Coachella Valley Weekly - May 7 to May 13, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 7

News

Music

Movies

Dining

Community Events

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com • May 7 to May 13, 2015 Vol. 4 No. 7

Robotic Humans

pg 12

CV Music Summit

pg 13

Hank Williams Jr

pg 14

PS Underground

pg 20

May 7 to May 13, 2015

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THE MEN’S ISSUE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

From the Publisher: In this issue you will find 20 of the most interesting and influential men in the Coachella Valley. They were all chosen for different reasons, but one thing they all have in common is their sense of humanity, charity and the desire to make the Coachella Valley a better place to live. I would like to thank photographers Lani Garfield and Laura Hunt Little for taking the cover photo and our Art Director Robert Chance for putting it together. I would also like to thank all the writers who did the articles and the men for sharing their stories.

Jonas Udcoff

By tracy dietlin

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onas Udcoff, CEO of Cord Media in Palm Desert, was born in New York, raised in Chicago, and attended Illinois State where he received his Bachelor’s degree in Broadcast Journalism. He moved to the Coachella Valley in 1997.

His first job in the valley was working as a bartender at the old TGI Fridays in Palm Desert.

That is where he met the General Sales Manager for KESQ, who told him he would introduce him to the News Director, as Udcoff had dreamed of being a newscaster growing up. However, after meeting with the station he decided he couldn’t afford to live on the salary of a news producer or entry level reporter. They offered him a sales position that was commission only and that was the beginning of how Jonas Udcoff has become one of the most successful businessmen in town.

“I was really aggressive,” shared Udcoff. “My success there was about having long term client retention.” He worked there from 1997 to early 2002, until he was recruited by Bob Hoffman, who is currently the COO at Cord Media, but at the time owned 3 CBS affiliates.

“At the time Bob met the Houston family who was looking to bring a local CBS affiliate here and they looked to see who was the largest biller of

TV sales locally. I was the first one called and they offered me a job. At that point I was the youngest General Sales Manager for a big 3 affiliate and at that time I was 28,” shared Udcoff.

He left there in 2007. He and wife Jaci Fitzsimonds worked together at CBS and when he left there they started Cord Media. After buying out a partner, in less than a year, it was just the two of them. They originally started out as a video production, infomercial business with a TV show called “New Home Television” but opening a business that’s going to specialize in new home builders in late 2007 was bad timing.

Udcoff says he got where he is today because of a lot of “hard work”.

“It was Jaci and I at the kitchen table and the

Alex Haagen IV

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So if we put their goals before ours then all the sudden you go from that kitchen table to here.”

The charities that Udcoff supports are the Native American Culture, The Cancer Foundation and Desert Aids Project.

What motivates him is creating new ideas and presenting a new pitch. He says his best trait is his work ethic. “He doesn’t stop,” insists his wife Jaci, President of Cord Media. “He’s up at 3:30am thinking about the business.”

When asked what he enjoys in his down time he chuckled, saying, “What down time?”

Then he went on to share that he enjoys going to the beach and watching gangster movies like Scarface and The Godfather Part 2.

He said he was currently listening to AC/ DC, but his musical tastes run the gamut from country rock like Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean, to rap artists like Jay Z, Tupac and Kanye.

When asked what people would be surprised to know about him he said: “A lot of people think I’m unapproachable, I will say that, but I’m definitely harder on the outside. There’s very little that’s fake about me. But once people get to know me I’m an overly loyal person to friends, family and employees.”

The most defining moment of his life: “When I met my wife.”

By tracy dietlin

A

lex Haagen IV, along with his father, Alex Haagen the III, owns the Empire Polo Grounds in Indio. Most people know the Empire Polo Grounds as the place where the Coachella & Stagecoach Festivals take place, but there is so much more that goes on there. Just recently the 4th Annual Rhythm, Wine & Brews Festival was held there and was a huge success. They also host many corporate events there. “In the last 15 years we’ve had just about every Fortune 500 business do an event here. These events are what help keep the polo grounds green,” Haagen IV says with a smile.

But most importantly to the Haagen’s, it is a place where the sport of polo is played in front of spectators.

The Polo season begins in November and runs through the end of March. Haagen IV and his father are real estate developers who love horses and polo. His family lived on a horse ranch in San Diego. “I was on my first horse with someone holding me when I was about 6 months old and actually riding my first horse at 3 years old,” Haagen IV proudly states.

They came to the Coachella Valley back in 1984 and his father bought some land. “He bought 5 acres and we put some nice stables on it. Originally it was just for us to be able to practice on but then one field turned into more and we opened it as a polo club for the first time in 1987. And we’ve been acquiring more and more land over the last 26 years. Our goal is to keep growing it and have the most beautiful club in the world. We’ve been told by a lot of other people that have traveled all over the world that

builders weren’t paying us because they were going bankrupt,” shared Udcoff. “We had the clients, we had the receivables, but we weren’t being paid what we were owed. And then in late 2008 we got some breaks.”

“Jaci was pregnant at the time with our daughter and we found this space we’re in now that had 3 small offices and we hired an assistant and it was just the 3 of us. Then we got a few accounts like Family Development, Teserra and Spotlight 29, and those were the 3 that anchored us,” said Udcoff.

Jonas and Jaci have gone from the kitchen table, to 649 sq. ft. of office, to over 10,000 sq. ft. in their current location. They now have 39 employees and are continually growing and boast a serious roster of high end clients. Many of them are Indian Casino’s across the country.

“We handle everything in house. We do it all; video producers, web designers, graphics, writers, all under one roof,” said Udcoff. “If you achieve your client’s goals everything else will fall into place. Jaci and I actually worry about our client’s well-being and not just if they’re going to have enough money to pay us, but for instance some of these home builders that might be going out of business, we’re lying asleep at night thinking about what we can do to help them.

it is. Of course, I can’t say that myself, because I’m a little jaded,” laughed Haagen IV. You can tell that polo is in his blood. He loves talking about the sport. “It’s a very physical sport which some people may not realize, but you have eight 1500 pound horses running around on a field and you’re allowed to have physical contact. It’s fast and exciting. We want to expose more people to it.”

Haagen IV enjoys talking about music and The Date Shed almost as much as horses and polo. I asked him what made him decide to open The Date Shed, which has become one of the most popular music venues in the valley.

“We’re real estate developers and even though we are in the music business with having the festivals here, we’re really not, because we don’t produce and run the festivals. I love music but I didn’t really know a lot about it from a business aspect. I’ve watched a lot transpire over the last 20 years in music and have many friends in the music business and I just wanted to give

our community a real venue where locals could come and enjoy music.”

Haagen IV admits that the Coachella Valley market for music is much different from LA. “We keep experimenting to see what works and what doesn’t because it’s a very unique crowd in the desert. We want to have more large acts that people will want to come out and see because we are a little isolated out here…. but with the right bands we can sell the place out.”

“Our asset is that we are world renowned because of the Coachella Festival. So when we call people like BB King and ask them to play an event like RWB, it’s easier to get in the door because we’re on the property where Coachella takes place. We went through some growing pains figuring out our demographic especially in summer where people might not have as much disposable income. We had to figure out the needs and wants musically of the local community and try to bring that here.”

Haagen IV says that it’s important to take care of the bands. “One of the things that we’ve done well is being very attentive to the artists and their needs and even if it’s a slow night we want them to have the best experience possible here starting with the stage and sound. If somebody brings a tour bus in we make sure to bring chairs out and a fire pit for them to have a bonfire and if they want they can stay overnight here and look up at the beautiful desert sky, which is something that they can’t do in LA or in NY. We try to give them a little different experience and it’s paid off because we’ve had a lot of bands and tour managers say that it was a great experience

and they definitely want to come back. And that’s what we want to hear.”

Haagen IV says that his favorite bands include: Led Zeppelin, The Who, Jack’s Mannequin and Johnny Cash. “I listen to everything. I’ll find a genre I like now and just hit Pandora and see what comes up. That’s one of my favorite parts of Coachella is discovering new bands.” So I asked him a few rapid fire questions.

All-time favorite album? “The Clash London Calling” Favorite Song? “Kashmir” Favorite Movie? “Pulp Fiction” Favorite TV show? “Well, it was Breaking Bad. Just the way it was shot. It’s disturbing but you just can’t stop watching.”

Favorite vacation spot? “Hawaii, for sure.”

First Car? “It was one of those awful old station wagons with the wood on the side like the Brady Bunch.”

Favorite Charity? “Anything that has to do with cancer and helps in finding a cure.”

Haagen IV lives here a majority of time in season. “We have a corporate office in LA so I travel back and forth. My wife and I got married here and lived here for a good 12-15 years and my son was raised here.” When I asked what he likes most about the Coachella Valley he responded, “So many things. That’s why we’ve created our life here. I think it’s all the relationships that I’ve created here over the last 30 years.”

My conclusion from interviewing the infamous, mysterious and charming, Alex Haagen IV, is that he is an astute business man who loves his family, horses, polo, music and the CV.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

men’s issue

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by kira golden

ack Srebnik, 60, owns some of the Valley’s favorite restaurants, including The Slice, JT’s Diner, and Maracas. He recently opened a new restaurant, called bb’s at The River, which is sure to be an exciting new hot spot to visit before going to see a movie. Srebnik was born and raised in New York and attended Alfred University in upstate New York. He showed his penchant for entrepreneurship early on, explaining that his very first job was creating his own lawn business in his teens. However, he didn’t get started in the restaurant industry until 1983, after the basketball team he was coaching won their championship, and the father of one of the players offered him a job at Cisco Food Service. “I guess if we hadn’t won that game, I wouldn’t be in this business!” he joked. Six years later, he opened his first restaurant, 17th Street Café in Santa Monica, which he ran for 25 years before selling it last year.

That was the most defining moment in his career, he said. “Taking the plunge and just doing it—opening my own business. That was a big moment for me.” He went on to say that the new restaurant at the River will, in fact, have the same menu and the same executive chef as the 17th Street Café. bb’s will be the seventeenth restaurant that he’s opened. Some of those he has since sold—he still has six that he owns and runs himself. One of them, The Slice, was voted

by Yelp to be the top Italian restaurant in the Coachella Valley and the 3rd favorite restaurant overall.

“I’m very into giving back,” Srebnik said.

“I live a wonderful life and I want to help as many people achieve their goals as I can.”

He serves on the Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters, and for the Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce. He holds a leadership role for the newly founded Rancho Mirage Restaurant Association. He credits his father with instilling in him his strong moral fiber. “He was hard-working, but never stopped being family-oriented.

Family comes first.” He is inspired by people who are positive about what they do. “I love to see people working hard and loving

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Jack Srebnik

it. We don’t live long enough to be doing things we don’t love.” He leads by example, saying how much he loves people and his business, and is driven to success by his competitive nature.

His other passion, in keeping with his love of helping people realize their dreams, is coaching. He has coached Palm Valley High School’s basketball team for the last twenty years. “I’ve played and coached basketball my whole life,” he explained. “I’m a Clippers season ticket holder,” he laughed. He also enjoys watching football, and roots for his home team—The New York Jets. Aside from sports, he enjoys going out to movies— especially anything with Michael Keaton, as the two are good friends. “I also love to eat,” he said, laughing. “I’m not sure if that counts as a hobby but I love it.” He loves to have music on and his tastes are across the board—from The Three Irish Tenors to Pitbull to Frank Sinatra. His favorite place to visit is the island of Maui in Hawaii, but it’s on his bucket list to go to Italy someday.

“Something most people don’t know about me,” he said, “is that as outgoing as I seem to them, I’m shy. When I’m at the restaurant, it’s like I’m onstage and stuff, but I do have that shyness inside of me.”

Going forward, Srebnik’s goals are mostly to continue on as he has been doing. “I want my kids to have the lifestyle I have. I hope in a few years to pass my businesses down to my boys, but I’m never going to retire. My dad retired when he was 80 years old and he was dead six months later. I don’t have to work that hard—I work a lot of hours, ask anyone, but I don’t have to. I’m there because I want to be.” He wants to help everyone he works with, his staff, and his family, live the life they dream about, the way that he has. “It came with hard work,” he said. “But it is a wonderful life.”

Tim O’Bayley

by heidi simmons

B

orn and raised in Northern California, Tim O’Bayley didn’t think Southern California would ever be his home. But after seventeen years of residing in the Coachella Valley, O’Bayley is thriving. “Palm Springs is such a unique place,” said O’Bayley. “I love it here.

This is a town where people can reinvent themselves.”

After a variety of jobs from banking to marketing, O’Bayley came to the CV and did just that. He found he could combine his experience, talents, and desire to make a difference, into a successful business. “It would never have occurred to me to start a Public Relations firm in San Francisco,” said O’Bayley. “Here, I could put together all the things that I love and make it work.”

Celebrating a decade in business, O’Bayley Communications is a public relations, graphic design and advertising firm in Palm Springs. O’Bayley started the business by himself from home.

Today, he has an office and a team of four professionals.

O’Bayley’s client list includes the AIDS Assistance Program, Modernism Week, College of the Desert Foundation, Destination PSP, Friends of the Palm Springs Library, Desert Business Association, Body Deli, Party Lab and other desert businesses and non-profits.

When O’Bayley first came to Palm Springs, he worked with entrepreneur Dick Taylor. Taylor became his mentor. “What I learned from Dick was Palm Springs is a small town,” said O’Bayley. “It isn’t about sending out résumés. It’s about relationships, connections and networking. That’s what makes the world go round here.”

Now in a position to pick and choose who his firm represents, O’Bayley has a simple goal: “I want to carefully curate the people we spend our days with. Clients like Modernism Week are ideal. It’s a nonprofit, gives back to the neighborhoods in a spectacular way and benefits the whole valley in terms of tourism and visibility around the world. It’s fulfilling day to day work.”

Besides the success of his business, O’Bayley is celebrating his recent marriage to his partner David Wilson. After being together 21 years, they finally tied the knot on February 1st. Wilson is a physical therapist and owner of Bodyworks Physical Therapy in Palm Springs. They have two dogs and are big supporters of the Orphan

Pet Oasis/Humane Society of the Desert.

The couple loves to travel. Recent trips include France, England, Hong Kong and Indonesia.

“I always want to push out and see something else,” said O’Bayley. “Last year, we went to Bordeaux. It’s a world heritage city that’s been improved so well. They’ve honored their past and restored their historic center. It’s clean and thriving with restaurants and galleries.”

Part of the pleasure traveling provides O’Bayley, is that it gives him perspective.

“Advertising is ubiquitous. When I see approaches, how things are done from tiny places in Indonesia to big cities like London, it gives me all sorts of ideas how I can do my work here.”

When O’Bayley went to Portugal -- his mother’s ancestral home -- he saw how community centers included residential living on top with retail businesses below.

“Because I travel and see how things are in these cities, I know that it works,” said O’Bayley. “I’ve seen how much, much, older places have evolved. How they are current, contemporary and modern yet still honor their heritage. It makes me want to nudge the people here in Palm Springs.”

O’Bayley sees the Coachella Valley developing thoughtfully and carefully. “I’m a political wonk and believe in the process,” he said. “Don’t complain if you don’t get involved. This is a place where you can pick up the phone and talk to the Mayor or a Councilmember.”

Access to decision makers is something O’Bayley’s values living in Palm Springs. “I want to contribute to the things that I care about. By working with and supporting government committees, we make a difference. That’s how we’ll find good balance in the future.”

San Francisco is still an important part of O’Bayley’s life. He travels there frequently to see his 95-year-old mother, family and friends. But for Tim O’Bayley, this is the place where he is fully committed to his work and community. It’s home.

Mitch Blumberg

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by lisa morgan

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orn and raised in Philadelphia, Mitch Blumberg was the second of four children, born to parents who were very active in service organizations. Somehow, without hovering or pressuring their children, Mitch and his siblings grew up with a sense that education was of the utmost importance, and they excelled at it.

Mitch’s younger brother went straight from high school to medical school, and is one of the leading breast cancer oncologists in the nation. His sister is an elementary school principal with multiple degrees, and his older brother graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with BA, JD and Masters of Laws degrees. “Somehow, we absorbed the idea that education was important,” shares Mitch. He, himself, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with BA and JD degrees and later from Harvard Business School where he received his MBA degree with Highest Honors. As a student leader, he was head of the student government Education Committee at Harvard. Later he taught a Harvard B-School course in Entrepreneurship to second year MBA students at Rice University in Houston, Texas. “Academics have always been part of my life,” he shared. Mitch is currently the official Harvard interviewer for Riverside County and interviews 5 or 6 promising high school seniors each year.

During his time at Harvard, Blumberg found himself working in New York in investment banking during his summer internship. “Because I had a law degree,” he shared, “they asked me to work on one of the largest mergers in history between DuPont and DuPont family owned Christiana Securities. “I wrote a memo on this, hoping someone above me would be able to decipher it. To my great surprise, it ended up being part of the language in the final documents!”

Following Harvard, Blumberg entered into real estate development, like some of his fellow Harvard graduates. “I began as a partner with

the Louis-Dreyfus family. They were, and still are, among the wealthiest people in the world.”

Among other major ventures, the Louis-Dreyfus family started a real estate division and asked Blumberg to join as an executive. He commuted from New York to Canada, was part of major commercial, residential, and urban developments in Toronto and Montreal. He was able to grow a strong network later between Canada, Texas and Arizona.

Blumberg came to California in 1990. His wife at the time was a successful banker and wanted to live in Los Angeles for her dream job in investment banking. Little did Blumberg know this would lead to his own dream assignment. RKO Pictures invited him to be part of their company, and within a week of moving to LA, Mitch found himself the Executive Vice President of RKO pictures, heading their Legal and Business Affairs. Later he became an independent film producer too.

After 15 years, Mitch became a permanent resident of the desert. “My psychology needs blue skies, warmth and sunshine,” he said. He became heavily involved in the community, becoming part of the La Quinta and Palm Desert Chambers and an advocate for greater film production in

Dick Shalhoub

men’s issue

us by the Western Italian Golf Association in 1983, and our CEO, Richard Balocco and his wife are of Italian heritage. Putting all that together, an Italian festival seemed like a natural idea for Desert Arc and the community. Last November we celebrated the 4th Annual Italian Festival with over 6,000 people in attendance. I have loved watching it grow and develop touching so many people in the community and reinforcing the mission of Desert Arc – Enhancing the quality of life and creating opportunities for people with disabilities .”

Most recently Mitch has been active as coleader in a capital campaign at Desert Arc to raise funds for much needed expansion and renovation of facilities at its Palm Desert main campus.

Blumberg secured $1.0 million from a very generous couple, and the total raised to date is $1.5 million. The campaign goal is $2.0 million. Desert Arc has a waiting list for certain of its programs, is constructing one new program building on the campus, and needs to enlarge and renovate older parts of the campus property as well.

Finally, Blumberg was elected to the Governing Board of Desert Regional Medical Center two years ago. Last year he served as Secretary of the Governing Board, and recently was named Vice Chair of the Board. With a family that includes his Radiation Oncologist brother, an OB-GYN physician niece, another niece ER doctor, and a niece-inlaw a Robotic Sinus Surgeon, the transition to an active role at DRMC was smooth and easy. He feels that DRMC is an outstanding hospital at the vital intersection of healthcare and governmental policy for the betterment of all. Blumberg greatly values the DRMC administration under CEO Carolyn Caldwell and his fellow Governing Board members. He recently helped DRMC and parent Tenet Healthcare in the proposed affiliation between Tenet and Hi-Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree.

by janet newcomb

aka “Mr. McDonald’s

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rowing up in Los Angeles, six-year-old Dick Shalhoub started hanging out with his dad on weekends as he checked his farms in Otay Mesa (San Diego), Oxnard, and the Coachella Valley. Dad was in the wholesale produce business and grew celery, tomatoes, romaine and cucumbers, and Dick learned firsthand about the importance of quality and value, and of supply and demand. He graduated from the University of Southern California with degrees in Finance and Management, earned another degree at the prestigious Thunderbird School of Global Management and continued to work with his dad.

The father-son team owned and operated produce departments in five Fedco stores in L.A. from 1967-1982 [Federal Employees’ Distributing Company – a now-defunct nonprofit SoCal membership department store chain] and sold them to Fedco in 1983. “My experience with Fedco taught me the concept of value retailing, a technique for moving products in and out rapidly by piling it high and selling it cheap,” he recalls.

Some local McDonald’s executives who knew Dick persuaded him to go through their training program, after which he was dispatched to the Coachella Valley on December 29, 1983 to operate the three existing restaurants here – Palm Springs, Cathedral City, and Palm Desert. Today, 30 years later, he is the owner/operator of 19 McDonald’s restaurants across Riverside County and is directly

the Coachella Valley. Among other organizations, Blumberg was heavily involved as a Board member of St. Margaret’s Episcopal School and Palm Springs Women in Film and Television (PSWIFT).

For three years he was Co-Chair of PSWIFT’s annual gala, the Broken Glass Awards, honoring women in entertainment and philanthropy who have “broken through the glass ceiling.”

“I had always been involved. Six years ago after a series of unexpected passings of family and friends, I was shaving one day and looked at myself in the mirror - it was a moment of epiphany.

I thought, ‘Why don’t I do something significantly different with my life. Not just be active in committees and community involvement, but some activity where I’d be a full time employee in a humanitarian capacity?’ The head of Desert Arc was cultivating me to be part of the Board. I wasn’t familiar with anyone directly close to me with developmental disabilities. I met with the CEO, told him I had this revelation and decided to join a major non-profit organization like Desert Arc on a full-time basis. That was 5 1/2 years ago, and now I am the Senior Vice President of Desert Arc, one of the largest non-profits in the area, with an annual budget of $13 million, 235 staff members, and 600+ adult clients with developmental disabilities in three locations – Palm Desert, Yucca Valley and Indio.

“Two of the most satisfying things I’ve been able to engineer since I’ve been with Desert Arc, are the sale of the back two acres in Palm Desert to the city (just under the wire of legislation that would have prohibited the sale). That $1.0 million dollars was a tremendous boost to the financial structure of Desert Arc along with the $2.5 million in mortgages I helped to refinance. It truly transformed the organization. I am very proud of that. Secondly, I conceived the annual Italian Festival, which started as a germ of an idea. Our 7.2 acre property in Palm Desert was donated to

May 7 to May 13, 2015

responsible for all phases of their operations including training, administration, marketing, finance and project development.

In addition to his father’s mentorship, Dick learned a lot from McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc and CEO Fred Turner who both stressed the importance of goals and values in creating successful long-term businesses. His own success has allowed him to give back to the Coachella Valley generously. He recognizes that, in order to get out of poverty, people need secure housing, a food safety net, and access to education. To that end, Dick supports Olive Crest and Safe House of the Desert which provide secure housing, FIND Food Bank which feeds the hungry, and McTeachers’ Night fundraisers for local schools

where teachers serve up the burgers and fries to students and their families and the money raised goes toward sports uniforms, band equipment – whatever they need.

He has served as President on the Palm Springs and Palm Desert Chambers of Commerce boards, Chairman of the Mt. San Jacinto Winter Park Authority, and Vice Chairman and Director of the Agua Caliente Development Authority, among other business entities, and currently serves on the boards of FIND Food Bank, The Living Desert, Palm Springs Air Museum, Pegasus Riding Academy for the Handicapped, Olive Crest, Desert Orthopedic Foundation, and Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House.

What keeps him engaged is the challenge of working in a complex population of all ages with differing regional tastes, economic disparity, and food preferences, complicated by a difficult legislative landscape. He visits all of his restaurants regularly, knows most of his employees by name, and chats with regular customers. He is very motivated to help the next generation to improve continually and think and act creatively, and he rewards the creators. Currently the focus is on finetuning techniques to deliver faster, more pleasant service and adding mobile apps for ordering.

Ultimately, Dick’s job is to manage systems that manage restaurants. It’s complicated. He considers his best trait to be his ability to ask questions and never assume he has all the answers and, when asked questions by others, shares his knowledge and experience freely.

He’s easy-going, with a great sense of humor, but does have one pet peeve: critics with bold opinions on subjects that they know little or nothing about. You know the type - customers who whine about issues they perceive but offer no useful solutions. Most restaurant owners share that pet peeve.

Despite enduring long hours and a lot of traveling, Dick does have a passion for classic cars and enjoys hunting them as much as driving them.

He’s an excellent cook, has an awesome wine collection, and loves to have his family around him.

His son Rick and daughter Stacey have become McDonald’s owner/operators while managing their young families. Rick and Kristin have 2 sons, ages 9 and 6, and a 1-year-old daughter, while Stacey and Brent [Schmidman, founder of Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert] welcomed their first child ten months ago.

While he enjoys most styles of music, Dick turns to Cole Porter, George Gershwin, Burt Bacharach, and Rod Stewart to lift his spirits, and watches classic westerns and noir films for entertainment.

USC football and Lakers basketball are at the top of his sports obsessions. He has traveled much of the world and returns to Maui often for R&R when he can, but he’s intrigued by the Japanese culture and plans to visit soon. What he likes most about the Coachella Valley is the cultural mix of people who live here, a true melting pot. His priority now is to keep teaching the people around him because, in the words of Robert Half, “when one teaches, two learn.”

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

men’s issue

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Tim Evans

here is nothing more tragic than the loss of child. It would be even more heart wrenching to not be able to afford to put your child to rest. Tim Evans has worked hard to change all of that with his organization The Unforgettables, which helps families provide for their child’s burial.

It is a subject matter that is hard to talk about for most, and certainly escapes uplifting thoughts, but the compassion that Evans and his organization has put forth in assisting families in need definitely is uplifting on many levels.

Born in England, the now 56 year old Evans probably didn’t realize back then that he would one day be at the helm of one of the most unique charities in the nation.

His mother was classic English and his father was an outspoken Welsh and worked as a civil engineer, Evans got the best of both worlds… “My mother always thought that she was from royal descent,” Evans said fondly.

His parents, along with his two younger brothers, moved from England to Michigan when Evans was only 5. The move came when his parents decided to give their family more opportunity in the United States. His mother had a longtime friend who had married a Canadian soldier during WWII and had moved to Michigan. The couple sponsored the Evans family to their new home in the U.S. and the family prospered.

Evans had a progressive upbringing in the mid-west. His parents were heavily dedicated to their local church and their community, a sort of surrogate to the family and friends they left behind in England.

Evans attended Andrews University in Michigan. Although he had entertained the notion and even took some preliminary classes in the medical field, he decided to pursue an education in ministry, a calling that was ingrained in him as a child through his family.

He received a Bachelors and Master’s degree from the university. The degree M. Div., is a Masters of Divinity, a degree given to Ministers and Clergyman.

With degree in hand, he got his first job

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By Denise Ortuno Neil

opportunity at a hospital/church and worked as a youth counselor.

Soon after that, while working for a large church in Washington D.C., he received another opportunity that would change his life. Loma Linda Children’s Hospital in Southern California was breaking ground and was in need of a hospital Chaplin.

The new hospital searched nationwide for their new Chaplin and found Evans. He made the move across the country and joined the hospital.

He worked with families whose children were very ill, as Loma Linda Children’s Hospital cares for children whose illnesses are severe. He found himself counseling families who at times suffered the immense loss of their child dying. The times when families were unable to fund the burial of their child became more and more usual. Evans decided to do something about it.

After a decade of working at Loma Linda Children’s Hospital, he along with a group of volunteers started The Unforgettables Foundation. Their goal was to assist families who could not afford to bury their child and to lift the monetary burden for these families in their most tragic time of need.

The Unforgettables Foundation is a nonprofit 501c3 charity and has never had more than one full-time employee. The organization helps families all the way from the Pacific Coast, to the Colorado River.

They also assist families in Las Vegas and Toronto, Canada. The charity has many unique qualities, one being that they were created locally in Riverside County, with their headquarters in Redlands, CA. Evans even went back to school to be as well versed as he could in managing the foundation getting a CFRE, Certified Fundraising Executive credential.

The Unforgettables Foundation has helped over 500 families in the Coachella Valley with their children’s burial funding.

Although his organization is headquartered in Redlands, Evans feels close to the Coachella Valley. His organization even helped spawn a local charity called Femmwalla (femmewalla. com) founded by Micky and Aimee Grana, in honor of their daughter Jessica Hart who had passed away. The proceeds from Femmwalla benefit The Unforgettables Foundation.

Evans organization presented the Children’s Families in Crisis Conference on April 10th, 2015 at the California State University Campus in Palm Desert. It was cosponsored by The Auen Foundation and the Barbara Sinatra Center. It is a symposium for health professionals and students in the field to address the prevention of all forms of child abuse.

Evans goal for the future is to have The Unforgettables Foundation near every children’s hospital in the nation. His organization has made a tremendous impact on the lives of families in need in their darkest moments….making his charity truly unforgettable.

For info & registration for the conference visit theunforgettablesfoundation.org.

Christian Jelmberg

by Lisa Morgan

Artist, Entrepreneur and Inspiration

M

any people meet Christian Jelmberg for the first time as they are being shown a potential property. In business with his parents, the Jelmberg Real Estate Team has always been successful working together. Other people meet Christian for the first time under a bridge, or in their homesteaded camp in the tamarisk trees off of the freeway. These are the homeless people in our community whose dream of having a home has long since given way to hoping only for their next meal or fix for their debilitating addiction.

Christian is just as much there for them, as he is for the homebuyer with the pre-approved loan, if not more so. Come to think of it, the last time I witnessed Christian opening the trunk of his car to unload supplies for StreetLifeProject, the homeless outreach he spearheads, the real estate signs or flyers were buried under all the clothes and food supplies for folks in need. Christian lives life in two extremes – one among the financially successful, and the other among the down trodden. He is comfortable in both, and the person who is Christian Jelmberg, is everything in between.

Raised in the state of Washington, Christian had his first job at 16. “I had my own lawn mowing business and fruit stand.

I would wake up early and go pick cherries at a local farm and sell them out of my pickup truck, then go mow grass. I never liked working for someone else.” Upon earning his degree from the Art Institute of Seattle, Christian helped his family grow the largest privately owned Internet company in the nation, along with a computer and copier company. “We really worked great together, because I brought the creativity and they brought the boring stuff,” he kids with a gleam in his eye. “I had recently sold another business, when my parents called and asked if I wanted to work together again, this time in real estate. I decided to move to California and join them. We created the Jelmberg Team, which is now doing over 50 million in yearly sales, and is ranked in the top 1% in the nation.”

“I am also the founder of StreetLifeProject homeless outreach. The StreetLifeProject started as a vision many years ago, and it’s all based on a culture of love - the kind of love that transforms people and unites communities for one cause. That cause is to go after the broken and hurting that are normally disregarded by society, and love them back to life. We provide food, clothing, life coaching and medical services to around 300 homeless in the Coachella valley.”

“Inspiring someone else to see their own potential is what makes me tick,” shared Christian. “There’s nothing like watching someone realize that their setback can become their comeback, and that God has a plan for their life! What bothers me though is when people are ego driven, and not purpose driven. It’s not about putting on a show and pretending, because God

knows our heart. It’s about thinking less of ourself and learning how to love others unconditionally. One more thing that ticks me off is when people say they love what I do to help the homeless, but they won’t make any effort to do what I do.”

Recently, Christian experienced a career, if not a LIFE defining moment. He was selected out of over 120,000 agents for the Keller Williams inspirational award. “I really don’t care about awards, because all the glory belongs to God, but I love any opportunity I can get to share the StreetLifeProject outreach. The award was presented, and a video was shown to over 15,000 agents at the KW family reunion event. For me to take StreetLifeProject nation wide, (which has always been the goal) we need this kind of exposure and support.”

It would seem that with as much as Christian is doing in business and in the community, he wouldn’t have much time for anything else, and perhaps he doesn’t have as much as he would like. But Christian is also an incredible artist. “I love art - drawing, painting, photography, tattoo, computer graphics – the list goes on. My goal with my fine art is to capture a story in an image. For example, if I draw or take a photo of a homeless man, I would like people to see and feel his journey in one picture. To me that’s what art is all about.”

Observing Christian in action, you could say his best trait is his ability to connect, on a very personal level, with people from every type of culture and economic class.

He can be talking with a homeless man one day, and then an ultra wealthy business man the next. “To me,” shares Christian, “they both have the same value.”

You can follow StreetLifeProject at facebook/thestreetlifeproject.com.

Find the Jelmberg Real Estate Team at www.jelmbergteam.com.

Community

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

by lisa morgan

City of Palm Springs addresses Homelessness at Town Hall Meeting

P

alm Springs residents were invited to participate in the City of Palm Springs Homelessness Town Hall Meeting on Monday, May 4, and the people responded.

The 5:30 p.m. event, hosted by the City Council Homelessness Subcommittee, comprised of Mayor Steve Pougnet and Councilmember Ginny Foat, held at the Mizell Senior Center was overflowing. The conference room was standing room only as was the foyer. Palm Springs Police Chief, Al Franz, and officers were on hand. The goal was to address or “combat” the chronic, homelessness issues facing the City of Palm Springs and to discuss potential solutions. “We are committed to coming up with solutions to combat homelessness in our city and the entire Coachella Valley,” Mayor Steve Pougnet was quoted in the announcement for the meeting.

“I invite everyone with an interest to participate in this important Town Hall Meeting. The people are the city, and we need your feedback.” That being said, the city was represented by many homeless along with business and homeowners, sitting side by side, each with an opportunity to speak for 3 minutes following a presentation by the panel. The tone of the meeting was largely compassionate to the plight of the homeless.

Still, residents, business owners, and employees voiced safety concerns and legitimate fear of a criminal and threatening element, some of which are due to mental health or drug issues.

The subcommittee brought up proposals to increase the reach or the ordinance already in place requiring the use of electronically locking

shopping carts. They discussed the underfunded Roy’s Desert Resource Center and its limitations.

The city allocated $130,000 dollars to the facility that serves as an emergency shelter to many. They talked about activities in progress: Developing additional transitional housing for qualified homeless/formerly homeless; implementing a designated homeless court program, and improving transportation services.

They discussed hiring on city employed liaisons and increasing city funded cleanup programs to combat the trash build up where the homeless camp. They even discussed enforcing everyone in Palm Springs to show a valid ID, no matter what their age when purchasing alcohol in the city, in order to limit homeless access to their “number one drug of choice.”

Mayor Pougnet interjected that the City had just received word that they should be able to tear down the Magruder Chevrolet building that has been sitting empty on Indian owned land, when one of those at the microphone brought it up as a concern. This comes after years of complaints from residents and business owners due to the transient community’s use of it, especially after a homeless woman, Denee Salisbury, was found dead on the property. The demolition will be done at the City’s expense.

There are no contingencies or plans for the City to do anything else with the lot afterward.

Before opening the floor to the community to speak, Ginny Foat informed us that they had looked at programs such as “Housing First” and “100,000 Homes”. Foat stated that they had

looked at and came very close to purchasing a piece of property to develop based on these successful programs, but the property became unavailable. The point was made that much land is Indian owned and not within the City’s reach, and there has been push back from neighborhoods who do not want a homeless community near their own homes.

Here are some of the statements from those in attendance: “I had the opportunity to speak to the City several years ago. Things have not gotten better, things have gotten worse. At one time the City had three mental health facilities, now there are no long-term facilities. What happens is, and I’m not blaming the officers or police department, but when a person goes manic, they have to take them to Eisenhower, who then takes them to Oasis, who puts them on a 72 hour hold and then takes them to a facility that has an open bed, usually some place like Pasadena or Riverside.

My son is now apparently homeless. He was just released from a facility that only held him for 3 days. He is somewhere out there completely manic at the moment. You talk about $100,000 donated to Roy’s. Other cities give even less, yet each city has a dog shelter. Palm Springs has spent .2 million dollars on their no-kill shelter...

We seem to care more about animals than we do about humans...“ “Building a mental care facility within the city limits, is as important as recruiting another store downtown or building another hotel.”

“These fines we get...we can’t pay them.

We’re indigent! We need a place for disabled veterans. We have veterans out there getting arrested. Let me tell you something - I’m scared of snakes, I’m scared of rats, and I’m scared of the police, and I used to work for the Jacksonville police department. It is bad. Give us a break. We aren’t trying to rob anybody. We’re not drug addicts or alcoholics. I’m a church man. I was a pastor before...”

“I’m trying to do the right thing. I’m trying to pay off my tickets. I went to court, got them to reduce my fines and even did jail time to pay them off. I’m one ticket away from being able to get my drivers license back so I can get a job. Then I get woke up by an officer and given another one for sleeping in the wrong place.

It just seems that you just make it harder and harder. But I’ll keep doing the right thing.”

“It’s hard to get a job when your application reads that you live behind a dumpster.”

“They call me ‘Bucket’. I’m disabled. I have epilepsy. I can’t make first and last with my disability check. No one wants to hire me, I’d scare their customers. If you’re worried about your grocery carts, how about setting up some lockers so I can keep my stuff safe…I can’t leave it! It’ll be stolen...”

I spoke with Christian Jelmberg, founder of StreetLifeProject, a non-profit organization hoping to inspire and help the homeless to transition from the streets. During his 3 minutes, he stated, “There are enough people in this room to solve homelessness. Everyone here has a skill that can help, be it writing resumes or knowing how to submit applications to Social Security.”

He also held up a plan - pages of research and solutions, backed up by his own research and observations from time on the streets, under the bridges and in the trees where the homeless find shelter. “A lot of homeless were talking about the meeting because they want their voice heard. Many of them are very frustrated!

They have no place to store their stuff and keep getting pushed around the city. One guy I talked to said he lost his job because he was forced to move his stuff and showed up late for work. The systems for caring for the homeless are not working and need to be fixed.” Jelmberg like many others, were frustrated in trying to give the subcommittee their solutions to solve homelessness in under 3 minutes.

“Ginny Foat from the Palm Springs City Council said they were going to follow up with me,” stated Christian. “TheStreetLife project wants to help Roy’s provide adequate service to the homeless. We get calls all the time from people saying they have completed a 90 day program there and need to find a new place to stay. We always ask them about a resume, job prospecting, or any goal setting during that time and the answer is always no. It wasn’t until yesterday’s meeting that I realized it was due to a lack of funding. I believe the StreetLifeProject team can work with Roy’s and help provide these missing services. We will need lots of help from our community and local businesses, but I feel we can help get Roy’s on track.”

To be continued…

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men’s issue

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Christian Sesma

By rich henrich

a Man on the Mov(i)e

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ntrepreneur, storyteller, husband, father, brother, son, and one celluloid super fan, are just a few identifiers of this man. Christian Sesma, born and raised in Palm Springs, was the recent recipient of the inaugural Hillery Vision Award presented at AMFM Fest this past November. The award recognized an individual with vision for a future yet to be built with the entrepreneurial spirit and drive to achieve great dreams. In a nutshell, this is Christian Sesma, except with a heap of child-like chocolate on the outside. This is one man the Coachella Valley will honor as a Man of the Year with all rights and passages of wisdom and stature. Here’s a look at who he is in his own words and a few of ours. Thank you for being a beacon for the dreamers!

Who you are?

Christian Sesma, born and raised in Palm Springs, California. Brought up in the restaurant business, my family has owned and operated Guacamoles restaurant for the past 25 years in town. Graduated from College of the Desert and went off to San Diego State University where I received my

Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology. Moving back to the desert in 2003 to franchise out the family business, I was hospitalized with a ruptured appendix and on my 21st day stay, I read Robert Rodriguez’s “Rebel Without a Crew” book, along with his 10-minute film school behind the scenes film features. That inspired me to make a short film, having done creative writing as a hobby throughout college. And in 2004, I had my very first short film in the Palm Springs Short Film Festival, leading me down the path towards the now successful and blossoming career as an up and coming genre filmmaker in Hollywood.

Sean Wood

By lisa Morgan

Co-Owner of Tg Tattoo: Way More Than Meets The Eye

A

n imposing 6’3” tall, and 243 pounds, Sean Wood, co-owner of Tg Tat, is not an individual you would feel comfortable accidentally bumping into in a dark alley. But his impressive presence, with tattoos visible even if he was wearing a tuxedo, is exactly the guy you’d want by your side. To say the least, he is a force to be reckoned with, but not in the ways you might assume. This self-made man and entrepreneur has an energy that can overcome impossible odds when he sets his mind to it. He is a visionary and a doer. Hard work is the LAST thing he is afraid of, and his heart is as big as the rest of him.

Born in Torrance and raised in San Francisco, Wood moved here in December of 2004. “I was hired as the manager of “Rain In The Desert” a nightclub inside the Morongo Casino. After that I was able to buy into “Dale’s Lost Highway”, a bar/club in

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What makes you tick?

My family, my movies and my friends...I love spending time with my two girls, Athena (14) and Isabel (7) along with my wife Lilly. But of course being able to make movies and live the dream as I aspire to climb the “Hollywood ladder” towards my long-term goals. Hanging with our close group of friends...watching movies, TV shows, going out, enjoying life etc...

How you got to where you are?

Busting my ass!!! And with the help of a really good group of mentors and colleagues, LOL. I’m a completely self-taught writer and director. I made my first couple

short films and first few feature length films that led to bigger films, garnering Industry attention which led to what has now been the snowball into the indie action genre arena.

What are you working on now?

I completed THE NIGHTCREW last year, along with AWOL-72 and VIGILANTE DIARIES....all different films in the action genre and all of them set to come out in 2015. I am currently getting ready to start my next action movie called THE WETLANDS which is set to shoot in Vegas in May. Then shooting a big action western in the fall.

What are your personal hobbies?

Movies. LOL.

Palm Springs. I had a kid, another business, and stayed ever since.” Wood sold his smoke shop when friend and current business partner, Tony, came to him about opening a tattoo shop. “We took whatever money we had from selling the business, and put all our money down on city permits and licensing.

So we literally had no money to put into the business itself. So I would bartend. Tony would do tattoos. We’d build one station.

Then repeat until it was done. We’ve been doing it ever since.”

Wood and his wife also take care of his mom who has partial dysplasia after suffering from a stroke. He works tediously to prolong every form of therapy that he can work through insurance. At one point Wood had to come between his mom and her doctor who was giving her a negative assessment of her condition. “I pulled him aside and said, ‘Hey man, can you keep hope alive please! You’re not God.’ I’ll do anything I can to protect her spirit.”

Wood is clear on how all the women in his life rank. “My wife, Sabrina - she is a great woman! Sabrina Wood is the reason for any little bit of success I have. She says ‘yes’ all the time. I come up with these crazy ideas, and when I get in the middle of it and freak out, she is the one picking up all the bullshit and handing it right back to me saying, ‘You said you wanted to do this, so do it.’ I owe every ounce of whatever success I have to my wife. PRINT THAT! She is 100% a great woman!” (And when Sean Wood tells you, emphatically, to “PRINT THAT”, well...you PRINT THAT!)

Wood says one of his idols is his dad. “I’m sorry… I was kicked out at 17 for being a stupid kid and getting into trouble. 18 years later, after not speaking to him AT ALL, he died of cancer. To this day, he is still the most respected man in my life. I guess what I’m saying is that he taught me more in the first 17 years than I pieced together on my own in the last 20. For that, I am forever grateful.

He is truly my idol and inspiration. His values hold strong with me to this day.”

For Wood, a career and life affirming moment took place after the very first “Palm Trees and Tattoos” tattoo conference that he and his business partner, Tony, launched (an event that due to its success, is an annual convention at the Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs). “After the first Palm Trees and Tattoos convention, there were 10 or 15 heavy hitters in the industry that hung out and chilled with us. The place was a mess from the aftermath. My daughter had been there all day helping out. I hadn’t seen her in a couple hours. I idolize these guys that were hanging out with me down there. My

daughter came around the corner, and she whispered in my ear - she pulled me down to her and with tears in her eyes, she told me she was proud of me. I pulled her over to a corner where I thought no one could see and well...there may have been a few tears on my face as well. I held her close ... I had this moment with my daughter. Then a guy from the Hard Rock pointed at me and said, ‘That’s what it is all about right there!’ All these idols of mine stood there for a moment, smiled and started clapping. I don’t know if there could be another moment like that.

You go through of all the stress of putting something like that together, with the hopes that someone will show up - and you take all the hate and salt and trash talking coming at you from all angles. Then at the very end, you come out a little bit in the black, and your daughter says that to you. I know I’m doing something I’m supposed to do, if something like that can make you that happy. Fuck the naysayers! I’m just going to be me, and keep pushing forward.”

Follow TG Tat at tgtattoo.com

DJ Alf Alpha

R

afael Lopez, also known as DJ Alf Alpha, is a Coachella Valley success story. He came from humble beginnings, both of his parents moving here from Mexico. Born in 1984 in Palm Springs, Lopez grew up with his sisters in Palm Desert. His parents came to America, not knowing English, and his father started his own landscaping business, passing down his work ethic to his kids, teaching Alf Alpha that anything is possible if you work hard enough.

Growing up in a household where Mexican music was predominately played, it was his older sisters that taught him about records, mix tapes and different kinds of music. He first got into Nirvana, Rage Against the Machine, Green Day and into the MTV pop culture. He had begged his dad to get him a drum set and taught himself how to play. As he got into high school he started to listen to more DJ’s and Hip Hop, and eventually sold his drum set for a set of turntables. “I spent all the money I had on these turn tables thinking it was going to be easy and was bummed because it was harder than I thought it was going to be. I knew nothing about needles, or records,” he explains. It was at the first Coachella Music Festival in 1999, when Lopez was inspired by the DJ’s “killing” it on stage. He vowed that he would learn how to use his equipment and rock the stage like they did. For the next couple of years he stayed in his room and practiced and it wasn’t until his senior year in high school when he felt confident enough to DJ in front of people and he started DJ’ing at his high school and at house parties.

Lopez attended College of the Desert to pursue a career in business. He went on to get his Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science at U.C. Riverside. A year into getting his Master’s at CSU Palm Desert Campus, he was listening to a speech given by the College owner Richard Heckmann, telling the students that he hadn’t followed through with his Master’s degree, that he had decided to go straight to work in the field that he wanted to work in, and that triggered something in Lopez. He realized he could take his passion of being a DJ and love of music, take the risk, and make it a reality. He moved to L.A., not knowing anyone there except for a few connections and began an internship. Moving to Los Angeles was the catalyst of many future career opportunities and the experience in itself was priceless.

Alf Alpha has since performed at events such as the The Heat Music Festival, Coachella Music Festival, and has opened up for many influential artists since his humble days of college house parties. It was a dream come true when he got the opportunity to work with Adidas, being that soccer is one of his favorite hobbies along with skateboarding. “I always knew when I was a kid I was going to be sponsored by Adidas because I played soccer and I rocked Adidas so much,” Lopez states. Playing a large venue like

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

By monica morones the Coachella Music Festival is a career defining moment but not what DJ Alf Alpha wants to be defined by, “Don’t get me wrong, playing Coachella was awesome, but I don’t want that to define me. I feel like I haven’t done anything, really. I’ve done a little bit, but I feel like I’m just scratching the surface.”

Since being back in his hometown, Alf Alpha has won awards for best DJ, and is a resident DJ for the Coachella Music Festival Campgrounds, where he performs in front of thousands of campers after hours. Lopez is also on the board of directors for the non-profit organization The Coachella Valley Art Scene, which provides opportunities for young artists to get inspired and show their work. All of his charity and free time goes into the gallery. “Our main goal is to cultivate culture in the valley and give artists an opportunity to get their foot in the door and inspire them to pursue their goals and dreams.”

When I asked him what inspires him the most he said, “I’ve been reading a lot of books on the topic of living the best life and wanting to make a positive change in the world, using music and culture and art to do it. I want to make a positive impact with my music.” Things that annoy him are people that give excuses on why they can’t follow their dreams and people that settle and don’t make the changes needed to achieve their goals.

Even though Alf Alpha still travels to Los Angeles frequently, the Coachella Valley is his home. “My favorite thing about living in the Coachella Valley is being isolated but still able to go to the city because it’s not far. The desert is its own little cocoon, people can be creative and stand out and really make a name for themselves.” A goal Lopez has for the future is to collaborate with more artists he likes and produce upcoming projects. Improving his performance and skills is at the top of the list as well but collaborating with his talented musician friends is important so that they can “all come up together.”

He is currently in the process of working on a full length album. He loves to vacation in Mexico where his family has a house in Zacatecas and Guadalajara and recently discovered the beauty of Oaxaca when he was working for the museum down there. With an upcoming trip to Bolivia and Peru to be the best man at his best friend’s wedding, Lopez is excited to experience the beauty and mystery of South America and learn different dialects and the culture of the indigenous people.

From attending his first Coachella back in 99’ to fulfilling his goal of performing at it himself, this artist has come around full circle and has shown that goals and dreams do come true as long as you’re willing to put in the work. As our interview drew to a close I asked him, “What is something people don’t know about you?” He responded with, “Richard Simmons gave me an Amazon parrot when I was 10 years old.” We both burst into laughter. He was serious.

Photos By Matt Houlemard

May 7 to May 13, 2015

Randy Hewitson

May 7 to May 13, 2015

men’s issue

By lisa Morgan

Musician, Entrepreneur and Canadian!

F

or more than a quarter of a century, Randy Hewitson, owner of Musicians Outlet, has been providing instruments, sound equipment and accessories to our valley’s vast number of talented troubadours. Musician’s Outlet is more than a local business; it is an institution, an institution that has weathered many changes in the market, the industry, and the Coachella Valley.

His wife, Cindy can attest to his heart and work ethic: “Randy and I have been together for 7 years now, and I have witnessed his outstanding integrity and his level of responsibility to both Musicians Outlet and to SIR Sound and Lighting. His compassion toward others in the local music community has prompted him to be generous to the music related non-profit organizations and schools. He continues to serve the community in the best way.”

Opened by Randy Hewitson in 1986, Musicians Outlet has been the main resource for much of the amazing live music you and I are fortunate to enjoy here in the Coachella Valley. For 25 years, Hewitson›s store was the only full-line music store in the valley, and they remain the best place to find new, used and vintage gear. They are also the place to go for music instruction, be it voice, piano, flute, recorder, drums, woodwinds, brass, violin, viola, cello, guitar or any other fretted instrument. Their instructors have excellent reputations, resumes and experience. They also offer repairs including re-string, set-ups, electronics, complete overhauls and more, by people well-known and trusted here in the valley.

Hewitson had to pull all his resources to weather the serious challenges that came with the benefits of the international web.

Online stores were launched, creating a

new stream of competition. More recently, a large corporate music store moved into town. Pooling his resources, streamlining his store and banking on the long term relationships he had developed over the years, Hewitson is overcoming the challenges like a champion. And even in these trying times, he never wavered in his consistent support of local charity events.

Hewitson is more than a tenacious business man; he is a genuine guy, who is never too busy to listen to the needs of friends and customers. Not bad for a guy whose first job was at a sign shop.

“I got started, working in the entertainment business. I owned a talent agency. I noticed there wasn’t a good music store in the desert, so I opened the doors at Musicians Outlet.” Hewitson is driven by the age old saying, “The show must go on.” His inspiration? “My wife,” he shared.

“I am inspired seeing what a great mom and grandma she is. She came to work at Musicians Outlet five years ago. She runs the place now!” Together they have 5 children and 8 grandchildren.

Hewitson and Musicians Outlet are actively involved with M.O.M. Corp - “Making of Music”, a program he founded with his idol, Don Canady. “We supply elementary schools with approximately $30,000 worth of music instruments and a music curriculum.

Hewitson is still determined to continue his legacy of providing music to the Coachella Valley, but there is one thing many people don›t know about him - Randy Hewitson is a Canadian citizen. But as far as the music community is concerned, he is family.

Musicians Outlet is located on Hwy 111 at San Pablo Avenue. Check them out at www.musicians-outlet.com, follow them on Facebook or call at (760) 341-3171.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

men’s issue

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Michael Keeth

by Lisa Morgan

Father, Husband and Award-Winning Performer

I

t’s not too hard to find Michael Keeth on any given evening performing somewhere here in the desert. You can find him at the Miramonte Resort on Wednesdays, LG’s in Palm Springs on Thursday and Saturday, and the Westin Mission Hills on Fridays. Sometimes, you’ll see him perform with other extremely talented friends, like guitarist, Martin Barrera, with whom he has been nominated two years in a row for CV Music Award’s “Best Duo” for their fantastic show at the seasonal Wine Bar in La Quinta. Other times he’ll have Joshua Fimbres along on percussion, yet another award winning musician. As talented as he is, it’s his humility, the look of pure joy when he’s playing for an audience, as well as his graciousness that make him a joy to have around, whether you are a venue owner or employee, or simply a lucky member of the audience.

Keeth’s voice is a force of nature in itself.

Full of rich texture, perfect pitch and tone, this voice can go from one to 100 decibels in a single, smooth, dynamic leap. As Keeth weaves in his original songs in between familiar covers to his captivated audience, he is constantly asked, “Is that one of yours?” The crowd responds with absolute delight when the answer is “yes”. Keeth has a loyal local fan base as well as some of whom come from Canada, and make it a point every year to come to his shows.

That fan base is what earned him the title of Best Male Vocalist in 2014 at the CV Music Awards.

Michael Keeth began his melodic adventures singing in the car with his mom.

“I’ve been singing pretty much since I could talk. My mom was a really good singer and she taught me harmonies. Though Keeth’s vocals and guitar playing both sound professionally trained, he is very much self-taught. “Eagles and U2 were my

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two favorite bands growing up. I had my mom’s record collection with older Jackson Brown and was exposed to some very good songwriters. Now, I just really like strong songs whether they’re from Zac Brown, Pearl Jam or Tool.” Keeth got his first guitar when he was 14, started songwriting at 16, was in his first band at 17 and started recording original music by the age of 18. “I am a firm believer that the song should get what it needs, even if that means less vocal and more guitar (or visa-versa). It needs to be well rounded with both strong music and strong lyrics.” His first solo record, Shed The Skin was recorded in 2012 and exhibits just that.

Keeth beams when he talks about his wife, Jody, and their stunningly beautiful daughter. “Jody, my wife, is a gigantic inspiration to me. She really helps me stay focused. We’ve been together for 9 years.

My daughter is the best thing in the whole world. I am so very thankful every day for my family and to be able to work, doing what I love to do. My daughter, my wife and my music are my world.”

If you spend much time with Keeth, one of the defining words of his character is kindness. He is always gracious and finds a kind word that is thoughtful and genuine. “Expressing kindness is extremely important to me and my family,” Keeth shared. He will also, always make himself available for charity events whenever he can. Case in point, after working a 3 hour gig in Palm Springs, Keeth made haste to Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert to lend his voice to the Street Life Benefit that raised money and awareness for our local homeless community. “I love the Coachella Valley,” he stated. “It’s a beautiful place to live. There is such a supportive community for musicians here, with lots of venues and local music allies like CV Weekly. And I want to give back, whenever I can.”

Keeth is happy and content as a local musician, but that doesn’t keep him from setting goals to stretch himself. There is usually another album in the making and he constantly strives to get better at writing and performing. His ultimate goal? “To enjoy every moment.”

Chris Miller

by Lisa Morgan

Husband and Father First, Award Winning Photographer, Mountain Rescue Volunteer and Musician Second eloved actor, artist, poet and comic, Red Skelton once said, “There is time to do everything you want to do, if you just DO IT.” This is the same approach that Chris Miller has been taking to his very full and picturesque life. He is passionate and active in many things, as is reflected in his work ethic, but there is no doubt in anyone’s mind that his greatest loves are his 3 incredibly photogenic children, and his wife who is as beautiful as she is sweet. Happily married for 11 years, Miller says, “Getting married was the best thing that I ever did.

And having kids was the funnest thing I ever did. My wife and kids…they are the reason I push myself, both on the job and in the gym.”

Apparently, Miller is more than a man of words. His wife attests to that: “Chris is an amazing husband, and the most wonderful dad to our children that I could have ever hoped for,” shares Miller’s wife Bridget. “He events every chance he gets. “I can’t afford truly loves this life that we have created to contribute dollars to charity, so I contribute together, even when it’s crazy! Everything he time. I most recently volunteered for the does, he does for us. He has the best ability Patrick Warburton, ‘Golf For Kids’ Charity to stay positive, not sweat the small stuff, event.” and remind me of what’s really important.

While stupid drivers and narrow minded He seriously finds joy in simple things, like “party politics” (on either side of the coin) going to the grocery store with all 3 kids in piss him off, Miller says his inspiration tow. I know through actions, not through and role models are his dad, and good words, that he loves us with his whole heart. dads everywhere. “My dad is a successful We have been together for 15 years, and it entrepreneur,” shared Miller. “Since I was truly has been the best years of my life. I am little, he always encouraged me to work, so proud of him and his amazing skill and explore, and find things I liked to do. I had talent that he has turned into an awesome the option of choosing a comfortable life in business. But I am most proud of the husband the family business (he would have preferred and father he has become. I am a lucky girl.” I did), but instead, he urged me to go out and Born in Albuquerque, New Mexico, raised find my own thing. I’m grateful for that every in Pamp, Texas, Miller earned his business day I wake up excited to go to work.” degree at Cal State San Marcos. Miller’s first Miller makes time to run 2 or 3 days a job was as a lifeguard, perhaps where he first week, always competing with himself for began to discover an innate desire to help faster time and more distance. He often takes others in distress. Today, he is a volunteer his kids fishing, and coaches his 7 year old member of the Riverside County Search and son’s baseball, soccer and football teams.

Rescue Team.

And somewhere, in all of this, he even finds Miller was working in IT, and did time to make a little music. He can be spotted photography as a hobby, when a friend at open mics every now and then, channeling starting a wedding planning business asked his inner rock star, inspired by Texas artists if he would photograph a wedding. “I said, like Bob Schneider, Robert Earle Keen, SRV, ‘Hell no,’” shared Miller. “She said they would and even some hard, classic, British rockers, pay me $800. I said, ‘Hell yes.’” Ultimately, the likes of Zeppelin and Black Sabbath. And, he landed the job as house photographer go figure - he’s pretty darn good at THAT too! for The Show at Agua Caliente. “It simply As far as his goals go, Miller shares, “My doesn’t get any better than being paid to only goal for the future is for Ethan, Noah and photograph music and musicians, and there’s Claire (his three children) to grow up happy no better venue in the valley than The Show,” with themselves and be kind to others.” says Miller. In 2014, he was voted “Best Photographer” by CV Weekly readers.

But Miller will be the first to tell you that his life wasn’t always a pretty picture. “One of the first things people ask me, when they meet me, is how I ended up here in the desert,” Miller shared. “I tell them, ‘By way of the Betty Ford Center.’ I was 26 years old, and had been through 3 or 4 different colleges.

I was running away from my problems, but as it turns out, I was the problem. I came to Betty Ford and discovered recovery, and it saved my life.”

Miller volunteers to photograph charity

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Josh Heinz

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by lisa morgan

Philanthropist, Father, Husband, Bad Ass Rocker

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here are few men in this desert who stand out and leave a “real” impression on you like Josh Heinz.

With his long hair, warm smile and casual attire, Heinz is somewhat quieter and more understated than you’d expect from an award winning songwriter who fronts an award nominated rock band. When you first meet him, his kindness, charm and attentive listening skills instantly endear him to you.

When he’s suited up for work on El Paseo, his polite manner, work ethic, intellect and conscientiousness are undeniable. With a killer sense of humor, it doesn’t matter what environment he is in, Josh Heinz is a man who is comfortable in his own skin. But just underneath that somewhat placid surface, there’s a tenacious kind of light. Just talk to him about music or his family, and you’ll see it. Put a guitar in his hands, and the man will virtually catch on fire, and light you up with him! That light and that fire have been hard earned and fought for in the face of challenges that would make lesser men shut down. And for that, Heinz is loved and well respected in both the business and music communities here in the Coachella Valley.

Born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee, Heinz moved to the desert on his 26th birthday in 2001. He is married to his wife, best friend and bandmate, Linda. A blended family, the Heinz’s have a full house most of the time, with the most recent addition being Jack, who will soon be turning 2. Jack has two big sisters, Gillian and Katie, and two big

brothers, Christopher and Harrison, both who are severely autistic.

“I don’t really have a career per say,” Heinz will tell you. “I have a good job, working for Hohmann Fine Art Gallery, as the operations manager. I would love for music to be my career, but we all know how tough that is.

Music is my passion. I don’t think I could function very well if I wasn’t able to express myself musically.”

Heinz currently runs the open mic night at Schmidy’s Tavern on Tuesday evenings, in Palm Desert, and fronts his band, Blasting Echo, an all original, popular, local rock band.

His music chops were honed early. “I started singing in choirs at a very young age, at the church I attended in Memphis. In high school, the youth minister there wanted to start a praise band, and I became their lead singer. It was at that time that I started learning to play guitar just by asking my friends to show me stuff. From there I pretty much taught myself.

I never took lessons - I wish I had. I’d be better.

In my latter high school years, I began to have a different outlook and belief system. At that point I began to write songs to deal with things I was going through and experiencing.

It was then that I learned the power of being able to express myself through music.”

For the past 7 years, Heinz has spearheaded the Annual Concert for Autism, an event that, last year, raised $8,000 through two days of local music. “I’m very proud of that.

And certainly I’m not the only reason why that event continues to happen. There are

BB Ingle

men’s issue

With a large family that includes a toddler, the Heinz team has a lot on their plate. But add autism to the mix, and the challenges are mind blowing. “I wish people could understand how demanding, hard, frustrating and stressful, dealing with autism truly is. I wish I could have a video camera running 24/7 showing what it’s like, living with it for a day.

Autism can really tear up lives and families.

We love doing the Autism benefit, but it is a chore. And for us, EVERY day is a chore. Then add flyers, designing t-shirts, booking bands, finding sponsors into the mix, and it’s a lot.

When you’re in the situation of having autism in your home, stress relief is required. Thank God I have music, but doing the benefit cuts into that time.” Every year, Heinz questions whether or not to put on the annual concert.

“Every year, the next day after the benefit, there’s that moment when you think, ‘Wow, we really did this. We actually pulled it off!’

It’s an incredible feeling of accomplishment.”

There’s only one thing that parallels that celebratory, post benefit, moment for Heinz: “There was this guy Billy. He was severely handicapped from an injury during wrestling.

I had this song called “Closure”. He would sit on the stool at the bar, and just weep. That to me is a personal achievement. We all got into music because it touched us. And we wanted to affect other people through music. The mark I want to leave behind when I die is that somebody 100 years from now, might listen to a song I recorded, and they would know that I lived.”

By Denise Ortuno Neil

I

f you love a good party, and have been in the Coachella Valley for any period of time, you most likely have heard of BB Ingle, and most certainly have attended one of his monster parties. He has always had an affinity for bringing people together in celebration, and has taken his love for creating events into a career that has spanned over 30 years in the Coachella Valley.

BB was born and raised in Alabama. After going to college in his native state, he moved to Nashville, TN. He started working for a new ground breaking restaurant chain, TGI Friday’s.

In the early 80s he became part of their bartending team that traveled throughout the country opening up new restaurants.

The team eventually came to the Coachella Valley in 1983 to open a Palm Desert location.

They were scheduled to only be in the area for no longer than a month, but they became enamored by the inviting weather, golf courses and resort atmosphere. They decided to stay longer, eventually making the Coachella Valley their home and followed their dream to open up their own restaurant complete with a sports bar, dancing, live music and great food.

With determination and the help of investors, the groups dream became a reality and BB O’Brien’s was born. The popular nightspot had a healthy 12 year run, and closed in 1995.

so many people that help and encourage me every year to get it done. Certainly Linda and our band mates, Mando Flores and Laramie Eve, are the biggest help,” said Heinz.

Heinz is not big on self promotion. You have to go to the ones closest to him to get the real scoop, and there is none closer than his wife Linda. “Josh is truly one of the sweetest and most giving people I know. He is a loving father and stepfather. No matter how hard things get, he finds a way to be positive.

He does everything - work, music, the benefit - everything with his whole heart and soul. He amazes me every day.”

Asking Heinz what he feels are his greatest achievements, he will humbly tell you, “The benefit, I guess. And having people ask me to play certain songs. It means the world to me when you actually get people that know your songs, singing along.”

May 7 to May 13, 2015

The nightspot was a constant in desert nightlife, known for events such as their legendary St. Patrick’s Day parking lot party.

After they closed, BB decided to keep the party going by creating yearly events.

He started by hosting parties at local resorts, hotels and nightclubs…and eventually at the Palm Springs Convention Center. In recent years, BB’s parties have grown into major events, with anywhere from 1,000 to over 5,000 attendees. Parties such as his Annual Halloween Bash and New Year’s Eve

Masquerade Ball are cemented in as yearly must attend Coachella Valley events.

After 30 years the events have become legendary, entertaining desert party goers for decades and earning BB the Master of Events and Godfather of Parties title that he has today. He is also the two time winner of our own Coachella Valley Weekly’s “Promoter of the Year” award. “I try to host about six major parties a year,” said BB. There have been many memorable party moments for BB as one could imagine. One of his favorites is when he gets to go on stage and sing Sweet Home Alabama with the band.

Another party highlight was the time he skydived into a party at the El Dorado Polo club.

There is no wonder why he is the master.

His passion for animals has led him to work closely with the Pet Rescue Center, donating a portion of his party proceeds to them.

His drive to create parties doesn’t seem to be slowing down for BB, “I’ve had a passion for social gatherings and creating situations for people to meet since I was a young boy,” said BB. “After 30 years of parties, we have all ages from 21 to 75, many of our original party goers’ children now attend. What makes me feel like all the hard work is worth it is when someone comes up to me and says ‘BB, thank you so much, if it wasn’t for your party I wouldn’t have met my soul mate.’

That is very rewarding and it has happened

multiple times,” added BB. He said it made him seriously consider going into the wedding planning business.

On his down time, he enjoys golf, tennis, and of course college football; with his University of Alabama Crimson Tides close to his heart. In the summer, BB takes a respite from the desert heat and travels back to Alabama to visit family and attend Alabama football games.

Despite his party icon demeanor, BB is actually a private person. When asked what people would be surprised to know about him, he shared that he once was an 8th grade history teacher. Never would have guessed that one.

While BB tries to throw a party once every couple months, he’s thinking about re-inventing himself a bit in 2015. He has several new endeavors including opening a new dance club. “So many people keep asking me when I’m going to open another club, so I think 2015 might be the time to do it,” he shared, excited to be taking on another project.

BB Ingle has become part of the party tapestry here in the Coachella Valley. He has created iconic parties and has done what he has loved all along, to bring people together in celebration. Here is to another 30 years BB! For more info, visit partywithBB.com

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Local Music Spotlight

Article and Photo By esther sanchez

Robotic Humans

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015 CVMA nominees in the category for best metal band, Robotic Humans are in it to win it. With skilled musicianship, solid vocals and a growing catalog of original songs, the trio has created a melodic vibe that is a bit of a throwback to good 90s-style grunge-rock for the alternative purist with splashes of heavy-metal done right.

More than mere bandmates, these Coachella raised rockers are former classmates and childhood friends who feel as though they were brought together and are driven by the spirit of competition.

Alex Maestas (bass): “I am definitely a competition-based musician. I want to be better at what I do than everyone else. I have no doubt that mentality was sparked by a music teacher at CVHS whose name is Mr. Antalik. He made a huge, permanent impression on all three of us. I took this guy’s class every year of high school and can honestly say that I wouldn’t be the musician that I am today if it weren’t for him. He was one of those teachers that, if he could sense higher potential in you, he would push you really hard. He loved to stir up competition amongst his students which would fuel our determination to keep improving. He would sort of trash-talk about who was the best guitar player or drummer, etc. because he knew that would drive us to work harder and continue to grow as musicians.”

The boys from Robotic Humans have definitely watched each other mature as

musicians and beyond during their years growing up in the East Valley. Friends since middle-school, Joey Zendejas (guitar/vox) and Luiz”Lalo”Carranza have been playing music together for most of their lives.

Carranza: “When we were 13 there were drums set up in the band room at our middleschool and I remember being in there one day pounding away on that set and Joey walked in and plugged in his guitar. He started playing a System of a Down song that I knew.

That led to us, doing a lot of S.O.A.D. covers and eventually writing our own stuff which evolved into multiple projects over the years.”

Zendejas: “We started getting serious about music while we were in High School and I can attribute much of that to a competitiveness that started brewing inside of us when we were hit with the reality of what our skills were compared to those at a higher level. It’s not like there were a lot of kids who had bands in middle-school but

Backstage Jazz

Hiroshima

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had the pleasure of interviewing Dan Kuramoto the truly legendary originator of the ground breaking Hiroshima, who will be in concert at Grooves at the Westin Saturday, May 16.

Vibrant, eclectic and truly original, the multi-GRAMMY nominated Hiroshima creates a musical world all its own. The intoxicating mix of traditional Japanese folk music and instruments interwoven with Jazz, R& B, Salsa, and more has been a pioneering voice in contemporary music since the 1970’s. After 30 years and 4 million records sold worldwide, they continue to make their unique mix of East meets West their signature sound.

Dan Kuramoto started the band in 1974.

Dan’s vision to combine American west coast music together with Japanese music to start an exchange of culture morphed into one of the best loved groups in the industry.

The Los Angeles-based ensemble is led by Dan Kuramoto (woodwinds, producer/ composer) and the virtuoso, June Kuramoto (“the world’s greatest koto player”- Stanley Clark), Kimo Cornwell (piano/ keyboards/composer - formerly with Al Jarreau and Maze), Danny Yamamoto (drums/percussion - original member) and Dean

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Cortez (bass-formerly with Boz Scaggs) This unique sound has an almost haunting musical quality to it with the superb koto artistry of June, deemed as ‘world’s best Koto player’ by Stanley Clark. The music is distinctive and lilting.

“A cool mix of multiculturalism,” according to Dan. “There’s a little jazz, R&B, all mixed into the show.”

I asked Dan why the name Hiroshima was chosen. He explained the band evolved in the 70’s when music was the greatest cultural force of the time and cited Led Zeppelin, Rolling Stones and Earth, Wind, and Fire, which all had an enormous influence on them. He realized that there was no Japanese influence and decided to call it Hiroshima.

The band has sold over 4,000,000 CDs and

that changed when we got older. It was an eye-opening experience for us to realize that in High School there were plenty of other musicians that were better than us. We came to know musicians and bands amongst our peers that inspired us to bring up our game.”

One local band that made a big impression on Zendejas and Carranza while they were CVHS freshmen was called, “The Feedback” and just so happened to belong to Maestas who, at the time was a CVHS junior.

Maestas: “Back in 2004-2006 I started throwing concerts for mine and other’s bands out on my grandma’s property in Coachella.

It’s basically 17 acres that contained a warehouse and a date-orchard. Eventually I had a stage, lights, a proper sound-system, you name it. They were free shows and there was usually an average of 3 girls to every guy in attendance which was great. Those shows became known as ‘The Grandma’s’ and during that time, grandma’s was the place to be.”

It was at a Grandma’s show where Carranza and Zendejas first saw Maestas perform and they were blown away by what he could do with a bass. Zendejas: “He was up there playing and had this huge row of pedals like a snake and I was like, ‘I want to be like that!”’

Eventually, that guy who they looked up to would become an integral part of their sound.

Carranza: “It’s been really difficult for us to find and keep a good bass player. Within the past year Alex came in, took initiative, learned the songs and added in his signature style that has taken our sound in a really good direction.

He filled in the gaps the way a good bass player should” Keeping in mind how the spirit of competition has molded Robotic Humans, I asked them how they felt about their first CVMA nomination and was amused by their hesitancy as the 3 of them stared at each other for several seconds as if not sure how to respond. Zendejas: “It’s cool…I mean we really didn’t expect it at all. Some people at my work started congratulating me about it and I had no idea what they were talking about until they sent me a link so that was pretty crazy. I really like the idea of being able to be put out there to see how we measure against the best bands in the Coachella Valley.”

Follow Robotic Humans: facebook.com/robotic.humans reverbnation.com/robotichumans soundcloud.com/robotic-humans

CV MUSIC SUMMIT

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oachella Valley Weekly announced today, a partnership with From a Whisper to a Dream: Showcase, Contest & Conference headed up by entertainment attorney Talia Kosh and music producer/ multi-talented musician, Brian Hardgroove, bass player for Rock and Roll Hall of Famers, Public Enemy. Key industry professionals and manufactures will serve as judges for the curated showcase set to take place at several venues across the Coachella Valley June 4-7, 2015. Bands will compete for prizes and gear as well as participate in panels and workshops with industry insiders.

Manufacturers and industry professionals will serve as judges for the contest, which will provide excellent exposure and unparalleled networking opportunities for bands and musicians in the region.

FROM A WHISPER TO A DREAM bridges the gap between manufacturers and music makers by creating opportunities for local unsigned musical acts to receive ‘Dream Packages’ from major music manufacturers. “We help to discover, shape and build long-term relationships between manufacturers and unsigned musical acts using dynamic and hyper-local showcases, contests and conferences,” says founder, Brian Hardgroove. www. fromawhispertoadream.com

(Normally $400 a night) just use the code JAZZ when booking your reservation. This is the perfect time to get away and spend the night, groove under the stars and enjoy this fabulous event. This is the last concert for the spring series.

A fall series is already in the works according to Michael Paulo and Jim Pedone.

For more info on the band visit hiroshimamusic.com To book a room for the event, contact the Westin Mission Hills Golf Resort and Spa. The show is outdoors under the palms and is truly the most beautiful venue this series has been hosted by. Located in beautiful Rancho Mirage at 71333 Dinah Shore Drive. Hotel Reservations are $129 for the event code word JAZZ, 760-3285955 or 877-253-0041.

Tickets are available through Ticket Master.

Call 951-696-0184. General admission tickets are $45 and there are VIP tables as well. There is also a dinner package that includes a 3 course dinner and a reserved seat to watch the concert from $99.00. Call 760-770-2150 to reserve your spot for the dinner. Doors open at 6pm, concert is at 7pm. See you there!

Brian Hardgroove, Musician & Music Producer

The event, will kick-off on Thursday, June 4th with CV WEEKLY presenting a signature kick-off event while From a Whisper to a Dream starts on Friday, June 5th and runs through Sunday, June 7th, concluding with an awards ceremony at Hard Rock Hotel in Palm Springs. Bands from the area will have an incredible opportunity to not only compete but also participate in a series of industry panels and workshops aimed at artist development with leading industry professionals and manufacturers. “It’s really about giving musicians tools to be entrepreneurs,” says partner, Talia Kosh, Esq. This musical showcase will feature one weekend of the best musical acts of Coachella Valley, hand-curated by Coachella Valley Weekly and culminating in a From Whisper to A Dream contest where winners will receive endorsement packages from an elite group of highend music manufacturers, including Sennheiser, PreSonus, Yamaha, Obedia, PC Audiolabs and D’Angelico Guitars. There will be educational sessions on Saturday and Sunday on the most important topics for emerging musicians striving for success. “This is an incredible opportunity for our local bands and musicians! I’m so proud to bring this opportunity to the many deserving bands in the Coachella Valley,” gushes CV Weekly Publisher and champion of local music, Tracy Dietlin.

Sponsors and manufacturers for From a Whisper to a Dream include: Sennheiser, Obedia, PreSonus, D’Angelico Guitars, PC

May 7 to May 13, 2015

By rich henrich

CV WEEKLY PRESENTS FROM A WHISPER TO A DREAM: SHOWCASE, CONTEST & CONFERENCE WITH MAJOR MUSIC INDUSTRY PARTNERS

By patte purcell had 2 gold records. In 1980 they were voted “The Best new band of the year” by Billboard and Cashbox. Their audience has followed them for 30 years. We discussed the challenges of the music industry as the days of CDs fall away and people go to downloads. Dan’s positive attitude will surely carry them well into this new time and keep them on the cutting edge. He records every show so that when they come back to the same area he makes sure that they have 25% to 30% new songs so the show is never the same.

They love to perform for their fans and truly appreciate their participation and loyalty.

The group is recording a new CD call Songs with Words in a live studio recording. This is something different for them as their songs are primarily instrumental. They are growing their music into something you’ve never heard before.

They’ve been touring mostly the US the last 2 years. They are very excited to be coming back to the desert in “Grooves at the Westin” produced by Michael Paulo with his wife Terri Paulo and promoted by Jim Pedone who also brought them to “Grooves at the Grove” a few years ago to a sold out crowd. This will be the only appearance here in the desert since then, so fans are expected to be coming in from all over.

There’s even a special room rate for out of town guests from the Westin of only $129.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Audiolabs and Yamaha. Venue sponsors include Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs, Schmidy’s Tavern, The Hood and Bart Lounge. Sponsorship opportunities are still available.

Bands will compete for prizes totaling over $15,000 while benefiting from great educational offerings to advance their music and professional careers with experts in the business. The winning Singer/ Songwriter will also win a D’Angelico SG 100 guitar.

For more information about the event or for businesses interested in sponsoring, contact: Tracy Dietlin at (760)501-6228 or publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com CONFERENCE SCHEDULE: Thursday, June 4, 2015 7pm-10pm CV WEEKLY SIGNATURE KICK-OFF EVENT at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert, CA. www.schmidystavern.com Friday, June 5, 2015 6:30-Introduction to “From a Whisper to a Dream” and Kick-off to Weekend 7pm-10pm 5 Band Showcase at Schmidy’s Tavern in Palm Desert , CA. www.schmidystavern.com Come hear this round of the top bands of Coachella Valley selected by C.V. Weekly to participate in the FROM A WHISPER TO A DREAM Showcase and Contest.

Saturday, June 6, 2015 Educational Sessions: All session will be held at Hard Rock Palm Springs in Palm Springs, CA www.hrhpalmsprings.com

Talia victoria kosh, Entertainment attorney

11-12:30pm: Understanding and Leveraging Revenue Streams: Music Licensing in TV and Film and Royalties With Brooke Wentz, The Rights Workshop The need for artists to be ever-more understanding and vigilant, regarding their revenue opportunities, has never been greater. Learn about licensing and royalties from award-winning music supervisor and seasoned intellectual property rights executive, Brooke Wentz.

1pm-2:30pm: Touring Secrets with Bill Rahmy Nothing helps hone a band’s sound and business acumen better than going on tour.

In this conversation, Concert Production Manager, Bill Rahmy, will share his top touring secrets, including merchandising considerations. Bill has managed tours and bands including Queens of the Stone Age, Red Hot Chile Peppers, Jack White, Nine Inch Nails, Jane’s Addition, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Lenny Kravitz, Dave Mathews Band, R.E.M. and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Bill was also nominated nine times, (by Pollstar Magazine) as the “Road Warrior of the Year.”

3-4:30: “The Gift” Music’s Legacy and Future, with Special Guest David Jewell (Yamaha Corporation) and Brian Hardgroove 5-6: Understanding Music Agreements Legal agreements between band members, venue agreements, and the basics of recording contracts will be discussed.

7pm-10pm: 5 Band Music Showcase at BART Lounge, Cathedral City, California www.bartlounge.com Come hear this round of the top bands of Coachella Valley selected to participate in the FROM WHISPER TO A DREAM Showcase and Contest.

SUNDAY, June 7 2015 11-12:30 Understanding and Building Relationships with Music Manufacturers: Endorsements and Brand Ambassadorship – There’s more to being a brand ambassador than just posting images of yourself playing your favorite gear. Representatives from major music manufacturers will discuss how to build relationships with brands musicians believe in. At Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs.

1pm-5pm-: Singer-Songwriter Showcase, at Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs.

Come hear the best Singer-Songwriters of Coachella play to win the SingerSongwriter FROM A WHISPER TO A DREAM contest.

8:30pm-Awards Ceremony-at Hard Rock Hotel Palm Springs

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

Local Music Spotlight

by lisa morgan

Hank Williams Jr. “I do what I want, when I want, and how I want” Coming to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Friday, May 15 @ 8pm

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unior was only 3 years old when his dad, Hank Williams, died as a result of a heart attack brought on by prescription pill and alcohol abuse. Hank Sr. was only 29 years old and on his way to 35 Top 10s in the Billboard Country & Western Best Sellers chart, 11 ranking number one (some of which were postmortem).

Nicknamed “Bocephus” by his dad, and assisted by his mother (Hank Sr.’s estranged wife and former manager), Williams Jr. started his music career at the age of 8 as a “Hank Williams impersonator”.

A multi-instrumentalist whose mentors were Johnny Cash, Fats Domino, Earl Scruggs, and Jerry Lee Lewis, Williams Jr. turned his moderate commercial success into timeless superstardom when he shed his father’s image in the mid 70s and crossed

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into “outlaw” southern rock territory with friends Waylon Jennings and Charlie Daniels.

His own struggles with pills and alcohol were well documented in the media, but best recognized in his own song, “Family Tradition”.

Now, at 65 years old with a slew of billboard charting songs, number one hits, Grammys, CMT, CMA and ACM awards and an induction into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, Williams Jr. continues to tour and write. The ground breaking artist took time to answer some questions for CV Weekly: CVW: Will there be a new album soon?

HWJ: Well, I just signed with the Nash ICON label which is the same label for Reba, Martina, and Ronnie Dunn. So I will be in the studio in the coming months, and I am hoping to have music out in the fall.

CVW: There is a lot of discussion in the industry about authenticity vs commercialism in the genre. For example, the terms “Bro-country” and “Arena Country” are often used to describe a part of the industry that has become too commercialized. How are you feeling about today’s country music, and what is getting played on the radio?

HWJ: I have never made music to fit into any category. I have always made music that I felt was going to touch people or have a significant message. There are some great singers out there today and there were some great singers out years ago. Music lives in a cycle, sometimes it is rocking country, sometimes it is traditional country, and everything in between. I just hope my music connects with the fans.

CVW: When I interviewed your daughter, Holly, she said you would make it clear that you were “daddy” not Bocephus when you came home. It seems some of the kids still

inherited the music bug. How do you feel about their journey into the music industry?

HWJ: I am proud of everything my kids do, just like any father would be. Holly is making some great strides in the music business, as a writer and an artist. Shelton (Hank III) has done very well creating a fan base for his style of music. Hilary is dabbling into it some and who knows if either Katie or Sam will get into it.

CVW: Do you have advice for all the dreamers heading to Nashville to try and make their way in the music industry?

HWJ: I don’t give advice. Either you have IT or you don’t. You have to ‘fake it to make it’ and have the will to stay in it until you get someone to hear you.

CVW: Who do you like that you’ve seen in country music today?

HWJ: I think Eric Church brings to country music what I did in the 80’s. He reminds me a lot of myself.

CVW: Who have been the ones that have really supported you in good times and bad?

HWJ: Well you know… Johnny Cash was there for me when I fell off the mountain in the 70s. June Carter Cash was my Godmother and she and my mother were

very close friends. You know I am a lucky guy; I have had some great people around me over the years that helped support me no matter what. My manager for 40 years, Merle Kilgore, used to carry daddy’s guitar at the Louisiana Hayride before coming to work for me, and he was a big part of my life, my family’s life, and my career.

CVW: Is songwriting/recording/playing live your favorite thing to do?

HWJ: Hell no, having a fishing pole in my hand or a rifle is much more exciting to me than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy making new music and sharing it with the fans however, I only do 25 shows a year and play where I want to and when I want to. I have the most loyal hardcore fans in the business, so you can say that I am spoiled.

Taking that little boy or girl out to catch their first fish or bag their first deer or turkey is much more fun than anything for me.

CVW: In a perfect world, what would you be doing?

HWJ: I am doing it. I do what I want, when I want, and how I want.

Tickets to see Hank William Jr. on Saturday, May 15th at Fantasy Springs Resort and Casino can be purchased at fantasyspringsresort. com or call (760)342-5000.

Consider This

MAX CADY E

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

by Eleni P. Austin

“Killing Me” (Max.Cady.com)

ach year, thousands of bands come to Los Angeles with dreams of stardom; some, like Guns N’ Roses or Jane’s Addiction achieve that elusive goal. But the Sunset Strip is littered with bad deals and broken promises.

Of course, the music business has experienced a mighty sea change since the halcyon Hair Metal Days. Back then, a band played the L.A. clubs, got seen by the right A&R reps, and got signed to a label.

These days, record companies are behind the curve. Any musician can upload a song to YouTube or ReverbNation and market their music unfiltered and without compromise.

Max Cady is a band that has been plugging away for quite a while. Formed in Dallas, Texas in 2003, they take their name from the malevolent character in film “Cape Fear.”

Robert Mitchum originated the role in 1962, Robert De Niro redefined the part, with direction from Martin Scorsese, in 1991. (Even Sideshow Bob from the “Simpsons” paid homage, with a hint of Gilbert & Sullivan, on an episode entitled “Cape Feare”) Guitarist and lead vocalist, Justin Moore

WESTFIELD MALL 72840 Hwy 111 #171 Palm Desert, CA 92260 760-341-2017 www.recordalley.com

grew up inspired in equal measure by Black Flag, Minor Threat and Hair Metal bands.

Although Max Cady has been through myriad changes, Moore has remained a stalwart presence. During their Texas years, they released three albums on the Sidearm label; Tonight Alive in 2005, Gun Crime in 2007 and Wicked Ways in 2011.

After relocating to Los Angeles a few years ago, Justin hooked up with bassist Carl

Raether from Washington, D.C., guitarist Marc Boggio from Chicago, and Josh Fresia, a drummer originally from Kansas City. All three had cycled through a series of bands in their hometowns. It was the same story in L.A. Luckily, the chemistry between the foursome was electric. Max Cady was reborn.

The band immediately began gigging around L.A., playing notable venues like Boardners, Loaded and the Viper Room.

They quickly developed a new repertoire of songs. Rather than wait for labels to pay attention, they have recorded and selfreleased a five song EP, Killing Me. The album kicks into gear with “Stay.”

A pummeling back-beat connects with tensile guitar riffs and thundering bass lines. The lyrics offer a succinct mantra of perseverance that mirrors Max Cady’s pursuit of a music career; “I saw a path and never looked away, and on that path I stay.”

“Killing Me” is the title track for a reason. Marauding, menacing and feral, it opens with sprawling guitar riffs anchored by triple-tattoo attack from drummer, Josh Fresia. Moore paints a vivid portrait of betrayal that is equal parts vengeful and philosophical. “I’ve had enough, I’m getting

out, so far nothing true has come out of your mouth / It’s plain to see that you and me are far from friends, more like enemies/ And one day you’ll be gone, We’ll both be travelling on/And someday you will see that life’s too short for misery.”

At the instrumental break, the action grinds to a halt and suddenly downshifts into a Sabbath-y sludge-fest. Guitars scream and yowl and just as suddenly, the track accelerates, full speed ahead to a chaotic and cathartic conclusion.

“A Little Taste” is propelled by a monster hook. Here Fresia rides the hi-hat over Moore and Boggio’s tilt-a-whirl guitars.

Raether tethers the low-end with rumbling bass lines. The lyrics offer an acrid take on the powerless grip of addiction; “Begged and bartered, bought and sold, it’s taken over, no control/A little taste in the morning for when I wake, a little taste on my tongue is what I crave.”

Defiant and unapologetic, “I Don’t Know Why” is a pure adrenaline rush. The rhythm careens with locomotion speed. Guitar riffs ricochet through the melody as stripped down and sinewy as Iggy Pop’s torso. It’s Punk 101 delivered with precision, economy, and a soupcon of justifiable arrogance.

The EP closes with the vaguely Oedipal angst of “Breakfast In Bed.” Lyrics conjure up a Greek tragedy waiting to happen; “Papa, break me off something, kick the door in again/Mama’s cooking up something, it ain’t breakfast in bed.”

Piloted by a whip-crack rhythm and roiling bass notes, chicken-scratch guitar licks give way to riffs that fuzz, buzz and howl. The tempo slows to a crawl before Moore and Boggio unleash a series of strafing guitar solos that detonate like smart bombs. A heady conclusion to a wild ride.

Max Cady is the real deal. In a bygone era when the “M” in MTV stood for music, this band would have been equally on home on the Punk-leaning “120 Minutes,” or the harder edged “Headbanger’s Ball.”

The only downside to this five song EP is just that, it’s over after five songs. This music is highly addictive. The listener’s only option is to program the CD player to “repeat” until Max Cady’s full-length album arrives.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

men’s issue

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by heidi simmons

Mark V. Sofonio, M.D., F.A.C.S.

T

he Coachella Valley’s population seems to be getting younger and more beautiful. Today’s technology, along with a skilled practitioner, can make you look as young and as beautiful as you feel. For Doctor Mark V. Sofonio, that’s what gives him pleasure. “The best part of my job is making people happy,” said Sofonio. “It’s why I perform plastic surgery instead of general surgery. Plastic surgery is really fun work. It makes people more emotionally fulfilled.”

Sofonio is a Board-Certified Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeon. His undergraduate study at UCR was in biomedical science. He earned his Medical Doctorate from UCLA. Four more years followed with a general surgery internship and residency at the University of Hawaii. Sofonio did another two years of residency in plastic surgery at the University of Ohio. He spent several more years in aesthetic and burn fellowships on the East Coast.

“I like plastic surgery because it’s artistic,” said Sofonio. “You get to see your results right away. You have to hit a homerun when you’re operating. It’s intellectually challenging because each case has to be as good as it can be. That makes it interesting to me.”

As a general surgeon, Sofonio is drawn to plastic surgery because of the diverse restorative challenges. “There’s trauma, burns, hand surgery and tissue moving.

There’s the fine surgery to correct cleft lips or pallets, deformities of nature and asymmetry.

Plastic surgeons can operate everywhere on the body. Cosmetic surgery is just one part of what we do.”

Born and raised in Southern California, Sofonio moved to Palm Springs with his folks when he was just seven years old. He attended Cahuilla Elementary, Nellie Coffman Middle and Palm Springs High School. Other than during his 14 years of education, Sofonio has only lived in the valley.

Having witnessed the changes in the Coachella Valley since the 70s, Sofonio believes there is still no better place to live. “I like the weather, the people, the location, it’s

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the best,” said Sofonio. “When I was young here, it was a very safe and quiet community.

As it’s grown, the cities have had to deal with stresses such as congestion, financial issues and crime. But I still think it’s better here than almost any other city.”

Sofonio doesn’t want to see the CV grow too fast. “I’d like to see it stay a destination where people like to come to relax. I wouldn’t want to see a lot of businesses come here where it becomes a massive hub like Phoenix, which exploded as a city. I don’t see a benefit.

This area has everything already.”

In his early fifties, Sofonio has no intention of slowing down. “I’m still inspired by competition,” said Sofonio. “That is, on a personal basis I constantly strive to do better.”

When Sofonio was four, he already knew he wanted to be a doctor. “When people came to our house, I’d ask how they were feeling,” said Sofonio. “I’d listen and then treat them with juice or whatever I thought would help.”

Married and with three young children, Sofonio is a very busy man. Any free time is spent being Dad. He loves animals and gives to the Animal Samaritans.

Sofonio doesn’t take vacations. He says he’d be bored. Instead he travels to medical conferences several times a year where he either lectures on new technologies or is learning about new technology.

Over the last decade, Sofonio has brought every new technology to his practice. With an investment of millions of dollars, Sofonio wanted the desert to have the very best technology available. “There is no place you can go in the United States to find better or newer technology than I currently have in my office,” Sofonio said. “We have it all here, so there’s no need to leave the Coachella Valley.”

For Sofonio, he too has it all. “I’ve practiced for 20 years. Done over 10,000 procedures. I was Chief of Plastic Surgery for over a decade.

I’ve got a wonderful family. If I had five minutes to live I’d say there’s nothing I regret.

I’ve done everything I wanted, got everything I wanted.”

Without a doubt, Sofonio loves what he does. His work is his passion and his recreation.

Patrick Evans

P

atrick Evans, 48, is the meteorologist for CBS Local 2 News for the Coachella Valley. He also started his own business—Fulvio’s Foods—which sells Italian sausages made with his own family’s recipe, and is quickly gaining momentum here in the valley. He was born in Washington, D.C. and grew up in Charlottesville, Virginia.

He attended the University of Virginia and studied Environmental Science, Political Science, and Communications. Evans grew up watching and admiring Johnny Carson, saying, “I really fell in love with television, watching him. I just thought that would be the greatest job in the world—to be able to entertain people; inform people.” So when he landed his very first job as the floor director for the evening newscast at a small TV station in Virginia—WVIR TV—it set the tone for his career to come.

He began working there while he was still in high school and continued on through college, and stayed on after he earned his degree. He believes that the most defining moment in his career so far was his decision to come to work for CBS Local 2. “I fell in love with the desert,” he explained, adding that his favorite thing about the Coachella Valley is the weather—yes, even the summers! Appropriate response for a meteorologist, though he also cited the natural beauty of the desert and the diverse population as reasons he loves it here. “I like to be involved in the community, and there was ample opportunity for that.” He added that he feels inspired by the level of philanthropy in this Valley, as he has proved with his involvement in local charities—he serves on the board for the YMCA as well as the Desert Symphony. Some of his other achievements include getting a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars last year and, the year before that, being named the Italian American of the Year by the Sons of Italy here in the Valley.

When asked what makes him tick, Evans laughed. “No one has ever asked me that question,” he said. After some thought though, he came to the conclusion that he is driven by interpersonal interactions.

“I’m very much an extrovert. I enjoy being around people… in my personal life and in my work, both at the television station and at Fulvio’s, I enjoy most every aspect of dealing with other people.” However, he did say one thing that upsets him about some people, is dishonesty. In fact, he jokingly stated that there was a long list of things that tick him off. “Slow drivers in the left lane,” he laughed. But in all seriousness, the thing that upsets him most is people who abandon their pets. “I have three rescue dogs. I think if you make a commitment to an animal it’s like having a baby.”

Despite his insistence that many things tick him off, Evans’ easy-going sense of humor shines through. In his free time, he loves to cook, especially Italian food, and he likes to sing at piano bars. “Because,” he explained, “most Italian men, after two drinks… we all think we’re Frank Sinatra.”

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by kira golden

He’s a big fan of that genre of music, and also loves Dean Martin, fellow Italian crooner, and old country music, like Roger Miller and Hank Williams. He enjoys playing golf, but when it comes to watching sports, his favorite football team is his alma mater, the University of Virginia Cavaliers. “I enjoy college sports in general, though I was never much of a player.” His favorite vacation spot is the island of Kauai in Hawaii. He sees a lot of movies in his line of work, but said he’s typically not a big movie-goer. There was one exception though. “I am a nerd. I love all the Star Trek movies.” He paused, then added, completely dead-pan, “Pretty much anything with William Shatner, I will pay money to go see.”

In his future, Evans wants to see Fulvio’s Foods continue to grow. “I’m very focused on making it a viable entity in the future,” he said. “I’d really like to see it prosper—it’s a great way to keep my father’s memory alive… My father was the most ethical human being I know. He taught me a lot about the proper way to conduct myself.”

Though he is invested in Fulvio’s Foods, he was quick to add that he loves working in television and plans to continue that as long as possible. “I have no plans on giving that up any time soon.”

Reggie Cameron

R

eggie Cameron has his own PR firm and is involved with promoting Hacienda Cantina, BAR, and many other local businesses and events. He was born in LA County, though when pressed for details he laughed, “I’m not entirely sure where… No, really. I joke, but it’s because I was born into foster care, and a lot of the things I’ve found about my birth have been conflicting.” He spent the first 14 years of his life in foster care and moved around a lot as a child. When he was adopted by the Cameron family, he settled with them in Redlands, California. The first jobs he had were when he was still a kid, working in entertainment—on Carnival cruises, at Disneyland, and even some TV shows. He attended UC Berkley on a full scholarship, but his education was interrupted when he got scarlet fever. “I was really sick and missed 6 or 8 weeks of class and was going to lose my scholarship, unless I made up the units with an internship. So I found out about this agency, Burson-Marsteller, and I went in for an internship, and they offered me a job full-time.” Burson-Marsteller turned out to be one of the largest PR agencies around and Cameron had the opportunity to work with clients like Mr. Coffee, IBM, and assisted with the launch of Pandora and the Mercedes-Benz Foundation. Eventually, he was recruited by Playboy Enterprises and became the head of marketing and

by kira golden

public relations for them, and he moved to New York for that. Since then, some of his career highlights have been working with illustrious personages, such as the Clintons, Mariah Carey, and Martha Stewart, as well as being involved with events such as the VMA’s.

Though he stated that he feels the defining moment of his career is yet to come, he did say that he experienced a turning point about five or six years ago, and it was centered on his moving here to the desert. “My sister had just passed away, which was why I came back to this area—to be there for my family. I wasn’t in a good place at that time—I’d been diagnosed with cancer, my marriage was falling apart.

Keith Blum

men’s issue

fortunate that what I love is also what I get paid to do.” It’s one of the main things he loves about the Coachella Valley as well, he explained. He appreciates the cultural and commercial renaissance taking place here, and is glad that it’s begun to be recognized in a more widespread fashion.

In talking to Cameron, it’s obvious that despite what he calls his “atypical background,” he has not failed to find and appreciate joy and beauty and laughter.

When asked about his future goals, he immediately joked, “I want a monument erected in my honor!” We laughed, but after he thought about it, he went on seriously. “I would like to do something to merit such a thing. I want to make a longlasting contribution to the world.”

By Denise Ortuno Neil

O

h, to live and work as an artist. It is a dream that many hold onto, but sometimes life gets in the way, shifting the artist away from their desire to do so. But for Keith Blum, he made his dream a reality, and is living the life of his dreams as a well renowned mural artist.

Blum is a California native, born and bred in Los Angeles 59 years ago. He started his career as an artist through a creative do it yourself home project. It was 30 years ago when he went full throttle with his painting venture. Although he was a hairstylist by trade at the time, he had always enjoyed painting and recalls once being told that, “You cannot make a living as an artist,” but he has more than proven that saying to be wrong.

He was remodeling his kitchen floor in the house that he shared with his then wife. The tiles were black and white checkered tile, and the kitchen space was rather small. He had the breakthrough idea to expand the size of the kitchen by painting a continuation of the tiles on the kitchen wall. His wife was ardently opposed, but Blum pressed on. After the project was completed, both he and his wife loved it.

A year later, Blum left his previous vocation as a hairdresser and worked full time as a mural artist…he has never looked back.

The fashion of artistry that Blum creates is called Troupe l’ oeil. It is a French term that basically means “to fool the eye”. The style makes the paintings intended focus look real, it has a 3-D effect….an illusion.

And at that time, my entire approach to my work was different. I’d worked for a lot of big companies, and was doing work for the wrong reasons. Since I came here, and started working with the Funkey family, of BAR, and took up the Palm Springs Pride as sort of a volunteer initiative—I just started doing work that made me happy, work to be proud of.” In addition to organizing the pride parade here in Palm Springs, and being very active in helping the LGBT community in the Valley, he also works with foster youth, which is close to his heart, being a former foster child himself. As a cancer survivor, he gives back by serving on the council for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in Orange County and Inland Empire, and is involved with the American Cancer Society.

In his free time, Cameron loves to write and often contributes articles to publications such as the Huffington Post. He is inspired by the arts, no matter the type.

“Art provides this way of communicating, and I love to see how people express their passions, their issues, or their stories in these beautiful ways—from dance to painting or whatever form.” Fortunately for Cameron, the arts are a big part of his work, and he is surrounded by creative people and often organizes events that involve music, or art, or entertainment. “What I love and what I’m passionate about will be a part of my life no matter what. I’m just

May 7 to May 13, 2015

He started by painting the walls of friends and family. His work gained recognition and over the years he has painted murals all across the country. He has painted his murals on everything from private homes to businesses.

Mural sizes range from 20ft to 100ft and truly makes a wall come to life.

He attributes his inspiration for art to the greats, such as Michelangelo, Raphael, and Van Gogh…all of the masters with a focus on the Italian Renaissance.

Blum moved to Palm Springs 10 years ago.

He used to visit the Coachella Valley in his youth and always wanted to someday live here. He finally did.

He enjoys living in the Coachella Valley, reveling in its small town feel and scenic beauty, “I love the sunrise and the sunsets here, and the

light traffic…in comparison to L.A.” said Blum.

It is in the Coachella Valley where Blum received what he considers to be one of his most defining moments in his career other than how he started all those years back in his kitchen. He was nominated the 2014 Artist of the Year by our own Coachella Valley Weekly, “It defined me as an artist in the eyes of the world,” said Blum.

Blum’s charitable work has always been part of his focus. He has been part of many charities in the past, donating his work to silent auctions to raise money for charities that deal with children. He enjoys working with kids, his goal is to “Inspire Creativity” to children. He has donated murals to a variety of organizations to help kids including, the Boys and Girls Club of Palm Springs and most recently the Dr. Carreon Jr. Academy in Indio.

Blum’s drive is his art. He lives his life with art all around him; painting, poetry, writing,

and cooking. His hobbies are what he does for a living and in his life, his hobbies are what he does every day. He also loves riding motorcycles and watching classic films such as the Godfather, The Magnificent 7 and even Singing in the Rain, among other MGM Musicals.

Blum’s future goal is to have a reality show about him traveling the country donating his murals to venues that will inspire children’s creativity. The show will include his assistant Kelly Gilette Wood as his artistic co-host. The venues will focus on children hospitals and Boys and Girls Clubs, just to name a few.

Keith Blum’s artistic works and his life is a testament of many things. He is a tribute to what can come from believing that what you love to do can become your life’s work. He is what he has aspired to be, an “Inspiration of creativity”!

For more info about Keith Blum and to view his artwork, visit www.keithblum.com .

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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­­THUR MAY 7

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29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Reunion w/ DJ Day 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Paul Elia 7pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Eevaan Tre 8pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Hip Hop 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Live Entertainment 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DESERT FOX; PS; 760-325-9555 Thirsty Thursdays 7pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Courtney Chambers 5pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 6pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 7:30pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 Hard Rock Rising Round 2 7pm THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Lecherous Gaze, Brain Vat and Hydromedusa 7pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Chris Lomeli 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Open Mic 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Punk Rock Thursdays 9:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Country Night w/ Jimi Nelson 8pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 Quinto Menguante 8-1am MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Blues and Supper Club Night w/ Kal David 7pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 Mojave Sky 7:30pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Game Night w/ The Deep Ones 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Rose Mallett 6:30pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Moonbaby 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm

SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 8-12am THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Tony DiGerlando 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Flyer 4-6pm, Stan Watkins 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-9pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am WESTIN MISSION HILLS; RM; 760-3285955 Michael Keeth 6-10pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 TBA 8pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-8744 Rob Martinez and Todd Ashley 7pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 New Thursdays 6pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Locals Night 9pm

FRI MAY 8 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 The Bob Garcia Band 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 High Five Fest AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 TBA 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Fleet Easton 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Alchemy 9pm BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-501-0620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR, SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-7755566 DJ PWee 8pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 The Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CAFÉ DES BEAUX- ARTS; PD; 760-3460669 Linda Peterson 6pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CLEMETINE; PD; 760-834-8814 Gina Carey 6pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm EUREKA; IW; 760-834-7700 TBA 6:30pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 House Band 8:45pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Jump Off” DJ 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 CIVX, Arkansas Toothpick and Dead End Friends 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Kal David 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm

INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 Live DJ 8:30pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 The Muddy Sparks Band 8pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company in the afternoon, Hot Rox in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Circle of Fifths 9pm THE LOUNGE; AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888999-1995 DJ 9pm MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Mark Gregg and The Horde 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 TBA 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Farmers 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 T.B.A. 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 PS Sings Round 3 5:30pm, The Gand Band 8:30pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Beatabums 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-327-8311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 7pm, Triple Threat Sidebar Lounge 10pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 DieSineGration, Separatrix and Sleeze Fix 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Rock 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Demetrious and Co. TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Pat Rizzo 6:30pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Tilted @ Night 10pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE; MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951-7555391 The Rick Whitfield Band 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 John Stanley King 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 T.B.A.

May 7 to May 13, 2015

1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Slim Man Solo Show 5:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Awesome 80’s Party w/ Alyce Bowie 9pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-564-8744 Rob & jb 7:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Rose Mallett 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 Girl’s Night Out w/ The Men on the Hollywood Strip 9pm

SAT MAY 9 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bev & Bill 6pm 19TH HOLE; PD; 760-772-6696 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 High Five Fest AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Cabaret on the Green Open Mic w/ Les Michaels and Wayne Abravanel 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Denise Carter 7:30pm BAR; PS; 760-537-7337 Abe spinning funk, soul and disco 10pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 DJ Mvtt London 9pm BISTRO 60 @TRILOGY; LQ; 760-501-0620 The Carmens 6pm BLUE BAR; SPOTLIGHT 29; IND; 760-7755566 DJ PWee BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Gina Carey 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT CASINO; PS; 888-999-1995 DJ Michael Wright 9-1am CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 5:30pm CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Live Entertainment 6:30-9:30pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm DATE SHED; IND; 760-775-6699 DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke w/ DJ Scott 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 T.B.A. 9pm THE GRILL ON MAIN; LQ; 760-777-7773 T.B.A. 8:30pm THE GROOVE LOUNGE; SPOTLIGHT 29; INDIO; 760-775-5566 DJ 8pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Solid” Guest DJs, 11am poolside, 9pm Lobby THE HOOD; PD; 760-636-5220 Reggae Showcase 9pm HOODOO COCKTAIL GARDEN @ THE HYATT; PS; 760-322-9000 Bill Ramirez 6:30pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Frank DiSalvo 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-366-2250 T.B.A. 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Battle of the Bands Finals w/ Ornament VS> Mojave Sky 8:30pm

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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PS UNDERGROUND has 3 fantastic events coming in May

LIGHT May 15th ~ 7 pm ShareKitchen $150 per person This secret underground dining event is the talk of the town. It is a one of a kind experience that can’t really be put into words. It’s part high end dinner party, part performance art and part culinary theatre. You must just let down your inhibitions, take a leap of faith and experience what has been appropriately dubbed “A culinary rave for adults” To order tickets go to lightps.net

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The Pampered Palate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

DINNER IN THE GARDENS May 28th, 2015 ~ 6:30 pm At a secret undisclosed location $97 per person Join us for this celebration of all things local. It’s farm to table cuisine at its finest. The location is unsurpassed.

We can’t wait to share it with you.

To order tickets go to www.psunderground.com

BALLZ BRUNCH May 17th ~ 11 am ShareKitchen $59 per person Join us as we celebrate food from the spherical realm. That’s right we will be serving all types of BALLZ. We can assure you that BALLZ will be flying around everywhere. So will free flowing bubbly and BALLZY Bloody Marys!!!

To order tickets go to www.psunderground.com

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

by Rick Riozza

I

wine is that as it slowly warms in the glass, it continues to evolve exhibiting added nuances of fruit and floral in the aromas and flavors.

An elegant Italian-chic bottle design packaging in clear glass highlights not only its gorgeous color but makes for a stylish gift.

This wine can go with pretty much any dish you can think of as it melds the freshness of sparkling wine with the complexity of Merlot. The “Frizzante” aspect refers to a soft effervescent of tiny bubbles.

High marks on the Rosato, especially at the price of around $13! Of course mentioning

Cab Franc, Orange Muscat, and Sangiovese.

A most inventive brew with the Muscat and Sangiovese hanging around. And these grapes are regionally sourced from Monterey, Santa Maria Valley, and Paso Robles.

SAVED Magic Marker is very dry. On the nose, it offers alluring aromas of white peach; its flavors are brightly layered with notes of tangerine, strawberries, and green apple. A very crisp and refreshing wine.

Clay Brock comments, “Scott gets a kick out of sipping rosé . . . having that Bad-Boy image but drinking pink wine! I love the bright acidity.” The wine sells for around $16 Best wishes to you and yours. Cheers!

I would also like to give a great shout out to Executive Chef Joel Delmond and his culinary staff at Pinzimini Restaurant located at the Westin Mission Hills Resort. The wine dinner held last week, pairing six exquisite dishes to the six featured world-class Antinori Italian wines, was masterfully accomplished.

And the place was filled with many local chefs and food & beverage professionals, all commenting that the evening was one of the best winemaker dinners of the season. Bravo!

Rick is your somm-about-town entertaining & conducting at wine events and tastings.

Contact winespectrum@aol.com

CO

& FO R K

K

R

t’s not that I’ve been a bad son; it’s just that I’ve never written particularly on a Mother’s Day wine.

So no question here but we’re going to spoil her with a delightful bottle or two, half a case or a case of 12. And in vino parlance, that means we know we can spend a bundle for some really popular high-class stuff, or, we can be judicious and find her an absolutely tasty and exciting wine where flavors dominate over price.

The sky is the limit as to what hue the wine will be—for this time of year, every varietal is on board to be considered, from crisp sparkling wines and aromatic whites to refreshing rosés and silky reds.

And there is something to the bottle itself by its shape or label that can also add to the gift. Wine marketing firms are quick to inform us that 29% of women wine shoppers will often choose a wine based solely on packaging. So don’t discount the very appealing design art of the bottle.

With all the above in mind, let’s check out some wine ideas and recommendations.

As with Valentine’s Day, rosé wine and rosé sparklers always seem to embody love and cherishment. These days we’re not only limited to White Zinfandel—which is still a very popular wine with the ladies, but almost every red grape varietal is wonderfully vinted to a rosé whose colors range from deepsunset to copper.

I’m going to quickly mention a couple great tasting wines that are perfect for every occasion this spring & summer, and, are so reasonably priced as well.

No surprise here on this selection: Italians always do it right when it comes to love, family and all that stuff. Plus this lightly sparkling rosé has a wonderful story behind it which makes enjoying the wine even more enlightening.

The Giol Rosato Frizzante IGT is a rosé made from 100% Merlot and is wholly organic.

And it is absolutely delicious! Seductively soft pink in the glass with refreshing floral aromas and hints of cherry and freshcut strawberries.

As with most rosés, it is meant to be served chilled with the wine losing its focus as it warms. The beautiful thing about this

“organic” no doubt brings to mind Annie Arnold owner of the Organic Wine Exchange.

And just in time for Mother’ Day, this Friday, May 8th , at Pavilions in Rancho Mirage, from around 2-6pm, Annie will be conducting a free wine tasting featuring this magnificent wine and others, so you can see for yourself the quality of the vino. Hope to see you there.

Another rosé recommendation of a different character is the 2014 SAVED Magic Maker Rosé, from the duo we recently did a fun write-up in these pages a few weeks back (Feb 26th issue) on their scrumptious SAVED red wine blend. Scott Cambell, contemporary artist and N.Y. street tattooist, has again collaborated with winemaker Clay Brock to share each other’s craft of bottle design and wine production.

Some fun PR on this just came across my email: “There’s a lot of ways to thank mom for everything she does, but mothers who put up with the bad-boy sons deserve something they can pour in their glass, kick back and unwind with on their special day: wine. All bad-boys have a mama’s boy inside, and whether treating mom to brunch or having a big family barbeque, they want to give her something to show their gratitude.”

This rosé blend is Pinot Noir, Grenache,

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Spoiling Mom with Wine

EST. 2

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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Movie Reviews with Robin E. Simmons

REFLECTIONS ON A MIRROR IMAGE

CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA A big hit at this year’s Palm Springs International Film Festival, this sly, intelligent and compelling drama from director Olivier Assayas is powered by three terrific performances by Juliette Binoche (from whom the idea for this movies originated), Kristen Stewart and Chloë Grace Moretz.

Binoche is Maria Enders, a famous actress at the peak of her worldwide fame when she is asked to perform in the revival of a play that catapulted her to fame twenty years ago. Back when she first performed the play, her character was Sigrid, a charismatic young woman who drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now, decades later, she is playing the older Helena. Enders heads to Sils Maria, a remote place in the Alps, with her assistant, played by Stewart. But this time around, the role of Sigrid (Moretz) is played by a

scandalous and trouble-plagued Hollywood starlet.

I loved the way the roles are reversed in a way that also reflects the lives of the two main characters: clearly, the younger Sigrid is a disturbing incarnation of the older Maria!

What a wonderful conceit.

This enigmatic tale works on many levels.

It’s about ageing, mortality, honesty, fame, show biz and love. Yes, it’s top-loaded with irony. And so it is with life itself – of you’re paying attention. But in the end, it’s the naturalistic performances that galvanize this singular drama.

I was never a fan of Kristen Stewart; never saw any acting skills on display. But here, wow, she is utterly astonishing. (Kristen, please forgive me for the sometimes harsh words I had for you regarding your film roles.)

Don’t miss this fascinating film that’s intentionally ambiguous in the best way. Pick of the week. Now playing at Cinemas Palme d’Or.

Screeners No.163

AVENGERS: AGE OF ULTRON Nothing I write here can in any way alter this movie juggernaut that, in it’s opening week, is already racking up record box office bucks allover the world! However, incredible visceral action with a few moments of witty repartee do not always satisfy if there’s not an equally engaging story. Narrative is everything in movies. Just overloading the already crowded cast with some new characters both friends and foes, does not make this enterprise more entertaining or engaging. It’s like jamming a wad of cotton candy into your mouth. Sweet while it lasts but there’s no lingering satisfaction.

In this sequel, Tony Stark jumpstarts a forgotten peacekeeping program, but naturally, things go awry and some of our biggest comic book heroes (Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye) are tested to the limits as they battle to save the planet from evil Ultron.

Yes, I suppose it’s worth seeing the chaos of heartless robots running amuck in IMAX 3D if that’s your thing -- as long as you remember that bigger is not always better.

Now playing.

NEW FOR THE HOME THEATER: BLACK SEA

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“Brave the deep, find the gold, trust no one,” says the accurate tag line on some of the posters. This suspenseful, claustrophobic, well-crafted thriller directed by Kevin Macdonald, stars Jude Law as Royal Navy Captain Robinson who puts together a ragtag, misfit crew of half English/half Russian marine specialists to steal a golden hoard on a sunken WW II era Nazi U-boat at the bottom of the Black Sea. But alas, the greedy salvage company that just let Robinson go has already marked the treasure and now it’s tied up in complicated red tape. To pull off the heist, Robinson must pilot a derelict sub to the site without being detected by

the Russian naval fleet above and before desperation, greed and simmering tensions on the sub explode. Jude Law is terrific -certainly among his better performances -- as the captain of a crew fighting for their own survival.

Not a great movie, but a solid adventure of desperate men surrounded on all sides by what one crewmember describes as “dark, cold death.”

British director McDonald (THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND and STATE OF PLAY) excels at stories about men in impossible situations.

Recommended. Universal/Focus. Blu-ray.

WINTER SLEEP

Turkish filmmaker Nuri Blige Ceylan won the 2014 Palme d’Or at Cannes for this talky, Chekhovian drama. The story revolves around Aydin, an aging, rich, blinkered, hotel owner, his disenchanted younger wife and his recently divorced sister who spend the winter in their hotel in beautiful Anatolia.

There’s lots of arguing with family and neighbors, and everyone seems to find ways to locate and pointedly jab at the other’s vulnerability over a running time of three hours. In spite of a scene I consider cruelty to horses, I liked this film that isolates the characters deep dissatisfaction with life in spite of their refined sensibilities, prestige and wealth. I was provoked by the stark reminder of what does not bring happiness to the human condition.

The flow of remarkable images are embedded with an intimate but cold luxury; Aiden’s wife speaks the line that underscores the theme when she says to her husband: “In order not to suffer, you prefer to fool yourself.” Yes. That’s what we humans do to cope. Recommended. Kino/Adopt. Blu-ray.

Comments? robinesimmons@aol.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

PET PLACE Puppies Behind Bars S

ervice dogs are the eyes for those who cannot see, the leaders for people unable to walk, and the healers for those suffering from emotional illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For some service dogs, it all began behind bars....

Before Puppies Behind Bars began, an inmate named Tom spent most days watching television in his cell and pumping iron. Tom spent over thirty years in prison on a conviction for second degree murder. Tom explained the difference the dogs made in his life, “In the prison system, you shut down your feelings. You gotta do that to survive, because it’s hard. But the dogs brought me back, you know, to the human side.” He had an incredible success rate of 6-0 with all his dogs successfully graduating, a success that gave him status within the prison and hope within himself. Tom took on a dog that was failing in the program, a beautiful Golden Retriever named Tuesday, a dog that later became the subject of a best-selling book UNTIL TUESDAY. Tom began his relationship with Tuesday by simply laying down beside him for three hours without saying a word.

He describes his first impression of Tuesday, “Tuesday has such sad eyes, especially when he’s wounded, that at seven months old he probably looked like exactly what he was: a lost kid. When I think of him then, I see a perfect picture of longing, of innocence, at the moment it discovers there is pain in the world.”

Tom looks back on those days, “The only way the prison system could win was to get me to hate, and being around the dogs and everything, the hate was totally out of the picture.” Today Tom owns a dog training business with his wife, providing a second chance for troubled dogs that others gave up on including many pit bulls. Inmates who participate in the Puppies Behind Bars program acquire job skills and exit prison to enter careers as vet technicians, kennel

May 7 to May 13, 2015

by Janet McAfee workers, and animal trainers.

Founded in 1997, this innovative program in New York initially trained dogs for people with physical disabilities. After 9/11, there was an increased demand for bomb sniffing dogs. Later they began training dogs to assist veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with PTSD, acquired brain injuries, and physical conditions. The dogs spend 20 months with their inmate trainers, living with them in their cells. Here, it’s the dogs that get weekend furloughs in outside homes to gain exposure to things they don’t encounter in prison such as doorbells and elevators. The dogs learn an amazing 80 commands.

A similar program, Pups on Parole, began in Las Vegas when a rescue group called “Heaven Can Wait Animal Society” didn’t have enough foster homes for the dogs they rescued. The dogs are placed with specially chosen inmates in the female correctional facility. The abandoned and sometimes abused dogs needed a place to heal before going to adoptive homes in the community.

Inmates have all the time in the world, but for dogs on “death row” in shelters time is of the essence. Famed trainer Cesar Milan helped develop the training curriculum.

Sister Pauline Quinn started a pet prison

program in the State of Washington. Results from that program show that only one participating inmate who was released has reoffended and returned to prison! Prison inmates, abandoned shelter dogs, people with disabilities, are all connected by a desire for a productive life. The program generates revenue by offering low cost boarding and grooming to the public.

Los Angeles County just started a program like this. California inmates have a recidivism rate of 67%. They come out of prison with few job skills after learning unsavory “tricks of the trade” from fellow offenders. Meanwhile, our shelter dogs whose only crime is not having a home languish behind bars without hope. It costs California taxpayers an average of $47,000 per year to house an inmate. It costs California taxpayers an average of $426 to capture, house, and then euthanize a shelter animal. Who rescues who? Not every inmate can be rehabilitated. But for many, after exposure to these wonderful canine creatures, confidence replaces fear, purpose replaces idleness, and hope for a better future replaces anger. jmcafee7@verizon.net

BRADLEY This sweet shy boy prefers the ladies! Bradley is a 2-yrold Havanese blend rescued from the shelter

by Loving All Animals.

Adoption donation. Call (760) 834-7000.

sweet Sparky Sparky will light up your heart if you adopt him! This 10-mo-old charmer waits for you at the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, 72-050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms.

Dog ID#1187233.

(760) 343-3644.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015 continued from page 19

LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company,in the afternoon,Hot Rox,in the night LIT@FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; 760-3452450 Circle of Fifths 9pm THE LOUNGE, AGUA CALIENTE; RM; 888-999-1995 TBA 9pm MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Ron Greenip 8pm MARGARITA’S; PS; 760-778-3500 Live Music 6pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Southbound and Company 9pm PALM DESERT COUNTRY CLUB; PD; 760345-0222 Old Skool 6:30pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-3655956 Shadow Mountain Band 5pm, The Farmers 8pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-228-1199 TBA 9pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Panzram, Ekavahs and Moribund 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext230 Comedy Night 5:30pm, Kal David & The Real Deal 8:30pm RENAISSANCE PALM; PS; 760-322-6100 Art of Sax featuring Sax Man Will Donato & Eddie Reddick 7-10pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Brady James 9pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3278311 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 7pm, Triple Threat Sidebar Patio 7pm, Michael Keeth & Martin Barrera Sidebar Lounge 10pm ROCKYARD @ FANTASY SPRINGS; IND; Helicopter and Queen Nation ( Queen Tribute ) 7:30pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Evaro Brothers 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Moonbaby 9pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; PS; 760-322-9293 Barry Baughn Blues 8-11pm SHANGHAI RED’S @ THE FISHERMAN’S MARKET; LQ; 760-777-1601 Smooth Brothers 8-11pm SHELLY’S LOUNGE@TORTOISE ROCK CASINO; 29 Palms; Rojer Arnold & Bobby Furgo 9pm SIDEWINDER GRILL; DHS; 760-329-7929 Karaoke w/ Milly G 6pm SMOKIN’ BURGERS; PS; 760-883-5999 Ron James 6pm SOUL OF MEXICO; IND; 760-200-8787 Latin Music 10pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Dude Jones 6pm TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-3479985 Johnny Sugarbritches’ Dirty Donger Birthday Party 9pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Darci Daniels 6:30pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 T.B.A. 9pm TRILUSSA ITALIAN RISTORANTE; PS; 760-328-2300 Julius & Sylvia Music Duo 6-10pm VIBE, MORONGO CASINO; CAB; 951755-5391 DJ Hektik 10pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Pat Rizzo & All That Jazz Band 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Rob & JB 1:30-4:30pm, Nite Fixx 9-2am, DJ Anwaar

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www.coachellavalleyweekly.com Hines 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Chris Lomeli 8pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 TBA 8pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-5648744 Scott Carter 7:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Stanley Butler Trio 6:30pm ZELDA’S; PS; 760-325-2375 DJs 9pm

SUN MAY 10 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bob & Allison 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 High Five Fest, Slacker Sunday w/ Jeniluv 10pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Brunch 11:30am AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 The Judy Show 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Soul, Funk and Motown Vintage Videos 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Steve Madaio 6-10pm CASCADE LOUNGE, SPA RESORT; PS; 888-999-1995 Nash with Quinto Menguante 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm DHS SPA LOUNGE; DHS; 760-329-6787 Karaoke 9pm EL MEXICALI CAFÉ 2; IND; 760-342-2333 Cesar Daniel Lopez on the harp 6-9pm HARD ROCK HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9676 “Fusion” Pool Party 11am poolside INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Ted Herman’s Big Band 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Open Jam 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company, in the afternoon, Hot Rox, in the night MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 Sunday Jam 4-8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7:30pm THE NEW YORK COMPANY RESTAURANT; PS; 760-778-7789 Lili Rose 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Longest Running Jam Session in the valley. Hosted by JB, Sign up 6pm PAPPY & HARRIET’S; PT; 760-365-5956 The Hot Fudge Sunday Band 7pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 The Jam Session 5-9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.231 The Judy Show’s Mother’s Day Special 5:30pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Art of Sax Sidebar Patio 5pm SAMMY G’s; PS; 760-320-8041 Eddie Gee 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Smooth Brothers TACK ROOM TAVERN; IND; 760-347-9985 The Betabums 4pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Luck Be a Lady w/ Francesca Amari and Darci Daniels 6:30pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Jazz Time Band 2-5pm, John Stanley King 6-9pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Scott Carter 1:30-4:30pm, Rob & JB 4:30-9pm, DJ Idol Eyez 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800

Tony DiJerlando 6pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Line Dancing w/ Tina 5:30-9pm THE WINE BAR BISTRO; LQ; 760-5648744 Michael Keeth & Martin Barrera 6:30pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 The Smooth Brothers 5:30pm

MON MAY 11 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Bonny Jean 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Chill Lounge and Deep House 9pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Ron Kalina’s Jazz 6pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 7pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Kevin Quinn 8pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Trivia Night Hosted by Chelsea Sugarbritches 7pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 T.B.A. 6pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Joanne Tatham 8pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Michael James & 3sum 9-2am VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Tony Grandberry 6:30pm WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Family Karaoke hosted by Joleene 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Barney McClure Jazz 6pm

TUE MAY 12 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Paul & Jo 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Ace Karaoke with Kiesha 9pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Bella da Ball Dinner Revue w/ guest performers 7:30pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Rock and Roll 9pm BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 Stanley Butler Trio 6-10pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Joe Jaggi 6pm

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com CORK TREE; PD; 760-779-0123 Michael Keeth 6-9pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Jesse Sweitzer 5pm FIRESIDE LOUNGE; PS; 760-327-1700 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke 9pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Karaoke hosted by Phillip Moore 9pm INDIAN CANYONS GOLF RESORT; PS; 760-833-8700 DJ Randy Johnson 6pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760345-6466 Michael D’Angelo 6:15pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Ted Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show Jam 8pm KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Karaoke 7pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Palm Springs Sound Company NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Tim Burleson 7:45pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Acoustic Guitar Jam 8pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 Darci Daniels 6:30pm RIVIERA RESORT & SPA; PS; 760-3274080 Martin Ross Starlite Lounge 6pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 Open Mic Hosted by Josh Heinz 9pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760341-3560 Demetrious and Co. TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 Karaoke w/ T-Bone 9pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Carolyn Martinez 6pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 Live entertainment VUE GRILLE & BAR; IW; 760-834-3800 Chris Lomeli 6pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 John Bolivar 6pm

WED MAY 13 29 PALMS INN; 29 Palms; 760-367-3505 Dan Horn 6pm ACE HOTEL; PS; 760-325-9900 Austen McCutchen & Leslie Stevens 7pm AJ’S ON THE GREEN; C.C.; 760-202-1111 Jazz Jam 7:30pm AZUL; PS; 760-325-5533 Piano Bar 6pm BART LOUNGE; C.C.; 760-799-8800 Goth Night 9pm

BLUEMBER; RM; 760-862-4581 T.B.A. 6-10pm CAFÉ DES BEAUX- ARTS; PD; 760-3460669 Brian Nova 6pm CASTELLI’S; PD; 760-773-3365 Patrick Tuzzolino 6pm CUNARD’S SANDBAR; LQ; 760-564-3660 Bill Baker 6pm ESCENA LOUNGE & GRILL; PS; 760-9920002 Jesse Sweitzer 5pm HUNTER’S; PS; 760-323-0700 Live VJ 9pm INDIAN WELLS RESORT HOTEL; IW; 760-345-6466 Open Mic w/ Rich Bono & Poupee Boccaccio 6pm JOSHUA TREE SALOON; JT; 760-3662250 Live Music KOKOPELLI’S; YV; 760-228-2589 Open Mic hosted by Amy Angel 6:30pm LAS CASUELAS TERRAZA; PS; 760-3252794 Hot Rox MELVYN’S RESTAURANT & LOUNGE; PS; 760-325-2323 “Sing Jam” w/ Michael Healy 8pm NEIL’S LOUNGE; IND; 760-347-1522 Golden Era Karaoke 4-7pm, Karaoke 8pm-1:15am THE NEST; PD; 760-346-2314 Kevin Henry 6-8pm Tim Burleson 8pm PALM CANYON ROADHOUSE; PS; 760327-4080 Jack Rivio 6:30pm PJ’S SPORTS LOUNGE; YV; 760-288-1199 Karaoke w/ KJ Ginger 8pm PLAN B LIVE ENTERTAINMENT AND COCKTAILS; TP; 760-343-2115 Red’s Rockstar Karaoke Talent Quest 9pm PURPLE ROOM@CLUB TRINIDAD; PS; 760-327-1161ext.230 The Michael Holmes Trio 6pm RED BARN; PD; 760-346-0191 Rockaholics 9pm SCHMIDY’S; PD; 760-837-3800 D Phillips Band 6pm SULLIVAN’S STEAKHOUSE; PD; 760-3413560 Straight Ahead Jazz 6pm THREE SIXTY NORTH; PS; 760-327-1773 Open Mic w/ Les Michaels 6:30pm TILTED KILT; PD; 760-773-5458 8pm VICKY’S OF SANTA FE; IW; 760-345-9770 Lizann Warner 6:30-10pm VILLAGE PUB; PS; 760-323-3265 DJ Khodi Rayne 4:30-2am, Nite Fixx 9-2am WILLIE BOYS; MV; 760-363-3343 Karaoke 9pm WOODY’S BURGER; PS; 760-230-0188 Dennis Jones Band 6pm

May 7 to May 13, 2015

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SocialSecurity

By MARIA M. MIRANDA

GIVE THEhatGIFT OF TIME AND LOVE THIS MOTHER’S DAY do you plan to get for Mom see how her future benefits can be affected

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this Mother’s Day? If she’s like most Americans, she probably feels time-constrained and the hours she spends with family and friends are precious.

So, in addition to giving her flowers or a card, give her a gift she’ll really appreciate: the chance to spend more time with the ones she loves!

While spending time with your mom on Sunday, May 10, you can help her quickly and easily sign up for a free, online my Social Security account. You can do it from home, which means less time waiting in line, and more time doing the things you want to do together.

Signing up for a my Social Security account will give Mom the tools she needs to stay on top of her future Social Security benefits. When she signs up at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount, she can do a number of things. First and foremost, she can plan for her retirement.

Mom can never start planning for retirement too early. If she isn’t already retired, she can view her Social Security Statement, verify her earnings records, and find out what benefits she can expect to receive at age 62, her full retirement age, or at age 70.

Is Mom thinking of retiring at a different age? It’s easy to get instant, personalized benefit estimates, too. Just escort Mom to the Retirement Estimator, where she can plug in different scenarios to find out how much she can expect in Social Security benefits. She can also plug in different future wage amounts to

by when she retires and how much she contributes. Visit the Retirement Estimator at socialsecurity.gov/estimator.

As she continues to work and earn wages, she can use her my Social Security account to keep track of and verify her annual earnings. If Mom has already retired and receives Social Security benefits, she can use her account to: Get an instant letter with proof of her benefits; Change her address and phone number; and Start or change direct deposit of her benefit payment.

The time saved by using our convenient and secure online services is priceless. Helping Mom sign up for a my Social Security account at socialsecurity.gov/myaccount is a great, personalized gift that shows you really care!

Maria M. Miranda - Social Security District Manager in Palm Springs, CA

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

conrad negron talks oil

What am I paying for in the price of a gallon of Gasoline?

P

eople are always asking me this question. And I know a lot of drivers ask themselves this question when they pull up to the pump. Most don’t actually look at the price and that’s really funny that they complain but don’t know the real price.

The answer is based on the economics of supply and demand and how products are manufactured and sold – along with what the government takes in taxes. Let’s take a look, based on the U.S. Energy Information Administration’s breakdown of the estimated average price of a gallon of gas in December 2011, which was $3.27.

Raw materials = $2.62 The cost of the raw materials used to make a product has a major impact on the final product price. The raw material for gasoline is crude oil. The price of crude oil is set by global markets, where buyers and sellers constantly react to supply and demand factors. Oil is just one of many commodities traded every day in the global market. Others are the corn that affects the price of food and the cotton that affects the price of clothing.

Crude oil is by far the largest factor in the price of a gallon of gasoline – accounting for 80 percent of the $3.27 average retail price per gallon in December, according to the EIA. To put that in another way – about $2.62 of the average gallon of gas in this example is set before a refiner even touches the raw material.

Where I find many people get confused is that they assume oil companies are producing all the oil that goes into their own refineries – and therefore can control gas prices by controlling the supply chain.

That’s not the case.

U.S. crude oil production in 2010 was 5.5 million barrels per day. But U.S. refineries processed 15.2 million barrels of oil per day – almost three times more oil than

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was produced in the U.S. That means U.S. refiners, like ExxonMobil, have to purchase millions of barrels of crude oil – at market prices – to produce gasoline and other products for American consumers. For example, in 2010, ExxonMobil spent $198 billion purchasing oil around the world for its refining operations.

Now let’s talk Coachella Valley prices, very high to the average price around the rest of the country. My personal opinion is the oil markets have been manipulated over the past 15 months and gasoline will continue to be higher than normal prices or what some say they should be. Confusing?

Yes of course.

What actions could help lower gas prices?

Again, let’s go back to the economics of supply and demand that govern the crude oil market, since it’s the largest determinant of the price at the pump.

There are many global factors that affect the crude oil market. But adding more supplies of crude oil to the global marketplace can help put downward pressure on the price of a barrel of oil. The United States has abundant supplies of oil, from the deep-water regions of the Gulf of Mexico to the tight oil resources throughout North Dakota and Montana. Combined with Canada’s oil resources (one of the largest in the world), North America has enormous potential to add new reliable supplies to the market. And, the U.S. has one of the largest and most advanced refinery systems in the world.

I remain highly confident in investing directly at the wellhead to create monthly cash flow and great tax deductions. I also believe long term in Natural Gas well into our future of continued wealth creation in this sector.

Please contact me for more in depth strategies and updated information. can@conradnegron.com.

Haddon Libby

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

State of the World’s Mother

E

very day, 800 mothers and 17,000 young children die of largely preventable causes. More than 60 million women and children are in need of humanitarian assistance every year.

To help us in defining the best and worst places to be a woman and raise a child in the world, Save the Children produces an annual Mothers’ Index that compares the health, educational, economic and political factors of each country.

Starting here at home, the United States ranks #33 out of 179 countries. While we rank 9th in economics and 16th in

education, we are 42nd in children’s health and a dismal 61st in maternal health. The maternal death rate in the United States has been deteriorating quickly over the last few years with 1 in 1,800 mothers dying from pregnancy-related causes, up from 1 in 4,200 only two years ago. For comparison, Austria is at 1:19,200 and the UK is at 1:6,900 while Azerbaijan is on par with the US at 1:1,800.

Infant mortality in the United States is 6.9 per 1,000 which is 3x higher than Iceland and on par with war-ravaged Bosnia! Looking a little deeper, 1.4% of all children born in Cleveland will die before the age of five; 1.1% in Baltimore and Memphis and 1.0% in Raleigh, Indianapolis and Philadelphia. For comparison, infant mortality is 1.5% in Syria, 1.4% in Brazil and 0.96% in Sri Lanka.

Overall, the United States is behind all other industrialized countries. For

Dale Gribow On The Law

ATTORNEY REVEALS HOW TO STOP INSURANCE CO’S FROM DENYING AND DELAYING SETTLEMENTS

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nowbirds and locals, in recent accidents related to traffic from recent concerts or end of season parties, will soon realize that the evil insurance companies will deny and delay settlements. But why are insurance companies not treating victims fairly as they did in the past and how can victims reverse this process?

This refusal to treat victims fairly has resulted in lawyers putting in a lot more time to resolve or try the case…if they accept the case. I say IF because lawyers know that without bad faith law to protect citizens it will be a long and tough road ahead and no one can afford to take a small case to trial. Unfortunately, citizens mistakenly voted with the insurance companies and against the interests of victims when they did not see the value of bad faith laws.

This current scenario requires all victims to be more diligent than ever preparing a case. They must convince the carrier this case should be settled quickly and fairly. But how do you get in that posture?

I formerly had a radio show entitled “Accidentally Yours” where we discussed what to do if you were in an accident. The first thing I suggested on each show is that “people don’t plan to fail, they just fail to plan”. I urged my listeners to decide now which lawyer they would call for an accident. Have a lawyer’s information handy… just as you would the information for a plumber or an electrician.

After an accident call the police and convince them to take a traffic accident report. The report

and immediate medical treatment at a hospital or urgent care center is crucial today to support claimed injuries.

An accident case is an information gathering game that is now necessitated by insurance companies recent hard line approach. With your cell phone take photos of the damage to both cars, as well as your injuries and those of the other party.

Also use it to record statements from witnesses and the defendant driver.

I advise my clients to get a spiral notebook to use as a journal to note the name, address, cell and email of all parties and witnesses. Then start with the top of your head and work down to the bottom of your toes listing daily what hurts.

There may be new pains every day so list them daily as well as your loss of enjoyment of life. Take this journal to your doctor appointments so that you do not forget to tell your medical provider all of your medical and psychological complaints.

If you do not relate all your medical symptoms to your doctor then today’s insurance companies will assume you did not have that symptom. Each doctor must include all your symptoms in the medical report your lawyer will request.

I always suggest you see a doctor you have not seen before and one that knows how to write a med/legal report. Otherwise when the insurance company subpoenas your medical records from your former doctor it may show things you do not want to disclose: drug use, STD, mental illness, alcohol addiction, psychological issues, etc.

Journalize what you were NOT able to do

a healthcare system that is the most expensive in the world, these results are an embarrassment.

The top five countries for women are Norway, Finland, Iceland, Denmark and Sweden, while the five worst are Somalia, the Congo, Central Africa, Mali, and Niger.

Other notable countries include Greece at #19, Canada #20, the UK #24, Japan #32, Cuba #40, Mexico #53, Russia #56, China #61, and India at #140.

Why are the Nordic countries so far ahead of us as it relates to healthcare?

Looking at Norway, they have a taxpayerfunded, single payer health system. As a result, all Norwegians receive full health care. This also means that Norwegians pay 45% of their Gross Domestic Product to the government. Norwegians can opt out of the state sponsored system and pay for their own healthcare - something that happens when wait times for procedures are too long. For example, 23% of all patients referred to hospitals have a three month wait time. Also, some treatments are not permitted as a healthcare administrator may find the treatment too costly or unlikely to be effective. Despite these shortcomings, this method for providing healthcare to Norwegians has superior results to our approach. The maternal death rate in

because of the accident? For instance did you have to cancel a party you were throwing or attending?

Did you cancel a vacation or were you unable to lift your minor child or grandchild?

Do not discuss liability or talk to either insurance company because if the other side is uninsured you will bring a UM claim where we collect from your carrier. Either insurance company will size you up to determine how saleable you would be to a jury. They look at how you dress, were your shoes shined, nails clean, tats, etc.?

The adjuster pumps you for information and it is not just what you say but what they thought they heard you say. They might think because you live in Palm Springs that you are a golfer or a tennis player and then ask whether you played recently.

If you were well enough to play a sport they will later argue you were not as injured as you claimed to your doctor.

When they look at the property damage they ask to take pictures of the damage and ask you to stand next to the car and point to the damage.

Right before they take the picture they say “smile”.

Now they have a picture of you bending and smiling when you complained your pain is so bad you cannot bend and certainly would not be smiling.

Please understand you will not be treated fairly by the insurance company without an attorney.

In California we previously had “bad faith laws” to protect citizens. They required the insurance company to deal fairly with claimants, but that was mistakenly voted out by citizens mistaken as to what it would do.

Lawyer’s contingency fees level the playing field so that victims can afford to hire the best. A good lawyer assists in finding a doctor to treat on a lien. Thus you do not pay for treatment until the case settles.

May 7 to May 13, 2015

Norway is 1:14,900, 88% better than the U.S. while infant mortality at 2.8 per 1,000 is 60% better.

Somalia is the most difficult place on Earth for a mother and child to live. One in eighteen mothers dies in pregnancy-related deaths while 14.6% of all children under five years of age die. For children that survive, most receive only 2.2 years of education.

Somalia’s Gross National Income per person is a paltry $130 annually. For comparison, the United States is $53,470 per person although our wealth is heavily concentrated in a smaller subset of Americans.

Our results as a country should serve as a wake-up call to those who lobby against Obamacare and for less government involvement in healthcare. Is it any surprise that an increasing wage gap has occurred at the same time that healthcare for American women and children has declined?

It’s probably just a coincidence.

By the way, Medicare is Obamacare.

Those who believe that retirees deserve this base level of healthcare, but women and children do not are either stupid or selfish… or both.

When selecting a lawyer, look at the AVVO legal rating system and choose a 10.0 lawyer and one who has been recognized as a TOP LAWYER by Palm Springs Life. A lawyer’s community involvement is also important because it is symbolic of the respect the insurance company will have for the attorney.

If you have any questions or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow at 760 837 7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com DALE GRIBOW TOP LAWYER - Palm Springs Life 2011-2016 Perfect AVVO Perfect 10.0 Peer Review Rating “Preeminent” Rating by Martindale Hubbell Legal Directory Selected for Rue “Best Attorneys of America” (Limited to Top 100 Attorneys per state) 2015 Client Appreciation Award 2015 Martindale Hubbell Client Distinction Award Only Attorney Appointed to CVAG Public Safety and CLINTON Foundation (DUI) committees; For more than 30 years Gribow has been committed to protecting client’s civil and criminal constitutional rights. Regardless of whether the matter concerns a Serious Accident, DUI, Business, Real Estate or Estate Planning issue, every case is diligently handled with the utmost of respect and care. Gribow offers clients decades of experience and success, thus making him the attorney of choice for thousands of clients.

DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE, CALL A TAXI OR UBER…IT IS A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME!

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

safety tips

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

by Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Act FAST! E

very 40 seconds, someone in the United States has a stroke. Each year more than 135,000 Americans die from stroke—or one person every four minutes—died from stroke, making it the fourth leading cause of death in the United States. May is Stroke Awareness Month reminds Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna A stroke, sometimes called a brain attack, occurs when a blockage stops the flow of blood to the brain or when a blood vessel in or around the brain bursts. Although many people think of stroke as a condition that affects only older adults, strokes can and do

occur in people of all ages. In fact, nearly a quarter of all strokes occur in people younger than age 65.

If you think someone may be experiencing a stroke act FAST by observing these warning signs. The acronym stands for Facial drooping, Arm weakness, Speech difficulties and Time, it’s important to seek medical attention immediately and call 911.

You can learn more about FAST by visiting: www.everydayemstips.com/fast-strokeassessment Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

Community BOYS & GIRLS CLUB OF PALM SPRINGS HOSTS PROJECT R.I.S.E. TEEN RESOURCE FAIR Raising Issues Surrounding Everyone (R.I.S.E.)

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oys & Girls Club of Palm Springs is excited to host a teen resource fair on Saturday, May 23 from 9AM to 1PM at the Club inside the Mary Bremer Patrick Teen Center. The fair is sponsored by the organization’s Keystone Club and is open to all teens throughout the Coachella Valley.

A variety of informative resources regarding employment opportunities, drug and alcohol deterrence, teen pregnancy prevention, suicide and self-harm awareness, the LGBT community, teen homelessness and racial diversity will be discussed.

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“Our teens face many issues today and we do everything we can to help them overcome and deal with those matters,” said Terry Tatum, Board President of Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs. “This event allows us to further those efforts, as well as extend help to other teens in the area who may be facing similar challenges.”

Safe House of the Desert and Desert Aids Project will be present, along with other health organizations, to address any questions. General college information will be readily available and employers seeking additional personnel will be distributing applications to those interested.

Attendees will also enjoy food from various vendors and snow cones to get a break from warm temperatures. Entertainment elements adding to the fun include the Palm Springs High School Ballet Folklorico dance group, dance teams, singers, bands, games and more.

Organizations and vendors are invited to participate in this inaugural event geared toward youth education. For more information, contact Lupe Branson, Teen Center Unit Director at Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs, at (760) 322-7393 ext. 303 or lbranson@bgcps.org.

Boys & Girls Club of Palm Springs thrives to enable all young people to reach their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens. For more information, visit www.bgcps. org or call (760) 327-1304. The Club is located at 450 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262.

sharekitchen

A Weekend in Review L

ast Saturday, 2,000 people turned out for the Coachella Valley’s first annual Health Glo 5K held in front of City Hall in Cathedral City. Janet Zappala, news anchor for KMIR 6, rang in the event after which participants navigated a course replete with numerous Glow in the Dark paint stations.

Once completing the course, walkers and runners could have their paint-covered pictures taken thanks to the DATA Academy of Cathedral City High School, sponsors of the photo booth.

Before and after the walk/run, participants and their supporters enjoyed music, food and the offerings of more than forty vendors. The HEAL ACADEMY of Cathedral City High School had a very active booth where they engaged children about healthy food at their coloring station, taught

CPR and first aid, and hosted smoothie making demonstrations with over 500 smoothie samples.

ShareKitchen’s tent had a planting booth that used organic soils and biodegradable pots made from bamboo. Sponsored by the City of Cathedral City with plant sprouts provided by Sage Mountain Farms, the booth taught kids of all ages about food cycles and “Where Food Comes From”.

At the start of the day, ShareKitchen announced the winner of the CV Fresh logo contest. The winning logo will be used on local farm and food products to help consumers identify local food in grocery stores like Whole Foods Market, restaurants and retailers. Judecie Juan submitted the winning logo and is very excited about winning this opportunity. Ms. Juan is a graduate of Palm Springs High School and currently studies business marketing and graphics design at California State University - San Bernardino. Additional award winners also included Harry Nugent- Patton, Erika Sabala and Adam Santiago.

Congratulations to Ms. Juan and all of the participants in the CV Fresh Logo Contest and the Health Glo 5K! Follow us at www.facebook.com/ShareKitchen for the most up to date information on the local food movement in our community.

WINNING LOGO designed BY Judecie Juan

RealEstate

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

By Bruce cathcart

The Ultimate Test Drive

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ou wouldn’t by a new or used car without taking it for a test drive. We all want to see what kind of condition it’s in and how it performs in all kinds of weather and road conditions. If you are really serious about a specific car you can even rent one for a few days to really get to know whether or not it is the car for you. So why is it that most of us don’t have that same mind set when it comes to buying a house or condo? Okay, before you say it… some houses actually do come with wheels, but I’m not talking about actually taking the home out for a spin here. But there are several situations that it makes perfect sense to rent a home before actually purchasing a home. In fact this year I have noticed that to be a growing trend here in the Coachella Valley and, quite frankly, a lot can be learned from these folks that are employing this strategy for relocating to the desert and eventually purchasing a home here… or not.

Before I share with you some examples of how this rent before purchasing strategy might benefit you or someone you know, let’s take a quick look at the real estate sales activity for the month of April. As a reminder, the number of homes sold in 2014 was 11% fewer than in 2013. The idea here is that we need to sell MORE homes than last year to support a recovery of the real estate market.

If we sell fewer homes this year than last year, then obviously our market is NOT going in the right direction! So far 2015 is off to a slow start with total sales for the first quarter still lagging behind last year’s numbers. We were all hoping for a strong March to make up the difference.

Here’s what happened.

According to the Desert Area MLS (as of 05/01/15) there were 1,012 pendings of residential properties here in the Coachella Valley in April. There were 1,024 pendings in the previous month (March) which means activity was still good following our normal seasonal sales pattern. Checking the pendings from April of last year (2014) there were only 879 pendings for the month. That’s good news for May closings and suggests that we will likely exceed last year’s sales in May but the difference will not be large enough to keep up with last year’s sales numbers. This will mean another year of overall declining sales for homes in the Coachella Valley unless our sales numbers continue to rise in May and June, which is unlikely. Checking the actual sales data, in March there were 777 solds and in April we rebounded with 857 solds. A nice increase to be sure, but unfortunately this is slightly LESS than a year ago when in April 2014 there were 870 solds. So, as was predicted last month, the little gain in solds for March was lost in April and we continue to fall behind last year’s total solds. Our inventory of homes for sale dropped slightly for the second month in a row with 4,934 homes available as of May 1, 2015 compared to 5,054

at the beginning of April. This is still 800 MORE homes on the market compared to the same time last year. Unlike many other locations in Southern California, the lack of inventory is not a reason for the current lack of sales in the Coachella Valley. With our selling season quickly coming to an end I hate to say it, but right now our real estate market here in the Coachella Valley is not on the road to recovery.

Working here in the Coachella Valley affords me with the opportunity to work with people from all over the world who think they want to come and live here and enjoy the lifestyle and all the other great things that our desert has to offer. I get to help folks looking to retire here, purchase second homes, and also those individuals or families who are transferring into the area for work or simply to improve their quality of life. In most of these instances they come here with limited knowledge of the area and rely on what they have learned from the internet, their friends and of course their trusted real estate agent. Now I am not saying it is true in all cases, but under these circumstances wouldn’t it make sense to take a “test drive” before purchasing a home here? Sometimes we forget that we live in a resort area which means that almost every neighborhood, gated community and country club has vacation rentals available for short term leasing. Not sure if you want to retire to Sun City or The Trilogy?

How about the Cathedral City Cove or La Quinta Cove? Whatever your budget or desired location there is probably a fully furnished house or condo out there for you to rent and really see if it is the place for you. Not sure you can handle the heat in the summer? The good news is that monthly rates drop dramatically June through October. So if you are struggling to find the perfect property, not sure about the area, or making the move… take the ultimate test drive and rent a home before purchasing.

You’ll be glad you did!

Join me each month this year as we keep a close eye on our Coachella Valley real estate market. If you have a real estate question or concerns please email me at the address below.

Bruce Cathcart is the Broker/Co-Owner of La Quinta Palms Realty, “Your Friendly Professionals” and can be reached by email at laquintapalms@dc.rr.com or visit his website at www.laquintapalmsrealty.com.

RealEstate MOVE-IN NOW OR CUSTOMIZE A DREAM HOME AT SoL PALM SPRINGS

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ew homeowners will experience instant gratification at SōL Palm Springs, whether they desire to move in immediately or customize their ultimate dream home. Presented by Family Development, this unique, gated community located in the heart of downtown, boasts artistic, yet functional design features that capture the true essence of modern Palm Springs architecture.

Our move-in ready homes include the finest upgrades, which truly simplifies the buying process, said Vincent J. Barbato, Principal of Family Development. Other buyers enjoy the process of selecting the many customizable options to reflect their personal style. We are proud to offer both of these options.

This ultra-modern community offers buyers an unparalleled, urban style living.

Two varying floor plans are available and range in size from 2,151 to 2,726 square feet.

With prices starting in the low $600,000s, every home in SōL Palm Springs features state-of-the-art design elements, a gourmet kitchen, two spacious master bedroom suites, a private pool and spa, a combination of indoor and outdoor fireplaces and rooftop decks. Plus, each of the community’s 46

detached two-story homes is situated to take full advantage of the magnificent San Jacinto Mountain views.

Residents at SōL Palm Springs are just a short stroll to popular events including the weekly street fair, International Film Festival, Modernism happenings, the International Art Fair and many more. Sōl Palm Springs also offers unique activities for leisure within the community, including a private conversation park and coffee pavilion.

SōL Palm Springs is located at the northeast corner of Avenida Caballeros and Amado Drive. The sales center is located onsite at 1020 Zeil Dr., Palm Springs, CA 92262 and is open daily from 10am to 5pm. Sales associates can be reached at 760-322-2205 or via email at sales@solpalmsprings.com.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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sports Scene

Your Perfect Sports Week

T

he NFL Draft was in Chi-Town, the whole world watched “The Fight Dud Of The Century,” American Pharoh is the new horse poised to win the Triple Crown, not a nickname Fox News gave President Obama, the Clippers are keeping basketball fans (Read: owner Steve Ballmer) on the cusp of emotional breakdown and the Anaheim Ducks are barely breaking a sweat through the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

And if ALL that weren’t enough to keep you happy as a sports fan, how about this: In N Out will be opening in La Quinta. Right off highway 111 near the Trade Joes and Lowes.

Life is good... Real good.

Let’s break down the biggest week in sports in 2015!!

We’ll begin with the stuff that puts me in a good mood, and the 2015 NFL Draft. For the first time since 1964 it was in Chicago. The weather wasn’t great at first, pretty windy and chilly, but the warmth of the Mid-West people and the festival atmosphere the NFL set up for the 50,000+ fans in daily attendance made that fact easy to forget.

Generally held in NYC and amidst the hustle and bustle of Manhattan, the Chicago draft allowed the NFL to charm fans and spectators in a way that Manhattan would never allow. And it worked.

I saw fans from all 32 franchises, crowds were massive and everyone was smiling. It felt

more like a Super Bowl week than a NYC draft week and that was awesome. Chicago and the NFL proved it doesn’t need New York. You can expect to see the draft in other cities in the future.

Equally entertaining at the draft was watching Roger Goodell aimlessly searched for people to hug as three of the first four selections went the non-traditional route and didn’t show up in Chicago but chose to stay with family. Of course, then Goodell was handsomely rewarded at the 12th overall pick

by Danny Shelton. A 350+ pound (after sitting in a sauna) defensive lineman drafted from the University of Washington and by the Cleveland Browns.

Shelton picked Goodell up and swung him like a rag doll around the Auditorium Theater stage.

The Pac-12 beat out the SEC and Big 10 for most draft picks in the first round and the Jets, Raiders and Browns faired very well with their drafts. Could mean the turning of the tide for some franchises.

It was a turning of the tide for boxing last weekend as well.

Yup. The So-Called “Fight of the Century” ended up being a dud of entertainment and a classic Mayweather “let-me-run-around-thering-to-not-get-hit” fight.

Now, come to find out Manny had a shoulder injury and thus, an excuse as to why the fight

sports Scene Lebron & Cavs locate uphill battle..

A

fter losing 99-92 to the Chicago Bulls, are the Cavaliers in trouble?

Yes. But are they in big, the-basketball-worldis-about-to-end trouble? No. This is only one game in the best-ofseven series and who knew what to expect from the Cavs without two starters -- Kevin Love (shoulder surgery) and J.R. Smith (twogame suspension).

I tend to agree with David Blatt when the Cavs coach said, “We were not that far off ... we were just a bit off on a lot of little things.”

That’s why I’m not in panic mode. When you have LeBron James and Kyrie Irving on your team, you can win any game on any court.

No one likes losing the first game of a series at home, but it’s a very long series.

The Bulls proved in their six-game series against Milwaukee that they can be a very inconsistent team.

There was no way for the Cavs to simulate what would happen in this game -- because they never were without Love and Smith in a game that mattered during the regular season.

A NEW LINEUP NEEDED But this much is certain, Mike Miller (for Smith) in the starting lineup didn’t work. The Cavs were outscored, 13-2 to start the game,

32

Book Review

by Julie Buehler

and 27-15 at the end of the first quarter.

Blatt is in a tough spot. He had to pick a starter from Shawn Marion, James Jones and Miller. Well, the Cavs were outscored by a whopping 20 points with Miller on the court. In 16 minutes, he scored three points, but did grab five rebounds. He had problems with Mike Dunleavy, who drilled his first five shots (13 points) in the first quarter.

Marion was on the court for six minutes, and the only thing he did in the box score was commit a foul. Jones missed two shots, and had two rebounds in eight minutes.

Add it up and veterans Miller, Jones and Marion had three points (1-of-4 shooting) and seven rebounds in 31 minutes.

So the Cavs received so little from their three veterans.

Don’t be surprised if Matthew Dellavedova starts Game 2. He played 19 minutes and the Cavs outscored the Bulls by eight points with him on the court -- chasing Derrick Rose. Dellavedova also scored five points.

None of this is appetizing. The Cavs desperately need Smith in the backcourt -- not only for his outside shooting, but his solid defense. But he’s out until Game 3.

“No excuses,” insisted Blatt, talking about the team’s slow start and lineup issues.

THEN THERE’S LEBRON

was so uninteresting and this is all setting up nicely for a rematch that stupid sports fans can overpay to see.

It’s insulting to think ANYONE would pay to see another one of Mayweather’s fights. But they will. Someone will. Heck, LOTS of people will.

Sad state of affairs.

Mayweather is as interesting as the WNBA. But he’s got Bugattis (plural) and seething ego that people either love or love to hate, so they pay attention.

It’s ridiculous. He’s a coward, in the ring and outside it. It’s sad he gets as much publicity as he does.

Anyway, back to good stuff.

A year after the Clippers owner, the longest tenured owner in the NBA was banished for life for his long-standing racists tendancies, the Clippers took out the defending world champion San Antonio Spurs in a breathtakingly beautiful Game 7 effort.

Chris Paul was the hero for the Clippers last year as he stood up for his teammates and led them through that tumultuous time and he was the leader last Saturday, banking the winning basket with 1 second remaining.

I thought before that series that if the Clippers could persevere past the Spurs, they had a great chance of getting to the Western Conference Finals and even the NBA Finals.

That seems even more true now.

They’ve turned the corner from being a talented team that stubs their toes every now and then to be a ridiculously talented team that

May 7 to May 13, 2015

By Heidi Simmons

A Mother’s Influence overcomes a weak bench and mental mishaps.

Might be poetic justice that the year after Donald Sterling is banned, the Clippers win the first title in franchise history.

Yes, the Golden State Warriors will do everything they can to see that doesn’t happen, but just ask yourself, “What if?” Where would that rank in the pantheon of great redemption stories? We’ll wait to see if it comes to fruition, but I’d have to say Top 5.

Haven’t even mentioned the impressive season the Houston Astros or San Diego Padres are having or the excitement of the NHL playoffs.

But I’m out of space and you’re out of time.

Let’s do this again next week huh? We’ll be closer to the In N Out being ready.

Yeah, life is good for us sports fans.

Real good.

Julie Buehler hosts the Coachella Valley’s most popular sports talk radio show, “Buehler’s Day Off” every day from 1-4 on 1010 KXPS, the valley’s all sports station. She can also be seen every morning between 6-7am on KMIR sharing the coolest stories in sports. She’s an avid gym rat, slightly sarcastic and more likely to recite Steve Young’s career passing stats than American Idol winners. Tune in M-F 1-4 pst at www.team1010.com or watch “Buehler’s Day Off” on Ustream and KMIR.com for her sports reports.

by Flint Wheeler

LeBron James had a night where he went to the boards -- 15 rebounds. He delivered nine assists, had three steals and an outrageous block. But his last field goal was with 6:14 left. He missed his final three shots, and really didn’t try to impose his offensive will in the last six minutes.

Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau raved about James being able to guard “anyone on the court.” And James did defend at least four players. Blatt raved about James on defense, and he deserved it.

He seemed to either be a bit weary or not in the middle of the offense. It’s hard to believe that will happen again. It was Kyrie Irving and Iman Shumpert who scored 16 points in the fourth quarter. They were a combined 5-of-12 shooting, James was 2-of5.

DEFENSIVELY SPEAKING The Bulls’ Pau Gasol scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half. Chicago continually ran a pick-and-roll near the top of the key.

Irving was having a hard time staying with

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the dribbling Rose. Tristan Thompson often was defending Gasol.

Too many times, Rose slipped past Irving...and Thompson tried to help defend Rose...and Gasol was wide open for a pass and a medium range jumper.

“Those are like layups for him,” said Rose.

The Cavs stopped some of the bleeding when Dellavedova came into the game and defended Rose. Blatt mentioned the adjustments on Gasol, “but it was a little too late.”

So just like his players, Blatt realizes that he could have done a little more.

Rose and Gasol combined for 46 of Chicago’s 99 points. The Bulls shot 50 percent from the field, and there’s no way the Cavs can win the series if that trend continues.

“We were in that game,” said Blatt “We had our shot to win that game. I really believe that.”

He then added, “Once you walk into the fire, you can come away hurt badly...or a lot smarter.”

The Cavs have to quickly learn the lessons from this game as they prepare to face the Bulls continuously.

M

other’s Day is so much more than a Hallmark invention.

Whether present or absent in our lives, mothers make us who we are -good or bad. In Toni Morrison’s God Help the Child (Knopf, 183 pages) one woman must learn to overcome her childhood before she can finally grow up.

Lula Ann Bridewell is born so black her father abandons her and her mother because he can’t fathom that the Sudanese black Lula can be his child. Lula’s own mother, Sweetness, is mulatto and can’t figure how her baby could be blacker than midnight. Throughout her childhood, little Lula is rejected, starved for affection and attention.

When Lula is sixteen she changes her countrified name to Ann Bride. Later, she earns an important position in a cosmetic company and is only known as Bride. She buys all her clothing in shades of white and the ugly duckling is now a ravishing dark beauty with her own product line.

Bride’s boyfriend, Booker, is the strong, silent type. They get along great until in an intimate moment she confesses a wrong she wants to make right. Booker doesn’t understand and leaves her. He says he doesn’t know who she is and Bride agrees.

God Help The Child By toni morison fiction Bride soon realizes she loves Booker and wants to know why he would leave so abruptly without his stuff or forwarding address.

Tracking Booker down, Bride confronts him only to discover they have much more in common than she ever thought. Both have been carrying their past with them to the point of self-destruction. After they share their experiences, the two find a new love and a freedom that would never have come if not for their troubled past.

This is author Morison’s eleventh novel.

There is such an ease and beauty to the prose that the chapters just slip away and the reader is caught up in a traumatic world where people are raw and real. The

narrative unfolds through a handful of characters who shed light on their personal experiences and connections with either Bride or Booker.

All the characters in the novel are damaged in some way. Each struggles to have a good life even with cumbersome personal baggage.

These ancillary characters are able to comment and give insight on Bride and Booker because they too understand how childhood trauma can affect adult behavior and choices.

Several characters in the story have suffered from child abuse. Bride witnessed a sex act on a neighbor boy. As a child, Booker’s brother was molested then murdered. A girl called Rain is a runaway after her mother sold her to a man. These horrors and atrocities make life a challenge to the survivors in Morrison’s story. How do you move on? How do you find happiness or a healthy relationship? Can you ever right wrongs?

These themes are woven into the fabric of Morrison’s work. Her characters slowly reveal the ugly side of human behavior as well as great moments of beauty as they rediscover themselves.

Certainly Bride and Booker come together like magnets because of their

childhood pathologies. Their push-pull relationship could end in disaster or success. The only remedy is their desire to heal, which requires forgiveness and love.

Not always an easy thing to accomplish.

As Bride decides to seek Booker – not to make her whole, but to set things straight about who she is -- she goes through a physical transformation. Her body becomes like a child again. She shrinks, her breast and her pubic hair disappear. This physical manifestation becomes a metaphor for reclaiming her childhood, which elevates Bride’s story and her journey.

When Sweetness hears about her daughter’s happiness and that Bride is pregnant, she comes to realize that “What you do to children matters. And they might never forget.” Her final words to Bride: “Good luck and God help the child.”

Good or bad, mothers are only human and raising other humans is not an easy task. May we love and forgive all mothers and be grateful someone gave us life.

Happy Mother’s Day.

33

May 7 to May 13, 2015

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Full Service Feline Only Veterinary Clinic

Life & career Coach

by Sunny Simon

Dr. Rebecca Diaz

760-325-3400 Dr. Rebecca Diaz is a cat-loving veterinary professional, dedicated to keeping your cats and kittens happy and healthy with top-quality care in a stress-free environment.

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Every aspect of our clinic is designed with the special needs of cats in mind.

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• Vaccinations • General Surgery • Dentistry

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www.catcitycat.com

34

Is That Your Real Smile?

Y

ears ago when I first heard the expression, “fake it ‘til you make it,” I shuddered. Acting in a fake manner seemed so disingenuous. Somewhere down the line I must have experienced an “aha” moment finding some value in revisiting and applying a false front.

Perhaps it was the Dale Carnegie course I took decades ago. Prior to delivering a twominute speech, a speaker was to stand at the back of the room and upon being introduced run up the isle clapping and acting enthusiastic. Let me repeat those key words: acting enthusiastic.

Trust me, when I stood at the back of the room preparing to take the spotlight, I felt anything but enthusiastic. Terrified, mortified and horrified maybe, but far from excited about public speaking. After the 12-week course came to a close, I realized the Carnegie people had it right. Forcing yourself to smile, clap and jog your way to the front of the room did help in minimizing the jitters. Drawing yourself up, pulling your shoulders back and remembering to take a few deep breaths aids in conjuring up a smattering of self-confidence.

My older and wiser self still gives credence to the “fake it ‘til you make it” maxim, but I would temper that piece of wisdom by advising you can take the acting element only so far. Did you know many people can spot a

fake smile? According to Psychology Today, a fake smile is evidenced by a contraction of the zygomatic major muscle. A genuine grin, dubbed a “Duchenne” smile, named after the French doctor Guillaume Duchenne, a student of the physiology of facial expressions, involves both voluntary and involuntary contractions from the zygomatic major and the orbicularis oculi. Think about that next time you plaster on your “say cheese” smirk when encountering your boastful bore of a brother-in-law, or any personality type you prefer to avoid.

What should you do when you’re not feeling the love? Examine your motivation.

If you have to spend an afternoon with your bigheaded brother-in-law to appease your wife, own it. Chase away the negative emotions by acknowledging you are doing something nice for your spouse.

One last thought, zygomactic major and orbicularis oculi are difficult to pronounce and harder still to remember. The next time something arises making happiness a stretch, just focus on a pleasant thought like your next vacation, a great evening or a kiss from a loved one and smile, smile, smile. Your next smile might not be fake at all.

Sunny Simon is the owner of Raise the Bar High Life and Career Coaching. More about Sunny at www.raisethebarhigh.com v

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FREE WILL ASTROLOGY Week of May 7

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Benedictine monks observe the Latin motto Laborare est Orare. The 19th-century abbot Maurus Wolter interpreted these words to mean “work is worship” or “work is prayer.” He was trying to impress upon his fellow monks that the work they did was not a grudging distraction from their service to God, but rather at the heart of their devotion. To do their tasks with love was a way to express gratitude for having been blessed with the gift of life. I propose that you experiment with this approach in the coming weeks, even if your version is more secular. What would it be like to feel contentment with and appreciation for the duties you have been allotted?

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Here’s one of the best things you can do for your mental and physical health: Withdraw your attention from the life that lies behind you, and be excited about the life that stretches ahead of you. Forget about the past, and get wildly inventive as you imagine the interesting future you will create for yourself. Forgive everyone who has offended you, and fantasize about the fun adventures you’ll go on, the inspiring plans you’ll carry out, and the invigorating lessons you hope to learn.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In the children’s book The Little Engine That Could, a little blue engine volunteers to pull a long chain of train cars up a steep hill, even though it’s not confident it has the power to do so. As it strains to haul the heavy weight, it recites a mantra to give itself hope: “I think I can, I think I can, I think I can.” The story ends happily. The little blue engine reaches the top of the hill with its many cars in tow, and is able to glide down the rest of the way. As you deal with your own challenge, Gemini, I recommend that you use an even more forceful incantation. Chant this: “I know I can, I know I can, I know I can.”

CANCER (June 21-July 22): Here’s a confession: I have taken a vow to foster beauty, truth, love, justice, equality, tolerance, creativity, playfulness, and hope. To do this work is one of my life goals.

I approach it with the devotion of a monk and the rigor of a warrior. Does that mean I ignore difficulty and suffering and cruelty? Of course not. I’m trying to diminish the power of those problems, so I sure as hell better know a lot about them. On the other hand, my main focus is on redemption and exaltation. I prefer not to describe in detail the world’s poisons, but rather to provide an antidote for them. Even if you don’t normally share my approach, Cancerian, I invite you to try it for the next two weeks. The astrological time is right.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): The hill where I take my late afternoon hikes is teeming with the six-petaled purple wildflower known as the elegant cluster-lily.

Every one of them -- and there are hundreds -- lean hard in the direction of the sun in the west. Should I deride them as conformists that follow the law of the pack? Should I ridicule them for their blind devotion? Or should I more sensibly regard them as having a healthy instinct to gravitate toward the life-giving light? I’ll go with the latter theory. In that spirit, Leo, I urge you to ignore the opinions of others as you turn strongly toward the sources that provide you with essential nourishment.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Am I reading the astrological omens correctly? I hope so. From what I can tell, you have been flying under the radar and over the rainbow. You have been exploiting the loopholes in the big bad system and enjoying some rather daring experiments with liberation. At this point in the adventure, you may be worried that your lucky streak can’t continue much longer. I’m here to tell you that it can. It will. It must. I predict that your detail-loving intelligence will paradoxically guide you to expand your possibilities even further.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): According to the three science fiction films collectively known as The Matrix, we humans suffer from a fundamental delusion. What we think is real life is actually a sophisticated computer simulation. Intelligent

© Copyright 2015 Rob Brezsny

machines have created this dream world to keep us in suspended animation while they harvest our energy to fuel their civilization. Now as far as I can tell, this scenario isn’t literally true. But it is an apt metaphor for how many of us seem to be halfasleep or under a spell, lost in our addiction to the simulated world created by technology. I bring this to your attention, Libra, because now is a favorable time to diminish the hold that the metaphorical Matrix has on you. What can you do to at least partially escape your bondage? (Hint: A little more contact with nature could do the trick.)

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): In the coming weeks, you may be as alluring and intriguing and tempting as you have been in a long time. I suggest you capitalize on this advantage. Proceed as if you do indeed have the power to attract more of the emotional riches you desire. Assume that are primed to learn new secrets about the arts of intimacy, and that these secrets will make you even smarter and more soulful than you already are. Cultivate your ability to be the kind of trusted ally and imaginative lover who creates successful relationships.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Physicist Frank Wilczek won a Nobel Prize for his research into quarks, the tiny particles that compose protons and neutrons. The guy is breathtakingly smart.

Here’s one of his operating principles: “If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not working on hard enough problems. And that’s a big mistake.” Let’s enshrine his advice as your meditation, Sagittarius.

I think you’re strong enough and brave enough to go hunting for some new super-rich dilemmas.

Yes, they may lead you to commit some booboos.

But they will also stretch your intelligence beyond its previous limits, giving you a more vigorous understanding of the way the world works.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): In 1934, Capricorn baseball player Dizzy Dean was named the Most Valuable Player after winning 30 games.

It was a feat that no National League pitcher has repeated ever since. After Dean retired, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. Never shy about acknowledging his own prowess, he declared that “if you can do it, it ain’t bragging.” It is in this spirit that I invite you to freely expound on your talents and accomplishments in the coming week. You won’t be boasting. You will simply be providing information.

And that will ultimately result in you being offered an interesting new opportunity or two.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): There has rarely been a better time than now to refine the art of being your own mommy or daddy. You’re finally ready to take over from the parental voices in your head and assume full responsibility for raising yourself the rest of the way. What do you want to be when you grow up? You may feel a giddy sense of freedom as it becomes clear that the only authority who has the right to answer that question is you.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): The universe has always played tricks on you. Some have been so perplexing that you’ve barely understood the joke.

Others have been amusing but not particularly educational. Now I sense a new trend in the works, however. I suspect that the universe’s pranks are becoming more comprehensible. They may have already begun to contain hints of kindness. What’s the meaning of this lovely turn of events? Maybe you have finally discharged a very old karmic debt.

It’s also conceivable that your sense of humor has matured so much that you’re able to laugh at some of the crazier plot twists. Here’s another possibility: You are cashing in on the wisdom you were compelled to develop over the years as you dealt with the universe’s tricks.

Homework: No one can make you feel any emotion unless you agree to feel it. You are the sovereign of what happens inside you. Explain why at FreeWillAstrology.com.

Rob Brezsny Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

May 7 to May 13, 2015

Mind, body & Spirit

by Bronwyn Ison

Happy Mother’s Day!

M

other’s contribute an immeasurable amount to our society. FOX News reports the average annual salary of a stay-at-home mom is worth more than $65,000 per year.

Other studies conclude if you add overtime, the average annual salary would be more than $110,000 per year. A day in the life of a mother is sun up to sun down. Mother’s will be honored all around the world on Sunday the 10th of May. It is a day to celebrate the special person in your life whom you call mom.

Approximately one hundred fifty years ago Mother’s Day commenced in the United States. A “Mother’s Work Day,” was proclaimed by an Appalachian homemaker named Anna Jarvis. The day raised awareness of poor health conditions in her community. Jarvis passed away in 1905. Her daughter, also named Anna, perpetuated on her legend and instigated a campaign to memorialize the work of her mother.

In prior days, Mother’s Day was celebrated with people attending church, writing, and sending letters to mothers. As years past Anna Jarvis became enraged.

She believed this honored day of sentiment was being marginalized for greed and profit.

Anna Jarvis filed a lawsuit to stop a Mother’s Day festival. Subsequently she was arrested for disturbing the peace at a Mother’s Day convention selling carnations for a wartime mother’s group. Prior to her death in 1948, Jarvis admitted she regretted starting the Mother’s Day tradition.

The Mother’s Day tradition has flourished in the United States. It has become the most popular day of the year to dine out.

Telephone companies record this day as having the highest volume of calls than any other day of the year.

You may consider spending time with your mother in a non-traditional way this year. Perhaps you can go to dinner rather than brunch. Enjoy listening to live music together at her favorite restaurant. If you are on a budget, enjoy an early dinner and

a movie together at home. Enjoy the day poolside. Go for a walk/or hike. Engage an activity together: walking, hiking, yoga, shopping, etc.

Each of us should take time on this special day to appreciate how important mothers are to our society. Many of us are blessed to still have our mothers, as a part of our lives. Others will recollect fond memories of their mother.

Most importantly stimulate a memory on Mother’s Day. Express to your mother that you care, and love her. This will signify more than any card. Wishing all of the mother’s and mother’s to-be a very HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY. Bronwyn Ison is the owner of Evolve Yoga. e-volveyoga.com (760)564.YOGA

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

Ask The Doctor

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

by dr peter kadile

Dr. Peter M. Kadile is Board Certified in Family Medicine. He has an integrative, osteopathic medical practice and is also known as the local, house call doctor; Desert House Call Physician. He is on staff at Eisenhower Medical Center and medical director for Serenity Hospice. His office is located in beautiful Old Town La Quinta, 78-100 Main Street, Suite 207, La Quinta, CA 92253. (760) 777-7439. DesertHouseCalls@aol.com. www.deserthousecalldoc.com.

The Sun: Your best friend and worst enemy

S

ummer isn’t officially here yet, but it’s getting hotter. We need to protect ourselves from the harmful effects of the sun’s rays.

Dear Dr. Kadile, what is a good SPF for sunscreen? - Brendan, Palm Springs Brendan, SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and ranges from 2 to as high as 50.

It refers to the sunscreen’s ability to screen or block out the sun’s harmful rays. The number stands for the length of time one can stay in the sun using the sunscreen before burning compared to when not wearing a sunscreen. For example, if a person uses a sunscreen with an SPF 15, that person can be in the sun 15 times longer than without sunscreen before burning.

Dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or greater, higher SPF if you are lighter or fair skinned.

Choose a sunscreen that protects against UVB and UVA radiation.

If you plan on doing a lot of swimming or water activity, then I would recommend a “waterproof” sunscreen over a “water resistant” brand. A waterproof sunscreen maintains its SPF level twice as long as a water resistant product when exposed to water.

Don’t forget to reapply the sunscreen because they will sweat off, so follow the directions on the bottle on how frequently you need to reapply.

Dear Dr. Kadile, is there a difference between sunblock and sunscreen?

-James, Desert Hot Springs

James, sunblock are physical sunscreens that contain chemicals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide that physically block the ultraviolet radiation. Sunblocks provide good protection against UVB and UVA light.

Some new zinc oxide products are brightly colored and are part of the “fashion” for

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a lot of younger people at the beach.

Most of the sunscreens we are familiar with are considered chemical and contain ingredients that act as filters to reduce ultraviolet radiation penetration to the skin.

Dr. Kadile, what do you recommend for a sunburn? -Jade, La Quinta

Well, prevention is always the best, but if you do get a sunburn there are several things you can do.

- Apply a cool compress to the burned area - Take a cool shower or bath - Over the counter anti-inflammatories, such as ibuprofen or naprosyn can help relieve the inflammation and pain - Application of lotions containing aloe vera help to soothe and moisturize the skin.

Some products used specifically for sunburn contain lidocaine, which is an anesthetic and can numb the sunburn pain.

- Over the counter 1% hydrocortisone cream may help relieve the pain and itching - Vitamin E oil the skin can decrease the inflammation

Dear Dr. Kadile, when is the best time to apply sunscreen? - Thomas, Rancho Mirage

Sunscreen should be applied to dry skin 30 minutes before going outside.

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

Coachella Valley Weekly

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760.501.6228

Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Alaina Majiros, Jorge Gutierrez, Edward L. Prichard III Classified Manager & Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Features Writer Lisa Morgan, Judith Salkin, Denise Ortuno Neil, Heidi Simmons, Kira Golden, Rich Henrich Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Craig Michaels, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Rachel Montoya, Angela Janus, Janet McAfee, Dale Gribow, Raymond Bill, Jack St. Clair, Rob Brezny, Eleni P. Austin, Noe Gutierrez, Sunny Simon, Karen Creasy, Richard Weiss, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dr. Maria Lombardo, Bruce Cathcart, Julie Buehler, Flint Wheeler, Laura Hunt Little, Rebecca Pikus, Monica Morones, Lola Rossi, Dee Jae Cox, Edward L. Prichard III, Jean Chariton, Patte Purcell, Esther Sanchez Photographers Laura Hunt Little, Scott Pam, Lani Garfield, Chris Miller/ Imagine Imagery, La Maniaca Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

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May 7 to May 13, 2015

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