Coachella Valley Weekly - June 25 to July 1, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 15

coachellavalleyweekly.com • June 25 to July 1, 2020

Vol.9 No.15

Photo by Chance

Local Bars & Restaurants Reopen

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Nick Willman

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Dialect - All Souls - Nigel Roman

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Solano’s

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

MARIO DEL GUIDICE, THE EPITOMY OF VOLUNTEERISM AND EXTRAORDINARY PHILANTHROPY

BY MADELINE ZUCKERMAN

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 Mario Del Guidice ................................. 3-5 Local Bars & Restaurants Reopen ........... 6 Breaking the 4th Wall ................................ 6 Desert Music Prifile - Nick Willman ......... 7 Desert Music Happenings: Dialect, All Souls & Nigel Roman.................... 8-9 Consider This - Jonatha Brooke............. 10 CLUB CRAWLER NIGHTLIFE ...................... 11 VIRTUAL VIEWING ..................................... 11 The Vino Voice ....................................... 12 Good Grub - Solano's ............................. 13 Brewtality .................................................. 14 Pet Place ............................................... 16-17 Screeners ............................................... 18 Haddon Libby ........................................ 19 Travel Tips & Local Happenings 4 U..... 19 Dale Gribow ........................................... 20 Swag For The Soul .................................. 21 Cannabis Corner ..................................... 21 Mind, Body & Spirit ............................... 22 Free Will Astrology................................ 22

Photos by Chance

Richard Balocco, President/CEO of Desert Arc, long-time employee Luis and Mario Del Guidice.

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here are innumerable approaches to the art of Charitable Giving, and countless ways of giving back to one's community. Any one of a thousand profiles of people selflessly giving back to others is bound to impress, yet the story of Mario Del Guidice and his relationship with his community, as well as his unwavering devotion to supporting Desert Arc is an especially heart-warming one.

A staple in the Coachella Valley’s hospitality industry for close to 50 years, the Mario’s Italian Café brand has grown to include seven locations throughout the Coachella Valley. Mario’s family from Naples Italy represents five generations who have worked in some aspect of the restaurant / foodservice industry. Mario started at the age of nine working alongside his father, Peter William Del Guidice, who owned a Butcher Shop. By the time Mario was 15 years of age he was already a seasoned meat cutter. He credits not only his father, but two special uncles with molding his youth and teaching him all aspects of the restaurant industry. Mario quickly learned that hard work and perseverance definitely pays off. He got his first taste of working in the restaurant business in 1961 in Queens, Brooklyn, and New York.

After his first visit to Palm Springs, Mario realized he wanted to set down roots here, so he moved his family to the Coachella Valley in 1972. Today, 13 family members live in the Palm Springs area, with eight family members working in the family’s restaurant business. Mario, along the way, strived to instill in his children at a young age the art of giving back, always leading by example.

Looking toward the future to continue his family’s restaurant legacy, Mario three years ago offered his grandchildren an opportunity of a lifetime. Mario refers to this five-year secession plan as the “Grandkid Opportunity.” As he explains to his grandchildren “this will certainly take tremendous dedication, hard work, and perseverance. It will involve a commitment from his grandchildren for each of them

to work for the next five years a minimum of 70 hours per week, with one day off, in addition to one week of vacation. Although this sounds like a tremendous amount of hard work Mario explains “there would be light at the end of the tunnel because my grandchildren would secure ownership in the family's restaurant business.”

“My youngest grandson Daniel Christopher, who is 25, along my granddaughter Courtney Page Del Guidice, who is 26, worked alongside their dad growing up, as many of my grandchildren have,” commented Mario. “It has been a joy to watch Daniel progress. Not only is he involved in the cooking, but he is also involved in the management side of the business. Daniel brings an open mind, a heart of giving, and fairness to the business.

I am extremely proud of all my grandchildren and their hard work ethic, fairness, and giving hearts.”

With the vibrant passion that only a true New York Italian seems to possess, Mario approaches every day with the vigor of a much younger man. Although his daily routine includes visiting every one of his seven restaurants to oversee quality control and other issues, Mario can be found most mornings at his Bermuda Dunes restaurant, preparing the homemade sauces and pastas for which all of his restaurants are known for. His two sons, Matthew and Peter now in their 50s, work alongside Mario and his wife Karen. “My sons have been involved in the business since they were 8 and 9 years of age,” states Mario. “I have two wonderful sons. They are my partners in business, and partners in my life!”

Mario became aware of Desert Arc’s mission of enhancing the quality of life and creating opportunities for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities continue to page 5

Mario’s grandson Daniel Christopher

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MARIO DEL GUIDICE

June 25 to July 1, 2020

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in the early 1980s, when a former Desert Arc Board member, solicited him for a donation.

Mario, at the age of 12 as part of a detention for being disruptive in his 5th grade class, was forced to work with some handicapped kids at his school in New York. That experience had a profound impact on Mario, as he developed an appreciation and respect for the work ethic and joy he saw in those youngsters he worked alongside. So, when the chance came to contribute to the Desert Arc mission, Mario knew he needed to take it!

Since that beginning, Mario has found numerous ways of helping Desert Arc and its clients to succeed. One of the most profound ways has been his training program. He has opened the doors of his restaurants to Desert Arc clients, and on a 5 day-perweek basis Mario has taught them different aspects of the restaurant business. Mario declares “Giving back to the less fortunate is a feeling you simply cannot buy.” Today, he employs four Desert Arc clients on a weekly basis, while at the same time actively seeking other ways to generate visibility for the organization’s mission.

While he maintains good relationships with all of his employees, there is one employee who brings a smile to Mario's face whenever he sees him. Luis, who Mario refers to as his “Shining Star” employee, has been a part of the Mario’s Italian Café family for 19 years. Mario considers him just as much a part of his immediate family. Despite his challenges, Luis immediately was able to grasp many nuances of the restaurant operations, and as Mario will tell people “Luis knows where everything is in the building and I don't! “Every time Luis does a job, I make an effort to say thank you. He works six days a week, and gives me back twice with loyalty and love.” Luis came to Mario’s Italian Cafes through Desert Arcs’ Pathways to Employment Program.

Mario over the years has been involved with two key Desert Arc client events, which include the Christmas Celebration and Mario’s Birthday Bash, where Mario underwrites 100% of all the food at these celebrations. “Everyone needs money to operate and be successful, but you cannot buy the feeling you get when you

give back,” he argues. Although he looks forward with much anticipation to the annual Christmas Celebration, Mario truly relishes the Mario’s Annual Birthday Party, held on his April 6 birthday, with many of his close friends assisting in this great event. For this celebration, Mario provides all the food, with his wife Karen making all the desert offerings, including an immense cake for the over 700 Desert Arc clients who attend. Harpo the Clown regularly makes an appearance at both these events, and a DJ is present to get everyone out on the dance floor. Mario swears that his birthday bash with the Desert Arc clients leaves him feeling 25 again. “When I come to Desert Arc and underwrite these two events everyone gives me so much love.”

When asked what motivates him Mario replies “the love of my family, my friends and what I do because I love what I do. My wife Karen works alongside me in my seven restaurants each week and is so supportive. I could not do this today without the love and support of my two sons and my wonderful wife.”

Considering the pandemic that we are all

going through, Mario decided to give back yet again, launching a brand new idea called Mario’s Community Mondays, which now feeds over 2,000 first responders, homeless individuals, National Guardsmen, as well as local nonprofits and hospitals. Since the program’s inception, Mario’s Italian Cafés have served over 14,100 meals. Additionally, Mario’s Italian Cafés has seen to it that over 100,000 surgical-grade gloves have been donated to local area hospitals.

Mario’s connection with the community is evident not only through his Community Mondays meals program, and his extensive work with Desert Arc, but also through his work with 11 local high schools. He also contributes to the American Cancer Society and the American Red Cross. “The Coachella Valley has given me so much success,” he beams. “I feel fortunate I have the chance to give back.”

Giving back is in Mario's DNA. He has not only taught his children and family to give back, but is definitely an amazing role model for many generations to come. When asked, Mario Del Guidice cannot say no to help his community!!

The original mural in the background at the Bermuda Dunes Mario’s Italian Café was created and painted by Nick Di Napoli.

Allison Mason, who retouched this original mural, now creates all of the murals at the seven seven Mario’s Italian Café locations.

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

LOCAL BUSINESS

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or nearly three months, many local restaurants and bars were limited to only take-out service or closed altogether under a statewide shutdown to curve the spread of the coronavirus. With many restrictions easing across the country, businesses are able to reopen under new health guidelines to promote social distancing requirements.

The Hood Bar and Pizza is one of the desert establishments that has initiated a number of safety and health protocols upon reopening.

The venue has a stricter sanitation regimen— cleaning the bar each night and then again each morning prior to opening. The Hood has modified their hours to accommodate this cleaning routine, and are using plastic and disposable glassware, silverware, and plates whenever possible.

“The customers seem to have noticed the change in the cleaning protocols, though comments are generally favorable. Not all guests are in favor of us using plastic cups, plates or silverware, but we offer them the option whenever possible. We try our best to accommodate, however, our first choice would be using all disposable glassware, plates, and silverware,” said Hood owner Brad Guth.

Even though music has been a prevalent part of the popular desert bar’s night scene, there are currently no plans to bring back live entertainment anytime soon to try to discourage large gatherings or crowds. During business hours, patrons are encouraged to go outside to the back patio, and there are currently plans to re-pave this area to make it safer for a regular occupancy of people.

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RESTAURANTS & BARS ARE RE-OPENED FOR BUSINESS

“The county of Riverside has discouraged inside entertainment in the way of singing or dancing, and to this point, we are complying. The atmosphere is certainly different. I hope that current guests are enjoying a venue where they can talk and communicate and be somewhat ‘normal,’ whatever that means today.....With that said, there are also many guests who want everything to return immediately to the way it was before and for us, with good conscience, we cannot do that. The obligation is to try and protect ourselves, the staff, and the guests from any possible health issues,” stated Guth.

Guth respectfully acknowledges that not all businesses are operating following the same guide lines, however, he believes it is in the best interest of The Hood to be responsible in the best way that he sees fit. Even though music showcases and live performances are one of the trademarks of the establishment, a full lineup of entertainment would encourage people to gather and congregate, jeopardizing the safety of patrons and compromising the

LORRAINE HANSBERRY

PLAYWRIGHT, CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST, LESBIAN

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he Great Depression of the 1930’s was a devastating time. While Al Capone made a name for himself as the FBI’s most wanted, Broadway was producing shows such as “Porgy and Bess.” Set in an African American community and featuring an allblack cast, the show was written and scored by the all-white team of DuBose Heyward and the Gershwin brothers. Porgy and Bess was a hit, at the expense of its racist and derogatory portrayal of African Americans. The stage has always been a reflection of American culture and societal norms, the good, the bad and the ugly.

As Broadway cheered on the success of shows such as Porgy and Bess, the granddaughter of a freed slave was growing up on the South Side of Chicago. She would become a playwright whose work would bring black voices to the stage.

In the month of June, as we celebrate LGBTQ Pride and the streets are claimed by activists

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social distancing guidelines. The Hood instead opts to maintain those safety measures and require face masks for entry, as the staff wears face masks as a sign of respect to guests and it is preferred that guests would return the favor.

“There are a number of businesses that have opened and already closed all around us in this valley and that is unfortunate. We have had a few evenings since our re-opening that became uncontrollable which is understandable because people just want to feel free and return to normal. But we took steps to either discontinue service or close even earlier than we already do.

It was not a popular choice but a choice we felt most comfortable with,” explained Guth.

With the opening of restaurants, there have been cases of COVID-19 detected among the employees of certain establishments, including Neil’s Lounge, LG’s Prime Steakhouse, and Stuft Pizza.

After a kitchen employee tested positive at Stuft Pizza, they remained out of the building and has since then been in isolation. The

BY DEE JAE COX

demanding justice for the black community and stages have gone dark for fear of a deadly, unseen enemy, it is important to remember a playwright who represented all that we are.

Lorraine Vivian Hansberry, born May 19, 1930, knew firsthand the barriers she faced as a woman, who had only just received the right to vote a decade before her birth, as a black person living in a racist, segregated world and a lesbian who would never know complete acceptance in her lifetime. Hansberry, moved to New York when she was twenty, attended the New School for Social Research and worked for Paul Robeson’s progressive black newspaper, Freedom, as a writer and associate editor until 1953. She also worked part-time as a waitress and cashier, and wrote in her spare time.

In 1957, she joined the Daughters of Bilitis, the first lesbian civil and political rights organization in the country. She contributed

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

source of the virus appears to have come from outside the restaurant and the main priority of the business was to keep isolated and avoid a spread to the employees and customers.

“We felt the highest risk was with our staff since the cooks work in a tighter environment in the kitchen. While cooking the combination of proximity and hours they work side by side led us to wanting our staff to get tested and be sure that we didn't have a bigger problem. We closed completely to err on the side of caution.

After over a week of testing results, we were very encouraged that we did not see any other related positive tests. We feel like we learned a lot in this new challenge and we feel it proved that our precautions are working,” shared Stuft Pizza owner John Bertram.

The reality of the situation remains that numerous businesses have suffered financially due to being under lockdown for so long during the COVID-19 pandemic. While some businesses and bars have been able to open like the Desert Fox, other have not been so lucky.

“I am very fortunate to have the support of the community and to be able to continue serving the Coachella Valley. Some of my regulars have returned and others have not due to the financial strain of the situation, but it is something that we must work through together,” stated Desert Fox owner Mark Green.

It is very important to note that while supporting local businesses are essential for the Coachella Valley economy, it is just as pivotal to practice good hygiene and mindfulness while going out to dine in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

letters to their magazine, The Ladder, about feminism and homophobia. Her lesbian identity was exposed in the articles, but she wrote under her initials, L.H., for fear of discrimination.

Historian Lillian Faderman wrote that, "Its (Daughters of Bilitis,) very establishment in the midst of witch-hunts and police harassment was an act of courage, since members always had to fear that they were under attack, not because of what they did, but merely because of who they were."

As a member of several oppressed populations, Hansberry was an activist for civil rights of the African American Community, women and lesbians. In 1963 she met personally with Attorney General, Robert Kennedy, to discuss his position on Civil Rights.

But it was her groundbreaking stage play, “Raisin in the Sun,” which opened on Broadway, March 11, 1959, that catapulted her to national recognition. “Raisin in the Sun,” received its title from, “Harlem,” a book length poem by Langston Hughes; “What happens to a dream deferred? Does it dry up like a raisin in the sun? Or fester like a sore And then run? Does it stink like rotten meat? Or crust and sugar over like a syrupy sweet?

Raisin in the Sun, was the first play produced on Broadway, that was written by an African-American woman. Hansberry was also the first black playwright and at 29, the youngest American, to win a New York Critics’ Circle award. Her play told the story of an impoverished black family who come in to a

small sum of money and strive to improve their lives and realize dreams, yet are often faced with disappointment instead.

Hansberry’s second play, The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window, also opened on Broadway, but did not receive the acclaim of her first play. Her other plays include; Les Blancs, The Drinking Gourd, What Use Are Flowers?, To Be Young, Gifted and Black. Hansberry also left written materials including unproduced playscripts, teleplays, screenplays; short stories, poems, and nonfiction writing, including essays, lectures, speeches, and articles; photographs and artwork by and of Hansberry and personal materials including diaries, journals, letters, autobiographical notes, and other materials.

In 1964, the same year The Sign in Sidney Brustein’s Window opened, Hansberry was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. She died on January 12, 1965 at the extremely young age of 34. Lorraine Hansberry is an historical figure that should be remembered and honored in the history of theatre, as well as the civil rights movement. She was the first to be recognized for her efforts to reflect black lives on the American stage. She lived a life that reflected who she was, as a woman, a person of color and a lesbian.

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

LOCAL MUSIC

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droit drummer Nick Willman was born and raised in “The City of Festivals” Indio, California.

The 17-year-old musician is currently the drummer for three of the desert’s most promising and talented original Rock bands Pescaterritory, Silver Sky and Instigator.

Recently graduating from La Quinta High School, Willman is primed to take his skills to the next level and become THE preeminent professional musician. The kid has been bashing the skins since age 3!

Along with his bandmates in Pescaterritory, Willman won the 2019 Coachella Valley Music Award for ‘Best Youth Band’ and was nominated in 2017 and 2018 as a member of the band D-Tension.

He has already performed in such celebrated venues such as The World Famous Whisky A Go-Go, Pappy and Harriets, Indian Wells Tennis Garden (Wedbush Garden Jam Music Festival), Big Rock Pub, The Hood Bar and Pizza, Joshua Tree Saloon, Tack Room Tavern at the Empire Polo Grounds, Date Shed and Gadi’s Bar and Grill as well as a string of performances at Stagecoach Festival, Indio International Tamale Festival and the Riverside County Fair and National Date Festival.

Willman has also had the honor of performing on bills with the likes of Lukas Nelson and Promise of the Real, Buddy Guy, Los Lobos, Jimmie Vaughan, Lucie Silvas and Black Sabbitch and has recorded in professional studios with Don Hoeber (Will Donato) at JEM Productions in Palm Desert, California, with Arthur Seay (House Of Broken Promises) at Bittersand Studios in Indio, California and at Sondy Studios with budding producer and Silver Sky bandmate Jake Sonderman.

He rehearses regularly with each of his bands and works intensely on his craft on a daily basis. With the influences of John Bonham (Led Zeppelin), Dave Grohl (Nirvana), Neil Peart (Rush), Alex Van Halen (Van Halen) and Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), he has developed a sound and

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

DESERT MUSIC ARTIST PROFILE:

NICK WILLMAN – DRUMMER

INSTIGATOR / PESCATERRITORY / SILVER SKY

Photos by Ceasar Rodriguez

style all his own that is entirely recognizable.

He began playing drums in a band setting at the youthful age of 9 as the drummer for Y2BD (Yet To Be Determined), which some say is a band that seemingly ignited and influenced the firestorm of young bands that we see today from across the Coachella Valley.

In 2015, Willman auditioned and was accepted to participate in the first year of the Academy of Music Performance (AMP), a contemporary music education program.

With three years of seed-funding from Goldenvoice, AMP built the foundation for year-round programs that serve students from all over the Coachella Valley. He practiced daily and attended classes in music theory, songwriting, promotion and production. As a result of AMP, that same year he began performing in power trio D-Tension (now Silver Sky). Spending several formative years in AMP, he views his time there as significant as he met his bandmates in Pescaterritory and Silver Sky during his tenure.

In 2018 Willman and his bandmates formed the Blues-Melodic-Rock band Pescaterritory. Their first singles were

played on-air by Barry Tomes of US10 Radio Show in Birmingham, England to thousands of music fans. Tomes shared, “Nick Willman…‘The American Bonzo’!

Led Zeppelin drummer John Henry ‘Bonzo’ Bonham will be looking down thinking he has been reborn in Nick. A future Rock God!” In early 2020, opportunity knocked and he joined well established Desert Thrash Metal band Instigator and grasped the extreme and rapid fire drumming technique of Thrash Metal with little difficulty.

Willman shared of his experience, “I really like hanging out with Mark, Garrison, and Jaxson and it’s killer jamming with them. It’s another genre of music I’m looking forward to playing and we’ll see what the future holds.”

With songs like “King Street” and “Better Off Dead” by Pescaterritory, “Brain Blind” and “Runaway Eyes” by Silver Sky and his live performances with Instigator, Willman has demonstrated professional drumming abilities that allow him to participate in a wide range of music projects and successfully play in different genres. He is also proficient on the guitar which gives him the flexibility to write songs and understand music from a more bird’s-eye perspective. CV Weekly looks forward to seeing Willman in the ‘Best Drummer’ category at the CVMAs for a long time to come.

CV Weekly spoke with some of Willman’s bandmates and Academy of Musical Performance Director Will Sturgeon to learn more about “Kid Crush."

Jake Sonderman (Silver Sky, Owner and Operator of Sondy Studios) “Nick’s a rock live and in the studio. He’s totally the backbone of every band he’s in.

I try to work with him whenever I can. I’m currently producing Pescaterritory’s new album at Sondy Studios”.

Mark Wadlund (Instigator) “I love Nick! That kid is a 100% certified badass! Nick Willman is the epitome of what a great Rock/Metal drummer should be.

His playing style is focused and controlled, and his attitude is always super-inspiring to everyone around. Jamming with him

BY NOE GUTIERREZ is always a good time and I appreciate his presence on stage immensely. I hope he can continue to pursue Instigator with us for as long as possible.”

Gavin Lopez (Pescaterritory) “Nick is an extremely dedicated musician.

He works hard and puts thought into his musicianship. He is very talented, not only is he killer on drums, he plays guitar, bass, and piano as well! Aside from being a great bandmate, he is one of my best friends. He is fun to be around and he lightens up a dull crowd. I’m glad that I met him.”

Noah Arujo (Silver Sky) “Well Nick is a very interesting individual.

He’s a great drummer, a good bandmate… when he wants to be…and yeah, he’s an alright cousin, haha! Overall he’s a really cool guy and fits our band perfectly.”

Jason Zembo (Pescaterritory) “As a drummer, Nick is as professional as they come. The skill and proficiency that Nick demonstrates, not only in the studio but live, is incredible. Never have I had the pleasure to play alongside such a talented drummer, a drummer who can switch tempos on a dime in an improv, a drummer who can add exactly what the song needs, and a drummer who can play the most impressive fills in the weirdest time signatures and still keep the song’s backbone sturdy. He is truly an incredible drummer who I trust can pull off any challenge thrown to him.”

Aiden Schaeffer (Pescaterritory) “Nick is a talented musician. We were jamming to System Of A Down back in the 7th grade. He is a reliable bandmate. He always learns his songs and provides good input in band discussions. He is one of my oldest friends and we have always gotten along pretty well. He is a cool person to know.”

Will Sturgeon (AMP Executive Director) “I’ve known Nick since he was 12 and he was a monster drummer even then. He’s only gotten better (though no less quiet, to AMP Band Coaches’ chagrin) and is one of the best drummers out here in the valley.

He’s a musical drummer, which he probably picked up from knowing how to play guitar, bass, and sing, and is definitely an important part of the next generation of Coachella Valley musicians. AMP is proud to have played a part in many of the great bands Nick is a part of and I can’t wait to hear the music he’ll make in the next few years.”

Nick Willman proudly plays Zildjian Cymbals, Pearl Drums and Vic Firth drumsticks.

Nick Willman Links: thesilverskyband.com instigatorlead.wixsite.com/instigator Pescaterritory Channel: youtube.com/ channel/UCH-NvgjkK7fjoOFV2XOPYMw/ featured

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

LOCAL MUSIC

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DESERT MUSIC HAPPENINGS:

DIALECT - ALL SOULS - NIGEL ROMAN

Album Art by Ivan Canevaro

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Photo by Sean Dusky

OWLAND R. GOMEZ aka DIALECT – The Sandz of Time Volumes I & II Rowland R. Gomez, also known as Dialect, is a music producer, lyricist, songwriter, DJ, audio engineer, entrepreneur, philanthropist and performer.

Born and raised in Indio, CA on February 23, 1988, the same year Rolling Stone magazine declared it the ‘Best Year in Hip-Hop’ thus it was predetermined that Dialect was destined for greatness.

Music encompassed Dialect's environment as a child, introduced to a professional studio by his uncle at the age of 3, and the sounds of his grandfather’s Flamenco guitar filled the family home. In his pre-teens, he began lyrical experimentation through free-styling at the local laundromat and inherited his mother’s record collection, purchasing his first turntables and PA system. He was dubbed the ‘go to’ high school party DJ by his classmates. Dialect began experimenting with ‘turntablism' and music programming.

At the age of 18 Dialect attended Los Angeles Recording School (LARS) in Hollywood, CA. There, the developing artist perfected his music techniques and not only obtained his audio engineer degree but completed his first album “Naturally”.

Dialect produced, mixed, mastered, wrote, performed and recorded the project entirely alone. Once he graduated from LARS he returned to the Coachella Valley to apply his newly developed skills in his hometown.

Upon arriving, he began performing his new album at local Hip-Hop shows opening for the likes of B-Real, Murs, The Grouch and Eligh to name a few. He soon landed a weekly DJ gig at the Blue Bar inside Spotlight 29 Casino, at the same time began working at the Indio Teen Center’s first music studio.

Dialect gave the studio a facelift with new equipment and operated that studio for some time until he began designing his own studio in Indio. He was then recruited by the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of the Coachella Valley to design and operate a new youth recording facility. Now managing two different studios in Indio, and having the four elements of HipHop present, ‘DJing, MCing, Breakdancing and Graffiti’, Dialect was also very active Photo by Hector H. Salas

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with producing local music and live music events. In 2011 he decided to head back to Los Angeles where he attended Los Angeles Film School for his Bachelors of Science in Entertainment Business. Since then Dialect has opened as a DJ for Exile, Jeremy Sole, DJ Brodzilla and Zikomo of Soulection to name a few, he has worked as assistant engineer for Grammy Award winners Bongo ByTheWay and Keith Harris, and LA native DJ Quik, working with then mentor Georg Van Handel, descendant of Fredrick Handel the composer. He’s recorded acts such as Brandy Carlyle, Yuna, Dirty Heads, Shinedown, Bill Zucker and Vicci Martinez.

He has worked as production manager and lead technician for Kevin Hart's LOL launch party, produced the Boom Bap Summit with DJ Brodzilla and King-T for the Likwit Radio launch party, produced and hosted the Coachella Valley Music Industry Summit in Palm Springs, and the Street Music and Arts Festival for Westfield Palm Desert.

Dialect’s most recent music project consists of a two-part instrumental album, The Sandz of Time Volumes I and II, available now at dialectmusic.com, and is scheduled to release his 2nd studio album “Wen The Dust Settles” on July 4, 2020.

The Sandz of Time Volume I and Volume II are an orchestral array of Hip-Hop beats under a collection of unnumbered styles and genres of music. The steady, unstoppable advancement of time and music within this project are ‘like sands through the hourglass’. dialectmusic.com

BY NOE GUTIERREZ ---------------------------------------------------ALL SOULS - SONGS FOR THE END OF THE WORLD Before COVID-19 Rock band All Souls was prepped to take 2020 by storm with their new album “Songs For The End Of The World”. In no way could the band have predicted the ironic correlation between their album title and the struggle we currently face. It might sometimes seem like the ‘end of the world’ but this album will be a part of what saves us. Produced

by Toshi Kasai (TOOL, The Melvins, Foo Fighters) at Sound of Sirens Studio in Los Angeles, the first single, “You Just Can't Win” is available on Spotify and a video for the song is on their YouTube channel.

The video was directed by Marcos Sánchez with animation by Sánchez and Simón Jarpa and footage was provided by the Prelinger Archives. The video for their next single “Winds” will be released very soon. A teaser for the video, directed by Josh Graham (Soundgarden), is also on YouTube. The official release date for the new album has yet to be shared, but rest assured you will be able to purchase CDs and vinyl along with digital download. allsoulsband.com “You Just Can’t Win” (Official Video) https://youtu.be/zCRNGhQfU0A “Winds” (Official Video Teaser) https://youtu.be/6kmCZ3KipuI

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com can’t stress enough how much I wish these songs can help you in your hard times. Cause honestly I made them so that you can reflect on your own life. These songs are about me, yes. But they are also about you.” Go to your chosen platform and purchase/download ‘Nigel Roman’ to learn more about yourself.

Roman has one last message to everyone: “To those who have hurt me in my life.

I honestly forgive you. I completely forgive you! To those who have yet to forgive... give it a try.”

Quotes by others: “I’ve been working in the music business for decades and it’s a rare occasion that I come across a talent as I have with local ---------------------------------------------------NIGEL ROMAN Nigel Roman is a Joshua Tree, California native, a singer/songwriter and multiinstrumentalist whose music combines the ingredients of Traditional Jazz, acousticdriven Folk, and 80’s era power ballad vocals. He captures and releases emotions in ways similar to artists like Phil Collins, Ray Lamontagne and Jeff Buckley. Stories of tragedy and loss transcend into a metamorphic state of serenity. His music offers us a look into our own turmoil and inspires forgiveness. As we know this virus thing has knocked everyone off their horse. In lieu of all of this Roman decided to release the record anyway. On June 10, 2020, Roman released his self-titled "Nigel Roman” album and it is now available in all major platforms.

Roman did not get discouraged with the current climate and kept going. He shared, “Right now, this seems right. This is my best accomplishment so far, a whole lot of feeling and emotion went into this”. When you listen, you will understand.

The album was produced and recorded

by Charlie Stavish and Christian Camargo at The Clock Tower Recorder in Flamingo Heights, California. There, Roman was able to group together a list of tremendous musicians and close friends to help portray his appreciation and understanding of life, love, and the pursuit of authentic happiness.

Roman passionately disclosed, “Sometimes, we feel as if we must endure our pain and struggles alone. We feel we

must wield the weight on our shoulders without help.” Roman’s candor reveals the similarities among us. Adrift in his melodic soundscape, we see that as human beings, we deserve care and compassion, a belief that is often overlooked. In his music and performance exists a window to who we are, where we have been, and more importantly, where to go from here. Roman provides 50 minutes of pure emotional support that every human can benefit from.

Roman puts vulnerability to shame with this album. He explains in-depth, “This record is a bit of a journal, a reflection on the ‘relationship’. I won’t sit here and say that my life was horrible but it definitely wasn’t short of trauma, abuse, neglect, etc. My life was less than desirable for many years, for many reasons and at different times. My mother, who is on the cover of the album was a drug addict and didn’t do much in the way of traditional childhood raising. So that relationship was questionable. School, as many kids can attest, lacked direction and respect from every angle. Let’s just say I wasn’t one of the cool kids, or at least I didn’t think I was. Romantic relationships in and of themselves played a huge role in my understanding of people as well as myself.

So basically the entire record is almost a chronologically ordered account of my life, my experiences in life and how I was thinking about these experiences over time. It’s rare that a stranger opens up to you with their vulnerability. And it’s rare that you open up to them. But I have found that if your delivery is beautiful from the get-go, people are more inclined to receive it and embrace their own vulnerability. We may never even meet. But all that matters really is that the connection was made.” Roman exudes his sense of belonging on this album while providing encouragement and motivation to its listeners.

Roman is another holistic musician from a long line of “complete” artists from Joshua Tree that includes Ted Quinn, Gram Parsons, Chris Unck, Gene Evaro, Jr. and Mikey Reyes. “I spent this morning listening and crying. It’s impossible to really convey what this album means to me. I know ‘everybody is making music’ and I know that every market is saturated. But this isn’t really a product to me. This is my journal.

My life was hard in many ways and this was how I was going to tell people about it. I

June 25 to July 1, 2020 Joshua Tree singer/songwriter Nigel Roman.

Great tunes coming from the heart! You’ll definitely be hearing about him” - Dennis Moody (recording engineer) “So proud of you giving yourself to all of us. Healing to all. Perfect timing.”

- Christian Comargo (actor/producer) “I have never had tears of happiness and joy come to eyes.” - Katie Davis (fan/friend) “Constantly surprising melody lines and arrangement. Very clean production and so much heart. You really SANG baby!” - Hugo Fowler (musician) Find “Nigel Roman” on all major music platforms including Spotify and Apple Music. soundcloud.com/nigelromanmusic

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

CONSIDER THIS

“Some things I earn, some things I steal there’s an angel on my shoulder, but the devil’s got the wheel/I toe the line, but then I fall, cuz heaven knows I like the taste of danger most of all.” hat’s Jonatha Brooke charting the temptations, pitfalls and rewards of following your muse on her song “Taste Of Danger.”

Jonatha has been making music on her own terms since she was a kid. Born in 1964, she grew up primarily in Massachusetts with her parents and two older brothers.

Expecting a third son, her folks slightly modified their chosen name, Jonathan, when their daughter arrived.

She grew up in an artistic household, her parents were both writers and committed Christian Scientists. Although she never completely understood the religion’s strict tenets, despite the rigid restrictions it taught her to be self-reliant. Music was a constant companion, the soundtrack that accompanied her childhood included the usual ‘60s/early ‘70s suspects; the Beatles, Peter, Paul & Mary, The Mamas And The Papas, Neil Young and Joni Mitchell, as well as soundtracks from “Sound Of Music” and “Godspell,” and a healthy dose of Jethro Tull courtesy her older brothers.

Dancing was her first love, and from the time she could walk, Jonatha studied tap, ballet and modern styles. Before she fully grasped long-division she was strapped into toe shoes, enduring years of endless practice and self-sacrifice. By age 15, she received a scholarship to the Joffrey Ballet.

Even as dance consumed her days, music was rapidly becoming an obsession. At age 12, she received a guitar for Christmas and quickly taught herself most of the songs contained in her family’s record collection.

By the time she came of age, she had already written a few of her own songs. While attending Amherst College, she met Jennifer Kimbell at a choir audition. Teaming up, the pair played campus coffee houses and nearby venues as Jonatha and Jennifer. Their musical alliance lasted until graduation. At that point, Jonatha joined a dance troupe and Jennifer started working in graphic design.

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JONATHA BROOKE

By the late ‘80s, the pair reconnected and recorded a clutch of demos as The Story. They ended up signing with the well-respected Folk label, Green Linnet, and released their debut, Grace In Gravity in 1991.

Their sound seemed completely in step with the introspection of Rickie Lee Jones and Suzanne Vega, the sly, whimsical humor of the Roches and the symbiotic harmonies of Indigo Girls. Although Jonatha wrote all the songs, together they created their trademark dissonant vocal blend. Enthusiastic reviews prompted Elektra Records to add the Story to their label. Partnering with Green Linnet, they re-released Grace… in 1992, reaching a wider audience.

The following year the Story recorded their second album, The Angel In The House. This time a big name producer was behind the boards. Tommy LiPuma had recently had massive success with Natalie Cole’s “Unforgettable,” which topped the charts and netted five Grammy Awards.

A well-respected Jazz/MOR producer, he added a spicy Latin flavor to the Story’s sound. Response from fans and critics were lukewarm at best, prompting Jonatha and Jennifer to amicably part ways.

In 1995 Jonatha embarked on a solo career. Signing with Blue Thumb, a boutique imprint of MCA she released Plumb, an album that blended biting social commentary, incisive introspection and catchy melodies that rocked a little harder than her Story songs.

Her second solo album 10 Cent Wings expanded her horizons without sacrificing her emblematic intimacy. Even though it arrived in late 1997, just as archetypal, feminist alt.Folk singers were unpacking their little black backpacks of angst, it never gained any commercial traction. Other female singer-songwriters had moved out of the margins and were hitting center stage at Lillith Fair, but for Jonatha, everything skidded to a halt. Her shortsighted label dropped her in the midst of a national tour.

Gobsmacked, she managed to complete the tour. But rather than retreat, she regrouped and roared back stronger than ever.

Realizing she couldn’t be at the mercy of mercurial record companies, she followed

“THE SWEETWATER SESSIONS” (BAD DOG RECORDS)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

Ani DiFranco’s example and started her own label, Bad Dog Records. By the end of the 20th century, she released Jonatha Brooke Live. The stripped-down live set showcased her literate songs and self-deprecating wit.

Despite limited distribution, she received positive press in mainstream publications like People and Billboard.

Having recently married music manager Patrick Rains, she relocated to Los Angeles and hunkered down to write her next album.

She played plenty of smaller local venues like the Roxy and Largo, refining newer songs with the help of her tight touring band. Her relentless woodshedding paid off. Released in 2001, her third studio album, Steady Pull, paired lively and inventive melodies with brisk instrumentation and sharp, trenchant lyrics.

The album was a hit, relatively speaking.

The following year Disney studios tapped Jonatha to write a couple of songs for their “Peter Pan” sequel, “Return To Neverland.”

In 2004 she released the sprightly Back In The Circus and followed up two years recording a live set, aptly entitled Live In New York City.

Her next couple of albums couldn’t have been more different. 2007’s Careful What You Wish For seemed to aim for mainstream success with diminished returns. The next year, for The Works, Norah Guthrie gave Jonatha access to a cache of her dad, Woody’s unpublished lyrics. The experiment paid off and led to songwriting opportunities writing for Courtyard Hounds, Katy Perry and the Dixie Chicks. She also created music for Josh Whedon’s “Dollhouse” TV series. But it was her next project that proved to be the most personal and cathartic.

The final years of her life, her mother, Darren Stone Nelson, struggled with dementia, she moved in with her daughter, who became her primary care-giver. When her mom passed away in 2012, Jonatha channeled her grief by creating a theatrical production, My Mother Has 4 Noses. An evocative one-woman musical memoir, she was the sole creator, writing the book, music and lyrics for the show.

It was a sharply observed dive into mother-daughter dynamics, that inevitable moment when parents and children reverse roles. A tough and tender chronicle of their intense years together, the show played Off Broadway in 2014, receiving rapturous

reviews. The songs made it onto a companion CD of the same name.

Three years later she returned with a more conventional effort, her 10th most excellent long-player, Midnight Hallelujah. Another winner, it featured her usual combination of complex emotion themes, straightforward melodies and crisp instrumentation.

2019 saw the release of the five-song Imposter EP. Even though Jonatha has a couple of musicals in the pipeline, she leapt at the opportunity to helm a recording workshop at Sweetwater Studios in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The state of the art facility is also a huge retailer for instruments and gear.

Along with her guitarist, Sean Driscoll, Jonatha corralled a wolf-pack of players and under the guidance of studio head Mark Hornsby provided the workshop attendees a master class in the art of recording live in the studio. Tracking the takes live, keeping the instruments and vocals separate, the results were so great that they opted to expand the session and record an entire album.

Sweetwater Sessions opens with the aforementioned “Taste Of Danger,” it is one of two songs from The Works that didn’t rely on Woody Guthrie’s unpublished lyrics.

A fearless piano ballad, its sound is fleshed out with tensile bass, feathery guitars and a see-saw beat. Airy and expansive, lyrics like “It all comes down to this, there’s a million souls out there, dying for a wish, living for a kiss, searching for someone to care/On any given day you can hear their songs and cries, kneeling down to pray, wishing they could say they never compromised,” reinforce the notion that there’s no reward without sacrifice.

The set hopscotches back and forth through time, dipping all the back to the Story era with “The Angel In The House” as well as including “Twilight” from her latest effort, the Imposter EP. The former blends burnished piano notes and painterly guitars and bare-bones percussion. Pensive and wistful, the lyrics speak to deferred dreams, dampened desires and missed opportunities.

Jonatha’s vocals are suffused with longing and regret.

The latter is a Country-flavored shuffle anchored by stinging guitar, bloopy keys, pinwheeling bass lines and a propulsive rhythm. The lyrics were inspired by a father’s heartfelt apologia, during a celebration for his 60th birthday; “Maybe now’s the time to ask for forgiveness, I will beg for yours and I’ll leave you mine/Weaving a tapestry of things unspoken, we’ll lay it down at the feet of all the promises we’ve broken.” The disarming melody and arrangement nearly camouflages possibly her most beautifully nuanced lyrics.

Jonatha manages to rescue and rehabilitate a “Careful What You Wish For” cut, “Prodigal Daughter.” In this live-

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com ish setting, she strips away the bombastic arrangement of the original, latticing jagged guitars, echo-y keys and angular bass over a rattle-trap beat. The lyrics are Impenitent and rebellious; “I am searching the heavens, I’m living in hell, I’ve squandered the blessing, I am the never-do-well/I walked on a wire, I tried every trick that I dared, broke every promise to whoever cared, burned all my bridges, like a lamb to the slaughter, I am the prodigal daughter.”

Conversely on “Scars” from “My Mother Has 4 Noses,” the live take is much more plush and ornate, tapering the sharp angles of the original. A wash of keys, throbbing bass, angular guitars and a pliant backbeat cushion lyrics that chart the push-pull of the mother/daughter dynamic, made more bitter and sweet through the prism of Alzheimer’s and dementia. “Scars,” she notes “are there to prove you’ve healed, cause no

one sees what’s there beneath the surface/ There beneath the surface, underneath the skin, is where you start again.” A scorching guitar solo on the break underscores the lyrics’ frustrations.

In an album filled with sardonic delights, it’s hard to pick out favorites, but standout tracks include “Back In The Circus,” “Midnight Hallelujah” and “Full Fledged Strangers.” “Back..,” the title track from her fifth solo album, is a winsome, minorkey waltz powered by wheezy keys, nimble guitars, chugging bass and clanky, mechanical percussion. Here Jonatha unspools a vivid narrative that equates life under the big top with the commedia dell’arte that defines romance; “Back in the circus, but at least I know the routine, got back-to-back matinees, me and the drag queens/We are queens of the fun house Kings of the real house of games, yeah princes of darkness and we’re

Thursday, June 25

Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:30pm Casuelas Café – Desert Suite Band – 6:30-9:30pm Fantasy Springs - Twelve – Mark and Chad – 7pm Lit – The Champagne Band – 9pm Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails – Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – Roger & the Roadhouse Rebels – 9pm

Casuelas Café – Lisa Lynn & the Broken Hallelujahs – 6:30-9:30pm Chef George’s – Marc Antonelli – 6:30pm AJ’s on the Green - Chris Bennett and Mikole Karr – 6:30pm Fantasy Springs – Lit – Country Night w/ Jimi Nelson – 7pm

Friday, June 26

Frank’s Place – Terri Olsen and the Perfect Blend – 6-9pm AJ’s on the Green – Marc Antonelli – 6:30pm Fantasy Springs – Twelve – Mark and Chad – 7pm Lit – The Champagne Band – 9pm La Quinta Brewery – Derek Jordan Gregg – 7-9pm Pete’s Hideaway – Alex Santana – 7:30-10:30pm Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails – Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm Desert Fox – Derek Jordan Gregg – 9:30pm

Saturday, June 27

Vicky’s of Santa Fe – Kal David – 5:30 – 9pm Frank’s Place – Terri Olsen and the Perfect Blend – 6-9pm AJ’s on the Green - Open Mic w/ Les Michaels and Joel Baker 6:30pm

Sunday, June 28

Fantasy Springs – Twelve – Yuko Mabuchi – 2-5pm Palm Canyon Roadhouse – Jam Session – 7pm

Tuesday, June 30

Casuelas Café – Michael Keeth – 6-8pm Chef George’s – Lizann Warner – 6:30pm Fantasy Springs – Lit – Brad’s Pad – 7-10pm

Wednesday, July 1

AJ’s on the Green - Doug MacDonald Jazz Band 6:30pm Chef George’s – Barry Minniefield – 6:30pm Fantasy Springs – Lit – Latin Night – 7-10pm Plan B Live Entertainment & Cocktails – Red’s Rockstar Karaoke – 9pm

June 25 to July 1, 2020

all on first name bases.”

“Midnight…” is also a title-track from her most recent long-player. A kissin’ cousin to the sharp melodicism of Sting’s “Shape Of My Heart,” the song offers a heady brew of lush chroma keys, ticklish bass lines, piquant guitars and a fluttery beat. Playful lyrics juxtapose spirituality and carnality.

Opting for sin over the salvation of organized religion, she blithely admits “I’m a tonguetied black belt sinner and I’m running with the saints.”

Meanwhile, even though “Full-Fledged Strangers” is a quarter of a century old, it hasn’t aged a day. Cascading acoustic arpeggios connect with keening lead guitar, quiescent keys are shaded by spidery bass lines and an in-the-pocket backbeat. A brittle meditation on a broken romance, the lyrics perfectly limn the feelings of alienation that can send even the most sentient adult into an emotional tailspin. The yearning is palpable as she wrestles with ghosts, “...You think you know me-think it’s just a matter of time, ‘til you make me see the depth of your sincerity, but I can’t shake this.”

Other interesting tracks include the

restless defiance of “Glass Half Empty,” from “10 Cent Wings” and a buoyant take of the Beatles’ “Hide Your Love Away.” The album closes with “I’ll Try.” Originally, this haunting piano ballad was written specifically for Disney’s 2002 “Peter Pan” sequel, “Return To Never Land.” Although it was tailor-made to illustrate the angst we all experience growing up, lyrics like “My whole world is changing, I don’t know where to turn, I can’t leave you waiting, but I can’t stay and watch the city burn,” resonate with the raging dumpster fire that has become 2020.

Jonatha was accompanied here by Sean Driscol on acoustic and electric guitars, Nick D’Virgillo on drums and percussion, Dave Martin on bass and Phil Naish on keys, piano, Hammond B3 and Wurlitzer.

Although this project was created in an effort to educate and instruct workshop students, the end result accomplishes that and much more. Sweetwater Sessions is a luminous reminder of Jonatha’s protean talents. Always wry and insightful, she weds erudite, richly evocative lyrics to indelible melodies. Her music is compelling, sophisticated and refreshingly honest.

Thursday, June 25

Krystofer Do – Facebook – 7-9:30pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Warsaw Poland Bros – Facebook – 11:30am Chase Huna – Facebook – 6pm Cody White and the Easy Ride – Facebook – 7:30pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Friday, June 26

Slim Man – Facebook – 5pm Bonnie Gilgallon and Eric Frankson – Facebook – 5pm Rose Mallett – Facebook – 5pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Saturday, June 27

Chase Huna – Facebook – 2pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Sunday, June 28

Sticky Doll – Facebook – 11am Blasting Echo – Facebook – 5pm

Monday, June 29

Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Tuesday June 30

Chase Huna – Facebook – 6pm Rose Mallett – Facebook – 6:30pm Lizann Warner – Facebook – 6:30pm Alex Harrington – Facebook – 7pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm

Wednesday, July 1

Sergio Villegas – Facebook – 3pm Nicholas J. Sosa – Facebook – 10pm Contact Phil to be included in this list: phillip@coachellavalleyweekly. com

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

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retty much every year—or every other year, we wine columnists actually get off the couch and get out to wine country to verily experience the wines, vineyards, terroir, winemakers and general geography in real place and real time.

Of course, due to the pandemic, this year’s wine ventures have been stalled, but, at least we get to zoom in on our computers with the virtual tastings, as our recent columns have been describing—and, they’ve been a fun experience. We’ve made the most of it—what are you gonna do?

Last year at this time, we went on an amazing five-week jaunt throughout the European wine country. Staying and visiting our favorite spots in France and Italy; and some new forays into the forests and vineyard land of Bavaria, Austria, Prague, and Budapest.

Sorry to re-hash the titles of last year’s pertinent articles, but one can easily discern the wine regions we reported on: Wining Around the Danube, The Battle and Legend of Bull’s Blood, Beaujolais, Burgundy & Bistros, Arriverdci Roma!, and Euroma. For those so inclined—check them out. Maybe next year we can travel again!

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WINE WISHING & REMINISCING

And reminiscing back to the wines and regions we enjoyed—well, that gets me to wishing, considering and outright recommending a trio of those tasty wines: Franken Ice Wine: As the “story” goes, in the incredibly cold winter of 1794 in Franken (Franconia) Germany, winemakers had no other alternative but to make the most out of their fast-frozen grapes still on the vine. And so began eiswein: using the drop of grape essence still in the shriveled berry along with the touch of frost to produce a wine. We write about ice wine regularly: it does get categorized as a dessert wine— which it is, but it can be enjoyed as an aperitif and during meals. It’s a great breakfast wine as well with fruits, cheeses, French toast, etc.

But what is especially fun and tasty about the Franken Ice Wine is that it comes in a Bocksbeutel, a short, rounded flasklooking green bottle. (You remember the old Mateus bottle?—something like that.)

Next, the grape used is not the expected Rieling, but the “less than noble Silvaner grape; generally known and used in cheaper white table wine.

But magic takes over when an ice wine is produced from Franken Silvaner:

Zesty acidity, floral traces, complex sweet white fruit flavors—but with a dry feel, concentrated, depth, viscous texture, juicy with a gripping finish as well. Hard to imagine that profile? It’s why the Franken Ice Wine is on your wine bucket list.

Top Franken producers to look for include Hans Wirching, Weltner, Johann Ruck, and Juliusspital. Prices do reflect the quality— expect to pay $40 and up. Right now, Total Wines is offering Golf 19, a Franken wine (not an ice wine) for only $19. I don’t recommend it—and it’s not a Silvaner wine, but another grape—Rivaner Moscato d’Asti [mohs-KAHT-oh-dahstee] As I wrote last year, while staying at the wonderful Hotel LIS in the beautiful and quaint city of Asti, in northern Italy about 35 miles southeast of Torino, we also enjoyed a private wine tasting luncheon at the well-known restaurant, Campanarò nearby. Meeting and dining with the Italian sommelier, he couldn’t hold back his pride nor his delicious array of vintage 1990s Moscato d’Asti.

To the amazement of many, vintage Moscato d’Asti is one of the world’s tastiest light sparkling wines around. As wine enthusiasts come to understand, there are always cheap versions of a grape—and then, there’s the premium stuff—which because of its quality, ages magnificently.

Cheaper Moscato d’Asti are usually one note—rarely complex. But it works fine with spicy Asian fare. It’s festive and plays well with the spice and heat. Indeed, I’m amazed that so many of our valley’s Thai restaurants do not even have any aromatic Moscato d’Asti on their menu.

One would like to describe vintage d’Asti, as like a fine extra dry Champagne: generally dry but with a notch of sweetness. All right— but I think it is its own animal, which is why the vintage stuff is on your wine bucket list. We know Italian Prosecco has taken the world by storm. But the sexy choice, when given the option to choose, will be an impressive vintage d’Asti. Look for Marenco Scrapona, Luigi Veronell, Albino Rocca, and found in most wine stores locally—a nice Moscato d’Asti “starter” is Michele Chiarlo’s Nivole.

The “King of Wine” Tokaji aszú [tohkEYE-ee ah-SOO]: Relishing our time in Budapest—we enjoyed both the inexpensive rustic red Bull’s Blood (Egri Bikavér) and the most famed, revered, and expensive Tokaji aszú.

So of course, dining at a hundred-yearold restaurant, we ordered Hungarian Goulash among other tasty dishes and listened to a quintet of classical musicians playing Bartók. And, of course, we savored a glass of the world class Tokaj Wine history in a glass is Tokaji. Kings and Popes of Europe always had it available in a moment’s notice from their winsome wine bins. It’s been written, “Louis XIV famously called it the ‘wine of kings, the king of wine.’

BY RICK RIOZZA

Peter the Great is said to have ordered 600 barrels of it every year and subsequent czars spent significant proportions of their court budgets on keeping their supply of Tokaji wine stocked. Pope Pius X was a great fan and gushed: ‘such wine is what is worthy of the Holy Father.’

Voltaire sealed the deal as he describes, “Tokaji invigorates every fiber of the brain and brings forth as enchanting sparkle of wit and good cheer from the depths of the soul.”

An aged wine from the Furmint grape blended with Harslevelu and Muscat de Lunel, this medium to full-bodied wine is sweet with high acidity; highly aromatic with notes of almonds, apples, apricots, cinnamon, dried fruit, figs, honey, orange peel, peaches, raisins, vanilla, and nuts. It’s on par with Chateau d’Yquem. Cheers!

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

GOOD GRUB

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

SOLANO’S – #1 CHOICE FOR PALM DESERT DINING

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

veryone knows firefighters love their food. We are food critics and take pride in our firehouse meals. If you have not been to Solano’s in Palm Desert you are missing out. I went there early in March and loved it. I keep going back because of the food, wine, and service.

Paco Solano is both the owner and Chef.

He is the kindest gentlemen one could meet.

Very humble but man can he cook!

As summer approaches, who wants to be in the kitchen when you can go to Solano’s.

Short ribs, steaks, buttermilk chicken, blackened salmon, butternut ravioli, to pizzas

and pastas, all are delicious.

Very clean, with a comfortable ambiance greeted with a host of friendly staff. Andrew the bartender is like meeting an old friend.

He makes you feel comfortable and at home while having appetizers and a drink before dinner.

The wine menu is full of some of the best Paso and Napa wines and whatever your choice for cocktails, Andrew has you covered.

One of my favorites is Chef Paco’s Fish Tacos. Panko crusted Cod, pico de gallo, cabbage, chipotle aioli so good!

One thing I really admire and respect

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

about Paco. He is kind and generous. He is supportive of those in need as well as our first responders during the holidays. He has a huge heart and welcomes me every time I dine at Solano’s!

Solano’ is now offering Saturday and Sunday brunch!

Happy Hour: Monday / Sunday 3-6 pm Located at 37029 Cook Street Palm Desert, CA 92211 (760) 565-1786 Hope to see you there!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

BREWTALITY

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BEST WATERMELON & IPA CEVICHE RECIPE EVER!

BY AARON RAMSON

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had a pet guinea pig when I was little, and his name was Iceman because he had these spikey, blonde frosted tips, and I’m pretty sure he’d get into locker room rivalries with guinea pigs named Maverick and Goose if he were ever given the chance. Iceman had this big, clear, plastic exercise ball that I’d put him in so he could roll around the house and explore without getting lost or eaten by the family dog. Iceman was one of the coolest pets I ever had, and at no point did I ever look at him and wonder what he’d look like deep fried. Yet, guinea pigs, or cuyes as they’re called, are a delicacy in Peru, where Peruvians consume around 65 million cuyes every year. I didn’t know you could eat guinea pigs until I was researching for

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this article. If you’d asked me yesterday what I knew about Peru, I’d have said Incas, Machu Picchu, and Llamas.

I had no idea that one of my favorite dishes came from Peru (no, not fried guinea pigs). I’m talking about ceviche.

At its core, ceviche will always be fish or shellfish, citrus juices and salt, but depending on where you have it, the rest of the ingredients may vary wildly. Just about every country in south America has its regional version of ceviche, complete with individual touches and particular garnishes. The ancient Incas were said to have marinated fish in fermented fruit juices, but it was the Spanish colonialists who brought the process of using citrus juices to denature the proteins in fish and

shellfish to “cook” them.

Adding the bright, sweet flavor of watermelon to ceviche is said to have popularized in Baja California. With hop flavors that can range from grapefruit zest to musky tropical fruit, adding IPA to the marinating brine seems a no brainer. While chili peppers are a very common ingredient in ceviche, I chose to add slivers of sweet mini peppers as well as jalapenos to mine for color, crunch, and brightness.

Traditional ceviche is marinated for 3 hours, but many modern versions have a much shorter marinating period, including this recipe.

WATERMELON & IPA CEVICHE WITH SHRIMP & AHI (serves 5-6) 1 lb. uncooked, deveined shrimp 1 lb. ahi tuna steaks ½ cup lemon juice 1 cup lime juice 4 cups seedless watermelon, cubed 4 sweet mini peppers in red, orange, and yellow 1 large or 2 small jalapeno peppers (substitute for serrano peppers if you want more heat) ½ cup chopped cilantro 1 cup of your favorite IPA 1 tbsp sea salt 2 tsp onion powder Remove shells from shrimp, cut shrimp and ahi into a medium dice, about ¾ inch, and put both into your brine: sea salt, IPA, lemon juice, and lime juice. Cover and set into refrigerator while you cut and prep

your watermelon and peppers.

Cube your watermelon into 1-inch dice, cut your jalapeno and sweet peppers in half lengthwise, then slice thin into half-rings.

Combine watermelon, peppers, cilantro, and onion powder in a large plastic or glass (non-reactive) mixing bowl.

By now, your shrimp and ahi will begin to firm, and turn opaque from the citric acid brine. Combine the fish and brine with the watermelon and peppers so all ingredients are together. Fold gently with your hands, or maybe fold it with a flexible silicone spatula if you have something against touching your food with your hands (some people do. Just don’t be a douche and wear those black, latex gloves that you see guys wearing on Instagram. You don’t need your ceviche tasting like you’re trying too hard to look cool).

Taste and season with extra salt if necessary. Put back in the refrigerator and let your ceviche marry for another hour as the flavors meld into each other. After that, it’s ready to eat. Serve on tostada or with a side of tortilla chips, as well as your favorite IPA.

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

PET PLACE

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

BY JANET McAFEE

PET SAFETY DURING FIREWORKS!

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n past years, we humans cheerfully celebrated our nation’s July 4th Independence Day with fun, food, family and fireworks. But in 2020 with COVID-19, things are different in so many ways including the cancellation of public fireworks events. In past years, July 4th is the worst day of the year for our canine and feline friends. This year, fireworks blast through our Coachella Valley on a nightly basis for the past week. Some folks bored with the lack of entertainment, and perhaps frustrated with the Pandemic’s consequences, are setting off illegal fireworks every night. They may or may not realize the loud noise from fireworks is extremely painful to dogs’ ears. The bangs, explosions, bright lights, and sirens create fear and confusion for our beloved pets.

Riverside County prohibits the use of these fireworks, and violators may be fined up to $1,000. Frustrated pet owners can report these fireworks to the Sheriff’s Department Dispatch at (951) 776-1099, IF YOU CAN IDENTIFY AN ADDRESS. The loud booms are distressing to animals, create stress for people with PTSD, and disturb the sleep of thousands of others.

In past years, our streets and highways look like war zones on July 5th with dead and injured animals who escaped from homes in their fright. Others end up as strays in our public shelters. Dogs in their frenzy from fireworks will jump tall fences that ordinarily contain them. My best friend’s cat broke through a window screen and escaped, though luckily returned the next day. Shelters coping with budget issues and reduced staff from Pandemic woes may not have the manpower to respond to injured and lost animals. Now we are dealing with terrified and escaping animals every night for a 2 week period.

What are some things you can do to keep your pets safe? The most important thing you can do is keep your pets inside during this extended “holiday”, except for short supervised potty breaks.

WALK YOUR DOGS BEFORE THE FIREWORKS BEGIN, AND KEEP ALL PETS SECURELY INSIDE THE HOUSE UNTIL THE NIGHT AND FIREWORKS ARE COMPLETELY OVER. Because the actual holiday falls on a Saturday this year, we will likely see an increase in Fireworks that weekend and through Sunday.

When your pets are safely inside, play soft music, turn on the television, or put in a fan to create white noise that sooths them from the extreme sounds.

Keep windows and curtains closed to further reduce noise and keep out the bright firework flashes. Be careful when the front door opens. Your pet is already under stress, and he is more likely to dart out an open door or window. If you have a dog that is prone to running off, consider purchasing a GPS tracker that can monitor his location.

You may want to purchase rescue remedy or other calming supplement from a pet specialty shop. One owner reported a few drops of Frankincense essential oil

placed along the back of their dog’s neck helped him stay calm. For more serious cases of anxiety, your veterinarian can prescribe medication.

Consider purchasing a Thundershirt for your pup, a gentle garment designed

MEET ERIN

MEET LEROY & HENRY

Pregnant and homeless, this sweet 1-yr-old Torti was rescued

by Kittyland in Desert Hot Springs.

Her kittens were all adopted, and now it’s this sweet mama’s turn to get a loving home. Call Kittyland at (760) 251-2700 for an appointment to meet and adopt Erin. www.kittylandrescue.org

These two brothers are an adorable mix of Doxi/ Chihuahua/Beagle. Just 1-yr-old, they were rescued by the Humane Society of the Coachella Valley in North Palm Springs. They are shy at first, but have lots of love to give. Call (760) 329-0203 to meet them.

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to reduce anxiety. Provide your pet with a new toy such as a Kong with their favorite treats inside.

YOUR PET SHOULD WEAR AN ID TAG ON HIS COLLAR AT ALL TIMES WITH YOUR CELL PHONE ENGRAVED. These

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inexpensive tags can be purchased at Petco and PetSmart. Your pet should be microchipped and contact information kept current. Make sure you have a current photo of all pets. These are the most important things you can do to ensure the safe return of a missing pet.

If your pup is outside as you prepare a holiday BBQ, keep these curious creatures away from charcoal. Don’t give them “people food” treats. Foods such as onions, chocolate, avocado, grapes, raisins, and yeast dough can be toxic.

Never leave unattended alcoholic drinks near your pets as they have the potential to poison them.

Similar precautions need to be taken by cat owners. Some cats are oblivious to fireworks, while others become very agitated. Keep all windows and blinds shut. Offer needed reassurance. Allow them to hide under the bed or burrow under a blanket until they feel it’s safe to come out.

Looking for a missing pet? The Coachella Valley Animal Campus shelter, located at 72-050 Pet Land Place in Thousand Palms, houses stray animals from all Coachella Valley cities other than Palm Springs. You can contact them at (760) 343-3644 and www.rcdas.org. The Palm Springs shelter is located at 4575 Mesquite in Palm Springs, (760) 416-5719 and www.psanimalshelter. org. Please note that both these pubic

shelters remain closed for public walkins during COVID, so you must check websites and call about missing dogs. An effective way to get a missing dog or cat returned is to post their photo on www.

NextDoor.com which alerts hundreds of your neighbors. There are several local Facebook pages dedicated to reuniting missing pets, including “Lost and Found Pets in the Coachella Valley”.

I wish you and your 4-legged family members a happy, safe, and healthy summer!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------Below is a partial list of shelters and rescues in the Inland Empire with animals for adoption. You can view most of their animals online in advance of calling. If you cannot adopt, consider making a donation to one of the private rescues that rely on those funds.

COACHELLA VALLEY ANIMAL CAMPUS – This county shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. You can view the animals at all 4 Riverside county shelters at www.rcdas.org, and get the ID number of the animal you want to meet.

Email them with the animal’s ID number at shelterinfo@rivco.org and call (760) 3433644. Located at 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms. (Public) PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is closed but you can call for

an appointment to adopt. They schedule appointments Wednesday through Monday, closed on Tuesday. 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 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 601-3918. (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. View 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 through www.ForeverMeow.org, or call (760) 335-6767. (Private)

June 25 to July 1, 2020

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) 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 – 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 closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt.

Call (909) 386-9280 daily between 9am & 5pm. 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 www.DreamTeamangelsrescue. com, (360) 688-8884. (Private)

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

M

SCREENERS

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No. 428

COMING SOON. MAYBE…

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

ost theaters are closed temporarily or limiting the number of viewers per showing.

Contact the theater for more information.

More info as it becomes available will appear on this page.

TENET (Tentatively set for July 17) Cloaked in secrecy, like all his films prior to release, Christopher Nolan’s enigmatic

and confusing TENET trailer, available online, doesn’t really offer much plot information.

And that’s how it should be. Seeing a new film without any prior knowledge except genre is often the best way to enjoy it.

One unnamed character in the trailer played by Kenneth Branagh says, “All I have for you is one word. Tenet.” But is that really any help?

What is known about Nolan’s $200 million film is that the buzz suggests it’s a new breed of genre-bending action thriller – an espionage type story -- that takes place in that very thin space between the living and the dead. Apparently in this new plane of existence, the characters – who all experience time and space differently -- are working to prevent something worse than a nuclear apocalypse!

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Nolan’s forte are stories that challenge our understanding of reality and perhaps existence itself (think of 2010’s Inception and 2014’s Interstellar). Nolan has staked out territory that once belonged to Stanley Kubrick.

THE ONE AND ONLY IVAN (August 21 Disney+) Based on the novel of the same name by Katherine Applegate, the movie (and book) tells the kind of true story of Ivan, a western lowland gorilla who spent most of his life in an enclosure at the B&I Shopping Center in Tacoma, Washington.

Although the plot is mostly fictional, it might be more appropriate to say the premise of the tale is inspired by the true story, rather than totally based on it. The novel’s mall name is changed to the “Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.”

The gorilla lives with an old elephant named Stella with whom he shares a close bond. He’s also friends with Bob, a dog who lives with them. Mack, the owner of the mall, owns the three.

Despite living in confinement, Ivan seems

to enjoy his life and passes time by pondering over art, the taste of mangoes and the sound of leaves. However, his sheltered world-view gets shaken up when Ruby, an abused baby elephant is brought to live with them.

Having been abused during her childhood, Ruby carries the weight of her past wounds with her, both literally and figuratively. As she starts to grow under the care of Stella, Ivan begins to take care of her as well. Soon, his opinion of the mall as his home starts to change and with the help of Julia, the janitor’s daughter, Ivan starts to turn things around in hope for a better life for him and Ruby.

This lovely film is a CGI/live-action hybrid with actors playing human characters, and others lending their voices to the nonhuman, animated ones. It features a starstudded cast, as one would expect from a big-budget, Disney movie.

The studio just announced that the heartwarming adventure, adapted from the bestselling, award-winning book about one very special gorilla directed by Thea Sharrock will premier August 21 exclusively on Disney+.

The movie, previously set to be released theatrically by Disney, is a memorable and captivating fable about the beauty of friendship, the power of visualization and the significance of the place one calls home.

Strongest recommendation. This is just what we need in this troubling time of loss, loneliness and isolation. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

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HADDON LIBBY

UNINTENDED CONSEQUENCES OF LOW INTEREST RATES

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o most of us, low interest rates are a great thing. We can afford to buy a bigger house, better car or more promising tomorrow with a student or business loan. For those who took on debt due to the pandemic lockdown, lower interest payments may mean the difference between survival and bankruptcy.

While most of us never think about it, low interest rates can cause negative things as well. The biggest that most of us notice first is an increase in the price of things. When rates are as low as we have at present, asset bubbles develop as investors search for returns.

Interest rates at present are the lowest in the history of mankind. Rates are so low that some investors PAY to hold certain issuances. As an example, the German equivalent to our 10 year U.S. Treasury pays a negative 0.5% whereas ours pay 0.7%. If you bought a German 10-year bond for $100 today, you would get back about $95 in ten years.

Retirees and those nearing retirement are hurt by low interest rates. As people age, the importance of low/no risk investments grows as these folks do not have the time or ability to or earn back significant declines in the value of their investments. As bank certificate of deposits and U.S. Treasuries pay essentially nothing, many older Americans who would keep a significant portion of their funds in these investments

are taking on riskier investments. In many cases, these investors take on risks that are more significant than they can understand or afford if something goes wrong.

This ‘stretch for yield’ occurs when rates get low enough that investors opt for higheryielding investment options than they might normally hold. Examples of potentially bad investment ideas that attract yield-hungry investors includes many annuities, low or unrated bonds that pay high yields, private Real Estate Investment Trusts, private mortgage loans and oil partnerships.

When investing in publicly-traded stocks, there is a tendency amongst those looking for stable income to focus on dividends as these types of stocks can be nice component

of a portfolio built for stable income. This thoughtful strategy can go askew if there is an over-focus on industries that pay the best dividends without concern for the financial health of the company.

This search for better yields is necessitated by inflation. If an investment that you own returns less than the rate of inflation, you lose buying power. When you lose buying power, you can afford less and less over time.

Where low interest rates hurt some, it is a boon for those with debt. At present, a 15 year fixed rate home loan is about 2.5% while a 30 year is 3.25%. By refinancing and moving from a 30 year loan to a 20 or 15 year loan, a homeowner can save enough

TRAVELTIPS&LOCAL HAPPENINGS4U

CHILEAN FLAMINGOS

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

to avoid years of mortgage payments and the related interest costs. If invested instead of spent, these folks have a much brighter future tomorrow than they due today because of low rates.

Federal Reserve Chairman Powell has stated that they will keep interest rates low for a very long time. They will also support the financial markets as much as necessary in order to maintain smooth and orderly markets. To date, the Federal Reserve has supported markets by more than $5 trillion and stated that their support is ‘unlimited’.

This has created an environment where large companies have been able to issue historically large amounts of debt in order to survive the shutdown and loss of revenues while homeowners have yet another chance to refinance at historically low rates.

The actions of the Federal Reserve have most certainly helped the United States avoid a major depression and kept tens of millions employed.

Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. Please visit www.WinslowDrake.com or email Hlibby@ WinslowDrake.com.

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

JW MARRIOTT MARRIOTT DESERT SPRINGS RESORT AND SPA IN PALM DESERT, CA

he flock of Chilean Flamingos are maintained and cared for by the staff at JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert. Flamingos usually have their wings clipped to prevent them from flying away. The species is listed as near threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

Due to Covid-19 the JW Marriott Resort and Spa is closed but you can visit their ground.

Amongst the Flamingos you will see white and black swans and ducks.

Please remember to wear your masks and practice social distancing.

Venture out and enjoy the aquatic birds!

“It is not about being all the same, it is about respecting differences.”

Lynne Tucker A Passion 4 Photography 818.298.7007

Contributing Writer and Photographer for: CV Weekly (Coachella Valley) The Tolucan Times (San Fernando Valley) Conservation Ambassador for The Living Desert

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

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LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

WHAT IF I TOLD YOU THAT WITH A LAWYER, YOU WILL GET MORE $$$ ON YOUR ACCIDENT CASE?

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hy you ask would that be true?

Doesn't the Insurance Companies treat all accidents cases the same?

Don't they just multiply your medical bills by 3?

A lawyer directs you on what to do to support your accident claim, to get fair value on your case, and not be low-balled. If the police did not go to the scene, your lawyer will coordinate a desk report at the police station.

If the police did make a report, maybe it is not accurate and pegs you as being at fault or 50% at fault. Often your lawyer hires an Investigator to gather evidence to share with the police to get the report amended. If the case is worth $100,000 and you are 50% at fault you will only collect $50k. Since the lawyer gets a traditional 1/3, s/he has a vested interest in your getting the most money possible.

Your lawyer will instruct you on what information is needed and get wit statements and pictures of the scene. The bottom line, "HIRE A LOCAL LAWYER ASAP," so evidence does not get cold or destroyed.

Most clients don't realize how important it is to be honest with their lawyer. When your lawyer asks if you had any prior accidents, be honest. With computers, it is easy for the insurance company to search your name for your driving and criminal record.

Likewise you must be honest with your doctor too. Be sure your doctors each get ALL of your medical problems, write them out. Go to your computer and list everything that hurts from the top of your head to the bottom of your toes.

Give that sheet to each doctor so they can incorporate the information into your medical file. All to often the nurse or medical assistant misreads the doctors notes and leaves out, either his info on how the accident happened, or all of your medical problems.

With respect to your doctor visits, don't miss

appointments or have gaps in your treatment.

The attorney for the insurance company, and their doctors, are going to argue you were not hurt that badly because you were not treating.

The insurance adjuster knows all jurors will expect an accident victim to treat on a regular basis and for each problem, without missing appointments. Otherwise the question, "how bad could they have been hurt" will be asked?

Your lawyer will also review your insurance information to see what the maximum recovery could be on this case. If the other driver did not have much insurance s/he will know to make a claim against your underinsured motorist portion of your policy. Your lawyer will likewise encourage you to increase your limits for the future.

With respect to fixing your car, you do not want to go to the body shop that your insurance company recommends. Nor do you want to go to your next door neighbor who will repair $7500 of PD for $2500. Doing the repairs as cheaply as possible will hurt your case.

The attorney for the ins co will later argue, the damage was not that much. You also could wind up with an body shop that does not pound out the dent but rather uses bondo to hide it. In addition if they don't put the car on a hoist, one can't see the damage to the undercarriage.

When the PD is low the adjuster is inclined to low ball you on a settlement. The insurance companies hire biased experts, to pay the victim as little as possible. They traditionally DENY, DELAY AND UNDERPAY CLAIMS A good lawyer should never let their client talk to the insurance adjuster. Legally, once a lawyer is retained the adjuster can't talk to your client. I advise my clients to tell the adjuster, before the co knows I have been retained, to say they would be happy to talk to them but their lawyer has asked them not to do so without permission. Ask the adjuster for his/her name, and explain that after you call for approval, you will call them back. That way

S and G

PUMPING SERVICE

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you are the good guy and the lawyer is the bad guy for not allowing the plaintiff to talk.

Remember that Silence is Golden. It is not only what you say BUT what the adjuster or officer THOUGHT HE HEARD YOU SAY. DON'T GIVE A STATEMENT TO ANY INSURANCE COMPANY WITHOUT YOUR LAWYER'S OK. Your lawyer will encourage you to get immediate medical attention. S/he will explain why you should have taken the ambulance to the hospital rather than driving there yourself.

You should never HANDLE THE CASE YOURSELF: Don't initially handle the case.

Getting a maximum recovery is a "work of art".

Don't put your bills through Medicare or Medi Cal. There are many reasons, but just don't do it.

DON'T TREAT WITH the WRONG DOC: Don't use your regular doctor! Instead consider one your lawyer suggests; one that you had not seen before. Your regular doctor's file has all your prior complaints and injuries and we all have skeletons in our closet...things you do not realize are skeletons. The insurance company will interpret the following as a skeleton: prior accidents; seeing a shrink (that does not play well in front of some jurors unless you see the doc for this accident); an STD; an abortion (without sharing with your spouse); an alcohol or drug issue etc.

It is important you SEE A DOCTOR EXPERIENCED WITH PREPARING MED/LEGAL REPORTS in addition to being a good physician.

The doctor's description of your pains is critical. That is why for years I lectured to the International College of Surgeons at their annual conference on "How to Write a Med/ Legal Report".

DON'T HIRE AN OUT OF TOWN LAWYER: Though good lawyers, they will not know the local judges and court personnel (clerks and

bailiffs) and a lawyer can often get a lot of info from them...if they are friends.

DON'T POST ON SOCIAL MEDIA (FB): Don't post that you're feeling great or running to play tennis or golf. The insurance company will argue if you were well enough to play a sport you couldn't be hurt that badly. Social media is the biggest advance for insurance companies who no longer have to hire private investigators. They learn from your daily posts how you are doing and that could be the kiss of death for your case. Take down your social media until the case is over. The insurance company can learn your friends and have investigators talk to them and learn how healthy you are. Your friends may assume you are ok because you do not complain.

You must realize that insurance companies do whatever they can to pay less money on a case... AUTO, HURRICANE, FLOODS, FIRE...

IT MAKES NO DIFFERENCE. They are not your good neighbor and they will not give you a piece of the rock.

DALE GRIBOW - Representing the Injured and Criminally Accused "TOP LAWYER" - California's Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 2011-20 "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" If you have any questions regarding this column or ideas for future columns please contact Dale Gribow at 760-837-7500 or dale@ dalegribowlaw.com.

SWAG FOR THESOUL

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BY AIMEE MOSCO

LEAVING THE PAST WHERE IT BELONGS

CANNABIS CORNER

June 25 to July 1, 2020

THE EVOLUTION OF THE BYHILLRUTHR.N. ENDOCANNABINOID SYSTEM

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“There is no reason to hold on to the memories of the pain and trauma when it was the growth your soul was after.” Gratitude + Forgiveness x(Love) = Happiness, by Aimee Mosco and Donald L. Ferguson, pg. 61 e all have a story. The twists and turns in our stories shape us to make us who we are in this present moment. Keeping memories active and alive that have led us to where we are is important to a degree if those memories support continued growth. If not, there is no benefit to holding on to old, unfavorable feelings that bring you back to a time and place saturated with pain, unless in the unlikely event you truly didn’t learn from the experience.

Emotional pain sits in direct opposition to the nature of the human spirit and rarely supports the favorable manifestation of new experiences. It may temporarily serve as motivation to “create” something new in your life, but it is mostly just a marker which tells you that you have some letting go and growing to do. Any emotion that knocks you out of alignment with your true nature serves the purpose of prodding you to dig a little deeper, find the lesson, and awaken to a new perspective.

When you internalize and then apply the wisdom you have achieved from a painful experience, you have positioned yourself to connect with a higher perspective and there is no longer any benefit to re-experiencing the

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trauma. It has done its job and it is perfectly appropriate to leave it where it belongs – in the past.

Because we human beings are creatures of habit, we often hold on to the pain because that is what we have come to know. It is part of the story we have come to define ourselves by, so we lean on the familiarity of it. The soul truth is, you are defined by the wisdom you have gained and applied, and your ability to replace low vibrations with higher ones, more so than anything else.

So, if you want to free yourself from reexperiencing the traumas of the past, look for the lessons present in the situations that inspired the painful emotions. Know that it was the growth your soul was after. The pain was only a means to an end. Agree to integrate and apply the wisdom you gained, and work toward replacing the old views with a new, higher perspective. This is how you leave the past where it truly belongs – in the past.

In my pursuit to help humanity awaken to their best selves, I invite you to join Facebook group Evolve through Love hosted by Elizabeth Scarcella, BB Ingle, and me. Go to facebook. com/groups/evolvethroughlove and share with us your joy.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s passion for helping others inspired her book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. Find Aimee at ihsunity.com.

lcmaeon of Croton, Praxagoras of Kos, and Herophilus of Chalcedon were three Ancient Greek philosophers, who conceived and demonstrated the existence of a nervous system by the third century BCE. Alcmaeon argued that the brain is the seat of intelligence, connected to the extremities of the body by nerves. Praxagoras suggested that the brain controls movement in the body and posed the existence of neurons responsible for sending brain signals throughout the body. Herophilus used dissection to demonstrate the existence of a nervous system distinct from the vascular system, discovered nerves connected to inner organs and muscles, and distinguished between sensory and motor nerves.

It took twenty-three centuries later for two Israeli scientists, Raphael Mechoulam, Lumir Hanus and an American scientist William Devane to discover the endocannabinoid system (ECS). The most widespread and versatile signaling molecules known to man (ECS) is the master computer system responsible for regulating pain, memory, mood, appetite, stress, sleep, metabolism, immune function, and reproductive function.

The sea-squirts, an animal which evolved over 600 million years ago, is believed to be the first primate to exhibit an ECS. Many miracles of science are discovered by chance. Penicillin was discovered accidently when Sir Alexander Fleming returned from vacation to find a mold had developed on a contaminated staphylococcus culture plate. How was the ECS discovered? The scientists were interested in why marijuana from the cannabis plant caused changes in psychoactivity. They discovered in the cannabis plant, 9-delta-tetrahydrocannabinoid (THC) in the cannabis plant has the exact molecular structure as Anandamide synthesized by the ECS. The molecule, Cannabinoid (CBD), in the plant is the exact molecular structure of 2-AG which the ECS synthesizes.

We make our own THC and CBD. How profound is this that nature produces a plant easily grown in the wild that provides sustenance to those that are deficient in anandamide and 2-AG? So why is this not included in medical nursing pharmaceutical nutritional and psychiatric curriculums? While education can be found on the Internet it is besmirched in social media and touted with the fear of Voldemort from Harry Potter. The government even puts you in jail for using a cannabis plant.

The Drug Enforcement Agency’s (DEA) drug schedule organizes drugs into groups based on risk of abuse or harm, Schedule I being the drugs that cause the most harm and Schedule V causes the least harm. President Nixon initiated this scheduling system after establishing a commission to study if cannabis has a medical use. The commission and the American Medical Association both recommended marijuana/cannabis as therapeutic. President Nixon discredited their research and labeled marijuana Schedule !. Marijuana is a slang word for the botanical name of the plant cannabis.

This table delineates the medications in the five schedules. (See Chart Below) The extreme right column shows the unscientific thinking of the government for putting THC in four different Schedules. How can CBD be in Schedule I and Schedule V? Epidiolex is a pharmaceutical product of a 1:1 ratio of CBD:THC for treatment of seizures in children. So, nature’s plant with THC and CBD has no medical use with a high potency for addiction but a pharmaceutical CBD and THC is equal in potency to Robitussin with codeine?

A synthetic THC in Marinol and Cesamet is less potent than nature’s plant? Is it no wonder the folks are questioning the “science” around the Chinese pandemic virus?

There are many deaths from any one of the drugs listed in Schedules I-IV. There are no deaths in the history of mankind for the drugs in the extreme right column. Name me one pharmaceutical with the harm index of cannabis. I believe progress will not be made until we teach the ECS in high school biology, college anatomy and physiology and all medical curriculums.

Send comments and questions to info@ ruthahillrn.com.

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

MIND,BODY & SPIRIT

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BY BRONWYN ISON

INTEGRITY FOR LIFE

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ith each and every thing we project in life, integrity should be applied. In your relationships with your spouse, friends, family and those in the workplace, moral character is sure to reveal itself. How we conduct our lives, treat others, and how we allow others to treat us can be a concise reality check. Random House dictionary defines integrity as: 1) Adherence to moral and ethical principles; soundness of moral character; honesty. 2) The state of being whole, entire, or undiminished. 3) A sound, unimpaired, or perfect condition.

Integrity can be a tough act to follow for some. Why? Everyone defines integrity differently. Perhaps we massage the definition to our own desires. One person may think falsifying or embellishing is acceptable. Others would define this as betrayal or dishonesty. How do you view cheating on an exam? According to the Harvard Business Review, a survey conducted suggests 95% of students admit to engaging in some form of cheating while in college. What an astonishing number!

The students rationalized their behavior as, “no big deal,” “everyone else does,” or “it wasn’t really cheating.” If you did not realize consequences to your actions, does this give you the courage to cheat again? It seems to me, if you were not caught in the act, you might repeat your actions.

Have you experienced in small and large businesses a statement is generally made about integrity. “Our company proudly conducts themselves with integrity…,” “Our team acts with integrity in all we do…” It is omnipresent. Lack of integrity dominates the headlines in our news every night. We constantly hear about people making poor choices. The long-term effects can damage self-respect, personal accountability, and our reputation.

Integrity will enhance your overall lifestyle. It is a choice. When we choose to live with making the right choices, (not cheating or lying to others to benefit ourselves), there is freedom. Obviously as humans we are

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imperfect. As you reflect upon moments in your life you may have recognized your integrity lapsed a time or two. Or, you were the brunt of another persons’ lack of candor.

When we live with integrity we never have to question ourselves. Living your life true to your word followed by your actions will afford you prosperity. It also shows you are dependable, a positive role model, and you can be trusted. Therefore, your values will shine and others will recognize this and want to be close to you. This is the ultimate compliment.

Propagating your integrity is important.

Constantly define your values. Be sure to analyze the choices you are making. If your actions could harm another, reevaluate.

People with strong morals, ethics and integrity are generally humble, self-confident and exude a high self-esteem. If this sounds like you, keep up the great work!

Bronwyn Ison is the founder of EvolveYogaOnline.com - Yoga ON DEMAND ~ Contact, Bronwyn@e-volveyoga.com Owner and Founder of Evolve Yoga in La Quinta, CA. TV & Live Event Host, Speaker, Columnist, and 2016-2018 Women's Health Magazine Action Hero & lululemon Ambassador 2013/2015 & 2017/2019.

Featured in Palm Springs Life Magazine, Desert Health News, Coachella Valley Weekly & on KESQ & KMIR. Recognized by Palm Springs Life Magazine as "Best of the Best" Yoga Studio and by Coachella Valley Weekly "Best Yoga Studio" & E-RYT 200. e-volveyoga.com bronwynison.com

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF JUNE 25

ARIES (March 21-April 19): In addition to being a magnificent storyteller, Aries author Barbara Kingsolver raises chickens at her home. “There are days when I am envious of my hens,” she writes, “when I hunger for a purpose as perfect and sure as a single daily egg.” Do you ever experience that delightful rush of assurance, Aries? I suspect that you’re likely to do so on multiple occasions in the coming weeks. And if you are indeed visited by visions of a perfect and sure purpose, your next task will be to initiate practical action to manifest it in the real world.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Nobel Prizewinning Taurus physicist Richard Feynman got his undergraduate degree from prestigious MIT and his PhD from prestigious Princeton University. Later he taught at prestigious Caltech. But his approach to education had a maverick quality. “Study hard what interests you the most in the most undisciplined, irreverent, and original manner possible,” he advised his students. I think his strategy will work well for you in the coming weeks, which will be a favorable time to gather valuable information and polish your existing aptitudes.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): You’re entering a phase when you’ll have the potential to upgrade and fine-tune your relationship with money. In the hope of encouraging that prospect, I offer you the counsel of author Katharine Butler Hathaway. “To me, money is alive,” she wrote. “It is almost human. If you treat it with real sympathy and kindness and consideration, it will be a good servant and work hard for you, and stay with you and take care of you.” I hope you’ll consider cultivating that approach, dear Gemini: expressing benevolence and love toward money, and pledging to be benevolent and loving as you use the money you acquire.

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Who would deduce the dragonfly from the larva, the iris from the bud, the lawyer from the infant?” Author Diane Ackerman asks her readers that question, and now I pose the same inquiry to you—just in time for your Season of Transformation. “We are all shapeshifters and magical reinventors,” Ackerman says. I will add that you Cancerians now have the potential to be *exceptional* shape-shifters and magical reinventors. What new amazements might you incorporate into your life? What dazzling twists and twinkles would you like to add to your character?

What will the Future You be like?

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): Qabalistic teacher Ann Davies asked, “If you stick your finger in the fire, do you then complain that it is unfair when your finger gets burned? Do you call the fire bad?” I offer you this caution, Leo, because I want to encourage you not to stick your fingers or toes or any other parts of you into the fire during the coming weeks. And I’m happy to inform you that there are better approaches to finding out what’s important to learn about the fire. The preferred way is to watch the fire keenly and patiently from a modest distance. If you do so long enough, you’ll get all you need.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In accordance with upcoming astrological portents, I urge you to engage in a vigorous redefinition of the term “miracle.”

That will open you up to the full range of miraculous phenomena that are potentially available in the coming weeks. For inspiration, read this passage by Faith Baldwin: “Miracles are everyday things. Not only sudden great fortune wafting in on a new wind.

They are almost routine, yet miracles just the same.

Every time something hard becomes easier; every time you adjust to a situation which, last week, you didn’t know existed; every time a kindness falls as softly as the dew; or someone you love who was ill grows better; every time a blessing comes, not with trumpet and fanfare, but silently as night, you have witnessed a miracle.”

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): When Libras become authoritative enough to wield clout in their own sphere of influence, it’s often due to three factors: 1. the attractive force of their empathy; 2. their abilities to listen well and ask good questions, which help

© Copyright 2020 Rob Brezsny

enable them to accurately read people’s emotional energy; 3. their knack for knowing specific tricks that promote harmony and a common sense of purpose. If you possess any of these talents, dear Libra, the next eight weeks will be a favorable time to employ them with maximum intensity and ingenuity and integrity.

You’re primed to acquire and wield more leverage.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): There is only one kind of erotic intimacy between consenting adults that can truly be called “unnatural”: an act that is physically impossible to perform. Everything else is potentially vitalizing and holy. No one knows this better than you Scorpios. You’re the champions of exotic pleasure; the connoisseurs of blissful marvels; the masters of curious delight and extraordinary exultation. And from an astrological perspective, the coming weeks will be a time when these aspects of your character could be especially vivid. But wait a minute. What about the pandemic? What about social-distancing?

What about being cautious in seeking intimate connection? If anyone can work around these constraints so as to have sexual fun, it’s your tribe.

Use your imagination!

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): When he was 22 years old, Sagittarian-born Werner Heisenberg received his doctorate in physics and mathematics from a German university—even though he got a grade of C on his final exams. Nine years later, he was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics because of his pioneering work on quantum mechanics. What happened in between? One key development: He was mentored by physicists Niels Bohr and Max Born, both of whom also garnered Nobel Prizes.

Another factor in his success was his association with other brilliant colleagues working in his field. I hope this story inspires you Sagittarians to be on the lookout for catalytic teachers and colleagues who can expedite your evolution. The planetary omens are favorable for such an eventuality.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): You Capricorns aren’t renowned for causing controversy. For the most part you’re skillful at managing your reputation and keeping it orderly. But there may soon be a departure from this norm. A bit of a hubbub could arise in regards to the impressions you’re making and the effects you’re generating. I’m reminded of Capricorn author J. D. Salinger, whose book *Catcher in the Rye* was for a time widely taught in American schools but also widely banned because of its allegedly controversial elements. These days the book is regarded as a beloved classic, and I suspect you will weather your commotion with similar panache.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Novelist Tom Robbins articulated a vision of what it means to be bold and brave. He said, “Real courage is risking something that might force you to rethink your thoughts and suffer change and stretch consciousness.” I’m hoping you will make that formula your keynote in the coming weeks. The time is right for you to summon extra amounts of fortitude, determination, and audacity. What new possibilities are you ready to flesh out in ways that might prod you to revise your beliefs and welcome transformation and expand your awareness?

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Joan of Arc performed her heroic and magical feats in 1430 and 1431. But she wasn’t canonized as a saint until 1920—almost five centuries later. It took a while to garner the full appreciation she deserved. I’m sure you won’t have to wait as long to be acknowledged for your good deeds and fine creations, Pisces. In fact, from what I can tell, there’ll be a significant honor, enhancement, or reward coming your way sometime in the next four months. Start visualizing what you’d like it to be, and set your intention to claim it.

Homework: What’s one thing you could do to enhance the well-being of a person or people you don’t know? FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

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June 25 to July 1, 2020

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