Desert Star Weekly Feb. 15, 2023 issue!

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‘Pianist Dynasty Battles’

By Desert Star Staff

The San Bernardino Symphony Orchestra will open its 94th concert season on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at 7:30 p.m. with “Mozart, Simon, and Shostakovich.” To be performed at the historic

California Theatre of the Performing Arts, the concert will include three different but related pieces representing three distinct musical periods.

Explained Music Director and Conductor Anthony Parnther, “Our very own San

Bernardino Symphony continue to grow in size, prestige, and technical excellence. By the personal request of many of our core musicians, I selected Dmitri Shostakovich’s Fifth Symphony to open the 2023 season with a resounding

bang. In addition to Beethoven, Tchaikovsky, Prokofiev, and Mahler, Shostakovich penned one of the most important and recognizable Fifth Symphonies of all time. Works of this nature require a large and virtuosic group of musicians,

Tools for Tomorrow’s Picasso Party

Story and Photos by Pat Krause

Tools For Tomorrow

Visionaries held a Picasso Party at the home of former Palm Springs Mayor Rob Moon. Over 80 guests enjoyed delicious appetizers from LuLu’s Restaurant. In addition, founder Rachel Druten was thrilled when her brother David W. Bryant was given the TFT Lifetime Philanthropy award. Guests were treated to music by Program Director. David Hirsch. During the program, a former music student, Jose Munoz, played his sax with Hirsch on the piano. Munoz learned a lot while a student of Tools For Tomorrow, TFT. Guests showed their appreciation

by loud clapping.

2023 Gala Chair Robin Nugent spoke about how everyone was so glad to be back in the classroom after so long with online classes. But, unfortunately, children away from types lost so much, making it very difficult to teach them.

President Judith Antonio announced all the new people involved with TFT who make the programs possible. This fall, TFT held over 21 programs. That includes 17 in-person arts programs. Children in grades 3 thru 5 learn confidence thru the arts. It was noted that learning to speak in

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and we are so thankful to our presenting sponsors, San Manuel Band of Mission Indians, for helping us realize and accomplish such a feat.”

“Pianist Dynasty Battles

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Board member Sue Fromkin, Board President Judith Antonio, Former TFT student Jose Munoz, Rosa Munoz, TFT Founder Rachel Druten, and Board member Robin Nugent. Photo by Pat Krause.

MUSIC

BY ROBERT KINSLER

Burt Bacharach Remembered; Rock Hall Roundup

At first glance, the Feb. 1 announcement of 14 nominees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s Class of 2023 and passing of legendary songwriter Burt Bacharach on Feb. 8 would seem to have little in common.

Having written a slew of timeless classics — and seen his songs recorded by the diverse likes of the Beatles, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Elvis Costello, the White Stripes, Love, Perry Como, Cilla Black, Stevie Wonder and Rod Stewart — the 94-year-old Bacharach has still not yet been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But this writer — having had the good fortune to witness a concert featuring Bacharach and Warwick when they were still at the height of their artistic powers in the late 1990s — believes Bacharach will rank alongside Paul McCartney, Brian Wilson, Donald Fagen and Elvis Costello as one of the great sophisticated songwriters of the 20th century. His passing is also a jab at the Hall of Fame to consider the influence of artists on other musical greats as a key element in the consideration of nominees.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: Speaking of the Hall of Fame, the following artists are nominated to be inducted later this year: groundbreaking British songstress Kate Bush; contemporary hitmaker Sheryl Crow; hip-hop icon Missy Elliott; heavy metal pioneers Iron Maiden; tandem alternative rock outfits Joy Division/New Order; singer Cyndi Lauper; pop singer George Michael; outlaw country music great Willie Nelson; rap-metal giants Rage Against the Machine; Seattle grunge champions Soundgarden; rhythm and blues vocal group The Spinners; American hip hop group A Tribe Called Quest; Detroit garage rock revivalists the White Stripes; and American singer-songwritermusician Warren Zevon.

I am hopeful some of the more veteran artists in that field will be be announced as as the top names in May, and subsequently inducted in fall 2023. Here are the six artists I feel are most deserving of induction.

Kate Bush — Far better known in her native England than in the U.S., Kate Bush has nonetheless found growing acclaim here in recent years —

thanks in no small part to her marvelous 1985 single “Running Up That Hill” gaining renewed popularity in May 2022 after it was featured in the plot of the fourth season of the hit Netflix series “Stranger Things.” Other great Bush originals include “Cloudbusting,” “Don’t Give Up” (a duet with Peter Gabriel), “The Man with the Child in His Eyes” and “Babooshka.” Her debut single “Wuthering Heights” released in 1978 when she was only 19, marked the first time a female artist had a number 1 hit on the UK Singles Chart with a self-written song.

Iron Maiden — Founded in 1975, English heavy metal heroes have released more than 40 albums. Beginning in the early 1980s, the band released a series of Platinum and Gold albums; the critically-acclaimed 1982 LP The Number of the Beast is among the most acclaimed heavy metal albums of all time and has reportedly sold more than 20 million copies.

Joy Division/New Order — One of the smartest decisions by the selection committee

was to nominate Joy Division and New Order together. Joy Division was an English rock group comprised of lead vocalist Ian Curtis, guitarist/keyboardist Bernard Sumner, bassist Peter Hook and drummer Stephen Morris. The group pioneered a melancholy-wrapped style of sparse recordings that made them one of the most influential alternative rockers to emerge in the late 1970s. Sadly, Curtist struggled with a number of health and mental issues; the committed suicide at the age of 23 in May 1980. Later that year, the remaining members regrouped as New Order and went on to find enduring fame with their original mix of electronica and dance music.

Willie Nelson — Like the late Johnny Cash, 2023 nominee Willie Nelson brings a legacy beyond his parade of celebrated outlaw country albums (Shotgun Willie, Red Headed Stranger, Stardust, etc.). The rare country artist to appear on the main stage at Coachella, Nelson has acted in more than 30 films, co-authored several books and has a signature guitar style

as distinctive as his voice. It would be wonderful to see Nelson — who celebrates his 90th birthday on April 29 — be inducted into the Rock Hall.

The Spinners — Formed in Ferndale, Michigan in 1954, The Spinners scored a number of timeless hits during the 1960s and 1970s. Among their biggest hits was “I’ll Be Around,” “I’m Coming Home,” “Then Came You” (the latter a collaboration with Dionne Warwick) and “The Rubberband Man.”

Warren Zevon — Since passing away at the age of 56 in September 2003, Warren Zevon’s legacy has only grown. A unique artist widely celebrated for his “dry wit and acerbic lyrics,” the Chicago, Illinois native’s most well-known songs include “Werewolves of London,” “Lawyers, Guns and Money” and “Roland the Headless Thompson Gunner.” He also wrote the Linda Ronstadt 1978 hit “Poor Poor Pitiful Me.” Of all this year’s nominees, I am rooting hardest for the induction of this singularly unique artist.

Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum in Cleveland. Photo courtesy of MusikAnimal.

Turkey-Style Earthquake Could Also Hit Greece

By Desert Star Staff

It isn’t every day that the foreign ministers of Turkey and Greece are photographed in a bear hug, but that is what transpired on Sunday as Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu and Nikos Dendias ditched any semblance of frostiness upon the latter’s arrival in earthquakeshattered eastern Turkey. Although relations between Ankara and Athens have been increasingly antagonistic, last week’s cataclysm dialed them back, if only temporarily. It also underscores how the ultimate foe can sometimes be the ground underneath one’s feet — as well as Greece’s own

vulnerability should it be hit by a devastating earthquake.

As the death toll from the 7.8-magnitude temblor that shook parts of Turkey and Syria on February 6 approached 34,000, Mr. Çavuşoğlu accompanied his Greek counterpart as they met with members of a Greek search-and-rescue mission that was operating in areas that suffered heavy damage. The visit included a stop at the rescue operations center at the hard-hit city of Antakya, which the Greeks refer to by its ancient name of Antioch.

Since the quake struck a week ago, the war in Ukraine has largely receded from the Greek headlines. Instead, news reports have been dominated by heart-wrenching scenes of destruction around Turkey, sprinkled with articles about the impact of the disaster on President Erdogan’s political fortunes and upcoming elections in Turkey. More prevalent, though, is coverage of just how vulnerable Greece is should a similar disaster strike: For a country whose modern

economy is largely dependent on tourism, the implications could not be more profound. When in March 2020 images of morgues overflowing with coronavirus victims emanated from Bergamo, Italy, Greece looked west to its Mediterranean neighbor with something close to panic. The weeks that followed saw Athens impose some of the toughest lockdown measures on the Continent in a bid to keep the pandemic under control. Now, Greece is looking at its fractious neighbor to the east with growing alarm as the realization sinks in that calamity could strike Greece at any moment.

In a sense, it already has. Like Turkey, Greece is crisscrossed by faultlines, some very well known, others yet to be discovered, and all ultimately unpredictable, just as in antiquity. Iconic ruins that litter both sides of the Aegean coasts are reminders that while empires may crumble over time, it is the earth itself that has the unique power to turn glorious

cities to poetic piles of rubble. Speaking to the television station MEGA, a Greek professor who studies natural disasters, Konstantinos Synolakis, said that “the last major earthquake in Crete occurred in 1403 and it is estimated that such

earthquakes occur every 600 to 800 years.” He added that Greece is already “at the window” of the century when “we may see a large earthquake in the Greek arc of magnitude 8.5 on the Richter scale.” Source: Pam Price

Max Liebermann

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Beverly Cohn, Janice Gough, Kelly G. Richardson, Madeline Zuckerman, Pamela Price, Pat Krause, Risa D’Angeles, Richard Rowland, Robert Kinsler, Theda Kleinhans Reichman

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‘Pianist Dynasty Battles’

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is taking the classical world by storm with his charisma and musicianship,” shared Maestro Parnther. “We are so fortunate we were able to collaborate with him on this upcoming concert where we will be treated to a world premiere encore in addition to his outstanding Mozart.”

Battles were invited to play composer George Walker’s Piano Sonata No.1 in a private engagement at the distinguished composer’s home. In addition, he recently performed a piano quartet at the Walt Disney Concert Hall at the invitation of the LA Philharmonic. Battles soon after performed at Barbican Centre Hall in London in a program led by the LA Philharmonic music director, Gustavo Dudamel. He was also a solo performer at the 2017 Colour of Music Festival in Charleston, South Carolina.

Interestingly, the Mozart piano concerto to be performed was a favorite of Beethoven, whose Seventh Symphony was the inspiration for awardwinning composer Carlos Simon’s Fate May Conquer, the third piece scheduled for this historic opening concert.

Simon is a native of Atlanta, Georgia, whose music ranges from concert music for large and small ensembles to film scores with influences of jazz, gospel, and neoromanticism. Simon is the Composer-in-Residence for the John F. Kennedy Center for

the Performing Arts. He was nominated for a 2023 GRAMMY award for his latest album, Requiem for the Enslaved.

Simon earned his doctorate degree at the University of Michigan. He has also received degrees from Georgia State University and Morehouse College. He is an honorary member of Phi Mu Alpha Music Sinfonia Fraternity and a member of the National Association of Negro Musicians, Society of Composers International, and Pi Kappa Lambda Music Honor Society. Simon also received the 2021

Sphinx Medal of Excellence, the highest honor bestowed by the Sphinx Organization to recognize extraordinary classical Black and Latinx musicians. In addition, he was named a Sundance/Time Warner Composer Fellow for his work on film and moving images.

Ticket Availability and Performance Location

Single tickets for this and all SBSO concerts are available online or by calling the box office at (909) 381-5388. Box Office hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Monday through Friday. Single ticket prices

range from $20 - $100, with students and active military always just $15. Moneysaving season subscriptions - in bundles of seven, five, or three- are also available. The historic California Theatre is located at 562 W. Fourth Street in downtown San Bernardino. Free, lighted parking is available directly across from the venue. Doors open for this concert at 6 p.m. Tickets are also sold at the venue on concert night; however, their availability cannot be guaranteed.

Music Director and Conductor Anthony Parnther

Nikos Dendias Meets Turkish Counterpart Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu During Visit To Quake-Hit Areas

LENT – PURIFICATION & PREPARATION FOR SPRING

Throughout history humanity has created rituals and celebrations that reflect the different seasons. The rituals indicate and signify the seasons, the elements (fire, earth, air, water) and the different aspects of light and dark. Rituals help humanity maintain a rhythm with nature, the seasons, the Sun, moon and stars, the past, present and future and with one another.

Lent (“lenctene” – when days lengthen just before Spring), is one of those ritual times. Lent (outward sign and external name), which begins this Wednesday (February 22, early this year) is a time (40 days and 40 nights) of purification and preparation for Spring and Easter (Resurrection festival) as well as the Three Spring (Aries, Taurus, Gemini) full moon festivals.

Lent always begins on the day after Mardi Gras (Tuesday), on Ash Wednesday. There is a ritual in the Catholic Church using ashesreminding us that we are spiritual beings clothed (temporarily) in form and matter. The Ash Wednesday ritualthe priest places a cross of ashes (made from burned palms) on the forehead (Anja center, 3rd eye, place of spiritual direction) of parishioners while saying the words

“From dust thou art (you were made of matter) and unto dust thou (the body) shalt return.”

These words teach us that the physical body, made of elemental matter (the elements of), returns to the Earth at death. However, within our body (within each cell) the Spirit of God dwells. This is the spark of Life, the Light of Life, the Pisces Light that saves the world. This spirit within us does not die.

During Lent, preparing for the new life of Spring, we cleanse and purify our bodies, we change habits, preparing to make ourselves new (again).

Our actions during Lent imitate

RISA’S STARS

activities during Mars and Mercury retrogrades. We fast, pray, live in quiet reflection, contemplation, study and knowledge. These refine the physical, emotional and mental bodies, enabling us to participate in the new life of Springtime, in the upcoming Easter (Resurrection) Festival and for the Three Spring festivals (Aries, Taurus, Gemini) all of which set the template for the rest of the year.

ARIES: As you recognize the vital and initiating work you are to bring forth, you will also need to learn how to participate in groups with intelligence and heart-felt alignment. You are to construct part of the Aquarian new culture and civilization. Are you aware of this task? Are you conscious of what this implies and the needs of humanity? You’re called to awaken again for the times are coming when those who plan and lead boldly, take risks and assess the future, working with both heart and mind, will be summoned. Prepare.

TAURUS: The architecture of your participation in life is changing. Previously you dreamed big dreams, pondered upon many realities, not concerned if anything took shape. Now you’re behind the scenes, teaching and facilitating groups, preparing the components of the new world era. Taurus has an enlightened mind with the ability to see humanity’s present/ future needs. You are aware in the breakdown phase seeds of the new must be sowed. You’re synthesizing all realities so others can understand. You are a teacher now.

GEMINI: Many forces are at work in your life. As a Gemini you always attempt to resolve polarities - higher with lower, Soul with personality, light and dark, humor and seriousness This is an important task accomplished by the proper cultivation of the mind principle (which calms the emotions) and the

right course of study that allows no illusions, confusions, untruths, unkindness or distortions. Venus calls you to share the Path with others and Aquarius summons you to develop all seven levels of your mind, thus opening the twelve petals of your heart.

CANCER: Always we feel some form of conflict. We are to realize this conflict (and chaos) is useful. It gives us the ability to observe tensions and to express needs, fears and anxieties. So often there is a great battle going on between the Soul and personality. The Soul calls us to Right Action and Right Service. The personality seeks to remain asleep. Many don’t know the difference between the two. There is a reorientation occurring within, new information released into your mind. This is occurring to all of humanity. It begins with you, as the Mother of the world.

LEO: You’re entering a time where relationships are vitally important yet at times you feel disconnected to anything or anyone. You’re in a place of balancing and choosing, an interlude state. Your inner reality concerning relationships and how you function in them is being modified so that you can display Goodwill and Right Relationships while still expressing your unique self-identity and creativity. You are to hold opposing forces in balance. A greater awareness emerges. Your love then flows once more. Love is your gift. Love flows from the heart of the Sun into your heart.

VIRGO: New thoughts, impressions, ideas and ideals appear in your mind concerning how to create a change in the structure of your daily life. Changes in our habits and in daily life prepare us to function within the new dimensions and structures slowly appearing and coming into our awareness. These are the new Aquarian energies, with the

new laws and principles. Write down and journal all impressions. Have dedication and gratitude. Be aware if weariness occurs to give time to rest which allows an integration to occur. Note your perspectives changing slowly over time.

LIBRA: Under Libra’s veil of Libra’s ambassadorial charm, you are, in reality, a strong and powerful force. As we approach the new season of Spring this year, a greater level of Love/ Wisdom must begin expressing itself through you. It begins with acceptance and gratitude for everyone and everything (past and present, here, then and now) in your life. It also begins with forgiveness. With intention, recite over and over, “Love expresses itself through me always and Wisdom follows.” Then your life and relationships proceed with protective loving healing care.

SCORPIO: You will begin to have solitary times of thought, thinking things great and small. To prepare, create an environment that nurtures the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual aspects of yourself. Be in touch with nature each day - the kingdoms –Soul, human, animal, plant and mineral. Make altars to them. You have a great depth of intelligence. Now you must add love to that intelligence. Both then form a foundation for the new life emerging all around us. It begins where you live and is in plain sight. Later you’ll be asked to teach those who are lost. You understand them.

SAGITTARIUS: Always you are on a journey. There are different phases to all journeys. Here are the signposts along the journey this year. You are to blend your personality and Soul. This will produce harmony for a time. Then the Soul will leave the personality and Will to Good enters, asking you to harmonize your little will with the greater Will (not an easy task). Will is a

fire. In all that you do, never be thoughtless. Or you’ll lose much. Remember as you go about your life that “wisdom is knowledge and implemented by love.” Ponder these words in the next forty days and nights. And be aware of the Will-to-Love.

CAPRICORN: Before I continue, Capricorns are being pushed to the edge of exhaustion. So you need more rest as well as time in the Sun. Whatever it is you hope for, visualize and radiate it with Love from your heart and Ajna (forehead) center. Both are where love streams forth. Then new life will take root, expressed as harmony, beauty and peace (a process). Your love for those around you eases disharmony and conflict, when it arises. Remember the law that Harmony comes after conflict and chaos. Behind conflict and chaos, harmony waits patiently. You are that harmony.

AQUARIUS: This year you will be called upon to express great patience and gratitude. New sources of income are sought and become available. It’s important to control impatience. Be aware of kind and loving communication or you could be thought of as being harsh and thoughtless toward others. We know you’re not. Remember to be courteous and kind, show gratitude and compassion and sympathy. A new selfidentity continues to emerge. It includes goodness, generosity and love. What we offer others is returned to us ten-fold. This is a cosmic law. Be friends with everyone. Aquarius is friendship.

PISCES: You have begun the arduous task of uncovering and then understanding the past along with feelings, thoughts, aspirations, actions and vulnerabilities that arise. Much of your life has been treading the pathway of service and sacrifice, which is the life of Pisces. A new beneficent cycle begins soon, expanding your courage and strength of character. This may not be acceptable to some. Maintain privacy, turn away from disharmony, don’t believe criticism. The stars are protecting you. You are to be the Harmonizer.

The Misunderstood “Exclusive Use Common Area”

By Kelly G. Richardson, Esq.

The typical condominium project consists of three categories of property – the “separate interest” (normally called the “unit”), the “common area”, and a subset of common area called “exclusive use common area.” Misunderstandings regarding exclusive use areas lead to many avoidable disagreements. Simply put, exclusive use areas are not “your” property, but are a portion of the common area set aside for one member’s use.

The unit is normally defined in the “notes” portion of the condominium plan, an important but often overlooked document.

While some developers have become more creative, the typical condominium unit configuration is a box of airspace surrounded by the unfinished surfaces of walls, ceilings, and floors. Everything

else is “common area.” However there are many areas which are common area but which clearly are intended for the use and enjoyment of a single unit owner, and these areas are called “exclusive use common area”.

Exclusive use common areas are sometimes defined in the Condominium Plan or CC&Rs, but Civil Code 4145 provides a default definition if the governing documents do not fully cover the topic, including: “shutters, awnings, window boxes, doorsteps, stoops, porches, balconies, patios, exterior doors, doorframes, and hardware …, screens and windows or other fixtures designed to serve a single separate interest, but located outside the boundaries of the separate interest…”.

Fixtures serving a single unit but existing outside of the unit boundaries may include water heaters or air conditioning equipment, for example.

Many condominiums are

bought with the mistaken belief that the exclusive use area, such as a balcony, or patio, is “theirs” and so the HOA has nothing to say about it. Unfortunately, members often think that, because their use is exclusive, their control of the area is also exclusive and so the HOA has no say. That can lead to enforcement situations and disputes, because associations can control how exclusive use areas are used and typically have various rules regulating their use. Who maintains exclusive use common area? Who repairs it? Is the broken window or leaky water heater an association concern? The inquiry usually starts by reviewing the governing documents regarding the area in question to determine if it is exclusive use common area, followed by analyzing

who maintains it and who repairs it -- and the two responsibilities might not be placed on the same party.

If governing documents do not answer the question, the Davis-Stirling Act fills in the blanks. Under Civil Code Section 4775, the association repairs, replaces and maintains common area and repairs and replaces exclusive use common area, and the member maintains exclusive use common area, unless the CC&Rs state otherwise.

Note that only association CC&Rs can allocate repair and maintenance responsibility differently than Civil Code 4775 – HOAs cannot do this in rules. Therefore, many association rules presently in place may be invalid to the extent they purport to allocate such responsibility.

Exclusive use areas are often misunderstood as the unit

owner’s property, but such areas are still part of the common area and therefore jointly owned with all other owners and subject to association control. “Use” is different than “control”, and maintenance responsibility may be allocated differently than repair responsibility. Exclusive use is a necessary complication of shared ownership, and better understanding will enhance enjoyment and reduce conflict.

Kelly G. Richardson Esq., CCAL, is a Fellow of the College of Community Association Lawyers and a Principal of Richardson|Ober LLP, a California law firm known for community association advice. Send column questions to Kelly@ roattorneys.com. Past columns at www.HOAHomefront. com. All rights reserved®.

Do we need to worry about Social Security being changed?

By Janice Gough

A falsehood about Social Security that is widely repeated is that the Social Security trust fund is already bankrupt since there is no money left in it--it’s already been spent by the government. But that represents a fundamental misunderstanding of basic accounting.

By law, the SSA must invest any surplus in the Social Security trust fund in U.S. Treasurys. In return, SSA carries those Treasurys on its balance sheet as an asset. Claiming that the Social Security trust fund is broken is equivalent to claiming that every corporation that owns Treasurys must also wipe those assets off its books.

Apple (AAPL), for example, has over $30 billion in U.S. government securities on its balance sheet, according to its latest annual report. Indeed no one thinks those assets are worthless.

What if Congress never can agree on any changes? Yet another aspect of this debate that needs correcting is the worry among many eventual Social Security recipients that, if Congress cannot agree on making any changes, they will receive nothing after 2034. That’s not true; according to SSA, they would still receive 77% of benefits. That’s not great by any means, but neither is it the end of the world.

The head of the National Association of Registered Social Security Analysts points out that even if only threequarters of scheduled benefits get paid, Social Security will still be the primary source of income for many, if not most, retirees. Moreover, a study confirms that most politicians would not allow payments to be less than 100 %.

It’s time to correct misunderstandings about Social Security. Thanks to President Biden’s State of the Union speech, the debate over the future of Social Security

has made it into the frontpage headlines.: ‘Let’s stand up for seniors’: Biden invites Republicans to promise that Social Security cuts are off the table. Perhaps now we can, once and for all, dispense with the urban myths about Social Security that up until now have created debate. Regardless of how we think Social Security’s challenges should be met, this debate must be based on cold, hard facts. Thus, I wish to elaborate on whether the allegations are factual or Incorrect.

To begin with, I will address that Social Security is facing a “crisis.” This simply is not accurate, at least according to the standard dictionary definition of a crisis as “a sudden change.” We have known for decades that Social Security’s finances would need to be augmented as the baby boom generation retires.

Consider what was known as long ago as 1983, when the last significant legislative changes were made to shore

up Social Security’s finances.

Actuaries at the Social Security Administration (SSA) correctly projected that. In light of those changes, the Social Security trust fund could pay out all benefits from 2030 to 2050. Their projections have proved remarkably accurate, as the SSA currently projects that the trust fund will be unable to pay out 100% of benefits starting in 2034. Thus. We have known for four decades that fixes would need to be made by 2030 or soon after. There is no longer a Social Security funding “crisis today, as actuaries and politicians took years to enact the 1983 legislation. For many years, SSA actuaries had projected that the trust fund would be unable to pay out 100% of benefits beginning in the early 1980s. As that insolvency date approached, the deadline for action was pinpointed as July 1983. Yet the Social Security Amendments of 1983 weren’t signed into law by then-President Reagan

until April 20, 1983--with just 10 weeks to spare.

The 1983 example shows a considerable lead time for that year’s legislation; with that in mind, we shouldn’t expect the next round of changes to be enacted for at least another decade. It’s irrational to wait that long, to be sure since it becomes costlier to restore Social Security’s finances the longer we delay it. How and when to take social security can be tricky. Call us for help!

The bottom line? Everyone can agree that Social Security’s finances need to be changed. But a “crisis” mentality is not conducive to having an earnest debate about how to make those changes.

Janice Gough is a Financial Consultant in Palm Springs, located at 1111 Tahquitz, Bldg#120. {The Law Building}. Contact us by calling (760) 251-7724 or Mobile at (650) 200-8291 or Emailing: Janice@ GoughFinancialSvcs.com

For American Heart Month, Families Challenged to ‘Be the Beat’

By Desert Star Staff

Does anyone in your immediate family know basic CPR? The American Heart Association said your life could depend on the answer.

February is American Heart Month, so the association has launched a campaign called Be the Beat, which challenges one person in each family to learn CPR.

Dr. Michelle A. Albert, professor of cardiology at the University of California-San Francisco and president of the American Heart Association, said 350,000 Americans suffer a heart attack outside

a hospital each year, and 90% do not survive.

“Only 40% of out-ofhospital cardiac arrest people receive CPR,” Albert reported.

“One core reason is that many people don’t know how to perform CPR or are afraid to perform CPR.”

Experts say if you witness someone collapse and have no pulse, call 911 or have somebody else call. Then do compressions in the middle of their chest for 100 to 120 beats per minute. This is called hands-only CPR.

In California, all high school graduates must pass a

health class that includes CPR training. Albert added currently, 38 states make CPR a graduation requirement.

“One major reason why kids need to learn CPR is that often, they may be the only bystanders to save

the lives of their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles,” Albert emphasized.

Training more people in CPR is essential in communities of color because statistics show Black and Hispanic/Latino Americans

are less likely to receive CPR from bystanders.

Disclosure: The American Heart Association Western States Region contributes to our fund for reporting on Health Issues.

We’re in a drought. We all need to reduce our water use by 15 percent. That’s about 12 gallons per person per day.

It’s easier than you think. Check with your water agency to see what rebates are available, to save water, money, and beautify your home!

For more ways to save, visit CVWaterCounts.com Counts.com

CENTER STAGE WITH LADY BEVERLY COHN

Lee Edward Colston II’s “The First Deep Breath”

Plays with a dysfunctional family theme have been part of the theatrical landscape going as far back as the ancient Greeks, who spawned several compelling playwrights, including Sophocles, who, among his other plays, wrote “Oedipus at Colonus. “ There is a long list of family-anchored plays, such as Neil Simon’s dramedy Brighton Beach Memoirs. Other family dramas whose theme deals with family dysfunction include Tennessee Williams’s Cat on a Hot Tin Roof,” Clifford Odets’s “Awake and Sing!” and John Guare’s black comedy House of Blue Leaves. Arthur Miller’s seminal body of works of this genre includes A View from the Bridge, All My Sons, Death of a Salesman, and like Tracy Letts’s brilliant August: Osage County, and Miller’s Long Day’s Journey into Night, The First Deep Breath by Lee Edward Colston II earns a definitive place with these historic and

enduring great American plays. Brilliantly directed by Steve H. Broadnax III and performed on an exquisite multi-level set by Scenic Designer Michael Carnahan, Act I kicks off with a long fire and brimstone monologue delivered by Pastor Albert Melvin Jones III, (Herb Newsome.) Most of the sermon is devoted to the death of his daughter Diane, the child with whom he felt closest. Shortly after that, we meet the various Jones family members, including Dee-Dee Jones, nicely played by Candace Thomas. She is with her brother AJ, beautifully characterized by Opa Adeyemo, who skillfully mines the multiple layers of his character. He is living a duplicitous life of which the family is unaware. AJ is a senior in high school, and the family, especially his father, believes that he is applying to a seminary to train as a preacher and join him in ministering to the church, which is about to

expand in size and scope. This critical addition to the neighborhood comes under closer scrutiny later in the play. AJ tells the family that he’s gotten a full scholarship to Harvard, Temple University, and UCLA, but when he receives a letter, he doesn’t want to open it in front of the family. Dee-Dee has her secret as she is engaged to Leslie Carter (Brandon Mendez Homer) but has her reasons for not telling the family about the status of their relationship. Aunt Pearl, who provides comic relief throughout Acts I and 2, is fabulously played by Deanna Reed-Foster. She lives in the Jones house and is the glue that keeps everything together. She cooks fabulous meals, cleans, and is the primary caretaker for her sister Ruth, rivetingly performed by Ella Joyce. Ruth is in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and is suffering memory loss, especially about her daughter’s death, who

she fully expects to show up for Thanksgiving dinner. She does have lucid moments from time to time, one of which is entirely unexpected and targeted. The way the character is written, and without taking anything away from the actor playing Ruth, there are similarities between her characterization and Florence Eldridge’s award-winning performance as Mary Cavan Tyrone in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. The next family member to arrive home is Albert Melvin Jones IV, fascinatingly performed by the playwright. Al has just completed a prison sentence for a crime he may or may not have committed, and the truth will be revealed in the dynamic Act 3. During his difficult stay in prison, he converted to Islam, chose a new name, Abdul-Malik, and began to write poetry. He is not welcomed home by his dad, who insists he removes his skull cap. Pastor Jones is unrelenting in his criticisms of his son and is tough on the whole family. In a critical moment, he tells Al, “You are my shame.” Secrets abound in this exquisitely written play, especially one between Al and his childhood friend Tyree, well performed by Keith A. Wallace. The space is filled with memorable lines such as Al to Tyree: “You are my favorite poem,” or by Ruth in a lucid moment at the Thanksgiving table which, after ruminating about being married for 37 years, she declares, “Don’t kill him unless you have help hiding the body.” Acts 1 and 2 take us through the life and times of this family and their challenges, culminating in the third act’s shocking revelations. The fully actualized performances in THE FIRST DEEP BREATH don’t just materialize. Highly skilled, sensitive director Broadnax

III guided this talented cast to present the best possible performances. Also under his guidance is the incredible technical team which includes:

Costume Designer Eduardo Castro; Sound Designer Curtis Craig, who composed a lively soundtrack based on Composer Rashad McPherson’s music; Fight Director Steve Rankin, who staged the realistic fight scenes; and Choreographer DJ Smart. A big shout-out to Lighting Designer Pablo Santiago, who creatively enhanced the unfolding action and covered the transitions between scenes with vibrant shades of blues, greens, and reds, which cast a colorful wash across the stage.

This is a three-act play with two intermissions. I will tell you each act is as strong as the previous one and leads us through this complicated family dynamic which will ultimately reveal shocking surprises you had no idea were coming. And that’s about all I’m going to say other than get your tickets to this perfect theatrical presentation and fasten your seat belts for a bumpy and sometimes funny ride awaiting you.

THE FIRST DEEP BREATH

Gil Cates Theatre

The Geffen Playhouse

10886 Le Conte Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90024

Written by Lee Edward Colston II

Directed by Steve

H. Broadnax III

Tuesday - Friday: 7:30 pm

Saturday: & Sunday: 1:00pm & 7:00pm

Closing: Sunday, March 5, 2023

Running Time: 3 hours and 45 minutes, including two intermissions.

Tickets: $39 - $129 310.208.2028 or www.geffenplayhouse.org

$15 Million Settlement Against ‘The Pill Club’

By Desert Star Staff

OAKLAND — California

Attorney General Rob Bonta today announced a $15 million settlement against The Pill Club, a Silicon Valley startup operating an online pharmacy for birth control and contraceptives. The investigation by the California Department of Justice (DOJ) found that The Pill Club defrauded Medi-Cal of millions of dollars by dispensing and reimbursing for expensive products that customers had not asked for and submitting reimbursements for ineligible services and prescriptions.

“The Pill Club unacceptably siphoned off

Medi-Cal funding intended to help vulnerable communities access essential healthcare,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I am grateful to the whistleblowers and our investigators who held The Pill Club accountable.

The Pill Club was formed in 2016, offering California patients, including Medi-Cal beneficiaries, an online-only prescription and delivery service for reproductive care-related products. The DOJ’s Division of MediCal Fraud and Elder Abuse (DMFEA) found over a threeyear-long investigation that the company defrauded the Medi-Cal program in

several ways, including by: Billing for services it had never rendered. For example, investigators found multiple instances in which the company had submitted claims for 30-minute faceto-face counseling sessions when The Pill Club’s nurse practitioners had no direct or real-time contact with those patients. In addition, investigators found as many as 3,000 Medi-Cal claims submitted by the Pill Club for purported medical services that were never rendered.

Dispensing enormous quantities of costly products its customers had not asked for. For example, DOJ

investigators found that The Pill Club distributed shipments of FC2 female condoms to multiple women who were Medi-Cal beneficiaries but who had no interest in receiving or using these devices. The company billed Medi-Cal for these products at prices that were, on average, 250% higher than the retail price. FC2 would be sent out as part of a ‘bundle’ when patients requested emergency contraception. Patients could not easily opt out of the bundle. In addition, the Pill Club regularly sent the maximum quantity of FC2 to new patients and with refills. As a result,

Medi-Cal beneficiaries were sent massive amounts of FC2 — sometimes as many as 96 were dispensed at a time — and The Pill Club was, in turn, reimbursed as much as $2,253.80 for a single prescription delivery. The DOJ investigation found The Pill Club continued sending many patients large quantities of condoms and submitting Medi-Cal claims for the condoms, even after the patients asked to stop receiving them.

The claims resolved by the Settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.

L-R: Keith A. Wallace, Candace Thomas, and Opa Adeyemo in The First Deep Breath at Geffen Playhouse. Directed by Steve H. Broadnax III. Photo by Jeff Lorch.

Make Your Job Work for You

By Desert Star Staff

For some people, job dissatisfaction results from a crummy boss or a stifling work environment. For others, the problem lies much more profound; you must reevaluate your career path and find a more suitable fit.

If you’re considering a career change but not sure which direction you’re headed, consider these words of wisdom: Do some self-reflecting. Take time to give your current work situation a thorough analysis. Determine which elements you enjoy, what rubs you the wrong way, and what you’d change if you could. Consider practical solutions to your problems, whether switching to a different role in the same field or exploring a new industry entirely. Avoid the temptation to focus on the negative. Instead, take plenty of time to consider the positive aspects of your current job since that insight can help inform your next step. For example, if you enjoy your limited contact with customers, a job with more customer-facing interaction might not be a good fit. Ask for input. Sometimes

loved ones hold the key to a happier career path because they can point out details you don’t recognize. For example, they might recall when you were most relaxed and comfortable or point out talents or skills you take for granted. Often, these natural abilities are an excellent foundation for a career because you’re wellequipped to be successful. Consider your personal interests. Keeping your personal and professional life separate isn’t necessarily a bad idea, but finding a way to merge the two can be helpful. This is especially true if you combine training or skills with something you’re passionate about. For example, if you’re an avid outdoorsman, you might find great satisfaction in applying your business management background to work for a company that specializes in camping gear. Understand what motivates you. Landing the right job isn’t just about having the right qualifications for a position that interests you. At the end of the day, you’ll feel most content when your job offers meaningful rewards.

Motivators can be financial, or they might have more to do with the ability to learn and grow. For example, some people are willing to sacrifice a bigger paycheck to know they’re making a meaningful contribution in a field they care about. Learning what outcomes resonate best can help you find a more rewarding career.

Do your research. Changing your career path is a big move you shouldn’t take lightly. Before diving in, spend time looking into the field you’re considering to better understand factors like growth opportunities, job availability, qualifications, compensation, and more. If you aren’t exceptionally qualified for the job you think you want,

Tools for Tomorrow’s Picasso Party

explore what it will take to get there, whether training, education, or putting in your time to gain experience and work your way into the desired role. A career change may be just what you need to shift your life in the direction you want. Find more career advice at eLivingtoday.com.

Source: Family Features

Continued from Page 1

front of a class was one of the benefits of the programs. Something many adults fear.

TFT is an after-school program with qualified instructors teaching creative writing, art, music, and theatre. Classes are held 5 days a week, and classes are fIn addition, ree. TFT supplies the equipment and snacks. TFT is currently in Cathedral City, Indio, Desert Hot Springs, La Quinta, Palm Desert, Palm Springs, and

Rancho Mirage schools.

Tools For Tomorrow Visionaries will host, A Night at the Moulin Rouge as their annual Fundraiser. Jeff McDonald and Charles Thomas will be honored for their philanthropy in the Coachella Valley. The event will be held on February 27th. This will be a dinner show. This program allows our youth to learn about the arts by being a part of it hands-on. They get to show their artwork and perform in front of people. All great learning experiences.

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Former TFT student Jose Munoz and Program Director David Hirsch. Photo by Pat Krause

Terri Neuman, Rob Moon, actress Joyce Bulifant standing with Honoree David W. Bryant and TFT founder Rachel Druten seated. Photo by Pat Krause.

$1 Million in Goods stolen from Apple Stores

Suspects stole from stores in Yolo, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego, and Riverside counties

By Desert Star Staff SAN FRANCISCO —

California Attorney General

Rob Bonta today, along with the California Highway Patrol and other partnering agencies, announced arrests and charges against eight individuals involved in a statewide organized retail theft operation targeting primarily Apple Store locations and resulting in a total loss of approximately $1 million to date. The alleged conduct occurred between August 2022 and January 2023 and involves an organized criminal scheme in which suspects would enter stores and hold back employees and customers while stealing retail items, including thousands of dollars of phones and tablets from each location.

The alleged crimes occurred in the counties of Yolo, Monterey, Alameda, Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, Orange, San Bernardino, San Diego,

and Riverside. The suspects face multiple counts of felony charges brought by the California Department of Justice, including conspiracy to commit retail theft, organized retail theft, grand theft, theft in the amount over $500,000, and an aggravated white collar enhancement.

Attorney General Bonta brings this prosecution forward as a result of a collaborative multiagency investigation that included the California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Theft Crimes Task Force (ORCTF), Oakland Police Department, Riverside Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) San Francisco Field Office, and the U.S. Marshal’s Office (Northern Division).

California and states across the country have seen a pattern of organized retail crime. According to a 2020 national survey, U.S. retailers lose approximately $700,000

per every $1 billion in sales to organized retail crime.

Attorney General Bonta and law enforcement partners throughout the state proactively collaborate to end organized retail crime. In 2021, Attorney General Bonta brought together retailers and law enforcement to address the challenge of organized retail theft and develop strategies for combating this criminal activity head-on. Also in 2021, Attorney General Bonta announced the sentencing of a group involved in organized retail theft in the Bay Area. In March 2022, Attorney General Bonta announced felony charges against members of a statewide organized retail theft ring and international shipping operation, and in April, announced the guilty pleas of two members of an organized retail theft ring operating throughout California targeting JCPenney and Sam’s club stores.

Photographer John R. Hamilton At Palm Springs Modernism

By

Desert Star Staff

The photographic works of John R. Hamilton have been described as sexy, intimate, and timeless. As one of the 20th century’s most prolific photographers, Hamilton is best known for capturing images behind the scenes at more than 70 film sets across the west from the 1940s to 1990s. In 2014, a group of enthusiasts who knew and appreciated John R. Hamilton’s work acquired the entire collection from the Hamilton estate to promote and celebrate his body of work and preserve the archive for future generations.

Fans of these classic images can learn more about the making of the collection and its impact on American Culture during Modernism Week in Palm Springs at 11 a.m. Friday, Feb. 17 at the Annenberg Theater. The presentation, Hollywood Cool: The John R. Hamilton Lost Photography Archive Exposed, features commentary from Amy Shepherd, executive director of the John R. Hamilton Archives; Ethan Wayne, president of John Wayne Enterprises, which acquired a portion of the collection; and Laurie Kratochvil, visual consultant, and former photo editor of Rolling Stone

and InStyle magazine.

The John R. Hamilton Lost Archive of rarely or neverseen photographs is one of the most significant collections of Hollywood photography. For over 40 years, Hamilton chronicled some 77 movies, photographed 300 magazine

covers, and shot hundreds of commercials – over 100,000 era-defining images of the most iconic celebrities. The long list of leading men and women, musical legends, distinguished film directors, and household names Hamilton photographed reads like a “Who’s Who” of

Hollywood’s Golden Age. Previously tucked away in obscurity, the photos showcase the film’s most legendary faces in an entirely new light. There’s a strapping, young Clint Eastwood washing his car, Brigitte Bardot cooling her heels, and steelyeyed Steve McQueen looking right down the lens. Other iconic celebrities included John Wayne, Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Ann-Margret, Elvis Presley, Kirk Douglas, Dean Martin, Natalie Wood, and many more. By now, their images are etched into the celluloid psyche of millions of people across multiple generations. But Hamilton managed to capture a different, more intimate side to these stars, all with a certain sense of raw sex appeal. Hollywood Cool is a key feature in this year’s Modernism Week, an annual celebration of midcentury modern design, architecture, art, fashion, and culture in Palm Springs. Modernism Week features more than 350 events on Feb. 16-23, 2023.

Tickets for Hollywood Cool are $15 and can be purchased at https://go.modtix. com/f/f23/hollywoodcool?date=2023-02-17

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R&B Stars Tony! Toni! Toné! to Perform at Morongo

By Desert Star Staff

The Grammy-nominated legends of the new jack swing era bring their timeless hits to Morongo on Saturday, February 11.

Morongo Casino Resort & Spa – Tony! Toni! Toné!, the Oakland trio whose take on new jack swing music dominated the charts and dance floors during the ‘80s and ‘90s will perform at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on Saturday, February 11.

Tony! Toni! Toné! Fused new jack swing -- the hiphop/R&B hybrid -- with the traditional gospel and classic R&B to create unique sounds. From 1988 through 1996, the band placed a dozen singles in the Top Ten of Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop chart, with three of them – “Feels

Good,” “If I Had No Loot,” and the Grammy-nominated “Anniversary” -- taken to the same heights of the Hot 100.

The band’s four studio album, Who? (1988), The Revival (1990), Sons of Soul (1993), and House of Music (1996) each earned gold, platinum, or multi-platinum status.

“Tony! Toni! Toné! Created some of the richest ballads and most substantive dancefloor grooves of their era,” said Simon Farmer, Morongo’s Executive Director of Marketing. “From their 9-minute romantic epic Anniversary to the pumping Feels Good, their chart-topping music is as relevant today as it was when it was first released.

Tickets are on sale now

for $ $79, $69, or $49 via Ticketmaster. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the Show

starts at 9 p.m. All ages are welcome at the Show; minors must be accompanied by an

adult. For information, visit morongocasinoresort.com.

New Bill Would Make CA School Lunches Healthier

By Desert Star Staff

Starting next year, D-Berkeley, authored the bill to

calories they’ll consume in a day,” Skinner pointed out. “We must ensure that our meals are as healthy as possible and don’t contribute to chronic diseases like diabetes.”

The Biden administration unveiled new sugar, salt, fat, and whole grains guidelines,

which will be phased in over the next few years. It marks a reversal from the Trump administration policy, arguing that stricter guidelines do little and generate more waste if children reject healthier options.

Skinner noted the bill

also directs the state to study whether kids in school currently have sufficient time at lunch to eat.

“My bill asks to get the data on whether we are providing adequate time for children to eat,” Skinner explained. “And if not, what

adjustments would we make?”

According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 4 million Californians have diabetes, and another 10.3 million have prediabetes. The bill does not address food sold in vending machines or at school events.