Coachella Valley Independent October 2015

VOL. 3 | ISSUE 10

Candidate Q&A

We asked the candidates for city office in Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs 10 questions.

Then we let them talk. Here's what they had to say.

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OCTOBER 2015

A Note From the Editor

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

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle Assistant Editor Brian Blueskye Editorial Layout Wayne Acree Advertising Design Betty Jo Boegle Contributors Gustavo Arellano, Victor Barocas, Max Cannon, Kevin Fitzgerald, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Alex Harrington, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Keith Knight, Robin Linn, Marylee Pangman, Erin Peters, Dan Perkins, Deidre Pike, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor

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

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COVER DESIGN BY WAYNE ACREE; 3d Art By OutStyle - Fotolia

The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month. All content is ©2015 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader. Additional copies may be purchased for $1 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

Two years ago this month, a couple hundred people—Independent contributors, friends, advertisers and readers—gathered at Clinic Bar and Lounge in Palm Springs to celebrate the launch of our monthly print edition, and the one-year anniversary of CVIndependent.com.

Well, a lot has happened regarding the Independent in the 24 months since then. First and foremost, we’ve managed to keep going, distributing 24 quality print editions and publishing at least three pieces every weekday at CVIndependent.com. We launched our Independent Market, which has delighted readers and advertisers alike by bringing them together with half-price gift certificates. We won a national journalism award. We launched our Supporters of the Independent program. And most gratifyingly, we’ve gained a lot of readers and fans.

I think it’s time to celebrate again, yes?

Join the Independent staff and contributors from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 16, at Chill Bar, 217 E. Arenas Road in Palm Springs, for our Third Anniversary Party. There will be fantastic music, drink specials, door prizes and all sorts of other great stuff. You can also learn more about the Independent’s programs, including the Independent Market, the Supporters of the Independent, and the Independent’s new CV Job Center website, which will be launching in October.

Also, a tip: If you come up to me and say, “Hi, the Independent rocks!” I may just give you a card for a free drink.

One other thing we’ll be celebrating that night: The completion of the biggest journalism project the Independent has ever tackled.

In this print edition, we have but a taste of our Candidate Q&A project. In midSeptember, I set up interviews with all 14 of the candidates for Palm Springs mayor and City Council; Brian Blueskye did the same thing with eight of the nine Desert Hot Springs candidates. (One DHS City Council candidate refused to respond to numerous messages from Brian.)

I asked all of the Palm Springs candidates a set of 10 questions; Brian asked all the DHS candidates a set of 10 questions. We let the candidates answer.

We typed up those answers—and you can find the results at CVIndependent.com.

Regrettably, we had room for just one question from each city in this print issue.

(There are a lot of candidates, after all … and some of them can really go on and on.)

Check that out on Page 12. I then strongly encourage you to head to CVIndependent. com to read the full Q&As; frankly, that’s where you’ll find the most interesting stuff. (For example, that’s where you can read Ginny Foat’s explanation of her nowfamous meeting with outgoing Mayor Steve Pougnet and developer Rich Meaney at Sherman’s.)

Welcome the October 2015 print version of the Coachella Valley Independent.

Join us at CVIndependent.com—and at Chill on Oct. 16!

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com

OCTOBER 2015

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OCTOBER 2015

OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS

The Case for Using Fetal Tissue in Medical Research WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Anita Rufus y first husband died after we had been divorced for many years, and his involvement with our two children had been sporadic, at best. Yet they were there with him when, on a trip to Minnesota, he ended up in the hospital after a heart attack.

After his death, they called and wondered what they should do with his body.

“Tell the hospital you want to donate his body for anything that might contribute to research,” I suggested, “and go home. You’ve done all you can.”

They took my advice, and both remarked afterward that they felt good that perhaps his death served some greater purpose.

I thought about that when I started hearing the reports about Planned Parenthood “harvesting and selling” fetal tissue for research. The reports were the result of undercover videos, taken over an extended period of time, and obviously edited, by a group calling itself the Center for Medical Progress. The “center” started in 2013

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and includes people claiming to be “citizen journalists” focusing on medical ethics and preservation of life. The center is linked to Operation Rescue, whose mission is “taking direct action to restore legal personhood to the pre-born and stop abortion in obedience to biblical mandates.”

Both organizations’ ultimate goal is to once again criminalize abortion, regardless of circumstances, and to overturn existing constitutional protections for women to make

their own decisions about when and whether to continue a pregnancy.

With the media covering the videos, including characterizations of “illicit baby parts sales,” the calls to defund all federal support for Planned Parenthood’s numerous clinics throughout the country began anew.

These clinics, two of which are located in the Coachella Valley, primarily provide women’s health services like pap smears, breast-cancer exams, contraception, testing for sexually transmitted illnesses, familyplanning education and pre-natal care. In Riverside County, Planned Parenthood clinics provide health services to more than 40,000 patients—19,000 in our eastern portion of the county alone. Approximately 20 percent of all American women report that they have gone to Planned Parenthood at some time, and abortion accounts for only about 3 percent of all provided services—without any use of taxpayer funds for those procedures.

The aforementioned videos depict representatives of a fake biomedical research company wanting to obtain fetal tissue for research; Planned Parenthood is characterized as “price haggling over baby parts.” According toFactCheck.org, the unedited video shows that the Planned Parenthood executive repeatedly said its clinics wanted to cover “only the costs (and) not make money when donating fetal tissue from abortions for scientific research.”

The donation of fetal tissue for medical research began in the mid-20th century. As abortion became legal and more available, fetal-tissue donation became more common.

Before that, hospitals treating women for miscarriages or compromised pregnancies were the primary sources of such tissue—which is highly valuable for research, because it grows more rapidly and is less likely to be rejected by immune systems. It can be transplanted into diseased organs, such as the brain or pancreas; tests have shown positive results with Parkinson’s, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and other illnesses.

In 1974, one year after Roe v. Wade, President Reagan’s administration imposed a temporary moratorium on using federal funds for fetal-tissue transplantation. That moratorium was extended indefinitely in 1989, partly on the argument that it might encourage women to have abortions.

In 1993, President Clinton ended the moratorium, and Congress passed a bill permitting the tissue from any type of abortion, spontaneous or elective, to be used for research. There are specific consent and documentation requirements, and the sale or purchase of fetal tissue, or the designation of any specific individual to receive such tissue, is considered criminal. Direct costs for the transfer of such tissue, which requires special handling, are reimbursable. Those are the costs the Planned Parenthood representatives were discussing with the phony researchers on the video tapes.

If fetal-tissue research has been shown to

S. MIRK VIA WIKIPEDIA.ORG

be valuable and is already yielding results in treating everything from ebola to polio to rubella to spinal cord injuries, what’s all the shouting about? Therein lies the politics of abortion: The goal of the Center for Medical Progress is to shut down Planned Parenthood and deny it any federal funding, even for services unrelated to abortion. Federal funds are already prohibited from paying for abortion, but by characterizing Planned Parenthood as tearing apart babies and selling their body parts, the center hopes to disgust people enough that they’ll support defunding and closing the clinics.

As a community, we all benefit from discoveries that come from fetal-tissue research. Instead of being politically manipulated by hyperbolic descriptions of a legitimate surgical procedure, people need to recognize there are women making a difficult choice that might save a life instead of merely ending the potential of a life. Let’s not let politics replace facts.

ANITA RUFUS IS ALSO KNOWN AS “THE LOVABLE LIBERAL,” AND HER RADIO SHOW AIRS SUNDAYS FROM 11 A.M. TO 1 P.M. ON KNEWS RADIO 94.3 FM. EMAIL HER AT ANITA@ LOVABLELIBERAL.COM. KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS APPEARS EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT.COM.

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OCTOBER 2015

OPINION

THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN

Trick Out Your Desert Landscape With New Pots

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By MARYLEE PANGMAN

partially shaded area will bloom in the spring.

Succulents, including a health-conscious aloe, round out the plantings without a lot of fuss.

I mentioned open-mindedness at the beginning of this column. I say that, because you never know what pots and plants you will find when you go shopping. You might think you want a specific look, but the pots available might not fit your original vision.

With an open mind, you may find something surprising that will totally satisfy you. Just have fun!

nyone can throw a couple of pots together—but with some planning and a little open-mindedness, you can create a work of art with pot combinations and plantings.

The first thing I suggest you do is go out and get a sense of what’s available. Nurseries, pottery stores, home-furnishing establishments and botanical gardens all should have pots. See what colors and styles strike your fancy, and check prices to see what fits in your budget. Keep the decorating style and colors of your home in mind, especially the rooms that will have the focal points of your pots as you look out to your patio and yard. Remember, when it comes to pots here in the desert, bigger is better—larger than 18 inches, for sure.

Actually, you will have much better success if you go for 22 inches and up! The bigger, the better.

In the first photo below, you can see a grouping that’s definitely suited more to homes in the mid-century modern style.

Of course, primary colors, as shown in the

second picture, also work well in most midcentury modern homes. Bright and cheerful combinations will stand out in your yard and can bring a smile to your face each time you see them. The yellow pot pictured here holds a young bouquet of flowers, including profusion zinnias and pentas. This pot will need daily water during most of our year in the desert. However, the succulent planting next to it, in the orange 20-inch pot, requires only weekly water during our hottest months, and water every three to four weeks during the winter. The lady slipper (pedilanthus) is a great upright succulent which will flower with orange “lady slippers” that attract hummingbirds. The pot is “dressed” with Mexican river rock, which is used to retain moisture, keep water away from the base stem of the plant, and finish the look of the combination.

A more traditional-style home would be a perfect place for the combination shown in the third photo, of burgundy and cream pots, with complementary color plants. Look carefully to see how the pot colors move from one to the other, starting with the 24-inch belly pot in Chinese red. This pot provides the foundation of the grouping. The taller creamcolored pot supports the tall burgundy plant (phormium) which will do well in the winter.

The third pot ties it all together by uniting the red and cream of the larger pots with a coppery sheen that brings in the burgundy and the cream color.

Finally, the outdoor shower setting shown in the photo above offers a perfect demonstration of matching colors. We were fortunate to find this trio of pots that united the shades of the shower, the side wall and even the honey-colored door. With the square vase-shaped lines of the pots, the contemporary theme holds true—and the simple low-water plantings will help

keep the floor free of water buildup. A Texas mountain laurel tree is in the back pot. This slow-growing tree is perfect for pots, as it will not outgrow the pot for years. The low front pot includes a gopher plant, which in this

MARYLEE PANGMAN IS THE FOUNDER AND FORMER OWNER OF THE CONTAINED GARDENER IN TUCSON, ARIZ. SHE HAS BECOME KNOWN AS THE DESERT’S POTTED GARDEN EXPERT. MARYLEE’S BOOK, GETTING POTTED IN THE DESERT, HAS JUST BEEN RELEASED. BUY IT ONLINE AT POTTEDDESERT.COM. EMAIL HER WITH COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS AT MARYLEE@POTTEDDESERT.COM. FOLLOW THE POTTED DESERT AT FACEBOOK.COM/POTTEDDESERT. THE POTTED DESERT GARDEN APPEARS TUESDAYS AT CVINDEPENDENT.COM.

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OCTOBER 2015

OPINION

THANKS, OBAMA

If It Weren’t for the Affordable Care Act, I’d Be Blind in One Eye

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Bonnie Gilgallon any Republicans predicted that the Affordable Care Act, aka “Obamacare,” would send this country into utter chaos.

Of course, this didn’t happen. Nonetheless, there is murmuring among some 2016 Republican presidential candidates that repealing the ACA would be one of the first things they’d do if elected. In reality, the plan is working so well that it would be political suicide to try to repeal it at this point—and I am one of the millions of Americans who have benefited from the plan.

On July 3, 2014, I was diagnosed with a detached retina. A blow to the back of the head a week earlier and two subsequent airplane rides caused the injury. I was in South Bend, Ind., meeting my partner’s family for the first time, when I got the news. I was given a choice: I could have surgery in Indiana, and be forbidden to fly for six weeks (not an option), or fly home to Palm Springs as soon as possible and have surgery there.

I was barely absorbing this information, since I was pretty much hysterical. Thank God for my partner, Eric, who calmly took control of the situation. It was after 5 p.m. on Thursday, July 3, the day before a major holiday. The office was closing up, and the janitor was vacuuming the carpet. Luckily, the ophthalmologist I had seen was kind enough to stay until we could make the arrangements. I will never forget the sight of Eric sitting on the floor, urgently trying to get through to someone in the Inland Empire Health Plan office in Palm Springs to set up an appointment ASAP. Fortunately, he got through.

We flew back to the desert on Saturday night, saw the IEHP folks on Sunday, and met with the surgeon on Monday. I had the surgery

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on Thursday, July 10.

My surgery—a vitrectomy—involved removing the liquid from the eye and inserting a gas bubble in the eyeball, which then pressed the retina back into place. The rehab is ghastly—six weeks of sleeping face-down on a special cut-out pillow—and keeping your head down at all times. Yes, at all times.

That includes sitting, standing, walking, showering—everything, so that gravity can do its work.

I was a dutiful patient, and followed directions to the letter. Thankfully, the outcome was good: The vision in my left eye is at 99.9 percent, and will likely keep improving.

None of this would have happened if Eric and I had not received health insurance coverage via the Affordable Care Act just two months before all this occurred. Eric and I are both professional performers, but we also have “job jobs” to pay the bills. Neither of us could afford health insurance before the advent of “Obamacare.”

In addition to my surgery, I had to fill five or six different prescriptions for eye drops (some of which I am still using more than a year later); go through cataract surgery in January; and endure many, many follow-up

appointments. My total out-of-pocket expense has been $30—to rush some lab work. Had I not had “Obamacare,” there is no question I would now be blind in my left eye.

Of course, there are thousands of people like me who made it through catastrophic injury or illness because of the Affordable Care Act. Like 58-year-old Kathy Bentzoni of Slatington, Pa., who got a life-saving transfusion after being diagnosed with a rare blood disorder.

Her previous insurance company called it a pre-existing condition and denied her coverage.

Or 41-year-old Mike O’Dell of Kansas, who received a new heart after his developed an infection. His old health plan would not cover the $4,000 a month for anti-rejection medicine following the transplant.

Those who still disparage the ACA are ignoring the facts. According to a 2014 article in the Los Angeles Times, nearly 10 million previously uninsured people now have health-care coverage because of the ACA. The nonprofit Rand Corp. indicates that fewer than a million people who had health plans in

2013 are now uninsured—and that’s because their plans were canceled for not meeting new standards set by the law. Fox News personality Juan Williams says half of those people can get better coverage for a lower price, and some will even get subsidies to help them pay for it.

It’s important to remember what insurance companies can no longer do because of the ACA: They can no longer cancel your policy if you get sick, deny you coverage or charge you more for a pre-existing condition, or impose lifelong caps on your health coverage. The ACA also mandates that your insurance company must pay for the ambulance ride if you are rushed to the hospital. Those are long-overdue, positive changes.

So the next time you hear someone railing against “Obamacare,” think about the millions of people who newly have access to healthcare.

Think about Kathy Bentzoni and Mike O’Dell.

I will. And I will be filled with gratitude that I can today see a beautiful desert sunrise— with both eyes.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

OCTOBER 2015

OPINION

ASK A MEXICAN!

Does Donald Trump Give Mexicans the Willies?

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Gustavo Arellano EAR MEXICAN: I’m white, and Donald Trump scares the crap out of me. Mexicans must be shaking in their boots. Does The Donald give Mexicans the willies? Do Mexicans get the willies?

Dump Trump DEAR GABACHO: Scared of him? Donald Trump is the best thing to happen to Mexicans since the bacon-wrapped hot dog.

Oh, his rhetoric is straight out of The Turner Diaries, and Trump’s fans make slack-jawed yokels seem as cultured as Aristophanes. But the piñata pendejo is exactly what Mexicans need—a kick in the nalgas to wake us up and get ready for the 2016 elections.

Mexicans vote best when raza is threatened, and given he’s vowing to deport 11 million undocumented folks and their anchor babies (otherwise known as “American citizens” by the Constitution), we’re going to make sure that neither Trump nor any of the candidates copying his ideas get into the Oval Office. And if he does? Let’s have a double-revolution in Mexico and the U.S., and boot the bastards out in both of our countries, ¿qué no?

DEAR MEXICAN: Can you clue me in as to what it means when someone is called jarocho?

I know it’s a traditional Mexican style of music—son jarocho—but in what other ways is it used?

Colas, Colas DEAR NICHOLAS GABACHO: A quick description for your fellow gabas: Son jaracho is a style of music from the Mexican state of Veracruz that involves high-strung, quickly strummed tiny guitars called jaranas; a distinctive lead guitar called a requinto; and other instruments that can range from a harp to a donkey’s jawbone to a drum. Together, they create a beautiful genre (“La Bamba” is its most famous song) that, while known in Mexico, is an obsession of Chicano yaktivists; they arrange academic conferences around all-night parties, lionizing its supposedly proletarian spirit while relegating other, more-popular Mexican regional music forms like tamborazo and chilenas to quinceañeras in Montebello.

No es surprise, then, that jarocho also refers to someone from Veracruz. But this is where its etymological roots get fun: The Real Academia

Española defines a jarocho as someone “of brusque manners, not courteous, and something insolent,” and traces its roots to the word farota, which means “shameless woman” (and that word comes from a classical Arabic term referring to the act of getting angry). In other words, jarocho is a word originally used as an insult, but reappropriated by veracruzanos as a point of pride. Such linguistic tactics are popular around Mexico: Words like chilango (someone from Mexico City) and paisa (a hillbilly) are other such intended regional slurs.

This shows Mexicans can make beauty out of shit at all times, which explains the continued popularity of Maná.

And speaking of caca …

DEAR MEXICAN: Your people have destroyed your own country, and like any good virus, when you run out of things to destroy, you move on to somewhere else to destroy.

Do you know why Mexico is a shithole, and America is great? Because Mexico is full of Mexicans, and America is full of whites. That’s literally the only reason. Congratulations: You will never be more than a poor, brown-trash spic. Viva la Caca!

The Donald Devotee DEAR GABACHO: Viva! Manure is a wonderful, natural miracle worker that can fertilize the most wasted of terrains. Why, with all us shit-Mexicans smearing across the United States, our cosecha in 50 years will bring this country back to the Garden of Eden.

And gabachos? Y’all will be reduced to skid marks.

CATCH THE MEXICAN EVERY WEDNESDAY AT CVINDEPENDENT. COM. ASK THE MEXICAN AT THEMEXICAN@ASKAMEXICAN. NET; BE HIS FAN ON FACEBOOK; FOLLOW HIM ON TWITTER @GUSTAVOARELLANO; OR FOLLOW HIM ON INSTAGRAM @ GUSTAVO_ARELLANO!

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OCTOBER 2015

OPINION

PROTECT OUR PRISTINE LANDS

It Is Not an Overreach for the President to Establish National Monuments

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

By Scott Connelly he struggle to gain protection for critical land and water resources, wildlife, Native American cultural sites and spectacular landscapes within the California desert has gone on for more than a decade. With support from a wide group of constituents, Sen. Dianne Feinstein has developed strong, balanced legislation—but Congress has been either unwilling or unable to act.

Her latest proposal, the California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act, hasn’t even been scheduled for a committee hearing, and no bill was introduced in the House. So, the senator pushed forward to safeguard our precious public lands by asking the president to use his powers under the Antiquities Act to declare three new desert national monuments—Mojave Trails, Sand to Snow and Castle Mountains.

The responses from editorial boards at The Desert Sun, The Press-Enterprise in Riverside and the Orange County Register were disappointing and perplexing. While editors acknowledged the need for protection of the California desert, they chose to advance arguments defying all logic. The Desert Sun applauded Feinstein’s conservation efforts and even said the proposed national monuments “would be great additions to the nation’s protected lands”—but then slammed the senator for turning to the Antiquities Act to accomplish this goal. Instead, the Desert Sun editors argued we should return to a dysfunctional Congress that is intent on

blocking any public-lands legislation, no matter how broad and diverse its support in local communities.

In an editorial published by both The Press Enterprise and Orange County Register, Feinstein was accused of being eager to “cede congressional powers” to the executive branch because of her request that the president take action. That argument is certainly hard to swallow, given the senator has spent nearly 10 years trying to push desert conservation legislation through Congress. The same editorial gave Rep. Tom McClintock, R-Granite Bay, a soapbox to spout misinformation. As chair of the House Subcommittee on Federal Lands, McClintock has consistently blocked conservation efforts. He claims Feinstein and the president would be conspiring “to declare

vast tracts of land off-use” if they proceed with the designation. McClintock claims they would benefit an “elite few granted restricted use.” In reality, it would be mining, solar and wind projects that would restrict access to an “elite few,” while creating these monuments would benefit the greatest number of people by ensuring recreational access for equestrians, hikers, hunters, rock-hounders and off-roaders on designated routes.

Use of the Antiquities Act—which grants the president the authority to declare national monuments on lands controlled or owned by the federal government—has been used almost equally by Democrats and Republicans.

One need look no further than Joshua Tree or Death Valley to see the success of national monuments in providing protection for natural resources and conserving sites with cultural, historic and scientific value, as the act prescribes. Both places were initially established as national monuments, the former by Republican Herbert Hoover, and the latter by Democrat Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

Their elevation to national parks by Congress through the California Desert Protection Act only increased their value to the community.

The proposed Mojave Trails National Monument would connect Joshua Tree National Park to the Mojave National

Preserve and protect significant wildlife corridors. This region includes the longest intact stretch of historic Route 66 and the best-preserved encampment from World War II’s desert training center, Iron Mountain.

Castle Mountains contains 36 species of rare plants, including some of the finest native desert grasslands in the entire California Desert. This is home to healthy populations of golden eagles, bighorn sheep, mountain lions and bobcats. It’s also a target location for reintroduction of pronghorn, the world’s second-fastest terrestrial mammal. For many Coachella Valley residents, the dramatic landscape of the proposed Sand to Snow National Monument is an everyday sight, including Southern California’s highest peak, Mount San Gorgonio, and its longest river, the Santa Ana. This area includes alpine peaks, forests, Joshua tree woodlands and two of California’s three deserts, the Colorado and the Mojave. Its mountains are the most botanically diverse in the contiguous United States.

We are fortunate here in the Coachella Valley to be surrounded by the wild beauty of the desert. I have enjoyed exploring these natural areas as an avid hiker and camper, and I’ve visited remote sites accessible only by four-wheel-drive. Protecting these landscapes preserves the quality of life that we enjoy. That’s why so many Coachella Valley businesses and organizations support the establishment of these monuments—using either legislation or presidential proclamation.

This includes my own organization, Great Outdoors Palm Springs (GOPS), an allvolunteer group that educates, promotes and conducts camping and hiking activities for the Coachella Valley’s growing LGBTQ community.

While we remain committed to passing Sen. Feinstein’s California Desert Conservation and Recreation Act, we recognize the opportunity to protect some of the lands contained in that legislation now. So we also call on the president to designate three new desert national monuments, to ensure that the pristine public lands all around us remain for generations to come.

Scott Connelly is the vice president for outings of Great Outdoors Palm Springs.

The landscapes surrounding historic Route 66 would be preserved by the Mojave Trails National Monument. JOHN DITTLI CVIndependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

OCTOBER 2015

NEWS

OCTOBER ASTRONOMY This Is a Great Month for Predawn Planet Viewing—a Great Way to Start the Day!

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

by Robert Victor uring October and early November, there are exceptionally beautiful gatherings of planets in the morning sky. A waning crescent moon graces the lineup of planets on Oct. 8-11. Oct. 22-29, three planets will converge into a compact group, and on Oct. 25 and 26, the brightest of these, Venus and Jupiter, will pair very closely.

With daylight saving time still in effect through October, a brief sky watch about an hour before sunrise would provide a wonderful, rewarding display of planets at a time not unreasonably early.

Thursday, Oct. 8, one hour before sunrise: Venus gleams brilliantly within 3 degrees to the lower left of the crescent moon. Bright Jupiter shines 13 degrees to the lower left of Venus.

Faint reddish Mars glows 4 degrees above Jupiter and 9 degrees to the lower left of Venus.

Mercury, just beginning a morning apparition, rises in the east, within 19 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter. On the near side of its orbit, Mercury brightens rapidly and climbs higher in the coming days, but not high enough to meet any of the other planets.

This morning and tomorrow, note blue-white Regulus, heart of Leo, about 2.5 degrees to the upper left of Venus. This morning, students can follow the moon and Venus until sunrise and well beyond to catch Venus in the daytime.

A telescope and even a steadily held pair of binoculars will reveal Venus as a crescent. Look an hour before sunup the next three mornings and follow the moon as it slides down the lineup of four planets.

Friday, Oct. 9: The moon appears lower and closer to the sun this morning, so today’s crescent is thinner than yesterday’s. Brilliant Venus is now 9 degrees to the moon’s upper right. Bright Jupiter is about 4.5 degrees to the lower left of the moon. Faint Mars appears within 4 degrees to the upper right of Jupiter and about the same distance north (to the upper left) of the lunar crescent. Can you spot Mercury very low in the east?

Saturday, Oct. 10: An old moon, just 2.5 days before new, is a very striking sight with the sunlit crescent cradling the earthlit darker side within its horns. Look for Mercury 10 degrees to the lower left of the moon, and Jupiter 9 degrees above the moon. Still higher, in order, are dim red Mars, brilliant Venus, and Regulus, to Venus’ upper left.

Sunday, Oct. 11: This is the last chance to see this thin crescent old moon in the morning sky. Just 35 hours before new, it’s a few degrees above the horizon and a few degrees south of due east. Mercury is 2 degrees to the upper left

of the moon, 29 degrees to the lower left of brilliant Venus, and 18 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter. Faint Mars is a few degrees above Jupiter, while Regulus is a few degrees to the upper left of Venus. This week, watch Mars close in on Jupiter, while Venus widens its distance from Regulus. Mercury climbs to its highest point in the morning sky for this year late this week, but gets no closer than 28 degrees to the lower left of Venus.

Thursday, Oct. 15, one hour after sunset: Look low in the southwest to west-southwest to find the three-day-old waxing crescent moon, with Saturn 7 degrees to its upper left. Look also for reddish twinkling Antares, heart of the Scorpion, 10 degrees to the lower left of Saturn.

By Friday evening, the moon will appear 6 degrees to the upper left of Saturn.

Saturday, Oct. 17, one hour before sunrise: Look closely for faint Mars just 0.4 degrees (less than a moon’s width) to the north (upper left) of Jupiter.

Oct. 22-29: Three planets—in order of brightness Venus, Jupiter and Mars—form a trio, appearing within a 5-degree field of view.

Binoculars magnifying up to about 10-power will fit the trio in on these eight mornings.

Sunday, Oct. 25, and Monday, Oct. 26: Venus and Jupiter will appear just more than a degree apart, providing striking views, all within a single telescope field: Jupiter, with its four bright moons discovered by Galileo, and Venus appearing as a “half moon.” This sight should not be missed! The next pairings of Venus-Jupiter— at dusk on Aug. 27, 2016, and at dawn on Nov. 13, 2017—will be tighter, but low in twilight and will catch Venus on the far side of its orbit, displaying a tiny, nearly full disk.

Beginning Tuesday, Oct. 27, in morning twilight: Follow the moon daily for 15 mornings, as it wanes from full, low in the west on Oct. 27, to a thin, old crescent, low in the

Morning visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

east-southeast, only 28 hours before new on Tuesday, Nov. 10.

Wed. Oct. 28, 45 minutes before sunrise: Mercury, now on the far side of its orbit, passes within four degrees to the north of emerging Spica. Use binoculars to see the star to the lower right of Mercury. Each morning, Spica appears higher in the sky (resulting from Earth’s revolution around the sun), with Mercury lower (because the inner planet moves faster than Earth).

Thursday and Friday, Oct. 29 and 30, one hour before sunrise: Watch the waning gibbous moon leapfrog past Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, the Bull.

Refer to the October 2015 Sky Calendar for illustrations of the gatherings described

Evening visibility map at mid-twilight.

ROBERT D. MILLER

in this article. To subscribe online, visit www. abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar.

The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party, on Saturday, Oct. 10, at dusk at Saw Mill Trailhead, elevation 4,000 feet in the Santa Rosa Mountains. The society will resume monthly star parties at the Visitor Center of the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument on Saturday, Oct. 24, from 7 to 10 p.m. Dates of future star parties, with directions and maps to the sites and info on lectures and special events, are available at www.astrorx.org.

ROBERT C. VICTOR WAS A STAFF ASTRONOMER AT ABRAMS PLANETARIUM AT MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY. HE IS NOW RETIRED AND ENJOYS PROVIDING SKYWATCHING OPPORTUNITIES FOR SCHOOL CHILDREN IN AND AROUND PALM SPRINGS.

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NEWS

CULTURE CLUB

The Cathedral City Public Arts Commission Has Big Plans After an Eyebrow-Raising Start

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

By Kevin Fitzgerald t’s been a turbulent couple of months for the Cathedral City Public Arts Commission.

The way interviews were done for potential commission members raised eyebrows.

The fact that almost all of the newly seated commissioners live in the same area caused concerns. Then the commission made a major change in direction, with new commissioners pushing an aggressive slate of programs and projects that they say will bring increased artistic opportunity and expression into the daily lives of Cathedral City residents.

“You know, frankly I was rather surprised at how it all went,” returning commissioner and new co-chair Alan Carvalho said regarding the interview process.

“When I was interviewed before being selected last year, it was in a closed City Council session. This time, it was done in the open, and I don’t think that they were ready for so many people to be applying.

“One of the focuses of the City Council, from what I understood, was that they were looking to give new people an opportunity to contribute to the city. Also, I know that the mayor (Stan Henry) was concerned that we keep at least one person on each of the commissions who was a veteran.”

Another factor that could have influenced this year’s selections stemmed from the ability of the City Council to appoint commissioners who lived outside of Cathedral City. That policy did not make sense to newly appointed commissioner and co-chair Simeon Den. “I felt, ‘You guys couldn’t find enough people in Cathedral City who would volunteer their time and want to be there on the commission?’” he said. “We got the council to make a commitment that first, we should try

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to get Cathedral City residents on to the Public Arts Commission.”

Some people have groused about concerns that a vast majority of current commissioners live in the Cathedral Cove area of the city, a fact confirmed by Chris Parman, communications/events manager of Cathedral City, “Of the five commissioners newly appointed, four of the five candidates live in the Cathedral City Cove neighborhood. Please note that Public Arts Commission candidates are not chosen based on where they live in the city.”

To some, it is curious to note that Jim Cox, then the commission chairperson, was recommended for re-appointment to the commission after the interviews on June 6; however, when the June 10 City Council meeting took place, Cox, who is a

Cove resident, was not re-appointed, while commissioner Pam Price, who lives further north in the city, was reappointed.

As far as the new co-chairpersons were concerned, the appointments came down not to geography, but the strategic direction the Public Arts Commission would take.

“The group of commissioners prior to us had a different mindset about how they thought the Public Arts Commission should be,” stated Den. “You know how there’s a group of people who consider themselves to be the experts, and kind of top-down want to dictate what should be considered good art and what should be bad art. When you’re working in the government and for the community, the approach and the philosophy needs to be different. You shouldn’t go from the top down; you go from the bottom up.”

Carvalho expanded on that theme.

“With the previous commission I was a member of, there were very few opportunities for people to feel they could come as the public and just be part of our meeting,” he said. “So I really wanted to make sure that those citizens who applied for commissioner positions and didn’t get seats felt that their contribution was wanted and needed.”

Now that the new Cathedral City Public Arts Commission has been seated, Den and Carvalho are painting a picture of a community-service-driven, geographically agnostic agenda. They passionately described plans they say will deliver real value to local citizens looking for support in their artistic endeavors, recognition of their cultural heritage, and the opportunity to experience good art in their neighborhoods.

“This commission would like to continue what was started last year and bring a sculpture that honors the Agua Caliente tribe to the corner of Landau and Ramon, where the city has built a platform for the use of Public Arts,” Carvalho stated. “The Ramon Road project was partially funded by the tribe.”

Den emphasized several efforts. “Alan Carvalho and I are doing a murals project throughout the city, and particularly in the north end, over by Vista Chino and Ramon.

We’re considering local artists, and particularly Latino artists, who could create murals that would add to the cultural identity and enable young people to become part of the process.

There are kids who I’ve met who grew up here and went to Cathedral City High School. I’ve

Simeon Den: “The group of commissioners prior to us had a different mindset about how they thought the Public Arts Commission should be. You know how there’s a group of people who consider themselves to be the experts, and kind of top-down want to dictate what should be considered good art and what should be bad art.”

contacted two of them, and one who’s been doing a murals project in Oakland and grew up here on E Street is going to paint a mural for us.”

Also high on Den’s list is the “Art Block” project, an ambitious proposal to reclaim the Boneyard property at 36600 Cathedral Canyon Drive from the city for use as a workshop and learning center.

As for high-profile events, the commission is sponsoring an exhibition at City Hall of work by well-known painter and part-time Cathedral City resident Ilona Von Ronay. Also, the Taste of Jalisco Festival is slated for downtown Cathedral City on Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13 and 14; it will feature a screening of the documentary Lalo Guerrero: The Original Chicano, musical and dance performances, a parade, food stands and a kids’ zone.

“Cathedral City has been known as the ugly stepsister of the desert cities, and we always think of it as the Cinderella, because we love it here,” Den said. “We do have such a rich history that we want to bring forward again.”

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OCTOBER 2015

Candidate Q&A

We asked the candidates for city office in Palm Springs and Desert Hot Springs 10 questions. Then we let them talk.

By Jimmy Boegle and Brian Blueskye At first glance, it seems like a simple, four-step exercise: 1. Come up with a list of 10 questions—five serious, issue-based questions, and five questions that are a little more light-hearted—to ask all of the candidates for city office.

2. Set up interviews with all of the candidates.

3. Ask the candidates the 10 questions.

4. Report the answers to those 10 questions.

That’s exactly what we’ve done over the last couple of weeks. Jimmy Boegle tracked down all 14 of the Palm Springs candidates (eight mayoral candidates, and six City Council candidates), while Brian Blueskye interviewed eight of the nine Desert Hot Springs candidates (two mayoral candidates, and seven City Council candidates).

(If you’re keeping score at home, DHS City Council candidate Jeanette Jaime is the only one of 23 candidates who did not respond to us. Brian called her twice and emailed her twice; he even accepted help from another candidate who offered to put in a good word. No dice.)

However, this exercise turned out to be far from simple. Turns out some of these candidates (especially the Palm Springs ones) like to talk; as a result, the word count on all of the answers, combined, is about the same as the word count on a small novel.

Because of this wordiness, we have room in print for the candidates’ answers to just one question from each city (and, in the case of the Palm Springs candidates’ answers, we had to edit them down to get them to fit).

Therefore, we strongly encourage you to head to CVIndependent.com. There, you’ll find each Q&A presented in its entirety. We only made minor edits to the candidates’ answers for grammar and style; in some cases, we also edited out redundancies. Finally, in some instances, we did not include portions of candidates’ answers if they went completely off-topic.

Frankly, the most interesting Candidate Q&A portions can be found at CVIndependent.com. For example, that’s where you’ll find Palm Springs mayoral candidate (and current City Council member) Ginny Foat’s explanation of her meal with Mayor Steve Pougnet and developer Rich Meaney at Sherman’s. That’s where you can also read Palm Springs mayoral candidate Bob Weinstein’s fascinating descriptions of his opponents. You’ll find insightful answers, contradictions—and a whole lot of useful information.

Welcome to Candidate Q&A.

The 10 Questions for Palm Springs Candidates

The 10 Questions for Desert Hot Springs Candidates

1. When you stand at the intersection of Tahquitz Canyon Road and Palm Canyon Drive, and look northwest (at the Wessman project), what comes to mind?

1. Describe the city’s current budget situation. How do you plan to balance the budget and take care of the city?

2. Does Palm Springs have a crime problem? If so, what should be done about it?

2. Aside from hiring more officers, what can be done to tackle the DHS crime rate?

3. What, if anything, should be done about alleged corruption in Palm Springs city government? Be specific.

3. How do you plan to attract new businesses to Desert Hot Springs?

4. What specific steps will you take to help solve the city’s homelessness issue?

5. Do you support electing City Council members by district, or do prefer the current at-large system? Why? 6. If you were not running for this office, which of your opponents would get your vote? Why? 7. A dear friend is in town for just one night, and asks you where to go for dinner.

Where are you sending this dear friend?

8. Name one business or service that you wish Palm Springs had (but currently does not have).

9. Which annual Coachella Valley event or festival is your favorite? Why? 10. If the FBI was about to raid your home or office, which personal item would you grab to make sure it didn’t get broken?

Find the complete answers from all of the candidates for Palm Springs mayor and City Council at CVIndependent.com.

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4. DHS has a problem with homelessness. What can the city do to fix this?

5. If you could challenge every DHS resident to do one thing, what would that one thing be?

6. Palm Drive/Gene Autry or Indian Canyon? Why? 7. Date shake or bacon-wrapped dates? Why? 8. If someone gave you a $100 gift card to the DHS Kmart, what would you buy?

9. If someone walked up to you and told you that DHS was the worst place to live in California, what would your response be?

10. Award-winning water from the tap, or bottled water?

Find the complete answers from all of the candidates for Desert Hot Springs mayor and City Council (except for the one who didn’t get back to us) at CVIndependent.com.

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OCTOBER 2015

Palm Springs Question 1: When you stand at the intersection of Tahquitz Canyon Road and Palm Canyon Drive, and look northwest (at the Wessman development), what comes to mind?

Guy T. Burrows, candidate for mayor: That tall building on the right, of course; that’s taller than what was initially touted as what was going to be built. … What I see is an advertisement for two floors for commercial Guy T. Burrows offices. My question is: If you look around the city of Palm Springs, how many empty office spaces do we have? So many, it’s beyond counting. So my question is, why, as a city, are we paying a hundred million dollars, partly, to build two floors of office space, when really, there’s not a need for office space? … You could’ve brought in Whole Foods, and that would’ve been a great addition, and would’ve been a much better choice. … I can’t really, in my own mind, as an individual citizen, or as a person who’s looking at it as a good investment, justify it, and say that makes a lot of sense. I think it makes sense to give incentive, but not to where you’re paying twothirds of the cost.

Robert “Rob” Moon, candidate for mayor: Overbuilt. The building that’s going up next to the Hyatt—to be technical, it’s on block A-1—is way too big. It’s way too close to the sidewalk. It’s too massive.

It’s too tall. It is not in the Robert “Rob” Moon spirit and feel and vibe of Palm Springs. That was supposed to be 16 feet high, and the building that was there originally was supposed to stay. That adjoined the Hyatt, and it was going to be pop-up shops, similar to Raymond | Lawrence, which is really popular.

… But John Wessman, the developer, went back to the City Council and said he changed his mind, and he wanted to do retail in that space, and the ceiling wasn’t high enough, so he wanted to do a remodel. So his remodel consisted of ripping down the original 16-foothigh building and building a three-story-high building that’s actually five or six stories high, so that was a bait and switch, and that’s not what was presented to the residents of Palm Springs during the town hall three years ago; that was not a part of the general plan for the downtown museum project, and it’s totally inappropriate.

Ricky B. Wright, candidate for mayor: What comes to my mind is that the development is a lot different than what we have around it. That’s what I see. I mean, frankly, it doesn’t seem to fit, but that’s what was approved, Ricky B. Wright I guess. It’s not what I perceived it to be when they were talking about it. I never saw the plans or anything, but I thought it would fit a little better.

Bob Weinstein, candidate for mayor: I’m not happy with the development. There have been too many waivers and too many variances granted with that particular project, without much input. I’m Bob Weinstein in construction myself and have a lot of developments around the Coachella Valley, and I continued on next page ➠ CVIndependent.com

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know that sometimes …things change a little bit here, and a little bit there. But … you have height issues; you have frontage issues, setback issues. It not only goes up to the sidewalk, but it overhangs into the street, and it blocks the beauty of the mountains, which is what Palm Springs is all about. So I think it’s atrocious.

Ginny Foat (current City Council member), candidate for mayor: There were almost 15 years, or maybe even more, of a dead center of our town. No matter what we did in the city, and we did a lot of really Ginny Foat creative things for our citizens … there was one dead center of town. I look at it now and see life. Do I love it?

Probably not. Do I think there are some things I would have liked to have changed? Yes. But through an agreement with the developer who owns the land—we didn’t own the land—and the city, we now will bring life back to the center of our town, which not only will help this particular development, but will also help everything surrounding it. The businesses surrounding it are all going to thrive, because there’s this new center of excitement in our downtown.

Bill Gunasti, candidate for mayor: Well, any development is a good development.

We need investment in Palm Springs, and we need investment throughout the valley. So … it’s good that the Wessman project took place, Bill Gunasti but the only thing is that it took 14 years or 15 years. … I put the blame on whoever was in charge for the past 10 years … in particular, the councilwoman who is running for mayor now. … In that time, is this the only project you can do? In a city like Palm Springs, next to Hollywood? This is an American brand. America is a brand; Hollywood is a brand; Palm Springs next to it is a brand. Is this what you were able to do? …

This is a very small town. You couldn’t build a university which you were supposed to build next to Mountain Gate, and you couldn’t build a hospital on the south end so there wouldn’t be any homeless or there would be some amount of economic activity?

Mike Schaefer, candidate for mayor: I’m at the (Welwood Murray) Library, and I might CVIndependent.com

OCTOBER 2015

want to go in there and use computers, is my first thought.

My second thought is: The stuff we’re debating that they’ve already got under construction, let’s finish it up! I’ve seen buildings that sit like skeletons for years, like the Mike Schaefer Fontainebleau on the Strip in Las Vegas. I want to see the stuff, whether we like it or not, developed.

The people who spend a lot of time debating whether it should be there or not when the cranes are there, and they’ve got the approvals, and lots of money has been burned up in litigation—I don’t think that helps us at all.

Ron Oden, candidate for mayor: The future, and that future involves change.

Those decisions have already been made, so it’s a matter of adjusting to the new normal.

That’s looking at the physical Ron Oden development, but there’s a whole other level, I think, that represents the gap between the future and the past, and how we adapt to that emotionally is going to really be the challenge. I think that’s where leadership is going to really step in, is to work and bridge that gap between the past and the future and pull the people together, because that’s what it’s going to take. It doesn’t matter how successful that development may be. The city itself, currently, is disjointed and divided, and I can provide the means. That’s one of the things that I bring to the table is that I can bring disparate groups together. I’m a unifier.

Anna Nevenic, candidate for City Council: Well, what really comes to my mind is that (the mall) was standing there for 10 years, and Wessman got lots of tax breaks, and the city lost lots of money because of that. It’s already Anna Nevenic all planned, and there’s nothing we can do to change. The only thing we have to do for the future project (is make sure) that everything is done right in a timely manner, and that everybody is informed (about) what is going to be there. (We need) more transparency about every project that

we do, because at the moment, there is no transparency; people just hear it after the fact.

Paul Lewin (incumbent), candidate for City Council: Oh, progress. I think that’s going to be a really terrific spot, and it’s very hard for people to visualize the final product, because all we’re Paul Lewin looking at is the first legs of that skeleton. But as you know, there’s a lot of beauty that gets wrapped around a skeleton, so what we’re going to have there … is a wonderful pedestrian path that runs from that exact corner at Palm Canyon and Tahquitz through the center of Blocks A, B and C, and runs into a new entrance into the Hyatt hotel.

So what we’re seeing is just the beginnings of the reshaping of an urban landscape. …

We’re going from an old bank that was vacant, and I guess a CPK that was hanging on, to this walking path that meanders through the project, and a nice hotel with the first ever … rooftop swimming pool, and the views from the top of that Kimpton pool are going to be outstanding.

David Brown, candidate for City Council: At first glance? Construction. Hopefully, when it’s completed, it’s going to be a nice, completed project. Right now, when I look at it, you’re seeing construction, framework, ironwork and a big crane. All of that’s kind of distracting from the mountains, and at the same time, hopefully when this project is done, what they’ve built … is a nice project for the city. We have not seen a model master, which would be nice.

J.R. Roberts, candidate for City Council: It’s a mixture of excitement and disappointment.

The excitement is that I’m a planning commissioner, so I’ve been fortunate enough to have my hand in what J.R. Roberts that is, and what it will become, and we have molded it into something that I think is going to be great.

The disappointment comes in that some of the decisions that came about were taken away from the Planning Commission, and the council took them—specifically, the threestory building that sort of hangs over directly on Palm Canyon. In that building, we had actually approved the one-story restoration of an existing building. In fact, if you drive down that street, there are renderings on the fence,

and if you look at the rendering with the Hyatt, you’ll see what we actually approved. … The village character is the thing I want to preserve the most, and I think that a few tall buildings won’t hurt that. But one of my goals on the City Council is to cap the height in the future, maybe to three stories, for anything that comes before us. Again, a few tall buildings are good; a lot of tall buildings, we become Wilshire Boulevard or Las Vegas.

Jim King, candidate for City Council: Well, development’s going to happen. Palm Springs is resurgent.

The mall (had) been there for such a long time; it’s good to have something new in town. We need to have something Jim King new. I took over neighborhood watch in my neighborhood, and I had to change our neighborhood watch signs—something new. We have a police badge that says “We call police,” and it’s something new. … So, we’re looking at new ideas coming to town.

Geoff Kors, candidate for City Council: On one hand, I see Palm Springs moving forward and developing a downtown. I’m not seeing the old, vacant Fashion Plaza. That makes me smile, and I think turning this Geoff Kors into a downtown with streets running through it, versus replacing it with another mall, was a really good decision. I have concern when I look at what will be the West Elm building next to the Hyatt, that the setback is far into the street.

I want to make sure that when significant changes such as that are proposed, they return to the commission structure we have so we can get input from the public before a decision is finalized. I think having 3-D models of major developments, which is something I’ve seen in other cities, including Las Vegas, would really help the public and the Planning Commission and the council better visualize a project.

Find complete answers to all 10 questions at CVIndependent.com.

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Desert Hot Springs

Question 4: DHS has a problem with homelessness.

What can the city do to fix this?

Scott Matas

Adam Sanchez

Scott Matas, candidate for mayor: You can’t fix homelessness. We had a bad homeless problem going back 10 years ago. We had a camp near the back of the Kmart with 20 people living in it. We had a shopping center full of panhandlers all day. We also work with Roy’s Resource Center to come up here and convince the individuals to go through their program.

The problem with homelessness is that it’s not because they want to be homeless; it’s usually because of addiction problems and/ or mental illness. The mental-health services building built in DHS by the county only helps mental-health patients 62 or older. I want to go back to (County Supervisor) John Benoit and say, “We really need to do something about that, and we need your help”; 62 and older is important, but what if we opened that range up to 19 to 110? That would help everybody with mental-health issues. Roy’s Resource Center can assist them with that, but trying to get (homeless people) there is always an issue.

When you have a small encampment, it only gets bigger and bigger. We can’t just bring food and water to them; we need to offer them the services they need to get out of that lifestyle.

Vons. They’re panhandling on a regular basis to fuel their addiction, and the majority of it is alcohol. We as kind-hearted individuals, as a city, need to get to a point where we give instead to the food banks and the faith-based organizations. The police department is out there trying to get them off the dividers and get them to understand that if they want to be homeless, that’s the choice they have, but don’t take advantage of the kind-heartedness of the people giving you money.

We need to visit the businesses and reach out to the residents more and develop a homeless strategy.

Adam Sanchez (incumbent), candidate for mayor: I think right now, we’re doing what we can. People who are truly homeless and in need of help getting back on their feet will go to Roy’s Resource Center first.

Those who choose to be homeless … we need to come to a consensus in the community to where we have the faith-based (programs) and the food banks (help the homeless, rather than individuals). There are faithbased organizations providing breakfasts and lunches; if you’re homeless, and you need a place to eat, we provide that socially as a community. But one problem is there are those who continue to assist the panhandlers who will be at Del Taco, Subway, Stater Bros. or CVIndependent.com

Russell Betts (incumbent), candidate for City Council: Our city needs to draw on research and innovative programs from across the country to develop a comprehensive plan that focuses on ending homelessness among all Russell Betts populations—chronic, families, youth, veterans and the elderly—in our city. Efforts by other communities have shown results.

Larry Buchanan, candidate for City Council: There are a lot of things the city can do that will marginally help the situation. The biggest issue with homelessness in our area is we have a very small law-enforcement element, Larry Buchanan compared to Rancho Mirage and Palm Springs, to chase them out. Increasing our police force is one way to address it.

The biggest problem for homeless people

is mental health. We have the county medical health building, and (it is) very small compared to what (it was) supposed to be, and does only one thing: Provide mental health services to people 62 years and older. If you’re 59, nope.

If you’re a young homeless man or woman, no. We have no beds for the homeless. Roy’s Resource Center, which is a unified joint effort in north Palm Springs, is constantly full. Most of the people up here don’t qualify for Roy’s, anyway, because they won’t take anyone with mental-health or drug-addiction problems.

I remind John Benoit every time I see him that we had this discussion a year ago, six months ago, three months ago, and we had it a month ago, that we need to open the county medical health building up to people who are under 60 and (place a) heavy emphasis on children, people with substance abuse issues, and homelessness issues. If we do that, it will improve our situation greatly.

Richard Duffle, candidate for City Council: With our current budget status, there’s nothing that can be done right this second. However, there are programs that can be instituted, and there are people within the Richard Duffle community who are looking into helping with this homeless population.

In any low-income city, you’re going to have a homeless problem, and every city deals with a homeless problem.

We need to get some sort of treatment facility up here for some of these people who are in and out of the prison system, and we need to find some kind of rehabilitation program and work with community leaders within Desert Hot Springs with what can be done, as well as some religious organizations that are looking to promote help for these individuals.

Asia Horton, candidate for City Council: First of all, we need to address it. Let’s be real: We need to talk about it publicly, frequently. We need to be talking to the organizations in our city and around our city that specifically deal Asia Horton with homelessness.

I think (homelessness) is unnecessary. I don’t feel there’s any reason that any American

should be sleeping on the street. I think that is a responsibility that society needs to own up to. I don’t hear enough about it. Where are the homeless shelters here in town? There are none. We just kind of shuffle them around, and that’s not acceptable. You can’t cure what you don’t confront.

Yvonne Parks, candidate for City Council: Right now, I would venture a guess, (there are so many homeless on the streets) because our police have offered them a ride down to Roy’s Resource Center, and they refuse. You can’t Yvonne Parks make them do something that they don’t want to do. I think what we’ve got in our city are those who are on drugs and alcohol, and they don’t want to stop, and they know if they go in there (to Roy’s), they have to abstain from both.

The other population is the mentally unstable; with that group, I know they can be helped simply by giving them medication, and they can go into The Path, which is the facility down by Roy’s, and they have 20 beds there.

But mentally, they can’t be in a closed room or adhere to rules and regulations. If they aren’t willing to get help, I don’t see there is much that we can do.

Anayeli Zavala, candidate for City Council: I think it’s important to work with the county to leverage resources and (see) how we can bring additional funding to things like Roy’s Resource Center. It’s really Anayeli Zavala just about the city being restrictive in its finances; the county, with its funds, we should look into how to bring those resources here.

Jeanette Jamie, candidate for City Council: Jamie did not return multiple phone calls and email messages over the period of a week. Of the 23 candidates for office in Palm Springs and DHS, she is the only candidate who did not respond to the Independent.

Find complete answers to all 10 questions at CVIndependent.com.

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OCTOBER 2015

CVI SPOTLIGHT: OCTOBER 2015 Funk Goddess Ahead of Her Time

N

ONA HENDRYX HAS HAD A PROLIFIC music career dating back to 1961, as both a successful solo artist and a member of the popular Labelle trio.

She’s heading to Palm Springs to headline the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival, taking place Friday, Oct. 9, through Sunday, Oct. 11.

Before Patti Labelle went on to a solo career, she was part of Labelle with Nona Hendryx and Sarah Dash. They toured with The Rolling Stones and The Who before breaking up in 1976 (with occasional reunions over the years).

During a recent phone interview, Hendryx said all three members of Labelle shared duties and were equals as singers and songwriters.

“When we split up, people focused more on Patti and her career,” Hendryx said.

“When we began in the early ’60s, groups were just groups, and you weren’t considered a lead singer or backup singer; you were a group. When we transformed into Labelle in the late ’60s and early ’70s, we were three individuals whose managers worked with groups such as The Who; we were more individual artists within the group. I was the primary songwriter, and we all had our strengths, and it wasn’t seen as Patti as the lead singer.

“I think our careers were able to go on from there because we had strong foundations as individual artists.”

As a solo artist, she’s worked with the Talking Heads, George Clinton and Peter Gabriel, to name a few notable names.

“Working with the Talking Heads was very creatively interesting,” she said. “There have been other people I’ve worked with, such as Dan Hartman. He was a songwriter and producer I’ve worked with over time, and (he) worked with me on my album Female Trouble.

As a songwriter and an influence on me …

I would say Dan was the most interesting person. He went from the pop world in music through experimental, and totally accepted me.”

When Hendryx went out on her own, she was creatively one step ahead of everyone else. While Hendryx was never a smash success, you can hear in her music how ahead of the game she was compared to her contemporaries.

Nona Hendryx.

“The music always informs me as to what it wants and how it wants to be presented,” she said. “The funk part of it is because of my live performances, and also my audience is an audience that’s more into the music, the lyrics and the funk I create, rather than just listening to it. My audience also likes to get up and dance, so the funk always provides some booty-shaking moments.”

Hendryx also has talent in the visual arts.

In fact, on the morning of our interview, she had just spent several hours preparing her latest art exhibition.

“When I was in school many years ago, that was one of those things I did and enjoyed the most,” she said. “I was developing that, and my desire to go to college to study it was interrupted by music. That took over my life, and the visual arts side of me went to the wayside, especially when I discovered songwriting, which has been my muse and my way of expressing myself.

“As the music business has changed, I’ve had more time to focus on visual arts, and a friend asked me about five years ago, ‘Why don’t you have a show at a gallery? I know someone who’d be interested in doing it.’

I did it, and it reawakened that expression inside of me.”

Hendryx has also been an innovator in music-performance electronics. She’s designed wearable controllers and has worked with technology students at the Berklee College of Music.

“When I first started in music, there were always so many wires involved,” she said. “I have been trying to move toward wireless, and the world has caught up with me.”

Hendryx has some new music in the works.

“It’s not going to come out until 2016,” she said. “It’ll be a different view of where I am now. It’s that hybrid of electronics, vocals, and the analog world.”

Nona Hendryx will perform at the Palm Springs Women’s Jazz Festival, at the Reception and Singing Party at 4:30 p.m., Friday, Oct. 9, at the Hyatt Palm Springs, 285 N. Palm Canyon Drive ($15); and at the Jazz + Blues = Soul event at 7:30 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Annenberg Theater at the Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 N. Museum Drive ($75). For tickets or more information, visit pswomensjazzfestival. com.

—Brian Blueskye

CVIndependent.com

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OCTOBER 2015

Supporters of the Independent Program Newspapers today are charging more and more for their content.

However, the work done by the award-winning Coachella Valley Independent has been— and always will be—available to all, free of charge.

We will never put up a paywall. We will never charge for a subscription.

However, we are now offering readers an opportunity to support us voluntarily in doing what we do, via the Supporters of the Independent Program.

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There are three easy ways to contribute: 1. Go to CVIndependent.com and use PayPal or a credit card.

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3. Mail a check or money order to: Coachella Valley Independent 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 Note that since the Independent is not a nonprofit entity, contributions are NOT tax-deductible.

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 21

OCTOBER 2015

ARTS & CULTURE

STANDING TALL

The Shoe Is Viewed as Art in the PS Art Museum’s ‘Killer Heels’ Show

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/ARTS-AND-CULTURE

By Victor Barocas o tweak (and possibly abuse) Dickens’ classic line: “It was the best of heels.

It was the worst of heels.” This sentiment summarizes the Palm Springs Art Museum’s recently opened exhibit Killer Heels: The Art of the HighHeeled Shoe.

Organized by New York City’s Brooklyn Museum, the exhibition introduces visitors to the evolution of the high-heeled shoe. Inside each of the many free-standing plastic-glass cases are between 4 and 7 high-heeled shoes. Each case speaks to either a social/historical event that triggered a specific theme (like space exploration) or the transformation of a style over a period of time (over-the-knee boots, stiletto heels). In addition to the plastic-glass cases, the exhibit includes six short films.

The curators see high heels as far more than footwear. The exhibit presents heels as an individual and/or societal interpretation of beauty, wealth, mystique and fantasy, as well as role, status and power. Essentially, each high heel is an iconic symbol that reflects and captures a cultural zeitgeist.

Unfortunately, creators of the earliest, century-old heels shown in the exhibit are unknown. However, most of the heels shown from early in the 20th century onward were created by and/or attributed to major haute couture designers, like Chanel, Tom Ford, Ferragamo and Prada. Examples are also included from individual shoe designers and industry-specific design houses such as Louboutin, Walter Steiger and Céline.

The show offers visitors insights into the history and creation of high heels. Given their design and execution, many shoes are instantly recognizable as magnificent pieces of art; their inclusion in a museum or private-art collection, especially a collection that focuses on sculpture, is a no-brainer. Since we each define beauty differently, the show’s narrative helps us understand the inclusion of heels that many would deem ugly, unwearable or weird.

While the earliest heels can be traced to Greece, Asia or Egypt, this exhibit truly begins with Europe. Designed and constructed from the most valuable materials of their time, like woven silk and velvet, many heels sparkle thanks to the inclusion of silver and gold threads. It is not uncommon to find seed pearls and other precious materials as part of the final product. These shoes were frequently worn at formal and special events. From the 20th century onward, these same materials— alongside things like mother-of-pearl, crystals and semiprecious gemstones—were integrated

into couture high heels, slippers, hogs and platforms, like Nicholas Kirkwood’s “Pump,” with its paisley-inspired swirling crystals in silver, gold, bluish-grey and purplish-white.

Most heels from the late 1800s onward in the exhibit were creations of American and Western European designers, with the smattered inclusion of intriguing Middle Eastern and Asian pieces. The broad range presented includes stilettos, platform/ high-heeled combinations, over-the-knees, conceptual high heels, and shoes made of both traditional (leathers, patent leather, fabrics) and innovative materials (carbon fiber, bamboo). Might Winde Rienstra’s “Bamboo Heels” be seen as promoting sustainable fashion?

Long, thin and slender, like the Italian dagger for which they are named, stiletto heels are associated with the seductive, secretive femme fatale. While shoe designers and shoe historians differ as to the minimum length of a stiletto, they do agree that the height can be as much as 10 inches long (when paired with platform soles). A thin metal rod is frequently part of the design of the taller high heels. The show includes heels worn by Marilyn Monroe and Lady Gaga. Parenthetically, it is clear why 10-inch heels keep orthopedic surgeons busy.

One particular set of heels produced the most visceral and behavioral response when I was there; most gallery visitors shuddered visibly and/or repeatedly shook their heads when looking at shoes created for a 19th century Chinese woman—with each shoe less than seven inches long! Through much of the 19th century, tiny feet were a critical element of femininity and beauty in China. To make their girls more attractive—and coincidentally easier to marry off—mothers and fathers

began the process of binding the child’s feet at a young age. The painful procedure, repeated daily, required breaking many or all of the bones in the child’s feet, and repositioning the big toes to below the soles of each foot.

In the space just outside the main exhibit room, the viewer is drawn into a more intimate space that oozes sexuality. The heels here—a couple in bright red adorned with silver studs—are deliberately provocative; they represent the evolution of the over-theknee high-heeled boot from taboo fetish to functionality to high art, as exemplified by Louboutin’s “Metropolis.”

With the space-exploration age came innovative materials like strong and durable plastics, as well as carbon fiber. Heels made with these new materials explored the future of the woman’s high heel. This can be seen with Iris van Herpen’s “Beyond Wilderness” and the Prada Wedge Sandal in Rosso.

For all its strengths, the exhibit at times seems like a near-final draft, and not a final project ready for public viewing. For example, the curators reiterate regularly that today’s high-heeled shoe goes back centuries. However, the exhibit feels more like an homage to heels from the mid-20th century to the present.

The sheer number of heels from the 1950s on overshadow the few pre-1930 heels, and the even fewer pieces produced before. Editing out some of the later heels would have done much to strengthen their historical assertion.

The second glaring flaw is the non-presence of men’s heels. The show’s organizers assert that heels were introduced into Europe by people from what is now known as the Middle East. For these Turkish and Persian horsemen, heels were totally utilitarian; they kept a man’s feet in the stirrups. It was only years later that heels evolved into a symbol of wealth and power.

Despite these flaws, Killer Heels stands quite tall. Check it out.

Nicholas Kirkwood’s “Pump.”

Winde Rienstra’s “Bamboo Heels”

KILLER HEELS: THE ART OF THE HIGH-HEELED SHOE IS ON DISPLAY THROUGH SUNDAY, DEC. 13, AT THE PALM SPRINGS ART MUSEUM, 101 N. MUSEUM DRIVE, IN PALM SPRINGS. MUSEUM HOURS ARE 10 A.M. TO 5 P.M., TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY, FRIDAY, SATURDAY AND SUNDAY; AND NOON TO 8 P.M., THURSDAY. ADMISSION PRICES VARY. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-322-4800, OR VISIT WWW.PSMUSEUM.ORG. Louboutin’s “Metropolis.”

CVIndependent.com

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OCTOBER 2015

the

FOOD & DRINK Introducing the First Coachella Valley Beer Week WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Erin Peters ocal beer weeks celebrate the culture and community of craft brewers across the U.S. These events give the beer-lover a chance to taste a variety of rare and new beers, meet area brewmasters and hang out with fellow beer-drinkers.

While the Coachella Valley may not have as many breweries as, say, Los Angeles or San Diego, the rate at which the craft-beer revolution has taken hold and demanded attention here is impressive. Two awardwinning Coachella Valley breweries—Coachella Valley Brewing Co. and La Quinta Brewing Co.—are celebrating their second anniversaries this year, while Rancho Mirage’s Babe’s Bar-BQue and Brewhouse has taken home a lot of notable craft-beer awards—including the 2015 California State Brewery of the Year honor from the California State Fair.

Therefore, it’s time for our area to have a beer week of its own: Introducing Coachella Valley Beer Week (coachellavalleybeerweek. com), to be held Nov. 13-22.

CVBW is a 10-day, valley-wide celebration focusing on our fantastic local breweries as well as surrounding Southern California craft

brewers. It will feature festivals, beer dinners, tours, pub/restaurant crawls, tastings and more. I am one of the two founders of the week; Brent Schmidman, aka Schmidy, is the other.

We will be kicking off the week with the Beer Goddess Brewmasters’ Dinner on Friday, Nov. 13, at the Purple Room in Palm Springs.

Chef Jennifer Town is preparing the perfect menu, using a handful of Southern California craft beers; brewmasters will head to the stage to talk about their beers. The cost is $65 per person.

On Saturday, Nov. 14, join us for the first Indio California BBQ State Championship and Festival, at the Lights at Indio Golf Course. The festival, put on the city of Indio and various groups, will include a contest featuring up to 50 of the best pit-masters in the state, all competing for a prize pool of up to $10,000.

Additional activities include a local “King of the Desert” BBQ competition, live music, games, craft beer and more. Entry is free.

After the festival, head over to Coachella Valley Brewing Co. for a rare event: the “Below Sea Level” Hi Low Beer Release. This Guinness World Records contender is believed to be

the first and only beer brewed at the lowest elevation in the country. CVB’s brewmaster Chris Anderson and Brent Schmidman brewed this 13.6 percent alcohol-by-volume imperial blonde stout in Death Valley, Calif. No tickets are required.

On Sunday, Nov. 15, join us in Palm Springs for the Beer Goddess Buzz Crawl, aboard the one and only free Palm Springs Buzz bus. Take a ride around Palm Springs, and savor favorite craft beers at some of the swankiest Palm Springs bars and restaurants.

If you’d rather stay in one place that evening, head over to Eureka Burger in Indian Wells for “Nite of the Barrels 1.” This is an evening of learning, featuring one of the most popular craft beer styles: wine-barrel-aged beers.

Taste a variety of California beers with their accompanying wine varietals, and compare the nuances. A variety of cheeses and crackers will be included in the tasting. Watch the Coachella Valley Beer Week website for details.

Experience a sushi craft-beer dinner like none other on Monday, Nov. 16, at Palm Springs’ Gyoro Gyoro. Unlike most sushi restaurants, Gyoro Gyoro has a nice selection of not only American craft beers, but Japanese craft beers.

On Thursday, Nov. 19, head back to Eureka Burger for “Nite of the Barrels 2.”

Bourbon-barrel-aged craft beers have a unique complexity that is full of flavor and perfect for cooler evenings. Come taste these complex beers alongside the very same bourbons

that were aged in those barrels. Note the similarities, and see how the beers pick up different flavors and nuances from the bourbons.

On Friday morning, Nov. 20, come hit some balls with your favorite brewmasters from various breweries! You don’t need to be a great golfer to participate in the Brewmasters Shotgun Golf Event; everyone’s welcome. Enjoy free pours as you play to win various prizes and awards. Cigars and snacks are also available. It costs $120, and there’s limited availability.

On Friday evening, Nov. 20, the largest area guest-bartender brewfest will commence. This mini-block party will feature eight Southern California breweries and eight local charities.

That same night, head to Indio to check out live music and live ale at the Tack Room Tavern’s Caxton-n-Cask event. Listen to one of our favorite local bands, Caxton, while sipping. The breweries will be adding special ingredients, using some of the oldest and traditional methods of secondary fermentation, to create these amazing onetime cask ales.

On Saturday, Nov. 21, don’t miss out on the annual Props and Hops Craft Beer Festival at the Palm Springs Air Museum. Enjoy beer from more than 30 craft breweries, great food and live music, all while taking in the Palm Springs mountain views.

More events are being added, so watch coachellavalleybeerweek.com for updates, changes and additions.

ERIN PETERS CVIndependent.com

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OCTOBER 2015

FOOD & DRINK

the SNIFF CAP

When Bliss Costs $18 Per Bottle, Drink Up

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Deidre Pike here’s something spiff-alicious about opening a delectable bottle of wine after drinking low-budget swill for a couple of weeks.

I select a bottle from my wine cellar (read: garage). I break out the fine wine glasses, caress the delicate glass. I touch the bottle, read the label. Madroña Zinfandel. El Dorado. 2012.

It’s an $18 bottle of wine from mixed vineyards—so no big whoop, right? But I recently jammed through a six-pack of low-end Blackstone cabs, cheap zins made from old vines (the nerve!), and a Yellow Tail merlot that turned out to be palatable with sketti. While cost is not necessarily an indicator of quality in wine—or anything else—it turns out 10 bucks a bottle makes a huge difference.

At my house these days, even the wineformerly-known-as-average is saved for visitors. Tonight, that’s my husband, Dave, who has made his monthly sojourn from his home in Reno to my place in California.

Madroña has single vineyard wines in the $50 range, but we love this wine. For the money, it’s excellent. Recently, I spotted this bottle on The New York Times Wine Club website.

I pour, giving the liquid some air, and inhale.

Spice and berry balance on the nose. The first

This bottle of wine costs $18. It’s worth every penny, and then some. DEIDRE PIKE

sip is nectar of the goddess. Wars might be fought and won for this wine. I’ve never tasted a better zinfandel. At least not in the past two or three weeks. Hence the hyperbole.

“It’s a little young,” suggests Dave. I’m reminded that he lives far away in a grand house with a wider-ranging wine selection.

“It’s perfect,” I argue.

“No, it’s really good,” he says.

“It’s amazing,” I reply, “especially as a change from Three-Buck Chuck.”

Oh yeah. I’m poor. Poor and, I admit, superduper privileged at the same time. This year, I bought a house, and delectable wine became a luxury. I was tired of renting and having to move when a landlord decided to sell or move back in. A few years back, I rented a house owned by a man who pocketed my dough and didn’t pay the mortgage. Bank foreclosed.

House sold on the courthouse stairs to the highest bidder. Which was not me.

Saving for a house has meant limiting my wine appreciation on behalf of thriftiness. Still, it took a while to collect enough dough for a down.

Wine connoisseurship gets pricey fast. In August, my daughter and I hit a couple of the tasting rooms on Santa Cruz’s trendy Westside.

We wandered into a tasting room while we had sunburns and our hair was smelling of charcoal and sea air—not intending to spend much. A chatty winemaker poured generous quantities of ruby ware, mostly pinot noirs in the $25$30 range.

My daughter Steph, a doctoral student at Case Western Reserve’s School of Medicine, likes to say she knows little about wine. Yet she consistently identifies the most complex and refined wine in a tasting flight. In this case, the wine she most enjoyed was a new release, a 2012 pinot noir not on the winemaker’s tasting notes—or on his price list.

I had intended to buy a bottle; the $25-$30 range is doable if I’m only buying one bottle.

My daughter liked the 2012. “We’ll take it,” I

said. The winemaker handed me a credit card receipt for something like $45. The new release of pinot noir was $42, he said.

I could have said no when I saw the credit card charge. I didn’t. Steph and I have a lovely bottle of $42 pinot noir. We’ll drink it when she graduates in 2018 or so. A well-crafted pinot noir ages nicely. We’ll see how this one holds up.

I have a few other bottles too fine to drink on the average kick-back-and-watch-Scandal sort of night. That said, I enjoy a glass of red wine most evenings. In search of affordable reds, most often I buy cases at wineries during various sales. An overnight wine run to Murphys in early June netted six bottles of assorted varietals (at about $10 each) from Black Sheep Winery, a $99 case of Stevenot Winery merlot, and a $50 case of 2012 syrah— blowout sale!—from Sobon Estate in Amador County. Now it’s almost all gone. I blame adult

children and plenty of parties.

Hence the grocery store six-pack. Think battery acid on the nose, with the mouth-feel of Kool-Aid. The Yellow Tail merlot was OK, which snooty me pronounced “not terrible.”

That’s why, tonight, the Madroña zinfandel provides a nice contrast to low-budget liquids.

The wine’s complex fruit profile reminds Dave, he says, of the mourvedre varietal.

“Don’t you get that?”

Sure, I get that—and so much more.

The wine reminds me that deliciousness exists, and that I’ve never experienced anything like poverty—not even close. I own this house, in theory. I drive a Prius to shop for organic veggies at the farmers’ market. I have a great job. And family. And friends. And dogs.

I have this wine and many other bottles to discover on other nights.

That’s not hard to swallow, not at all.

Gratitude ensues.

CVIndependent.com

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FOOD & DRINK the

INDY ENDORSEMENT Our Intelligent, Tasteful Readers Recommended These Two Fantastic Places!

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle WHAT The Street Taco Platter WHERE Loco Charlie’s, 1751 N. Sunrise Way, No. F5, Palm Springs HOW MUCH $7.95 CONTACT 760-8326474; mylococharlies.com WHY The crispy parts.

It was lunchtime, and I was craving some good tacos.

This is not an unusual occurrence in my life.

In fact, there are few lunchtimes when I am not, to some degree, craving tacos. However, on this particular day, I was really craving tacos—so off to Loco Charlie’s we went. I had never been before, but several readers have recommended the restaurant to me—and we all know that Coachella Valley Independent readers are a smart bunch, yes? (Here’s a hint: If you’re reading this, you’re an Independent reader. So … smart!)

Let’s just say the readers didn’t let me down—and my taco craving was more than satisfied.

Loco Charlie’s—located in a nondescript strip mall on the corner of Sunrise Drive and Vista Chino Road—offers four types of meat in its tacos: Carne asada (beef!), carnitas (pork!), pollo asado (chicken!) and lengua (beef tongue!). Turns out the Street Taco Platter includes four tacos, and you can mix and match the meats.

I’ll take a Street Taco Platter with one of each, please.

The chicken and lengua tacos were just fine.

(By the way, if the thought of eating tongue makes you squeamish, you really should get over that. It’s good, tender stuff.) However, the carne asada and carnitas tacos were revelatory, because the meat was so delicious—due, in part, to the fact that the taco-preppers in the kitchen included both softer and crispy pieces of meat in each taco.

I feel I should include an endorsement within an endorsement of the price: Four tacos plus sides for $7.95 is a fine deal. It’s such a fine deal that I may just go back tomorrow for some more street tacos … because the more I think about those tasty tacos, the less my craving is feeling satisfied.

CVIndependent.com

WHAT The Lamb Shank WHERE Santorini Gyro Hamburger/Greek Food and Grill, 68375 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $16.99 CONTACT 760-831-3663 WHY It’s fall-off-the-bone delicious.

It was a hectic, deadline-week Tuesday. I was driving down Highway 111 through Cathedral City, and dinner time was approaching.

I realized I’d soon be driving by Santorini, a new Greek restaurant in the strip-mall space that used to house Frickleburgers (R.I.P.). I was craving some gyro. I’d heard good things about Santorini from readers.

Yep, it was time to get some takeout.

I walked in to the 24-seat restaurant and ordered a gyro plate ($9.99), along with some dolmades (grape leaves; $4.75) and, why not, the lamb shank. Ten or so minutes later, I was back on Highway 111 with a bag of greatsmelling food.

I got home and put all the food on plates.

Then we dove in.

The five grape leaves were tasty—better than average, in fact. The same could be said for the lamb gyro meat, which came with a small Greek salad and some fine pita bread.

However, the star of this food show was most definitely the lamb shank.

It, too, came with a Greek salad and pita bread, as well as some fantastic mashed potatoes. (This was a surprise; the menu says entrées come with rice pilaf, but I love mashed potatoes, so the change was a-OK with me.)

I grabbed the plate and attacked the ovenbaked shank with a fork—no knife was needed, as the meat was falling off the bone. I assembled a bite with some tender meat, some potato, some gravy and some tzatziki. I popped said bite in my mouth. Then I smiled.

Mmmmmmm. Good stuff, this.

Santorini offers the fare one would expect a Greek restaurant to offer, along with a nice selection of burgers. If the lamb shank and the other goodies I tried are any indication of the quality of the rest of the food, Cathedral City is now home to a great Greek restaurant.

Opa!

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FOOD & DRINK

Restaurant NEWS BITES WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

By Jimmy Boegle TOWNIE BAGELS BAKERY CAFE OPENS ON SUNNY DUNES On Wednesday, Aug. 26, things in the Sunny Dunes area of Palm Springs got a whole lot tastier.

That’s when Townie Bagels Bakery Café opened its doors at 650 E. Sunny Dunes Road, in the space Tlaquepaque used to call home.

Owners Andy Wysocki and Bill Sanderson had been selling bagels for quite some time at the Palm Springs Certified Farmers’ Market before moving into the Sunny Dunes space, where they serve breakfast, lunch and coffee from Joshua Tree Coffee Company, in addition to their tasty bagels.

One of the things I like the most about Townie is the space: The café has a definite neighborhood coffee-shop vibe, with comfy seating, a welcoming atmosphere and all sorts of friendly faces from the surrounding area(s). It’s exactly the thing this part of Palm Springs needed. I’m a Palm Springs resident, and every time I’ve gone to Townie since it opened, I’ve run into at least one person I know.

Congrats, Andy and Bill. You’re really created something great.

Townie Bagels is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m., every day but Tuesday. Visit www.facebook.com/ towniebagels for more information.

ROBBIE KNIEVEL TO MAKE A SUNSET JUMP AT SPA RESORT CASINO’S BREWS AND BBQ A really interesting event is coming to downtown’s Spa Resort Casino on Saturday, Oct. 24—and a good cause will be all the better for it.

As one would expect from the name, Brews and BBQ will feature beer from great Southern California breweries, as well as food on sale from local restaurants. It’s a family-friendly event, with a play zone for kids; adults will be able to check out motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles courtesy of Palm Springs Motorsports.

But the highlight of the event, at least as far as I am concerned: Daredevil Robbie Knievel will make a motorcycle jump at 5 p.m.

Festivities start at 1 p.m. Admission is $15 (including a souvenir tasting glass); designated drivers and kids age 4-20 get in for $10. Kids younger than 4 are admitted for free. Beer-tasting tickets are a buck each, with the proceeds going to the Rotary Club of Palm Springs.

Get tickets and more information at www.sparesortcasino.com.

IN BRIEF Looking for a spiritual chat over coffee? Then check out the “Coffee House Rabbi” chats featuring Rabbi Sally Olins, happening at 10 a.m. the first and third Sunday of each month upstairs at Lulu California Bistro, 200 S. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. Olins retired from Palm Springs’ Temple Isaiah recently. More info at rabbisally.com. … Applause, please, for the folks at Wally’s Desert Turtle, at 71775 Highway 111 in Rancho Mirage. As the high-class restaurant heads into its 38th season (!), president and owner Michael Botello recently announced a “complete conversion” of the landscape at Wally’s, including new signs—and native, drought-tolerant xeriscaping taking the place of waterguzzling grass. The restaurant will be reopening after its summer slumber on Friday, Oct. 9. More info at www.wallysdesertturtle.com. … It has always seemed somewhat oxymoronic that the excellent La Quinta Brewing Co. was located in the northern outreaches of Palm Desert rather than, well, La Quinta. However, this “wrong” is being righted: La Quinta Brewing will soon be opening a taproom on Main Street in Old Town La Quinta. According to the Old Town La Quinta folks, the new taproom will feature indoor seating as well as a patio. Watch LaQuintaBrewing.com for more information. … The second annual Taste of East Valley will take place from 4 to 7 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 20, at the Shields Date Garden, 80255 Highway 111 in Indio. Your $20 will get you tastes from some of the eastern Coachella Valley’s top joints. The event will kick off East Valley Restaurant Week, which runs through Nov. 1; get tickets and details at www.cvdining.com. … Congrats to Zin American Bistro, located at 198 S. Palm Canyon Drive in Palm Springs, for its newly bestowed Best of Award of Excellence from Wine Spectator magazine. It joined Spencer’s Restaurant in Palm Springs and Cuistot in Palm Desert as Coachella Valley restaurants that have earned the honor, for an impressive wine list. Less than 1,100 restaurants have earned the honor or better. … Postmates.com has come to the Coachella Valley.

It’s a delivery service that includes a bunch of restaurants, both chains and local—but be prepared for the delivery-service fees. Check it out at, obviously, Postmates.com. … Renowned El Paseo Drive breakfast-and-lunch joint Wilma and Frieda’s Café will start offering dinners on Oct. 15. Watch www. facebook.com/wilmafriedascafe for details.

CVIndependent.com

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OCTOBER 2015

•• Shurpadelic Meets Superlungs at the Purple Room •• Thrash Metal/Punk Mainstay D.R.I. Heads for The Hood •• Josh Heinz Gathers His Friends to Help Families Dealing With Autism •• The Sweat Act Climbs as One of the Valley’s Finest New Bands •• The Lucky 13: Brightener's Will Sturgeon and the Hive Minds' Matt Styler www.cvindependent.com/music

Mudhoney Gets Set to Depart Seattle for a Show at Pappy and Harriet's

GRUNGE GREATS

37

Mudhoney. EMILY REIMAN

The Blueskye REPORT

OCTOBER 2015

By Brian Blueskye October is finally here, and that means the valley is starting to churn back to life after its summer slumber.

With help from the Independent and Chill Bar, I will once again be throwing a concert series to benefit the Community Food Bank at the LGBT Center of the Desert. The Oktoberfest Concert Series Benefitting the Community Food Bank CVIndependent.com

at the Center will take place every Thursday in October at 9:30 p.m. On Thursday, Oct. 1, Palm Desert band The Flusters will performing a modern take on vintage rock ’n’ roll and ’60s surf rock. On Thursday, Oct. 8, EeVaan Tre and the Show will be bringing its fantastic R&B and hiphop sound back to Chill. On Thursday, Oct. 15, the high desert’s Gene Evaro and the Family will take the stage. On Thursday, Oct. 22, Tribesmen will play with special guest Venus and the Traps. On Thursday, Oct. 29, Hollace—winners of the recent Hood Bar and Pizza Battle of the Bands—will perform with special guest Johnny Elsewhere. A $5 donation is suggested; 21 and older. Chill Bar, 217 E. Arenas Road, Palm Springs; 760-327-1079; www.facebook.com/ChillBarPalmSprings.

You know season is here when the McCallum

Theatre is open again, and the McCallum has some great events scheduled for October. At 7 p.m., Sunday, Oct. 11, Comedy Central’s Daniel Tosh will be performing. He’s calling his performance the “Tosh Saves the World Charity Show,” and proceeds will go to various charities.

Ian Edwards, Tom Papa, Greg Hahn and Lachlan Patterson are also scheduled to appear. Tickets are $75.

At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, prepare yourself: Bill Maher is coming back. Just a friendly warning: If you’re in the Fox News-viewing demographic, stay away from this show. Also, if you’re Daniel Tosh easily offended, Bill Maher

will probably not be a good time. Tickets are $57 to $107. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, get out your Stetsons, and shine up your boots, because Jason Petty is returning as Hank Williams in Hank and My Honky Tonk Heroes. You’ll also be hearing tunes from Jimmie Rodgers, Roy Acuff, Ernest Tubb and George Jones. Tickets are $22 to $52.

McCallum Theatre, 73000 Fred Waring Drive, Palm Desert; 760-340-2787; www.mccallumtheatre.com.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino had a fabulous summer, and has a lot of other exciting things booked through the rest of the year. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, there will be a performance by Latin singer-songwriter Julieta Venegas. Venegas is a big name in her native Mexico, and has also found success internationally. Tickets are $29 to continued on Page 34 $59. At 8 p.m., Saturday,

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WHEN SHURPADELIC

MET SUPERLUNGS

Terry Reid Teams Up With Members of Slipping Into Darkness to Play the Purple Room

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye erry Reid has stories … lots of them.

It’s well-known that Reid almost became a member of Led Zeppelin during its formation, and the session player has played with numerous big names throughout the years.

He’ll be playing at the Purple Room in Palm Springs on Friday, Oct. 9, with Nigel Dettelbach and Nigel Carnahan of Slipping Into Darkness.

During a recent interview, Reid, aka Superlungs, explained how he ended up in the Coachella Valley.

“About 25 years ago, I knew people who lived here, and I used to come to town and stay at the La Quinta Resort,” Reid said. “After the first time I went to the La Quinta Resort, I went, ‘Oh, this is unbelievable!’ It was so beautiful and peaceful out there. I started coming here all the time during the weekends. I was living in Santa Barbara, and it was a bit of a stretch, and to drive here for the weekend took serious consideration.

“Years later, I got married, and my wife was living in the Los Angeles area at the time, and I was ready to get out; I never really liked Los Angeles much. I told her I wanted to move to the desert in La Quinta, and she said, ‘Oh that’s funny; my parents just bought a house down there.’ I went, ‘Oh! That was easy.’ I just love it out here.”

How did this veteran musician wind up performing with two members of Slipping Into Darkness, the locally famous Desert Hot Springs band? Dettelbach and Carnahan met Reid in the spring.

“We have a mutual friend named Alex. We got together, and she wanted to sing some songs at this event,” Reid explained. “She came in, and we worked some things out, and Nigel (Dettelbach) and the guys were playing. So that’s when we first met. We moved on from there, and Nigel and I talked about putting something together. Nigel only has about seven bands, anyway!”

Dettelbach said working with Reid has been quite fulfilling.

“It’s been great and a lot of fun,” Dettelbach said. “He plays guitar like no one has ever played it, and he can play cross-rhythms. It’s definitely a whole different deal than I’m used to.”

Dettelbach and Carnahan also used to be part of the group Little Red Spiders, which this year won the Tachevah block-party

competition and earned a slot at Coachella. In fact, they backed Reid for that performance at Coachella.

“That was all Nigel, too,” Reid said. “I was leaving the next morning for Europe to do a six-week tour. Nigel had been talking about it and the Tachevah competition. He asked me if (the band) won the Tachevah competition and got to play Coachella, if I would come and sing some songs, and I went, ‘That’s lovely! Thanks, Nigel. Now go win the competition first. Let’s not hatch rabbits here.’

“Lo and behold, they won it, and then he asked me, ‘Do you want to do Coachella?’ I asked, ‘When is it?’ and he said, ‘Tomorrow.’

I got all this stuff packed in the hallway, and we went and did that. Then I was gone for six weeks.”

Dettelbach also set up the gig at the Purple Room.

“I was looking into casinos and more highprofile gigs, basically to try to get the band paid what we deserve,” Dettelbach said. “I contacted a few people, and Tony Marchese from the Purple Room responded, and he agreed to pay us what we demanded, and I guess he’s already sold enough tickets.”

The performances will feature songs throughout Reid’s solo career.

“We have so many bloody songs to go over,” Reid said. “We’re still formulating which ones we’re going to play. … You try to find things that work. You sometimes think, ‘Oh, they’ll love this,’ but the reality is they fucking hate it.

Whether I like it or not, you have to work as a clock and as a whole unit. Bands argue all the time about that shit.”

Reid and Dettelbach both said they hope to continue working together.

Terry Reid with Nigel Dettelbach and Nigel Carnahan. ADAM MOORE

“It’s all a matter of what the ticket is. If you can do well, and people want to come watch you play, you’re OK,” Reid said.

Dettelbach said he’s working on adding more gigs with Reid.

“I’ve been talking to some booking agents up in Los Angeles, and Terry has fans all over the world,” Dettelbach said. “We’re working on one gig at a time and talking about doing some

residencies. Right now, we’re just working on figuring out the songs.”

TERRY REID WILL PERFORM WITH NIGEL DETTELBACH AND NIGEL CARNAHAN AT 8 P.M., FRIDAY, OCT. 9, AT THE PURPLE ROOM, 1900 E. PALM CANYON DRIVE, IN PALM SPRINGS. TICKETS ARE $20. FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-322-4422, OR VISIT PURPLEROOMPALMSPRINGS.COM.

CVIndependent.com

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VETERAN IMBECILES

Thrash Metal/Punk Mainstay D.R.I. Heads for The Hood WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye t’s been a long, hard road for D.R.I.—even though the group has the respect of its punkrock contemporaries.

D.R.I.—that’s an abbreviation for Dirty Rotten Imbeciles—will be performing at The Hood Bar and Pizza on Friday, Oct. 30.

D.R.I. formed in 1982 in Houston. Spike Cassidy (guitar) and Kurt Brecht (vocals) are the only remaining original members. It’s been said the band’s name came from Brecht’s father, who hated listening to the band practice in the family home. In fact, Brecht’s father—interrupting the band’s practice—can be heard on the “Madman” track.

“We never saw ourselves making a living doing this,” Brecht said during a recent phone interview. “But we wanted to, and we thought about it—but it’s hard being that young and thinking that far in advance. We wanted to do what we saw other bands doing, which was touring and putting out records.”

A 1983 “Rock Against Reagan” tour, often headlined by the Dead Kennedys, gave D.R.I. some of its first exposure.

“That was our first tour ever,” Brecht said.

“We moved to California, lost our bass player and found another bass player. The band MDC was also from Texas, and they were living in the same squat thing that we were, and they

invited us to go on the Rock Against Reagan tour. It was literally no pay. You got gas money and got fed whatever food the people that put together the tour had to give you. It wasn’t a show every night; it was a flatbed truck and a PA system, and they would take that around and set it up at different colleges.”

Brecht was surprised years later by someone who told him about one of those shows.

“Dave Grohl was just a kid, and he came and saw us play in Washington, D.C.,” Brecht said.

“He told me that he bought a 7-inch record off of me from out of the back of our van.”

Metal Blade Records—the home of various thrash metal bands, and the first label to sign

Metallica—signed D.R.I. and released the group’s first full length album, Dealing With It!, in 1985. The album showed that the band’s hardcore punk sound was becoming more thrash metal.

“At that point, we had only just started letting out our metal influences that we grew up with,” Brecht said. “We grew up listening to rock and metal, and we discovered hardcore and liked that better. But eventually, all the cool metal stuff started leaking out. Spike let someone from Metal Blade listen to the record, and they decided they wanted it. I still talk to Metal Blade, and they still pay us royalties, and we’re still in good relations with them at this point.”

The ’90s were a hard time for D.R.I., after Metal Blade released the band. In fact, Brecht said D.R.I. almost called it a day several times.

The group put out two records on the label Dirty Rotten, but D.R.I. has not released a new album since 1995’s Full Speed Ahead.

“We call it the ’90s slump,” Brecht said.

“When you’re in it, you don’t know what’s going on, and you can only look back at it later on. It was rough for us.”

In 2006, Spike Cassidy was diagnosed with colon cancer.

“During the times when Spike had cancer and was sick for a while, thrash metal became popular again,” Brecht said. “We were excited to get back on the road again. Grunge wasn’t as popular any more, and kids wanted to see thrash metal bands again from the ’80s.”

Cassidy’s cancer also led to hard times for the band. In fact, Cassidy is still trying to raise money to pay his medical bills through D.R.I.’s website.

“Spike is doing fine now, and we have full tours scheduled—and it’s a brutal schedule for anyone, even if you’re not sick,” Brecht said. “… Spike has a cancer fund, and he had some insurance at the time, but it’s still financially damaging. He said he was almost done paying it off, and all of a sudden, they dropped another $150,000 bill on him for some surgery he had that he thought was paid for, and insurance supposedly covered. I went on a few tours without him to help make money for him when he couldn’t go.”

Brecht hinted that, finally, a new release is just around the corner.

“It’s recorded and everything, and as far as I know, it’s in post-production,” he said. “It should be out this year, but I haven’t heard Spike talk about it much. Records aren’t important as they used to be, especially not for us.”

D.R.I. WILL PERFORM WITH FISSURE, GREEN TERROR GRIND, FACELIFT AND PANZRAM AT 8 P.M., FRIDAY, OCT. 30, AT THE HOOD BAR AND PIZZA, 74360 HIGHWAY 111, IN PALM DESERT. ADMISSION IS $20, AND THE SHOW IS OPEN TO ALL AGES. FOR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-636-5220, OR CHECK OUT ONE OF THE FACEBOOK PAGES FOR THE EVENT.

D.R.I. CVIndependent.com

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continued from Page 30

DESERT ROCK CHRONICLES Josh Heinz Yet Again Gathers His Friends Together to Help Families Dealing With Autism

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Robin Linn n Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17, Schmidy’s Tavern will host the Eighth Annual Concert for Autism—a benefit that is very near and dear to my heart.

The event is spearheaded by Josh Heinz, a musician rooted in the desert-rock community, and the parent of an autistic child. Each year, the best of the best in desert rock, punk, metal and pop come together to support the cause—and put on one hell of a show!

This year’s headliners include The Pedestrians, featuring vocalist Mike Lewis, percussionist Rob Peterson, drummer Tim McMullen, bassist Armando Flores, trumpetplayer Cesar Hernandez, trombonist Morgan Finch and Latin-rock guitarist David Macias.

This group is where punk rock meets rap, and two generations of desert-rock icons come together in one epic local band that brings down the house.

Peterson and Flores will also debut Sun(D)rug, a new hard-rock project featuring guitar wizard Bobby Nichols; and Macias’ renowned “Spanglish jive” group Machin’. Heinz and his wife, Linda, will be doing a set with their punk-pop group Blasting Echo. Desert punkrock faves Mighty Jack, Waxy, The Hellions, Bridger and Long Duk Dong all promise to make this a memorable two-night event.

Autism affects so many families, and recent government cutbacks have decreased vital services to many families living with this disability. Several of the performing artists have a child or children with autism, including Heinz, Flores and Nichols, making this a very personal affair.

“The most memorable moments are always seeing the faces and smiles of everyone, from the musicians, to the volunteers, to the attendees, during the event,” Heinz said.

“Everyone seems to really enjoy being a part of doing something good for the community.”

Autism became real for me when I fell in love with gifted guitar-aficionado Bobby Nichols, a musician I watched in awe for more than a decade. When our lives merged, his son Sean became an integral part of my life—and I had no idea about the challenges and heartaches I would come to experience.

Over five-plus years, I have watched Sean, CVIndependent.com

Josh Heinz with his son Jack. His older son, Harrison, and his stepson, Christopher, are both autistic.

now 23, suffer unspeakable side affects from Risperdal, a drug doctors have prescribed to him since he was 10 years old. I also watched the magic affects on Sean of CBD oil—a nonnarcotic, non-addictive, non-psychoactive drug extracted from the cannabis plant. Even though it is free of THC (the chemical in marijuana that is intoxicating), it is still classified as a Schedule 1 drug by the U.S. government; in fact, the Food and Drug Administration’s new head officer has gone on the record as saying it will remain a Schedule 1 drug as long as he is in charge. How does an agency that is charged with protecting consumers from dangerous food and drug products justify allowing companies like Johnson and Johnson to produce toxic drugs that cause debilitating and permanent disabilities, while refusing to make available by prescription an oil that is non-toxic, has no side affects, and has some medical researchers believing we could finally see an end to breast cancer in the next decade?

Forgive the long aside; this is a topic that’s near and dear to my heart. Anyway, back to the issue at hand: The Concert for Autism takes place starting at 6:45 p.m., Friday and Saturday, Oct. 16 and 17, at Schmidy’s Tavern, 72886 Highway 111, in Palm Desert. A $5 donation is suggested at the door. The event also will feature raffles and silent auctions; all proceeds will go to the Lumpy’s Foundation for Autism.

For more information or to donate, visit concertforautism.com.

READ MORE FROM ROBIN LINN, INCLUDING AN EXPANDED VERSION OF THIS STORY, AT WWW.DESERTROCKCHRONICLES.COM.

Oct. 17, sitcom star and comedian George Lopez will be appearing. While Lopez has been wildly successful, he’s also known for explosive tweets on Twitter, including a “Fuck you!” response to a fan. Tickets are $49 to $99. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs George Lopez Parkway, Indio; 800-827-2946; www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa is definitely the place to be in October. While the Duran Duran show on Oct. 3 might be sold out, there are other events to consider. At 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, Blue Collar Comedy member Ron White will be appearing. “Tater Salad” has had quite a successful career—because he’s freaking hilarious.

Tickets are $70 to $245. At 8 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 6, country singer-songwriter Frankie Ballard will take the stage. His career started after he won Kenny Chesney’s “Next Big Star” competition, and he has been rising steadily ever since. Tickets are $25 to $45. At 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 23, The Tonight Show house band The Roots will be appearing.

The Roots built their legacy on hip-hop and were an indie success; they are one of the few hip-hop acts to feature live instruments. They were the first hip-hop act I ever saw live in 1996. If you go see them, you’ll be blown away. Tickets are $55 to $75.

Stay tuned to CVIndependent.com in October for an interview with The Hit Men (appearing Oct. 16) and a live review of Duran Duran’s show. The Show at Agua Caliente Casino Resort Spa, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. hotwatercasino.com.

Spotlight 29 has a couple of events worth mentioning. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, Latin sensation Don Omar will perform. Billboard named Omar one of the top-selling Latin artists.

He also appeared alongside Paul Walker and Vin Diesel in the Fast and Furious film franchise.

Tickets are $54 to $84. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, check out a somewhat interesting event called Brenton Wood’s Love Jam. Wood was a modestly successful R&B/soul singer in the late ’60s. Also appearing will be the Zapp Band, who Dr. Dre sampled several times; Rose Royce; GQ; Atlantic Starr; Candyman; and Peaches and Herb. Tickets are $40 to $60. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760-775-5566; www.spotlight29. com.

Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace has a busy month ahead. At 8 p.m., Friday, Oct. 2, there will be another celebrity music show by The Kiefer Sutherland Band. That’s right—you read that correctly. After Macaulay Culkin’s rather awkward appearance last year at Pappy’s with his band The Pizza Underground, I hope Kiefer puts on an excellent show. Tickets are $15.

Speaking of awkward … at 9 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 8, Daniel Romano and the Trilliums will be performing.

After Romano’s excellent performance at Stagecoach in April, I had the opportunity to interview him—and, well, he was strange, distant and didn’t seem to like anything Daniel Romano or anyone that particular

The Roots

day. He’s a brilliant performer, but skip trying to talk to him on the back patio at Pappy’s. Tickets are $12. At 9 p.m., Friday, Oct. 30, and Saturday, Oct. 31, it’ll be that time of the year again: Gram Rabbit takes the stage at Pappy’s for the group’s usual Halloween shows. While Gram Rabbit has basically been on hiatus, front woman Jesika Von Rabbit recently toured with Eagles of Death Metal in the Midwest. Buy your tickets now, because it will sell out, and there will be a large crowd.

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

The Purple Room Palm Springs is preparing for a busy fall. At 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 10, the “Gay Don Rickles,” Jason Stuart, will be performing with special guest, local (and friend) Shann Carr.

Hopefully Stuart’s material isn’t as offensive as Rickles’ live album. Tickets are $25.

Purple Room Palm Springs, 1900 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs; 760-322-4422, Jason Stuart purpleroompalmsprings.com.

Tryst Lounge continues to host local bands. At 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 13, Derek Jordan Gregg will be performing. At 10 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 24, Spankshaft will take the stage. At 10 p.m., Tuesday, Oct. 27, an act calling itself the Techno Hillbillies will play. All shows are free. Tryst Bar and Lounge, 188 S. Palm Canyon, Palm Springs; 760832-6046; www.facebook.com/Trystpalmsprings.

The Date Shed has one intriguing event worth mentioning. At 8 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 17, postgrunge band Puddle of Mudd will perform. During the early part of the last decade, the group had 15 minutes of fame. Alas, today, frontman Wes Scantlin is known to perform heavily intoxicated, or to lip-sync an entire show. Many of the band’s original members have run away from Puddle of Mudd. I will say that you should go to support local opening acts Mighty Jack and the Rebel Noise, given they both put on great shows. Tickets are $20 to $25. The Date Shed, 50725 Monroe St., Indio; 760-775-6699; www.dateshedmusic.com.

Puddle of Mudd

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SWEAT AFTER THE BOYCOTT The Sweat Act Climbs as One of the Valley’s Finest New Bands

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By Brian Blueskye hen Sonny McEachran decided to move up north, that meant the end of popular local band Boycott Radio.

However, Chris Long and Dan Dillinger pressed on—and soon, with the addition of Troy Whitford, the Sweat Act was born.

During an interview at The Hood Bar and Pizza, Long and Dillinger discussed how they met.

“My dad knew that I was playing music with Sonny McEachran in Boycott Radio, and he knew that I was heavily looking for a bass player,” Long said. “My dad finds this post on Craigslist that said, ‘Looking for a punk rock band.’ My dad said, ‘He’s a bass player; you should hit him up.’ I was like, ‘Dad, whatever.

I’m not looking on Craigslist, and that’s kind of weird. Why are you on Craigslist, Dad? You have Mom at home; get off Craigslist!’”

Nonetheless, Long contacted Dillinger.

“He hit me up, like, ‘We’re not really a punk band, but we’re looking for a bass player.

Maybe you’d like to come and check it out; here are some videos on YouTube,’ and all this other shit,” Dillinger said. “I looked them up. … I watched the videos, and I was like, ‘That dude is wearing a V neck; he’s probably a douche bag! I don’t wanna go over there!’ I went and thought, ‘This is gonna suck, but I might as well try it.’

“It worked out fine.”

After McEachran moved away last year, Dillinger continued to play with local punk band Bridger, and metal band Remnants of Man. He also went on tour in a Sublime tribute band. However, Long and Dillinger missed having their own band.

“Dan and I were sitting there with our dicks in our hands like, ‘What’s next?’” Long said. “Well, here comes our archangel, Troy Whitford, coming down from the heavens and being like, ‘Hey, I play drums!’ It turns out I work with him at Babe’s in Rancho Mirage. I was like, ‘Let’s give it a shot sometime!’”

Whitford and Long began to practice together. Long is not a fan of social media, so Whitford managed to reach out to Dillinger via social media, and asked him to come to a practice session. He did, and before long, Dillinger and Whitford were talking

The Sweat Act.

about their favorite records and comparing influences.

“I was like, ‘Get a fucking room, guys!’” Long said. “I’m the third wheel. … They started doing this whole thing where Troy was like, ‘Can you play this song?’ and Dan was like, ‘Can you play this song?’ And, of course, they can play every song, because they both love NOFX, and they lived happier ever after.”

Dillinger remains with Bridger. The Sweat Act practices on weekdays, while Bridger practices on weekends. When it comes to gigs or practices, Dillinger said it’s first come, first serve.

“It’s a lot easier now being in two bands than it was being in four bands,” Dillinger said.

“In anything that I’ve ever done … I always make it work. If I have to pull double-duty, so be it. One time, I played a Boycott show, and then ran over to do a Remnants show. I love what I do; I need to do what I do; and I’m not going to fucking piss off the people around me to do it.”

Whitford said he’s been working hard to push the band forward.

“I did the most groundwork I could during the summer, which is the slow time, to get as many shows as possible,” Whitford said. “We played two shows a month throughout the summer. We did that so we could get exposure for when the big shows start coming up. I’m hoping we did a good enough job.”

Dillinger said the band members hope to do some recording soon.

“I got someone on board, and I’m just waiting for the green light,” Dillinger said.

“We’re kind of shopping, but at the same time, we’re musicians, so we’re broke as fuck. We want to record, and we know that we’re ready to, but it just all depends on who, when, and how much?”

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SWEAT ACT, VISIT WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/THESWEATACT. CVIndependent.com

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GODS OF GRUNGE Mark Your Calendar for Mudhoney’s Show at Pappy and Harriet’s

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye uring the ’90s, Americans became transfixed with Seattle’s music scene, as “grunge” took America by storm and introduced Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden to the world.

Mudhoney, too, is a Seattle band that was around during the grunge era—and although the group never made it big itself, it’s been a huge an influence to countless bands. See the group perform at Pappy and Harriet’s on Friday, Oct. 23.

During a recent phone interview from Seattle, guitarist Steve Turner discussed what has kept Mudhoney going all these years.

“I think the main (reason) is that we still like each other and the music. … We take it seriously, but we have other things in our lives going on that are just as serious,” Turner said.

“We have families and jobs, and we make it work when we can. Even when one of us would

take a break, we’d be like, ‘Why break up?’

Because then you have to get back together if you want to do it.

“We probably should have, after watching indie bands break up, do reunion tours—and do very well,” he laughed.

If you listen to Mudhoney’s recordings— from the band’s first, self-titled record from 1989, all the way to 2013’sVanishing Point— you’ll notice there has never really been a change in the band’s sound.

“It’s not really a formula, and it’s more of what happens when you play together,” Turner said. “We try to branch out, and we think we have some variety in what we do, but historically, it’s stayed the same, and we do what we do. … When we come up with a good, weird, noisy riff, we like playing it.”

While some bands bristled at the term “grunge,” Turner said Mudhoney embraced it.

“At least I did,” he said. “I don’t know about

everyone else, but I was like, ‘Fuck it! If we’re not grunge, who is?’ For Mudhoney, we all grew up through the punk scene, but we were very aware of what happened in the ’60s with the Sonics and the Wailers, and the pretty intense garage scene that was happening in the Northwest. But we were half Black Flag, half Sonics, half Black Sabbath—so I guess we were three halves! But it’s about aggressive music and not being so macho.”

After former bassist Matt Lukin (also a founding member of the Melvins) left, in 2001, MC5 guitarist Wayne Kramer approached the band and ended up playing bass with Mudhoney on a track titled “Inside Job.” “We hadn’t done anything for a while when Wayne contacted us to do a song for a compilation he was putting together,” Turner said. “It was the dot-com era back in 2001, and he got some money to put together a compilation of stuff and asked us if we wanted to do it. … Wayne got hold of us, and we said we could come up with a song, but Wayne came to our place and asked, ‘You guys don’t have a bass player?’ We said, ‘No,’ and he asked, ‘What if I play?’ We were like, ‘Yes, please!’ He came up with a way better bass part than I had for it. It was amazing, and everyone loves the MC5 and Wayne Kramer. He’s such a great person, too.”

Sub Pop Records has been Mudhoney’s label for the majority of the group’s career.

“I think we’re grandfathered in there for life,” Turner said. “(Frontman) Mark (Arm)

manages their warehouse. But we have a shared history with them. When it was their 25th anniversary, it felt like a big deal, and they had the big Sub Pop Festival, and we played on top of the Space Needle. It was like we got our gold watch.

“It was weird and strange for a few years when we weren’t there, but Sub Pop was weird and strange at the time. They were trying to compete with the major labels for a while, and had some money from Warner Bros., and by the turn of the century, they had their stuff figured out again and scaled back down.”

It had been five years since Mudhoney put out a record when Vanishing Point came out in 2013, and it was well-received by critics and fans. Turner thinks there’s a reason for that.

“I’ve been really happy with the past two records we’ve done,” Turner said. “I think a lot of (the success) was because it had a tagline, and it was our 25th anniversary along with Sub Pop’s 25th anniversary. … It’s been like gravy to us, and we’ve thought, ‘Wow, we get to put out records and travel around?’ We still get to do it, hang out and have a pretty good time.”

MUDHONEY WILL PERFORM WITH THE FREEKS AT 9 P.M., FRIDAY, OCT. 23, AT PAPPY AND HARRIET’S PIONEERTOWN PALACE, 53688 PIONEERTOWN ROAD, IN PIONEERTOWN. TICKETS ARE $20. FOR TICKETS OR MORE INFORMATION, CALL 760-365-5956, OR VISIT WWW.PAPPYANDHARRIETS.COM.

Mudhoney. EMILY REIMAN CVIndependent.com

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MUSIC

What bands are you listening to right now?

I’m always listening to Primus. Besides that, I’m really digging Vampire Weekend, Tame Impala and Glass Animals.

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

Lil B. I really don’t get the appeal at all.

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

If I could somehow see Pink Floyd, I’d probably lose my mind in the best way possible.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Tough one. I’d probably say Gotye or Hozier, but I don’t feel too guilty about it. They’re talented!

What’s your favorite music venue?

The entirety of the Coachella festival.

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

“I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker,” from “The Joker,” Steve Miller Band. I just learned how to play that song on the bass, and now it absolutely will not leave my head.

What band or artist changed your life? How? I would say that goes to Flea and/or the entire Red Hot Chili Peppers. Listening to them and hearing Flea’s basslines are what got me into playing bass. I wanted to re-create those funky lines.

You have one question to ask one musician.

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

I’d ask Flea if he could hook a fellow bassist up with a fast-track to success! Ha. What song would you like played at your funeral?

Definitely something that I’ve written. As soon as I write something good enough to play at my own funeral, I’ll let you know.

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

Disclaimer: This answer will probably change in the morning. Pork Soda by Primus.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Everyone should go listen to “Hazey” by Glass Animals. It’s a great song.

the

LUCKY 13

We Peek Inside the Minds of the Man Behind Brightener, and the Hive Minds’ New Bassist

WWW.CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

By Brian Blueskye

Will Sturgeon.

NAME Will Sturgeon GROUP Brightener MORE INFO Most of the work on Brightener’s recordings comes from Will Sturgeon, but he also includes his sister Abigail Sturgeon on backing vocals, as well as guitarist Aman Alem. Brightener has a low-fi sound that’s perfect for Southern California, and Sturgeon’s songwriting skills are top-notch. More info at www.brightener.org.

What was the first concert you attended?

The Backstreet Boys. They literally flew in on hoverboards. Can’t beat that.

What was the first album you owned?

Ha ha ha. This is not getting off to a great start. I think Astro Lounge by Smash Mouth was the first CD I ever owned, and had in my first Walkman. I wouldn’t recommend it now.

What bands are you listening to right now?

I’m listening to Lil Dicky right now, and I love

CVIndependent.com

Vulfpeck, Father John Misty, Tame Impala, Beach House, Fleet Foxes, Mac DeMarco and stuff in that vein.

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

Even if I don’t like a musical genre, I feel like I at least understand the appeal to certain people.

Except for Riff Raff. I don’t get that.

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

Either The Beatles or Led Zeppelin. The Beatles are my favorite defunct band, and Led Zeppelin is arguably the greatest live band of all time.

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Probably Dashboard Confessional. Chris Carrabba was very influential to me and my emotions in high school.

What’s your favorite music venue?

Probably the Coachella Outdoor Stage. I’ve had my fair share of transcendent life experiences at shows there from my teenage years ’til now.

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

“Your hair, it’s everywhere,” from the Dashboard Confessional’s “Screaming Infidelities.”

What band or artist changed your life? How? In 10th grade, my school and our rival schools held a battle of the bands. A group from another school nailed an amazing rendition of Led Zeppelin’s “I Can’t Quit You Baby.” That inspired me to really start taking my music seriously.

Coincidentally, years later, I learned that the

Matt Styler with Derek Jordan Gregg.

bassist from that band booked Brightener for a show. It’s the circle of liiiife!

You have one question to ask one musician.

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

I’d ask Kevin Parker from Tame Impala if I could play bass in his band.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

I’d just force the congregation to listen to my entire catalog of music from beginning to end.

HONOR MY MEMORY, DAD! Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

Abbey Road, the Beatles.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Back Pocket” by Vulfpeck. So funky and feels great.

NAME Matt Styler GROUP The Hive Minds MORE INFO After Andrew Allan-Bentley was appointed the rabbi at Temple Sinai in Palm Desert, the Hive Minds was without a bassist for live shows—that is, until Matt Styler came along. Styler’s bass-playing has definitely given the Hive Minds sound a boost. More info at thehivemindsmusic.com.

What was the first concert you attended?

Tom Petty, but I wasn’t quite born yet. I was still in the womb.

What was the first album you owned?

My first album was All Killer, No Filler by Sum 41.

I got it when I was in third-grade, and I distinctly remember that the parents of my friend who lived across the street wouldn’t let him listen to it.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 39

OCTOBER 2015

COMICS & JONESIN’CROSSWORD

Across 1 Curly-tailed Japanese dog 6 Bit of turf 10 Bone with teeth 13 Gets back to full strength 15 Debtor’s loss 16 Fireplace accumulation 17 Overcharge for a cigar?

19 Show set in Las Vegas 20 Bygone oath 21 Big name in oats 23 Los ___ (“La Bamba” group) 26 Public expressions of thanks 28 Bit of wishful thinking 30 Before, for poets 31 Stacks of wax 32 Bit of hair gel 33 “___ my keep” 35 Society page newcomer 36 Extinguished, as a candle 38 Meet in the middle?

42 Dessert often served a la mode 43 Many, with “a” 45 Prefix for pressure 46 “Honest” guy 47 Address from a rev.

48 Skyping accessory, maybe 50 Hay dummy?

53 Giant from Finland?

54 Louisiana subdivision

55 Blue movie material, slangily 57 “Ew!” 58 Program that just notifies you without blocking?

63 Mendacity 64 “Strange Condition” singer Pete 65 Like Aconcagua 66 Old salt 67 Downhill runner 68 Former Russian sovereigns Down 1 Radius setting 2 Mauna ___ (Hawaii’s highest peak) 3 German pronoun 4 Adopt 5 Pixar movie with an entomological theme 6 Can recycler, sometimes 7 Beirut’s country: Abbr.

8 Not at all transparent 9 It may start as a flat ring 10 Hoist one player in a chess game?

11 Balance sheet heading 12 Helicopter sounds 14 Place for relaxation 18 Descendants of 31-Across 22 “You’ve got mail” hearer 23 Pot tops 24 In the blink ___ eye

25 Carnival announcer that surfaces from the water?

27 “Ready ___ ...”

29 “___-haw!”

34 Austrian psychiatrist Alfred 35 The accused 37 Guy who might try to put whiskey in your meal 39 “I shall return,” e.g.

40 Antioxidant-rich berry 41 Mountain cat 44 Full-voiced 46 Tree in a giraffe’s diet 47 It may “let out” in the afternoon 49 Gets on the plane 50 Knocked over, as milk 51 Annual sports awards since 1993 52 “Trap Queen” rapper Fetty ___ 56 Focus of Straight Outta Compton 59 Start to exist?

60 Jazz Masters org.

61 Word with plug or bud 62 Some hosp. employees ©2015 Jonesin’ Crosswords (editor@ jonesincrosswords.com) Find the answers in the “About” section at CVIndependent.com!

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OCTOBER 2015

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