them, three quarters would realize they had mis-registered, and might join the Center Party,” said Campbell.

Or if not the “Center Party,” then maybe the “Bear Flag Party.” He and his group of likeminded political independents—former independent state Sen. Quentin Kopp of San Francisco among them—have yet to settle on a name.

Moderate Tom Campbell, a former congressman, works to launch a new political party in California They haven’t settled on a platform, either.

One possible approach would be to provide an ideological home for disaffected Republicans and other wayward centrists—people like Campbell, who publicly ditched the GOP when it embraced Donald Trump.

But Campbell said he can also imagine creating a platform-free organization that would simply let candidates run untethered from any major party.

Such candidates are currently barred from labeling themselves “independents,” since voters might confuse the term with Wallace’s old party. Instead, they have to use the cumbersome “no party preference.” Steve Poizner, a former Republican himself, has adopted that identifier in his run for state insurance commissoner. But the “NPP” brand, to Campbell, implies apathy or indecisiveness.

“No Party Preference is a pejorative,” he said.

A new party—even one with no ideological platform whatsoever—would allow a candidate to run outside of the current party structure,

“but without the scarlet letter of NPP,” he said.

According to a recent poll by the bipartisan Democracy Fund Voter Study Group, twothirds of Americans would welcome a third electoral choice. There was much less agreement over what this new party ought to actually stand for, with respondents split between the far left, far right and the center.

“I think there are a whole number of logistical challenges to create a third party,” said Democratic Assemblyman Adam Gray from Merced. As former leader of the Assembly’s “mod caucus,” he regularly departs from his party on environmental issues, gun control and business regulation. He champions more moderation in state politics, but said it’s easier to do that through the existing parties.

“Maybe the silent majority of moderate Republicans and Democrats ought to take back our own parties from the fringe,” he said.

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

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OCTOBER 2018

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

MAYORAL MATCHUP W

Scott Matas faces political newcomer Stephen Giboney in his Desert Hot Springs re-election bid

By brian blueskye

hen Desert Hot Springs Mayor Scott Matas defeated then-Mayor Adam Sanchez in 2015, the city was recovering financially after narrowly avoiding bankruptcy.

Today, the city’s finances are on solid ground—thank you, marijuana!—but Desert Hot Springs still faces a lot of challenges and issues, all of which will be on the minds of voters when they head to the polls on Nov. 6.

Matas is running for re-election to a two-year term, and he’s facing relative political unknown Stephen Giboney.

Matas said he wants to keep the city’s progress going; Giboney views the city as having many problems that have potential small-government solutions.

When I met with Matas at the RV resort that he manages, he described what he hopes to accomplish over the next two years.

“My focus will be getting the new City Hall up and running, because that’s important for our image,” he said. “Public safety-wise, I’ve been talking about building a fire station on the east end of the city for a long time. We’re finally at a point where we have a fire chief who believes we can build a fire station there.

Finding the capital money to do it, I think we can do that over time, but the problem is

CVIndependent.com

staffing it on a regular basis at a million dollars a year. My goal before I leave office, hopefully in two years, is to make sure we’ve at least broken ground on the new fire station.

“Financially, I want to make sure we stay on the same path we’re on now. We put $8.5 million in the bank for our reserves … so if anything happens like we had happen in 2012 and 2013, where we had $400 in the bank, we’ll now have the reserves to fall back on.”

When I met with Giboney at the Starbucks in Desert Hot Springs, he had a much

Stephen Giboney.

Scott Matas.

different perspective.

“First of all, I believe the city has to stop encouraging miscreants from coming here, and I believe (the city) encourages them to come here,” he said before delving into some confusing territory. “You get into a system that is more underground and more of a spoken system where it’s nothing you can track on paper. We know what it is. But how do we put it in terms where we can publish it? It’s happening. You see new people coming through the city all the time. When you have a city government that always wants to look good, they aren’t going to give out information that they don’t have to. We have to read between the lines as to what’s going on. The latest thing I heard from the mayor is, ‘It’s not illegal to be homeless.’ That seems to be his way of addressing it, which is not really addressing it.”

On the issue of marijuana, Giboney said that while he supports full decriminalization, he’s not a fan of the taxation side, even though the residents of Desert Hot Springs voted for it.

“I can’t stand bullies, and I believe the government stands there exploiting the lack of information in the heads of the average voter. They exploit that,” he said. “(The voter initiative approving the marijuana tax) was passed saying they were going to tax the retail side of it and the manufacturing side. What came out shortly after the cultivators started to come in was the cultivators were writing the rules of the city. If you want to ignore the history of how government is controlled by special interests, you can say, ‘Yeah, they voted

for it. Isn’t that great?’ History tells you that they have no voice.”

While Matas said this will likely be his final term, he didn’t rule out running again if he feels the need.

“If I’m re-elected for two years, I’m most likely done, and that will have given me 13 years at that point of serving my community,” he said. “I spent 20 years as a volunteer firefighter, and two years as president of Food Now. My wife says, ‘Don’t ever say for sure.’

If it’s a perfect world for me in two years, I can support someone trying go in the same direction I want to leave the city. If there’s no one in two years, I might have to reconsider.

But (as of) right now, after this term, I’m done, and I’ve served my community.”

Giboney explained what kind of mayor he would be if elected.

“I would be a knock-on-your-door, drivethrough-your-neighborhood, go-to-yourmeetings mayor,” he said. “The purpose of the mayor is two things: You have to run the City Council meetings and learn the system. The second thing is you have to be a figurehead for the city. You have to go out and ask people, ‘What is wrong in your community?’ so that there is a regular back-and-forth. The mayor is a liaison between the city and the people, so that the people have an ear to tell what their problem is. If someone tells you something about it, because if you don’t do something about it, you’re not doing your job.”

For expanded versions of these candidate interviews, visit CVIndependent.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 11

OCTOBER 2018

NEWS

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POLITICAL POSTURING O

By brian blueskye

n Nov. 6, Desert Hot Springs voters will choose between five candidates for two City Council seats.

Incumbent Joe McKee chose not to run for re-election, while Jan Pye hopes to retain the seat to which she was appointed earlier this year when Yvonne Parks stepped down. She’s joined on the ballot by a former Desert Hot Springs mayor and several relative newcomers.

We spoke to three of the five candidates for this story. Jim Fitzgerald was not available to speak to the Independent before our press deadline, while Peter Tsachpinis didn’t respond to e-mails or phone messages.

One of the newcomers is Gary Gardner, a former lobbyist and public-policy advocate who moved to Desert Hot Springs from Seattle in 2016. He believes the city should try to promote itself more as a health destination.

“My vision for the city is a health-andwellness center with our spas and our mineral water, with the marijuana industry, and with all of those kinds of things tied in with the hiking, the views, the desert—and we worked to get the Sand to Snow National Monument,” he said. “… When people Google ‘Sand to Snow,’ that will bring them to Desert Hot Springs. That will bring the revenue in for all the hotels and restaurants, and as they grow, we’ll have more growth in restaurants and retail.”

Gardner said there’s a lot of employment potential in the marijuana industry.

“So many of our citizens leave here during the day to go to work elsewhere,” he said.

“I’d love to see them stay here if we can find ways to get the marijuana folks to hire people who already live here in town, or encourage (marijuana-business employees) to stay here if they’re coming from out of town.”

Former DHS Mayor Adam Sanchez, defeated

by Scott Matas three years ago, is looking to return to the City Council. He said he’s opposed to the new City Hall—something

Gary Gardner.

being championed by Matas.

“The council is saying now, ‘We’re going to build this mini Taj Mahal,’ and that’s supposedly going to make everything better. I don’t see the reality of that,” he said. “What they are doing is making it better for city staff, but $8 million—projected? Are they serious? …

(They’re doing this) instead of working on the homeless problem and getting the citizens more engaged. … Nowhere in this whole process two years ago did (residents) say, ‘Our priorities are a new City Hall.’ It was about providing safety for our residents and building sidewalks to the schools, and kids shouldn’t be walking on the street. When the young lady from the high school got killed (as a pedestrian, trying to cross Palm Drive, in March), that’s when I asked, ‘OK, what’s in the budget? What do we have?’ The city gave me a hard time and wouldn’t give me the information.”

Sanchez claimed the current budget numbers don’t add up, and criticized Matas, his former mayoral opponent.

“They’re saying they have $8.5 million in the bank, and now Scott Matas is saying due to enhancements they’re making in the city and the money they’re spending, it’s $4.5 million. Which is it?” Sanchez said, “You can’t say you’re spending $8 million on the new City Hall, and you’re building some new green park areas, so now it’s $4.5 million.”

Jan Pye.

Three relative newcomers and two political mainstays battle for two DHS City Council seats

Jan Pye, a former member of the City Council, returned to the body earlier this year when Parks moved out of the city. Pye said that while the marijuana industry has been essential in saving the city’s finances, she also sees the need for other economic development.

“We have to see it as another form of revenue, but not the revenue,” she said. “…

Most people in business know that if you’re in it for three years, you might survive. If you’re in five years, you’re really about to survive.

You have to look at it like that. Some of the marijuana businesses here are struggling, and others aren’t struggling. It’s a business that compliments us. We’re known for our spas and our waters, and medicinal marijuana falls into that plan. We have some sustainability from it here, and we have $6.8 million in reserves. At one point before that, all we had left after one year was $400.”

While some DHS residents are concerned about rising rents and the possibility of gentrification, Pye said she hoped banks could offer assistance.

Adam Sanchez.

“You’re always going to have that with the marketplace,” she said. “… What you can do is you can create banking opportunities, and if (residents need) to pay whatever it is in rent, it might as well be to own a home—so the banking industry is going to have to do something.”

For expanded versions of these candidate interviews, visit CVIndependent.com.

The amazing true story of Palm Springs’ Daryl L. James, now 92, from being outed in high school, to his service in two wars, to his time in New York and Hollywood.

Buy at Amazon.com or daryljamesjrauthor.com

CVIndependent.com

12 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

OCTOBER 2018

NEWS

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OCTOBER ASTRONOMY T

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

N

By Robert Victor

he moon passes the three bright outer planets at dusk Oct. 11-18. Venus, in transition from the evening to the morning sky, is lost in sun’s glare for most of month. Around Halloween, Arcturus, low in west-northwest at dusk, leads a procession of bright stars through the night, and brings up the rear low in the east-northeast at dawn.

At dusk: In early October, Venus sets very soon after sunset; it shows up on our evening twilight sky map for just the first few days of the month. Look for soon-to-depart Jupiter very low in the southwest to west-southwest; Saturn in the south-southwest; and Mars in the south-southeast.

Before month’s end, Mercury begins an unfavorable evening appearance during which it will remain very low. Binoculars will come in handy for spotting Mercury within 5 degrees of Jupiter Oct. 25-Nov. 1. They’re closest, 3.2 degrees the moon passes south of Pollux, and on Oct. 5 apart, on Oct. 28. and 6, it’s near Regulus. The last easy chance to Stars: Arcturus is in the west to westsee the old moon will be on Oct. 7, followed by northwest; the Summer Triangle of Vega, a challenging ultra-thin crescent for binoculars Altair and Deneb is overhead; Antares is in 2 degrees up in the east 25 minutes before the southwest to the lower right of Saturn; and sunrise on Oct. 8. Another round of morning Fomalhaut is low in the southeast. Capella twilight moon viewing begins with the full rises into view in the north-northeast. moon low in the west on Oct. 24. The waning The moon: Use binoculars to catch the young gibbous moon will appear near Aldebaran on crescent moon before it sets within 10 degrees the morning of Oct. 27. On Oct. 30, the moon south of west very soon after sunset on Oct. 9. is nearly between Pollux and Procyon. On Oct. Follow the moon daily at evening mid-twilight, 31, for the second time this month, the moon starting as a thin crescent, very low in westreaches last quarter phase. southwest on Oct. 10, and ending full, just risen October’s all-night parade of stars: Each year north of east, on Oct. 24. Watch the waxing around Oct. 29-30, there is a procession of crescent moon pass Jupiter on Oct. 11 and bright stars across the night sky from dusk until Saturn on Oct. 14. On the evenings of Oct. 17 dawn. Arcturus, low in west-northwest at dusk, and 18, the gibbous moon appears near Mars. leads the parade. On the evening map, Arcturus At dawn: No planets show up on our morning is followed by the Summer Triangle (Vega, mid-twilight sky map at CVIndependent.com, Altair and Deneb), which, in turn, is followed by but Venus, starting an a.m. appearance, rises just another geometric figure, the Great Square of 30 minutes before the sun on Oct. 31. Early in Pegasus. Rising into view in the east-northeast the month, can you spot Canopus as it passes 3 before evening twilight ends is the Pleiades star degrees above the horizon, due south? The huge cluster, or Seven Sisters. Following the Pleiades Winter Hexagon is then centered high in the is Aldebaran, whose name translated from southern sky. Starting at Sirius, its brightest Arabic means “the follower,” although the star and southernmost star, and going clockwise, also marks the eye of Taurus, the Bull. we find Procyon; the “Twin” stars, Pollux Rising later in evening, after Aldebaran, is and Castor; Capella at the northern vertex; Orion, the Hunter, with the “Mother goat” star Aldebaran; and Rigel. Reddish Betelgeuse lies Capella far to his north, and Gemini the Twins inside the Hexagon. Chasing the Hexagon across to his northeast. Rising after Orion are his two the sky is Leo, the Lion, whose brightest star is dog stars, Sirius in Canis Major, and Procyon Regulus. In mid-October, Arcturus rises into in Canis Minor. Several of these stars form view in the east-northeast, followed by Spica the huge, aforementioned Winter Hexagon, or in the east-southeast just before month’s end.

Winter Ellipse, following the Pleiades across Using binoculars, look about 15 minutes before the sky. Leo, the Lion, including the bright star sunrise at month’s end, and you might spot a Regulus, follows the Winter Hex. Maybe Leo is crescent Venus just risen in the east-southeast. checking out his menu, which includes a Hunter It’ll be much easier to spot Venus in November, (Orion, with Rigel and Betelgeuse), some beef when it will rise farther ahead of the sun.

(Taurus with Aldebaran), a mother goat (Capella Follow the waning moon in the mornings in Auriga, the Charioteer), Twins (Pollux and Oct. 1-8. On Oct. 1, it’s above Betelgeuse in the Castor in Gemini) and two dogs (Canis Major south. On Oct. 2, the moon passes last-quarter and Canis Minor, including Sirius and Procyon). phase, half full in Gemini, and 90 degrees or The next bright star after Leo’s Regulus is one-quarter circle west of the sun. On Oct. 3, Arcturus, low in east-northeast as morning CVIndependent.com

A late-month procession of stars is

Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight both led and

by Arcturus Forconcluded October, 2018

October's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

Capella

Deneb Vega

Arcturus

E

W

Altair

Mercury 22

Fomalhaut

Evening mid-twilight occurs

29 Mars 15 22 1 8

twilight begins. golden-orange when And Sun isso, 9o this below horizon.

Oct.of1:autumn 39 minutes after sunset. star, symbolic colors, both leads the 15: 40 " " the" night skies of procession of stars through 31: 40 " " " late October … and brings up the rear! This happens each year as the sun passes 33 degrees due south of Arcturus a day or two before Halloween. The Summer Triangle will fill this same role, as leader and follower in an all-night procession of stars, in mid-January.

Star parties: The website of the Astronomical Society of the Desert at www.astrorx.org has a listing of our evening star parties at two locations: Sawmill Trailhead, our high-altitude site (elevation 4,000 feet), will have our monthly star party starting at dusk on Saturday, Oct. 6. Our primary, more-accessible star-party site for most of the year is the Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument, on Highway 74, within four miles south of Highway 111 in Palm Desert. Monthly star parties held there will resume on Saturday,

1 8 15 22 29 Jupiter Venus 1 29

Saturn 1 8 15 22 29 Antares

S

Stereographic Projection

Oct. 13. Listings of starMap parties on the website

by Robert D. Miller include maps and directions for both locations.

Star parties can be cancelled in poor observing weather.

Also, beginning in late October, check the Impromptu Star Parties link on the webpage. I’ll be offering sky watches in Palm Springs at the pedestrian bridge over Tahquitz Creek at North Riverside Drive and Camino Real.

Abrams Planetarium publishes a monthly Sky Calendar with an evening sky map.

Subscriptions are $12 per year at www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar for three printed issues mailed quarterly.

Wishing you clear skies!

Robert C. Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams Planetarium at Michigan State University. He is now retired and enjoys providing sky watching opportunities for a variety of groups in the Coachella Valley.

FEAR FACTOR

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 13

THE

OCTOBER 2018

Increases in hateful rhetoric and Border Patrol actions cast dark shadows on the Coachella Valley’s immigrant populations and their American dreams

By Kevin Fitzgerald

Alan has now lived in the Coachella Valley for 17 years, ever since he was 17 years old.

Even though he has always worked hard and played by the rules—at least the rules that aren’t stacked against him—he doesn’t want his last name used in this story. The reason: Both he and his wife are undocumented immigrants. They have a son, 10, who is a U.S. citizen by birth.

“Since President Trump has been in office, we have seen all the anti-immigrant statements and all the news coverage on TV of what’s happening,” he said. “We’ve been afraid to go out and go about our normal life routines, because if a cop stops us, they will call the immigration (agents), and we will be taken away.

“We’re very uncomfortable, and it is not easy for us to live every day. We always have to be looking behind our backs.”

The government under Donald Trump seems to be quite proud of such discomfort.

On Feb. 16, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) issued a news release stating that the agency’s personnel had arrested 212 individuals for violating federal

immigration laws, and had served 122 notices of inspection to businesses in the Los Angeles area. On March 16, another ICE news release trumpeted the arrests of 115 individuals in San Diego and Imperial counties, again for violating federal immigration laws. On June 14, yet another ICE news release announced the arrests of 162 individuals in Los Angeles and surrounding counties, including 15 people in San Bernardino County, and 12 here in Riverside County.

Yet another ICE news release, from May 14, proclaimed that between Oct. 1, 2017, and May 4, 2018, Homeland Security had opened some 3,510 worksite investigations, and had made 594 criminal and 610 administrative continued on next page CVIndependent.com

14 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

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economy—folks working out in the farming fields of the eastern Coachella Valley who are putting food on people’s tables, along with the men and women who make up a large part of the hospitality and service industry that is essential to our economy in California.

So we’re talking about just putting a face to the subject. These are the working people who help drive the economic engine of our region.”

Megan BeamanJacinto is an i m m i g ra t i o n - r i g h t s attorney, activist and candidate for the Coachella City Council.

“A lot of things that this president has tried to do against immigrants have not been able to proceed, like trying to end DACA,” Beaman-Jacinto said. (DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, allows some younger people who came to the United States without documents to stay and work legally in the U.S.) “But other things have happened—things like people being denied immigration benefits at higher rates now (than under previous administrations). And (President Trump) is trying to pass new regulations that will make it harder for even permanent residents to become citizens if they used certain public benefits, even legally, in the past.

“Every day, almost, there’s a new attack on immigrants—and the media’s exposure of that is definitely having mixed results.

On the one hand, it’s great that people are finally seeing this and paying attention when they didn’t before. But on the other hand, for people who are personally impacted by it, it is really stressful to see all the time, everywhere you look. I went with some clients to a citizenship interview a few weeks ago in the immigration offices in San Bernardino.

In that lobby, there are two TVs, and they’re always on CNN. So the whole time we were waiting there, it was like, ‘Trump says this about immigrants, and Trump says that about immigrants and this about the immigration department.’ … I’m thinking, ‘Well, at least my client is about to become a citizen,’ but who knows what other status everyone else in that room has? That’s really terrifying if you’re one of the people directly impacted, and it goes on nonstop.”

The nation’s immigration system has been broken for a long time, since long before Donald Trump became president. In fact, some immigration activists referred to President Barack Obama as the “deporterin-chief” due to his administration’s high number of deportations.

However, the intensity of the rhetoric is indeed new.

“Now you get an administration that

begins to utilize the state of fear—(saying) that illegal immigration is taking over, that illegal immigration is the reason for increases in violent crimes. … ‘They are rapists, murderers, etc., etc., etc.,’ Garcia said. “The fact that we still remain with no comprehensive immigration reform policy creates a huge level of uncertainty for a lot of people in this country, in California and in the Coachella Valley.

“I’ve got to imagine that this type of fear-mongering has disrupted our economy to some extent.

Perhaps people are not presenting themselves for work. Perhaps the kids are not showing up at school. (There’s a) decrease in the number of people who want to access health-care services due to the concern that they may be ‘outed’ for being here undocumented.

I would even argue that our public-safety services suffer, because the cooperation between our residents and law enforcement is impacted negatively. For instance, a victim of crime or a witness to crime, who might be here undocumented, might not be willing to cooperate with law enforcement. So it’s a very huge issue, and it goes back to the inability of a U.S. Congress and an administration to put together what would be a comprehensive immigration policy that would bring about certainty for the people in our valley, our state and in our country.”

Gallegos said she and her colleagues at TODEC have seen the damage this rhetoric is causing.

“There is a lot of fear out there, and (at TODEC), we believe that our role is to educate the community,” Gallegos said. “But that fear still exists, and it even impacts our local economy. We talk to the farmers in the east end of Coachella Valley, and they tell us they’re concerned that they are losing their workforce. The stores, like Cardenas, tell us that they’ve lost a lot of business because of this whole fear factor. It’s affecting our community and the local economy.”

The hyper-politicization of the immigration issue has also led to another type of fear—a fear of speaking out. The Independent reached out to numerous agricultural and retail businesses, and they all declined to go on the record for this story.

The same thing happened when we tried to talk to valley health-care providers about the effects ICE enforcements have had on immigrants seeking treatment and services: Only one person agreed to go on the record, and that was Doug Morin, the executive director Coachella Valley Volunteers in Medicine, an organization in Indio that

“We hear from students what they are going through in their schools. Even kids are emboldened to talk on their hate, saying things like, ‘Go back to Mexico!’ And calling them wetbacks.”

“We talk to the farmers in the east end of Coachella Valley, and they tell us they’re concerned that they are losing their workforce,” said Luz Gallegos, the community programs director for TODEC Legal Center.

“The stores, like Cardenas, tell us that they’ve lost a lot of business because of this whole fear factor. It’s affecting our community and the local economy.” KEVIN FITZGERALD

continued from Page 13 worksite-related arrests. Compared to the entire previous fiscal year, ending Sept. 30, the number of investigations had more than doubled—and the number of arrests had quadrupled.

Anyone believed to be in this country illegally is fair game. “ICE does not exempt classes or categories of removable aliens from potential enforcement,” ICE Director Thomas Homan said in a statement. “All those in violation of the immigration laws may be subject to immigration arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the United States.”

It’s clear: Not only is the Trump administration’s crackdown on immigration violations intended to identify and remove convicted criminals from American society; it’s also designed to create a climate of fear in the daily lives of all undocumented immigrants—including many of our neighbors here in the Coachella Valley.

“The U.S. Border Patrol has jurisdiction over our streets and our community; that’s why immigration has always been a problem, and our community continues to be at risk,” said Luz Gallegos, the community programs director for TODEC Legal Center, an organization with offices in Perris and Coachella which seeks to empower disenfranchised immigrant communities, according to its website. “But what has changed lately is that a lot of the rhetoric CVIndependent.com

is creating more fear, and all of the political division at the federal level is really impacting people at the grassroots level.”

This rhetoric has brought out a lot of hate—and it’s plaguing both undocumented and documented immigrants in our community, Gallegos said.

“We hear from students what they are going through in their schools,” she said.

“Even kids are emboldened to talk on their hate, saying things like, ‘Go back to Mexico!’ and calling them wetbacks. We see that people now feel empowered to speak out about feelings they’ve carried their entire lives.

“Having grown up here for my whole life, as a child, we heard that the KKK would gather in Rainbow (in northern San Diego county), and we always feared the KKK growing up.

Back then, we didn’t know who they were, because they wore robes and covered their faces, but now, you really know who these people are, right? People are coming out, and now we can really see where people stand.”

Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia

represents the state’s 56th District, which includes much of the eastern Coachella Valley.

He said the hatred being openly expressed toward immigrants ignores the valuable contributions they make to our community.

“It’s important to highlight just who we are talking about,” Garcia said. “We are talking about people who work in very significant and important industries to the Coachella Valley

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 15

OCTOBER 2018

offers no-cost health care to adults who are uninsured or underinsured. He said his clinic has noted a substantial and ongoing decline in patient visits since the Trump administration took office in January 2017.

“I would say we’re still 20 percent below the number of patient visits we had during the pre-Trump days,” he said.

The decline has continued despite a concerted effort on the clinic’s part that included hiring an outreach specialist to make door-to-door contact with underserved populations to assure them that both they and their personal information would be safe if they came to get medical attention.

“We even changed our fliers that we had out for patient recruitment,” Morin said.

“They used to just say, ‘Your health is our number one concern,’ and now it says, ‘Your safety and your health is our number one concern.”

So … where do we go

Solar Q&A

from here? After all, Trump’s four-year term is less than half over, and there’s no hint that his administration will ease up on either the enforcement actions or the rhetoric anytime soon. system, and if you lease, the company I“We know should explore solar, but tellIcommunity that ‘our faith will you lease from takes it, lowering your I’ve been procrastinating.

What will keep us strong,’” Gallegos said. “There are a monthly payment. Solar companies also to take theup next lotmotivate of young me people coming whostep? want to have some panels in stock now that were The change. best motivation should the make They see how thisbe uncertainty savings can expect solar.

In and here before components and/or panels and fear isyou impacting their with family, friends (everyone’s) mental they’re subject to the new tariff—so that exchange for just health, a little and bit of your taking time, were Immigration-rights attorney and Coachella City Council candidate Megan Beaman-Jacinto: “Every day, almost, there’s a new attack on immigrants—and the it you verycan personally. tellaverage them, ‘We have bill to means haveofgreat right now. reduce We your electric media’syou exposure that pricing is definitely having mixed results. On the one hand, it’s great that people are finally seeing this and paying attention when they didn’t continue resisting—and way you’re going anywhere from 25-50the percent—and just before. But on the other hand, for people who are personally impacted by it, it is really stressful to see all the time, everywhere you look.” KEVIN FITZGERALD tokeep resistthat is gomoney to school.

Finish your high Wow. How much time are we talking? in your pocket each work as a state in addressing our labor needs. Stabilizing the existing unpermitted undervaluing their workforces. school; go Then to college; and take be a professional.

Give Renova a call, and we’ll look at your month. you can your time These labor shortages are having a significant workforce by removing their tremendous “So the bill did not move. Next, we You will prove everybody wrong,’ and that’s roof while you’re on the phone and give deciding what to do with the savings! impact on our local economy right now—and fear and giving them and their families some introduced a resolution, (Assembly Joint what our kids are doing. They are people of you an initial If you not addressing the immigration issue ties into certainty would be the first objective, and the Resolution) 34. The resolution took a strong character, with morals and compassion. It’s evaluation. decide to this threat very closely. second would be to develop a framework that position supporting the same principles become personal to them.

Assuming move “I made an effort this past year to exercise would allow for us to address the real labor we supported in the legislation, and it had “Mostforward importantly, we tell them to make things look quickly, your that states’ right and develop a working shortages that exist for these industries. I bipartisan support built around a coalition sure to vote because that’s the way you good,(ina the sitestate system can be group just think there’s a better way to go about this of assemblymembers and senators from create change.” survey at your up and running Legislature), that than disrupting the economies of the country, farming communities throughout the state.

Garcia said some actions would state and the Coachella Valley.”

This resolution would send the message to homeultimately will before the on huge can be taken the local and need the blessing Garcia’s effort did not get very far; his Washington, D.C., about what California collect detailed summer state levels.bills ofinformation Homeland Assembly Bill 1885 didn’t even make it up for is thinking, and wanting to do, and we “It If is you a federal hit. lease, question, Security and the a vote in a committee. encouraged our federal counterparts to but youenjoy know, states have about roof you’ll federal government, “It continues to engage a number of engage with us in this conversation. It was rights,” he said. “When dimensions, no money totilt putand together a individuals in a dialogue,” Garcia said. “… passed and sent to the governor’s desk. wedown; have free an emergency in shade, program that would Unfortunately, we had a lot of people who Resolutions are position papers. As a result, California—as we’ve seen as well as a few installation; bring certainty got stuck on the notion that this issue is a they are not as controversial as trying to set inand, recent months with the other items, with of legal status, federal issue only. They would not look at it something in stone as a law.” fires, the droughts and other like the condition of yourallowing electricthose panel.

Renova and SunPower, fixed payments as an economic and labor-shortage issue in Meanwhile, Coachella Valley residents like natural disasters—we have We can also get on the phone withresidents you forability 20 years, whichameans California California, as well as a national food-security Alan and his wife continue to live in fear. the to declare state as electric and SCE to get your pastworking usage; that, continue go up, in these issue. You know, we feed a large part of the “Thank God I haven’t had to go to the ofprices emergency and to have the your savings combined with the site survey, will increase as well! critical will industries world, and if our agricultural industries see hospital or seek medical services of late, but federal government support allow us to create a precise, customized to continue a significant decline, because we can’t get if we had to, we would go to get medical help that position via policy exact costs OK—pretty good points. contributing to enough people to do the necessary work, then here. My son is attending school,” he said. and/or resources needed Anything else? proposal that will show you our economy. we’re looking at being dependent on other “What upsets all of us the most is that we and savings.

The full percent Federal Tax toYep! address that30emergency. it would nations for our food and commodities, which feel like we’re being held back, and we’re not InCredit California, That’s it! If you decide Also, to move is still inIfullbelieve effect until the end address waysdays, to should be a major concern for people from able to move forward with our lives. (The that the issue labor shortages in very forward, installation takes only 2-3 of 2019.

If youofpurchase, you receive ensure that on people are being paidsystem. salaries, a security standpoint, a health standpoint, federal government) now is putting all these specific depending the size of your the Taxindustries Credit to that lowerare thehighly cost ofoccupied your and because we would be supporting other obstacles in our way.” by immigrants could be considered such an receiving benefits and having housing that areyou respectable brought by by California’s high standards. countries’ practices of underpaying and emergency. IPaid thinkadvertisement that in itself is reason to to

“The fact that we still remain with no comprehensive immigration reform policy creates a huge level of uncertainty for a lot of people in this country, in California and in the Coachella Valley.”

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CVI SPOTLIGHT: OCTOBER 2018 Funny in Love: Megan Mullally, Nick Offerman Kick Off Season 2 of Palm Springs Speaks

O

n Oct. 2, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History, a book by Hollywood comedy couple Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman, is being released—and three days later, the hilarious duo will kick off the second season of the Palm Springs Speaks series.

The speakers’ series is a joint effort by the Palm Springs Cultural Center and the Friends of the Palm Springs Library. Ron Willison, the president of the Palm Springs Library Board of Trustees, helped organize the series— which is bringing some huge names to the valley in the coming months.

“We are trying to bring in interesting speakers,” he said. “We want to promote literacy, and we add different speakers for each year to make it interesting. Last year, we had Deepak Chopra talk about wellness.

Dan Savage talked about LBGT issues, and Al Gore (was here) in association with the (Palm Springs International) Film Festival.

“This year, to start off, we will have Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally, and they will be speaking on their new book, The Greatest Love Story Ever Told: An Oral History. Palm Springs Speaks is actually one of only six stops they are doing for their book.”

The actors/writers/comedians have been married for 15 years, which virtually unheard of in the entertainment industry. In the book, they explain how their relationship has survived and thrived.

While the entire Palm Springs Speaks series this season has yet to be announced— the complete slate will be announced on Oct. 5—Willison did spill the beans on some of the other scheduled speakers.

“This year, we are also having Janet Mock,” Willison said. “She is a trans activist and director of the series Pose.”

Willison said organizers make a concerted

effort to keep ticket costs down; admission to Mullally and Offerman’s talk starts at just $30—and all tickets to Palm Springs Speaks events include books.

“We try to make tickets more affordable to people within different communities, like the trans community,” he said. “We hope people can afford to come and hear somebody from their own community speak (like Janet Mock). We know how important that is.

“We are also having Jane Fonda as a part of this series. We always want community involvement whenever we can. For example, when Jane Fonda comes here, tickets will be donated to high schools because of her work with teen pregnancy in Atlanta.

“Our goal is to eventually take the Palm Springs Speaks series and have it become as large as the Desert Town Hall, which has 1,900 people and is actually the No. 1 speaker series in the country,” Willison said, referring to the series that takes place each year January through March in Indian Wells.

Organizers of Palm Springs Speaks have various goals in mind.

“The level of awareness is important for Palm Springs Speaks. It costs over $100,000 a year to put this on, and luckily last year, we made a little bit of money,” Willison said. “The monies go to two very important organizations, so the more money we raise, the more money they receive. Palm Springs Speaks is presented in the west end of the valley by the Palm Springs Cultural Center and the Friends of the Palm Springs Public Library. Proceeds go to support the Cultural Center and the Friends of the Library equally.

The Palm Springs Library uses the money for buying books or helping with new furniture or renovations.

“We are hopeful that in a couple of years, Palm Springs Speaks will be at a level

Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally.

EMILY SHUR

of recognition where it should become profitable for everybody involved. It is our goal to make Palm Springs Speaks something that the city is proud of and the valley is proud of—and to make this series a destination event for people to travel here from Los Angeles or Phoenix for a nice weekend getaway that has a positive reflection on our town.”

Palm Springs Speaks presents Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman at 7 p.m., Friday, Oct. 5, at the Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School, 2248 E. Ramon Road, in Palm Springs. Tickets are $30 to $60. For tickets or more information, visit www. palmspringsspeaks.org.

—Dwight Hendricks

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OCTOBER 2018

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Church & State

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A serious comedy. Honest to god.

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 19

OCTOBER 2018

ARTS & CULTURE

ON THEIR OWN T

By stephen berger

he Artists Council was established 50 years ago when the Palm Springs Museum was still primarily a natural history and science museum. The purpose of the council was to sponsor exhibitions of local artists and bring support for the arts into the mix of the museum’s offerings.

The early work of the Artists Council paved the way for the evolution and growth of the museum—a transformation that was formalized What does the Artists Council with the renaming of what is now the Palm offer to the Coachella Valley?

Springs Art Museum in the early 2000s.

First of all, art is important to the mental and Over the years, the Artists Council itself spiritual health of a community. It is important has grown in size and ambition. While to have organizations dedicated to supporting still operating under the umbrella of the local artists. They are our neighbors, friends Palm Springs Art Museum, the council has and families. They contribute a tremendous recently begun partnering with other art amount to the quality of life we enjoy here. organizations and schools throughout the Organizations like the Artists Council promote Coachella Valley—and last spring, the council local talent and provide a network for artists to announced it would become a new nonprofit display and sell their work. This keeps money art organization independent from the Palm within our community. It also allows us to Springs Art Museum. Much of the groundwork meet and have a one-on-one connection with for this metamorphosis has been completed, the people who create the art. and in early 2019, the council will begin fully operating under its own leadership. Both the What kind of services does the Artists challenges and opportunities are enormous.

Council provide to members?

But first, it’s time to celebrate—with the The purpose of the council is to nurture annual Artists Council Exhibition, taking place artistic creation. We provide our members at the Palm Springs Art Museum from Oct. 20 with exhibitions to display and sell their work, through Dec. 9. critiques, demonstrations and lectures, and I talked with Terry Hastings, the co-chair field trips. One of the most important benefits of this year’s Artists Council Exhibition, to find is the opportunity to network with other local out more about what lies ahead for the council, and regional artists, art patrons and people in local artists and our broader community. the community.

“Cul de Sac Experience 2017” by Everette Perry.

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After 50 years under the wing of the Palm Springs Art Museum, the Artists Council is becoming independent There are about 350 members now. We’re looking to expand our membership and having the freedom to partner with different arts organizations in the valley.

How do you plan to attract new members?

We look forward to maintaining the prestige status of our museum affiliation. This affiliation differentiates the Artists Council from other art organizations in the region.

We need to be more creative and responsive to our community. All museums operate under a bureaucracy. They need to be deliberate and carefully research things before making a decision. You always need multiple approvals before taking action. By becoming independent, we increase our ability to react spontaneously.

We plan to hold more regular classes, and also more exhibitions and lectures. We want to offer higher-end classes with nationally known teachers, and we’ll simplify the admissions policies. We welcome anyone eager to engage in a wide-ranging dialogue about art and its place in the community.

What are the biggest challenges facing the council?

Many of our future plans are still in flux. It’s time for us to take control of our own fate. We are looking for board members with a business background to help us create and implement a new business plan and budgets.

Funding is always a challenge. Our 501(c) tax status is already in place. We will continue to receive some funding from the museum, but new fundraising events are needed.

We are looking for new facilities to continue our classes, salons, critiques and networking opportunities. We also want to establish a permanent gallery.

What is different about the annual Artists Council Exhibition at the museum this year?

I’m very excited about showing the depth and breadth of the artists in the council. The works selected for this show are penultimate examples from the finest artists living in the Coachella Valley.

It is a juried show. A very high caliber of judges was purposely chosen to reflect different backgrounds and areas of expertise.

This year, the judges include Anne M. Rowe, director of collections and exhibitions at the Sunnylands Center and Gardens; Cybele Rowe

Exhibit co-chairs Terry Hastings and Uschi Wilson.

(no relation), an Australian artist, professor and local resident; and Chip Tom, curator at Heather James Gallery in Palm Desert.

Artists Council members were invited to submit three pieces each, of which only one could be selected for the show. We did not give the judges any criteria and just allowed them to select the works to be included in this year’s exhibition.

This year’s judging has been more rigorous and intense. Because of this, there is a broader scope of work represented in the final selection of 44 pieces for this exhibit.

The judges made their initial selections from photographs, but the actual judging (for the exhibit’s awards) will be finalized once the art is hung in the museum’s gallery. The awards ceremony will be on Oct. 27 at 5:45 p.m. in the museum’s Annenberg Theater. The cash awards will be announced then, followed by a reception in the Elrod Sculpture Garden. The public is invited.

U

schi Wilson, a local artist and the other co-chair of the Artists’ Council Exhibition, expressed her aspirations for the future in a written statement. “‘Expanding the Visions,’ our new mantra, developed out of a sincere desire to make the Artists Council a creative, fresh and forwardthinking organization, serving all artists in Coachella Valley and beyond,” she said. “The Artists Council has assisted artists for over 50 years, and we are looking forward to the next 50 years, knowing that what we have in store for the future is nothing less than marvelous.”

The annual Artists Council Exhibition takes place Saturday, Oct. 20, through Sunday, Dec. 9, at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive, in Palm Springs. The exhibition’s awards ceremony takes place at 5:45 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, at the museum’s Annenberg Theater.

Admission costs vary. For more information, call 760-322-4800, or visit www.psmuseum.org.

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OCTOBER 2018

FOOD & DRINK

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ON COCKTAILS A

Shrubbs and switchels are delicious and refreshing—with or without alcohol

BY kevin carlow

funny thing about the Coachella Valley: Opinions on the “slowest month” in the bar industry vary greatly depending upon whom you ask. After what was a surprisingly OK summer, it seems that as of this mid-September writing, we are smack-dab in my nominee for the slowest bar month.

Now, it would be selfish of me to concoct some reason to get you into the bars and restaurants and away from whatever adventures are currently occupying your day—and selfish is not my style.

So … if you are taking advantage of the somewhat cooler days to get outside and be active, or maybe just taking a break from the bars, let me throw a couple of concoctions your way to make those parched hikes, thirsty loops around the golf course and pool days a little more pleasant.

I am talking about … and don’t freak out now … vinegar-based beverages!

For those of you who are still reading and haven’t skipped to the beer or wine column, rest assured: These concoctions can certainly be improved with the alcohol of your choice. I will even suggest some pairings.

I have held off writing about shrubb until now for a few reasons, not the least of which is the shrubb fad in cocktails is long past. The other reason is that people just don’t seem to like them. Perhaps the modern American palate rejects vinegar as a flavor in beverages, or maybe it was the heavy-handed way in which bar folk tended to incorporate them into drinks (myself included).

The first time I tried one, maybe 10 years ago, an eager bartender at my favorite spot let me try her lovingly homemade rosemary and thyme version. I was equally intrigued and displeased as I worked the drink down my gullet. A few years later, I experimented with some myself, and sample bottles started piling up inside the reach-in fridges at the bar.

Then, poof, it was over. RIP, shrubb fad—and good riddance.

But what exactly is a shrubb, and why should you care?

A shrubb, I have read in several places, is a corruption of the Persian word “sharâb” (or “wine”), and shares the same etymology as “syrup.” A shrubb is, in most cases, a type of syrup … that has taken a left turn into vinegar country. Traditionally, it was a method of preserving fruit in the days before refrigeration.

Techniques vary, but if you have some fruit that’s about to spoil, let’s get colonial: 1 pound or so of the fruit of your choice (but avoid citrus because of the acidity) 3/4 cup to a cup of sugar 3/4 cup to a cup of vinegar (red wine, white wine or apple cider work well; I have high hopes for rice vinegar, too) Dice the fruit; add the sugar; cover, refrigerate and leave overnight or longer to draw out the liquid. Remove the fruit and strain. Add the vinegar … and you’re done. Boil for a few seconds to make it last longer if you want, but it’s good to go.

You can use the spent fruit; it won’t taste amazing, but it will work on an English muffin or ice cream or something. I usually use fruit that’s a bit mealy or past its prime, like the red plums in my latest batch … so I don’t bother with the spent fruit. Herbs can be added; too; I usually just toss them in with the fruit and sugar in the first step. Try unconventional things like jalepeños or cucumbers; there are

lots of fun options here!

What do you do with this stuff? You force it on friends and family! I like to use about an ounce with soda water and ice, topped with mint, cilantro and even basil. I find it delicious and refreshing as a teetotaler tipple … think kombucha. You could also use it in a cocktail.

Try making something margarita- or daiquirilike, and putting a little in there.

Pineapple shrubb is the king for cocktails, in my opinion; cut back on the vinegar for cocktail use, maybe to half, as there usually will be lime or lemon juice as well in the drink. Perhaps make a sauce with it. Experiment!

Now onto the main event: Switchel!

Switchel, yankee punch or swizzle was a colonial “sports drink” popular in New England and the Caribbean. I am assuming from the name that it was probably mixed with a thin branch, or switch, as the modern cocktails in the swizzle family are. The earliest recipe I have seen, I found on the excellent “Jas. Townsend and Sons” colonial cooking YouTube channel (yes, this is what I do with my spare time), and it comes from The Skilled Housewife, an 18th century cookbook.

1/2 gallon of water 1/2 cup unsulfured molasses 1/4 cup of vinegar (apple cider) 1 tablespoon of powdered ginger Mix; serve chilled.

You didn’t think I was going to just leave it alone, now, did you? I did two versions—one with Vermont maple syrup, and the other with California wildflower honey instead of the molasses. I used a thumb of smashed fresh ginger in both, since I am not going for historical accuracy here. I also reduced the recipe by half. To the maple syrup version, I added:

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Red plum shrubb with soda and mint. Kevin Carlow

One small Gala apple, diced One stick of cinnamon A pinch of green caraway seeds Several star anise pods Leave it overnight in the refrigerator, and transfer to a thermos after straining; place another cinnamon stick into the thermos.

Go on a hike, preferably somewhere at cooler elevations. When the climb, altitude and exhaustion start to hit, take a good swig in the shade. I did just that in Idyllwild, and my hiking companion and I felt totally rejuvenated. I also think it would be amazing with apple brandy or a nice Barbados rum, even bourbon. Garnish it with some apples or lemons, thinly sliced, and serve it with a block of ice on a hot day. Yankee punch indeed.

What about the honey version? It was so tasty that it may end up on a cocktail menu or in a bottle at some point, so I have to keep some secrets!

Yeah, maybe I am a little selfish after all, but it’s slow this time of year …

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

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

OCTOBER 2018

FOOD & DRINK

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VINE SOCIAL

Biased against screw caps? Get over it—because what matters is what’s in the bottle, not what’s sealing it

JASON DAVID HAIR STUDIO

By KatieLOVE finn YOUR

H

HAIR

ere we are in 2018, 54 years since the first screw-cap wine was released—and somehow, people are still apprehensive about this alternative wine-sealing method.

At a recent wine-education seminar I was hosting, we did a side-by-side tasting of several wines. One of the first sets of wines we opened included sauvignon from New Country Cluba and Cookblanc Street Zealand, and one from California. One bottle had a cork; thePalm otherDe hadsert a screw cap. The purpose behind this was not to showcase closures, but rather to highlight the differences between the same grape grown in two distinct places. barrier between the wine and the air. Corks, 760-340-5959 As soon as the wine was opened, one of the being the renewable and sustainable substance attendees announced that, clearly, the corkthey are, became the Cinderella slipper—a www.jasondavidhairstudio.net finished bottle would be a higher-quality wine. perfect fit.

Wait … what? Are we still having this But real, natural cork is expensive, and debate? Yes. Yes we are. Le sigh. the process from tree to wine bottle is The truth is ... I understand the attachment laborious. The bark from a cork oak can only to natural cork. Hearing your wine crack open be harvested once every nine years or so. It doesn’t quite have the same romanticism is hand-punched from large, single planks, as hearing the gentle pop of a cork. But to optically sorted and graded by quality. And suggest that good wine will only have a cork, even after all of the painstaking measures are and only cheap swill will have a screw cap, is a taken to ensure a quality product, cork failure huge fallacy. Think of it like this: Just because is still possible.

Two-Buck Chuck has a cork, that doesn’t mean You might have heard your local wine nerd, it is a good wine. And if it were finished with aficionado or enthusiast talk about “cork taint.” a screw cap, that wouldn’t make it any less If they’re getting super-nerdy, they’ll throw the desirable than it already is. acronym TCA around. In short, this is a result The real question lies in the cork itself. I of microorganisms in cork feeding on naturally suppose it’s easy to assume that all cork is present chlorine and releasing a byproduct created equal, and that when the foil capsule that smells musty, mildewy and dank. “Moldy is cut away, if what you see looks like a cork, cardboard,” “grandma’s basement” and “wet surely it must be cork, right? Uh, not exactly. dog” are just some of the unpleasant aromas I’ve found that most people are completely that a “corked” wine can emit. Other times, unaware of all the “manufactured” cork it can be faint. But no matter the intensity, it floating around out there. But just like a will have an adverse effect on your wine. It can knock-off Louis Vuitton bag, if you look close deaden the flavors and mute the aromas—or enough, it’s easy to spot the imposter. be an all-out assault on your senses.

The reason natural cork has been the go-to This is where corks become the bane of sealant for about 400 years is because it has my existence. I put it into perspective like the flexibility and spongy spring-back to create this: Let’s say you come to me looking for a a perfect seal. The goal has always been to suggestion on the newest, hippest, hottest prevent oxidation and have an impermeable wine. I gladly offer up a recommendation for

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to remove; they also breakdown quickly (sometimes in as little as a year!), allowing air to get in, and—even worse—wine to leak out.

A tiny percentage of wine is closed with a Vinolok. This is a glass stopper with an inert o-ring that is said to create a hermetic seal.

While they look super-cool and do a fine job of preventing oxidation, they must be manually inserted and are very expensive.

That brings us to the screw cap. Ahh, my beloved screw cap. How do I count the ways in which you are perfection? No wine opener needed. No chance of TCA, cork taint, wet dog or moldy funkiness. Stelvin closures (the fancy-pants name for screw caps) create a perfect seal and keep the wine fresh for a long, long time. I know that when I crack open that bottle, it’s going to taste the way the winemaker intended, and if I don’t like it, it’s because it truly isn’t my style—not because I got that one bad bottle. It’s true the jury is still out regarding screw caps’ ability to age wine.

The point, my friends, is this: No closure is perfect. Everything will have its pros and cons. Remember, it’s what’s in the bottle that matters most.

Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with more than 15 years in the wine industry. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@gmail.com.

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a wine that is knock-your-socks-off good. You get home with said bottle, dinner cooking away on the stove, friends en route … when you pull the cork and pee-eww. This is one stinky bottle of vino. You’ve never had this wine before, so you’re not sure what it’s supposed to taste like, but you are pretty sure the stinky socks should come off before they stomp the grapes.

So now what? If you’ll pardon the pun ... you’re screwed. And for that matter, so am I. Chances are, you’ll never take another recommendation from me. If I think that was a great bottle of wine, clearly you and I have very different opinions on what good wine is. In addition, it’s pretty safe to say you’ll never buy a bottle of wine from that producer again. So there you have it: I’ve lost your confidence and your business; the winemaker has lost you as a buyer; and you have nothing to drink with your dinner. Everybody loses.

This is where “pseudo” cork comes in. How do we give consumers the cork they crave without the taint that ruins everything?

Agglomerated corks. In short, these are small, ground-down pieces of natural cork that have been washed and cleaned of any taint and glued back together using a food-grade polymer. Think of them as the particleboard IKEA version of a cork—inexpensive but effective, as long as you don’t plan on keeping it for a long time.

There are a few other cork-like closures, like colmated corks, which are made with low-grade natural cork, plus cork dust and glue used to fill in gaps—thus making the cork smooth, dense and better at creating that airtight seal.

Synthetic corks are basically plastic- or resin-based, and they are nothing short of terrible. Not only do they adhere to the side of the bottle, making them almost impossible

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23

OCTOBER 2018

FOOD & DRINK

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We reviewed some of Guinness’ locally available beers—and we liked what we tasted

By brett newton

fter my last column on American breweries selling out to huge multi-national conglomerates, I thought I would shake it up a bit … and review beers from a worldfamous European brewery owned by a British conglomerate named Diageo.

That brewery is the St. James’s Gate Brewery of Dublin, Ireland, that makes the most iconic stout in the world: Guinness Draught. Yes, Guinness, while brewed largely in Ireland, is no longer truly Irish. I am magnanimously putting aside my almost-universal rule of not buying from “Big Beer” for the sake of you, my readers. I know, I know: How very selfless of me, right?

I have not tried a vast majority of the special releases from Guinness largely out of cynicism.

However, I have more therapy sessions in the books now, and I think it’s high time I push aside the sneering attitude of my past; pull some beers off the shelf that would make a previous version of me scoff; and swallow my pride, along with a beer or two.

Guinness Draught: 4.2 percent Irish stout—It makes sense to begin at the beginning. The beer poured its characteristic opaque black with the off-white, perfect nitro head. It smelled of roasted grain and malt, but subtly. The taste was similar: It was very creamy, but somehow very light-bodied, almost to the point of being watery. I’m not sure if this was changed more recently, or if my tastes have moved along since 1995, but there really isn’t as much flavor here as I remember. None of the flavor is bad, though … just meh.

Extra Stout: 5.6 percent Irish extra stout—This seems to also have been watered down since I last tried it. It was like the Draught, but with more of a roasted character and a little bit of a warmer, alcohol finish. I always described this version of Guinness as the espresso to the Draught’s latte. There are different versions of this beer made especially for certain markets. Nigeria and Jamaica are said to have the better ones, but I’ve not yet been able to get either. It’s not bad by any means, but not what I remember. Again, that could very well be me.

Irish Wheat Ale: 5.3 percent German hefeweizen—No, that’s not a misprint. This is a German-style wheat beer, brewed using 100 percent Irish wheat, malted by their maltster—for the first time in the brewer’s 259-year history. Guinness’ traditional yeast apparently gives off clove phenols and banana esters naturally, and are just “held back” during fermentation when they make their normal lineup of beers. It even had the traditional leftover bit of yeast in the bottle that is customary in Bavaria to swirl with the final portion of beer and pour into the top of the glass. Color me impressed—and, in this

case, golden, along with the body of the beer.

It smelled a bit like spiced banana bread. The malt was reminiscent of a mild sugar cookie of some kind. The taste offered notes of banana, subtle clove and bubblegum with a faint hint of straw and lemon. I found this more subtle, but just as drinkable as a traditional German hefeweizen. I was very skeptical when I grabbed this, but it won me over.

Rye Pale Ale: 5 percent rye beer—When I saw a Guinness beer that was made using Mosaic and Cascade hops, I had to pull the trigger out of sheer curiosity. It had a biscuity malt nose with notes of earthiness (almost mushroom-like), citrus and honey. It was not especially dry, but crisper than, say, an English pale. The label suggests a pepper note, but if it’s there, it’s faint. I hear people prattle on about the rye flavor or nose in beers, and rarely do I actually get that note myself. The rye may have imparted the earthy aroma I detected, however. I also see no sign of those Mosaic and Cascade hops. Despite all of this, this is a fine little beer. If you buy this thinking it should taste like a West Coast hop bomb, be prepared for disappointment.

200th Anniversary Export Stout: 6 percent Irish export stout—This is a beer brewed based off of their own notes from 1817 for a stout to be sent to America. It just so happens 1817 (and this is almost certainly not sheer coincidence) is the year the copyright was put in by Daniel Wheeler for the pivotal drum roaster which allowed maltsters to kiln and roast grains to varying degrees without applying direct fire and introducing smoke. From that invention, black patent malt began to replace Guinness’ entire stock of what previously went into dark beers: inefficient brown malt. Black patent is used here, and right off the bat, I get sweet chocolate, slight coffee and caramel notes with dark fruit aromas and flavors underneath.

It finishes a little dry with some roast and a slight astringent sensation to balance out any sweetness. This should be our version of their extra stout. Pretty please, Guinness?

The Guinness Gate. GUINNESS STOREHOUSE PRESS GALLERY

Blonde Ale: 5 percent American blonde—A confession: I’m prejudiced. There are certain things in beer that, when I see them, I immediately dislike them. Glitter beer is high on that list, because it’s a gimmick. The American blonde ale style finds me reacting in a similar way: It seems to be a style purely for non-beer drinkers—people who were dragged to fine-drinking establishments by others, and who do not want to be offended as their friends try everything else. Even when it’s done well, it is such an underwhelming experience. I wanted to not like this beer. It has a bit of a biscuity aroma with a hint of pilsner malts and slight floral hops. I was expecting to taste a typically boring, American blonde ale when, lo and behold, some more interesting—Irish malt flavors—sprang forth.

Do I actually like this? Well, yes, but let’s put this into perspective: I would drink this gladly if handed to me at a party. Would I choose to have another one with a selection of other styles available to me? No, I would not.

Antwerpen: 8 percent foreign/extra

stout—This is included here as an honorable mention, because it was only available for a limited time. This, to me, is the jewel in the crown of Guinness, and it is an absolute crime against most of humanity that it isn’t available year-round here. It had something I had never previously experienced from a Guinness beer: smokiness. It had all the positives of their export stouts—except it was richer, with that added smoked malt edge, and all at a sneaky 8 percent ABV. If you see this one on the shelves, buy some, and let me know where you found it so I can march out and do the same.

The next one is for you, Mr. Arthur Guinness, for all of your efforts that yielded the beer you and your successors have provided me so many years later. Sláinte!

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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OCTOBER 2018

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FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT This month’s treats: Delicious soup in Rancho Mirage, and a breakfast BLT in Palm Springs

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The morning BLT WHERE Grand Central Palm Springs, 160 La Plaza, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $16 CONTACT 760-699-7185; www. grandcentralpalmsprings.com WHY It’s a sophisticated, tasty take on a classic.

Here’s the story of Grand Central Palm Springs’ opening, as told through our Restaurant News Bites column: April 26, 2016: “Downtown Palm Springs’ La Plaza will soon be the home of Grand Central Palm Springs.”

Nov. 28, 2017: “In early August 2016, Grand Central hosted a job fair; the restaurant’s Facebook page reported that 200 people had applied for jobs. … And then nothing happened. … It would likely open sometime in January, if not before.”

March 30, 2018: “The much, much delayed opening of Grand Central Palm Springs … is apparently close.”

May 22, 2018: “Grand Central Palm Springs is open!”

Whew! And the news gets even better: Grand Central was worth the wait.

I stopped in one recent morning for breakfast with my friend Brad, and I was immediately struck by the space. First, it’s huge; second, it’s gorgeous in a decidedly “classic” way. The La Plaza building, once home to Desmond’s department store, was built in 1936. The old, historic nature of the building—which had been vacant for more than a decade—is what led to all of the delays, the owner told me.

Then there’s the food … which is creative and delicious. Brad had the palm sugar waffles—“sweet waffles with Nueske applewood bacon and our own cherry butter,” the menu says—and he loved them. I was in more of a mood for savory food, though, so I was ecstatic that I ordered the morning BLT, featuring the aforementioned Nueske bacon, a double-yolk poached egg, heirloom tomatoes and lemon arugula, placed on a piece of grilled sourdough bread topped with avocado dressing. Fantastic.

Grand Central is only serving breakfast and lunch now, but dinner service is slated to start sometime in October. This is a new restaurant to watch; something truly special may be taking place at Grand Central.

WHAT The wild mushroom soup WHERE Acqua California Bistro, 71800 Highway 111, Rancho Mirage; also at Lulu California Bistro, 200 S. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $5.99-$8.99 depending on menu; also available on special menus CONTACT 760-862-9800; www. acquaranchomirage.com (Acqua); 760-3275858; www.lulupalmsprings.com (Lulu) WHY It’s consistently delicious.

Whenever I go to Acqua California Bistro (or Lulu California Bistro, for that matter), I have a problem: Even though the menu is rather expansive and varied, I almost always feel the need to order the same thing—the wild mushroom soup.

Why, you may ask, do I feel the need to always order a hot soup, when the local temperatures often can best be described as “convection oven”?

The answer is simple: It’s really, really tasty.

This soup is not much to look at, but it makes my taste buds happy. The earthy and even meaty flavor of the mushrooms is enhanced by perfect seasoning—including just a touch of truffle oil. Yum! Actually, my “need” to always order the wild mushroom soup isn’t really much of a problem.

If I sit in the bar area, where it’s pretty much always happy hour, I can enjoy the soup for just $5.99, meaning there’s room in my budget to order something else. And if I am not sitting in the bar area, the soup is included as an offering on all of Acqua’s discounted prix-fixe menus. In other words, I can always get the soup and an entrée and a dessert for less than $20. Awesome.

On my recent visit to Acqua, I “splurged” and ordered from the $29.99 four-course menu (a fine deal!). I started with the soup, and then enjoyed the ahi tuna on crispy wontons before having the sirloin-steak salad as my entrée, and finishing with the lemon tart. All of it was great … but it’s the mushroom soup that makes my mouth water every time I think of it.

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Restaurant NEWS BITES

By Jimmy Boegle SPOTLIGHT 29 OPENS NEW FOOD COURT, MEXICAN RESTAURANT Gamblers, show-goers and foodies who find themselves at Spotlight 29—located at 46200 Harrison Place, in Coachella—now have a whole bunch more food options than they did before.

La Diabla Maria, located in what used to be the Groove nightclub, is offering beer, tequila flights and street-style tacos. “Guests can choose from carne asada, al pastor, pollo, tripas, lengua, barbacoa and pork chorizo,” according to a news release. “Both flour and corn tortillas are freshly made in house.” Yum! At the new Pier 29 food court, diners can find three new options: Sharkey’s Pizza, which offers, well, pizza; Easy Rita’s Margaritas, which sells all sorts of flavorful, boozy drinks—and nonalcoholic options, too; and Mr. Weiner’s, which cooks up creative twists on hot dogs.

“We’re always looking for creative, fun ways to enhance the guest experience at Spotlight 29, and dining is a big part of that equation,” said Spotlight 29 General Manager Michael Frawley, in a quote that could only be made for a press release. “The new restaurants present flavors for any palate and terrific value in a fun, party-style atmosphere.”

For more information, visit Spotlight29.com.

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(760) 778-0017

PALM SPRINGS CHAMBER’S TASTE OF PALM SPRINGS RETURNS TO COLONY 29 One of the valley’s most-popular food-related events is back for another year.

The Business Expo and Taste of Palm Springs, which is put on by the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce, will be held from 5 to 9 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 16. According to the press release, the event “will include a taste of over 30 valley restaurants, wine and beer tasting, a cocktail bar, and live entertainment. Over 100 local businesses will showcase their products and services with a backdrop of the beautiful foothills of the San Jacinto Mountains, the Indian Canyons, and the remarkable Colony 29 itself.”

The list of participating restaurants and food-related business, as of this writing, includes the Tommy Bahama Marlin Bar, Lulu California Bistro, Wabi Sabi Japan Living (yay, sake!), Eight4Nine Restaurant, Rio Azul Mexican Bar and Grill, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Kaiser Grill and many others.

Admission to the expo is free, but if you want food and drink—and why in the hell wouldn’t you?—you’ll need to fork over $20 for a wristband.

Colony 29 is located at 147 S. Tahquitz Drive, right at the base of the mountain. Shuttle buses will run to and from the public parking garage across from the Palm Springs Art Museum every five minutes or so. For wristbands or more information, call 760-325-1577, or visit pschamber.org.

IN BRIEF The good news: Bongo Johnny’s—which has been closed since an early-morning fire gutted the restaurant’s kitchen at 214 E. Arenas Road, in downtown Palm Springs, on March 7—will reopen somehow, someway, according to owner Robb Wirt. The bad news: Now more than six months later, a reopening date remains months away. Wirt says the landlord is dragging its feet on reconstruction. We’re keeping our fingers crossed; watch this space for updates. …

We have only good news to report on this one: The much-delayed downtown Palm Springs location of Wilma and Frieda’s, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive—in the second-floor space previously occupied by The Falls—will reportedly be opening soon. To repeat: We’re keeping our fingers crossed; watch this space for updates. … Hair of the Dog, the pub long located at 238 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in downtown Palm Springs, has closed, but is slated to reopen soon a wee bit south—specifically, at the corner of South Palm Canyon Drive and East Camino Parocela. … New to Rancho Mirage, at 72817 Dinah Shore Drive: Sushi Arigato. We have not yet had a chance to try out the place ourselves, but the food we’ve seen in the pictures on the review sites looks absolutely delicious! Call 760-656-8886 for more information. … While this event doesn’t have a whole lot directly to do with food, it’s an event that’s near and dear to our hearts: The 12th annual Paint El Paseo Pink walk takes place from 7 to 10:30 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 13. It costs $25 to register for the 2-mile walk around El Paseo in Palm Desert, and all of the proceeds go to the Desert Cancer Foundation. Register or get more information by calling 760-773-6554, or visiting desertcancerfoundation.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 27

OCTOBER 2018

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COMMUNITY. ACTION. IMPACT.

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 29

OCTOBER 2018

31 32 33 35

Phil Pirrone’s Desert Daze fest finds yet another new home, this time at Lake Perris When Tides Turn is here to help revitalize the local metal scene Chicago returns to Fantasy Springs to celebrate the band’s legendary second album The members of Se7en4, playing at The Hood, make the most of their time together

www.cvindependent.com/music

A COLLECTIVE MINDSET

Before touring Europe to celebrate his new album, Brant Bjork is playing Pappy’s

30 photo by karl hahn

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MUSIC

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A COLLECTIVE MINDSET W

By Brian Blueskye

hen Brant Bjork left Kyuss in 1994, he didn’t stay idle for long.

He had stints in bands including De-con and Fu Manchu, before releasing his first solo album, Jalamanta, in 1999—which featured him moving away from the drum set and becoming a frontman/guitarist.

Today, he continues to kick ass and take names. He’ll be playing at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace on Friday, Oct. 12—one of five American tour dates before heading to Europe.

On Sept. 14, Bjork released his 13th solo album, Mankind Woman.

“I think it sounds like a solid and respectable not to say that there aren’t some American 13th effort,” Bjork said during a recent phone fans who are really into my music and rock in interview. “I worked closely with my guitar general, but it’s just not as celebrated among player and good friend, Bubba DuPree. I asked the masses as it is in Europe. I’ve been waiting him to produce the record and went into it for people to dive into that historical situation, just hands-off. I just wanted to flow down the because it’s been going on for years. I’d like for river. He and I collaborated on writing and someone to write a book about it. It also goes performed all the tracks. I just really wanted back to jazz artists like Miles Davis and Louis to collaborate, and I really missed and enjoyed Armstrong. Miles Davis was a god in Europe, working with someone. Bubba and I started and when he came home, he was playing in the to work together on the last record, Tao of the same clubs in Manhattan. They always say you Devil, and I really enjoyed it.” never profit in your own land.”

Bjork and DuPree played all of the Bjork did a DJ set at Pappy and Harriet’s instruments on Mankind Woman. following Sean Wheeler’s recent performance “We moved quick on this record, meaning there, and the combination of music that we jumped into the creative process,” he said. night was fascinating. I brought that up and “We had come to a really good place with a asked Bjork what artists or records inspired record deal with Heavy Psych Sounds Records him as a kid. out of Italy, and we really liked the deal, and it “The Ramones. I think it’s just a came together so fast that we were able to say, combination of my age and where I was at ‘Why don’t we get a record out this year and in relation to my environment,” he said. “My get it to coincide with our European run?’ We parents were older and weren’t hippies. They were excited, and we were very much inspired. were more into first-wave rock ’n’ roll, and But having to move like that, Bubba and I my mom really liked the Stones, and my dad decided to just take care of the instruments really liked Ray Charles. There were those early ourselves. My bass player, Dave Dinsmore, and Rolling Stones, Fats Domino, Ray Charles and my drummer, Ryan Gut, they live outside of Chuck Berry records. I loved that stuff. Most of the area. Dave lives in Berlin, Germany, and the kids in the neighborhood were listening to Gut lives up north in Shasta, Calif. As much KISS, and I really liked KISS, but I had a hard as I love my rhythm section and would have time wrapping my head around the makeup loved to incorporate them in this recording, it and blowing fire. It was classic ’70s heavy rock didn’t make a lot of logistical sense. Creatively and didn’t have the buzz of the early Stones speaking, I was pretty excited to just play the stuff. But when I heard the Ramones, it was drums to a lot of the guitar parts that Bubba the perfect band that combined all of it. They was coming up with.” had an image, and they were cooler than If you keep up with Kyuss culture— KISS; they were animated and cartoonish, including the Facebook group Kyuss World— but exaggerated in all of the right ways, and you know there are Kyuss fans all around the the music was KISS and the Stones, only at world, many of whom are feverish for anything 45 RPM—moving quick. The Ramones was and everything the members have done before made for a kid like me, and the contemporaries and after Kyuss. Some have even traveled here of the Ramones in the ’70s knew what they to explore where the desert-rock genre started. were trying to do, and they appreciated it “I think Europeans have more of an as contemporary artists. They were for the appreciation for things that leave a lasting kids like me who didn’t get the Stones or effect on the individual—on the collective, on the Beatles. I was perfectly in time for the the mindset, and the culture. In the United Ramones, and I ate it up and collected all their States, it’s a ‘me me, here here, now now,’ kind records. It was my first concert, and they were of instant gratification,” Bjork said. “… That’s the band that really turned me on.”

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Before touring Europe to celebrate his new album, Brant Bjork is playing Pappy’s

While Bjork is a fantastic guitarist and frontman, he said he still loves playing the drums.

“That will always be a joy for me, and playing drums for a live audience is a rush,” he said. “But sometimes it depends on the music and the situation. I like to play the drums if I’m playing with a group of musicians or a style of music that inspires me to play the drums.

Not to state the obvious, but that’s always how it works for me. The thing with the guitar and the singing—that was a challenge for me, and it was something I never planned on doing. But … my solo career is just me sharing my story, and it’s hard to do from the drums.”

Earlier this year, Bjork went back to the old days of the generator parties and threw what he called “Stoned and Dusted,” a modern-day generator party … with some modifications.

Brant Bjork. guillermo prieto/irockphotos.net

“We just solidified our date for next year this week, actually,” he said. “It’s a great time, and it’s a work in progress, but the concept is what it was back in the past: the desert environment and rock bands. We have it organized, and we want to bring people from all over the world and have them enjoy the natural environment with some good rock music, good food, some smoke and some drinks. We eliminated the riff-raff element that was largely the reason why the original generator party movement came to a stop.”

Brant Bjork will perform with Nebula at 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53668 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $18 to $20. For more tickets or more information, call 760-365-5956, or visit www.pappyandharriets.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 31

OCTOBER 2018

MUSIC DAZE ON THE MOVE S

By Brian Blueskye

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

Phil Pirrone’s Desert Daze fest finds yet another new home, this time at Lake Perris (paying) 10 times what you’d make for a club show, you’ve got to take it. Your tour is probably still losing money for eight bands out of 10. You want to bring ticket prices down, so you want agents and bands and managers to be more reasonable. But as long as these bands are barely able to keep their heads above water, you’re going to have this kind of landscape.”

Pirrone said that while the event is farther from the Coachella Valley in Lake Perris—about an hour or so away—he said he still loves the Coachella Valley and the high desert. The Desert Daze after-party is being held at Pappy and Harriet’s, and Pirrone always does a show at Pappy and Harriet’s as a preview to the festival.

“It feels like I am rooted into that land. My wife and I fell in love at Pappy and Harriet’s, and our bands played together at a show there,” he said. “We fell into a deep love at Pappy’s. It’s always been a magical location on this earth for us, and we care deeply about it.

“Through the years of producing this festival, we’ve made lots of friends and family, and that’s not going to change. We’re always looking for a space in the desert where we can have the best version of what we’re doing. The stars aligned for us this year to make it happen in Lake Perris, which doesn’t mean we won’t hold it in the desert valley again, or we won’t continue to satellite the events in the desert. We hope that we can bring more positivity, more music and more fun to the area.

ince its inception in 2012, Desert Daze has already been held in three different locations.

As of October 2018 … make that four.

After the inaugural festival in Desert Hot Springs in 2012, it spent three years at the Sunset Ranch Oasis in Mecca, and then two years at the Institute of Mentalphysics in Joshua Tree. This year’s edition of Desert Daze will be moving to Moreno Beach at Lake Perris from Friday, Oct. 12, through Sunday, Oct. 14.

This year’s headliners include Tame Impala, King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard, and My Bloody Valentine. Other acts announced include former experiences.”

Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker, Warpaint, Ty The art installations and interactive Segall and White Fence, Earth and many others. experiences may be heightened by the natural During a phone interview with Desert Daze setting, Pirrone said. founder Phil Pirrone, he declined to say why the “The (lake) being there is special, and I think festival moved to Lake Perris, but he did speak it’s going to create an opportunity for people to in glowing terms about the new location. have an even deeper rejuvenation thing going “One of the things that strike me about Lake on,” he said. “I love the idea that people can Perris is that once you’re inside the park, you swim all morning or all afternoon, go back to have no sense of outside of the park,” Pirrone their campsite, and there are real showers—real said. “Once you’re inside, you’re immersed. One running water showers in brick-and-mortar example I can give is at all the previous venues, buildings. I love the idea that you can go splash once you left the grounds, you were on a city around, go on a pontoon boat ride, and really street. There were chain stores across the street. get to see the majestic landscape. …We’re In Lake Perris, you can leave the venue, and it starting the music a little later this year so we still takes you five minutes to get back to the can accommodate for those experiences.” closest neighborhood. It’s kind of like Jurassic Pirrone said there’s an over-saturation of Park, and every time I go through there, I feel festivals today—and that’s where Desert Daze like the theme song from Jurassic Park should comes in. be playing. It’s epic and grand. It’s the perfect “The Live Nations of the world, the AEGs of location to continue this story that’s unfolding the world—they’re driving the prices up for the with Desert Daze. bands, and there are agencies capitalizing on “We feel like Desert Daze is a ritual, and I that, and to a certain degree, they should. To a mean that in the sense of we all have daily, certain degree, I think the fans would be the first Desert Daze will take place Friday, Oct. 12, through weekly and annual rituals to help improve to say that it’d be great to take a step back from Sunday, Oct. 14 at Lake Perris State Recreation our quality of life, heal our cellular makeup or that a bit. I find it to be a little out of whack.

Area, 17801 Lake Perris Drive, in Lake Perris. evolve as beings. That has a lot to do with the “I’ve been touring for a long time … and I get Tickets are $99 to $1,999. For more information, moods of Lake Perris. It can accommodate more it. I’m on tour right now, and I’m losing money visit www.desertdaze.org. people, and one of the main concerns for us is on this tour. When a festival comes around maintaining the energy—and the feeling you have at Desert Daze will be a good one.”

Desert Daze is sort of an anti-festival festival.

It’s not as big as Coachella, and almost all of the performers fall into the psychedelic or edgier side of rock music.

“Music festivals can be so one dimensional if it’s in a parking lot with a truck stage and an algorithm of a lineup,” Pirrone said. “It can really start to be homogenized milk at that point, almost like plastic. That doesn’t interest us at all. We want people to have a multidimensional, multilayered and profound experience. The immersive art experience for this festival is a step beyond anything we’ve ever done before. It’s exciting, and it’s a massive workload. It’s almost like there are three festivals going on—music, art, projection art, Phil Pirrone and his daughter at Desert Daze 2017. guillermo prieto/irockphotos.net films, talks, workshops and all these immersive

The Blueskye REPORT OCTOBER 2018

By Brian Blueskye

Aida Cuevas Welcome to fall and (slightly) cooler weather … and enjoy these hot October events!

The McCallum Theatre is open for the season and is ready for a fantastic 2018-2019 schedule. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 2, the “Queen of Ranchera Music,” Aida Cuevas, will be performing a tribute to her mentor, Juan Gabriel. Tickets are $28 to $88. At noon, Sunday, Oct. 21, the McCallum will be hosting its Seventh Annual Family Fun Day, and the show for this year is Erth’s Prehistoric Aquarium Adventure. The show is meant to provide the experience of exploring the ocean depths—with prehistoric reptiles—via puppets, science and imagination! Yay! Tickets are $10 to $30. Now, for something a little edgier … at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, a group of Canadian musicians will perform Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon in its entirety as part of Classic Albums Live.

However, this show will not feature lasers, costumes or anything hokey like that—just the music. Tickets are $28 to $58. McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino has a great list of October events. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 19, guitarist and singer/songwriter Boz Scaggs will be performing. Scaggs has written numerous great tunes since he started rocking in the ’70s, and he’s racked up a bunch of smash singles and a Grammy Award; he’s still wildly popular today. Tickets are $49 to $69. If that wasn’t enough, one of the most popular artists of the new millennium, Christina Aguilera, will be performing at 8 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 24. She released a highly anticipated new album back in June titled Liberation—it was her eighth album overall, but her first in six years. It received rave reviews and solidified the comeback trail on which she finds herself. Tickets are $89 to $199. Remember back in the ’90s when Lord of the Dance was a thing? With that Michael Flatley guy? Well, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance: Dangerous Games will be stopping continued on Page 34 CVIndependent.com

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PEDAL TO THE METAL T

By Brian Blueskye

he local metal scene has been going through a transitional period, with many longtime bands calling it quits—and one of the bands rising from the figurative ashes is When Tides Turn.

Slowly but surely, the band has been getting its name out there, playing consistently at venues such as The Hood Bar and Pizza, Plan B Live Entertainment and Cocktails, Club 5, and Kilo’s Cantina.

During a recent interview in Palm Desert their inception, their shared history, and how with the band members—except for lead they all pitch in to support their recording and guitarist TJ Cazares, who was not able to make travel costs. it—they shared some amusing stories about The band’s name is a reference to most of the

band members’ hometown of Blythe.

“We were trying to find something that no one else had, because every name in the world is taken,” guitarist Thomas Lambert said. “Where Desiree (McCaslin, drummer) and I are from and where we formed the band, it was out in Blythe. Blythe has a river, and at certain points, there’s a really crazy rip current and undertow, and it looks like the water flow is going against the current. That’s where we came up with the name When Tides Turn.”

What is actually over there in Blythe?

“There’s a state prison there, which also comes with state jobs,” McCaslin said. “It’s a farmer town; they’re also building this huge marijuana-growing center, and it will probably be one of the biggest marijuana-growing centers in the world, because we have access to a bunch of water.”

McCaslin said she had been trying to start a band with Xan Abyss of Rogue Ogre, but it kept falling apart, and a mutual friend told her about Jacob Garcia, who was originally a drummer and a bassist. Garcia explained how he came to join When Tides Turn—as a vocalist.

“I had not been doing much of anything with music, and at first, I wasn’t really going to do it, because I didn’t have transportation; I didn’t really have the means of getting out there, but this was a band, and they were ready to go,” Garcia said. “They had already written music, and I thought, ‘OK, I can give this a shot.’ They liked me; I liked them; and maybe a week after I auditioned, we played a backyard show in Blythe, and I didn’t even finish the lyrics and was making it up as I went along.”

Garcia wasn’t the only new band member who needed to learn material quickly.

“It was totally random. Desiree asked me if I wanted to jam, and I was kind of hesitant, because I didn’t think I was ready or good enough,” bassist Adrian Whitson said. “She said, ‘Just come jam, and see what happens.’ Literally, one day before a show at Club 5, they got a hold of me and asked me if I would play. They said they had a bass for me, and I had one day to

When Tides Turn. brian blueskye

CVIndependent.com

When Tides Turn is here to help revitalize the local metal scene learn the songs. I used to be in a band during high school, but as far as playing a show goes, I had only ever played one show before that, and it had been years since. I was freaking out, but it worked out really well.”

Garcia added: “When Desiree decides she wants you in the band, she’ll figure out how to get you in.”

When Tides Turn has been working on its first album with producer Jerry Whiting, who also produced music by Frank Eats the Floor and Sleazy Cortez.

“We started recording back in February, and around that time, we were just about done,” Lambert said. “The only thing left was vocals, and that’s when our other guitarist, TJ, came into the band. We went back in and re-recorded the leads and put all of his stuff on it, and stepped it up majorly. It sounds so much better.

Now we just need to touch up one of the songs and start getting it out to everyone.”

When Tides Turn, like many local bands, had problems finding a place to practice.

The members of the band Hollace recently purchased a rehearsal studio called The Sound Hub from its previous owner in Cathedral City; the members of When Tides Turn say they gladly pay the money to use it.

“The Sound Hub in Cathedral City definitely helped us out. If it weren’t for them, we wouldn’t have the place to practice,” McCaslin said. “They provide the backline and everything else. If you pay $5, you can even take a recording of your practice home.”

Garcia and McCaslin told an amusing story about that aforementioned first show they ever played in Blythe, at a backyard party.

“Some big, old, fat drunk guy got on my drum set and just started wailing away on it, and it didn’t sound good at all,” McCaslin said. “It sounded like trash-can lids, and I was watching my fucking cymbals just go to pieces. Someone was cheering for the guy, and he kept going.”

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

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 33

OCTOBER 2018

MUSIC

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By Brian Blueskye

hen the band Chicago released its second album, commonly referred to as II, in 1970, it pushed the group’s blend of rock, jazz and classical into even greater territory.

Chicago is currently touring behind a remastered release of II, and at some stops is playing the album in its entirety. The group will perform at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Saturday, Oct. 6.

The first album, Chicago Transit Authority, phone interview he’s unsure whether the band released the year before, challenged radio will perform II in its entirety at the Fantasy formats with songs longer than the typicalSprings, although it’s been a lot of fun to do. for-singles three minutes. “Does Anybody “We often talked about doing it, but this is Really Know What Time It Is?” clocks in at 4 the first time we actually decided to go ahead 1/2 minutes, while “Questions 67 and 68” goes and do it,” Loughnane said. “The reason is beyond 5—yet they became hit singles. This because (in 2016), Rhino Records hired a continued with II; “25 or 6 to 4” is almost 5 guy from England named Steven Wilson to minutes long. remix it. That started spurring interest in the Chicago not only survived the death of second album, and we were nominated for guitarist Terry Kath in 1978 and the departure the Grammy Hall of Fame, and we wanted of singer, songwriter and bassist Peter Cetera to continue that resurgence and play it in its in 1985; the band kept on going, earning entirety on the road. We’ve been doing that induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of all year, and it’s been a lot of fun. When we Fame in 2016. After the recent departure of started doing it, we wondered how people another founding member, Walter Parazaider, that young could come up with that intricate due to a heart condition, three founding musical style. I don’t hear any songs like that members remain. One of them, trumpetanywhere else, and it’s unique to us. It’s been a player Lee Loughnane, said during a recent lot of fun to re-create them.”

Chicago.

Chicago returns to Fantasy Springs to celebrate the band’s legendary second album

Loughnane said he and the other original band members had already played most of II at single shows before.

“We’ve played every song except for ‘Memories of Love’ live, because at that point, we only had two albums, and it was all we knew. We played everything that we knew at the time,” he said. “Until we got enough hits and people would say, ‘Well, how come you’re doing that and not the hits?’—that’s when we stopped doing what people always called ‘album cuts.’”

In 2016, a documentary on Chicago was released titled Now More Than Ever: The History of Chicago. It was an honest look into the band’s high times (no pun intended … mostly) and low times. The members discuss the period when they worked with producer David Foster, who made Cetera the face of the band and reduced the amount of horns in the music.

“He was hired to put us back on the map. … He took the reins, and that’s what he came up with: He used less horns,” Loughnane said. “He did make sure some horn parts got into the songs, but he didn’t concentrate too much on them. That got me playing different

instruments, and I played bass sometimes when we’d play those songs live. He got us to do different things with our talents, and in retrospect, many of those songs still work for us every night. He did admit in the documentary that maybe he overproduced and maybe changed our style to a drastic point where it was a departure from what we did before. But when you look at it now, it’s almost as if we’ve had two different careers, and they’ve worked. We’re combining them when we play live every night.”

Chicago has released a string of live recordings from recent shows.

“It’s sort of a document of what we’re doing at the time. Unfortunately, the band has changed so many times in the past couple of years,” he said. “Now, it’s to the point where it’d be nice to have a studio album of the current band, because it’s so much fun to play together. But we’ll see what happens. It’s harder and harder to come up with albums that will be played for enough people to hear them to where it’ll make sense for us.”

Chicago’s live shows are definitely a spectacle; you can feel how difficult many of the songs are and how many different times the key changes. Loughnane laughed when I brought this up.

“Our songs are interesting. They are difficult to play, and you have to keep your chops together to pull it off. ‘Ballet for a Girl in Buchannon’ is probably the most intricate song that we do, as well as ‘Introduction.’ There are so many styles in each of those songs— different tempo changes, different keys and a lot of different factors. They never get any easier, and it’s always fun to play them.”

The members of Chicago understand that music has changed—and that what they do is not seen much anymore. But Loughnane said he doesn’t fear the future.

“Unless they listen to oldies radio where you’d hear us more often, it’s hard to hear music that incorporates brass and strings, as well as other instruments. Now it’s all vocals and drum machines,” he said. “I’m not afraid that it’s going to completely go away, because music is going to survive, and the writers will figure out a way to bring back other instruments into the fold.”

Chicago will perform at 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, in Indio. Tickets are $59 to $99.

For tickets or more information, call 760-3425000, or visit www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

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Solar Q&A

If I purchase a solar system, how do I calculate the value it will add to my home?

The good news is that Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory conducted a study that showed homes with solar definitely sold for more than houses without it.

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HIRIE by at 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26. What is it? Well, it’s a more-modern take on Lord of the Dance, with special-effects lighting, dancing robots and acrobats. OK then! Tickets are $29 to $59.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa has a couple of huge shows coming in October. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, in a fabulous “WTF? Huh?!” kind of musical collaboration that has turned out to be a big hit, Sting and Shaggy will be performing. It’s sort of a clash of “Every Breath You Take” and “Boombastic.” Since their collaborative album dropped earlier this year, it’s been the talk of music critics. Tickets are $135 to $185. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, country-music star Toby Keith will take the stage. He sings songs about driving a Ford pickup truck while he drinks his cold ones out of red Solo cups, and will sing “Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue” … but you already know that, as he’s a huge star. Shortly after Donald Trump was elected, Keith accompanied our president to Saudi Arabia, where he played his brand of country for a room full of Saudi royalty … men only allowed. Hmm. Tickets are $165 to $195. Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com.

Spotlight 29, as usual, is offering an intriguing blend of rock and Latin music events. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 6, Julian Torres will be performing his Juan Gabriel tribute show Amor Eterno. Tickets are $20.

At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20, Latin-music group Banda El Recodo will take the stage.

If you’re not familiar with the group, think of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band in New Orleans, and the legacy it has preserved over the years regarding jazz music … and that’s what Banda El Recodo is to Latin music. It has been going since 1938 after being formed by the Lizarraga Family, and two of the Lizarragas perform in the group today. The group has won an amazing nine Grammy Awards. Tickets are $40 to 50. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, iconic rock band REO Speedwagon will be performing. The group has 13 Top 40 hits, including “Keep on Loving You,” “Can’t Fight This Feeling” and “Take It on the Run.” Tickets are $75 to $85. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.

Morongo Casino has one event by a popular

performer you might want to consider, but hurry: Tickets were nearly sold out as of our press deadline. At 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, psychic-medium and reality-television star Tyler Henry will be performing. Henry is notable for one event: In a rather morbid and messed-up way, he predicted the death of Alan Thicke. Tickets are $65. Morongo Casino Resort Spa, 49500 Seminole Drive, Cabazon; 800-252-4499; www.morongocasinoresort.com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace is a fantastic place to be in October. At 8 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 4, indie-folk artist Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band will be performing. Oberst—known for his other bands including Bright Eyes, The Faint, Commander Venus, Desaparecidos, etc., etc.— was pretty popular in the early ’00s and is still quite influential. He’s no stranger to Pappy and Harriet’s, and his shows there usually sell out, but this one still had tickets left as of our deadline. Tickets are $31. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 26, the hilarious country-music group The Evangenitals will be performing. Why do I always mention it when this group plays at Pappy’s? Because the band is fantastic and one a hell of a good time. Seriously! Stay through ’til the end when the show gets very raunchy, and be sure to scream that you want to hear “The Vagina Song.” Best part about it: Admission is free! At 9 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 27, the Queen of the High Desert, Jesika von Rabbit, will return to Pappy’s. Jesika recently dropped her new album, Dessert Rock (Ha ha!

Get it?), and it is fantastic! Tickets are $15 to $20. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760365-5956; www.pappyandharriets.com.

The Purple Room Palm Springs has a fun October lineup. At 6 p.m.., Friday, Oct. 5, and Saturday, Oct. 6, the fabulous Marilyn Maye will be performing. She’s a well-known American jazz singer, cabaret singer and musical-theater performer. At 90 years old, she’s still going. In this intimate setting, these will be great shows. Tickets are $70 to $90.

At 6 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20, jazz-singer Jonathan Karrant will be celebrating an album-release show. The former Metropolitan Opera House singer has earned raves by singing jazz in a unique way for audiences in smaller rooms. Tickets are $25 to $35. Michael Holmes’ Purple Room, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; 760-322-4422; www. purpleroompalmsprings.com.

The Date Shed has one fine October event. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 20, reggae singer HIRIE will be performing. The San Diego native has an album streaming called Wandering Soul, and it sounds pretty fascinating. This should be a good show.

Tickets are $15. The Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., Indio; 760-775-6699; www.facebook.com/ dateshed.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 35

OCTOBER 2018

MUSIC

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

ONSTAGE OCCASIONALLY The members of Se7en4, playing at The Hood, make the most of their time together

I

By Brian Blueskye

f you’ve never seen a show by Se7en4, you’ve been missing out.

Unfortunately, chances to see Se7en4 have been few and far between as of late. The band played its first show in a long time earlier this year at The Hood Bar and Pizza—and will be playing there again on Friday, Oct. 12.

Se7en4 has been rocking the Coachella Valley music scene since 2000, and the current lineup includes frontman Nico Flores (the younger brother of Blasting Echo drummer and 5th Town bassist Armando Flores), drummer Steven Hall (brother of Thr3 Strykes’ Josh Hall), bassist Trevino Martin and guitarist Pete Burquez.

During a recent phone interview with Flores, Taylor from Unsound—growing up, I was like, he joked about the recent hiatus.

‘I want to be in a band!’” he said. “And then I “Dude, we play like once or twice every three was like, ‘Whoa! What are those guys doing?’ years or some shit like that,” Flores said with a We grew up in the MTV era, too, which was all laugh. “But we always have a great turnout. We about being a rock star and their antics.” have been around for a long time, and we barely What stops Se7en4 from playing more often? play. We have a lot of loyal friends to the band “Real life gets in the way,” Flores said. “I’m and to the music scene. When we play, they the only one who still lives down here now, and always know it’s going to be a fun time.”

I have a full-on family—a 15-year-old daughter I’ve heard people compare Se7en4 to and two little boys. All the guys live up in Los nu-metal, and say the group sounds like Angeles. Pete (Burquez) does music stuff on the Suicidal Tendencies. Flores laughed when I side, and Steve does music stuff and also tours. mentioned that.

Everyone stays busy musically; they don’t let not “I know where people get that from: Me and playing in this band stop them. Trevino is from Steve (Hall) are really two of the only punkup north and has a THC/growing operation rockers out here who roll up blasting gangsta going. Everyone went up to Los Angeles, and I rap, and we love hip-hop,” he said. “We may just kind of stayed down here. incorporate it a tiny bit into our music, but for “We play whenever we can. It’s fun and takes the most part, we like it hard, fast and loud. It’s our mind off shit; it’s always fun to get together. how we look and what we listen to on the side It’s frustrating when people ask, ‘Yo, bro, where people probably get that. We definitely when are Se7ven4 playing?’ It’s good, though, listen to Suicidal Tendencies, who are a huge because you’ll see Pete and Steven pursuing influence to us, and (Hed) P.E. is an influence, other music opportunities, and they’re doing (as are) Snot, Rage Against the Machine and great for themselves. For me, Se7en is my music Black Flag. We love obnoxious rock that’s getaway. My three passions in life are my music, in-your-face shit.” wrestling, and I’m a daddy.”

As a frontman, Flores gets down and dirty— Flores said the band members make a point and he knows how to get the crowds going. of getting together when they can.

“Having grown up in the valley, and just “We have a little studio up in L.A., so I just go watching all the old-school punkers like John up there, and the boys are all out there,” he said.

Summers, Sean Wheeler, Herb Lienau and Ian “I have to plan it a little, but we’ll spend a whole day in the studio writing or jamming.”

Will there be Se7en4 recordings in the future?

“I think the other guys say no, but I say yes,” he said. “We’re like that girlfriend that you fight with and get back together with the next day.

We just have too big of a connection to never record anything together. It won’t be any time soon, but I think we will.”

Nico Flores.

Homemade NY Style Pizza • Burgers Hot Dogs • Sandwiches • Salads • Appetizers Beer • Wine • Cocktails Happy hour daily 2-7 p.m., all day/nite Tuesday Nightly entertainment • Open at 11:30 a.m. daily 74360 Highway 111, Palm Desert • (760) 636-5220 www.facebook.com/HoodBarAndPizza

Se7en4 will perform with Throw the Goat and Mega Sun at 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 12, at The Hood Bar and Pizza, 74360 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. Admission is $5. For more information on the show, visit the event’s Facebook page.

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36 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

OCTOBER 2018

MUSIC

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the

LUCKY 13

Meet a member of Sticky Doll, and an open-mic regular playing at the Concert for Autism

By Brian Blueskye

BRIAN BLUESKYE

What’s your favorite music venue?

The old Fox Theaters.

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

“So kiss me bitch … with black lipstick,” Deadbolt, “I Don’t Wanna Be There (When the Lights Come On).”

NAME El Sancho GROUP Sticky Doll MORE INFO Sticky Doll is a fascinating new addition to the Coachella Valley music scene.

Originally from the Los Angeles area, Sticky Doll’s founding members, El Sancho and Cynna Luchia, are now located in Joshua Tree, and recently recruited High Desert drummer Dani Diggler (known as Dani Doll). I recently caught Sticky Doll’s show at The Hood Bar and Pizza and was blown away by the makeup, the punkrock sound and the props. For more info, visit www.facebook.com/stickydoll. El Sancho was kind enough to answer the Lucky 13.

What was the first concert you attended?

Genitorturers.

What was the first album you owned?

Marilyn Manson, Portrait of an American Family.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Sticky Doll, X, L7, Plasmatics, Deadbolt, Megadeth, Billy Idol, At the Drive-In, Rammstein, classic Rick James funk, and Coolio.

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

Ed Sheeran, Bieber, Rihanna, Iggy Azalea, Kanye … ugh!

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

Static-X. What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Disco.

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What band or artist changed your life?

Band: Marilyn Manson. How: No lead guitar, tons of great controlled feedback/noise, image and T-shirts at the merchandise booth that said, “Fuck God.” “Controversy sells” was a strong message I had ingrained in my head from that day on.

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

“Why do you dress like that and insist that you are an alien?” No comment on who I am asking! Ha ha!

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Down in a Hole,” Alice in Chains.

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

A classic glam band called Sweet had an album in the ’70s called Desolation Boulevard.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Snotty Little Cunt,” Sticky Doll.

NAME Mikey Sick Boy MORE INFO Michael Anthony, aka Mikey Sick Boy, has been playing at open-mics and local shows for quite a while around the Coachella Valley. Sadly, that’s about to come to an end— because he is moving to Orange County for a new job. He will be having a last hurrah of sorts when he plays at the Tack Room Tavern during the Concert for Autism on Friday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 20.

What was the first concert you attended?

My first concert I ever went to was in 2010, when I went to see Jerry Lee Lewis and the Reverend Horton Heat at the Fox Theater in Pomona.

What was the first album you owned?

More like the first two I owned: The Sublime self-titled album, and Social Distortion’s selftitled album.

Michael Anthony.

BRIAN BLUESKYE

What bands are you listening to right now?

I’ve been getting turned on to Led Zeppelin, Rebelution and Sublime.

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

It’s hard to tell nowadays, especially with music seemingly changing every month, even though it doesn’t seem like it might have changed all that much. I learned from a friend not to be so closed-minded when it comes to new stuff, because you might surprise yourself.

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

Elvis Presley—one more time, live from the Graceland gravesite, featuring zombified Johnny Cash and Ritchie Valens. Ha ha! In reality, though, I would love to see all of the best acts the Coachella Valley has to offer merge together … to expand the horizon for the Coachella Valley music scene.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Smoking and playing the blues. I’d be playing by myself, or Muddy Waters is on the tunes hammering it on.

What’s your favorite music venue?

The Hood Bar and Pizza. It may not be the biggest and baddest of them all, but it’s a venue I call home.

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

“Well high school seemed like such a blur. I didn’t have much interest in sports or school elections, and in class I dreamed all day about a rock ’n’ roll weekend,” Social Distortion, “Story of My Life.”

What band or artist changed your life?

Again, it always has been and always will be Elvis Presley. When I was in my mother’s womb back in the day, portable CD players

were the thing. She would play “Can’t Help Falling in Love” and put the headphones over her stomach.

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

I don’t think I can single out any musicians or artists, but what I can say is: “What are you going to do for music, and where are you going to take it?”

What song would you like played at your funeral?

There are three I always had in mind: Elvis’ “Pieces of My Life,” Social Distortion’s “Don’t Take Me for Granted” and The Sensational Nightingales’ “Remind Me Dear Lord.”

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

My favorite album of all time, other than Michael Anthony’s Greatest Hits Vol. 2—just kidding—is the Social Distortion self-titled album.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Elvis’ “Burning Love,” because I want everyone to be jamming to this song and have an awesome feeling when it comes on. Most importantly, be stuck with the image of me streaking down the street butt-naked, because that’s my birthday song!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 37

OCTOBER 2018

CANNABIS IN THE CV

CLEAN WEED P

BY CHARLES DRABKIN

esticides are a problem.

In August, the Environmental Working Group—a nonprofit “dedicated to protecting human health and the environment”—announced the results of a study it commissioned to test foods made with oats. The group found glyphosate, an herbicide linked to cancer, in nearly all of them.

Pesticides are a problem when it comes to marijuana, too.

It’s complicated: Pesticides and herbicides are regulated by the federal government. However, the federal government continues to enforce cannabis prohibition. Therefore, there are currently no pesticides and herbicides approved for use on cannabis plants.

To make things even more complicated, marijuana can be used in so many different ways—smoked, eaten, vaporized, applied as a salve, etc.—and there is no consensus among scientists regarding safe levels of pesticides with cannabis. A chemical might be safe to consume on food—but highly toxic when exposed to the high heat of smoking or vaping.

For example, Eagle 20EW, a common fungicide used on grapes and hops, is not approved for use on tobacco. Of course, this problem goes the other way, too; there is little to no research on what may or may not be safe to be used on cannabis that is eaten as opposed to smoked.

Here in the Coachella Valley, we are seeing the creation of massive indoor grow operations.

The Cathedral City Sunniva space under construction, along Ramon Road, is going to be about the size of seven or eight football fields, capable of producing almost 10,000 pounds of cannabis per month. It’s likely that operators of such huge operations will need to turn to industrial-strength chemicals to keep away the molds and mites that can easily destroy a cannabis crop—while adhering to California’s strict regulatory climate.

Let’s face it: Almost all of us already consume pesticide-laden foods every day. Unless you

are very committed to “clean eating,” you are already devouring a level of pesticides that the government has deemed safe. As that Environmental Working Group study proves, those oat-based breakfast O’s that you and perhaps your kids have been eating have had cancer causing-herbicides in them for longer than we would like to admit … and we all seem fine with this. Again, the problem lies in the vacuum of research that America’s ill-conceived cannabis prohibition created.

However, now we are finally starting to get some data. The California Bureau of Cannabis Control recently revealed that chemicals and molds are indeed finding their way into the cannabis market: Nearly 20 percent of samples in California showed unacceptable levels of pesticides, mold and bacteria, including E. coli and salmonella, since mandatory testing began on July 1. Studies in Oregon and Colorado have found similar problems. Of course, this is not simply a post-prohibition problem; illegal and medical marijuana has had these same issues for years. However, with full state legality came regulation and testing, which has drawn back the curtain on the extent of the problem.

What does this all mean for consumers?

It’s extremely complicated. On one hand, the testing and the removal of tainted products

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Marijuana is finally being tested for molds and pesticides— and despite short-term problems, this is a very good thing from shelves is driving prices higher—and dispensary prices are already much higher than the costs on the illegal market. On the other hand, we can go to sleep at night knowing the products we are consuming are much safer than they were in the days of complete prohibition; we can now make informed decisions about what we put in our bodies.

The real losers in all of this are low-income medical-marijuana patients. Some of them are returning to the illegal market for economic reasons—meaning the chances they are consuming tainted product is extremely high.

Immunocompromised or other sick individuals who are using cannabis as medication need to be very cautious. The irony is that they may be ingesting cancer-causing chemicals while trying to treat the symptoms of cancer.

It is not just pesticides; mold allergies can be deadly. A friend of mine who cannot even eat blue cheese, much to his chagrin, has been

advised to avoid cannabis edibles until we know the real extent of mold contamination throughout the industry.

The good news is the Food and Drug Administration may be finally starting to acknowledge that people are legitimately using cannabis. As more states end prohibition—and there is a strong likelihood that at least seven more states will either move to full legalization or decriminalize medical use in the coming year—better science will come to light. We are already seeing substantial growth in the cannabis-testing industry, which should lead to testing becoming less expensive for growers and producers alike. Hopefully, as costs go down, the savings will be passed on to the consumer.

Overall, more testing and more information are good things. Whether a person is using cannabis as medicine or as a recreational drug, nobody should have to guess whether or not the product being consumed is laden with toxins.

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38 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

OCTOBER 2018

OPINION SAVAGE LOVE

ALL ALONE

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

I am a lonely, aging gay man; how can I keep going?

BY DAN SAVAGE

I

am a gay man in my late 50s and have never been in a relationship. I am so lonely, and the painful emptiness I feel is becoming absolutely unbearable.

In my early 20s, I hooked up off and on, but it never developed into anything. I have always told myself that’s OK; I’m not a people person or a relationship kind of guy. I have a few lesbian friends but no male friends. I have social anxiety and can’t go to bars or clubs.

When hookup apps were introduced, I used them infrequently. Now I go totally unnoticed or am ghosted once I reveal my age. Most nonwork days, my only interactions are with people in the service industry.

I am well-groomed, employed, a homeowner and always nice to people. I go to a therapist and take antidepressants. However, this painful loneliness, depression, aging and feeling unnoticed seem to be getting the best of me. I cry often and would really like it all to end. Any advice?

Lonely Aging Gay “In the very short term, LAG needs to tell his therapist about the suicidal ideation,” said Michael Hobbes. “In the longer term, well, that’s going to take a bit more to unpack.”

Hobbes is a reporter for HuffPost and recently wrote a mini-book-length piece titled “Together Alone: The Epidemic of Gay Loneliness.” During his research, Hobbes found that, despite growing legal and social acceptance, a worrying percentage of gay men still struggle with depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation.

Loneliness, Hobbes explained to me, is an

evolutionary adaptation, a mechanism that prompts us humans—members of a highly social species—to seek contact and connection with others: the kind of connections that improve our odds of survival.

“But there’s a difference between being alone and being lonely,” said Hobbes. “Being alone is an objective, measurable phenomenon: You don’t have very many social contacts. Being lonely, on the other hand, is subjective: You feel alone, even when you’re with other people. This is why advice like, ‘Join a club!’ or, ‘Chat with your waitress!’ doesn’t help lonely people.”

The most effective way to address loneliness, according to Hobbes’ research, is to confront.

“LAG may just need to get more out of the relationships he already has,” said Hobbes. “He has a job, friends, a therapist, a life. This doesn’t mean that his perceptions are unfounded—our society is terrible to its elders in general and

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its LGBTQ elders in particular—but there may be opportunities in his life for intimacy that he’s not tapping into. Acquaintances LAG hasn’t checked in on for a while. Volunteering gigs you fell out of. It’s easier to reanimate old friendships than to start from scratch.”

Another recommendation: Seek out other lonely guys—and there are lots out there.

“LAG isn’t the only gay guy who has aged out of the bar scene—so have I—and struggles to find sex and companionship away from alcohol and right swipes,” said Hobbes. “His therapist should know of some good support groups.”

And if your therapist doesn’t know of any good support groups—or if you don’t feel comfortable telling your therapist how miserable you are, or if you’ve told your therapist everything and they haven’t been able to help—find a new therapist.

I’m a 40-something gay male. I’m single and cannot get a date or even a hookup. I’m short, overweight, average-looking and bald. I see others, gay and straight, having long-term relationships, getting engaged, getting married, and it makes me sad and jealous. Some of them are jerks—so why not me?

Here’s the part that’s hard to admit: I know something is wrong with me, but I don’t know what it is or how to fix it. I’m alone, and I’m lonely. I know your advice can be brutal, Dan, but what do I have to lose?

Alone And Fading “AAF said to be brutal, so I’m going to start there: You might not ever meet anyone,” said Hobbes. “At every age, in every study, gay men are less likely to be partnered, cohabiting or married than our straight and lesbian counterparts. Maybe we’re damaged; maybe we’re all saving ourselves for a Hemsworth, but spending our adult lives and twilight years without a romantic partner is a real possibility.”

It’s not just gay men. In Going Solo: The Extraordinary Rise and Surprising Appeal of Living Alone, sociologist Eric Klinenberg unpacked this remarkable statistic: More than 50 percent of adult Americans are single and live alone, up from 22 percent in 1950. Some are unhappy, but it seemed that most—at least according to Klinenberg’s research—are content.

“Maybe there is something wrong with AAF, but maybe he’s just on the unlucky side of the statistics,” said Hobbes. “Finding a soul mate is largely out of our control. Whether you allow your lack of a soul mate to make you bitter, desperate or contemptuous is not. So be happy for the young jerks coupling up and settling

down. Learn to take rejection gracefully—the way you want it from the dudes you’re turning down—and when you go on a date, start with the specificity of the person sitting across from you, not what you need from him. He could be your Disney prince, sure. But he could also be your museum buddy or your podcast cohost or your afternoon 69er or something you haven’t even thought of yet.”

I am a 55-year-old gay male. I am hugely overweight and have not had much experience with men. I go on a variety of websites trying to make contact with people. However, if anyone says anything remotely complimentary about me, I panic and run.

I don’t like being like this. I just believe in being honest. And if I’m honest, I’m ugly. The face, even behind a big-ass beard, is just not acceptable. I have tried therapy, and it does nothing. How do I get past being ugly and go out and get laid?

Unappealing Giant Loser Yearns You say you’re ugly, UGLY, but there are some people who disagree with you—the people who compliment you on your appearance.

“I’m not sure I even believe in the word ‘ugly’ anymore,” said Hobbes. “No matter what you look like, some percentage of the population will be attracted to you. Maybe it’s 95 percent, or maybe it’s 5 percent, but they are out there.

When you find them, do two things: First, believe them. Second, shut up about it.”

In other words: Just because you wouldn’t want to sleep with you, UGLY, that doesn’t mean no one wants to sleep with you.

“I remember reading an interview with Stephen Fry, where he said that when he first started out as an actor, people would come up to him and say, ‘You were so great in that play!’ and his first response would be, ‘No, I was terrible,’” said Hobbes. “He thought he was being modest, but what he was really doing, he realized later, was being argumentative. Eventually, he started to just say, ‘Thank you.’”

Hobbes thinks you should try to be like Fry, a big dude with a cute husband: “The next time someone tells him they’re into big dudes with beards, don’t argue; don’t panic; and don’t hesitate. Just say, ‘Thank you,’ and let the conversation move on.”

Follow Michael Hobbes on Twitter @ RottenInDenmark and listen to his podcast You’re Wrong About ... on iTunes.

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

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 39

OCTOBER 2018

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

you’re full” 46 ___ and Roy (2018 HBO kids’ show from Across Sesame Workshop) 1 Address for a general, 47 Kingpin sometimes 48 Ate (together) 5 Mythical flyer 50 E, on a map 11 Zig’s counterpart 51 Cassowary’s kin 14 Both, at the beginning 52 World War I battle 15 EGOT winner Rita river through 16 Part of SUV, for short Flanders 17 Internet addict, 54 Bluish green slangily 57 Man-made (abbr.)

19 Christmas tree sale 60 Hidden loot site 64 Vehicle where the 20 Quirkily creative driver gets thanked 21 Mess up 65 Short horror tales 22 Bellybutton lint shared on the 23 “___, about that ...”

Internet 26 It’s picked in Maui 68 Mason jar’s topper 28 Pacific salmon 69 Petting zoo noise 31 Irish singer with the 70 Leaning type (abbr.) albums O and 9 71 Letter from Greece?

37 Isaac’s older son 72 Atomizer amount 38 “I ___ the opinion ...” 73 The Godfather 39 Email receptacle composer ___ Rota 40 ___ Soundsystem 41 Publisher within a Down publisher 1 The middle-sized bear 43 Martinique, par 2 Love, in Latin exemple 3 Border (on) 44 Weird Al song that 4 Text to an s.o. while states “I don’t care if away on a trip, maybe “Starch Search”— carbitrarily speaking.

5 Mischievous one 6 Pigeon sound 7 Laugh-In comedian Johnson 8 Hitchcock’s ___ Window 9 Trumped-up 10 Great Lakes’ ___ Canals 11 One of South Africa’s official languages 12 The whole thing 13 “The Girl From Ipanema” saxophonist 18 Evil ___ 22 Frond-bearing plant 24 Devine of “Pitch Perfect” 25 Laundry container 27 Like a brow, at times 28 Talk show guest, often 29 November follower?

30 Was forced 32 Colin Dexter’s crossword-solving inspector 33 “Excuse me, but ...”

34 Majorca’s neighbor 35 Fizzy drinks 36 Go all out 41 Couple, to tabloids

42 “Grey Cell Green” band ___ Atomic Dustbin 45 Furniture store to meander through 47 Sure 49 False accusation 53 Zener cards test for it 54 Up to it 55 Back out 56 Abbr. on meat packages 58 Coulrophobia, e.g.

59 Mazar of “Entourage” 61 ___ spumante (sparkling wine) 62 Obsessive fan 63 Xbox series since 2001 65 Network that’s now Les-less 66 Wheel of Fortune host Sajak 67 Nickname of a Red Sox Hall-of-Famer ©2018 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section of CVIndependent.com!

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OCTOBER 2018

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