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Hot Springs, CA Bill Beck, Janie Hughes, J.R. Roberts, Palm Springs Gen. Mgr. Dave Ready and Walk of Stars Desert PresiPresi PERMIT NO 00005 dent Robert Alexander. Photo by Pat Krause
June 7, 2017 Vol. 10 No. 45
Queen of the Desert Winner- Vanity Halston in gold costume with dancers in pink dresses and men dancers in back. Photo by Pat Krause Story and Photos by Pat Krause The 4th annual Queen of The Desert gala benefits Desert Aids Project. The event was held at the Renaissance Palm Springs in the Ballroom. Over 700 people attended, and the gala was sold out
early as it always has been. This was a So-Cal Lip-Sync Competition that brought out some of the most well known drag queens in the Desert to show their talents as artists. Emcees were also such well-known artists as
By Desert Star Staff Coachella, CA - Over 50 parents, students and community members addressed the Coachella Valley Unified School District Board to voice their priorities on funding allocations of the Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF). The funds for the LCFF were secured through Proposition 30 in 2012 and are designated to support high- needs students such as those categorized as English Language Learners, low-income and foster youth. Since Coachella Valley Unified is at 96% high needs, the District receives a large amount of additional supplemental and concentration dollars to cover these students. (Source: www.fairshare4kids.org)
The Schools Action Team of Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Coachella Valley has been advocating since 2014 for transparency in the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP), the document that lays out how this additional money will be spent, and to ensure the allocation of funding for Restorative Justice practices through the LCFF. Last year, Restorative Justice practices were allocated about $300,000 of which only a partial amount of the money was actually spent. “There is incomplete information on how the District spends their money. We want there to be a more accountable and
Ethylina Canne and Bella da Ball aka Brian Wanzek. Six performers vied for the title of 2017 Drag Queen of the Desert, a much-coveted award. Ethylina Canne started the night with a performance of her own. The first part of
the night was the swimsuit competition that showed them in swimsuits in resort wear. Contestants Bellonce Aguilera, Lola, Mayhem Miller, Crystal Champagne, Vanity Halson and Arrival Trampway all gave outstanding
performances. The costumes were fantastic. Some of the artists came on stage with dancers or fellow performers and elaborate costumes that showed they were out to win. Continues on Page 10
Community speaks out on funding priorities for the CV Unified School District
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