Coachella Valley Weekly - June 17 to June 23, 2021 Vol. 10 No. 14

coachellavalleyweekly.com • June 17 to June 23, 2021 Vol.10 No.14

Splash House

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Darci Lynne

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Paul Anka

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Cali Rosina Tea & Chocolate

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Coyote Stageworks

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL Coachella Valley Weekly (760) 501-6228

publisher@coachellavalleyweekly.com coachellavalleyweekly.com facebook.com/cvweekly twitter.com/cvweekly1 Publisher & Editor Tracy Dietlin Art Director Robert Chance Sales Team Kirby Club Crawler Nightlife Editor Phil Lacombe Head Music Writer Noe Gutierrez Head Feature Writer Crystal Harrell Feature Writers Lisa Morgan, Rich Henrich, Heidi Simmons, Tricia Witkower, Jason Hall, Esther Sanchez Writers/Contributors: Robin Simmons, Rick Riozza, Eleni P. Austin, Craig Michaels, Janet McAfee, Bronwyn Ison, Haddon Libby, Sam DiGiovanna, Dale Gribow, Denise Ortuno Neil, Rob Brezny, Dr. Peter Kadile, Dee Jae Cox, Angela Romeo, Aaron Ramson, Lynne Tucker, Aimee Mosco, Michelle Anne Rizzio, Ruth Hill, Madeline Zuckerman Photographers Robert Chance, Laura Hunt Little, Chris Miller, Iris Hall, Esther Sanchez Videographer Kurt Schawacker Website Editor Bobby Taffolla Distribution Phil Lacombe, William Westley

CONTENTS

Palm Springs International ShortFest......... 3 Splash House Double Weekend ................... 4 Darci Lynne at Spotlight 29 .......................... 5 Club Crawler Nightlife ...................................5 Paul Anka at Fantasy Springs....................... 6 Consider This - Ken Sharp............................. 7 Cali Rosina Tea & Chocolate ......................... 8

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oviegoers and film aficionados eagerly awaited the day when they could finally be seated in a theatre during the COVID-19 pandemic. After holding the festival virtually last year, the 27th Palm Springs International ShortFest returns to hold all of its screenings in-theatre at the Camelot Theatres (now the Palm Springs Cultural Center) from June 22-28. The festival will screen 49 curated programs showcasing 295 films, including 32 world premieres, 13 international premieres, 46 North American premieres, and 22 U.S. premieres. More than 5,500 short films from 104 countries were submitted.

“The entire programming team was blown away by the quality and quantity of amazing films made and submitted during these unprecedented times. We think this program represents the very best work of exciting, bold, and talented filmmakers from all over the world, and we can’t wait to celebrate them by sharing their films in a theater with an in-person audience!” stated ShortFest CoDirector of Programming Linton Melita.

Juried award winners will be announced on June 27 from the official selection presenting them with awards and cash prizes worth $25,000, including five Academy Award qualifying awards. Over the course of 26 years of its history, the festival has presented over 100 films that have gone on to receive

Academy Award nominations. This year’s categories will have their own group of jury members, including Oscar Qualifying Awards, Student Short Awards, and Special Jury Awards.

The short films will be presented as programs, with multiple films placed together in the same showing with similar themes.

Some of these programs include Amazing Animation—featuring all-animated short films, Thrills & Chills featuring all things horror, and the family-friendly Shorties!

The ShortFest Forum will also take place from June 22-28, with virtual classes and panels featuring industry representatives and filmmakers. This year’s panels will cover a wide range of topics including building an inclusive set, co-productions and international collaborations, shorts distribution, the documentary landscape, feature distribution, festival strategy, feature film financing, festival programming, pitching, social change and impact filmmaking, transitioning from shorts to features, working with actors, private roundtables with agents, grants, and artist development. ShortFest filmmakers will have priority access to the ShortFest Forum.

Seven of the panels will be available for the general public, with pre-registration required.

Even though it is worth celebrating the fact that films can be viewed in a theatre again, the ShortFest is still working closely

with Camelot Theatres to use strict cleaning protocols for screening rooms and public areas. Theatergoers will be required to wear masks to enter venues and while out of their seats. Once seated, attendees may remove masks to enjoy concessions. Those who are unwilling to wear a face covering will be denied entry. Another important note is that even though guidelines allow for 100 percent capacity in theatres, the Camelot will keep capacities at approximately 75 percent.

Tickets sales will be available online or via phone to reduce the need to stand in line for tickets. Purchased tickets may be presented on phones or printed at home to be scanned at time of entry. Limited walk-up box office hours are scheduled for those needing additional assistance. On June 21, the box office at the Camelot will be open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. From June 22-28, the box office will open one hour before the first show until half an hour after the last show begins.

Lines begin forming 40 minutes prior to the start of the film and seating begins approximately 30 minutes prior to showtime.

It is recommended that guests arrive at least ten minutes prior to the start of the film, as seating is not guaranteed if arriving after ten minutes prior to showtime. Guests should enter the "Ticket Holder" line if they have tickets for a specific film.

If guests are not able to purchase an advanced ticket, there is still a chance to see the film as reserved seats may go unclaimed. Empty seats are released for sale ten minutes prior to a screening. The released seats are deemed Standby Tickets and will be sold on a first come, first serve basis. Standby lines form 40 minutes prior to a screening.

“As we collectively move toward this next stage together, we feel a strong sense of gratitude to share the 2021 edition of ShortFest in person. At the center of our plans has been a commitment to this great community of storytellers and moviegoers, and we're excited to make our return to the silver screen a safe and enjoyable one,” said Artistic Director Lili Rodriguez.

For a complete line-up and film schedule or to purchase tickets, visit psfilmfest.org.

CV Cat Club Fundraiser.................................. 8 Breaking The 4th Wall - Coyote Stageworks Final Curtain Call...................................... 10 Theatre - Alliance of Desert Theatres ........ 10 Screeners...................................................... 11 The Vino Voice ............................................. 12 Keg Whisperer.............................................. 13 Pet Place ................................................. 14-15 Haddon Libby .............................................. 17 Dale Gribow ................................................. 17 Cannabis Corner .......................................... 18 Free Will Astrology ..................................... 18 Safety Tips.................................................... 21 Travel Tips 4 U .............................................. 21

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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SPLASH HOUSE ANNOUNCES LINEUPS FOR AUGUST 2021 DOUBLE WEEKENDER

EVENTS

RETURNING TO THREE RESORTS IN PALM SPRINGS, CA - AUGUST 13-15 AND 20-22

WEEKEND ONE Lineup Features Dom Dolla, Get Real, Shiba San, TOKiMONSTA, Tycho DJ Set, Whethan, Mark Knight, Moon Boots (DJ Set), Poolside (DJ Set). WEEKEND TWO Lineup Features Bob Moses (Club Set), Camelphat, Gorgon City, San Holo, SG Lewis (DJ Set), The Brothers Macklovitch, Sonny Fodera, Yotto. NIGHTLY AFTER HOURS Programming at Palm Springs Air Museum with Lane 8 and Green Velvet Weekend One, MK + special guest Weekend Two. Registration for June 17 On Sale Available at SplashHouse.com

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his August, Splash House returns to Palm Springs to celebrate its eighth summer and the joyful reunion of its fun-loving community. Those in the know love Splash House for its forward-thinking dance music curation, poolside parties, and resort amenities that make it a renowned destination for music fans and festival travelers. Fans may now rejoice as Splash House announces lineups for its first double weekender August 13-15 and 20-22.

Set across three resort hotels Renaissance, Margaritaville, and Saguaro - the event guides attendees between bespoke pool areas and iconic stage-facing balconies. It's the perfect blend of comfort and day into night dancing, with After Hours programming continuing at Palm Springs Air Museum aside planes under the desert stars.

Hotel Packages bundle Splash House festival passes with hotel reservations at one of the three host resorts.

Each summer Splash House continues to evolve its programming with a mix of headliners and rising talent. Weekend one welcomes some of modern House’s biggest stars to the party like Claude VonStroke and Green Velvet super-duo Get Real, Australian forerunner Dom Dolla, French 4/4 anthemist

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Shiba San, Tool Room’s Mark Knight and the illustrious Moon Boots (DJ Set). The next generation will be in full force too with Detroit’s DJ Holographic, Eskuche, Dateless, Lubelski, Sohmi and more carrying the torch. The bill is also topped by multi-genre stylings from TOKiMONSTA, Whethan, Seb Wildblood, Poolside (DJ Set), and a Tycho DJ Set. Weekend two digs just as deep with dance luminaries like Camelphat, Gorgon City, Bob Moses (Club Set) and Yotto taking center stage. Indie crossover idols SG Lewis (DJ Set), The Brothers Macklovitch, San Holo, and Surf Mesa, while global house capitalizes on the poolside energy with genre leaders Bontan, Sonny Fodera, Toni Varga, Clyde P b2b Tim Baresko and more. Some of underground dance’s most prized acts round out weekend

two including Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ Set), Galcher Lustwerk and Kim Ann Foxman.

By night Splash Mates transform from hotel partiers to After Hours legends, taking over the nostalgic open-air haunts of Palm Springs Air Museum. Weekend one will see Lane 8, Green Velvet, and Mason Maynard touchdown on the runway, followed by a weekend two triumph with MK, Cloonee, and a special guest. Amidst hangers and retro planes it remains one of the coolest places to have a dance and enjoy the desert breeze.

Fusing the natural beauty of Palm Springs with quality programming and immersive production makes Splash House the ultimate stop for west coast dance music fans. It’s the quintessential summer getaway you’ve spent the last year dreaming of…

For access to the Splash House On Sale, you must register at splashhouse.com. On Sale opens June 17th at 12pm. Guests must be 21+ to attend. Passes start at $159; After Hours passes start at $60. Hotel Packages available at all host hotels starting at $300 per person.

WEEKEND ONE LINEUP - AUGUST 13-15 Andre Power – Blossom – Dateless – DJ Holographic – Dom Dolla – Eskuche – Get Real – Green Velvet*** – Hannah Fernando – Jared Jackson – Josh Butler – Lady Bee – Lane 8*** – Lubelski – Mark Knight – Martin Ikin b2b Illyus & Barrientos – Mason Maynard*** – Mild Minds – Monki – Monte Booker – Moon Boots (DJ Set) – Poolside (DJ Set) – Sad Money – Seb Wildblood – Shiba San – Sohmi – TOKiMONSTA – Troy Kurtz – Tycho DJ Set – Whethan WEEKEND TWO LINEUP - AUGUST 20-22 Bob Moses (Club Set) – Bontan – CamelPhat – Cloonee*** – Clyde P b2b Tim Baresko – CRi – FERNET – Ferreck Dawn – Galcher Lustwerk – GOJ!RA – Gorgon City – Kim Ann Foxman – Kronika – Life on Planets – Luttrell – Mercer – MK*** – PAX – Rossy – San Holo – SG Lewis (DJ Set) – Sonny Fodera – Surf Mesa – The Brothers Macklovitch – Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs (DJ Set) – Toni Varga – Tsu Nami – Vincent – Yotto – Yula ***After Hours at Palm Springs Air Museum

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he Spotlight Showroom at Spotlight 29 Casino will feature a familyfriendly performance by the incredible singer and ventriloquist Darci Lynne in her “My Lips Are Sealed (Except When They're Not)” tour on November

13, 2021. This is the first time she has performed at the Spotlight Showroom and signifies a new direction for the respected entertainment venue. The performance will start at 7 p.m. and tickets range from $45 to $120. Tickets for this performance are on

sale now at www.spotlight29.com. Tickets for this fun event are expected to sell out quickly. Future acts featuring high-profile acts and entertainers will be announced soon. For information call 760-775-5566 or go to spotlight29.com.

At 15 years old, Darci Lynne is already a master singer and ventriloquist. Her powerful and sweet voice leaves the audiences breathless, and her polished, impeccable skill as a ventriloquist is jaw dropping. She is the youngest contestant to ever win NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” and holds the record for receiving the most votes for a final performance in the history of the show. She won the hearts of America with her sweetheart disposition and undeniable talent and garnered more than 67 million views on the show’s popular YouTube channel.

In 2018, she kicked off her national tour selling out her first headlining familyfriendly show in just six minutes, continually adding shows to meet the overwhelming demand. On the heels of a record-breaking 2019, the gifted Singer/Ventriloquist Darci Lynne has kicked off her 2020 “Fresh Out of The Box” National Tour where she is sharing her passion for performance and bringing her enchanting show from New York to Nevada. Darci has performed at the Grand

June 17 to June 23, 2021

EVENTS

Ole Opry and opened for Fergie at Caesar’s Palace on New Year’s Eve, and starred in her own NBC Christmas Special.

Darci grew up in Oklahoma and participated in talent-based pageants to overcome her shyness. She was soon introduced to the art of ventriloquism and decided to try it out for herself. After only having her first puppet for two weeks, Darci began performing in talent shows in her home state and beyond. She was determined to audition for her first talent show, ultimately leading her to audition for the biggest talent show on television.

Darci has been seen on “America’s Got Talent,” “America’s Got Talent: Champions,” NBC’s “Little Big Shots,” “Food Networks” kids Baking Championship,” Nickelodeon’s “All That,” “Ellen,” NBC’s “The Kelly Clarkson Show,” and the “Today Show.” For more information visit darcilynne.com.

Danny Flahive – 6-9:30pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Monday, June 21

Thursday, June 17

Casuelas Café – Avenida – 6pm Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:30-9:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Lit @ Fantasy Springs – South 65 – 7pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm The Slice – Leanna Rogers – 5-8pm Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King and Danny Flahive – 6-9:30pm Wildest – Matt Davin – 6-9pm

Friday, June 18

Casuelas Café – Barry Baughn Band – 8pm Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30-9:30pm Coachella Valley Brewery – Acoustica Noches – 7pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Latin Night – 6pm Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Vice Versa – 9pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm Pete’s Hideaway – Darci Daniels – 7pm Rockyard@Fantasy Springs – Mad Dogs and an Englishman (Joe Cocker Tribute) and Rock Zone – 7pm

The Hood – Drag Queen Bingo – 8pm, Josh Heinz and Krystofer Do - 9:30pm The Nest – The Trebles – 7-10:30pm The Slice – Marc Antonelli – 5:30-8:30pm Twelve @ Fantasy Springs – Mark Gregg and Co. – 7-10pm Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King and Danny Flahive – 6-9:30pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Saturday, June 19

Ace Hotel – Reverbnation Radio DJ Set w/ Matt Correia (Allah Las) – noon - poolside Casuelas Café – Johnny Meza Trio – 7pm Chef George’s – Darci Daniels and Reggie Vision – 6:30-9:30pm Coachella Valley Brewery – “We’re Back” w/ Switcharoo, Adam Gainey, Matt Davin, Krystofer Do, Allies, Uncle Ben’s Thrice, Yoves, Wayland, Afterlashes and Sleazy Cortez – 1-10pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Krystofer Do – 6pm Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Vice Versa – 9pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm

O’Caine’s – The California Celts – 6pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – That 80’s Band – 9pm Rockyard@Fantasy Springs – Bruno and the Hooligans (Bruno Mars Tribute) and Rock Zone – 7pm The Hood – Comedy Night – 9pm The River – Giselle Woo and the Night Owls – 7-9pm The Slice – Leanna Rogers – 5:30-8:30pm Twelve @ Fantasy Springs – Mark Gregg and Co. – 7-10pm Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King and Danny Flahive – 6-9:30pm Wildest – Derek Jordan Gregg – 6-9pm

Sunday, June 20

Casuelas Café – The Shadows Band – 7pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – Mikole Kaar Jazz Event – 2-5pm, Sunday Night Jam – 6-11pm The Hood – Bingo – 8pm The Slice – Sergio Villegas – 5-8pm Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King and

The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm

Tuesday, June 22

Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30-9:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Four Twenty Bank – Mikole Kaar and the Kaar Club – 4:20-7:20pm Lit @ Fantasy Springs – Brad’s Pad – 7-10pm The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm The Slice – Sergio Villegas – 5-8pm

Wednesday, June 23

Ace Hotel – Horizons – Aankha Neal – 7pm Casuelas Café – Lisa Lynn and the Broken Hallelujahs – 7:30pm Chef George’s – Tim Burleson – 6:30-9:30pm Cunard’s – Bill Baker – 6pm Melvyn’s – Mikael Healey – 5pm The Nest – The Trebles – 6:30-9:30pm The Slice – Marc Antonelli – 5-8pm Vicky’s of Santa Fe – John Stanley King and Danny Flahive – 6-9:30pm Wildest – Matt Davin – 6-9pm

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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n the heels of his latest No. 1 hit — “Put Your Head on My Shoulder” (with Olivia Newton-John) — and his just-released album Making Memories, legendary singer-songwriter and current Tik Tok sensation Paul Anka is launching a North American tour that will bring him back to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino on Saturday, March 12. Tickets ($59, $69, $79, $89) go on sale THIS Friday, June 18th at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, via phone (800) 827-2946 and online at FantasySpringsResort.com.

With the release of a brand-new collection of reimagined classics and new recordings, Anka is not only excited about his new music but getting back on the road to perform for his fans. This unique and highly anticipated tour will feature Anka paying tribute to his friend, one of the greatest entertainers ever to take the stage: Frank Sinatra.

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“The Anka Sings Sinatra tour will honor a great artist who has influenced me more than anyone else throughout my career, Frank Sinatra,” said Anka. “This show will also feature the hits that have spanned my career on this 65th anniversary year. It will be a night filled with his songs, my songs, my way!”

Speaking of songs, Making Memories not only features the duet with Newton-John but, also a reimagined version of his 1957 hit, “You Are My Destiny,” performed with the classical crossover vocal group Il Divo. On the heels of “My Way’s” 50th anniversary, perhaps his most famous self-penned hit, Anka rerecorded this classic with Michael Bublé and Andrea Bocelli. In addition to revisiting these classics, Making Memories also features all new songs written by Anka.

"I've been sitting around all year,

like everybody else, and realizing all the memories that I've had of springs and summers of the past few years – and those memories have gotten me through the last year,” said Anka. “It's been a time of reflection and reminiscing — with someone or without — about the foundation of the

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EVENTS

great life you've been blessed with.”

For additional information about the new album and tour visit www.PaulAnka.com.

Tickets for Anka Sings Sinatra starting at $59 go on sale this Friday, June 18th at 10 a.m. For more information, please visit FantasySpringsResort.com.

CONSIDER THIS

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here aren’t too many musicians that would have the audacity to create an epic 32-song set, whereupon no song is longer than two minutes. But Ken Sharp manages to pull off the impossible with his endlessly inventive album, Miniatures.

Something of a polymath, Ken first gained attention as a Rock N’ Roll historian.

A New York Times best-selling author, he has written, or co-written books about everyone from Bowie, John & Yoko, Elvis Presley, the Raspberries, Cheap Trick and Kiss, as well as definitive tomes on the Wrecking Crew and Power Pop. But his first and forever love is making music.

He came of age in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s in the City Of Brotherly Love. As a kid his ears were glued to his transistor radio, and he soaked up everything from the Beatles and the Beach Boys to Philly Soul, The Who and the Four Seasons. Soon enough he was completely besotted with Motown, especially Stevie Wonder. When a neighbor kid down the street started playing Kiss songs on an electric guitar, Ken figured it couldn’t be that difficult. Although his family really didn’t have the dough, his Grandpa managed to get him a red Electra (a knock-off version of a Gibson SG) and he was off.

Once he became a skilled guitar player, he added keys, bass, ukulele and electric sitar to his musical arsenal. He made his bones in nascent combos like High Tide and The Michael Paul Band. Once he finished school, Ken set aside his Rock N’ Roll dreams and did the next best thing, he became a music scribe. He quickly became a go-to guy for liner notes and documentaries. But the itch to play music never went away.

By 1994, he’d accrued enough original songs and secured sufficient financial support to head into the studio. The result was his solo debut, 1301 Highland Avenue, an album that was warmly embraced critics and fans alike. At the close of the 20th century, he signed with the respected indie label, Not Lame Records and released his sophomore effort, Happy Accidents.

In 2001 he relocated to Los Angeles, but six years sped by before his third album, Sonic Crayons arrived in 2006. Living in L.A., he became a go-to opening act for likeminded artists like ex-Babys vocalist, John Waite and perennial teen-heartthrob, David Cassidy. He crossed paths with musical Mad Hatter Fernando Perdomo while working on a documentary at Fernando’s Reseda Ranch Recording studio. Ken hit it off with the protean musician/producer and the pair ended up co-producing Ken’s fourth longplayer, New Mourning.

Despite the fact that it had been nine years between albums, fans and critics remained delighted. His songs even managed to garner airplay on Little Steven’s Sirius station, Underground Garage, as well as Rodney Bingenheimer’s taste-making KROQ show. After a remarkably quick, twoyear turnaround, Ken once again enlisted

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KEN SHARP

Fernando to co-produce and play a surfeit of instruments on his fifth album, Beauty In The Backseat. Cycling through a plethora of styles, the album satisfied his growing legion of passionate fans and received rave reviews.

When the pandemic hit, rather than rest on his laurels, or lounge on the couch in his Underoos binge-watching “H.R. Puffenstuff” reruns, he followed his muse, writing and recording a clutch of new tracks.

Occasionally, a perfectly formed song would last a minute or two, tops. He dubbed those compositions “miniatures.” He sent a few to his pal, John Sellards, who said he wished Ken would make an entire album of only these breviloquent gems.

Encouraged, he figured out that he already had at least 20 songs that fit that precise criteria. Realizing that wasn’t quite enough for a standard album, he challenged himself and inspiradio struck. He managed to create 12 more tracks, and now the finished product, aptly entitled Miniatures has arrived.

The record crackles to life on the opening cut, “Me & My Big Fat Mouth.”

Ken’s winsome tenor crests atop cascading guitars, bass, mellotron, synth, bell tree, propulsive maracas and percussion. Adroit and economical lyrics offer a wry mea culpa regarding a bit of verbal diarrhea; “If I could take it all back, I’d do it in a minute, really screwed up from the start to the finish/Yeah I left no doubt, me and my big fat mouth.”

The prospect of listening to 32 songs in one sitting seems daunting, but Ken hopscotches through plenty of musical styles. Indelible melodies partner with snappy arrangements, and each song feels like its own tiny universe. From the Folk-inflected “Day In, Night Out” to the mournful piano ballad, “Lorelei,” and the wintery grace of “Every Day Is Holly Day.” Then there’s “4AM,” a skronky, insomniac’s lament featuring backwards guitar, the twee and intricate “Dollhouse,” the woozily exotic “Best Friend,” the breathless pep talk of “Moving On” and the pastoral majesty of “Growing Up Fast.”

Of course, Ken occasionally wears his influences on his sleeve, which means “Drivin’” navigates the same Power Pop hairpin turns that the Raspberries explored nearly 50 years ago. “I Need A Friend” recalls the plaintive and lovelorn croon employed by Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee (fuckin’ finally), and Renaissance man Todd Rundgren. Meanwhile, “Count On Me” is the kind of tender and perceptive encomium that dotted Carole King’s epochal “Tapestry” album.

The album’s first couple of singles, “Susannah Silently Shining” and “World Of Wonder” are a sharp study in contrasts. The former is a sly slice of Sunshine Pop blending treacly vocals, wistful woodwinds and some meandering mellotron. The lyrics are littered with forget-me-nots; “Susannah, please don’t forget about me, send a postcard from Carolina, in the air is where you should be,

June 17 to June 23, 2021

“MINIATURES” (JET FIGHTER RECORDS)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

Susannah, silently shining.”

The latter wouldn’t feel out of place on one of those trippy Rankin/Bass Puppetanimation TV specials from the late ‘60s like “Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer” or “Santa Claus Is Comin’ To Town.” Whimsical vocals lattice over twinkly harpsichord and burnished guitars. Wide-eyed lyrics celebrate the Yuletide; “It’s a world of wonder, the spirits so bright, all across the town, tinsel hanging down, It’s a world of wonder, such a world of wonder for me.”

In an album packed with stellar tracks, several stand out. “A Kind Of Blue And Smokey Too” briefly and brilliantly pays homage to both Jazz great Miles Davis and the legacy of Motown in one fell swoop.

While the title suggests the melody and instrumentation should be steeped in Hard Bop or Hitsville, Instead, stacked guitars, vibes, keys and bell tree create a sleek Sophisto-Pop sound that recalls Paul Weller’s post-Jam aggregate, The Style Council. “Rise” is an urgent Rocker, lithe and lilting, the buoyant melody is anchored by a wall of guitars, flinty bass lines, mellotron, vibes, bell tree and a conga-fied beat.

Ken’s sunny vocals wrap around a mission statement of sorts; “A man’s not a man if the woman he loves is in need of some protection and somehow rise above.”

The Bubblegum crunch of “Something’s Happening” is simply irresistible (but not in a louche, Robert Palmer way). Crisp acoustic riffs collide with taut tremolo chords, electric licks, rubbery bass, stately piano and jingle-jangle sleigh bells. Swoony vocals wrap around lyrics of love and devotion; “Sometimes I wake up early in the morning, I just stare and stare at your face, such a beautiful soul full of passion and filled of grace.”

Stripped down to acoustic and electric guitars plus piano, “Stack o’ Records” speaks to the power of music; “I got a stack of records I saved for a rainy day, pull out some sad songs, the kind that mama used to play/A man for all seasons, stuck on the dial, play me some Elvis; let the King sing in style and forget about my troubles for a while.”

Despite Ken’s assertion that he’s spinning “nothin’ later than ’65, the melancholy arrangement evokes some Big Star déjà vu.

“Black Coffee, Cigarettes And Bach’s Minuet” executes a bit of a stylistic 180.

Here Ken manages to transform mellotron, bell tree, acoustic, electric and ebow guitars into some breezy Tropicalia. Lyrics somehow conflate Gene Kelly and Ricky Ricardo and the action all takes place at the Babalu; “Gene Kelly had his fun, drinking Jamaican rum, nothing we couldn’t do, times at the Babalu.” Clocking in in just under 50 seconds, “Follow” blends stutter-step acoustic guitar, descending bass lines and some wobbly Moog notes. The lyrics manage to both pledge undying fealty and name-check a Bob Dylan classic; “If I could go back, it’s all in my head, visions of you and Johanna instead, let me follow, let me follow, let me follow you.” Conversely, if “Hunky Dory” era David Bowie ever collaborated with Keith Partridge, it might have sounded something like “Down The Drain.” The song boasts rippling guitars thready bass lines, a wash of piano, organ and bell tree, bookended by maracas, handclaps, paper percussion, tambourine, gong and drums.

He even includes an elegant elegy to Zach Nilsson on “You’ll Be Known.” Son of the legendary singer-songwriter, Harry, Zach followed in his dad’s footsteps and was a stalwart of the close-knit L.A. music community. He lost his valiant battle with cancer in March. Ken’s tender and ornate piano ballad is Rundgren-esque in all the right ways. Hopeful lyrics wish that something, anything will ease the pain of losing Zach.

Finally, on “If I Called You,” Ken’s honeyed harmonies are matched by sundappled guitars, sparkling bell tree, wiry bass and quiescent percussion. A romantic cold-call goes slightly awry by evoking some biblical imagery, while attempting to make a love-connection; “If I found the strength of Mary, Joseph and the Saints, would you find it strange that I’ve been thinking of you? If I called you up…” Ken is something of a oneman band for most of the record, but Kaitlin Wolfberg adds violin and viola to “I Am Here” and “You’ll Be Known.” Meanwhile, Fernando Perdomo pitches in here and there on bass, congas, drums, tambourine and gong.

Other interesting tracks include the smoochy daydream of “This Kiss,” the puckish “Jeanne, I Will Remember,” the searching “When You Fall” and the jittery “Clara Baby.” “My Lullaby” is suitably “Beatlesque and the piano-driven “Perfect Sun” mines the same ache as Big Star’s “Kanga Roo.” The album closes with the toypianoed farewell of the title track.

More than half a century after Beach Boy, Brian Wilson aspired to create a “teenage symphony to God,” Ken Sharp has created a pocket version. Miniatures offers a kaleidoscopic soundscape that is short, sharp and most definitely sweet.

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

LOCAL BUSINESS

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or those yearning to quench a thirst for travel and experience natural delicacies from around the world, the Cali Rosina Tea & Chocolate shop in Old Town La Quinta is just the place to find exotic flavors and selections. Cali Rosina opened its doors in March of 2020, just as California issued a stay-at-home order during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The family-owned business has become a local favorite, greeting customers who enter their bright and cozy shop with a warm welcome and sweet yet spicy aromas.

“We did small yoga and music festivals for seven years. Through those experiences, we knew we wanted to share this wonderful world of tea and chocolate with our

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CALI ROSINA IS PLEASED TEA MEET YOU

community,” shared Jodie Smith, co-owner of Cali Rosina. Jodie runs the shop with her siblings, providing personable service and building a rapport with new and returning customers.

Cali Rosina Tea & Chocolate makes drinks to order. They carry small craft bean to bar chocolate from around the world, originating from countries like Peru, Sweden, and the Philippines. There are over 90 types of looseleaf tea and herbs and growing. The shop also offers custom gift baskets with the various chocolates and treats they carry, even including themed baskets for holidays like Valentine’s Day. “We infuse fresh ingredients into our drinks. We juice all of our own citrus and

break down fresh fruit to incorporate into our drinks. We love creating new and interesting combinations for all to experience. Plus, we like to give samples of our drinks so all may experience what we have to offer because it's more than just tea. It's a journey around the world you get to share in various cultures and the beautiful communities beyond the Coachella Valley,” stated Jodie.

The Cali Rosina menu is bound to change with the new drink options that are created, but customer favorites right now are Jasmine Orange, Coconuts in the Grass, and Pink Pineapple Cold Frost. The Bloom series of drinks are also summer staples, acting as elevated slushies in refreshing flavors like watermelon, hibiscus, and ginger.

“There is such a variety of different plant materials; it’s to each his own. We are here to be of service and help direct those in a direction that pleases each individual’s pallet. Well-embraced by the community, people have been excited to experience and learn of all we have to share, and we love to share!” said Jodie.

The Cali Rosina team has had amazing memories since its opening a year ago. One experience in particular that stands out to Jodie is when a one-year-old tasted a fruity herbal blend. Immediately after, he had a big smile with eyes brightly lit, and had an iron grip on his drink so he did not have to give it to his mother.

With a future goal of expansion, Cali Rosina looks to continue onward in bringing new and tasty drinks. The staff believes that supporting local businesses brings more of the community together, and has cherished

the opportunity to get to know one another and grow together.

“We started with a personal journey of positive change which led to having booths at various festivals in which we had the opportunity to meet amazing individuals who shared with us various aspects of the tea world. From there, we kept creating and experimenting with all sorts of plant materials. Honestly, the more we learn, the less we know. We are so grateful to be part of this community and to serve those on their flavor adventures,” explained Jodie.

Cali Rosina Tea & Chocolate is located at 78120 Calle Estado #104 in Old Town La Quinta. They also offer pick-up and can be reached at (760) 619-2279.

and veterinarian expenses, and didn’t want to leave the new litters of kittens behind and allow their moms to continue to reproduce, but there are limitations on supporting these efforts as an individual,” said Founder Chris Martello. “These rescued kittens become socialized and adorable and the long-term strays become re-socialized and all of their personalities are what keep us going, all so precious and different and we are saddened when we can’t rescue them due to lack of space with kennels. Now as a nonprofit organization ALL of the money donated or

raised goes right back into the cats, there are no profits and no paid employees, and people can take tax deductions for donating.”

If you need your car washed – who doesn’t – visit www.cvcatclub.org and click on the Donate option, enter your donation of at least $10, and CVCC will immediately mail you the voucher. CVCC will soon offer levels of club membership to support cat rescue efforts with an auto-payment monthly donation, which will soon be added to the website.

In addition, contributions to feeding

and supplies can be made through the verified nonprofit rescue Chewy Wish List program and are greatly appreciated. The needed items can be found at chewy.com/g/ coachella-valley-cat-club_b73706814. Please note: Chewy does not disclose donation providers, so please feel free to drop us a note at chris@cvcatclub.org, so that we may send a token of our appreciation.

To learn more about CVCC visit www. cvcatclub.org. Sponsors of CVCC include CV Weekly, Carter Animal Hospital and Clemens & Co.

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

COMMUNITY COACHELLA VALLEY CATDONATE CLUB SEEKS YOUR SUPPORT WITH A $10 AND RECEIVE A VOUCHER FOR ONE SINGLE TOP-OF-THE-LINE BEST WASH, VALUED AT $19.99; OR FOR UNLIMITED WASHES FOR A MONTH APPLYING IT TOWARD A MONTHLY MEMBERSHIP QUICK QUACK CAR WASH USE THE VOUCHER

C

oachella Valley Cat Club (CVCC), a nonprofit 501( c )(3) founded in 2020 as a cat welfare and rescue organization, has announced its first fundraiser with Quick Quack Car Wash and invites you to get your car clean while supporting the organization’s mission of cat welfare, rescue, and feral Trap-NeuterReturn (TNR) efforts. The vouchers can be used at any of the Valley locations as well as nationwide. Money raised is applied to veterinarian expenses for treating illness and injuries, vaccinations, feral TNR costs, and supplies such as food, litter, cat towers and kennels.

CVCC has rescued over 40 cats since being founded, and now has kittens and one year old cats that are still in need of forever homes. Donations by the community can support and keep CVCC active as there is a dire need for financial help to be able to expand the ability to rescue more kittens and cats, notably as the temperatures rise to 120 degrees; and to continue caring for the current rescues.

“I founded this nonprofit as I rescued more cats and was experiencing mounting feed

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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BY DEE JAE COX

P

ulitzer Prize winning playwright, Thornton Wilder, (Our Town,) wrote an essay called “Some Thoughts on Playwriting.” In his essay, he explains what makes theatre unique from other art forms. Wilder lays out four fundamental differences: 1) The theater is an art which depends on the work of many collaborators 2) It is addressed to the group-mind (it needs an audience) 3) It is based upon a pretense and its very nature calls out a multiplication of pretenses (ie-people put on masks or characters pretending to be someone else and we as audience buy into that illusion with no qualms) 4) Its action takes place in a perpetual present time (theatre is always about the now) Wilder said, “The theater offers to imaginative narration its highest possibilities.”

And just as each script and each performance is different from all others, so is the theatre that produces it. We often fail to realize that each producer of stage, has their own personality and perspective.

Some prefer classics, some new works, some lean towards comedy, some present more drama. But each is vital to the lifeblood of American theatre.

Here in the Coachella Valley, we are extremely fortunate to have a variety of theatres, each with their unique production goals, but all equally valuable. And that is why it is a tragedy to lose a piece of the Coachella Valley theatre community.

The past year has wrecked devastation

on lives all across the country. Most businesses were forced to close or make serious concessions in an effort to survive the pandemic. The theater world was hit especially hard. Individuals crowded into a closed environment for several hours at a time has been the antithesis of the necessary heath requirements.

Theatres depend on ticket sales in order to produce plays, that’s a given. And when they are unable to produce shows, they are unable to sell tickets. On June 7, 2021, Coyote StageWorks, announced that after 13 years of tireless work, Founding Artistic Director, Chuck Yates, and their board of directors, decided to close the theatre company. The cancellation of the 2020/2021 season had been financially devasting for them and the Coachella Valley would lose a treasured theatre. Yates, said that it was his life-long love of theatre that had inspired him to create Coyote Stageworks. He wanted to have a company

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

that focused on quality acting, regardless of the show’s budget.

Yates stated, “We set out to tell good stories and tell them well. And we did...

Coyote StageWorks paid EVERYONE involved in our productions a salary, not a stipend, or gas fare... a salary. We paid Equity and SSDC Pension & Healthcare for those members. I trusted my actors and designers, and even my stage crew to collaborate in the total vision. Knowing that their ideas were almost always better than mine, and to let them run with those ideas.

Artists feel invested when they feel trusted.

I also trusted myself on when to and when not to say the word "No." But paying artists?

That was extremely important to me from the beginning. And it showed.”

Over the years, Coyote StageWorks produced many acclaimed productions.

Highlights include “Boeing, Boeing,” “The Andrews Brothers,” “Suds,” “Dirty Blonde,” “The Women” (the theatre company’s

annual benefit gala), “Tru,” “Art,” “Buyer & Cellar, “Agnes of God,” ”Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” “The Lady with All the Answers,” “The Understudy,” “Greater Tuna,” and “A Doll’s House Part II,” among others.” Many of these productions received local and regional awards and all received critical acclaim, with three productions transferring to theatres outside of the desert area for longer runs. Not to mention an impressive 91 Desert Star Awards.

Yates, summed up the decision to close the theatre, this way. “It is most definitely due to the pandemic and its effects on gathering people. The uncertainty of audiences feeling safe enough to go back inside a theater.

Also, Actor's Equity requirements to do so are daunting, even the price of lumber to build sets has skyrocketed. The times are different and needs change. It's time for me to push a different rock up a different hill.

The torch is officially passed.”

Yates indicated that, “Our rich legacy will live on through the Palm Springs Young Playwright’s Festival, which will continue and thrive. The Festival was designed to help discover and nurture the next generation of writers from local middle and high school students, and that is exactly what it will continue to do as an independent entity.”

Bravo to Coyote Stageworks and their years of dedication to the Coachella Valley Theatre community. A Standing Ovation for their final curtain call.

Dee Jae Cox is a playwright, director and producer. She is the Cofounder and Artistic Director of The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project. losangeleswomenstheatreproject.org palmspringstheatre.com

BY CARA VAN DIJK

THEATRE

W

ith new state reopening guidance, members of the Alliance of Desert Theatres (AODT) are committed to restarting the arts, which will help our communities recover, reflect and rebuild. Most companies are planning full seasons starting this fall. Several are also offering live performances this summer, in-person summer youth programs and other workshops.

AODT is a cooperative of producing theatre companies and live entertainment organizations in the Coachella Valley and Morongo Basin that network and take action in order to advocate for and nurture a vibrant performing arts community.

Performing arts venues have been closed for 15 months. During the pandemic shutdown, representatives of local theatres came together on a Zoom call. That virtual meeting resulted in the formation of AODT, a grassroots organization with six founding member organizations. Now with 16 nonprofits represented, including dance and musical companies, AODT is enthusiastically

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supporting the reopening of performing arts in the area.

What started in May 2020 as somewhat of a support group for these organizations, became a strong advocating alliance. Initial discussions included PPE, fundraising, and streaming options, but later shifted to joint letters to elected officials and the Governor’s office requesting safe operating guidance.

AODT representatives believe they played a significant role in establishing reopening standards. Now, these arts organizations are excited to welcome patrons back to live performances.

With local performing arts groups located in six different cities and with auditoriums ranging in seating capacity from 80-400, individual theatres may have hyper-local and/or specific Actors’ Equity ssociation regulations to comply with that may vary from venue to venue. However, all AODT organizations are committed to adhering to CDC guidance that helps maintain the health and safety of their patrons, ctors, crew, staff and volunteers. As local stages reopen, it will take genuine community support in the form of ticket sales, donations and volunteers to reinvigorate these nonprofits.

The Alliance of Desert Theatres currently includes representatives from the following performing arts groups: California Desert Chorale, Children’s Playtime Productions, Coachella Valley Repertory (CVRep), Coachella Valley Symphony, Desert Ensemble Theatre, Desert Theatreworks, Dezart Performs, Green Room Theatre Company, Nickerson-Rossi Dance, North Star Theatre, Palm Canyon Theatre, PS Concerts, Palm Springs Dance Project, Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus, Palm Springs International Dance Festival and Theatre 29. And, we welcome any others.

SCREENERS

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No. 478

June 17 to June 23, 2021

CELEBRATE “RAIDERS” 40TH ANNIVERSARY WITH 4K EDITION!

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

W

ith a 5th “Indiana Jones” adventure in the works, now’s the perfect time to revisit the previous iterations of this iconic explorer of treasures and mysteries.

For the first time, all four previous “Indian Jones” movies from Lucasfilm Ltd. and paramount Home Entertainment are now available on 4K Ultra HD With Dolby Vision and HDR-10 for incredibly vivid picture quality and state-of-the-art Dolby Atmos audio. These films now look as good – if not better – than when they were first screened in theaters.

The cinematic classic that started it all – Raiders of the Lost Ark (and gave rise to countless imitators) first introduced audiences to the man with the hat and bullwhip on June 12, 1981. (Has it really been that long?) Do you remember where you were when you to first saw this still terrific movie?

Forty years on, the legendary hero continues to capture a new generation of fans.

All four films in this greatly anticipated home theater set were remixed at Skywalker Sound under the supervision of acclaimed sound designer Ben Burtt. All original sound elements were used to better achieve the fully immersive Dolby Atmos mixes while staying true to each film’s original creative intent.

Fascinating and generous bonus material

for all films further examines the movies in numerous “behind the scenes” and “making of” featurettes. A separate Blu-ray disc is included with the previously released bonus material.

Especially welcome is “On Set with Raiders of the Lost Ark” and the featurettes ‘From Jungle to Desert’ and ‘From Adventure to Legend.”

When George Lucas and Steven Spielberg met on vacation in Maui soon after the initial success of George’s “Star Wars,” they talked about whet they wanted to do next. Steven said he wanted to make a James Bond movie. George said he had something even better and proceeded to tell his old friend about the Nazi’s collecting occult objects to empower their cause (they really did this).

And what if one American adventurer, an archaeologist/treasure hunter was the only

thing to stand in their way! And thus Indiana Jones was born and pop culture had a new hero.

Many movie buffs suggest there may have been another inspiration for Indiana Jones, and that was Charlton Heston’s portrayal of Treasure Hunter/archaeologist Harry Steele in 1954’s “Secret of the Incas.”

The poster has Steele carrying a golden treasure while dressed (or costumed) strikingly like Indiana Jones including a fedora style hat and bomber type jacket.

No doubt both Lucas and Spielberg new of this film and Heston’s character’s search for a Sunburst looted and reburied when the Conquistadors invaded Peru. 4K UHD Paramount/Lucasfilm Ltd. robin@coachellavlleyweekly.com

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

THE VINO VOICE THE CREAM ALSO RISES

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BY RICK RIOZZA

P

erhaps you’re already thinking that the Vino Voice has been out in the desert sun a little too long now—and it’s barely summertime! For why would such a reputable wine column write on Cream Sherry when it’s over 100 degrees outside. Everyone knows a delicious cream sherry is a wonderful dessert wine in the winter—so why not talk about it when “baby it’s cold outside”?

Well—get over that assumption! Right now in modernism Palm Springs & its surrounds, wine lovers are snuggling up to world class cream sherry no matter what the temperature.

So as you’d expect, we’re on this story stat! And get this: we’re not enjoying our cream sherry as an aperitif, nor, as an after-dinner dessert, but we’re pairing it with a wood fire pizza (Calabrian chili added) over at the Persimmon Bistro & Wine Bar at the Palm Springs Art Museum.

Now how cool is that!

We’ll get to discussing that artsy bistro venue a bit later. Right now let’s talk about cream sherry.

You loyal readers will perhaps remember our last Sherry article—four years back, coachellavalleyweekly.com/my-sherry-amour.

We got a pretty good response for a wine that seemed past its time, according to a bunch of wine folk. But—whether it was fueled by our article, or not, no other fortified wine in our desert and beyond have seen a renaissance with drinkers quite like sherry. Gone are the days where this style of fortified wine was synonymous with cocktail mixers, dusty bar shelves and grandparents’ sipping. In current times, sherry is seeing a revolution like never before and rightfully so. These complex wines, from the light and saline finos to the sweet olorosos, hold their own against a variety of other still and unfortified wines.

It’s a fortified wine, which means that grape brandy is added to the fermenting must or the fully fermented wine. The time in which the brandy is added determines how dry or sweet the final wine will be, generally clocking in between 15% and 20% alcohol. And contrary to popular belief, most sherry wines are in fact vinified dry.

Should you have the interest, click on to the “My Sherry Amour”, above, to catch up on fino sherry. But here we’re chiming in on Cream Sherry. The sweeter sherries are made from a grape with either a human or a horse name: Pedro Ximénez or Palomino. Oloroso is a great style of oxidated sherry that comes both dry and sweet, but a Cream Sherry is specifically a sweet oloroso, which picks up dark colors, rich flavors, notes of dried fruits, figs, raisins, caramel and more from its own style of oxidation.

So—just last week I met up with the lovely Maureen Perez, who is our valley’s representative of the famed Stone Brewery.

She is the best when it comes to providing the freshest brews and IPAs to our market venues.

And she happily supplies the Persimmon Bistro & Wine Bar, and is great friends with owner Art Vasquez—who obviously knows about beer and was present for our sherry tasting.

Art might be best known as the driving force behind the success of Babe’s Brewhouse from 2003 to 2018, guiding the restaurant to win many local awards for its food, and multiple international awards for its beer.

But it’s Vasquez’ love of both California’s

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central coast and wine country that is prominently displayed at the Persimmon Bistro.

CV Weekly recently wrote: A tour of the cozy café displayed all the Mediterranean flair of California’s wine country in both Persimmon’s ambience and menu, successfully bringing the vibe of Santa Barbara County to Palm Springs.

The newly added outdoor pizza oven provides a portal to zesty ingredients and the opportunity to expand the restaurant’s menu selections of artisan wood fire pies.

Another main staple of the menu are the customized charcuterie cheese boards, and a plethora of appetizing selections like housemade tapenade and hummus, flights of olives, fig jam, and mixed nuts and dried fruit. It was here at Persimmon that we tasted through my personal selected sherries that paired wonderfully with Persimmon’s artisan pizza.

The most well-known Cream Sherry is also the oldest. Harvey’s Bristol Cream ($14) was created in the 1880’s and has been the top selling sherry brand since the 1950s. Full of sweet raisins and dates, caramel apple and hints of hazelnuts, this wine is lighter than you would expect from the name, but still sweet and lush.

Everything that goes into making Gonzalez Byass Matusalem VORS Cream ($50), sets it up for greatness. Some of the solera blend used is fifty years old! All of the grapes that go into this wine are grown in Gonzalez Byass’ own vineyards. The final blend is approximately 75% Palomino and 25% Pedro Ximenez, maintaining a careful balance of sweetness and acidity and herbal savory notes; deep oak, leathery notes and dark chocolate. A certain heat as well, probably because of the many herbs and spices (cloves, soft pepper), roasted nuts & Espresso; some tangy lemon in the background. A gem!

Bodegas Dios Baco Cream Sherry ($25). This is complex and on the dry side, with caramel, dried fig and iodine flavors that intensify as it stays on the palate. Terrific finish, with a lingering aftertaste of molasses, nuts and a slightly burnt note.

Hidalgo La Gitana was founded in 1792 and has been family owned ever since. To make the Alameda Cream ($25), they use incredibly ripe Pedro Ximénez grapes that have been left to hang on the vines in the sun to concentrate its sugars before aging in old oak casks that slowly age and oxidize the wines to create its full body and intense personality. Even at the minimum sugar level required to be considered a Cream, its aromas fill the senses with dried fruit, raisins, crème brûlée, candied ginger and walnut hulls. See ya at Persimmon—Cheers & Sweet Dreams!

KEG WHISPERER

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A

s if the calendar didn’t already notify us, Mother Nature has. Summer has arrived and the Coachella Valley thermostat has been turned all the way to maximum heat. This is the only place in the country in which I have lived where the arrival of Summer is absolutely, categorically unwelcome.

Balancing out the seasonal change is the lifting of most COVID restrictions across California. We are now free to move about and attend Church, eat indoors at a restaurant, or (gasp) attend a beer festival. I implore you to stay safe and whenever possible, support the little merchants who are fortunate to have survived the biggest challenge to small businesses since the Great Depression. It seems everywhere I go there is a collective sigh of relief from the populace that better days are ahead.

In our opening column about Summer Beers, we explored Lagers in general, and spent most of our time evaluating Pilsners.

In Part II, we dive a little deeper into another beer which I like to refer to as ‘light and bright’.

This style is easy drinking, refreshing, and just all-around fun to consume due to its low(er) in alcohol and well-defined carbonation and is known as Belgian Witbier (or White Beer).

Big American brands carrying the banner for this beer style are Blue Moon and Shock Top. Both represent the style rather well, with Blue Moon being a bit more authentic to the classic recipe and Shock Top tossing in a couple of non-traditional ingredients. Blue

June 17 to June 23, 2021

BY BREWMASTER ED HEETHUIS

Moon Belgian White was first brewed by Keith Villa in the Sandlot Brewery at Coors Field in Denver, Colorado back in the Summer of 1995.

While it took several years to gain traction, it is now the number one selling Witbier in the United States.

The style actually dates back to 14thcentury monasteries where Monks brewed using whatever grains were locally available.

By the 16th century, the small Belgian town of Hoegaarden (Pronounced: Who-Garden, as in Horton Hears a Who!) became known for its eclectic Witbier brewed with unmalted wheat and oats as well as premium quality barley.

Unfortunately, the rise of the clear Pilsners in the late 1800’s doomed the Witbier to the island of misfit beers and the style all but disappeared.

Pierre Celis, a Hoegaarden milkman, was fascinated by the historical style and began homebrewing Witbier in a washtub in his father’s barn. Once the recipe was dialed in he purchased old equipment from an abandoned local brewery. He opened Brouwerij De Kluis in 1966, effectively resurrecting the Witbier style single-handedly. The Brouwerij (Brewery) burned down in 1989 and a lack of insurance forced him to accept an offer from Interbrew in order to rebuild and the Hoegaarden Brewery was born.

Hoegaarden, brewed with unmalted wheat, oats, Curacao orange peel and coriander is still the benchmark for the style, but many craft brewers are currently making excellent examples. Allagash Wit and Avery White Rascal are both nationally distributed and widely available. On a more regional level, Stone Brewing just released their interpretation of the style with Stone Dayfall Belgian White. Locally, Main Street Brewing in Corona produces it’s award winning Katerina Wit on a seasonal basis and in the hyperlocal market, Coachella Brewing has a pair of non-traditional witbiers on the wall as of this writer’s deadline. CVB’s Desert Swarm is billed as a Honey Double Wit and is made with coriander and kumquats and clocks in at a very hefty 7.0% alcohol by volume (ABV).

Sour Swarm is also referred to as a Belgian Wit, contains Seville oranges, and weighs in at 6.9% ABV.

Hoegaarden and other traditional Witbiers range from very pale straw to light gold in color and typically sport a 4.5 – 5.5% ABV. These beers are unfiltered and brewed with a gravity defying yeast which remains in suspension; thus, their appearance may appear cloudy to opaque (A condition brewers refer to as turbidity). The beer has a milky, whitish-yellow appearance and is topped with a dense, starkwhite moussy collar of foam with excellent head retention thanks to the big wheat bill.

Much to the chagrin of brewers everywhere, the folks at Blue Moon introduced an orange slice as a garnish for these beers, giving one the ability to spot a Witbier from across a crowded restaurant or bar.

The aroma will show moderate sweetness, often with light notes of honey and/or vanilla and may also show a wee bit of tartness in the nose. The most notable scents will be those of orange fruitiness and a moderate perfumy coriander, often with a complex herbal, spicy, or peppery note lingering in the background.

Fun Fact: Coriander, also known as Chinese parsley, are the dried seeds of the cilantro plant. When ground, coriander has a taste of orange/lemon/lime, with orange being predominant.

The initial taste will remind some of an orange creamsicle, with moderate sweetness detected upon entry. The mid-taste shows much orange-citrusy fruitiness and a medium body with the potential of a very light lactictasting sourness and effervescent character from the high carbonation level. The finish is pure creamy vanilla-orange with little to no perceived bitterness from the hops. Perfect Witbiers adhere to the Goldilocks Principle; they are not overly dry and thin, nor are they thick and heavy.

Overall, I believe you will find the Witbier style to be light, easy drinking and perfectly sessionable for what is lining up to be the Palm Springs version of Endless Summer.

When Ed Heethuis isn’t brewing at Spotlight 29 Casino for 29 Brews, you will find the Certified Cicerone® / Brewmaster out on his road bike, looking to set a stone-skipping record at Lake Cahuilla, or talking beer with the patrons at Taproom 29. He may be reached at: heethuis.ed@gmail.com or wherever beer may be found in the wild.

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

PET PLACE

O

ur soaring summer weather can bring distress and even death from heat stroke to our beloved dogs.

Summer 2021 is beginning early this year with extreme heat wave warnings this week with predicted temperatures up 120 degrees in some Coachella Valley locations.

Every year this column tells the story of a little Silky Terrier who died from heat stroke on August 15, 2015, in a Desert Hot Springs car lot.

The dog sought refuge underneath one of the cars, but the scorching sand beneath her paws raised her body temperature even higher, and the site became her coffin. Help didn’t arrive in time to prevent the horrific and painful death she suffered, her throat parched from thirst.

Summer is pictured here just before passing away. Ironically Summer died on International Homeless Animals’ Day. Local animal advocates were alerted to the dog’s plight. Jo Venegas-Cebrun contacted Cathie Coats who was near the dog’s location.

Cathie crawled underneath the car only to discover the dog had just passed away from heat stroke. Cathie recalls, “I was heartbroken, this dog is the face of neglect, this dog is the face of what heat does to animals.” The Silky Terrier was another sad casualty in the battle to prevent animals from suffering and dying in the heat.

Jo Venegas-Cebrun wanted to pay tribute to the dog she named Summer. This dedicated “rescue warrior” drove to Desert Hot Springs

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SUMMER’S LEGACY: KEEP DOGS INDOORS TO PREVENT HEATSTROKE

to retrieve Summer’s body, determined she would receive the love and dignity in death she may not have known in her short life. Jo took the dog to a pet crematorium, and kept her ashes in a memorial tribute. Summer had no ID tag or microchip that would have identified an owner.

Summer’s death and photographs went viral on Facebook where animal lovers posted sad and angry comments. Her story was featured on KESQ televised news. Rescuers gathered in memory of the little dog they never knew. Countless “outdoor only” dogs are suffering during this scorching 2020 summer. Some of them will perish without any public attention.

Summer’s legacy is to save the lives of more animals from the blazing summer weather.

Even if it does not cause death, overheating can result in irreversible kidney, heart, liver and brain damage. Dogs cannot sweat the way we humans do, as their only sweat glands are in their nose and on the pads of their feet.

Imagine being thirsty and drinking out of a bowl scalding hot water bowl outside. The hot weather only adds to the distress experienced by lonely “backyard only” dogs.

Dr. Andrea Walters, a veterinarian specializing in emergency and critical care, helps us understand from a medical perspective why heat stroke can be so deadly for dogs. “Heat stroke occurs when an animal’s body temperature increases so much that it

cannot be regulated property and brought down. Dogs don’t sweat like people do.

Instead, they pant to cool themselves down.

Heat stroke causes damage to proteins and cells, which can lead to severe shock and cellular dysfunction when blood vessels near the skin dilate dangerously.”

Dr. Walters explains dogs’ need to cool through panting is why extreme heat is more dangerous to flat nosed breeds such as Pugs, Boxers, Bull Dogs and Shih Tzu’s. While heat stroke can kill dogs of any breed, seniors and puppies are at most risk.

More precious dogs will die from heat stroke this summer, some left in cars, others left on hot patios, some kept as “outdoor only” dogs in yards. This cannot be said enough – – – BRING YOUR DOG INDOORS DURING THIS HOT WEATHER! NEVER LEAVE A DOG UNATTENDED IN A CAR! Your dog needs potty breaks and walks outdoors. What should you do to protect him?

What are the signs of heat stroke in a dog, and what life saving remedies can you take?

Take your dog on long walks in the mornings and evenings, avoiding outings when the sun is at its highest. Avoid asphalt and concrete when you walk, and stick to shaded areas whenever possible. This is not the time to have him run alongside while you bicycle ride, or allow him to engage in strenuous play at the dog park.

Bring a bottle of water to sprinkle on him.

Know the symptoms of heat stroke. These can include glazed eyes, heavy panting, and pulling back on the leash. Other symptoms include excessive thirst, hyperventilation, dry gums that are pale or grayish, or bright red tongue or gums. Your dog may quickly suffer weakness, staggering, confusion, vomiting, diarrhea, rectal bleeding, and ultimately collapse. Finally, if the overheating isn’t stopped, his breathing will slow, and he may have a seizure or fall into a coma.

Dr. Walters’ advices, “if you suspect heat stroke, it is important to begin lowering the animal’s temperature as soon as possible, even before transporting them to a veterinarian. A hose can be used to cool the animal, focusing on the belly and paw pads. Be sure the water is cool, neither hot nor cold. If the garden hose has been sitting in the sun, the water will be very hot. It’s very important to not cool the

MEET ARTHUR

IT’S RAINING KITTENS!

Come to the Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter and meet Arthur, 68 lbs of doggie love. Did you know older dogs like this 8-yr-old German Shepherd boy are more loving and wiser? Call (760) 343-3644 for an appointment to meet Arthur. Located at 72120 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org.

There are lots of kittens at our county shelter seeking homes, the Coachella Valley Animal Campus, located at 72120 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, www.rcdas.org. Call (760) 3433644 for an appointment to meet this precious female gray kitten ID#A1627447.

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BY JANET McAFEE

animal too fast.” Lay the animal on a cool towel, but don’t wrap them in one as this could trap the heat. Get vet care immediately.

What can you do to continue Summer’s legacy? Talk to friends and neighbors who keep their dog outdoors 24 hours a day. Calmly ask them why their dog is always outside, and try not to put them on the defense. Provide them with information on heat stroke. Suggest they get a baby gate and keep their dog in a kitchen or laundry room during the hot days.

Give them a copy of this article. Anyone needing additional suggestions to transition their dog from outside to inside can email me.

If they won’t budge on this issue, suggest they provide shade and lots of cool water perhaps with ice cubes added.

Share Summer’s story. Meanwhile, enjoy the companionship and unconditional love your best canine friend provides INSIDE YOUR HOME! Janetmcafee8@gmail.com ----------------------------------------------Here is a partial list of Inland Empire shelters and rescue groups where you can adopt a cat or dog. Please check their websites in advance for updates on adoption procedures during the quarantine.

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS – The county shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. You can view the animals at all four Riverside county shelters at www.rcdas.org, and get the ID number of the animal you want to adopt. Email them the animal’s ID number at shelterinfo@rivco.org, or schedule a virtual adoption appointment at www.rcdas.org, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public) PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. They schedule appointments Wednesday through Monday. View their animals online at www. psanimalsshelter.org, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave, Palm Springs, (760) 416-5718. (Public) ANIMAL SAMARITANS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. View their animals at www. animalsamaritans.org. Email acorrow@ animalsamaritans.org to foster. Located at

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72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 6013918. (Private) CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www. californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 656-8833.

(Private) HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt a dog or cat. This shelter has lots of big dogs and some cats. View some of their animals at www.orphanpet. com. Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private) KITTYLAND – The shelter is closed so call for an appointment to adopt a cat. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www. kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700. (Private) FOREVER MEOW – Foster based rescue for cats located in Rancho Mirage. Contact them at www.ForeverMeow.org, (760) 335-6767.

(Private) PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at www.prettygoodcat.com, (760) 660-3414 (Private) BFF4pets – Foster based rescue for dogs

June 17 to June 23, 2021

and cats located in La Quinta. Email them at rescues@bff4pets.com, (310) 431-7818 (Private) LOVING ALL ANIMALS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, www.lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000.

(Private) LIVING FREE ANIMAL SANCTUARY – Large outdoor shelter for dogs and cats up Hwy 74, view animals at www.living-free.org, and call (951) 659-4687 for an appointment (Private) MORONGO BASIN HUMANE SOCIETY – Located at 4646 Sun View Rd, Joshua Tree, www.mbhumanesociety.com, call between 11am-4pm for updates (760) 366-3786 (Private) CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Hours for adoption 10am – 4pm Tuesday thru Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get the ID number of the animal you want to meet. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 384-7272. (Public) SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Shelter is now open for walk ins 7 days a week. Call (909) 386-9280.

View animals at www.sbcounty.gov/acc and get the ID number of animal you want to meet.

Located at 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

DREAM TEAM ANGELS RESCUE - Foster based rescue located in Grand Terrace/ San Bernardino area. Contact them through website www.DreamTeamangelsrescue.com, (360) 688-8884. (Private)

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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HADDON LIBBY

T

his is the second edition of our quinquennial feature looking at all the real news that should be more prominently featured in the news. Sadly, with less and less news in the news, important stories are often left out as networks focus on higher ratings.

This quinquennial edition finds volcanos, mountain collapses, sausages and the discovery of a new ocean amongst some of the more important news underreported in the US press. In every case except for the sausage controversy, climate change is involved.

Volcano Erupts One of the more dire situations is in the Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire). This country was in a civil war that has claimed 6 million lives due to the war and the related poverty and malnutrition it created.

The volcanic eruption of May 22nd continues to leave 500,000 people of the impoverished city of Goma without clean drinking water.

The volcanic eruption caused the death of 32 people and a mass exodus of Goma residents to surrounding cities. The instant migration widened the human catastrophe as no government agency or city in the area had the resources to help. Making matters worse, the area is also being hit with earthquakes… although earthquakes are not the worst of the potential calamities facing Goma. If enough of the volcanic magma hits the local lake, toxic clouds will form that would suffocate local residents. While the risk of asphyxiation grows lower with each passing day, cholera and starvation remains.

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‘IN THE NEWS’ - THE QUINQUENNIAL EDITION

BY HADDON LIBBY

Glacial Failure In Uttarakhand, India just finished an investigation into the February collapse of a mountain that killed 203 people. Back in February, a wedge of glacial ice the size of ten Egyptian pyramids gave way. The ensuing avalanche wiped out the hydro-electric plant in its path and everyone at the plant. The energy created by the glacial failure was the equivalent of 15 Hiroshima bombs.

The Fifth Ocean How many oceans are there in the world?

National Geographic just joined a growing chorus recognizing the fifth ocean on Earth – the Southern Ocean. This water mass goes up to the 60-degree latitude line in the southern

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

WHY HIRE A SMALL LAWFIRM?

Y

ou have probably heard this before, but the “you are not just a number” phrase has never been more important than when you are facing Criminal charges OR have been involved in a serious Auto/Motorcycle/Truck/Dog Bite Accident.

Then you need to hire the best lawyer possible. I know this, because in the past I had 30 people working for me. I would try to be involved in every intake interview, but I was sometimes in court or trial when a new case came into the office.

Thus, there were cases that fell through the cracks; cases where I had not met the client on day one. Of course, the facts of the new case were reviewed by me, when I got back to the office and I directed the strategy on criminal cases. On auto accident cases I suggested medical providers, with whom the client should consult on a lien. By doing this the client did not have to come “out of pocket” for any expense.

However, it was not the one to one relationship I have today. A relationship that developed after I shed myself from having a large office and limited the number of clients I would accept. Today I have, and take the time, so that I am the only one the client meets. The only one that works on their case.

June 17 to June 23, 2021

When an experienced trial lawyer meets a prospective client, they try to size them up… just as the prospective client does with the lawyer they are interviewing. I consider how “saleable” they would be to a jury? In other words if I had to go to trial would the jury like or dislike them? Do they look like the boy or girl next door? Were they clean cut? How did they dress? How did they explain themselves?

Were they believable? Did they have tattoos?

Did the guys have earrings or nose rings? Etc That’s not to say that there is anything wrong with any of those conditions? However, a mainstream jury often looks at more than just the facts. Many years ago, after a trial that I won that I should have lost, I questioned the jurors outside the courtroom. I asked them what convinced them to favor my client? The answers I received shocked me.

One juror said they like the way my client looked, and did not think they would lie.

Another said they liked me more than the other attorney. One went on to say my shoes were polished and the other attorneys were scuffed? My belt was new and the other attorney had a worn out belt. One said, the other attorney had a stain on his tie! In other words, things that had nothing to do with the case itself.

hemisphere and is known to be a “distinct ecological region defined by ocean currents and temperatures,” said National Geographer Alex Tait.

European Sausage Wars The European Union did not like it when the United Kingdom left. Referred to as BREXIT, the UK departure meant that it was on the same footing as other non-E.U. countries when it came to commerce. As many of the provisions of BREXIT come into law, the way the UK trades with Ireland and Northern Ireland has changed. As Northern Ireland stayed in the E.U. but the rest of the United Kingdom broke away, the free movement of chilled meats with Northern

Ireland is becoming an international incident.

The UK wants to continue the free shipment of sausages to Northern Ireland while the EU says it is a violation of international law.

Complicating this silly disagreement is a provision that allows supermarkets to avoid the chilled meat problem for another three months. Will the EU send in monitors to keep British sausages out of Northern Ireland? Stay tuned.

50% Inflation While we may be seeing inflation at the grocery store and gas pump, it is nothing like that being experienced in Argentina. Going into the pandemic in a national recession, poverty is now rampant while the inflation rate is 50%. President Alberto Fernandez whose is facing a difficult reelection later this year hopes to get inflation down to 30% prior to the elections. Inflation in Argentina is due to the printing of too much money over the years. Since the pandemic, the US Money Supply has increased by more than $8 trillion.

Government debt in Argentina is 102% of their Gross Domestic Product or GDP. For comparison, this ratio is 107% in the US. Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information on their services, please visit www.WinslowDrake. com.

Throughout the entire legal process, clients will have numerous questions or concerns regarding their situation or the current status of their case. Many times those questions come after-hours or on the weekends. Clients of attorney Dale Gribow will always have access to me during these trying times. I pride ourselves on the fact that I am always just a phone call away!

A larger firm has many lawyers—this can lead to more items falling through the cracks because no single attorney feels responsible for your case. However, the “that is not my client-not my responsibility” mentality does not occur at the Law Office of Dale Gribow.

I meet/talk with you personally every time. I know your file, the facts, and will always be willing to answer any questions you may have.

One good thing that came out of Covid is my having a complete home office and being able to field calls all the time. I feel strongly that my small firm, hands-on approach, is the only business model that truly works to maximize results for my clients! You don’t have to worry about lawyers and the support staff working on the same page with one another—knowing the case files and the upcoming dates. Cases should be prepared as if each one of them are going to trial. There is no other way to run a successful Criminal or PI firm!

“Though I am sometimes referred to as a DUI criminal defense lawyer, I choose to

not view my clients as ‘criminals’. I prefer to view them and more importantly to treat them as good, honest people that have found themselves in a scary and unfortunate situation.”

I look upon my job as protecting the Constitutional Rights of every American who drinks and drives and gets arrested for a DUI. I do however “Change Hats” when I SUE Drunk Drivers in a Personal Injury Accident for their Negligence, that created the damages to my Injured or Deceased (Wrongful Death) client .

DALE GRIBOW - Representing the Injured and Criminally Accused “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-21 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating “DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE OR TEXT AND GET A DUI OR ACCIDENT... CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER….THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN CALLING ME” SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE ARTICLE? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/ dale@dalegribowlaw.com

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

CANNABIS CORNER

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BY RUTH HILL R.N.

T

he cannabis industry has a waste problem that is mainly due to the public treatment of the compound delta9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). Because of THC, no cannabis product can touch anything in the waste. Thank your legislators for this environmental debacle. The law mandates every product no matter how small the item will need a large label that includes a health warning, identification numbers, soil, and other crop production inputs, as well as testing information and cannabinoid composition. It is estimated that one gram of weed can produce 100 grams of packaging waste. Is the same information on a cigarette package? No of course not.

To open a preroll, I first, tear off the clear plastic cover that seals the cap. Remember it is child-resistant. I sometimes need a knife or scissors to loosen the machine-sealed barrier.

To open the tube, my hands do not have the strength to squeeze the tube, I place the tube on the table edge and lean on it to force the cap open. These tubes are made of durable plastic that will not be crushed even if I run over them with my KIA. (my humble opinion) It is appalling how much packaging is used to sell a few legal buds. A Canadian Broadcasting Company report suggested that a gram of weed sold at a licensed storefront in Canada can produce close to 100 grams of packaging waste.

Thirty-three and a half million units of cannabis prerolls were sold in California in 2020. California Cannabis Regulations require all cannabis products to be individually wrapped to meet child-resistant criteria. To date only one cannabis producer, CannaCraft has received child-resistant certification eliminating millions of single-use plastic tubes.

"With each plastic tube standing 5.5" tall, 1 years' worth of CannaCraft's child-resistant tubes would reach over 900,000 feet if stacked.

Or 30 times taller than Mount Everest. That's a lot of waste that we'll be eliminating," says a CannaCraft representative.

Whether it is the solvents used in the manufacturing process, the leftover biomass that accumulates which must be destroyed, or the extra packaging required to make products impossible for a child (or an otherwise competent stoner) to open, legal

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cannabis creates tons of waste.

Regulators continue to demand every bit of biomass disposed of must be processed yet prohibit recycling with the belief that cannabis is a dangerous organic material.

In Illinois, a cannabis waste producer must notify the agriculture department, the state police, and an employee must be present to supervise the disposal. What kind of nonsense is this, treating cannabis waste as radioactive?

In the meantime, the waste accumulates.

One solution by Sana Packaging is using 100% plant-based hemp plastic, 100% reclaimed ocean plastic, and other non-petroleumbased materials to create a closed-loop business model that generates no waste.

TerraCycle, from New Jersey, developed a national recycling program for vape cartridges however many states prohibit recycling cannabis. The scope of the recycling problem is difficult to assess. Many places do not track cannabis waste recycling. California has three different agencies. In Canada, they do not track it at all.

Some producers tried to have a bringback program for vape cartridges, but the misguided regulations made the proposal unfeasible. California tried to address singleuse packaging for the tobacco vape industry, but it has gone nowhere. (https://leginfo. legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient. xhtml?bill_id=201920200SB424) Three innovated dispensaries have launched a first-of-its-kind recycling program in which cannabis packaging will be converted into fuel to help power delivery vehicles.

Airfield Supply Co., a San Jose storefront is the first dispensary to sign on for the pilot program that could prevent as many as 5,000 plastic items from entering the state’s waste stream each day. CannaCraft, a Sonoma County manufacturer, and Resynergi, Sonoma County company that converts plastics into oils, are partners in the program.

The aim is to place Resynergi, recycling bins throughout its facilities and to also provide customers with special “exit bags” they can use to store their plastics ahead of recycling.

The industry is succeeding, hopefully, the legislators will begin to evaluate cannabis as an herb rather than a radioactive substance.

Ruth can be reached at www.ruthahillrn. com.

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JUNE 17

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries playwright Tennessee Williams was honest about the trickery he engaged in as he composed his entertaining masterpieces. “I don’t want realism,” he exclaimed.

“I want magic! Yes, yes, magic! I try to give that to people.” I fully support you, Aries, if you would like to make that your goal in the next three weeks. In my astrological opinion, you and the people in your life have more than a mild need for magic. Your ability to thrive depends on you all getting big doses of magic.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): On my wall is a poster that says, “Avoid the Tragic Magic Triad: taking things too personally, taking things too seriously, and taking things too literally.” This advice doesn’t refer to important matters, like my health or my ongoing fight against our culture’s bigotry. I take those issues very personally, seriously, and literally. Rather the motto refers to trivial and transitory issues, like the new dent made in my car by a hit-and-run driver in the Whole Foods parking lot, or the bad review of my book on Amazon.com, or the $18 that a certain Etsy seller cheated me out of, or the joke about the size of my nose that some supposed friend made on Twitter. According to my reading of astrological omens, Taurus, you would benefit right now from meditating on things like these that you take too seriously, personally, and literally. Here’s Don Miguel Ruiz: “There is a huge amount of freedom that comes to you when you take nothing personally.”

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): “I remember wishing I could be boiled like water and made pure again,” writes poet Jeffrey McDaniel. Judging from the current astrological omens, Gemini, I think you could be made reasonably pure again without having to endure an ordeal like being boiled like water. Do you have ideas about how to proceed? Here are mine: 1. Spend 15 minutes alone. With your eyes closed, sitting in a comfortable chair, forgive everyone who has hurt you. Do the best you can. Perfection isn’t necessary. 2. Spend another 15 minutes alone, same deal. Forgive yourself of everything you’ve done that you think of as errors. Perfection isn’t required.

3. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Imagine what it would be like to unconditionally love yourself exactly as you are. 4. Spend another 15 minutes alone. Remember ten amazing moments that you enjoyed between ages five and 13.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): On June 23, 1940, Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely to a family that already had 19 other children. During her childhood, she suffered from pneumonia, scarlet fever, polio, and infant paralysis. The latter two diseases damaged her left leg, and she wore a brace until she was 12 years old. Nevertheless, by the time she was in high school, she had become a very good athlete. Eventually she competed in the Olympics, where she won four medals and earned the title “the fastest woman in history.” I propose that we name her your official role model for the rest of 2021. May she inspire you to overcome and transcend your own personal adversity.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Leo-born P. L. Travers wrote the children’s books about Mary Poppins, a nanny with magical powers. She was thoroughly familiar with folklore, ancient myths, and the occult.

The character of Mary Poppins, Travers said, was a version of the Mother Goddess. But in her writing process, she drew inspiration mainly from what she thought of as the vast dark nothingness. She wrote, “I’ve become convinced that the great treasure to possess is the unknown.” To generate her tales, she listened to silence and emptiness. I recommend you emulate her approach as you create the next chapter of your life story.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): Virgo poet Melissa Broder writes, “Romantic obsession is my first language. I live in a world of fantasies, infatuations and love poems.” I wouldn’t normally authorize you to share her perspective, but I will now. The astrological omens suggest you have something important to learn from being more enamored and adoring than usual. If you say YES to the deluge of

© Copyright 2021 Rob Brezsny

yearning, you’ll gain access to a type of power that will prove very useful to you in the coming months.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran author Oscar Wilde disproved the misconception that Libras are wishy-washy, overly eager to compromise, and inclined to overthink everything. His writing had wit and flair, and his life was vivid and daring.

He wrote, “There are moments when one has to choose between living one’s own life, fully, entirely, completely—or dragging out some false, shallow, degrading existence that the world in its hypocrisy demands.” I suspect that one of those pivotal moments will soon be coming up for you. Be Wildelike!

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Philosopher Simone Weil wrote, “Only the light that falls continually from the sky gives a tree the energy to push powerful roots into the earth. The tree is actually rooted in the sky.” As you bolster your foundations in the coming months, as you deepen your roots, I hope you keep Weil’s brilliant observation in mind. Like a tree, the nourishment that will help you grow the stamina and strength and structure you need will come as you turn to the brightest, warmest, highest sources of inspiration.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): To be in groovy alignment with cosmic rhythms, you won’t merely walk, and you certainly won’t trudge. Rather you will saunter and ramble and promenade. You will strut and rove and prowl. Likewise, you won’t just talk, and you certainly won’t mutter or grumble. Instead you will banter, rhapsodize, improvise, beguile, and lyricize. Catch my drift? You won’t simply laugh, but will chortle, cackle, and guffaw. In other words, Sagittarius, you are authorized to imbue everything you do with style, panache, and imagination.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Congratulations on being such a duty-bound, no-nonsense adult.

May you continue to ply your dogged persistence and beast-of-burden attitude as long as it gets important tasks done, helps you feel useful, and doesn’t make you sick. But if you do get tempted to depart from the sacrificial path anytime soon, please know that you will not offend any gods or demons. Nor will you incur a karmic debt. In fact, I believe you have cosmic clearance to dabble with lightheartedness for a while. You should feel free to experiment with fun and games that appeal to your sense of wonder.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): “I can barely conceive of a type of beauty in which there is no melancholy,” wrote poet Charles Baudelaire.

What?! That makes no sense. I’m aware of millions of beautiful things that aren’t tinctured with melancholy. California’s Mount Shasta in the late spring twilight, for example. New York City’s Guggenheim Museum, a gorgeous gleaming building designed by genius architect Frank Lloyd Wright. The Marmore waterfalls in central Italy.

The gardens of painter Claude Monet in Normandy, France. David Byrne’s gloriously hopeful website, ReasonsToBeCheerful.world. I mention this, Aquarius, because I expect life to bring you a flood of non-melancholic beauty in the coming days. Take advantage of this grace to replenish your trust in life.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Piscean author César Aira praises the value of escaping one’s memories.

He writes, “Forgetting is like a great alchemy free of secrets, transforming everything to the present.” I’d love to see you enjoy alchemy like that in the coming weeks, dear Pisces. It’s a favorable time to lose at least some of the inhibitions and limitations you think you have to accept because of what happened in the past. As Aira says, forgetting “makes our lives into a visible and tangible thing we hold in our hands, with no folds left hidden in the past.”

Homework: My birthday’s coming up. I welcome your blessings! newsletter@freewillastrology.com or PO Box 4399, San Rafael, CA 94913.

---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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!

H S A R T Y A W A L AU H WE

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SAFETY TIPS

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FROM THE CHIEF’S CORNER

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

O

ur society promotes individuality and independence on a level more than ever before. Unfortunately, we are faced with an increasing problem of blatant disrespect for authority figures, especially towards law enforcement.

There are many reasons why people disrespect authority, some may be justified, however many are uncalled for. Imagine this country without those who protect us? I am hopeful and pray we turn things around.

Issues with authority come in many ways.

Here is my story, perhaps you can relate.

I remember when I first made fire chief.

The “have to” things that came with the job made me cringe. City Council meetings, staff meetings, chiefs’ meetings, Mayor’s prayer breakfasts, Rotary and Kiwanis Club meetings—the list of “have to do” goes on and on.

I felt animosity toward my city manager.

After all, he was directing me to do these things. After wrestling with my feelings, I learned it was not the city manager I was upset with—it was my father!

How do those two things go together, you ask? When I was younger, my father put a lot of “have to do” things on me: yard work, house chores, homework, school, sports, working for his business. I often felt I was being nagged all the time. And the situation with my city manager brought up those feelings again.

Oh, did I mention I had to go to church and Bible school every weekend? At church, it was reinforced that I had to submit to my father: “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right” (Ephesians 6:1).

As Father’s Day approaches, it may be helpful to examine how our earliest experiences with authority can shape our professional relationships.

Interestingly, the Bible also instructs us to obey the government: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities” (Romans 13:1). The Bible is clear that all human authority is established by God; therefore, it demands our respect and obedience.

So where am I going with this? As Father’s Day approaches, it may be helpful to examine

TRAVEL TIPS4U

June 17 to June 23, 2021

how our earliest experiences with authority can shape our professional relationships. As a new chief, I chafed under the direction of my city manager because it reminded me of having to submit to my father’s authority.

Could similar factors be influencing your interactions?

It is natural for humans to want to rule ourselves. Our point of view seems right, while being required to submit to a government, a parent or a supervisor feels humiliating. But of course, that submission is a necessary and good thing too.

So, what should we do about our natural problem with authority?

First, resolve to respect those in positions of authority—whether it is your boss or your father. Do not get me wrong, respect

does not mean blind obedience. We see countless examples of abuse or misuse of authority every day, and we are obligated to stand up against them. But simply respecting authority figures for what they represent is a conscious way to push back against our natural resistance to submission.

Second, learn to trust authority. Trust me, it is good that they run the department.

It’s not easy, and most supervisors / leaders are under a tremendous amount of stress that most of us wouldn’t want. Though we are quick to armchair-quarterback their efforts, many of us lack the wisdom, power, knowledge, and courage to step up and lead.

Until you have done it, stand down on being that critic.

The people who nagged me as a child and as a new chief also helped me immensely.

I learned discipline, responsibility, and structure. Pushed to consider different ways of doing things or conducting myself, I also grew as a person.

So, this Father’s Day, take a minute to thank (or remember) the guy who held authority over you as a child—and pledge to honor and respect all authority figures. It is one less thing Dad can nag you about!

Happy Father’s Day!

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

T

he open-air Terraza Garden Patio & Lounge is now open with additional health and safety precautions in place. Enjoy fresh air, desert surroundings and memorable food and drink at Hacienda Del Sol. Al fresco dining, specialty drinks, and live music set the stage for a unique gastronomic experience in the heart of Tucson, AZ at their historic hotel's onsite dining spot. Count on their expert chefs to put an innovative twist to every single dish, from tapas to tacos and everything in between.

Gather with friends and loved ones at the

Terraza's outdoor patio and enjoy al fresco dining at its finest with a diverse variety of specialty drinks, while live music makes every moment come alive.

HOURS Monday - Sunday: Terraza Breakfast: 7am - 11am Terraza Lunch: 11am - 4pm Terraza Dinner: 4pm - 9pm Bar Hours: Mon-Sun: 11am - close ABOUT THE HISTORIC SONORAN DESERT JEWEL IN THE HEART OF TUCSON, ARIZONA The story began in 1929, when John and

Helen Murphey created Hacienda del Sol; a desert retreat inspired by early Moorish architecture, with many personal touches crafted by the Murphey's themselves.

The property was originally a "home away from home" ranch school for the daughters of society's elite families. The prestigious school's roster boasted names such as Vanderbilt, Pillsbury, Maxwell, Westinghouse, and Campbell, to name a few.

Think a Great Restaurant at a Historical Hotel and Enjoy the Experience!

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June 17 to June 23, 2021

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