Coachella Valley Weekly - August 13 to August 19, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 22

Vol.9 No.22

Photo by Mike Shiplett

coachellavalleyweekly.com • August 13 to August 19, 2020

Joshua Tree Pop-Up Drive-In

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In Memory Of Trini Lopez

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Paul Weller

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Desert Villa Bakery

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

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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 Keisha D - CVMA "Icon Award" ............ 3-5 The Frida Cinema's Pop-Up Drive-In at Joshua Tree Lake Campground ...... 5 In Memory of Trini Lopez ....................... 6 Consider This - Paul Weller .................. 8-9 The Vino Voice ....................................... 10 Brewtality ............................................... 11

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KEISHA D TO RECEIVE THE ICON AWARD AT THE 8TH ANNUAL CV MUSIC AWARDS

he first moved to Palm Springs in 2008 and performed at Open Call at McCallum Theatre where she won ‘Best Vocals’. She was recently honored by Desert Theatre League with the 2020 Lifetime Achievement Award at the annual Desert Star Awards. She was also inducted into the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars on January 17, 2020, and probably one of her proudest achievements, receiving the Shiny Apple Award for her years of service in mentoring high school students throughout Palm Springs Unified School District.

The wonderful human mentioned above will be receiving the ICON Award at the 2020 Coachella Valley Music Awards for her years of dedication to the Coachella Valley and her undying contribution to the world of music and theater. I am, of course, speaking about the undeniable Keisha D. When you mention the name Keisha D., what follows is a flood of feelings that evoke soulful vocalist, humanitarian, faithful woman and perpetually loving individual. Born and raised in Hollywood, California, she started singing as a child and by her teens was singing in the church and touring with the gospel group Hilltop Faith. She was awarded a full scholarship to Azusa Pacific University where she studied classical music and received another partial scholarship in musical theatre from the California Baptist University. When she had children, Keisha continued to tour Jazz festivals and fairs. Keisha has performed in numerous plays at Palm Canyon Theatre, Desert Theatreworks, and Desert Ensemble.

Coachella Valley Weekly is extremely honored to edify this beautiful soul by presenting to Keisha D. the CVMA 2020 ICON Award. Below is our recent conversation with Keisha D. CVW: Congratulations on receiving the 2020 ICON Award, I know it comes at a tough time but you are so deserving.

Keisha: “Thank you so much! I’m blown away, this valley has been so good to me.

I never thought of all these things, these wonderful accolades. I appreciate it. It’s nice.

I don’t know if I’ll go back to entertaining. It looks like probably not, so what a way to go for my career to come to some kind of closure, it’s really nice.”

CVW: What was your reaction when Tracy

(CV Weekly Publisher) first notified you and after some time for it sink in, how are you feeling now about the award now?

Keisha: “When Tracy said the words I was just quiet, and she responded, ‘Hello?’

I was crying, I couldn’t get my breath. I was so shocked. It’s just amazing. I was blown away. I hope I represented our community of musicians in a good light. I’m glad that they feel that I’m worthy of something like that. I hope that people will take something from what I’ve been doing in music, that they love it just as much as I do. I hope it gives people a shot in the arm to keep going for their dreams.”

CVW: You started to sing Gospel in your teenage years. What do you remember about your beginnings?

Keisha: “I started this at 14 years old. I sang for huge crowds early on. At 16 I sang at Lake Avenue Congregational Church in Pasadena, CA and it holds thousands of people. I began singing on that kind of scale and meeting all kinds of people and thinking, ‘I love this!’ I don’t know why I never got status like Madonna, maybe God didn’t think I could handle it, I don’t know, but the life He has given me to share music has been phenomenal.”

CVW: I know that when artists begin their passion singing for God, they have a unique understanding of music and performance.

Keisha: “That is all the glory right there.

Sometimes people don’t understand that they lose the genuine love for music when money is the motivating force. I never thought about becoming famous, I always thought about giving the best message I could possible give.

Even if I’m singing secular music, I’m trying to send the best message I can.”

CVW: After singing for the church you gravitated toward bars and clubs. How different was that?

Keisha: “I got into the secular realm because I was 16 and started sneaking into the clubs. They said, ‘you’re supposed to be 21’ and I said, ‘I just want to sing, just a few numbers’. They said, ‘alright, alright, c’mon’.

That was back in the day when they weren’t inspecting or watching. I wasn’t trying to drink or be a grown-up, I wanted to be a musician, I wanted to sing. That’s how I broke into it, once I was of age I started booking my own shows, then I took some time off, went back into the church, raised my kids to a certain age, about

Safety Tips .............................................. 11 Pet Place ................................................. 12 Theatre - "Broadway Singalong".......... 13 Desert Villa Bakery................................ 13 Screeners ............................................... 14 Haddon Libby ........................................ 15 Dale Gribow ........................................... 15 Health - Keto .......................................... 16 Free Will Astrology................................ 16 Cannabis Corner ..................................... 17

Photos by Mike Shiplett

Photos by Chris Miller

August 13 to August 19, 2020

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

junior high and continued to work for the church, once the kids were old enough I went back to secular.”

CVW: Can you tell us about your children and grandchildren?

Keisha: “The kids are fantastic. Everybody’s so close knit. I have three kids, my oldest is 34 and I have a 29 and 26 year old who live in desert. I have grandchildren; a one year old grandson, a 5 and 3 year old, Aiden, who is 13 and Kiah is 17. We have a lot of love and fun times. We don’t know any different. That’s all we know is to be there for each other. It’s not gonna change. They are the most important thing. I told my family, if nothing else, make sure you give love, you treat people with positivity, you treat people with kindness, there’s nothing better. It’s easy. It’s so hard to be ugly. It’s so hard to be mean. Do you know how much energy that takes? Just don’t do it.”

CVW: Some may not be aware of your current health issues. Would you like to share about where you are in your treatment?

Keisha: “I take it day by day, I need prayer.

I need love and positivity. They think they may have got the cancer in a state of remission; however, I have autoimmune disease which is worse than the cancer at this point. I suffer from systemic lupus and gastric autoimmune disease. It has formed a band around my chest area and my rib cage, I feel like I’m being strangled by a python, it’s just a tightness in my chest, a tightness in my back, I suffer from very bad stabbing body pain all day every day. Obviously, it makes it difficult to sing, it’s devastating. I’ve recorded a couple of videos this year trying to see what I have staminawise and just getting through those few songs took a lot out of me. I’m working with the doctors, they’re trying to see what they can do to see if we can do something that can reverse the damage that is happening, but I have lived with systemic lupus most of my life, 25 years or so. I’ve had a really good run with this disease.

It just happens. This is what it is. This is what happens as time goes on. I’ve survived it much longer than a lot of people. And now it’s coming to fruition and coming to a point in my life, this is where we’re at. Unfortunately, these past couple of weeks has been very difficult. Right now I’m kind of holding on to see if we can turn this around and get me better.” continue to page 5

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KEISHA D

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Photos by Mike Shiplett

CVW: I understand how difficult this question might be; if you are unable to perform again due to your health, what will you miss the most?

Keisha: “I will so miss all the wonderful people you meet show after show. It’s just incredible when you’re all said and done and it’s all over and people come up to you and they talk to you about their daughter who sings or that they sing. I’ll really miss the people. I’ll miss being able to share with people. I’ll miss people coming up to me and saying, ‘Hey, I was having a bad day today’ or ‘I had a bad week and I came out Saturday night to hear you sing and I feel better’ or ‘that song you sang touched my heart’ that all makes me feel so happy.”

CVW: Your husband has been the primary support for you as you have battled cancer, systemic lupus and gastric autoimmune disease. What would you like to share about him?

Keisha: “He’s holding up really well. There are times when I go and stay with my mom for weeks at a time to give him a break. My mom

will take care of me, it requires, right at this point, I need help. I’ve been able to at least go and quarantine with her or quarantine here.

God bless him, he told me ‘I don’t want to lose my woman’. He needs to rest. In the evening times it’s really hard for me, it’s harder in the nighttime than the day. He gets a chance to relax and sleep and not be up and down with me. He’s been my rock. All these years he’s done the sound for me. When I have a show, he shows up two hours ahead of show time, sets everything up, makes sure the sound is level, even if it’s not us setting up the sound, he’ll still go and say, ‘this is the way she likes for it to sound, this is the way it needs to be’.

He’s always had my back.”

CVW: You started The Keisha D. Scholarship, an endowment through the Palm Springs Unified School District that grants assistance to under-served minority students who are interested in pursuing an education in music and performing arts. How did that idea develop?

Keisha: “When I started the scholarship program with PSUSD I wanted to make sure that other kids would have an opportunity to go to a university, and have a chance to study music and buy instruments they would need.

I would be able to give back and that could be something that can constantly give every year. It started about two years ago. When I was first becoming ill, I cut back on singing quite a bit. I had been mentoring with PSUSD for almost 16 years. I started watching my kids when they were in high school and I saw that they didn’t have a lot of help in the arts department. I saw the Jazz band teacher with all these kids but no help. So I’m home during the day, I thought, I’ve got the time, hey, if you need me to help work with your kids, I’ll come to the school, use me, tell me what you need.

I can take the singer to the side and help her with her diction or help her learn songs. That’s how it kind of started. I decided to mentor and it took off from there. When I realized that I

ALEJANDRO JODOROWSKY 2-NIGHT FILM DRIVE-IN DOUBLE-FEATURE UNDER THE STARS

couldn’t really do a lot anymore, I said, ‘well let’s do the scholarship so that every year we can make sure a deserving kid gets help with their classes’. I’m really happy and proud of that.”

CVW: Do you have any messages you’d like to send out to anyone?

Keisha: “I do want to mention the fact that working here with the Hearts of Soul and Philly Joe Littel, my music director and guitarist, made my dream come true of becoming a band. Malcolm Turner, Joel Atkins, Tony Bolivar and Gilbert Hansen, those cats just really turned it around for me. Being able to take music and create it the way I would like to hear it arranged and to perform it the way I feel it and they loved it as well. I just really want to put a huge shout-out, emphasis heartfelt love and thank you to helping my career in this desert and also thank you to Michael Holmes owner at The Purple Room Supper Club. I would like to mention how blessed and honored I am to have performed on that stage.

It’s like no other. I would also like to thank the ‘Bella da Ball’ Brian Wanzek.

Ultimately, I thank all the fans, all the people who have come out all these years to support me, hear the music and enjoy the music.”

CVW: Do you have any new music projects currently?

Keisha: “I’m working on a ‘Keisha D. Live’ album. We’ve taken the performances from all the different live venues and we’ll put it into CD form. Part of the proceeds will go to the scholarship. We’re putting that together as we speak. I was at the studio yesterday listening to the music trying to decide what we will include. There will be about 12 songs and they are all recorded at different venues in the desert.”

CVW: You have relied on your faith to endure these difficult times and you are vocal about it. Can you explain more what it means to you to ‘walk in faith’?

August 13 to August 19, 2020 Keisha: “That is my umber one that’s carried me through, my faith.

The reason that I feel I have the confidence that I have and the way I operate the way I do is because I know in the ultimate scheme of things, God is in control and not me, that’s the difference. I’ve had a couple of entertainers say to me, ‘I saw you let someone share the stage with you. Man, I would never do that, what if they tried to out-sing you?’ I thought to myself, ‘what?’ Then they said, ‘my ego would never allow me’, I thought to myself, ‘my stage is for everybody, it’s a platform to be able to share and create, and if I don’t let God have control, why am I even up there?’ That’s why I think the way I think.”

Keisha D. asks that you continue to support The Keisha D. Scholarship. Learn more about how to support it below: www.psusdfoundation.net/donate www.heartsofsoul.com Please send any thoughts, prayers and well wishes here: keishadsings@yahoo.com

Photos by Mike Shiplett

FRIDAY, AUGUST 21, 2020 & SATURDAY, AUGUST 22, 2020 AT JOSHUA TREE LAKE RV & CAMPGROUND

THE HOLY MOUNTAIN + PSYCHOMAGIC, A HEALING ART - 8/21 EL TOPO + PSYCHOMAGIC, A HEALING ART - 8/22

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t long last, the groundbreaking and unforgettable films of acclaimed artist Alejandro Jodorowsky will be available in 4K Restorations as part of a boxed set by ABKCO Music & Records, Inc.! To celebrate their release — as well as the release of new documentary Psychomagic, A Healing Art — ABKCO Films in partnership with Frida Cinema is excited to present two double-feature Drive-In screenings pairing the documentary with Jodorowsky’s landmark 70’s works El Topo (1970) & The Holy Mountain (1973).

WHEN: Friday, August 21, 2020 Psychomagic, A Healing Art (8pm) + El Topo (10:10pm) Saturday August 22, 2020 - The Holy Mountain (8pm) + Psychomagic, A Healing Art (10:20pm) WHERE: Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground 2601 Sunfair Rd, Joshua Tree, CA 92252 MORE INFO: thefridacinema. org/jodorowsky-the-holy-mountainpsychomagic AND TICKETS: Tickets go on sale this Saturday, August 8th at 12pm ($30 per car)

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

IN MEMORY OF

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s you read this you will have likely heard the news that long-time Coachella Valley resident and 2015 Coachella Valley Music Award ‘Lifetime Achievement Award’ recipient Trini Lopez passed away due to complications with pneumonia and COVID-19. What you may not be aware of is that Lopez was working on music up until his death with American singer/songwriter, musician and performer Joe Chavira.

Born and raised in Dallas, Texas and first connecting with Lubbock, TX music idol Buddy Holly at age 17, Lopez has more than 80 albums recorded, a number of television appearances, a role as one of the original ‘Dirty Dozen’ and has several signature Trini Lopez Gibson guitars. Ultimately connecting with Frank Sinatra and releasing chart topping hits like ‘If I Had A Hammer’ and ‘Lemon Tree’, America’s first ‘Latin Pop Star’ was inducted into the International Latin Music Hall of Fame in 2003 and in 2015 was selected by the Southern California Motion Picture Council for a Golden Halo Lifetime Achievement Award.

Multi-instrumentalist Chavira was born in Montebello, California and raised in Santa Maria, CA. Together, he and Lopez collaborated to co-write 47 songs and 5 CDs in 9 months and co-created The Trini & Joe Reality Show.

Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Chavira as he grieved the loss of his partner and adopted family member.

CVW: On behalf of all the CV Weekly family, our condolences to you and the entire Trini Lopez family. I know it’s still early on in the grieving process for you, but it seems that your initial meeting with Trini was predetermined.

Chavira: “He was like a dad to me when I lost my parents. My parents passed right when I met Trini and we adopted each other as family. I miss him a lot already. I met Trini at this function in 2015 at the Indian Wells

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A TRIBUTE TO TRINI LOPEZ – 1937 - 2020

Resort. There was a piano there and he asked me if I really wrote 800 songs. He said to play one. So I went over to the piano and started playing, everyone clapped but he didn’t. He just smiled. He said play another one. After I was done he stuck his card in my back pocket and he whispered, ‘call me if you want to make music history’. I called him and we got together. He said, ‘amigo, you’re going to be my new songwriting partner and I’ve never had a partner’. He never put anybody’s picture on his albums nor did Dean Martin, Sammy Davis, Jr., or Elvis Presley. He said we just made history, he’s never done this.”

CVW: You and Trini recently completed the song ‘If By Now’ to help benefit those dealing with COVID-19. It crowns a body of work you completed as a duo. Can you share more about that?

Chavira: “That song is Trini’s last work with me. We wrote the song to help others and will be released four days after his death. Trini is on these upcoming shows talking about it. Like an admiral going down with his ship, he dies with it but sends out the message. His family

in Texas shared how much he loved me like a son and they want me to carry the torch, which Trini told me before he passed, with the legacy of what we’ve done together. He said, ‘I don’t want people to think I’m all about ‘Lemon Tree’ and ‘If I Had A Hammer’. The 60’s came and went, I want people to know I retired in ’81, but I met Joe Chavira in 2015 and he re-sparked me’. When he was with Reprise Records with Frank Sinatra he never did originals, neither did Sammy Davis, Jr. or Dean Martin. They were given material. This is his first time in 2015 at 77, he said he was proud to work with me and he wants people to know we did this. We did three albums together, 47 original songs and did it in less than nine months.”

CVW: Do you have any unique stories you’d like to share about Trini?

Chavira: “We all know Ritchie Valens changed his name from Valenzuela. They asked Trini to change his name. He said no, he’s sticking with Lopez. Trini shared that with Frank Sinatra, he was crapped on because he was Italian and they asked him to change his name to ‘Frankie Trent’ but his dad was an old

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

firefighter and boxer and said no, we’ll stick with Sinatra. The rest is history.”

CVW: By continuing your journey, you obviously are carrying on his legacy and keeping his memory alive while establishing your own.

Chavira: “Because of him, so many doors have opened. Sony Orchard Music out of New York called me. Trini told them we have three albums of original material and they signed us.

They signed me with Trini and independently.

I’m on all platforms as of three weeks ago.

They released two of my singles, ‘Tantalize’ and ‘No Reasons’ with my album coming out in September 2020, all thanks to Trini.”

CVW: Listening to your collaboration on ‘Here I Am’ posthumously, it really does provide sentimental feelings about what was important to Trini.

Chavira: “Here I Am is about his life. He and I are in the video with his mom and his grandpa.

At the end of the recording Trini cried a little talking about his family and I said, ‘we can do a re-take’ and he said, ‘no, I want people to hear that’. There’s a bit of a crack in his voice at the end. His buddy Paul Anka wrote a pretty good song called ‘I Did It My Way’, Frank Sinatra and Elvis covered it, they were his friends but he wanted something to be more personalized so I grabbed my guitar, we sat on his couch and we started working. ‘Here I Am’ is a beautiful acoustic guitar song with violin that talks about his life; his theme song. Now there’s talks about a movie called ‘Here I Am’ covering the last chapter of his life.” trinilopezmusic.net joechaviramusic.com (805) 363-8733 joechaviramusic@gmail.com Here I Am (Official Music Video) – youtu. be/pnh1ry16AEc Coachella Valley Song (Written & performed by Trini Lopez & Joe Chavira) – youtube.com/watch?v=7tqS3ySY8pA

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

CONSIDER THIS

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unk Rock exploded in Great Britain back in 1977. The Inaugural class included The Sex Pistols, The Clash, Elvis Costello, The Damned and The Jam. Initially dismissed by the music industry as unlistenable, Punk was torn and jagged, sometimes devoid of melody. It featured staccato guitar riffs and bludgeoning beats.

Vocalists didn’t so much sing, as spit out lyrics that railed against authority, conformity and the status quo. Their look was as alienating as their music, Punks spiked and mohawked their hair, safety-pinned their faces and strategically ripped their clothes.

Jam front-man Paul Weller had been making music semi-professionally since he was 14 years old. Born in 1958, he grew up in Woking, a working-class town in Northwest Surry. His father, John, drove a taxi, his mother, Ann, was a homemaker. Growing up in the ‘60s, he displayed an affinity for music early on. Obsessed with British Invasion hitmakers like The Beatles, the Small Faces and the Who, he was compelled to dig a little deeper and explore the musical touchstones of his heroes. He became a true connoisseur of Motown, Curtis Mayfield, Stax-Volt, Northern Soul and the Blues.

The first incarnation of the Jam formed in 1972 and included his best mates, Steve Brookes on lead guitar and Dave Waller on rhythm guitar. Paul tackled bass and vocals.

Their line-up was made complete when Rick Butler stepped behind the drum kit.

With Paul’s dad acting as the group’s manager, they began booking gigs in local working-men’s clubs. They honed their skills covering songs by the Beatles, and the Who as well as putting their spin on hits from Motown and classic R&B songs. When Steve and Dave decided to leave the Jam, guitarist Bruce Foxton was recruited. Rather quickly, he and Paul switched instruments and began integrating Paul’s original songs into their sets. As their protean talent began to shine through, their popularity grew.

The Clash invited the Jam to open for them on their White Riot tour. Soon the trio inked a record deal with the Polydor label and their debut, In The City arrived in May, 1977. It was an astonishing introduction. Sharply defiant lyrics articulated the restless angst that defined the era. But Paul’s melodies pushed past the snarled, spit-soaked primitivism of his peers. Instead, he embraced the crisp songwriting style employed by Pete Townshend from the Who and Ray Davies from the Kinks, as well as Motown’s resident Bard, Smokey Robinson. Quite by accident, Jam songs became the soundtrack to the Mod Revival of the late ‘70s.

Between 1977 and 1982, over the course of six studio albums, three EPs and a live record, the Jam ruled the airwaves and remained at the top of the charts in Great Britain. Critical acclaim was matched by massive commercial success, a feat they never managed to replicate in America, despite relentless touring. In the summer of 1982, their Motown-inflected working-class anthem, “A Town Called Malice” gained a

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PAUL WELLER

“ON SUNSET” (POLYDOR RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC)

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

foothold on the American charts, but it was too little, too late for Paul, who was already looking for different musical challenges. At the close of 1982, they broke up.

Paul quickly moved on, forming The Style Council with ex-Merton Parkas keyboardist, Mick Talbot. Their sound reflected his deep affinity for ‘60s Soul and his newfound appreciation for Jazz. It also anticipated a new smooth, Cocktail Soul/Jazz amalgam that proved wildly successful for artists like Sade, Everything But The Girl and Swing Out Sister.

Even as the Style Council’s melodies offered up an ambitious combo-platter of Jazz, Soul, Funk and Hip-Hop, Paul’s lyrics continued to mirror his Leftist politics, quietly excoriating Margaret Thatcher, racism and ceaseless unemployment. Their first longplayer, entitled Café Bleu in the U.K. and My Ever-changing Moods in the U.S. arrived in the summer of 1984. Surprisingly, they scored a couple of minor hits, the title-track and “You’re The Best Thing,” that climbed the charts in America.

Not unlike the Jam, Style Council released five studio albums, in as many years. Each record seemed to shift away from the sophisto-pop sound they had pioneered, and became more experimental. By the end of the ‘80s they had started to incorporate trace elements of Techno and House into the music. About the time their label dropped them, Style Council quietly called it quits.

Paul took a couple of years to spend time with his growing family and in 1992, he embarked on a solo career. His eponymous debut was released and it felt like a revelation. Somehow, his Punk/Pop predilections coalesced perfectly with his

Soul/Jazz leanings, creating a potent musical alchemy.

Just as Pete Townshend served as a musical touchstone for him during the Jam era, Brit-Pop sensations like Oasis, Blur and Ocean Colour Scene had pledged undying fealty to Paul Weller. To that new generation of hit-makers, he was affectionally christened “The Modfather.”

Paul’s next three records, Wildwood, Stanley Road and Heavy Soul were simultaneously concise and expansive, integrating rustic acoustic instrumentation as well hints of Folk, Funk and a heavy dose of Psychedelia. Since the turn of the 21st century, he has been wildly prolific, releasing albums at a furious clip, Heliocentric, Illumination, Studio 150 arrived before 2005. Three years later 22 Dreams was released. After a twoyear interval, Wake Up Nation appeared.

In 2012, he married his second wife Heather, and they welcomed twin sons, John Paul and Bowie, (all told, he has eight children). That same year he released Sonik Kicks. The stunningly satisfying Saturn’s Patterns dropped in 2015, followed by the rollicking A Kind Of Revolution in 2017. His last album, True Meanings, was a strippeddown acoustic set that reached #2 on the U.K. charts. Now he is back with his 15th studio effort, On Sunset.

The album opens rather ambitiously with “Mirror Ball.” Clocking in at nearly eight minutes, this song is simply everything.

An aural banquet, a multi-course meal, a decadent dessert, an overture and a curtaincall, all rolled into one. The track opens tentatively, with vroomy keys, tinkly piano and plush synths. As Paul’s tender croon filters

in, filigreed acoustic guitars and a heartbreak beat are added, as the arrangement achieves lift-off. As the tune progresses, buzzy guitars and whirligig percussion enter the fray. The lyrics seem to speak to a higher power, so sort of Disco deity; “Mirror ball you shine so bright, illuminate the ways of our sight/’Til everyone’s a shining star…In every silver sky I see you, the streets that pass me by I feel you in everything.”

The album hopscotches through a plethora of styles. “Equanimity” is a sharp synthesis that toggles between traditional British Music Hall and the more Folksy sounds of Klezmer. Over a swaying shuffle rhythm, prickly guitars, iridescent keys, courtly violin, sonorous saxophone and a cheeky clarinet swirl around Paul’s playful vocals.

The lyrics are surprisingly self-help-y; “So, as equanimity shows, to try and stay in control and not fall apart/Slow, the ataraxy will grow, as the shepherd has shown gentleness and kindness.”

There’s a TSOP vibe to “Old Father Tyme.”

Punchy piano notes collide with a chugging backbeat, glassy Mellotron, propulsive, Philly-Soul flavored horns, chicken-scratch guitars and angular bass lines. Prescient lyrics seem to mirror the complicated days of 2020; “In this time of confusion, hang on to what is real, hail the love all around us, see how deep it feels.”

The album’s best tracks simply bristle with authority. Had Marvin Gaye and Quincy Jones ever collaborated, it might’ve sounded like “More.” Modal guitars ebb and flow over spidery bass lines and an insistent, ticktock beat. Paul trades verses with French chanteuse Julie Gros. The instrumentation expands, adding sawing strings, sprightly horn accents and willowy woodwinds. Despite the sleek and sensuous groove, the lyrics are less about seduction, and more philosophical.

Paul questions the collective idee fix that mass consumption soothes the soul; “The more we get, the more we lose, when all is ‘More,’ it’s more we choose/There’s something else in store, that keeps me running down that road, keeps me running….to an unknown place I think is more.” On the extended break, acoustic guitars dart and pivot around snakecharmer flute, fluttery keys, feathery strings and brazen tenor sax, building to a stately crescendo. A craggy guitar solo erupts before the entire enterprise quietly powers down.

“Baptiste” is fueled by serpentine guitars, splintery keys, lush Hammond colors, rumbling horns and a relax-fit Bo Diddley beat. Paul’s vocals are soulful and a touch beatific as he genuflects to his one true religion; music. Taking a dip in the sanctified sounds, he is cleansed and purified; “I never used to pray, I never been to church, but when I hear that sound, it goes straight to my soul.”

Finally, “On Sunset” is the album’s magnum opus. The song was inspired by a

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com visit to see his eldest son in Los Angeles and a stroll down the fabled boulevard for the first time since he originally performed in the U.S. with The Jam. Jangly acoustic guitars and a breezy beat conjure up images of swaying palms and dry, Santa Ana winds.

The arrangement accelerates slowly adding thrumming Mellotron, shimmering strings, brittle electric guitars, blustery horns and a sturdy, conga beat. Paul retraces old steps, touring the landmarks of his youth; “And the world I knew has all gone by, all the places we used to go belong to a time, someone else’s time, another life/No long goodbyes, I have no point to prove, take a drink in the Whisky, moved on to the Rainbow.”

Languid and laid-back (don’t worry, he hasn’t morphed into Jimmy Buffett), the song winds down and fades into the smoggy ether.

Other interesting tracks include the uncharacteristically buoyant “Village,” wherein the restless Modfather learns to slow his roll, and, as smooth Soul singer William DeVaughan, Jr. once advised, “be thankful for what you got!” Then there’s the piano-driven, mid-tempo groover, “Walkin’,” and the slightly sitar-iffic throb of “Earth Beat.” That song segues into the album’s closer, “Rockets.” Anchored by a thudding beat, shadowy acoustic guitars wash over “mad” Hammond, piano, Mellotron, ambient synths and a subdued horn section. Paul’s rueful vocals feel positively Bowie-esque, which feels wildly apropos since the opening couplet; “He went off, like a rocket touched/ Way up in the sky, beyond the bars in our

August 13 to August 19, 2020

minds,” seems like an homage to the Thin White Duke. It’s a quiescent end to a dazzling effort.

If you squirreled away a little extra from that April stimulus check, pony up the dough for the deluxe edition of the album. It includes remixes of “On Sunset” and “Baptiste,” as well as the skronky instrumental pulse of “4th Dimension.” Worth the price of admission is the final extra, “Ploughman.” A rough and tumble ‘60s rave-up, it shares some musical DNA with Iggy Pop’s “The Passenger.”

On Sunset was produced by Paul and his longtime producer Jan Stan Kybert.

His touring band, which includes Ocean Colour Scene guitarist, Steve Craddock, Moons bassist Andy Crofts, and drummer Ben Gordelier play on nearly every track.

The record also features oldest mate, Steve Brookes on electric guitar, former Style Council-er Mick Talbot on keys, ex-Strypes wunderkind Jake McClorey on guitar, Tom Van Heel on piano, Charles Rees on Mad Hammond, sisters Emily, Jessica and Camilla Staveley-Taylor (a.k.a. The Staves) on backing vocals and singer-songwriter Steve Pilgrim on acoustic guitar. They were augmented by a string section and two different brass sections.

On Sunset entered the British charts at #1.

The record is a smorgasbord of sound and color, by turns, restless and reflective. Back in 1977, Paul Weller harnessed the anger, angst and energy of Punk. He forged a career that continues to blur the lines, making music that never gets old.

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

A

THE VINO VOICE

s many of you readers know, I’m not a trained weatherman. But I’m sure my forecast for the next few weeks here in the desert will be right on: Hot, Hot & Hotter!

And just as our weather, wine, beer & spirits are the hottest sellers in sales—due to the pandemic—that we’ve seen in years. Nielsen numbers for the past month show an increase in spirits sales of almost 35% over last year; wine sales increasing by almost 30%—with wines priced over $20 rising to 40%; wine sold in boxes, over 40%; and wine sold in cans, close to a 68% increase from last year!

Additionally, all of those “hard-seltzers” (that we see being produced by every liquor company in town), which are chasing so many of our beloved beers off their traditional shelf space, their sales have grown by a whopping 300% from last year! And now they account for 9% of the total of all liquor sales and are quick to move up to one-tenth of the total!

And not to mention—by mentioning—what Americans couldn’t grab off the shelves before most stores closed, they’ve snapped up online.

According to Nielsen research, online alcohol sales are up 243% over a year ago!

All right already—we get it!—or rather, we’re buying up! So there are a lot of the usual suspects of key industry players who continue to grow the beverage market with all of their boozy products that are taking us by a hot tropical storm. According to Market Watch (the beverage intelligence periodical), there were a total of 70 franchises from across the spirits and wine categories have earned the “Hot Brand” award for sales that are growing by leaps and bounds. You’ve seen most of them on advertisements and colorful market displays.

During these quarantine times, the beverage

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HOT BRANDS FOR A HOT MONTH

BY RICK RIOZZA

companies are quite eager to get us columnists to write and talk about all the new beverages that they desire to make next year’s hot brand list. I’ll just ramble on what has crossed and/or spilled on our desks recently: Along with the Tequila explosion of recent years, its country cousin, Mezcal is the talk of the town. I remember traveling to Tijuana and buying cheap bottles of the stuff—with that ubiquitous worm resting at the bottom of that harsh smokey tequila-like booze. These days, like grappa and calamari, Mezcal prices are reaching the sky; when back in the old days they gave grappa away at the wineries, squid was all you could take away freely at the docks, and Mezcal, was half the price of Tequila.

Speaking of the talk of the town, Mezcal has changed its pronunciation: back in the day it was known as “meze-KAHL”—with that emphasized Spanish “l” lilt. Modernly, along with the high prices, the name’s become, perhaps anglicized, as MEZ-cal—a touch dull, you think?

Anyway, what connoisseurs find inside the best mezcales, are complex, earthy, rich, smoky aromas and palate-pleasing flavors — sometimes reminiscent of the best peaty Islay whisky. Many of you have seen the green bottle of the Del Maguey brand on the shelves.

Offering different styles of Mezcal, the Ibérico

expression, offers a spicy floral nose and wide palate dominated by flavors of smoky caramel and roasted vegetables with a splash of sea foam. It sells for around $200! Olé!

Last winter, I really enjoyed Wild Turkey’s Longbranch Bourbon Whiskey. It was made in collaboration with Wild Turkey master distiller Eddie Russell and the brand's creative director— wait for it, actor Matthew McConaughey. Aged for 8 years in new, charred American oak, it is refined with Texas mesquite and oak charcoals.

Bottled at 86 proof. It was on the savory side and not on the sweet—loved it!

This year we have the 2020 edition of Wild Turkey Master’s Keep Bottled in Bond.

It’s a 17-year-old straight Bourbon select by master distiller Mr. Russell. It sells for around one hundred and seventy-five bucks, which probably means that’s the last sample bottle I’ll be getting.

But wait, again, this whiskey will definitely be on my shopping list when I win the lottery.

It is one for the bucket list: just the introductory cherry scent was a sheer delight! But then I got scared; with the real root beer notes alongside vanilla hits, and then nutmeg and cinnamon, I thought the luscious liquid would be on the sweet side. But it explodes with savory shots all over the place! Acidic orange, sweet & salty

kiss of candied nuts, woodland flavors, black licorice, minerality, classic bourbon notes, Meyer lemon, complex residual heat, with a finish of cashews and fresh leather. Enough said.

We love those Luxardo Maraschino Cherries, the original maraschino cherry made from Italian marasca cherries—that I treat myself to once a year around Christmastime.

And of course, there’s their famed cherry liqueur, that bright, clear, and tasty liquid with its earthy nose and a sweet, creamy wild berry flavor with spice. Now the company has extended its range with a London Dry Gin. Fans of juniper-driven London Dry, as am I, are pleased with this expression. The nose is quite aromatic with juniper, coriander and a touch of iris. As you taste, the juniper once again comes in very strong on the palate. It is a bold gin for a Martini—add only an olive, onion, or lemon curl after quickly chilled with ice.

And finally, we have Chandon by the Bay, a new Chandon Brand Reserve blanc de blancs sparkler made with grapes sourced from the Yountville, Mt. Veeder, and Carneros AVAs Chardonnays. These very brut California blanc de blancs are the latest craze among you bubbly lovers, especially during these brute times It’s got a bright nose and smooth presentation, with notes of white flowers, lemon, apple, grapefruit, brioche, and almond throughout. The palate is zesty and fresh, with touches of minerality balancing soft creaminess and elegant bubbles. A perfect quaff for some hot times! Cheers!

BREWTALITY

I

f you ever heard as a kid that hotdogs were made of lips and assholes, there’s some truth to that old proverb. Hotdogs are frankfurters, a type of sausage, and few things are more American than having a ‘dog and a beer at the ballpark. The pair go together so well that steaming or simmering them in beer has become a very common way to cook frankfurters and bratwurst. Of course, we wouldn’t have this midwestern staple today if not for starving Mesopotamian warriors who needed a way to eat their dead horses.

When the need for something becomes imperative, we are forced to find ways of getting or achieving it; that’s the essence of survival.

The philosopher Plato summarized that facet of human nature with the time-honored proverb, “necessity is the mother of invention”.

Scarcity of food gave early-man reason to be as efficient as possible when it came to what they ate. Anything that could be hunted or gathered would be eaten (a shoutout to all the ancient people who died learning what you shouldn’t hunt or gather, teaching us to leave saber toothed tigers and oleander alone), and every part of the plant or animal that could be digested was consumed.

Early Mesopotamians were total pioneers when it came to food science. Warring tribes of the Mesopotamian region, Sumerians were some of the first people to figure out that spices masked the taste of, how shall we say, lesser meats. For instance, the entrails of your horse that died on the battlefield earlier that day.

Grubhub was still about 22,000 years in the future, so if you were a tribal warrior whose horse had succumbed to injury, your dinner options just increased by one. Food became scarce in times of war, so the Sumerian people needed to find ways to preserve the food they had, eat every part of the animal that was edible, and improve its potentially awful taste. It’s through these necessities that they

SAFETY TIPS

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

LIPS AND ASSH*LES: A HISTORY OF THE BEER BRAT

BY AARON RAMSON

began pulverizing, spicing, and stuffing the less desirable bits of animal into its own entrails as a way to preserve food for future use. Sumerians were the first to create sausages, but necessity forced many other cultures to invent their own versions of the same idea.

Sausage was a means of survival for many cultures, where regional spices influenced the flavor, and harsh climates dictated the preparation. Circa 1000BC, the Turks had innovated a dry, spicy sausage called sujuk. 500 years later, the Chinese would invent the sweet and spicy lap cheong. In 14th century North Africa, the hot temperatures gave birth to a very dry type of mutton sausage called merguez.

By 1376, Italy had a massive looking sausage made of pork and lard called mortadella, and the Germans had been making a coarsely cut, pork sausage called bratwurst. Harsh German winters meant not a scrap of food could be wasted, so every bit of loose flesh went into bratwurst. If the lips, ears, snout and knees of a pig made their way into the meat grinder, spices

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

like nutmeg, coriander, lemon zest and ginger turned them delicious.

While sausages like mortadella and saucisson can be found in specialty delis around the country, it’s the German sausages that really took root and gained popularity in the united states. As German immigrants moved further inland, leaving the crowded and confined cities of New York and Pennsylvania for the wideopen lands of Wisconsin and Michigan, they brought their culture with them, specifically recipes for Frankfurt and bratwurst sausages.

The frankfurter sausage was a thin, finely ground pork sausage that was smoked as a way of preserving. Bratwurst on the other hand, was usually a fatter sausage, made with roughly chopped, chunks of pork as opposed to the finely ground paste of a frankfurter. Because of the delicate casing used in both (usually lamb intestines), both types of sausage were parboiled in water to prevent the casing from bursting.

This is the way that German’s cooked their

sausages for generations, but in true American spirit, water could no longer be enough once those recipes got comfortable stateside.

The 1920’s was a decade of alcohol prohibition, it was also the decade that the talented butchers of Sheboygan County, Wisconsin began making fresh bratwurst that was not meant for long storage. The IPA of the sausage world, these tender, flavorful foods were meant to be consumed fresh, their high fat content and freshly ground herbs creating a short shelf life. Parboiling was no longer the desired method of cooking; these fresh brats were amazing grilled. Some bratwurst makers created such thick sausages that they still needed to be parboiled before grilling, to ensure they were cooked thoroughly. In 1933, prohibition ended, and American’s once again had beer in their possession. What few breweries still around after prohibition ended all made German style pilsner, which was the perfect beverage to enjoy grilled bratwurst with. It’s unknown who was the first to simmer their brats in pilsner before grilling, but the technique added new layers of savory flavor to the sausage. Other’s chose to grill their brats first before submerging them in a bath of simmering beer, both techniques gaining fans around the country.

The 1950’s saw the first brats being sold at a baseball game in Milwaukee County Stadium, spreading the regional favorite to a national audience. While Californians will never give up their tacos and tri-tip steaks, bratwurst have found a home in many west coast backyard barbeques. Especially when they’re cooked in beer.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

BACK TO SCHOOL OR NOT BACK TO SCHOOL? THAT IS THE QUESTION!

R

egardless of the question, the answer is “Safety for Children.” With Covid -19 there seems to be a lot of uncertainty about what schools will meet face to face and what schools will continue distance learning.

Whether children go back to school or not, kids are getting a bit of ‘cabin fever’ and their escape is playing outside. Regardless of face to face or distance learning we need to be cautious as kids will be out and about playing or going to and from school or both!

I will admit, when I was younger, I hated all the back-to-school commercials. They were a dreaded reminder that summer was over and pretty soon, I'd be back inside a hot, stuffy classroom, mourning my lost freedom.

As an adult, the back-to-school season brings another warning: Morning and afternoon commutes will now involve throngs of students walking, bicycling, driving or riding buses (or electric scooters) to and from school. We were all kids once, so we know we cannot count on them to be paying attention. That is why it is important to use extra caution while driving in school zones.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) estimates that 75 school-age pedestrians are killed each year during school travel. These are preventable

deaths! Let us share some lessons and start a safety campaign in the communities we protect with these safety reminders: It is illegal to pass a school bus that is stopped to load or unload children.

School buses use yellow flashing lights to alert motorists they are preparing to stop to load or unload children. Red flashing lights and an extended stop sign arm signals to motorists the bus is stopped, and children are getting on or off the bus.

The area 10 feet around a school bus is where children are in the most danger of being hit. Stop your car far enough from the bus to allow children the necessary space to safely enter and exit the bus.

Be alert. Children walking to or from their bus are usually comfortable with their surroundings.

This makes them more likely to take risks, ignore hazards or fail to look both ways when crossing the street.

Drivers should not block the crosswalk when stopped at a red light or waiting to make a turn.

Do not stop with a portion of your vehicle over the crosswalk.

In a school zone when a warning flasher or flashers are blinking, you must stop to yield the right-of-way to a pedestrian crossing the roadway within a marked crosswalk or at an

intersection with no marked crosswalk.

Remember: Children are the least predictable pedestrians and the most difficult to see. Take extra care to look out for children not only in school zones, but also in residential areas, playgrounds, and parks.

Do not honk your horn, rev your engine, or do anything to rush or scare a pedestrian in front of your car, even if you have the legal rightof-way.

Now that is just the first lesson. There is much more schooling on safety if you are interested in spreading this safety message.

Check out https://lnkd.in/gxcRZ83.

Here are some distance learning safety tips for those not heading back to the classroom: www.webwise.ie/trending/distance-learningsafety-advice-and-considerations.

Remember: Community campaigning on safety begins with us! Even if your community will not be going back, these are some good safety reminders for you and your community!

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

O

PET PLACE

n August 3, Molly’s Miracle pulled up on the spacious 9-acre grounds of the Humane Society of the Coachella Valley (HSOCV) in North Palm Springs. Molly, a mobile spay and neuter vehicle owned by Society’s Outkast Animal Rescue (S.O.A.R), sponsored the all-day clinic.

The Coachella Animal Network (C.A.N) raised the funds to pay for the clinic. The amazing Dr. Hermann and staff from the Animal Action League spayed and neutered 28 dogs and cats that day. The HSOCV networks with many other organizations to ensure happy endings for our pets and our people during this time of great need.

This wonderful private nonprofit is dedicated to giving homeless dogs, puppies, cats and kittens a second chance. The animals they rescue are prepared for new homes with excellent veterinary care, socialization, and training. They continue to look for new ways to better serve animals and people.

The Disabled Veterans of America recently approved a new program at HSOCV. Beginning in October, Veterans will engage with the dogs, exercise them, socialize, train, and help them overcome their fears. Kim Hardee, President of the Board of Directors, explains, “For Veterans experiencing increased stress at this time, working with animals is a winwin. Our dogs love the extra attention, and the Vets in our community benefit from their companionship.” Dogs have a way of calming us and bringing us great happiness. And rescue dogs show us that life will get better, and miracles can happen for those who keep the faith.

Always seeking facility improvements, the shelter just opened a lovely new dog park with nice benches for the people. Misters keep everyone cool during the summer months. After walking the dogs, volunteers bring them to the park for socialization and play time with other canines.

The HSOCV recently conducted a massive pet food drive, donating much of the pet food to Food Now, a large food bank in Desert Hot Springs. They understand that people in need will sometimes go without food in order to feed their animals. Including pet food upon

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THE HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY, HELPING PETS & PEOPLE BY JANET

request at food banks ensures that people and pets get appropriate and nutritious food.

A lovely building on the grounds houses 43 cats and kittens available for adoption.

There are no confining kennels here. The felines happily play in various rooms nicely appointed with cat trees and a large wheel for them to spin on. In a separate room, adorable kittens bounce with joy chasing each other and playing with toys. In another indoor area, small dogs greet arriving guests hoping someone will soon select one of them.

HSOCV is the largest private shelter in our region that recues lots of big dogs. They fill a huge need in our desert. Large rescue dogs are particularly in need of homes here, as many of our senior residents seek small dogs.

Wading pools and misters keep their 70 big dogs cool and content in their large outdoor enclosures during the summer. This is the place to go if you are looking to adopt a large dog!

Jon Nimitz, Facility Manager at HSOCV, explains how the organization successfully operates during the pandemic. “Instead of

home visits to ensure successful adoptions, we now do videos. Because our facility is so large and mostly outdoors, it is easy to do socially distanced adoption appointments.

We always give people a trial adoption period to ensure things go well, and the time can be flexible especially for one of our project dogs.” Jon is pictured here receiving a grateful hug from a dog he recently rescued from a county shelter.

Dog trainer Don Van Tassel is often on site providing obedience and other training needs. Don reports, “I train dogs here because it makes them more sociable for their future homes. A well trained dog has more freedom. They can travel with their owners, going to outdoor cafes and dog parks. A dog that’s trained can quickly learn to get along with other pets in the home, all the family members and their visitors.” Don is skilled at handling large and small dogs, and can be contacted at (760) 567-1182.

Please adopt, volunteer, or donate to this deserving organization. Call them at (760) 329-0203 to make an appointment to meet & adopt one of their animals. Check out their website orphanpet.com. LIKE their Facebook page where you will see many happy adoption photos and other updates.

Once things return to “Normal” pay a visit to the HSOCV and you will be amazed at the wonderful things happening. It’s all about the animals!

Janetmcafee8@gmail.com ------------------------------------------------Here is a list of the 501(c)3 nonprofit

MEET MAMA NONNIE

MEET MAX

This precious kitty loves to spin on the giant wheel at the Humane Society of the Coachella Valley. She waits for a home there with 42 other cats & kittens in their beautiful cattery. Call (760) 329-0203 for an appointment to meet/adopt Mama Nonnie. www.orphanpet.com

This handsome big fellow is command trained and ready to go home with you! Max was rescued by the Humane Society of the Coachella Valley in N. Palm Springs.

Call (760) 329-0203 for an appointment to meet/adopt this special dog. www.orphanpet.com

12

McAFEE

charities mentioned in this article. They are working very hard right now, but working together helping pets & people. LIKE their Facebook pages. All of these groups need volunteers and qualify for tax deductible donations.

HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, 92258. Shelter closed to walk-ins.

Call (760) 329-0203 for information or to adopt a dog or cat. orphanpet.com SOCIETY’S OUTKASTS ANIMAL RESCUE – Call (760) 832-0617 for more information.

Nonprofit focusing on low cost spay/ neuter clinics with their mobile unit, Molly. societyoutkasts.com ANIMAL ACTION LEAGUE – 62762 29 Palms Highway, Joshua Tree, 92252. Call (760) 366-1100 for appointments. Nonprofit with traveling mobile units and vet staff providing low cost spay/neuter/vaccine clinics to cities throughout our community. animalactionleague.net COACHELLA ANIMAL NETWORK – Call (760) 848-4284 for appointment in their low cost spay/neuter/vaccine clinic.

Nonprofit focusing on funding and arranging venues for 3-day monthly mobile clinics. coachellaanimalnetwork.com FOOD NOW – 14080 Palm Drive, Desert Hot Springs, 92240. Call (760) 329-4100 for information. Nonprofit agency including food bank for people (and pets) in need. thefamilyservicesofthedesert.org

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 13 to August 19, 2020

THEATRE

COACHELLA VALLEY REPERTORY PRESENTS THEATRE THURSDAYS BROADWAY SINGALONG

C

oachella Valley Repertory’s Theatre Thursdays presents “Broadway Singalong.” Taking place on Thursday August 13, 2020 at 6 pm (Pacific), Artistic Director Ron Celona will host the evening event and introduce the audience to the night’s talented performers. Janna Cardia, Perry Ojeda and Randy Brenner will sing songs from some of the most popular Broadway musicals. Available via Zoom, this virtual performance will continue to be a showtunes singalong for the audience to watch and to perhaps sing along! Lyrics will be available on cvrep.org.

Janna Cardia is a performer known for: The Thinning (2016); Inappropriate Parents (2014); and, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend (2015). While in NYC, she participated in Regional Theatre, National Tours, an International Tour in Asia, Readings of New Musicals. Cardia produced her own Cabaret “Womb for Two” with her twin sister, which was nominated for a MAC

LOCAL BUSINESS

E

rica Villanueva runs a one-woman show at her growing business, Desert Villa Bakery. This sweet establishment’s name is a personal testament to her love for the Coachella Valley, created as a combination of her home and variation of her last name. Villanueva is the owner and baker of her home-based business. She formerly worked at a regular 9-5 office job, but with the spread of COVID-19, she decided to not go back and instead focus her time on developing her craft.

“The main service I currently provide is for custom cakes, cupcakes, and sugar cookies.

Each item is made to order and incorporates my personal design style,” said Villanueva.

Villanueva was first inspired to decorate cakes from a friend of hers who also baked as a side hustle. Her ability to create beautiful desserts intrigued her, and from there, Villanueva just kept learning by taking classes and honing her technique through trial and error. It is only recently that she has been working towards having a consistent

can be found on the website, and registration links are included. To register for any of these events, please visit www.cvrep.org.

To continue CVRep’s mission of providing educational, entertaining, and thoughtprovoking presentations, CVRep is offering Theatre Thursdays, a weekly, virtual entertaining and learning opportunity.

All presentations are offered via Zoom to observe social distancing guidelines.

award. Today she lives in LA continuing to pursue musical theatre as well as television, film, commercials, web-series and improv.

Perry Ojeda is a Broadway singer and actor. He relates his experience working with legendary songwriting team Betty Comden and Adolph Green, to when he performed the leading role of “Gabey”in the 1998 Broadway revival of “On The Town.” Ojeda also sings The Songs of Comden & Green, directed by

DESERT VILLA BAKERY TAKES THE CAKE

business rather than just a hobby.

“The first cake I ever baked and tried to decorate fancy was for my son’s birthday in June 2017. But I didn’t take on my first order until March 2018,” explained Villanueva.

The baking process for Villanueva’s sweet confections actually takes a little longer than expected. She splits up her baking and decorating into two days—one day for baking and one day for decorating. Packaging is also a factor, with larger cookie orders taking an especially longer time to package each item individually.

Desert Villa Bakery is closed over the summer to develop a bigger menu and increase Villanueva’s availability for ready-tobuy items. She is, however, taking a limited amount of custom orders and provides small cakes to-go every weekend until she re-opens. These items are not custom, but are still beautifully decorated and available for last minute needs. Villanueva hopes to include cupcakes, a wider variety of baked cookies, macarons, donuts, and iced

beverages to offer on the new menu. Desert Villa Bakery is reopening in September, and there are plans to have a small pop-up celebration.

One of the highlights of Villanueva’s baking venture so far was when local restaurant Chula Eatery requested some specialty cupcakes to have in their cabinet for Easter. Before the day was done, the owner had called Villanueva and told her they completely sold out of her cupcakes and needed to order more. She was surprised at the popularity of her baked goods and took that as inspiration to continue developing Desert Villa Bakery.

“My favorite cake that I’ve done was a wedding cake I made last fall. The top tier was chocolate raspberry, the middle tier was salted caramel, and the bottom tier was cookies-n-cream flavored… I felt so honored that someone loved my style enough to order their wedding cake from me!” said Villanueva.

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the majority of Villanueva’s orders were set for weekend events. Since there are few large events occurring right now, she finds herself doing mostly mid-week pick-ups and smaller quantity orders. This is another reason why

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL she is looking to expand her business and is making treats available more often.

“My favorite part of this business is definitely being able to use my creativity for my clients. I love coming up with ideas for different themes. I always add my modern flare to my orders. My husband is my biggest supporter and my three teenage boys are the best taste testers around! My eight-monthold daughter is a fan of my late night baking, but I think it’s because she’s not allowed to have any yet,” stated Villanueva.

Her parents and sister also live nearby in the Coachella Valley and are very supportive of the progress that Villanueva has made with Desert Villa Bakery. “I have a great support system here, and definitely would not be able to pursue this as a career if it weren’t for that system. My family is everything,” said Villanueva.

A website for Desert Villa Bakery is currently in the works, but for now, information can be found on Instagram (@ mz.villa.bakes) and on Facebook.

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

SCREENERS

BATWOMAN: Season

The

Complete

No. 434

BAT FAMILY VALUES

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

First

Kate Kane never planned to be Gotham’s new vigilante. After Batman disappeared, Gotham was in despair… until she returned.

Armed with a passion for justice and a flair for speaking her mind, she soars through the shadowed streets of Gotham as Batwoman. But don’t call her a hero yet. In a city desperate for a savior, she must first overcome her own demons before donning cape and cowl to continue the legacy of her missing cousin Bruce Wayne and becoming Gotham’s new symbol of hope.

In only it’s first season on the air, Batwoman quickly established itself as the #1 new show on The CV.

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The Blu-ray includes a limited-edition bonus disc with all five episodes of the DC Crossover Event ‘Crisis on Infinite Earths and 6 crossover bonus features (in addition to the 20 one-hour episodes of the first season). Warner Bros. Home Ent. OLD BUT NEW ON BLU THE SIN OF NORA MORAN This Poverty Row, pre-code film stunned 1933 audiences.

Zita Johann stars as a young woman sentenced to death for a murder she did not commit. Awaiting her sentence, Nora explores the patterns of her life in a dreamlike haze, including the dark secret that could change not only her own fate, but also the fate of those she holds most dear.

Directed by Phil Goldstone, the film masterfully utilizes flashbacks, dreams and hallucinations to tell the tale of fateful doom, true to the thematic style of the PreCode era.

As star of stage and screen, Johann was fresh from performances in Boris Karloff’s The Mummy (1932) and Edward G. Robinson’s Tiger Shark (1932) before delivering her haunting performance as Nora.

Bonus Features: Narrated by film historian Samuel M. Sherman, an original documentary in which Johann’s illustrious career takes center stage from Daniel Griffiths at Ballyhoo Motion Pictures;

the Blu-ray includes English subtitles and an exclusive collector’s booklet with commentary on the production and the initial audience’s response to the film.

The original poster art by Alberto Vargas is considered among the most iconic in cinema history.

To promote the home theater release, The Film Detective has included a gold certificate in one of the limited edition Blu-rays (only 1500 units). The winning ticket holder will receive a framed 27” x 41”, hand-pulled lithograph of the film’s original poster art printed on Coventry 100% cotton archival paper with the finest quality archival ink using a rare German Dufa printing press. The poster comes with a certificate of authenticity. The Film Detective. robin@coachellavalleyweekly

HADDON LIBBY

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ast time that we checked, the world was at the beginning of a deep recession caused by a pandemic that killed some and left others unaffected. It was happening during election season here in the United States helping to put politics above people with both major political parties. If that was not enough to destabilize the global economy, China was using the pandemic as an opportunity to advance their objectives in Hong Kong and around the world. While the United States was stuck in its myopic view of things, China was providing support and assistance to many of the smaller countries around the world.

Meanwhile, the world was more indebted than at any point in history, yet interest rates were the lowest in history. Unemployment in the United States went from the lowest to some of the highest levels in US history.

Meanwhile, the stock market reached record highs despite a record level of bankruptcies expected and missed payments on commercial and residential real estate.

How can the market be doing so well?

The simplest explanation is due to the Federal Reserve and Congress flooding the country with nearly $10 trillion in relief with trillions more expected. At the same time, the Federal Reserve have joined the E.U. in forcing interest rates to historically low levels.

A more complicated reasoning for stock market strength is due to emerging weakness in the US Dollar. By issuing so much in debt, the United States is devaluing its currency. China, the E.U. and other parts of the world are doing this as well. As these Central Banks have also pledged to keep interest rates low for a long time, the value of assets is being distorted.

One of the most highly respected equity

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

BULL MARKET IN A BEAR ECONOMY

strategists and regular CNBC contributor, Tom Lee, feels that higher prices for equities are supported due to the ultra-low rates that investors can expect over the next number of years. Tom Lee was one of the few strategists to forecast all-time highs in the S&P 500 at the end of March when markets were reaching their pandemic lows.

To understand Tom Lee’s argument for higher stock prices, let’s start with a simple example. If you earn a 10% interest rate on a $100 investment, it takes ten years to earn back the same amount as you invested ($100 times 10% = $10 times 10 years = $100). At the end of ten years, you would have earned $100 in interest while getting your $100 back.

Replacing this illustration with a real world example, when the 30-year Treasury is paying 1.25%, it takes 80 years to earn back your money. That means that $100 invested in 2020 takes until the year 2100 to double in value.

By the end of 2050, you would receive $43 in interest along with your original investment of $100. Such a deal…for the US Government!

Before the pandemic struck, the US Dollar was declining in value by about 3% per year.

This is normal and part of the reason why a loaf

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

of bread or gallon of gas has increased by so much over time. As the federal government has (so far) doubled its debt load in fighting the economic impact of the pandemic, we can expect the value of the US Dollar to fall at a faster pace. The United States is not alone with this challenge although we have been the biggest issuer of new debt during the global pandemic.

If the devaluation rate of our currency increases from 3% to 5%, $100 in 2020 dollars will be worth buy the equivalent of $22.50 in 2050. Stated differently, for every $100 spent today, you will have to spend 4 times more in 2050 for the same thing.

For comparison, a $100 ‘risk-free’ investment in a 30 year Treasury will pay you $145 by 2050. That $145 in 2050 US Dollars is worth $33 in 2020 dollars.

As Tom Lee postulates, an investment in a high-quality stock like Apple, Amazon or Microsoft might be a better store of value that a US Treasury.

Using Microsoft as an example, you must start with the belief that Microsoft will be around until 2050 and capable of paying its current dividend of 1% per year.

Here is where it gets tricky. Since the US Dollar is devaluing at an estimated 5% rate, Microsoft could see the price of its products and service decline by 3.75% annually every year through 2050 and grow just enough to achieve breakeven results relative to the 30 year Treasury. Stated differently, if Microsoft grew at a 1.25% rate per year through 2050, it would pay out the same amount as a Treasury.

Confused? In this example, Microsoft’s minimal growth reduced the impact of the decline in the value of the underlying US dollar.

And while the economic environment in the future will most certainly change in unexpected ways that are impossible to predict today, few would have predicted that the stock market would reach record highs while the economy experienced its greatest economic shock in nearly 80 years.

The way we look at the risk of different investments is changing quickly due to actions being taken today. While Tom Lee’s forecast may make sense today, given the massive stress that the global economy is under due to the pandemic, even one of the best strategists like Tom Lee will continue to adjust his forecasts as new information and conditions dictate. To the novice investor, caveat emptor as these are extraordinary times.

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

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

DON'T TELL YOUR INSURANCE CO. ABOUT YOUR DUI?

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he burden is on the Automobile Insurance CARRIER to find out about your DUI Conviction, and I'm advised they usually SPOT CHECK driving records for the last year. If you are asked directly don't lie. However, if you receive something in the mail from your insurance carrier, many experts suggest that you ignore it. It may fall through the cracks and they may not contact you again...but to be safe ask your attorney.

When arrested for a DUI, the arresting officer takes your license under the "Stop and Snatch Law", and issues you a Pink Temporary License that is good for 30 days.

IF your lawyer requests a DMV hearing and a Stay, within 10 days, your license is good until the results of the hearing.

If you had an Accident with a DUI, please do NOT volunteer info to your insurance company about the DUI. It is their responsibility to find that out. Even if you had a traffic accident the carrier does NOT always know that alcohol was involved. So Silence is Golden and Handcuffs are Silver...but Don't lie! However, don't volunteer info.

If you lose the DMV hearing or enter a plea to the court, then in order to get a

license to drive, you must file an SR-22 with DMV in addition to paying a reissuance fee and showing proof you have enrolled in the correct DUI class. The SR 22 shows proof of insurance, but don't file it through your own company.

The SR- 22 is a special document only an insurance company can provide and then file with DMV. It is a "Proof of Insurance" Certificate that guarantees the individual has obtained the required minimum limit of liability coverage mandated by California law.

California requires you keep your insurance and SR-22 in force for 36 months.

DUI drivers must file proof of active insurance as a condition to having their license reinstated. They are susceptible to extreme insurance premium increases from their old company.

The unique SR22 filing program from companies we suggest, will reduce the risk of an immediate cost impact to your premium.

It helps you avoid being dropped entirely from your existing policy.

If you stop paying for the SR-22 your driver's license will be suspended automatically. If you drive with your

license suspended you could be arrested for a misdemeanor (14601 VC, Driving on a Suspended License) and face jail, fines and lose your car.

You must contact our insurance company before there is a DMV Hearing and/or a Plea/ Conviction to the Court; in other words, while your record is still clear. Thus you are getting insured with NON OWNED Vehicle coverage, while you have a clean record without a DUI conviction showing up on your record.

The insurance company insures the DUI driver with a non-owned vehicle policy to drive any vehicle. Thus you can get the SR 22 Proof of Insurance that DMV demands before they issue the new restricted driver's license.

This allows the driver to retain a valid driver's license. Your worst case scenario is to go to DMV to get a DMV Identification Card that looks like a license.

If it turns out there is no filing and the SR 22 is not needed, then the clients get a 100% refund from this new insurance company.

This kicks in if we win the DMV and Court proceedings, which thus determines the DUI driver does not need to file the SR-22. This is the exception rather than the rule.

If/when the DUI driver's insurance company learns of the DUI, then your new insurance company would take the drivers insurance policy limits info from your old auto policy and write a new policy, using the clean record stats that existed when they initially wrote the non-users policy. They do this because the driver was insured and rated by our company when there was NO DUI on their record. This is true if you contact our suggested company right away.

Suggestion for future article? Call 760837-7500 or dale@dalegribowlaw.com.

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"

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

HEALTH BY MICHELLE BORTHWICK HOW DO YOU KETO IN THE SUMMER HEAT?

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re there more challenges with Keto in the summer heat? We often have summertime memories of chilled watermelon, homemade ice cream, ripe peaches, and fresh corn on the cob. Then add in BBQs, vacations, pool parties and beach time and it might be easy to get distracted from your health and weight loss goals. You know how much you love the carefree “fun of summer” but you won’t love the potential weight gain it can bring!

If it seems like you could never succeed with your Keto plan with all these delicious temptations and multiple opportunities to cheat, here are some tips to make staying Keto even easier in the summer: Keto Food, Drinks & Socializing! Keto food is so delicious that with a tiny bit of preplanning you can stick to your diet during all the fun times without feeling like you are missing out. When attending small social gatherings this summer just go prepared! Plan to bring a bag of pork rinds or grain free chips, so you can enjoy the salsa and they’re fantastic with guacamole!

Or, how about keto crackers with salami and cheese? Or, celery and green veggies with ranch dip. Do yourself a favor and talk to your hostess in advance and let her know you’re eating Keto.

Make sure she plans to have a protein and some veggies then offer to bring a fresh green salad.

Also, bring your own alcohol so you can drink Keto-approved cocktails. That way you are sure there is no juice or sugary ingredients!

Please do drink responsibly…when living Keto, you get drunk faster.

Stay Hydrated! Lots of times cravings and hunger are nothing but a symptom of dehydration and lack of electrolytes. Make sure you drink plenty of water throughout the day.

Have a glass of water, and a pinch of pink salt, add some stevia sweetened electrolytes and then decide if you are hungry. Often when you feel hungry, you’re simply dehydrated.

Be prepared so you do NOT cheat! Having an occasional Keto treat is totally OK, and encouraged, to keep away any temptations for carb-laden non-Keto foods. There are so many great recipes with everything from cake to cookies to pies and breads. Some of my favorites are homemade strawberry-rhubarb cobbler,

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chocolate chip cookie dough fat bombs, lemon bars and bagels. Or, to make it convenient it’s easy to find Keto products like ice cream and chocolate bars in the grocery stores. Keep it easy peasy and you will find something to take care of any craving you might have.

If You Cheat! If you eat something nonketo it is not the end of the world. Trust me, it happens. But what you need to do is to not feel guilty, just do better the next day! Drink water, keep your fat up to ignite ketosis, get your carbs as low as you can and get right back into the keto lifestyle. One cheat will not break all your progress. Just don’t let that one cheat turn into a full summer of cheats!

You Can do This! Sticking to the keto diet does not have to impact your summer plans or stop you from doing anything. In the long run you will still savor the memories…and it might make your summer even more delicious.

I hope these tips will motivate you to enjoy summertime, be outrageous, and live “Keto Out Loud”! You’ll be glad you did!

About Michelle Borthwick: Interested in more tips for Summer or travel and eating Keto?

Email me at ketoiseasy@gmail.com.

Michelle is a Keto Lifestyle coach, a Seasoned expert on Keto Coaching for Women.

Keto weight loss results can be improved with Coaching, Customization, accountability, and a trusted partner to guide you every step of the way. Michelle offers private sessions, proven Keto diet hacks, meal plans, proprietary customization, goal setting and more. If you want to customize your Keto to fit your lifestyle, book a complimentary private coaching session online at KetoIsEasyCoach.com.

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF AUGUST 13

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Motivational speaker Les Brown says his mission in life is to help people become uncomfortable with their mediocrity. That same mission is suitable for many of you Rams, as well. And I suspect you’ll be able to generate interesting fun and good mischief if you perform it in the coming weeks. Here’s a tip on how to make sure you do it well: Don’t use shame or derision as you motivate people to be uncomfortable with their mediocrity. A better approach is to be a shining example that inspires them to be as bright as you are.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Taurus musician and visual artist Brian Eno has a practical, down-to-earth attitude about making beautiful things, which he has done in abundance. He says that his goal is not to generate wonderful creations nonstop—that’s not possible—but rather to always be primed to do his best when inspiration strikes. In other words, it’s crucial to tirelessly hone his craft, to make sure his skills are constantly at peak capacity. I hope you’ve been approaching your own labors of love with that in mind, Taurus. If you have, you’re due for creative breakthroughs in the coming weeks. The diligent efforts you’ve invested in cultivating your talents are about to pay off. If, on the other hand, you’ve been a bit lazy about detail-oriented discipline, correct that problem now. There’s still time to get yourself in top shape.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): In his 2010 album My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Gemini musician Kanye West confesses the decadent and hedonist visions that fascinate and obsess him. Personally, I’m not entertained by the particular excesses he claims to indulge in; they’re generic and unoriginal and boring. But I bet that the beautiful dark twisted fantasies simmering in your imagination, Gemini, are more unique and intriguing. In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to spend quality time in the coming weeks diving in and exploring those visions in glorious detail. Get to know them better. Embellish them. Meditate on the feelings they invoke and the possibility that they have deeper spiritual meanings. (P.S. But don’t act them out, at least not now.)

CANCER (June 21-July 22): “Make all your decisions based on how hilarious it would be if you did it,” advises Cancerian actor Aubrey Plaza. I wish it were that simple. How much more fun we might all have if the quest for amusement and laughter were among our main motivating principles. But no, I don’t recommend that you always determine your course of action by what moves will generate the most entertainment and mirth. Having said that, though, I do suspect the next few weeks may in fact be a good time to experiment with using Plaza’s formula.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In the dictionary, the first definition of “magic” is “the art of producing illusions as entertainment by the use of sleight of hand and deceptive devices.” A far more interesting definition, which is my slight adjustment of an idea by occultist Aleister Crowley, doesn’t appear in most dictionaries. Here it is: “Magic is the science and art of causing practical changes to occur in accordance with your will—under the rigorous guidance of love.” According to my analysis of the astrological omens, the latter definition could and should be your specialty during the next four weeks.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “The soul, like the moon, is new, and always new again,” wrote 14thcentury mystic poet Lalleswari. I will amend her poetic formulation, however. The fact is that the soul, unlike the moon, is always new in different ways; it doesn’t have a predictable pattern of changing as the moon does. That’s what makes the soul so mysterious and uncanny. No matter how devotedly we revere the soul, no matter how tenderly we study the soul, it’s always beyond our grasp. It’s forever leading us into unknown realms that teem with new challenges and delights. I invite you to honor and celebrate these truths in the coming weeks, Virgo. It’s time to exult in the shiny dark riddles of your soul.

© Copyright 2020 Rob Brezsny

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “I have one talent, and that is the capacity to be tremendously surprised,” writes Libran author Diane Ackerman. I advise you to foster that talent, too, in the weeks ahead. If you’re feeling brave, go even further. Make yourself as curious as possible. Deepen your aptitude for amazements and epiphanies. Cultivate an appreciation for revelations and blessings that arrive from outside your expectations. To the degree that you do these things, the wonderments that come your way will tend to be enlivening and catalytic; unpredictability will be fun and educational.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): Author and theologian Frederick Buechner writes, “If we are to love our neighbors, before doing anything else we must see our neighbors. With our imagination as well as our eyes, we must see not just their faces but also the life behind and within their faces.”

The coming weeks will be prime time for you to heed Buechner’s advice, Scorpio. You’re in a phase when you’ll have extra power to understand and empathize with others. Taking full advantage of that potential will serve your selfish aims in profound ways, some of which you can’t imagine yet.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “Refine your rapture,” advised occultist Aleister Crowley. Now is an excellent time to take that advice. How might you go about doing it? Well, you could have a long conversation with your deep psyche—and see if you can plumb hidden secrets about what gives it sublime pleasure. You could seek out new ways to experience euphoria and enchantment—with an emphasis on ways that also make you smarter and healthier. You might also take inventory of your current repertoire of bliss-inducing strategies—and cultivate an enhanced capacity to get the most out of them.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Are you ready to make the transition from slow, deep, subtle, and dark to fast, high, splashy, and bright? Are you interested in shifting your focus from behindthe-scenes to right up front and totally out in the open? Would it be fun and meaningful for you to leave behind the stealthy, smoldering mysteries and turn your attention to the sweet, blazing truths? All these changes can be yours—and more.

To get the action started, jump up toward the sky three times, clicking your heels together during each mid-leap.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Greenland is a mostly autonomous territory within the nation of Denmark. In 2019, US President Donald Trump announced that his government was interested in buying the massive island, describing it as “a large real estate deal” that would add considerable strategic value to his country. A satirical story in The New Yorker subsequently claimed that Denmark responded with a counter-offer, saying it wasn’t interested in the deal, but “would be interested in purchasing the United States in its entirety, with the exception of its government.” I offer this as an example for you to be inspired by. The coming weeks will be a favorable time for you to flip the script, turn the tables, reverse the roles, transpose the narrative, and switch the rules of the game.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): Author Doris Lessing told us, “It is our stories that will recreate us.”

Whenever we’re hurt or confused or demoralized, she suggested, we need to call on the imagination to conjure up a new tale for ourselves. “It is the storyteller, the dream-maker, the myth-maker, that is our phoenix,” she believed. The fresh narratives we choose to reinvent ourselves may emerge from our own dreams, meditations, or fantasies. Or they might flow our way from a beloved movie or song or book. I suspect you’re ready for this quest, Pisces.

Create a new saga for yourself.

Homework: What is a blessing you can realistically believe life might bestow on you in the coming months? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

CANNABIS CORNER

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OVERLY AGGRESSIVE MARIJUANA MONDAY RAIDS ARE KILLING HOME GROWERS

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“

arijuana Monday” raids conducted by the Riverside County, CA Sheriff’s Department, confiscated and destroyed over $43M worth of cannabis during a 2-Day Sting. The marijuana was found on more than 1,000 acres of public and private lands near Hemet and Anza. Contrary to the media’s reports, these raids destroy not only illegal grows but home growers who cultivate for medical purposes. Prop 64 allows qualified medical residents to grow up to six plants. In unincorporated townships like Anza to grow 12 plants. For households with two qualified patients, the number doubles to 24. Anza’s zoning however prevents most from growing and selling cannabis.

This Catch-22 scenario is not unique to Riverside County or Anza. Only 161 of California’s 482 municipalities and 24 of the 58 counties have opted to allow commercial cannabis activity of any sort, according to data from CannaRegs, a website that tracks local marijuana rule developments in the state.

Regardless of this legislative boondoggle CA has taken in $172 million in taxes so far in 2020 and per the OC Register CA tax revenue passed the $1 billion mark since Prop 64 was passed.

Tens of thousands of legacy operators who fueled California’s gray medical marijuana

market for two decades have been shut out of the legal industry, either by local license caps or by city and county ordinances that ban their business models. Many of those pioneers are small companies, often one-person operations, that do not have the money to relocate to a city or county that will grant them permits to continue doing business in the legal marijuana sector.

Small farmers work with Anza Valley’s High Country Grower’s Association (HCGA) to propose alternative zoning policies that will legalize small growing operations. According to a report by the Anza Valley Municipal Advisory Council, 97% of Anza residents live on rural residential or agricultural land, which prevents them from growing and selling cannabis but allows other commercial farming. The 2017 Farm Bill allows hemp to be cultivated but again muddies the bureaucratic process defining what is legally permitted.

There are over twenty bills sitting in the CA legislature waiting to be discussed and enacted. They are a confusing mess of fines and conditions that violate the spirit of the 2016 Prop 64 legislation. The tax revenue goes to everything in the kitchen sink but cannabis research on the medicinal qualities of the plant. Things like school lunches, social worker

August 13 to August 19, 2020

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

programs, youth recreation, literacy programs, new parks, repairing roads, forest cleanups, child care for indigent children, removal of trash, etc. marijuanalawyerblog.com/where-doescalifornias-635m-in-marijuana-tax-money-go.

Edison Gomez-Kraus, a founding member of the Anza Valley’s HCGA, is running for Riverside County CA Supervisor from the in the 3rd district. His website explains the flaws in the county’s law. The Board of Supervisors of Riverside County re-criminalized all small farmers by issuing a pay-to-play scheme that

excludes small farmers and local entrepreneurs from the legal market. Gomez-Krass is promising to propose legislation that will stimulate rural economies by allowing small farmers to enter the legal market giving more access to medicinal cannabis. He is a young energetic grass roots organizer who grasps the complex issues surrounding the medical cannabis industry. Visit Gomez-Kraus website edisongk2020.com for more information.

Questions on cannabis email Ruth Hill at info@ruthahillrn.com

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August 13 to August 19, 2020

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