Desert Star Weekly 'Friday' Feb. 17, 2023 issue!

desert STAR

Joshua Tree Music Fest

By Desert Star Staff

Joshua Tree, CA: The spring Joshua Tree Music Festival lineup is here! This will be Joshua Tree Music Festivals’ 21st annual spring event, from May 18th to May 21st, at the Joshua Tree Lake RV & Campground in Joshua Tree, CA.

Joshua Tree Music Festival lineups are keenly crafted curations spanning diverse musical styles. They feature artists on-the-rise alongside esteemed global acts, local and international musicians, a few surprises, and a lot of talent.

Headlining this May are

New Orleans funk legends Galactic. Galactic draw on 25 years together, 10 albums and over 2000 shows; they’ll be accompanied by vocal powerhouse Angelika “Jelly” Joseph. Balkan Bump brings high-energy global electrobrass and lush live production to the mix. Revolutionary

Pioneering Funk Icon Musician George Clinton to Perform

By Desert Star Staff MORONGO CASINO

RESORT & SPA – Influential and eclectic funk legend George Clinton, famous for his beloved bass-slapping Parliament-Funkadelic collective, will perform at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa on Friday, March 3.

Clinton began his iconic music career as part of the 60s band The Parliaments before forming his powerhouse collective, Parliament-Funkadelic, in 1970. For the next two decades, the collective released numerous hit albums and singles,

including “Flashlight,” “One Nation Under Groove,” and “Membership Connection.”

Regarded as one of the foremost innovators of funk music, Clinton was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1997, alongside 15 other members of ParliamentFunkadelic. In 2019, he and Parliament-Funkadelic were given Grammy Lifetime Achievement Awards.

“George Clinton’s impact on R&B, soul and rock has influenced countless artists across multiple genres and generations, and his iconic style and electrifying

performances have earned him a dedicated fanbase,” said Simon Farmer, Executive Director of Marketing at Morongo.

Clinton has also been recognized by the NAACP Image Awards, the Motown Alumni Association for lifetime achievement, and an honorary Doctorate of Music from the celebrated Berkley College of Music. Tickets can be purchased through Ticketmaster for $39, $59 or $69. Doors open at 8 p.m., and the show begins at 9 p.m.

rock n’ rollers The Last Internationale add a touch of grit. And Thievery Corporation founding member Rob Garza is set to play a sizzling latenight DJ set fusing dub, triphop, reggae, and bossa nova. Adding international flavor to the lineup: the trance dance-inducing Dutch-

New Zealand trio, My Baby; the searing hypnotic rebel music of Tuareg tribesmen, Tamikrest; and HaitianAmerican Leyla McCalla, who sings in French, Haitian Creole and English. Do not miss these

Friday, February 17, 2023 Vol. 20 No. 14

Continues

First Israeli delegation to Turkey is making its way back see page 2.

First Israeli delegation to Turkey is making its way back

By Desert Star Staff

“We rescued 19 people from the ruins while they were still alive” - MDA representative in the Israeli rescue delegation to Turkey sums up the 8 days of their operation: MDA Director General: “MDA paramedics at a field hospital continue to help victims in the affected area.”

The first Israeli delegation that traveled to Turkey to assist in locating, rescuing, and treating victims in the disaster area began this morning (Monday) to complete its mission and is now making its way back to Israel. During 8 complex days, the delegation managed to rescue 19 people from the ruins while still alive. A representative of Magen David Adom to the Home Front Command delegation, director of the emergency department, and MDA paramedic,

Lt. Col. (res.) Felix Lotan summarizes the activities conducted in the disaster area. He describes the rescue operations in ruins - from the problematic sights to the signs of life and when the rescued 6-year-old boy ran into his grandfather’s arms. We arrived late at night at the disaster area in Karamanmarsh,’ Felix recalls, “Moments later, I was already called to assist the teams of the Home Front Command.

We were directed to the ruins of a building where a small child was trapped. It was a complicated rescue; we broke through the basement into an apartment above us, where the boy was. Through the spaces we created, we managed to rescue the child, and after I checked him, I realized that he was in excellent medical condition. It was gratifying, but nothing prepared me for when he ran barefoot to

Joshua Tree Music Fest

high-energy main stage performances: saddle up for some splendid rock-and-roll with over-the-top theatrical rockers, Whiskerman; be mesmerized by the electrotribal force that is Trouble in the Streets; and take an extradimensional cosmic journey with Golden Dawn Arkestra.

To get a feel for the music vibe and soak up the full spectrum of styles, listen to the official May 2023 Spotify playlist.

The festival kicks off at 5pm on Thursday evening, the perfect warm-up to an action-packed weekend on the dancefloor with music rotating from early until late between the four stages. “We believe in high-quality shared experiences at JTMF. Music rotates with one stage live at a time, so you don’t miss a beat, and this May, we’re adding the

after-hours House It Up silent disco DJ sets for those that want to keep dancing into the early hours.” So says festival founder Barnett English.

Just a stone’s throw from the otherworldly Joshua Tree National Park, Joshua Tree Music Festival has been drawing music lovers to the mystical Mojave desert since 2003. The four-day festivals are immersive, communitycentric, family-friendly, and conscientiously inclusive experiences. Attendees are seasoned festival goers and first-timers alike, a passionate community coming together with a mission to experience social interaction on a deeper level and foster positive, lifechanging moments. Joshua Tree Music Festival happens each May and October. For more information, go to www. joshuatreemusicfestival.com.

Source: Jackie Devereaux

his grandfather, who was waiting for him outside.’

“I don’t remember going to sleep at all in the first few days,” says Felix, “we were in a specific area, and all of our team worked on very few hours of sleep and food - not because there was none, but because there is no time to eat and no time to waste.” We moved from place to place, from building to building, and at one point, we began a very long rescuetwo people trapped under the ruins of one of the buildings.’

Hours into that complex rescue, Felix receives a message that there is another rescue - a woman identified under the rubble not far away and in a challenging situation. “The doctor of the

rescue unit asked for another senior medical person with him to make decisions, and I got there quickly. The leg of the 27-year-old woman was trapped in a complex way under the rubble, and we are debating whether to perform an amputation to rescue her. Unfortunately, time worked against us, but after consulting with a rescue officer, we decided not to amputate the leg and continue with a different rescue method. Finally, after an hour of rescue efforts, we released the portion without amputating it. The woman was in a very narrow and crowded space, it was tough to move there, but another hour passed, and we managed to extricate her alive.

The woman was rescued and conveyed for further medical treatment. Minutes later, Felix was called back to the first site, where the rescue was still underway. “We were in the middle of a situation assessment, and suddenly they ran to me and told me that they needed my help at the previous site after the teams broke in - to perform an assessment and medical treatment because the teams detected signs of life. So I entered the ruins and finally reached a man about 60 years old who was conscious. I performed medical tests, and when I realized it was possible - together with the team -

we started to pull him out while he was conscious.’

Over six days and at the end of complex rescue operations, the members of the Israeli delegation, including a paramedic and director of the emergency department at MDA Felix Lotan, managed to rescue 19 people from the ruins, including a father and his children from the destroyed buildings. But on the 7th day of the mission, the delegation members were called to stop the search - the chances of finding survivors alive were very low. “We are folding our temporary base,” said Felix with mixed emotions, “It was an amazing job, and we saved a lot of lives, but we would have been happy to save many more. So I am returning to Israel to help understand how to prepare and implement the treatment methods conducted here in Turkey during the last week if, God forbid, a disaster of this magnitude will happen in the State of Israel.’

It is possible to interview the MDA representative of the Israeli rescue delegation to Turkey, the MDA Director of the Emergency Department, and paramedic Felix Lotan - who participated in the rescue operations.

Zaki Heller, MDA Spokesperson www. mdais.org www.facebook. com/mdaisrael Source: Pamela Price

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Eight Local High School Teams Advance to Mock Trial “Elite Eight”

By Desert Star Staff

RIVERSIDE – After four rounds of competition, legal teams from eight local high schools have advanced to the “Elite Eight” of the 41st Annual Riverside County Mock Trial Competition to be held on Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 6 pm at the Robert Presley Hall of Justice (4100 Main Street, Riverside). The semi-finals will be held on Tuesday, February 21, and the 2023 champion will be named after the final round on Thursday, February 23, 2023. The final round will occur at 6 pm at the Riverside Historic Courthouse (4050 Main Street, Riverside).

Additionally, more than a dozen students were honored for top performances with blue ribbons and prestigious internships in local legal organizations after the fourth round of competition on Saturday, February 11.

This year’s case, People vs. Franks, revolves around the Trial of Jordan Franks, a young actor who finished a run of performances of the Shakespeare adaptation Macbeth at Sea on the cruise ship Heart of the Ocean. Franks is charged with robbery and battery of Franks’ fellow actor, Billie Scher. The alleged crime is the subject of the fictional court case that nearly 400 students from high schools in Riverside County have been arguing during multiple rounds of competition in Indio, Murrieta, and Riverside courtrooms since January 26, 2023.

Mock Trial involves students arguing cases in front of real judges and scored by actual attorneys. The competition is open to all grades 9 through 12 enrolled in Riverside County public and private high schools. Teams consist of 8-25 students filling the courtroom roles of defense and prosecution attorneys, witnesses, clerks, and more. For the first time in the history of Riverside County Mock Trial, the role of courtroom artists has been integrated into the competition.

In 2022, the first-time winner, Notre Dame High School, defeated Poly High School (Riverside USD).

In 2023, the winning team will represent the county at the California Mock Trial competition to be hosted in Los Angeles on March 17-19, 2023. In addition, the National Mock Trial Competition will be held on May 18-20, 2023, in Little Rock, Arkansas.

2023 Riverside County Mock Trial Competition

BLUE RIBBON AWARD RECIPIENTS Outstanding

Courtroom Artist

1st Place – Gold

Medal: Edith Cervantes, Ramona High School

Honorable Mention –Rafael Guzman, Palo Verde High School

Honorable Mention –Jay Martinez, Hemet High School

Honorable Mention – Briana

Velazquez, Temecula Valley High School

Outstanding Bailiff

1st Place – Gold Medal: Brooklynn Batlle, Hemet High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Aubrey Hernandez, Notre Dame High School

3rd Place – Bronze

Medal: Damien Milton, Great Oak High School

Outstanding Clerk

1st Place – Gold Medal: Javier Orozco Ceballo, Patriot High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Xavier Felix, Notre Dame High School

3rd Place – Bronze

Medal: Emily Tucker, Palm Desert High School

Outstanding Defense

Pretrial Motion Attorney

1st Place – Gold Medal: Kierstyn Cohen*, John W. North High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Gretchen Reyes, Notre Dame High School

3rd Place – Bronze

Medal: Jack Dickinson, Great Oak High School

Outstanding Prosecution

Pretrial Motion Attorney

1st Place – Gold Medal: Erika Salcedo*, Murrieta Valley High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Erick Jacobsen, Temecula Valley High School

3rd Place – Bronze

Medal: Lorelei Tang, Santiago High School

Outstanding Prosecution

Witnesses

Witness: Bill Scher

1st Place – Gold Medal: Lucas Maduena, Indio High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Ethan Flores,

Patriot High School

3rd Place – Bronze

Medal: Taylor Graham, La Quinta High School

Witness: Cleo Shafer

1st Place – Gold Medal:

Marco Ramirez, Valley View High School

2nd Place – Silver

Medal: Destiny Casas, Indio High School

2nd Place – Silver

Medal: Fatima Garcia, Patriot High School

Witness: Ari Kouch

1st Place – Gold Medal:

Hannah Van Patten, La Quinta High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal:

Eva Prince, Poly High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal:

Jonathan Pereschini, Chaparral High School

Witness: Dylan Mavis

1st Place – Gold Medal:

Ashley De Gennaro, Notre Dame High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Connor Sousa, Martin

Luther King High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Anna Pham, Murrieta Valley High School

Outstanding Defense

Witnesses

Defendant: Jordan Franks

1st Place – Gold Medal:

Marco Ramirez, Valley View High School

2nd Place – Silver

Medal: Elizabeth Ayers, Heritage High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Ashley Reyes Balcorta, Temecula Valley High School

Witness: Jade Marquez

1st Place – Gold Medal: Mackenzie Watkins, Poly High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Katelynn Phan, Valley View High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Daniel Ortega, Great Oak High School

Witness: Karter Lucky

1st Place – Gold Medal: Gavin Stewart, Hemet High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Amy Moreno, Palo Verde High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Bree Savage, Great Oak High School

Witness: Ezra Weintraub

1st Place – Gold Medal: Rafael Guzman, Palo Verde High School

2nd Place – Silver Medal: Zoe Sullivan Douglass, Chaparral High School

3rd Place – Bronze Medal: Reese Cash, Martin Luther King High School

Outstanding Prosecution Attorneys

Delaney Donahue, Martin Luther King High School

Annabelle Lindwall, Poly High School Maggie Orelana**, Santiago High School

Outstanding Defense Attorneys

Ashley De Gennaro, Notre Dame High School

Kaylee Magno, Martin Luther King High School

Reyshilyn Villegas***, Valley View High School

For a complete listing of the schedules and locations for all rounds of the competition, visit www.rcoe.us/studentevents/mock-trial.

“ELITE EIGHT” ROUND