Coachella Valley Weekly - November 26 to December 2, 2020 Vol. 9 No. 37

coachellavalleyweekly.com • November 26 to December 2, 2020 Vol.9 No.37

Fashion Street Fair & 3D Mural

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Desert Wine Shop on 111

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Larissa Fasthorse’s Thanksgiving Play

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Popcorn Falls

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November 26 to December 2, 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 Mark's Place - The Sitcom .................... 3 Fashion Street Fair & 3D Mural ........... 5 Travel Tips 4 U - Desert Wine Shop ..... 5 Breaking The 4th Wall - Larissa Fasthorse's "Thanksgiving Play" ..... 6 Theatre - Popcorn Falls ........................ 6 Consider This - Bye Bye Blackbirds..... 9 The Vino Voice ................................... 10

November 26 to November 2, 2020

MARK’S PLACE REACHES MID-SEASON EPISODE WITH ACTION AND LAUGHS

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ark’s Place is a local sitcom that remains a love letter to the desert while infusing some Chicago-based sensibilities to the script.

Now in production of the sixth episode in the series, the cast of Mark’s Place consists of local talent and a dedicated production team.

The show is directed, produced, and written by Sonny Vellozzi—a veteran of the entertainment industry for over 20 years.

The plot follows an Italian mobster named Joey D. Alfonso (played by Marcus Lantero) from Chicago who relocates with the help of The Witness Protection Program to Palm Springs with his wife and kids. Now going by the name Mark Murphy, Mark opens up an Irish pub and is expected to not draw too much attention to himself. However, he continues to find himself in crazy situations with a colorful cast of characters.

“Every day on set brings something special. All of the characters come with their own persona and it’s a great crew. Us actors don’t do anything without the crew, so we owe it to them to put on a good performance. I love being part of the show and the atmosphere of it is something I enjoy every part of,” said Lantero.

Showrunner Sonny Vellozzi is doing his part to pay homage to the Coachella Valley by including Palm Springs-based actors and desert locations in Mark’s Place. He even takes suggestions from others about which areas to feature in future episodes. It normally takes about three days to shoot an episode, with another half-day sometimes needed for pick-up shots.

“I like to keep things fresh with new

locations and trying to imagine what kinds of situations the characters would encounter there. My job as a director has remained consistent throughout production, but my role as a writer is always changing and evolving. We are releasing the first season episode by episode, so I really take my time with writing the scripts,” said Vellozzi.

The script-writing process is not something that is planned ahead and Vellozzi does not strive to finish a certain number of pages per day, choosing instead to make the process more naturally progressing once inspiration strikes him.

“Once I get going on a script, I could easily write 16 pages in one sitting. All of these characters are in my head and I know what they would say or do. It comes pretty easy now, but at the beginning of the show, it was harder because I was just working with a template. But after each episode, it gets easier to write once you know the characters more,” said Vellozzi.

Now equipped with a larger budget than at the beginning of the series, Vellozzi is set on expanding the show as much as possible, including the addition of more seasoned actors from around the world.

Joseph D’Onofrio, known for acting credits in Goodfellas (1990) and A Bronx Tale (1993), is featured in Mark’s Place.

“My character is a private eye that dresses up in different disguises. I was Santa Claus the other day, I’m an Arab Sheik in the upcoming episode. The wardrobe people and everyone involved in this show are excellent. I love playing this character because he’s smart in a quirky way,“ stated D’Onofrio. He also

BY CRYSTAL HARRELL

teases that there is more action coming up in episode of six of Mark’s Place.

Filming a sitcom during the COVID-19 pandemic has proven to be possible with the right safety measures taken. Jennifer Rae Berry acts as the Production Manager and the COVID-19 Compliance Officer on the set of Mark’s Place. Berry’s duties as the COVID-19 Compliance Officer include making sure the crew and cast are following the health safety guidelines not only for the city of Palm Springs, but Riverside County as well. She makes sure that everyone on set has their temperatures checked once they arrive and that they fill out a COVID screening questionnaire, asking if they are experiencing symptoms or have recently been tested.

“We are taking every precautionary measure to ensure that everyone is safe. I make sure that everyone is organized and checked in when we begin shooting. But before we do anything, I take care of the COVID procedural guidelines first. Safety comes before pay roll,” explained Berry, who has been part of the entertainment industry for almost a decade in projects locally and in the L.A. area.

The cast and crew of Mark’s Place are continuously grateful for the praise and encouragement they have received from viewers. Vellozzi is proud to know that even though the sitcom has garnered a following on the east coast, a vast majority of Mark’s Place fans are from the desert.

“I want to thank our fans from the Coachella Valley. We have a large fan base here and we really appreciate their support,” stated Vellozzi.

All episodes of Mark’s Place can be found on Amazon Prime Video.

Safety Tips ............................................ 9 Pet Place ....................................... 12-13 Screeners ............................................ 14 Haddon Libby..................................... 15 Dale Gribow........................................ 15 Swag For The Soul .............................. 16 Free Will Astrology ............................ 16

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

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FASHION STREET FAIR & 3D MURAL UNVEILING NOVEMBER 27, 28, 29 – 9 AM TO 4 PM DAILY

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ASHION STREET FAIR: The Shops On San Pablo, anchored by Venus Fashion Boutique, had anticipated opening with the ribbon cutting celebration of the beautiful, “San Pablo Corridor Improvements,” part of the City’s, “Vision San Pablo.” Unfortunately, following the year-long road demolition and construction that decreased store front traffic by 40-50%, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the ceremony, and created further challenges for this block of primarily family owned businesses. Never the less, this tenacious business community has dug in deep, eager to realize the vison of becoming the “city center,” ultimately hosting public events such as farmers’ markets and concerts, and potentially becoming the new home of the annual Golf Cart Parade. It is in that spirit, that The Shops On San Pablo has organized an open-air fashion street fair over the

TRAVEL TIPS4U

Comic Book Store, TriaBike Bike Store, Zen Aquatics – The Art of Aquarium Design, Exotic Birds Unlimited, and Desert Fox Bar provide the perfect all-on-one-street, safe, family outing and shopping experience.

3D ANGEL WINGS UNVEILING, HONORING BB INGLE: Friday, November 27th at 4 pm, The Shops on San Pablo will unveil a 3D mural of angel wings by commissioned artist, Matthew Robles. The unveiling will be dedicated in honor of the late local personality and event promoter, BB Ingle who succumbed to cancer last month.

There will be a moment of remembrance at the installation’s unveiling. The Angel Wings are designed for families, couples, and individuals

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EVENTS

to photograph themselves in front of yearround, because everyone who supports their local retailers, this holiday season especially, is an angel in the eyes of these business families.

About The Shops On San Pablo: The 5,500 square foot designer showroom seasonally features a delightful mix of merchandise.

Created with the concept of shared showroom space for multiple boutiques, The Shops On San Pablo provides an all-inclusive LA Mart shopping experience right here in the desert.

The Shops On San Pablo are located between Fred Waring and Highway 111. For more information, go to TheShopsOnSanPablo. com or give them a call at (760) 834-7001.

Thanksgiving holiday weekend, November 2729 from 9 am-4 pm daily. The event, supporting local fashion and beauty artisans, will provide the community a safe place to do their local holiday shopping while enjoying ideal weather conditions.

Several fashion vendors will be joining The Shops On San Pablo for the fair: Venus Fashion Boutique, Sharon Kochet Sales’ LA MART SAMPLE SALE, Sandra's Faux Fur and Doggie Designs, Leann Brightwell’s, “Santa's Workshop,” Gourmet Grater, The Cashmere Guy, Sabina Bach Designs, Yvonne DiMora Art and Jewelry, Maryse Nicole’s, “All about the Bling,” Total Body Transformation, Romance with Glass, and Art by Angela Bye, to name a few. These vendors, in addition to the yearround store fronts such as The Real Italian Deli, El Rodeo Café Mexican Restaurant, Mi Cultura Colombian Peruvian Cuisine, Comic Asylum

ARTICLE & PHOTOS BY LYNNE TUCKER

DESERT WINE SHOP ON 111

esert Wine Shop has been working hard to react to the ever-changing situation with regards to COVID-19 and can proudly offer you a number of different options to keep your fridges and cellars stocked during these strange times. In an ongoing effort to protect your health, they are cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting the shop and all touchable surfaces throughout the day.

Walking into a wine shop can be intimidating – so many bottles, so little time!

You need a top-notch wine shop to help you navigate the seemingly endless choices.

That’s where they come in! They are the desert’s ONLY independently owned and operated boutique wine shop.

November 26 to November 2, 2020

PALM DESERT, CA

Their focus is to select the very best wines for the price from around the world; from well-known brands to hidden gems. They will help you find exactly what you’re looking for.

They taste every wine that is on their shelf and can help you select the perfect wine for your pasta dinner, the wine to wow your clients, or that special occasion stunner.

They are pretty passionate about wine around here and always have an open bottle on hand to share that passion with you! They work hard to promote and support familyowned and operated wineries, alongside respected producers and up-and-coming young talent.

They are always thinking of ways to make life a little easier right now…One of the

simplest, yet most convenient services they provide is their Park and Serve pick-up.

You can browse their selection of domestic and imported wines from the comfort of your home – then just give them a call and let them know what they can pack up for you. They will process your payment securely over the phone and have your wine waiting for you when you pull up. Just pop your trunk and they will do the rest!

You can also ask them about their delivery options! They can provide delivery within a limited area and they are happy to help with special occasion wine deliveries if they can.

Minimums will apply. Give them a call to see what they can do for you. And remember, their door is open if you prefer to shop in person!

The Wine Warriors wine club offers a sommelier selected 6-pack of wine, four times a year. The selections will be a mix of reds, whites, and the occasional rose or sparkling. Along with these curated selections of dynamic wines you’ll receive detailed tasting notes and the occasional recipe or two! Plus, we’ll have member only pick-up parties where you’ll meet fellow wine lovers, taste what’s new in the store, and nibble on tasty appetizers.

The members will receive 10% off instore purchases (some exceptions apply) and priority for allocated wines. In addition, they host special private “Wine Discovery Nights”

for their members to get together and taste new wine releases here in the shop (please check when these events will be ok to attend) $140 per shipment or $500 for a year membership. For now they offer wine tasting on Friday nights via zoom hosted by the stores sommelier so it’s educational and fun.

You can join for free or pick up the w weekly selection at the store. Please visit them on Facebook DESERTWINESHOPON111 or their website www.desertwineshop .com for more information.

Hours: Mon-Fri 10A-6P Closed Sunday’s Think Wine and Enjoy Every Sip!

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

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PLAYWRIGHT LARISSA FASTHORSE

BY DEE JAE COX

A “THANKSGIVING PLAY” AND FINDING NEW PERSPECTIVES ON PAST AND PRESENT

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e have all heard the traditional Thanksgiving story. In 1621 the Pilgrams arrived at Plymouth Rock aboard the Mayflower. Sick and starving they managed to settle a colony and when their crops came in, they celebrated their joy and gratitude by hosting a great feast with their new friends, the Native Americans whose land they had just abruptly settled upon.

But in truth, it wasn’t until after writer Sarah Josepha Hale, (Author of the nursery rhyme, “Mary had a little lamb,”) advocated

for years to recognize Thanksgiving as a National holiday, that President Abraham Lincoln, finally took action on Hale’s advocacy. At the height of the Civil War, in 1863, Lincoln, in a proclamation entreating all Americans to ask God to “commend to his tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife” and to “heal the wounds of the nation.” He scheduled Thanksgiving for the final Thursday in November.

But in the retelling of this story and the White Man’s settling of America and celebration of thanks, one important aspect of the story seems to always be overlooked.

The English sailed to a new land and claimed properties that already belonged to the indigenous people.

Playwright Larissa Fasthorse, is a member of the Rosebud Sioux Tribe of the Lakota people. She grew up in South Dakota, but now lives in Santa Monica, Ca. Fasthorse, began her career as a ballet dancer and choreographer, but was forced into an early retirement after ten years of dancing due to an injury. Returning to an early interest in writing, she became involved in Native American Drama. As the recipient of multiple

BREAKING THE4TH WALL

awards and grants, she has put much of her work into stories about indigenous people.

Frequently getting pushback from theatres about the challenges of casting Native American characters, she decided to write a satirical comedy called “Thanksgiving Play.” She wanted to show how humor can fuel change by sparking productive dialogue around race and equity.

In this day of dark stages, I find myself reading more scripts, that is how "Thanksgiving Play" came into my field of vision. It is about four white adults struggling to devise a politically correct elementary school production of the first Thanksgiving for Native American Heritage Month. The director of the fictional play hires an actor she believes is a Native American to be their cultural compass. The cast defers to this

actor for her guidance, but it’s later revealed she’s a white actress who plays Native American characters.

The play challenges the myths surrounding Thanksgiving, and how celebrating the holiday erases and flattens indigenous experiences. “To acknowledge indigenous culture and history in this nation, we have to acknowledge complicity,” FastHorse says, “and that if you're here, you're on stolen land, however you got here.”

American history is often biased and slanted. Written by the winners as they say, stories of male bravery and conquest with few voices heard from women or people of color. In American theatre, just as in American history, the stories frequently are written from that same point of view. But with plays such as “Thanksgiving Play,” the stage has the opportunity to do what it does best, not just entertain, but provoke thought and insight. Fill the pages and the stages with a multitude of ethnicities and experiences.

Delve into history and learn the depth of the stories we think we know. Think outside the box.

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

THEATRE

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nthony Nannini, in partnership with Palm Canyon Theatre, present a One-Day Only Streaming Production Just like you, we’re anxiously awaiting live theatre. And, until that happens, two talented actors have come together to present more than 15 characters in a zany musical about two guys who believe theatre can save their town. That sounds about right, doesn’t it?

Before, after or during your Thanksgiving Day celebration, tune-in to a One-Day Only Streaming Production of Popcorn Falls, starring Anthony Nannini and Nicholas Sloan.

The sleepy town of Popcorn Falls is forced into bankruptcy when a neighboring town threatens to turn it into a sewage treatment plant. The hope of saving the town lies in the dreams of opening a live theatre there.

Writer James Hindman spins a world of farce, love and desperation, with musical compositions by Jeffrey Lodin, which proves that art can save the world!

Nannini has been on the Palm Canyon Theatre stage in many memorable roles including as Felicia in Priscilla Queen of the Desert, Nicky in Avenue Q, Will Parker in Oklahoma!, Rudolph in Hello Dolly! and countless others. He shares the stage with longtime confidant and PCT regular Nicholas Sloan, who has performed throughout Southern California for more than a decade.

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Beyond Sloan’s first performance in a wild west stunt show in 1999, he’s been seen as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at Performance Riverside, Enjolras in Les Misérables at The Palm Canyon Theatre, Sky in Mamma Mia at The Moonlight Amphitheatre, Riff in West Side Story at Riverside Repertory, and many others.

Nannini is well-known for his outrageous physical comedy, and with Sloan delivering deadpan quips, people are in for quite a treat – in fact, call this Thanksgiving Day Dessert! Running just over an hour without

intermission, audiences will be glued to their monitors as this dynamic duo make full use of the Palm Canyon Theatre stage, where the production was shot. The two actors go nonstop, jumping in and out of a variety of characters all while trying to take down the bad guys, fall in love, write a play, catch a hungry squirrel and save Popcorn Falls!

Tickets for this One-Day Only Streaming Production are only $15 and are available on Showtix4U.com, which is also the platform to view the taped production! The show will be available to view all day. So after the modified

parade, some football, and a full tummy, why not have a good laugh?!

Popcorn Falls is available for a 1-day Only Streaming Purchase of $15 for the 24hour period of Thursday, November 26, 2020. Purchase at: showtix4u.com/eventdetails/43328.

Presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals on behalf of Samuel French, Inc. For more information about Palm Canyon Theatre go to facebook.com/ ThePalmCanyonTheatre or www.

PalmCanyonTheatre.org.

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November 26 to November 2, 2020

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

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CONSIDER THIS

“It’s true, sometimes all our plans fall through, sometimes we play out of tune, nursing our drinks and our wounds” hat’s The Bye Bye Blackbirds waxing philosophical on “You Were All Light,” the opening track from their newest album, “Boxer At Rest.” The Bay Area six-piece, fronted by Bradley Skaught, has been around since the early aughts, having risen from the ashes of his previous band, Belle De Gama.

Originally from Tacoma, Washington, Bradley began taking drum lessons as a kid, inspired by his dad, a talented singer and guitarist. Initially, his tastes were shaped by his parents’ his parents’ music collection.

Consequently, original influences included singer-songwriters like Jim Croce, Gordon Lightfoot and John Denver. Soon enough he discovered the Beach Boys, along with British Invasion bands and the typical Top 40 hits.

By the time he was 13, he knew that playing and making music would always be a priority in his life. He had already performed live and had begun deconstructing Pop songs, trying to figure out what made them tick. His older sister sort of introduced him to ‘80s underground and Indie music. Pretty quickly he was soaking up the sounds of R.E.M., the Velvet Underground and everything in between. His family had relocated to Oakland a few years earlier and he cut his teeth as a drummer for Yuji Oniki. Soon after he was fronting Belle De Gamma.

The Bye Bye Blackbirds’ hit the ground running in 2006 with two EPs, “Apology Accepted” and “Honeymoon,” and they haven’t looked back. Their official long-player, “Houses And Homes” arrived in 2008 and was followed in quick succession by “Fixed Hearts” (2011), “We Need Rain” (2013) and “Take Out The Poison” (2017). Their sound was a potent combo-platter of Power Pop, Country Rock, New Wave and Indie Rock. Critical acclaim was nearly unanimous and the band built up a loyal and passionate following. There have been a few line-up changes over the years, but the band currently includes Bradley on guitar and vocals, Aaron Rubin on bass, Lenny Gill on lead guitar, Jozef Becker on drums and KC Bowman and Kelly Atkins on harmony vocals.

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SAFETY TIPS

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“BOXER AT REST” POTIONS RECORDS) THE BYE BYE BLACKBIRDS (DOUBLE

Now they’ve returned with their most adept collection yet, “Boxer At Rest.”

The record kicks into gear with “You Were All Light.” Gritty guitars attack and retreat over serpentine bass lines and an insistent beat.

Warm lead vocals land somewhere between John Lennon’s playful tenor, Tom Petty’s nasal drawl and Marshall Crenshaw’s Soulful croon.

Flickering electric riffs are supplanted by Glamtastic rhythm guitar as the momentum revs and resolves, salted in the mix is a peppery horn section. The sanguine arrangement and instrumentation belie introspective lyrics like “A chill caught us deep inside, our bones grew fragile, still the roads we haunt will rise up to meet us.”

Every track here leapfrogs effortlessly through a plethora of styles. If the Sweet had collaborated with Burt Bacharach, Lynyrd Skynyrd and 20/20, it might have sounded like “Baby It’s Still You.” The song opens deceptively as fingers slide across the frets of an acoustic guitar, rather quickly, braided electric guitars slip into a Southern Boogie groove, adding wily bass lines and a rattle-trap rhythm. With a mix of encouragement and resentment, the lyrics address an old crush; “Hey girl, when your phone stopped ringing off the hook, did you take a little time just to give us a second look? We’ve been cut loose from somewhere, till we’re no one from nowhere/Who’s that chasing the days? Who’s that pulling the reins, when the world’s not slowing down, Baby, it’s still you.” A hip-hugging horn section shadows the chorus as a sugar rush of guitars ring and chime on the break. On “How Do We Stay,” slashing power chords ride roughshod over bramble-thick rhythm guitars, angular bass lines and a galloping gait. Mournful lyrics like “All we do is love you, and sing your names out, we pulled the anchor and kissed you out to sea,” seem like an oblique reference the Ghost Ship tragedy. But their gravitas is neatly camouflaged by the spiky New Wave arrangement.

Meanwhile, the sparkly “Watch Them Chime” lands somewhere between the Cowsills and the Cosmic Rough Riders. Honeyed harmonies lattice over jangly guitars, nimble

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BY ELENI P. AUSTIN

bass lines and a walloping backbeat. There’s an inherent melancholia to lyrics like “I know we’ll cry it out forever, we’ll tip the whole town into the sea, and watch it rise, we will, I know we will.” But the effervescent melody keeps the sadness at bay. Two tracks, “So True” and “War Is Still Hell,” find The Bye Bye Blackbirds adding some new colors to their sonic palette.

On the former, crisp harmonies wash over reverb-drenched guitars, whispery bass and a snapback beat. As Surf Rock collides with hillbilly twang, reflective lyrics seems to touch on the ephemeral nature of life; “Woke up late in the summertime, speakers sputtered to life/ Something caught between stations now, gone, let me quick write it down, gone, feel the flames coming down.”

The latter is an infectious Rockabilly Raveup replete with walking bass lines, swaggering guitars, Beatlesque harmonies and a staccato handclap rhythm. Apparently, love is war and war is hell, as is evidenced by this incendiary couplet; “Hearts are worn when hearts are open, stitch them up after they’re open/Light ‘em up when healed and whole, but do they ever burn?” Once again, elastic instrumentation and a buoyant arrangement rescue the song from (to paraphrase Mr. Mojo Risin) wallowing in the mire.

The true outliers on the record are “Words & Signs” and “If It Gets Light.” On “Words..” the achingly sad lyrics; “All the lonely souls

FROM THE CHIEFS CORNER

CHRISTMAS SAFETY FROM THE OUTSIDE IN!

he next best thing than Thanksgiving is the day after when we start preparing for Christmas. This week, we’ll start from the outside and work our way in. ***I do want to note that this will be a dangerous season. With Covid-19 blues, many people have purchased live trees and are decorating for Christmas early. With warm temperatures, low relative humidity and trees cut early will dry trees out far ahead of time.

This is a serious fire danger. Use caution!

One of the most common causes of holiday-time house fires results from these bulbs being too close to gutters filled with dried out leaves. Make sure that the strings of lights you are using outside have built-in fuses on the lines.

November 26 to November 2, 2020

Check the actual plug. Make sure you are using lights designated for outdoor use only.

Use Christmas lights and electric equipment that has been tested and verified by a reliable testing laboratory. If you have a string of lights

that bow like autumn leaves, whiskey glows in dusty rooms I could stand the light without the clouds,” are cocooned in sun-dappled acoustic guitars.

As much as “Words..” is stripped-down, sincere and succinct, “If…” is equally sprawling.

This cut takes it’s cues from bands like the Velvet Underground, Crazy Horse, Gang Of Four and The Dream Syndicate. A pounding backbeat collides with throbbing bass lines, and tensile, rawboned guitars. Locking into a hypnotic groove, guitars stack up, churning one minute, jagged and corrosive the next. Skronky lead riffs and sinewy rhythm notes intertwine, hugging the melody’s hairpin turns. The vocals and lyrics feel almost incidental as the track kicks into interstellar overdrive. Clocking in at nearly eight minutes, it’s an ambitious tour de force and the album’s centerpiece. The record closes with “All Our Friends.” Powered by jingle-jangle guitars, ringing harmonies and a tick-tock beat, the lyrics offer a tender encomium to friends who are gone, but not forgotten; “We’re warm in the winter sun and sad in the spring rain, we watch all the flowers bloom, we name them all after you/Days, we love you all our days.” It’s an wistful end to an elegant album.

The band was aided by a wolfpack of players including Travis Harrison on vibraslap, Bill Swan on trumpet, Tom Greisser and Paul Flum on saxophone. Chris von Sneidern provided additional harmonies and producer Doug Gillard added harmonies, keys, plus acoustic and electric guitars.

The Bye Bye Blackbirds just keep getting better and better. “Boxer At Rest” exudes a quiet confidence that is simply magical. 2020 will be remembered for a surfeit of sad and depressing facts and statistics. But something fantastic happened, The Bye Bye Blackbirds made one of the best albums of the year.

BY FIRE CHIEF SAM DIGIOVANNA

with a blown bulb, be sure to replace it with a bulb of the exact same wattage.

Never tap into your home’s feeder line to power your outdoor Christmas lights or hang decorations on the line. Avoid using nails, tacks or metal staples to secure your outdoor Christmas lights. Use insulated hooks. Be sure your lights are strung tightly to avoid damage

from the wind.

Use only outdoor rated extension cords.

Connect no more than three strings of lights to a single extension cord. All plugs should be plugged into a GFCI protected outlet when used outside.

Watch for overhead wires when using a ladder. When climbing a ladder, use caution at all times, preferably having someone secure the ladder for you. Do not place the ladder in damp or muddy areas. Make sure you have a safe and solid foundation before climbing.

For additional safety tips contact your local fire department.

Merry Christmas!

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

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THE VINO VOICE

ontinuing with the theme of last week’s column, it’s holiday wine for the 2020 holiday table; and there’s no way to exclude talking about the season’s traditional wine: Pinot Noir.

But why would we even wish to “exclude” discussion on our favorite pinot!? Well— believe it or not, there is a “strange” movement afoot to discount Pinot Noir as the “go to” red for the holidays. Why some folks have the time to make this an issue—well it’s one crazy year! On the other hand, I do hear from a lot of customers (Cab Sauv drinkers, probably) that they’d like to have something “different this time” (2020?) with turkey, ham, and prime rib.

Pinot Noir has enjoyed wild popularity during the last couple of decades (think of the movie Sideways) and has indeed moved in at the holiday table. But it’s a grape that has earned its venerated reputation. Just the term Burgundy—brings joy to many a quaffer.

And even if mean Mister Mustard forced me to only drink red Burgundy for the rest of my life—that would work fine with me.

As we know, Pinot Noir is on the lighter end of the red wine spectrum and, bursting with flavors that include ripe red fruits, fragrant flowers, baking spices, and earthly undertones.

One has to admit that this wine indeed goes well with a traditional holiday meal.

But for those who wish to change it up a bit, how fun an endeavor to bring other lighterbodied reds wines to the season’s table.

Consider below: Well—it’s not breaking news that we can always switch a Pinot Noir for one of our favorite Beaujolais bottles. The Gamay grape is a genetic cousin of pinot and grows pretty much in the same places with similar weather.

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PINOT NOIR AND THE LIKE

Known for juicy, lively and fun light-bodied wines with varying degrees of seriousness— check out the “10 Crus”--one or more of which will have a flavor profile and style (from lightbodied to much heavier) that will impress all day: Fresh flowers, dried herbs and tart red fruits, with an appealing streak of minerality on the palate.

“Le Beaujolais Nouveau est arrivé! is the chant for party folk to frolic French as we drink the youngest French wine of the season, uncorking the 2020 bottle this past 3rd Thursday of November all over the world! Back in the recent day, there were parties all over. Lately nothing’s going on (see: coachellavalleyweekly. com/wheres-all-the-fuss-about-beaujolaisnouveau-2015). And lately there are nouveau haters claiming the new stuff is just too insipid to even look at!--Geez!?

Well I hate bursting the “hater” bubble, but I just enjoyed the 2020 Georges Duboeuf Beaujolais Noveau ($11) and it is one of the best nouveau I’ve had since the 2012 vintage.

Full mouth flavor with those classic young fruity notes of blueberries, cherries, flowers, grapes, plums, raspberries, spices, and strawberries.

It’s a fun treat! Something to smile about!

Another wonderful light bodied wine is Verona’s Valpolicella, primarily from the Corvina grape. The table wines of Valpolicella are an excellent and affordable alternative to Pinot Noir: Light on their feet and distinctly reminiscent of sour cherries, figs, herbs, almonds, leather, smoke, spices, and strawberries with a smooth bitter red-cherry finish. If you prefer a higher acidity wine to match your meals-this is the one!

For those folks seeking a more serious age-worthy style of Pinot Noir—as in very

BY RICK RIOZZA

Burgundian French, give a try to Nerello Mascalese. This Sicilian variety is at its best when produced around volcanic Mount Etna.

It’s quite firm and structured, yet still lush with bright red fruit accented by a smoky, mineral quality derived from Etna’s charred soils.

Actually, this wine should be tasted by any wine enthusiast in your circle of socially distant friends.

Finally, known as Blaufränkisch in Austria, Lemberger in Germany, Kekfrankos in Hungary—and probably other names in other Central European countries. Don’t be confused.

Much like a good cool-climate California pinot, it’s bright and juicy, full of delicious purple and black fruit flavor, with velvet-soft tannins and a piquant hint of peppery spice. Drink this and imagine your holidays as you drift along the Danube.

All right then: After a little of this and a little of that—I’m sure we’ll all be trying a nice Pinot Noir with some holiday meal. For those wishing to find a pinot deal look no further than picking up a 2018 Hahn Monterey County

(around $10) or 2018 Castle Rock Mendocino County (under $10). Both provide classic Pinot Noir flavors: Hahn shows toasty notes of dried berry and cherry flavors with a bit of wet earth for a savory finish; Castle Rock shows dark cherry, currant, and raspberry with floral accents in a spicy finish.

And for those of you looking to absolutely treat the table with outstanding pinot to celebrate the last months of 2020, Liquor.com and Winespectator have just come out with their pick of the best. And it’s no surprise to any enthusiast who’s well aware of the consistent two shining stars in the pinot wine game: “2016 Kosta Browne Santa Rita Hills ($98) is one of the treasured producers of exceptional, unabashedly California-style Pinot Noirs. Vivid aromas of ripe wild strawberry, tangy black cherry, cranberry, and hints of blood orange, fleshy and delicious fruit flavors are supported by grippy tannins. Juicy acidity rounds out this wine of elegance, precision, tension and finesse.”

2017 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Fort RossSeaview ($75) puts their best foot forward, representing California’s great state with this exquisite pinot. The pinot is translucent ruby with cherry, blood orange, clove and grapefruit zest. Gentle tannins met with sweet cedar unfurl in brown spices, cola, and cinnamon through a red berry-driven finish with elegant minerality.” To the allure of Pinot Noir—Cheers!

Rick is your somm-about town and can be reached at winespectrum@aol.com

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

November 26 to November 2, 2020

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

PET PLACE

A

Good Samaritan brought the little puppy to the Loving All Animals shelter after finding her running loose in the streets, but no one came to claim her. Had Loving All Animals posted the photo of this adorable 3-month old Spanish mix, the calls would have poured in for Tootsie.

More people seek dogs and puppies during the holidays and during the pandemic. But sometimes dogs orchestrate their own adoption, and circumstances magically fall into place as they find a forever home.

Animal lover Joyce Medford volunteers at the Loving All Animals shelter two days a week, providing on site care for their rescue dogs and transporting them to appointments.

When she heard a transporter was needed to take Tootsie to get vaccinated, she

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PRECIOUS PUP TOOTSIE ADOPTS JOYCE

happily offered her services. These days the little patients wait outside busy veterinary clinics in parking lots inside cars with their humans. Their wait in the car dragged on, but resourceful Tootsie kept Joyce amused with her antics. Tootsie was secretly pleased to get more one-on-one time with Joyce.

Joyce recalls, “As it got later at the vet clinic, the time passed for the shelter back in Coachella to close. I offered to keep Tootsie overnight at my house. That evening, it was like a slumber party while we bonded, although then I kept her separate from my three cats and one dog. During the long wait in the car and the sleep over, I fell in love with this little pup!”. After experiencing an evening at Joyce’s lovely pet friendly home, Tootsie charmed her way into becoming a

permanent resident.

This fall, Joyce adopted 5-year old Heiso from Loving All Animals after transporting the badly matted stray to a grooming appointment. She hadn’t planned on a second dog, and wasn’t initially certain how the new siblings would get along given their five year age gap. Joyce reports, “Luckily, none of my pets were put out by the new arrival. Soon Heiso was over the moon with joy with his new sister pup. They play endlessly, and then kiss and cuddle together.”

How did Joyce’s cats react to the newcomer? She reports, “The cats’ first reaction was…what else? There was curiosity.

I believe in that first contact, they sensed there was nothing to fear. There was only a stinkin’ cute creature smaller than any of the 3 of them, full of lightness and joy. Now there continues to be harmony, fun, and company.

Tootsie sniffs and licks inside their ears, chases and gets chased.”

Puppies are always a popular adoption choice, their cuteness and charm melting out hearts. Families with children clamor for them, as do singles and couples of all ages.

In deciding whether to select a young puppy or an older rescue dog that also deserves a second chance.

Joyce, a retired registered nurse, advises, “If you are going to be the primary care taker for a puppy, best to be a stay-at-home parent or spouse, or retired with the extra time puppies require. Puppies pee and poop frequently. I have to take Tootsie outside for potty breaks every 3 or 4 hours, choosing not to use puppy pads, and I monitor her safety while she’s in the backyard. She was not potty trained, but Loving All Animals offered advice. Since I have other pets, I also have to coordinate feeding schedules, and maintain four separate eating areas!”

Puppies are rambunctious and require a lot of human attention, playtime, and exercise. If you’re exhausted at the end of a busy work day and looking for a couch potato to join you on the couch, a middle age or sweet senior dog would be a better choice.

Puppies need to be socialized to many of the things in the world, new people including male and female, young and old, people

MEET BONBON

MEET CHRISSY

This amazing fellow is sweet as pie! He’s got his bags packed and ready to go home for the holidays! Rescued by www.forevermeow.org.

Call (760) 601-0196 for questions and adoption of BonBon.

Bring Chrissy home with you for the holidays! This active 5-yr-old German Shepherd mix girl hopes for a dog experienced home to love her this season. The Humane Society of the Coachella Valley in N. Palm Springs rescued her when her owner died. Call for an appointment to meet Chrissy (760) 329-0203.

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BY JANET McAFEE

wearing hats, and now people wearing masks! They need to go on car rides from a young age so that they become comfortable with this. Puppy training classes give them a good start, and much of this information can be found online.

Before you adopt a puppy this holiday season, consider how this new active addition will affect all family members. Very young children may unintentionally rough house and injure a small puppy. Puppies go through teething and may break human skin if they decide to chew on your hand. They can chew up household items, so you must keep a “puppy proof” home. A large size exuberant puppy can knock off tiny children and frail seniors Finally, consider the other pets in your household and how they will adapt to a lively puppy. Older cats who have no prior dog experience will most likely be a bad match, and injury or worse could result from lack of forethought. A senior dog with medical problems may be annoyed by a energetic puppy. However, sometimes a younger dog puts a spring in the step of an older one, as the two engage in joyful play.

Whenever possible, introduce your dog to the newcomer in neutral territory before you adopt to ensure compatibility.

PLEASE REFRAIN FROM ORDERING A PUPPY FROM A PUPPY MILL ONLINE OR FROM A BREEDER. These groups are usually so profit driven that the parent dogs suffer severe neglect from lack of care. Check www.lovingallanimals.org to see their available pets. The list below should help you find the perfect dog or cat this holiday season. The Palm Springs Animal Shelter and the Coachella Valley Animal Campus are good sources of adoptable puppies. You are welcome to email me if you need more assistance finding the perfect pet.

Happy holidays to you and your 4-legged family members!

Janetmcafee7@gmail.com --------------------------------------------------Below is a partial list of shelters and

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com rescues in the Inland Empire with animals for adoption. They are currently closed for walkins, and you must call for an appointment.

You can view most of their animals online before calling. Thank you for rescuing!

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

Email them the animal’s ID number at shelterinfo@rivco.org, or schedule a virtual adoption appointment at www.rcdas.org, 72050 Pet Land Place, Thousand Palms, (760) 343-3644. (Public) PALM SPRINGS ANIMAL SHELTER – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. They schedule appointments Wednesday through Monday. View their animals online at www. psanimalsshelter.org, 4575 E. Mesquite Ave,

Palm Springs, (760) 416-5718. (Public) ANIMAL SAMARITANS – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. View their animals at www. animalsamaritans.org. Email acorrow@ animalsamaritans.org to foster. Located at 72307 Ramon Rd, Thousand Palms, (760) 601-3918. (Private) CALIFORNIA PAWS RESCUE - The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Located at 73650 Dinah Shore, Palm Desert. View their animals at www. californiapawsrescue.com, (760) 656-8833.

(Private) HUMANE SOCIETY OF THE COACHELLA VALLEY – The shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt a dog or cat.

This shelter has lots of big dogs in addition to small dogs and cats. View some of their animals at www.orphanpet.com. Located at 17825 N. Indian Canyon, Palm Springs, (760) 329-0203. (Private)

KITTYLAND – The shelter is closed so call for an appointment to adopt a cat. Located at 67600 18th Avenue, Desert Hot Springs, www.kittylandrescue.org, (760) 251-2700.

(Private) FOREVER MEOW – Foster based rescue for cats located in Rancho Mirage. Contact them at www.ForeverMeow.org, (760) 3356767. (Private) PRETTY GOOD CAT – Foster based rescue for cats located in La Quinta. Contact them at www.prettygoodcat.com, (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)

November 26 to November 2, 2020

CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ANIMAL SHELTER – Shelter is closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Hours for adoption 10am – 4pm Tuesday thru Sat. Google “City of San Bernardino Animal Shelter” for website to view animals and get the ID number of the animal you want to meet. Located at 333 Chandler Place, San Bernardino, (909) 384-1304 or (909) 3847272. (Public) SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ANIMAL SHELTER AT DEVORE – Shelter closed but you can call for an appointment to adopt. Call (909) 386-9280 daily. View animals at www. sbcounty.gov/acc and get the ID number of animal you want to meet. Located at 19777 Shelter Way, San Bernardino (Public).

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

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

SCREENERS

IRON MASK For the first time ever, screen legends Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jackie Chan face off against each other in battle in this epic fantasy-adventure in order to save his homeland from certain doom, a kung fu master (Chan, of course) must escape from the maniacal James Hook (Schwarzeneger) in order to send his daughter a secret talisman that will allow her to control a massive and mythical dragon.

This larger-than-life, globe –trotting tale makes stops at the impenetrable Tower of London, the fabled Silk Road and China’s Great Wall also stars Rutger Hauer in one of his final screen performances.

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No. 449

NEW TITLES FOR THE HOME THEATER

This highly incoherent, derivative and mostly laughable hodge-podge of a movie was directed and co-written by Oleg Stepchenko and appears to be a Chinese/Russian (?) production. On the plus side, there are unexpected moments of painterly beauty amidst the overwhelming sequences of CGI action and digital enhancements (if you can call it that?). Lionsgate. Blu-ray POPEYE The beloved anvil-armed sailor of the seven seas comes magically to life in this greatly anticipated first time Blu-ray transfer from Paramount.

Starring the incomparable and greatly missed Robin Williams in his first-ever bigscreen role and Shelley Duvall as his devoted sweeties, Olive Oyl, the delightful musical celebrates its 40th anniversary this year, having debuted in theaters on December 123, 1980 (has it really been that long?)

Legendary producer Robert Evans and screenwriter Jules Feiffer worked for nearly three years to get POPEYE into production. The film combined the talents of Robert Altman, composer and lyricist Harry Nilsson, numerous filmmaking artisans, and an outstanding cast of actors, mimes, athletes and street performers to bring the world of the beloved comic strip character to life. The result is an uplifting and visually delightful film that celebrates the magic of what Altman called “a genuine American hero.”

The new Blu-ray includes access to a digital copy of the film along with nearly 30 minutes

BY ROBIN E. SIMMONS

of all-new bonus content featuring excerpts from one of robin Williams’ final interviews, a vintage interview with director Robert Altman, as well as a newly conducted interview with Stephen Altman. The nearly 30 minutes of allnew bonus content includes: “The Return to Sweethaven: A Look Back with Robin and the Altmans.”

“The Popeye Company Players.”

“The Sailor Man Medleys.”

From Paramount Home Entertainment.

THE GODFATHER CODA: THE DEATH OF MICHAEL CORLEONE Just in time for the 30th anniversary of The Godfather: Part III, director/screenwriter Francis Ford Coppola has re-edited the final film in his epic Godfather trilogy. This new version, entitled Mario Puza’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone, achieves Coppola and screenwriter Puzo’s original vision of the finale, which has been meticulously restored for the finest presentation of the Corleone saga’s last chapter. The film will be available to exclusively won December 8 and will also debut in select theaters (good luck with that) on December 4.

Coppola said: “For this version of the finale, I crated a new beginning and ending, and rearranged some scenes, shots, and music cues. With these changes, the restored footage and sound to me, it is a more appropriated conclusion to ’The Godfather’ and ‘The Godfather: Part II’ and I’m thankful to Jim Gianopolus and Paramount for allowing me to revisit it.”

Coppola and his production company American Zoetrope worked from a 4K scan

of the original negative to undertake a painstaking, frame-by-frame restoration of both the new Mario Puzo’s THE GODFATHER, Coda: The Death of Michael Corleone and the original The Godfather: Part III. In order to create the best presentation possible, Zoetrope and Paramount’s restoration team began by searching for over 50 original takes to replace lower resolution opticals in the original negative. This process took more than six months and involved sifting through 300 cartons of negative. American Zoetrope worked diligently to repair scratches, stains, and other anomalies that could not be addressed previously due to technological constraints, while advancements were made to the original 5.1 audio mix. The Blu-ray presentation will include the newly restored and re-edited film, an exclusive introduction

by Coppola as well as access to a digital copy of the film.

Coppola’s masterful film adaptation of Puzo’s novel chronicles the rise and fall of the Corleone family and the saga is rightfully viewed as one of he greatest in cinematic history. The Godfather Part III was nominated for seven Academy Awards®, including, Best Picture and Best Director. The film follows Michael Corleone (Al Pacino), now in his 60s, as he seeks to free his family from crime and find a suitable successor to his empire. From Paramount Home Entertainment. Blu-ray

HADDON LIBBY

November 26 to November 2, 2020

BUY A CAR, SQUEEZE A LEMON

T

urn Black Friday into Buick Friday”, “A December to Remember”, “Season of Adventure”, “Built for the Holidays”, “Season of Audi” and “Unwrap a Jaguar” are just a few of the slogans urging us to go out a buy a new car as a gift to a love interest, child or ourselves.

Is this in fact the best time of the year to buy a new vehicle?

The experts at Edmunds.com think so yet year-end is not the only factor in getting the best prices of the year.

Black Friday coincides with model year ends. This means that dealerships are interested in clearing out last year’s model to make room for the brand-new edition.

Additionally, Black Friday lands near the end of the month. Whether you buy a vehicle in November or April, month-end is always a good time to get the best deal.

End of the day purchases are useful too.

As most folks at the dealership just want “

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BY HADDON LIBBY

to go home at day’s end, there is a greater chance that management or finance may give that extra price break or perk to seal the deal more quickly.

The savviest of car buyers who know what they want will find the make and model that they want online prior to visiting the dealership. If you go to a dealership that has your ideal vehicle in stock, you are more likely to get a better price than if that dealership has to trade one of the vehicles that they have in stock with the other dealership.

If you are okay with a mix of interior or exterior colors that is harder for the dealership to move, you are more likely to get a better price on those vehicles as well.

Finally, go online and the price of the vehicle that you intend on buying. You should have a good idea as to the price range of the

DALEGRIBOW ON THELAW

vehicle that you are willing to pay prior to visiting the dealership. Some dealerships want to sell cars for the service income while others want the sales volumes in order to get cash rebates from the manufacturers. Still other dealerships are old school and attempt to squeeze ever dollar out of the prospective buyer.

The worst time to buy a new vehicle is when it is in high demand. This typically happens around tax refund season or at the start of a new model year.

As to which vehicles to buy, Consumer Reports recently released their list of most and least reliable vehicle brands. Six of twenty-six brands reviewed were rated as ‘More Reliable’. Displacing Lexus at the top of the reliability rankings was Mazda due to their ‘iterative approach’ to vehicle design.

This approach bases each vehicle redesign on a prior model. By making incremental changes, there are fewer surprises in the production process. Mazda’s most reliable car was the Miata.

Toyota ranked second while last year’s most reliable brand, Lexus, fell to third due to issues with their luxury LS sedan. Buick surprised many by rising ten spots to #4. The Honda and Hyundai brands were the only other brands to receive Consumer Reports “More Reliable” rating.

Seven brands made the ‘Less Reliable’ list.

Down eleven spots to #26 was Lincoln thanks to its new Aviator. The Aviator was the least reliable vehicle made by Lincoln by a large margin.

While Tesla stock may be valued at more than most other auto stocks combine, Tesla continues to get weaker reliable scores due to a litany of production issues with their vehicles. The Model S is rated as subpar with only the Model 3 rated as reliable.

Rounding out the sad seven are Volkswagen, the Mini, Ford, Cadillac and Mercedes-Benz.

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

LEGAL REPRESENTATION OF THE INJURED & CRIMINALLY ACCUSED

THERE’S NO CRYING IN BASEBALL OR FOOTBALL!

W

e all love to hear the word Touchdown! It means it is football season. However, terms we don’t want to hear in sports…

“There is no crying in baseball” and the friggin USC football game starts at 9am!

Yes 9 am was the start time of the first USC game on Nov 7. We all love to watch football but who drinks beer at 9am on a Saturday?

This weekend, barring Covid, many of us will find ourselves celebrating a win, or drowning our sorrows with beer when the game is over. Since we have been home, bored for months, some of us may go out after drinking and you got it……we get stopped. We are stopped for speeding or unsafe lane change or worse we are in an accident that hopefully, someone else caused.

Now what do you do when the police arrive and what will happen?

Many clients ask if you can get a Jail sentence for a DUI? Yes, you can get a jail sentence. In most cases, the DA will demand Jail as part of your sentence!!! However a good DUI lawyer will get around it with alternatives to jail.

During the Thanksgiving to New Year’s

holidays, many of our neighbors will have stupidly attended office or a neighbor’s party and drink…without thinking about the consequences. They, as well as tourists, will drink and not use good judgment. These drivers will drink more than they should or more than they realize. Many will be stopped for speeding, unsafe lane change or not having an up to date tag on their license plate.

Many will also get in a fatal car accident and injure/ kill an innocent party and be charged with Manslaughter or Murder. This tragedy happened a few years ago, to my 25 year old client Celena Nava She worked at Eisenhower and was jogging in Coachella with a friend. She was hit and killed by a drunk driver.

The pain the family experienced is beyond words. It will last a lifetime, and there is nothing anyone can do to remove the pain. The money I recovered for the family for Celena’s Wrongful Death, can’t begin to ease the pain the family will experience as they celebrate future birthday’s and holidays.

I have sued drunk drivers for injuries they have caused to my clients for over 30

years AND I have successfully defended drunk drivers when I changed hats. Most drivers did not realize they could be charged with a drunk driving with the little alcohol they consumed. They incorrectly looked at the number of drinks they consumed rather than the amount of alcohol in the drinks.

For DUI purposes a drink equals 1 ounce of alcohol; 12 ounces of beer or 4 ounces of wine.

However, when the bartender pours a 6-8 ounce glass of wine and you have two drinks you have consumed the equivalent of 3 or 4 drinks. Likewise my clients tell me they “were not drunk.” The law does not require one to be drunk, but rather Under The Influence.

The correct charge is Driving Under The Influence, not Drunk Driving. Being under the influence occurs with everyone when their ability to drive is impaired. That occurs when you reach a .08 blood alcohol level.

However the Indio DA will file on .07’s….. and YES the DA and the court often ask for a minimum of 10 days in jail on a first offense DUI. It is also necessary to look at what medications the driver has consumed, be

they prescriptive, over the counter or illegal.

Many pills have a warning not to mix with alcohol and not to operate heavy machinery after taking the medication….this means a car. The combination of alcohol and these pills will create a Potentiation, so that the driver is a lot more under the influence at .07 or .08 than the average person. It is possible they are as much under the influence as someone with a much higher reading.

The bottom line is DON’T DRINK AND DRIVE. CALL A TAXI, LYFT OR UBER………

THEY ARE A LOT CHEAPER THAN HIRING ME! DALE GRIBOW REPRESENTING THE INJURED AND CRIMINALLY ACCUSED “TOP LAWYER” - California’s Prestige Magazine, Palm Springs Life (PI/DUI) 201121 “TOP LAWYER” - Inland Empire Magazine 2016- 2019 PERFECT 10.0 AVVO Peer Rating FUTURE ARTICLES? CONTACT DALE GRIBOW 760-837-7500/dale@ dalegribowlaw.com.

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

SWAG FOR THESOUL

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BY AIMEE MOSCO

GRATITUDE PAVES THE ROAD TO FORGIVENESS

“Forgiveness has the power to rewire your energy field, remove obstacles and inspire you to live from a place of love. Allowing yourself to have gratitude for all of your experiences opens you up to the possibilities of forgiveness.

Gratitude paves the road to forgiveness and forgiveness allows love to flow. Love attracts happiness and draws it into your life. If you are ready to take measures needed to create happiness in your life, you must begin with the basics. Gratitude, forgiveness and love….”

Excerpt from Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness, by Aimee Mosco and Donald L. Ferguson, page 57 ost of us have had at least one relationship in life that has induced trauma. The traumas we endure throughout life color our perceptions and often times lead us away from the light of happiness and love. They inspire us to fear, which limits the ability to recognize opportunities that hold the power to manifest great joy.

The energy of forgiveness is so potent that it can heal the wounds and scars that have materialized from relationship trauma.

Though it only works as a remedy if it is authentic and comes from deep inside your heart. That’s the hard part. Anyone can grant forgiveness with words, but if the words are not true, they do not hold the magic. The magic must come before the words and be birthed from the heart.

You may be asking yourself at this point how it is possible to turn the tides of relationship trauma, particularly if the trauma represents patterning in your life. Make no

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mistake, it takes some work, but if you are committed, for your own sake, to express forgiveness from the depths of your heart, know that you have a partner in (the energy of) gratitude.

If you can shift your focus and acknowledge that your soul guides you silently to and through the events of your life, for the express purpose of learning, the events of your life all become opportunities for growth.

Every single thing that happens to you serves your growth in some way. The more you contemplate this and identify how you grew from relationships, the more natural it will feel to have gratitude for what they gave to you, even if it hurt in the moment.

If you can first hold hands with gratitude and allow it to preside over your thoughts and emotions, true forgiveness will ultimately flow like rapids from the core of your heart where love reigns supreme.

In my pursuit to help human beings connect with one another from the heart, I invite you to join Facebook group Evolve through Love hosted by Elizabeth Scarcella and me. Go to facebook.com/groups/evolvethroughlove and share with us your joy.

Aimee Mosco is an Author, Intuitive Channel, Spiritual Teacher and Co-Founder of Intentional Healing Systems, LLC. Aimee’s desire to help others inspired her book “Gratitude + Forgiveness x (LOVE) = Happiness”. Aimee is one of the founding members of World Game Changers and she serves on the Board of Directors of this charitable CIC based in the UK. Find Aimee at www.ihsunity.com.

FREEWILL ASTROLOGY

WEEK OF NOVEMBER 26

ARIES (March 21-April 19): “A little too much is just enough for me,” joked poet and filmmaker Jean Cocteau. I suspect that when he said that, he was in a phase similar to the one you’re in now. I bet he was experiencing a flood of creative ideas, pleasurable self-expressions, and loving breakthroughs. He was probably right to risk going a bit too far, because he was learning so much from surpassing his previous limitations and exploring the frontiers outside his comfort zone. Now here’s your homework, Aries: Identify two actions you could take that fit the profile I’ve described here.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20): Biologists believe that no tree can grow more than 436 feet tall.

As much as an individual redwood or spruce or mountain ash might like to sprout so high that it doesn’t have to compete with other trees for sunlight, gravity is simply too strong for it to pump enough water up from the ground to its highest branches. Keep that in mind as a useful metaphor during the next ten months, Taurus. Your assignment is to grow bigger and taller and stronger than you ever have before—and know when you have reached a healthy level of being bigger and stronger and taller.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20): I haven’t felt the savory jolt of bacon in my mouth since I was 15, when I forever stopped eating pigs. I still remember that flavor with great fondness, however. I’ve always said I’d love to find a loophole that would allow me to enjoy it again. And then today I found out about a kind of seaweed that researchers at Oregon State University say tastes like bacon and is healthier than kale. It’s a new strain of a red marine algae called dulse. If I can track it down online, I’ll have it for breakfast soon. I bring this to your attention, Gemini, because I suspect that you, too, are primed to discover a fine new substitute—something to replace a pleasure or resource that is gone or taboo or impossible. What could it be?

CANCER (June 21-July 22): By age 49, Cancerian author Norman Cousins had been struck with two debilitating diseases. His physicians gave him a one in 500 chance of recovery. He embarked on a series of unconventional attempts to cure himself, including “laugh therapy” and positive self-talk, among others. They worked. He lived lustily for another 26 years, and wrote several books about health and healing. So perhaps we should pay attention to his belief that “each patient carries his own doctor inside him”—that at least some of our power to cure ourselves resides in inner sources that are not understood or accredited by traditional medicine. This would be a valuable hypothesis for you to consider and test in the coming weeks, Cancerian. (Caveat: But don’t stop drawing on traditional medicine that has been helping you.)

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22): In accordance with astrological rhythms, I’m giving you permission to be extra regal and majestic in the coming weeks.

You have a poetic license to be a supremely royal version of yourself, even to the point of wearing a jeweled crown and purple silk robe. Would you prefer a gold scepter with pearls or a silver scepter with rubies? Please keep in mind, though, that all of us non-Leos are hoping you will be a noble and benevolent sovereign who provides enlightened leadership and bestows generous blessings. That kind of behavior will earn you the right to enjoy more of these lofty interludes in the future.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22): In the coming weeks, I will refer to you as The Rememberer. Your task will be to deepen and refine your relationship with the old days and old ways—both your own past and the pasts of people you care about most. I hope you will take advantage of the cosmic rhythms to reinvigorate your love for the important stories that have defined you and yours. I trust you will devote treasured time to reviewing in detail the various historical threads that give such rich meaning to your web of life.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22): “Those who build walls are their own prisoners,” wrote Libran author

© Copyright 2020 Rob Brezsny

Ursula K. Le Guin. She continued, “I’m going to fulfill my proper function in the social organism. I’m going to unbuild walls.” I hope that sounds appealing to you, Libra. Unbuilding walls is my first choice for your prime assignment in the coming weeks. I’d love to see you create extra spaciousness and forge fertile connections. I’ll be ecstatic if you foster a rich interplay of diverse influences. If you’re feeling super-plucky, you might even help unbuild walls that your allies have used to half-trap themselves.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21): “If you can’t help me grow, there’s no point with you being in my life.” Singer and actress Jill Scott said that. In my view, Scorpios may be the only sign of the zodiac that can assert such a sentiment with total sincerity and authority. For many of the other tribes, it might seem harsh or unenforceable, but for you it’s exactly right—a robust and courageous truth.

In addition to its general rightness, it’s also an especially apt principle for you to wield right now.

The coming weeks will be a potent time to catalyze deep learning and interesting transformations in concert with your hearty allies.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21): “You live best as an appreciator of horizons, whether you reach them or not.” Those words from poet David Whyte would be a perfect motto for you to write out on a piece of paper and tape to your bathroom mirror or your nightstand for the next 30 years. Of all the tribes in the zodiac, you Sagittarians are most likely to thrive by regularly focusing on the big picture.

Your ability to achieve small day-by-day successes depends on how well you keep the long-range view in mind. How have you been doing lately with that assignment? In the coming weeks, I suspect you could benefit from hiking to the top of a mountain— or the metaphorical equivalent—so you can enjoy seeing as far as you can see.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19): Sensible Capricorn author E. M. Forster (1879–1970) said, “Passion does not blind. No. Passion is sanity.”

That’s the opposite of what many poets and novelists have asserted down through the ages, which is that passion isn’t truly passion unless it renders you half-crazy, driven by obsession, and subject to delusion and irrationality. But in offering you counsel in this horoscope, I’m aligning myself with Forster’s view. For you in the coming weeks, Capricon, passion will help you see clearly and keep you mentally healthy.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18): Alpine swifts are small birds that breed in Europe during the summer and then migrate long distance to Africa for the winter. Ornithologists were shocked when they discovered that at least some of these creatures fly for more than 200 days without ever once landing on the ground. They’re not always flapping their wings—sometimes they glide—but they manage to do all their eating and drinking and sleeping and mating in mid-air. Metaphorically speaking, I think it’s important for you to not act like the alpine swifts in the coming months, dear Aquarius. Please plan to come all the way down to earth on a regular basis.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20): There’s substantial evidence that when people talk to themselves out loud in the midst of doing a task, they improve their chances of succeeding at the task. Have you ever heard athletes giving themselves verbal encouragement during their games and matches?

They’re using a trick to heighten their performance.

In accordance with astrological omens, I invite you to experiment with this strategy in the coming weeks.

Increase your brainpower by regularly offering yourself encouraging, supportive instructions. It’s fine if you just sort of whisper them, but I’d love it if now and then you also bellowed them.

Homework: Imagine it’s 30 years from now and you’re telling God the worst things and best things you ever did. What would they be? Testify at FreeWillAstrology.com.

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

www.coachellavalleyweekly.com

November 26 to November 2, 2020

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November 26 to December 2, 2020

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H S A R T Y A W A L U A H WE 18