Coachella Valley Weekly - August 27 to September 2, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 24 by CV Weekly

coachellavalleyweekly.com • August 27 to September 2, 2020 Vol.9 No.24

Rita Gonzales

pg5

Back To School - Distance Learning

pg 6

The Motion

pg7

Lisa & Teddy

pg8

August 27 to September 2, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 27 to September 2, 2020

2020 IDYLLWILD STRONG BENEFIT FESTIVAL

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 3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit..... 3-5 Breaking The 4th Wall - Rita Gonzales..... 5 Back To School - Distance Learning....... 6 Consider This - The Motion...................... 7 Pet Place - Lisa & Teddy........................ 8-9 Travel Tips & Local Happening 4 U ......... 9 The Vino Voice ........................................ 11 Brewtality .............................................. 12 Screeners ............................................... 14 Haddon Libby ........................................ 15 Dale Gribow ........................................... 15 Safety Tips ............................................. 16 Free Will Astrology................................ 16 Cannabis Corner ..................................... 17

he Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival, now in its third year, raises money for disaster relief in the sublime mountain oasis of Idyllwild, California. The town relies on regular tourism to survive, which has been severely impacted by catastrophic damage caused by the Cranston Fire in July 2018, massive flooding in February 2019 and now COVID-19 in 2020. The community continues to need our support. Local 501(c)(3) nonprofit Young Idyllwild, Inc. will once again use the healing power of music to present the 3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival. This year the event will be simulcast live around the world and will feature both artists that have previously performed at the festival as well as performers who are involved for the first time. The organizers accepted video submissions from numerous artists around the world as well as gathered footage from past events, live performance videos and other digital content to feature during the day-long ‘telethon’ style event. The event begins at 12 p.m. on Saturday, August 29, 2020. Event hosts Brian ‘Puke’ Parnell, President of Young Idyllwild, Inc. and Nathan DeJarnette, Vice President, are unable to safely organize a live festival in town, so they are doing this online simulcast. They will be streaming it through multiple platforms and encouraging people to donate to the mountain community relief efforts throughout the broadcast. Coachella Valley Weekly spoke with Parnell and DeJarnette in anticipation of the 3rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit Festival. CVW: Congratulations on staying the course. I know you would rather bring us a live event but it seems this is shaping up to be very unique. Walk us through what we can expect on Saturday. Parnell: “We’re doing this ‘telethon’ style, a more entertaining version of the Jerry Lewis telethon. Blending together some live footage that we’ve recorded over the last month or so and we’re intermixing that with video that has been submitted by bands that have played the festival before as well as some that haven’t plus splicing together music videos and stuff, it’s video content galore from all varieties. It doesn’t have to necessarily be bands that have played before but the majority are.”

CVW: The last two festivals had huge production value with several stages. Is there a sense of relief with going online this year? DeJarnette: “I wouldn’t necessarily call it relief, but more hours in the pre-stage to make sure everything is set and prepped and on cue. The day-of might be a little less stress than trying to manage twelve stages haha.” Parnell: “There’s people that haven’t been able to make it up here in previous years. They get to watch from anywhere in the world.” DeJarnette: “This also might give us the potential to expand our horizons, maybe we livestream a stage every year.” CVW: How is the community of Idyllwild holding up during the pandemic and coping with COVID-19? Parnell: “People don’t really seem to mind as long as everyone is social distancing and wearing masks. Where locals start to get irked is when driving through town for an errand and they see a crowd of halfmaskless people, it doesn’t bode very well for a lot of people in town. We’re also a microcosm of everywhere else. We have a contingency of people who don’t want to

BY NOE GUTIERREZ

wear a mask either. For the most part, it’s still been busy, there’s people coming up trying to escape.” CVW: Many restaurants in Idyllwild provided venues for live music. How are they doing? Parnell: “A lot of them have expanded, there’s new places thinking about opening up too. It’s not a dire situation as when the roads were washed out right after the Cranston Fire. It’s not nearly what it would be in a normal year but it’s not like that anywhere else either.” CVW: How can people donate to the cause? Parnell: “One way is through Facebook, it doesn’t charge anything for non-profits. Also you can go to youngidyllwild.org and idyllwildstrong.com to donate. Throughout the simulcast we’ll be making sure that links are available for people to donate. You can go to PayPal too and search for info@ youngidyllwild.org. CVW: Are there any performances we should be looking forward to watching? Parnell: “Nathan recorded some songs from a band called The Spaceman Trilogy. I produced their debut album and it was a lot of fun seeing them interpret those songs live after what we did in the recording, not that the recording was different than what they do live because they basically came into the studio and jammed, but it gave a whole new refresher on everything. I’m looking forward to seeing that in its entirety. Josh Heinz sent a bunch of stuff that I haven’t got to check out. I’ve been talking with John Garcia and he has some exclusive footage of John Garcia and The Band of Gold performing in Australia that he’s willing to debut through Idyllwild Strong. He needs to make sure the director’s okay with it and get that permission. That would be an awesome thing.” continue to page 5

August 27 to September 2, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

IDYLLWILD STRONG

continued from page 3

CVW: The last two events have been hugely successful. Has the pandemic presented any new problems for those in need and what do you expect the outcome to be after this year’s festival? Parnell: “Luckily when we put the word out for people in need from COVID-19 the response wasn’t overwhelming and it didn’t deplete all the funds from last year. We are hoping to build on that and have a good amount in the till for when we’re gonna need it and then figure out how to be more proactive rather than reactive, doing things to prevent the next disaster other than just help people after it.” De Jarnette: “The main thing is it all goes back into the community. It’s not like we’re able to spend money on lavish dinners haha. The people who need it the most are going to be able to have access to it.” CVW: I’m sure it’s disappointing for you and your team in not being able to present a live event this year. What has been the response of residents in Idyllwild? Parnell: “Everyone is looking forward to next year. Unfortunately, I’ve heard from more people express their disappointment it not being a giant live event, it’s something they were looking forward to this year. People are pleased when they hear there’s going to be an online version to see local bands other bands they haven’t heard of before. For them, it’s about appreciating

local music.” DeJarnette: “One of the major complaints in the last two years is that there was too much music going on at the same time and they couldn’t see all the artists that they wanted to see. So this year we won’t miss anything”. CVW: Will there be any interactive features during the festival? Parnell: “We want to bring in a chat element so that we can respond to people in real time. People can comment while we’re playing a video. We can say something live on-air recognizing individual sponsors and people who are donating”. CVW: You two will be the event hosts, how long have you known each other? De Jarnette: “Brian and I met at a Halloween party where Throw the Goat was performing. Plus, I have a production company called Deej Productions and we specialize in live shows, music videos, studio sessions, and beat making so we have similar interests. We bonded when Young Idyllwild came together.” Parnell: “Now Nathan is VP and I’m President. We’re calling all the shots on Idyllwild Strong which was a knee-jerk response to the Cranston Fire that’s turned into something that’s way bigger than we ever thought it would be.” CVW: I remember some initial trepidation before the first Idyllwild Strong

RITA GONZALES –

here’s a saying that people enter our lives for a reason, a season or a lifetime. They serve an immediate need, stay for a period of time and then move on or they become ingrained in our lives over the years and remain an integral part of our world. Rita Gonzales, has always been a lifetime friend in the Los Angeles Theatre and LGBTQ communities, and now she’s become a full-time resident of Palm Springs. With her sense of humor and never one to shy away from a challenge, Rita decided to move to Palm Springs… during the summer… and in the middle of a global Pandemic. She began her involvement in Gay and Lesbian Latinos Unidos, (GLLU) the oldest LGBT Latino organization in Southern California, where she served as President of this organization in 1986. She has since served on several boards of directors, including Connexxus, an organization for women, the Los Angeles Stonewall Democratic Club, as the co-chair of the people of color committee, the One National Gay and Lesbian Archives, where she was on the board of directors. She was also on the advisory board for Women On A Roll, an organization for women seeking alternative recreational activities. She now chairs the board of directors for Bienestar, a Latino health education agency that she has been affiliated with since its inception in 1989. Rita began her affiliation with radio as a

and help. We appreciate the donations but people coming up and spending money is good enough. The Brew Pub had the best night they’ve ever had during Idyllwild Strong. We’re going to do everything we can to keep it flowing and keep the vibe alive.” Parnell: “Seeing businesses packed to the gills with people is the most rewarding, Nathan is right.” CVW: The silver lining to an online only event is the global appeal. Parnell: “Every year we expand the awareness of Idyllwild and the festival around the world. As it grows, we have the opportunity to bring in bigger artists for future festivals so people are talking about it through word of mouth.” For more information, go to: www.idyllwildstrong.com www.youngidyllwild.org

BY DEE JAE COX

A FRIEND FOR A REASON, A SEASON, OR A LIFETIME

August 27 to September 2, 2020

host for "Radio GLLU" in 1986, where she was co-host and editor for 11 years. In 1995, she became co-host of the newly formatted show IMRU, one of the longest running gay and lesbian radio programs in Southern California. Since that time, she has worked as a segment producer, technical engineer, board operator and editor and the executive producer of IMRU. She is currently co-producing a new LGBT radio webcast program on KPFK called “The Out Agenda.” Through interviews, debates, and special feature stories, this show examines today’s issues from the LGBT perspective. Each week, listeners are invited to be active participants in the show with call ins, by posting comments on Facebook, or with emails and tweets. The OUT Agenda is truly the voice of the LBGT community in action. I met Rita, when she worked as the Sound Engineer on the production of my first play over twenty years ago. And what started as a friend for a reason soon became a friend for a season and eventually a life time as she went on to work on just about every play I wrote, directed or produced. When Songwriter Michele Weiss, and I founded The Los Angeles Women’s Theatre Project in 2007, Rita Gonzales, became one of the first board members, bringing her lifetime of experience and skills to the organization.

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

“Another one of my passions is live theatre.” Rita states, “I love working behind the stage. I fall in love with every play that I have done. This is where I met Dee Jae Cox, I was the sound engineer on several of her productions. I loved working with the LA Women’s Theatre Project. I look forward to working with this organization here in Palm Springs and other theatre companies. I swept a mean floor and I am a good ticket taker.” Now a new permanent resident of Palm Springs, she continues to record and broadcast her show, “The Out Agenda,” on KPFK and is reaching out to the desert

theatre and LGBTQ Communities, planning to get more involved as social distancing eases up. Rita Gonzales has been an activist all of her life and brings to the desert community a friend for all reasons, seasons and a lifetime. Her show can be heard on www.kpfk.org/onair/the-out-agenda/ 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

August 27 to September 2, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

COMMUNITY BACK TO SCHOOL FROM HOME: ADJUSTING TO DISTANCE LEARNING

ummer ends and the school year begins, but this year will be very different from others as distance learning continues in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. All three school districts in the Coachella Valley have adapted a distance learning model that takes the place of in-person instruction until it becomes safe to meet on campuses. Within the first few weeks of distance learning, there have already been a number of server interruptions and technical difficulties adjusting to remote class instruction. With new factors like poor Wi-Fi connections and Zoom crashing, it has taken some adjustment for parents trying to help their children maintain a sense of classroom focus. “The most difficult part has been the connection issues! It’s been so frustrating and it ruins the momentum my kids had with their work. The iboss website blocker was restricting so many websites that the teachers were trying to use. I haven't had to help them with anything other than connecting them to the assignments, checking up on them regularly, and telling them I'm proud they are doing great at listening to their teachers and participating,” explained Claudia Garcia, who has three children (two in elementary school and one in middle school) all enrolled at Desert Sands Unified School District. Garcia’s children are each reviewing what they learned last year, and she feels confident of their academic performance despite some minor technical setbacks since they have many options to seek help if they need it. She also feels they will be able to retain more information because they will not get distracted by friends in their class and can focus better. “My kids really love that they received some workbooks and other hands-on material! I want to thank the teachers and the school district so much for that because I do think many kids enjoy hands-on learning and writing on paper versus doing everything online, like they did back in April when distance learning began,” stated Garcia. Anna Baca’s daughter is 16 years-old and attends a high school in Palm Springs Unified School District. She has adjusted to the online routine and has a designated space to complete her school work, although she still longs to socialize with her friends and classmates. “There are many negatives to this situation, but the positive thing is that we have amazing technology in which the kids can keep in constant communication. As far as our daily routine goes, I make sure she’s awake in time for her first period. She’s old enough to be responsible for her own schedule and knows that if she needs help with something, she can reach out to one of her teachers. I encourage her to do that when I can’t answer a question,” said Baca. While some students feel comfortable and capable of learning on their own from home, there are others that rely on more of the social dynamic provided in class to help learn new concepts better. Abigail Ellenich is currently a senior at California State University, San Bernardino, on the path to graduate with a bachelor’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition. She has adjusted to distance learning by looking through the course requirements, asking questions, and by interacting with her classmates as much as she can. “Communication is key online, at least for me. I'm not afraid to ask questions no matter how many times I let my voice be heard or frustrate people. I will still ask if it means that I will better understand what's being explained,” said Ellenich.

The most difficult part about distance learning for Ellenich is being alone at home when it comes to studying or asking questions, as she would often ask her friends for help before classes or they would study together for upcoming exams. Now it is mostly independent work—completely different from the sensation of being in a classroom and walking to class, and now only staying at home and sitting in a room for hours. Ellenich suggests that instructors take more approaches to interact with students, even with distance learning. “I had a professor named Danny Doueir who Zoomed each individual student, just to know a little about them. He also sent out emails that were so uplifting with simple messages like, ‘hey guys, remember I am always here to help you and I hope you all are staying safe, we will all get through this together.’ As simple as they were, they made me smile and made the world feel just a tad bit better,” explained Ellenich. Some parents have already been using homeschooling methods for their children before the pandemic and have come to find ways that work best to accommodate their learning needs. Anthony Ferrer and his wife Erin Marie use K12 Cava California Virtual Academy—an online public school that provides all materials, including a computer and printer, and also helps pay for internet costs. “It’s not easy homeschooling. It takes a lot of time and it’s like you’re going back to school yourself. If it’s important to you to give your child one-on-one attention to focus, then you will find a way to make it work. It’s a choice. This was our choice and we love it,” said Anthony, who has one child in fourth grade and one that will begin homeschooling next year. Teachers are also having to adjust to this distance learning routine, while some are already equipped to handle this educational shift. Ruth Nolan is a Professor of English and advisor to the campus literary magazine, “Solstice," at College of the Desert’s Palm Desert campus. This will be her 21st full time year teaching and she has been using distance learning platforms since the mid1990s, long before the pandemic. Nolan trained with University of Phoenix online, which is an early innovator in online learning. She then developed and taught online courses there, during the 1990s and early 2000s, and then became an online certified instructor at College of the Desert in 2016. This requirement was implemented by the California Community College system as a requirement for instructors to teach online, even though Nolan had been instructing at COD since 1999. “I am fortunate that I'm already very wellversed in online teaching, and for many years, approximately half of my teaching load has been in the online format. These are asynchronous/ fully-online class formats. I also taught my onground classes from Spring 2020 using Zoom technology when we transitioned into distance learning this past spring,” explained Nolan.

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

Although she is comfortable doing fully online instruction, Nolan prefers her usual hybrid of teaching modalities, having part of her classes online and part on-ground. She believes that Coachella Valley students benefit immensely from the sharing of a learning community in a safe, supportive, and stimulating physical space. This applies not only to the Palm Desert campus, but to the newer Valley campuses at Palm Springs, Indio, Mecca, and Desert Hot Springs. “I'm grateful, as I'm sure all educators are, that we have the technology to deliver high-quality instruction remotely, via online technology/ distance modalities. Had this pandemic situation occurred, say, in 1990, we would have had a much harder time ensuring a continuity and quality of instruction. I honestly don't know what we would have done. Much of what I've been doing for years as an educator hasn't changed, but the part that has, is unfortunate, yet going quite well. I look forward to when our campuses here

re-open. We are not just a place for students, but serve as a vector for so many community events and organizations to bring people together here in the Coachella Valley,” said Nolan. Riverside County has recently begun accepting waivers for in-person learning from both private and public schools. The county has met the state’s threshold to allow in-person classes, currently at 175.3 cases per 100,000 residents in contrast to the monitor list rate of 200 cases per 100,000 residents. The county must be off the watch list for 14 days before schools may reopen without a waiver. “In-class interaction will always be the superior method in my opinion, and that’s my preferred method of teaching. I talk with my student-athletes frequently about how they are adjusting to distance learning and the majority of them do seem to be okay in the subject they are strong in, but when they are in a subject they struggle in, they can feel the disconnect and how the screen is limiting their way of interacting with their teacher,” explained Ezekiel Esquibel, a second-year substitute teacher for Desert Sands Unified School District and head freshman coach for Shadow Hills High School. While there are challenges presented in the current school dynamic, Coachella Valley Weekly acknowledges the dedicated teachers and school district personnel that make learning possible in a time when knowledge truly is priority.

CONSIDER THIS

efore The Motion was a band, it was a friendship. Steven Wolfson and David Jenkins grew up down the street from each other in the mid ‘70s. A couple years later they met Paul Riopelle. All three L.A. natives had showbiz connections, Steven’s grandfather had been a screenwriter, David’s dad was a well-known character actor and his mom worked in production. Paul’s mom worked at the Troubadour and his dad, Jerry, was part of Phil Spector’s production team, as well as a talented musician and recording artist in his own right. The trio cemented their friendship over shared obsessions like the Beatles and Star Wars, all three were aspiring drummers. Pretty soon both Paul and Steven were learning guitar, David started on bass and they each alternated behind the drum kit. Serious woodshedding took place in garages and backyards. Not long after, they were staging backyard concerts for friends and family, as well as recording demos, with the help of Paul’s dad. The three-piece cycled through a series of names before landing on The Motion. Sending out their demos to music industry folks and local venues resulted in nabbing real professional gigs. Soon they were playing everywhere from health food restaurants to the infamous Troubadour. An older classmate of Steven’s, Eric Satzman, took over drum duties until he went off to college. But the puzzle pieces really came together when the guys met Ryeland Allison in 1982. Ryeland’s dad, Keith was a musician and sometime actor who made his bones playing sessions for the Monkees and Paul Revere’s Raiders. He also released a well-regarded solo album, Keith Allison In Action. Ryeland bought his first drum kit from Monkee vocalist Davy Jones and received a few tips from Ringo Starr. When he joined, The Motion’s line-up felt complete. Even though the guys were all still in high school, the next few years were a blur of shows. They navigated the L.A. club scene, managing to avoid the pitfalls of the “pay to play” policies that certain venues strictly enforced. They landed high-profile gigs, like performing on TV series pilot “Summer,” as well as playing some shows centered around the ’84 Olympics. It was around this time that they began recording a professional demo, under the sharp direction of Jerry Riopelle.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 27 to September 2, 2020

“WHATEVER PLEASES YOU” CITY RECORDS) THE MOTION (DUPLEX

The Motion’s momentum slowed a bit, once the guys graduated high school. Some members went off to college, some started careers. For each of the guys, family tradition beckoned. Steven began a career as a screenwriter and Ryeland earned his keep as a studio musician. Paul joined his dad who had relocated to Arizona. There they started a company that combined music playback and live performance. Steven saw two scripts transformed into a couple of well-received indie films. Ryeland ended up working for Hans Zimmer and scoring films. Meanwhile, David worked in the film and television industry and found time to play in bands like Man On Fire and Ten Feet Tall. Soon he connected with Andrew Sandoval, a musician and Grammy award-winning Rock & Roll historian. That led to a stint playing in Dave Davies touring band. The ex-Kink originally jump-started his solo career in the early ‘80s, but it really took off after the dissolution of The Kinks. Throughout the years, as schedules permitted, The Motion would reunite and play together. Recently, the stars aligned and the guys booked several local shows around town. One thing led to another (just like that Fixx song prophesized), and the guys were in the studio, finally recording their bona fide debut, Whatever Pleases You. The album opens with a slice of Power Pop perfection entitled “Winding Down.” The song begins tentatively, as skitter electric guitar shadows Steven’s plaintive lead vocals. Rather quickly, band fully jumps into the fray adding tensile bass, a pummeling, kick-drum beat and subtle organ colors. At first glance, the lyrics seem like an artless schoolboy kissoff; “I probably won’t mail this letter, wrote it on the bus, I’m out looking for something better, a brand new type of lust/You don’t have to act concerned, it’s not like we’re in love, just step aside you’ve had your turn, I’ve taken quite enough.” But it turns out this notso-callow kid is being cuckolded, he presents his evidence and declares “I don’t need a wristwatch baby to know my time is up.” The buoyant arrangement and instrumentation belie the lyrics’ bitter, brutal youth. As guitars stack on the break, over meandering keys and a tambourine shake, the song and relationship truly wind down. These guys wear their influences on their sleeves, distilling their shared inspirado into a heady and wholly original brew. The band

BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

gets back to where they once belong with “Breakfast On Tuesday.” Tight harmonies and flickering guitar riffs are supplanted by flinty keys, sinewy bass lines and a thumpy beat. Downcast lyrics chronicle a bummer week, from “Breakfast on Tuesday, gonna be Blues day” to “Brunch on a Sunday, not a fun day/ How can I eat without you? Without your love I’m doomed.” “The Way It Hurts” is a sad-sack ballad that splits the difference between Torch and Twang. Chunky electric guitar notes brittle bass lines and a slow, thwoking beat cloak this tender evocation of love. David and Paul’s tight harmonies wrap around Steve’s plaintive vocals and the results are positively Everlyesque. On the break, a warm, tenor saxophone solo puts the ache in heartbreak. The song’s incendiary final verse; “Love’s a ball of fire held in hand. tangled with desire, prove that I’m a man/Have I got the nerve? This is the way it always hurts,” is sung acapella, before a cascade of guitars usher the song to a close. Both “Minimum Love” and “Somewhere In My Future (There’s A Broken Heart),” employ sly, economical arrangements that echo antecedents like Todd Rundgren, Thin Lizzy and Cheap Trick. On the former, muscular guitar riffs connect with tensile bass, urgent organ notes and some heavy cowbell action. Steven’s delivery is jittery as insists he’s working eight days a week, for minimum returns; “I been workin’ all day and night, and I been workin’ just to make it right/I been workin’ for your lovin’ arms, and I’ve been workin’ just a little to hard, oh I never worked so hard…” The spiraling, twin guitars on the break walks a fine line between AOR bluster and Bubblegum goodness. The latter sports jingle-jangle acoustic arpeggios that lattice atop strafing electric riffs, folding into shimmery keys, hiccupping bass lines and a hopscotch beat. The elastic arrangement nearly succeeds in camouflaging gloomy lyrics that (to paraphrase Mr. Mojo Risin) kinda wallow in the mire; “The writing’s on the wall, this wall is 10 feet tall, you’ll never see me break down and cry/I feel invisible, this feeling’s typical, I wish I had someone else’s life.” A keening guitar solo is bookended by cheerful handclaps. Somewhere, someone is closing down a tinder account. Meanwhile, had Badfinger, Little Feat and N.R.B.Q. ever collaborated, it might sound like “Let Him Go, Sarah.” Fuzzy guitars snake around Static-y bass lines, grainy keys and a snapback beat. The awkward Schleprock vibe that characterized “Somewhere In My Future”

has vanished. In its place is a swaggering lothario who advises Sarah to ditch the “ideal asshole” she’s with; “Let him go Sarah, he’s not worth the energy, Sarah, lacks all common courtesy, Sarah, he’ll never be as good as me.” Equal parts crisp songcraft, bar band grit, and Muscle Shoals bluster, the song adds some new colors to The Motion’s sonic palette. The best tracks here cluster in the center and toward the end of the album. “Spinning” weds ringing Byrdsy guitars, pinwheeling bass, lush keys to a sturdy backbeat. Sunshiny harmonies envelope beatific lyrics that celebrate the power of new love; “I’m spinning, I’m spinning, and I can’t I’m spinning, blame this on the love I found.” Who-ish power chords briefly blast on the break but are quickly usurped by melodic bass lines, and a final run around the winsome chorus. “Down By Law” could sandwich nicely between the Plimsouls’ “Million Miles Away” and Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues.” The song is anchored ricochet guitar riffs, boomerang bass and a locomotive rhythm. Honky-Tonk piano and sawing fiddle adds to the Outlaw verisimilitude. Steven curls his lip into a rougish sneer as he unspools a few vivid details; “Well, I shot a man down in New Orleans, for a Cajun woman with voodoo dreams/I ended up in a Memphis jail, I called Elvis’ daughter to post my bail.” Guitars slash and shudder on the break, building to a crescendo before powering down for the fading instrumental outro. “Naked” is Soulful and snappy, blending shang-a-lang guitars, a walking bass line, pulsating keys and a propulsive backbeat. Paul tackles lead vocals with some sly assistance from everyone’s favorite sui generis chanteuse, Syd Straw. A spitfire guitar solo flares and just as the lyrics insist, this one is “a hard act to follow.” Other interesting tracks the subterranean siren song of “Chinatown” and the crackling attack of “Deep Blue Sea.” The album closes with “Affair With A Stranger.” Another Power Pop pinata, it’s chockful of sugary guitar riffs, prickly bass lines, crisp harmonies and a walloping backbeat. Had it been released in 1981, it would have given Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl” some stiff competition on the singles chart. The four-piece received superstar assists from Syd Straw as well as Elvis Costello Attraction/Imposter drummer Pete Thomas. Helping to round out their sound are Jeff Young, Jay Fienberg and David Kalish on keys, David Plenn on slide guitar, Taylor Plenn on tenor saxophone. Backing vocals were provided by Syd, Evie Shapiro and Chris Allen. Meanwhile, Syd, along with Sofia Wolfson and Julia Wolfson lent a hand (or two) adding some much needed hand claps. The Motion have created an instant classic. Whatever Pleases You offers timeless, hook-filled melodies, sharp arrangements and trenchant lyrics. But beyond that, there is a sense of camaraderie, love and affection that simply shines through the songs. That’s the true beauty of this record.

August 27 to September 2, 2020

PET PLACE

he senior pit bull was one of many stray animals who entered the San Bernardino City Animal Shelter on the 4th of July. That holiday is the worst day of the year at shelters, when these already overwhelmed public facilities are overrun. The dog walked with a limp, was covered with ticks, and had numerous other medical problems. He laid quietly in his kennel, showing no response to the shelter staff. The dog’s chances of exiting the shelter alive were very grim. Lisa Fein Blodgett grew up loving dogs, getting her first puppy when she was 7 years old. She recalls, “I treated Rolly like he was my baby. He had birthday parties, and he sat at our family dining room table.” Like most animal lovers, Lisa knew little about the plight of homeless dogs who ended up in shelters. The experience of finding a stray black dog near her Palm Desert gym was the beginning of Lisa’s journey to becoming a passionate animal

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

LISA AND TEDDY, GIVING LOVE & JOY!

advocate. She took the dog home and ran an ad in the Desert Sun newspaper attempting to find his owner. Despite her diligence, no owner came forward and she eventually found the dog a new home. In the process of rehoming the black dog, Lisa met and befriended local animal rescuers who were actively involved in the “No Kill” movement to save the many thousands of homeless animals being euthanized in our community public shelters. Many of them were young and healthy animals whose only crime was being homeless. Committed to making a difference for homeless dogs, Lisa adopted her first pit bull named Diesel from the Humane Society of The Coachella Valley, a no-kill private shelter. While learning more about the breed, she discovered that pit bulls are the number one breed to enter shelters, and tragically the largest group of dogs to be euthanized. Lisa’s beloved Diesel passed away on August 24,

2019, at the age of 14. Lisa explains, “There is so much suffering for animals, I decided to adopt a dog no one else wants. I want these animals to have a chance. I go directly to the shelters to help those most in need. During the quarantine, I had to make an appointment to get Teddy, and arrange vet appointments as soon as possible after he came home.” On July 16, 2020, Teddy quietly rode home on his “freedom ride”. It was a miracle homecoming for a dog that never before enjoyed a healthy meal, slept in a warm bed, or received a loving stroke from a human hand. It is estimated that Teddy is 12 years old, and Lisa is determined his remaining years will be filled with as much comfort, happiness, and love as possible. Lois Chisholm describes Teddy’s journey on Facebook, “They know. They know the moment a kind and compassionate human places them in their car and whispers kindly in their ear ‘You’re safe now’ that all the years of neglect, abuse and total disregard for their lives are completely erased by one single act of love……He lay in his kennel, so tired and defeated. He had an eye infection, ticks on his body, and God knows what else. Teddy watched as the few visitors who came to the shelter walked past his kennel in search of a younger ‘cuter’ dog. He was waiting for someone special, and that person arrived in the nick of time.” Lisa posted this Facebook update on July 18, “A new day for Teddy. He went back to the vet this morning for more extensive x-rays to see his spleen. He got a surprise, a good report! His blood work is good! No definite signs of cancer. His spine is fused and not much can be done there. His elbows are very bad, extensive arthritis, and painful. He may have foxtails inside his ears. But the best news is he is a candidate for surgery and anesthesia. The first thing he needs is a good dental. He has severely infected gums causing him a lot of pain and discomfort. He is getting two pain management medications as well as his eye ointment and he loves me cleaning his eyes with a warm washcloth. A new bed was in order, and he got that today too. He likes to lift his leg on everything, and that is not going to happen here. So, he is wearing a belly band when loose in the house. He is exploring the house and his favorite room is….the kitchen!”

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

BY JANET McAFEE On August 3, Lisa reported on Facebook, “This guy has made a major mark on me in the best way. He has more than 10 pills between pain management and antibiotics, four different eye drops in each eye several times a day. It is more than a lot of work, but I can’t imagine doing anything else while watching him suffer in the shelter and ultimately being killed.” When Teddy first arrived home, he was indifferent to humans and indifferent to Lisa’s other dogs. Today he follows Lisa everywhere, giving grateful love and bringing more joy to her life. His favorite spot is still the kitchen where he signals to his special cabinet. All dogs enrich our lives with their loving devotion, but there are rewards beyond that when you adopt a dog who needs you the most. Janetmcafee8@gmail.com ------------------------------The shelters remain closed for walk-ins. Call for an appointment to meet/adopt. You can view most of their animals online in advance of calling. 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

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com the animal’s ID number at shelterinfo@rivco. org and call (760) 343-3644. 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) 6013918. (Private) CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - The shelter

is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www. californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 656-8833. (Private) HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt a dog or cat. 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 at www.ForeverMeow.org, call (760) 335-

6767. (Private) PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at www.prettygoodcat.com,call (760) 660-3414 (Private) LOVING ALL ANIMALS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 83496 Avenue 51, Coachella, www.lovingallanimals.org, (760) 834-7000. (Private) 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. Google “City of

TRAVELTIPS&LOCAL HAPPENINGS4U

HUNTINGTON MUSEUM & GARDENS SAN MARINO, CA

HE HUNTINGTON IS OPEN! Gardens only. Members must reserve tickets online in advance. Non-Members must buy tickets online in advance. President's Welcome In the summer of 1919, Henry and Arabella Huntington drafted the trust document that would transform their estate into an institution for the "advancement of learning, the arts and sciences, and to promote the public welfare." George Ellery Hale, prominent astrophysicist and a member of the original Board of Trustees, declared confidently just a year later that the institution “will be the means of bringing students to Pasadena and Los Angeles from all over the world.” Fast forward to now, and our activities at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens surpass even what Hale and the Huntingtons could have envisioned. Last year, approximately 800,000 visitors from the US and around the world enjoyed their 130 acres of public grounds, filled with lush botanical gardens and a rich array of exhibitions celebrating their three treasured collections of rare library, art, and botanical materials. They continually bring contemporary artists and researchers to The Huntington to help them interpret their collections in new ways, with nearly 2,000 scholars taking part in our fellowship and research programs annually. Last year, 21,000 students and educators participated in our lively school tours and educational programs, almost all offered for free. As they head into The Huntington’s second century, there is still much more work to be done. Offering an accessible and inviting experience for visitors of all backgrounds and abilities continues to be a major priority, reflected in our physical spaces, partnerships, and programmatic offerings as well as their training for staff and volunteers. In this time of pandemic, they have restricted their number of onsite visitors to keep everyone safe and to comply with public health regulations; however, at the same time, they have expanded their virtual resources and will continue to do

so to allow scholars, students, and those who simply live life with curiosity to learn from their collections, whether they are near or far. Their Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategic Plan 20202025 outlines these commitments and more in a transformative plan of action that touches every aspect of who they are, how they operate, and what audiences they serve. Henry and Arabella Huntington founded this institution with the conviction that their collections were better shared. Whether you are visiting them onsite or online, they welcome you to The Huntington and invite you to make it yours. Karen R. Lawrence, President Plan Your Visit - Get Tickets - Admission to The Huntington During COVID-19 The Huntington is beginning a phased reopening; the gardens are now open (galleries remain closed). All visitors, including Members must reserve tickets online in advance. You'll notice a number of changes in alignment with LA County's health and safety protocols and requirements. Please follow them, knowing that we're working hard to keep both our staff and visitors safe during a period of great uncertainty. Thank You! Important Notice for all Visitors The Huntington has put in place a number of new protocols and processes to help ensure the safety of our staff and visitors. It is important that you read through this information in its entirety before your visit. We’re working hard to protect you in the midst of this pandemic, but we’ll need

August 27 to September 2, 2020 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) 3841304 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 website www.DreamTeamangelsrescue.com, (360) 688-8884. (Private)

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER aggression, swearing, damage, abuse, or sexual harassment. Individuals who are aggressive toward staff or other visitors will be expelled from The Huntington and escorted off the property. Covid-19 Safety Measures at The Huntington Visitor capacity reduced and controlled at all locations. Indoor galleries as well as high-touch outdoor spaces, including the Children’s Garden and the Rose Hills Conservatory for Botanical Science are closed. Enhanced cleaning of high-touch surfaces throughout the day; hand-sanitizer units stationed throughout the property. Lockers are not available. Bring water with you; water fountains are not available; bottled water is available for purchase. Wheelchairs are not available. Special Assistance Vehicle services are not available due to restricted occupancy and sanitation protocols. As you plan your trip around the 130 acres of public gardens, please plan accordingly. In accordance with the Los Angeles County Public Health Order, physical distancing and wearing a face covering is required to help reduce the spread of COVID-19. However, even if all protocols are followed there are increased risks of exposure to COVID-19 any time you visit a public place. The Huntington, in alignment with the Los Angeles County Public Health Order, strongly encourages persons who have active or unstable pre-existing health conditions, to remain at home and not visit The Huntington at this time. For more info visit www.huntington.org. Think DayCation and Enjoy their Grounds and Gardens! “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

August 27 to September 2, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THE VINO VOICE

August 27 to September 2, 2020

SUMMER SUNDAYS AT MONDAVI BY RICK RIOZZA

ost of us California vino lovers know well the Robert Mondavi story and his namesake winery, established in 1966, with a vision to place Napa Valley wines on the map and to produce world class wines. Mondavi succeeded at that. He chose To Kalon Vineyard in the heart of the Napa Valley as the home for Robert Mondavi Winery. This first-growth vineyard, located in Oakville, California, is renowned for producing some of the finest Cabernet Sauvignon wines in the world, as well as for its Sauvignon Blanc grapes, from which he crafted his signature wine, Fumé Blanc. One of Robert Mondavi’s famous quotes was, “Making good wine is a skill; fine wine is an art.” And that philosophical bent runs throughout his family. Fifty-one years ago, the Margrit Mondavi Summer Concert Series began when Mrs. Mondavi brought her passion for the arts to the Napa Valley, beginning a tradition that fused stellar performers, local culinary vendors and great cuisine to unite the local community. This summer of 2020, in adherence with social distancing guidelines, the winery is producing a new incarnation of the series simply known as Summer Sundays: “Experience the magic of food, wine and the performing arts from your home this summer with our bi-weekly virtual events which continue to support Napa Valley student music programs and additional

non-profits selected by our performers. The Summer Sunday series commenced on July 5 with a performance by acclaimed Bay Area Jazz Musician Marcus Shelby, in the winery’s fabulous Vineyard Room. I got on the series program a little late and missed the July 5th performance. However, I went on YouTube channel and dialed in on Robert Mondavi Winery Summer Sundays: The Marcus Shelby Trio featuring Tiffany Austin, and caught some 30 minutes of wonderful and beautiful jazz/ blues pieces by said trio. In and out of this year’s columns, we’ve been doing and reporting our share of “virtual wine tastings” with various wineries and their winemakers. This Summer Sundays project indeed takes the total wine experience to new heights. As you can see below, you and yours can put on a virtual wine tasting and concert in the comfort of your home. Celebrated Bay Area TV and radio personality Liam Mayclem hosts Summer Sundays. “On alternating Sundays, we’ll broadcast experiences on our social media channels, including cooking demonstrations and competitions, music, dance and theater performances, and conversations about wine with our own Master of Wine, Mark de Vere. “For each event in the series, we’ve designated a featured wine, and created unique packages designed to bring the winery experience to your door. We encourage you to purchase these wines and packages in advance, and sip along with Liam as you enjoy the performances, demonstrations and conversations via our YouTube account and the hashtag #RMWSummerSundays.” So the complete deal with this virtual wine tasting/music/dance/theater/cooking exhibitions “evening” is that the Robert Mondavi Winery puts together a “concert kit” that includes a selection of wines with a theme, along with some other culinary items such as cheese, crackers, mustard, artisan

tapenades, etc., that go to accommodate a casual tasting party. I recently received the “Carneros Package” to accompany my virtual experience of watching live the musical group, The Head and The Heart. The concert was fun and entertaining, and the wine was first class. The suggested language of my Carneros Package stated: “The cool breezes and morning fog of the Carneros wine region in the southernmost part of Napa County provide the perfect growing conditions for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes. We’ve paired three bottles of our favorites with two delicious local tapenades and artisan flatbread. “ The three wines included in my concert kit were excellent choices—two of which were new to my Mondavi wine experience: 2015 PNX Pinot Noir Carneros, 2016 Unoaked Spotlight Collection Chardonnay Napa Valley, and the 2018 Pinot Noir Carneros. These were very impressive curated wines for the occasion. The 2016 Unoaked Spotlight Collection Chardonnay Napa Valley ($34.) I had completely forgot that the R.M.Winery had an unoaked Chard in its portfolio. It’s a treat for sure at its price, but it fits right in with

our valley’s savvy wine community. Here we have Asian pear and apple notes flirting with bright classic un-oaked Chardonnay profile… perfect for a breezy Sunday afternoon. We all said, “Yeah—you can tell it’s a Mondavi wine.” I’ve always enjoyed the Mondavi Carneros Pinot Noir. When I’m traveling (remember those times?), and I get over to the local store, if I see a R.M. Mondavi Carneros pinot on the shelf, I’m going to grab it because I know its quality. This 2018 Mondavi Carneros Pinot Noir shows wild dark cherry and a ripe red plum aroma; it’s lush and complex with hints of cocoa and dried herb and finishes with a touch of pink peppercorn spice to round out fruit. The 2015 PNX Pinot Noir Carneros ($55) was, of course, the star of the “evening”. This is world-class wine; simply show this bottle at any of our valley’s exquisite restaurants around town (obviously next year!) and the sommelier on duty will happily escort you to the table and will enjoy a nice sample taste along with you. This Pinot Noir provides evocative aromas and flavors of deep blackberry, black cherry, wild violets, sweet spices of white pepper, cinnamon, dark chocolate that weave seamlessly together. Please go online to robertmondaviwinery. com/summer-sundays-wines to check out the various other “summer wine” packages that include titles such as “Napa Classic”, “Rosé All Day”, and “Fabulous Fumé”, among other wine and accoutrement packages. Cheers! Take note: the next virtual tasting and concert will take place on Sunday, August 30th, where world musician and humanitarian Michael Franti will be having a concert virtually from Bali, and conversation; followed by the stellar Alonzo King LINES Ballet Performance on Sunday, September 13th. Rick is your somm-about-town. Contact him at winespectrum@aol.com.

August 27 to September 2, 2020

BREWTALITY

rugstores always seem to sell the most random plethora of sundries. Walgreens will sell you atomic beam, LED light, solar powered tiki torches to go with your Claritin. At Rite-Aid, you can purchase Tylenol PM one isle over from the hemp and copper infused, back support belts; the ones with the big “as seen on TV” stickers on them. CVS is one a one-stopshop for when you need both Plan B and hot pink, leopard print jeggings. Pharmacies have almost everything you need; you can pick up your Valtrex, rechargeable MP3 audio Bibles, and a three-pack of Genie Bra without having to make multiple stops. The only thing you can’t seem to find at corner store in 2020 is decent craft beer. It’s been 11 years since Beer Wars, a 2009 documentary film highlighting the differences between large corporate breweries like Anheuser-Busch, and the smaller independent breweries that competed against them. Viewers were introduced to figures like Sam Calagione of Milton, Delaware’s Dogfish Head, and Greg Koch of San Diego, California’s Stone; two men who’s attitudes and ethics bookended a movement of artisan brewers fighting for shelf space against a sea of tepid lagers. It’s been 11 years since Beer Wars, and today’s independent brewers are now fighting for shelf space against corporate owned and specifically monopolized IPAs that taste just like theirs. Sam Calagione

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

THIS IS WHY I STILL CAN’T GET A DECENT F*CKING BEER AT WALGREENS

and Greg Koch may no longer be the little guys-they’ve managed to even turn a whole slew of preening craft beer partisans against them - but their products are still nowhere to be found near Walmart, Walgreens, or any national retail chain. Make no mistakes about it, I still can’t get a decent fucking craft beer at CVS because the beer wars never ended, they’ve just been subverted.

The lone, single IPA at my local Walmart is Elysian Brewing’s Spacedust. It sits next to the imports like Peroni, Guinness and Stella, because those quartet of beers make up the entire section of beer cooler that isn’t Budweiser, Miller, or Coors. The aforementioned Natural Light and Smirnoff seltzers are given more room to breath than the entire craft and non-domestic section. The only reason that Space Dust is there in the first place is that it’s an Anheuser-Buschand-friends owned beer. Yes folks, once massive conglomerate breweries started seeing declining sales due to the public’s growing thirst for IPAs, they pulled out one of the oldest tricks in the Art of War, and eliminated their rivals by buying them. Like the wolf of main street, AB InBev managed to take out a bulk of competition in the 2010’s through mergers and acquisitions. They purchased Elysian, Golden Road, and Goose island breweries outright. Through boardroom barbarianism they sacked Stella Artois. Through hostile takeovers they conquered Peroni, Grolsch, and Pilsner Urquell. AB InBev didn’t become the biggest beverage manufacturer through having scruples and espousing ethics. They did it through symbolically raping and pillaging a landscape that they already lorded over, absorbing smaller entities like a pilsner soaked roman empire. Beer Wars focused on Ab InBev’s controversies, shedding light on a global goliath intent on keeping the little David’s from gathering stones. In the decade since the documentary debuted, the conglomerate of suds continued to play fast and loose with the rules, doing whatever it took to stay on top. In October 2015, the company was investigated by the US Justice dept for buying out beer distributors and preventing them from selling the beer of its competitors. In September 2016, it was reported that Ab InBev had paid $6 million in fines for violations of bribery

BY AARON RAMSON laws, and for silencing a whistleblower. In May 2017, the company was criticized for reportedly engaging in anti-competitive practices by purchasing entire supplies of hops in order to make those hops unavailable to any US craft brewers. Similar anti-competition claims were made when Ab InBev purchased Northern Brewer, the biggest homebrew-supply chain in the US. The following month, Ab InBev purchased the beer rating website, RateBeer rightfully leading to conflict of interest concerns. It isn’t just Ab InBev that’s in an arms race to disarm upstart independents. Heineken purchased the Lagunitas brewing company, killing its status as an independent craft company. Constellation did the same with Ballast Point, both corporations effectively ending the independence of two of California’s leading artisan beer makers. The next time you’re at a national retailer, be it a pharmacy or a big box store, notice what craft brands are available, if any. It’ll most likely be from a company owned by an global conglomerate, who has the deep pockets and unfair playbook to make sure smaller companies aren’t competing for that same space. I’m not imploring you to buy local, or to support small independent breweries. That choice is yours to make, and I know sentiment only goes so far when your bank account is always low. But understand that the choice you see in the refrigerator section is just an illusion, and the craft beers they offer aren’t independently made. The beer wars, documented so thoroughly over a decade ago, are still being waged. Both sides have graduated to guerilla warfare, and only time will show who wins the next skirmish.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 27 to September 2, 2020

SCREENERS

hanks to our diligent friends at the Digital Entertainment Group, we can get a sense of what our fellow movie buffs have been viewing. Here are the top 20 movies screened and streamed during the previous week of August. 1. The Tax Collector (RLJ Entertainment 2. Trolls World Tour (DreamWorks/ Universal) 3-5. Yellowstone: S1, 2 & 3 (Paramount) 6. Homefront (2013, Open Road Films) 7. Made in Italy (IFC Films) 8. The Outpost (Screen Media Films) 9. The Rental (IFC Films) 10. You Should Have Left (Universal) 11. The King of Staten Island (Universal) 12. Deep Blue Sea 3 (WB) 13. Sonic the Hedgehog (Paramount) 14. Jumanji: The Next Level (Sony) 15. Scoob! (WB) 16. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (Universal) 17. The Invisible Man (Universal, 2020) 18. Harry Potter (WB, Complete 8-film Coll.) 19. Jurassic World (Universal) 20. 1917 (Universal) How many have you seen? Are there recent films you want to see? Is there a movie you are eager to see? I want to hear from you. Most theater chains have plans to reopen sometime in the near future. It is not clear exactly how social distancing and other precautions will be enacted or enforced (!). Speaking with a journalist for Variety this week, I got the impression, which I share, that moviegoers are still VERY reluctant about attending movies in enclosed venues. That said, it has become apparent that old-fashioned drive-ins are experiencing an enthusiastic rebirth. Big budget movies like Mulan and Tenet, will no doubt find a home on a streaming platform. The big question remains, will viewers fork over $30 for the privilege? Of course we will. Movies matter – especially in these apocalyptic times. Without a shared narrative, we diminish our collective identity and we are lesser for it. In the meantime, consider these titles that are new on Blu-ray and worth a look.

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

No. 436

WHATCHA WATCHIN’?

ONE NIGHT IN BANGKOK Starring legendary martial arts actor and “TV personality” Mark Dacascos and from action filmmaker Wych Kaosayananda coms this intense action-packed hit man thriller about an assassin who hires a cab driver to unknowingly escort him to each of his targets. A hit man named Kai flies to Bangkok, gets a gun and orders a cab. He offers professional female driver big bucks to be his all-night driver. But when she realizes Kai is committing brutal murders at each stop, it’s too late to walk away. This tight noirish thriller is an homage to Collateral with a truly shocking twist. Lionsgate. THE BURNT ORANGE HERESY Charming and ambitious and depressed art critic, James Figueras (Claes Bang), has fallen from grace. He spends his days in Milan lecturing witless tourists about art history. His only glimmer of hope for a meaningful future is in a new-found love interest, the enigmatic American Berenice Hollis (Elizabeth Debicki). An unexpected opportunity strikes when he is contacted by the wealthy art dealer Joseph Cassidy (a terrific Mick Jagger) who summons

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

James to his villa on Lake Como and asks him to steal a painting from the legendary reclusive artist, Jerome Debney (Donald Sutherland) who happens to live in isolation on Cassidy’s property. It’s not long at all before James’ greed and ambition get the better of him, and he finds himself caught in a deadly web of his own making. The movie, smartly adapted by Scott B. Smith.is based on the popular crime story book James Willeford Bonus material includes a fascinating, in-depth commentary with director Giuseppe Capotondi who explores the film’s production, location and themes. If you missed this film at the previous Palm Springs International Film Festival, it was sold out, now’s your chance to catch it at Irvine Drive-in, on demand or by purchasing the physical hi-def disc. Roadside Attractions. Recommended. H.P. LOVECRAFT’S COLOR OUT OF SPACE H.P. Lovecraft is an acquired taste. Saying this might be the best film adaptation of his unsettling, tentacle laden tales may be faint praise for the

uninitiated, but it’s a place to start. But Cage delivers. When a meteorite lands in the front yard of farmer, Nathan Gardner (Nicolas Cage) and his family finds themselves battling a mutant extraterrestrial organism as it infects their minds and bodies, transforming their quiet rural life into a technicolor hallucinogenic nightmare in this over-the-top scare-fest that gives Cage a perfect stage on which to go bonkers. And that one of the main reasons to sample this unhinged treat from director Richard Stanley. RLJE Films THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON It’s hard not to think of Mark Twain while enjoying this beautifully crafted heartfelt adventure that follows Zak (Zack Gottsagen), a young man with Down syndrome, who runs away from a residential nursing home in order to follow his dream of enroll in the professional wrestling school of his idol, “The Salt Water Redneck “ (Thomas Haden Church). An unlikely turn of events pairs him on the road with Tyler (Shia LaBeouf), a small time outlaw on the run, who becomes Zak's unlikely coach and ally. Together they wind through deltas, elude capture, drink whisky, find God, catch fish, and convince Eleanor (Dakota Johnson), a kind nursing home employee charged with Zak's return, to join them on their journey. This wonderful film is worth finding and seeing more than once. Its an affirmation of our humanity and a reminder of the power of love and compassion in this vexing time of hate and violence. See it. It’s why movies matter. Lionsgate. robin@coachellavalleyweekly.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

HADDON LIBBY

AMEND AND PRETEND

ith every day that the pandemic continues, more and more businesses fail. According to BankruptcyData.com, Chapter 11 bankruptcies are up 52% through July as compared with last year. For those remembering the Great Recession of 2009, there were 38 bankruptcies amongst companies with assets of more than $1 billion. Through the first seven months of 2020, 46 companies of that size have failed. Another 157 companies with assets of more than $50 million have declared bankruptcy. Most experts believe that we are in the early innings of the economic fallout from the pandemic. “As expected, we continue to see significant year-over-year growth in Chapter 11 commercial bankruptcy filings,” said Deirdre O’Connor, managing director of corporate restructuring at Epiq. O’Connor sees companies in transportation, energy and transportation as those most at risk. Regulators in the United States and around the world have helped reduce the number of bankruptcies by allowing lenders to ‘amend and pretend’. In the past, banking regulators would deem a loan a problem credit with missed payments and require the banks to set-aside funds for anticipated losses on these loans. Regulations in the past essentially made a bad situation worse by forcing banks to liquidate companies at the worst possible time. In changing regulations and allowing banks to rewrite the loans and keep businesses going, banking regulators are adjusting to these extraordinary times in logical ways. This buys the business, bank and regulators time in hopes of a solution that does not lead to the demise of countless businesses. While the day of reckoning has been delayed for

the companies utilizing these extraordinary measures, reducing payments only delays the inevitable for many businesses in the eye of the economic storm. Some of the most damaged industries have been in transportation. In the United States, more than $58 billion in government loans have been extended to the airlines industry to date with additional funds needed to stave off massive layoffs and failures in this business. Some of the more notable bankruptcies to date have been Aviance, the largest airline in Latin American, and Virgin Atlantic. Virgin Atlantic is 49% owned by Delta Airlines. Anyone who drove near the Palm Springs Airport in March or April knows why Hertz sought bankruptcy protection. With fewer people on the road, demand for oil and gas has fallen just when global production kept markets flush with crude. More than thirty oil and gas companies have filed this year with some of the more notable

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

names including Chesapeake Energy, Diamond Offshore Drilling and Ultra Petroleum. Here in California, the California Resource Company, a 2014 spin-off of Occidental Petroleum and holder of 2 million acres of oil and gas, filed for protection. As we all know, the restaurant industry has been savaged. The list of bankruptcies is long and includes well-known chains like California Pizza Kitchen, Souplantation, Sweet Tomato’s, Ruby Tuesday, Red Lobster and Chuck E. Cheese. The owner of 1,200 Pizza Hut and 400 Wendy’s locations has filed with 75% of these locations expected to close. Retail has also been savaged. Clothiers like Brook Brothers, Men’s Wearhouse and Jos. A Bank have filed. Brands like True Religion, J. Crew, Lucky Brand, New York & Co., Ann Taylor, Lane Bryant and Justice are all in the bankruptcy process. Department stores which were already struggling have seen Neiman Marcus, JC Penney, Lord & Taylor and Stein

Mart begin their liquidation process. Specialty stores like Pier 1 Imports, Sur La Table and Tuesday Morning have seen the same fate. With people unable to go to the gym, 24 Hour Fitness and Gold’s Gym are in bankruptcy protection along with General Nutrition Center (GNC). In addition to these businesses, real estate investors in commercial as well as residential rentals have seen their cash flows crumble as people stay away from business centers while millions of Americans are delinquent on rent payments. For all of the carnage amongst these wellknown brands, our favorite local businesses seem to close every day. Yelp, the online reviewer, reports that 80,000 businesses were permanently closed on their platform between March 1st and July 25th with few tied to a bankruptcy filing. Due to the government relief and stimulus sent to Americans over the spring and summer, non-commercial Chapter 13 bankruptcies are down 38% in 2020 to 99,136 reports Epiq. Similarly, Chapter 7 non-commercial filings were off 21% through July. The pandemic drags on and Congress remains in deadlock over additional relief, expect an increase in non-commercial filings. All the while, stock markets reach all-time highs. Haddon Libby is the Founder and Managing Partner of Winslow Drake Investment Management. For more information, please visit www.WinslowDrake.com.

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

LAW IS AN INFORMATION GATHERING GAME

arlier in the year I stated in this column, that law is an Information Gathering Game. We all know it is not a game though insurance company's take that approach. I am often asked Why is that true for an auto accident? "In my radio show, "Accidentally Yours", I often informed my listeners to write down all the facts of how the accident happened. I tell them to list what was hurting them from the top of their head to the bottom of their toes. A lawyer needs this information, and your memory is better shortly after the accident than it is 6 months or several years later. I tell my clients to use their cell phone to take pictures of the damage to the cars, injuries, the other driver's license and insurance card etc. In addition, a driver should get statements from the wits and get the other drivers statement. If injured, drivers should go to the ER or Urgent Care for a checkup asap. Travel by ambulance is better than driving to the hospital, as it validates the seriousness of the injury and provides the information your lawyer will later need to get you a fair

August 27 to September 2, 2020

settlement. Many victims do not want to spend money on the hospital, ER or an ambulance. They do not realize they will get it back in the settlement. The victim that talks to the defense lawyer or adjuster puts his lawyer at a disadvantage as it provides INFORMATION to the defense. A client does not always remember what they told the adjuster and it is not just what the victim said, but what the adjuster/attorney THOUGHT he heard them say." Victims should all take down their social media. Checking Social Media is the latest trick used by the defense in both Accidents and DUI cases. The other side will Google the victim in an auto crash and check your Facebook to gather information on you. They may also contact your Facebook friends to get negative information about you. For instance IF you post you were just in an accident and thus were 1 hour late for golf or tennis it arguably suggests you were not hurt that badly. If you blog/post about going dancing, to the beach or on a ski vacation while you are still seeing a doctor this might

suggest you were ok and thus faking your injuries.....or so the defense would argue. We all know one can be injured and still play tennis or golf, but with some pain." Some clients wait a week to see their family doctor who tells them "go home and soak in a hot bath and come back in a month or two." The next month the doctor says the same thing and they returned 2 months thereafter. After 3 visits, over 6 months, they were discharged with a bill of $600 and the insurance company offers them $1000. They then want to know why their case wasn't worth a lot more since they were in pain for 6 months and they are still hurting? The bottom line is that "If you don't see a doctor on a regular basis, the delay may decrease the value of future treatment. The value of the case is lowered substantially, and the case may not be financially worthwhile for an attorney. In other words, the insurance company will argue if you were really injured you would have found a way to get medical care. Ideally you should see a doctor you have never seen before so there are no skeletons in your closet when this doctor prepares a medical report. In addition you need to treat

with a doctor that knows how to write a medical/legal reports. If you delay treatment, the insurance company will argue the treatment may not have been from this accident and ask how do we know the treatment is from this accident. The insurance company thinks all claims are false. They ponder whether you slipped and fell while running around the pool or fell in your shower and then you thought, "I will say it is from the recent accident." Suggestion for future article? 760-8377500 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"

August 27 to September 2, 2020

SAFETY TIPS

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

HAVE A DRINK ON ME!

t’s hot outside, so make sure you stay hydrated. Give the yard a break, but don’t cut back on yourself. Dehydration occurs when your body does not have as much water and fluids as it should. Dehydration can be mild, moderate, or severe, based on how much of your body's fluid is lost or not replaced. Severe dehydration is a lifethreatening emergency! Don’t wait until you’re thirsty until you drink water. Stay one step ahead of the thirst and drink water throughout the day. Don’t rely exclusively on thirst to tell you when you need to grab something to drink. Sometimes thirst is not a reliable gauge, especially when you’re

exercising, on a working incident, training or if you’re taking medications or have a health condition. Keep a water within reach — at all times. Do you take regularly rehab breaks during an incident? Make sure you do! Keep water at moderate temperatures. You drink more fluid when it’s just the right temperature, not too hot and not too cold. Beware of certain energy drinks. Popular energy drinks are very different from sports drinks. They are full of caffeine and sugar, and can be dehydrating instead of thirst-quenching. And don’t forget the pets. Keep cool, stay safe and hydrated!

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF AUGUST 27

ARIES (March 21-April 19): Aries author Kareem Abdul-Jabbar writes, “Some stuff can be fixed, some stuff can’t be. Deciding which is which is part of maturing.” I offer this meditation as your assignment in the coming weeks, Aries. You are in a phase when you’ll be wise to make various corrections and adjustments. But you should keep in mind that you don’t have unlimited time and energy to do so. And that’s OK, because some glitches can’t be repaired and others aren’t fully worthy of your passionate intensity. You really should choose to focus on the few specific acts of mending and healing that will serve you best in the long run. TAURUS (April 20-May 20): “There are all kinds of love in the world, but never the same love twice,” wrote author F. Scott Fitzgerald. This is true even between the same two people in an intimate alliance with each other. The love that you and your spouse or friend or close relative or collaborator exchanged a month ago isn’t the same as it is now. It can’t be identical, because then it wouldn’t be vibrant, robust love, which needs to ceaselessly transform in order to be vibrant and robust. This is always true, of course, but will be an especially potent meditation for you during the next four weeks. GEMINI (May 21-June 20): As a professional writer, novelist Thomas Wolfe trained himself to have keen perceptions that enabled him to penetrate below surface appearances. And yet he wrote, “I have to see a thing a thousand times before I see it once.” In other words, it was hard even for him, a highly trained observer, to get a deep and accurate read of what was going on. It required a long time and many attempts—and rarely occurred for him on the first look. Even if you’re not a writer, Gemini, I recommend his approach for you in the coming weeks. You will attune yourself to current cosmic rhythms—and thus be more likely to receive their full help and blessings—if you deepen and refine the way you use your senses. CANCER (June 21-July 22): It’s sometimes tempting for you to seek stability and safety by remaining just the way you are. When life pushes you to jump in and enjoy its wild ride, you may imagine it’s wise to refrain—to retreat to your sanctuary and cultivate the strength that comes from being staunch and steadfast and solid. Sometimes that approach does indeed work for you. I’m not implying it’s wrong or bad. But in the coming weeks, I think your strategy should be different. The advice I’ll offer you comes from Cancerian author and aviator Anne Morrow Lindbergh: “Only in growth, reform, and change, paradoxically enough, is true security to be found.” LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): “To be successful, the first thing to do is fall in love with your work,” says author Sister Mary Lauretta. Have you been making progress in accomplishing that goal, Leo? According to my astrological analysis, fate has been offering and will continue to offer you the chance to either find work that you’ll love better than the work you’re doing, or else discover how to feel more love and excitement for your existing work. Why not intensify your efforts to cooperate with fate? VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): “Self-love is also remembering to let others love you. Come out of hiding.” Poet Irisa Yardenah wrote that advice, and now I’m passing it on to you, just in time for a phase when you will benefit from it most. I mean, it’s always good counsel for you to Virgos to heed. But it will be especially crucial in the coming weeks, when you’ll have extra potential to bloom in response to love. And one of the best ways to ensure this extra potential is fulfilled is to make yourself thoroughly available to be appreciated, understood, and cared for. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): Libran poet Wallace Stevens wrote that if you want to be original, you must “have the courage to be an amateur.” I agree! And that’s an important theme for you right now, since you’re entering a phase when your original ideas will be crucial to your growth. So listen up, Libra: If you want to stimulate your creatively to the max, adopt the fresh-eyed attitude of a rookie or a novice.

Forget what you think you know about everything. Make yourself as innocently curious and eager as possible. Your imaginative insights and innovations will flow in abundance to the degree that you free yourself from the obligation to be serious and sober and professional. And keep in mind that Stevens said you need courage to act this way. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “As idiotic as optimism can sometimes seem, it has a weird habit of paying off,” writes author Michael Lewis. According to my analysis, the coming weeks will provide you with ample evidence that proves his hypothesis— on one condition, that is: You will have to cultivate and express a thoughtful kind of optimism. Is that possible? Do you have the audacity to maintain intelligent buoyancy and discerning positivity, even in the face of those who might try to gaslight you into feeling stupid for being buoyant and positive? I think you do. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): Author Rebecca Solnit writes, “The things we want are transformative, and we don’t know or only think we know what is on the other side of that transformation.” Her statement is especially apropos for you right now. The experiences you’re yearning for will indeed change you significantly if you get them—even though those changes will be different from what your conscious mind thinks they’ll be. But don’t worry. Your higher self—the eternal part of you that knows just what you need—is fully aware of the beneficial transformations that will come your way when you get what you yearn for. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): At age 22, future pioneer of science Isaac Newton got his college degree just as the Great Plague peaked in 1665. As a safety precaution, he proceeded to quarantine himself for many months. During that time of being sealed away, he made spectacular discoveries about optics, gravity, and calculus—in dramatic contrast to his years as a student, when his work had been relatively undistinguished. I’m not predicting that your experience of the 2020 pandemic will prove to be as fruitful as those of your fellow Capricorn, Isaac Newton. But of all the signs in the zodiac, I do think your output could be most Newton-like. And the coming weeks will be a good time for you to redouble your efforts to generate redemption amidst the chaos. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): The rapper named Viper has released over 1,000 albums. In 2014 alone, he created 347. His most popular work is You’ll Cowards Don’t Even Smoke Crack, which has received over three million views on Youtube. According to The Chicago Reader, one of Viper’s most appealing features is his “blatant disregard for grammar.” I should also mention that he regards himself as the second Christ, and uses the nickname “Black Jesus.” So what does any of this have to do with you? Well, I’m recommending that you be as prolific, in your own field, as he is in his. I’m also inviting you to experiment with having a fun-loving disregard for grammar and other non-critical rules. And I would love to see you temporarily adopt some of his overthe-top braggadocio. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): “If you don’t ask the right question, every answer seems wrong,” says singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. I suspect you may have experienced a version of that predicament in recent weeks, Pisces. That’s the bad news. The good news is that I expect you will finally formulate the right questions very soon. They will most likely be quite different from the wrong and irrelevant questions you’ve been posing. In fact, the best way to find the revelatory questions will be to renounce and dismiss all the questions you have been asking up until now. Homework: What could you actually change about your life that would give you a great sense of accomplishment? FreeWillAstrology.com ---------------------------------------Rob Brezsny - Free Will Astrology freewillastrology@freewillastrology.com

CANNABIS CORNER

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 27 to September 2, 2020

BY RUTH HILL R.N.

PRINT MEDIA CONTINUES TO BESMIRCH THE MOVEMENT TO DECLASSIFY MARIJUANA

here is a raft of bills in the House of Representatives to declassify Marijuana (Cannabis). Currently forty-two states have legalized some form of cannabis use. So what is preventing the Senate from following up on these issues? It is hard to enlist support for these bills when newspapers, TV commentators all besmirch this miraculous plant. Alex Berenson, a liberal journalist formally working for the NYT, enumerated all the negative things about cannabis in his book titled: Tell Your Children: The Truth About Marijuana, Mental Illness, and Violence. No one is dying of an overdose of cannabis like they are dying of opiate or alcohol poisoning. School age children are not getting their brains fried. Illegal growers are popping up because when states legalize cannabis the taxes are close to 40% of the sale price. Legal dispensaries do not want illegal growers. It cuts into their profits. Charlotte Cuthbertson reports in The Epoch Times, a weekly conservative newspaper, the demand for recreational products high in THC contrasts with medical cannabis users who use cannabis for symptom relief. There is no difference between the two. Often high doses are required for seizures or treatment for cancers. Cuthbertson quotes the Surgeon General Jerome Adams as saying, “the potency of

cannabis today is the difference between having a light beer in 1995 and drinking a pint of vodka today”. I ingest a high potency cannabis at bedtime to relieve chronic insomnia and it is in no way the same as drinking a pint of vodka. Where do they come up with this nonsense. Journalists like to blame overdoses as the reason children under 18 have a 72 percent increase in admissions to the ER. There are no facts to support this outrageous belief. There is no information in the article examining if the children were drinking alcohol, taking cannabis not from a licensed dispensary or what other conditions the children have. It is a known scientific fact that cannabis potentiates opiates, alcohol, and other pharmaceuticals. Access to tested, safe, controlled cannabis is not available in many towns due to the disparate county and city jurisdictions that

prohibit selling or distributing cannabis. Children under eighteen are then forced to purchase cannabis from smoke shops or gas stations where synthetic cannabinoids (K2/ spice) is legally sold. The CDC states on their website that, “synthetic cannabinoids are part of a group of drugs called new psychoactive substances (NPS). NPS are unregulated mind-altering substances that have become newly available on the market and are intended to produce the same effects as illegal drugs”. They are popular because children under 18 are more likely to be educated in our schools on safe sex but mentioning safe use of cannabis is taboo. Medicinal users grow more than the legal limit of twelve cannabis plants in their homes because the state has legalized growing, but the cities and counties forbid it. Adams mistakenly believes policy is moving faster

than science. The use of herbs including cannabis has been around for 5000 years. The scientific research has been going on since the 1940’s. Cuthbertson informs us the secretary of transportation is charged with identifying reliable methods for detecting cannabisimpaired driving. Unfortunately since cannabis research is illegal in the US, who will come up with this scientific method. Maybe Spain Germany the UK or Israel will do the research. It is frustrating to see in the print media unfounded myths and misinterpretation of research on the use of cannabis for both recreational and medicinal use. How do we get more support to move the needle on declassification in the next congressional congress. We need a more focused attack. Let us enter the din of the enemy. How do we expose the research the NIH already has. How do we expose the millions of dollars the NIH has given to Israel to research the medicinal use of cannabis. How do we convince Republicans and the President of the hypocrisy of the current policy. We need to stop preaching to the choir if we want change. What do you think we should do? Email Ruth Hill at info@ruthahillrn.com with your comments.

August 27 to September 2, 2020

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

August 27 to September 2, 2020

Coachella Valley Weekly - August 27 to September 2, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 24

Articles inside

Cannabis Corner

Screeners

Travel Tips & Local Happening 4 U

Brewtality

Back To School - Distance Learning

3 rd Annual Idyllwild Strong Benefit

Pet Place - Lisa & Teddy

The Vino Voice

Consider This - The Motion

Breaking The 4 th Wall - Rita Gonzales