Deset Star Weekly March 31, 2023 issue!

Your adjudicated newspaper for Riverside County

desert STAR

“Little Woman Musical”

Palm Canyon Theatre presents an update of a timeless story with Little Women the Musical April 7-23, 2023

By Desert Star Staff Palm Springs,

Calif. –

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s American classic, this Civil War-era tale of love and family follows the adventures of sisters Jo (Georgia Smith),

Meg (April Mejia), Beth (Jackie Padgett), and Amy (Katrina Dixon) March. Jo is trying to sell her stories for publication, but no one is interested. Meanwhile, a friend encourages her

to write more about her personal experiences. Begrudgingly taking this advice, Jo weaves the story of her family growing up in Civil War America into an exciting musical journey.

Large & Gorgeous fashion design

By Desert

Star Staff NEW YORK -- H&M

U.S. has expanded its extended size assortment, featuring products that go up to 2XL in stores for ladies and men and up to 4XL online for ladies and 3XL for men.

Acknowledging the industry-wide challenges that prohibit size-inclusive change, H&M U.S. is taking steps to make the brand more inclusive for the plussize community by explicitly focusing on offering a more comprehensive and diverse assortment of sizes for all body types. As a valuesdriven company committed to Inclusion & Diversity, H&M U.S. is proud to partner with founder, activist, & model Tess Holliday

to utilize her extensive industry knowledge and personal experience as a plus-size shopper and advocate for change within the company. In addition, Holliday was consulted to ensure H&M U.S. is equipped with the tools, information, education, and support to help mitigate bias, improve inclusion and promote diversity - from design ideas, product development, marketing, and communications.

For months, H&M U.S. and Holliday have worked closely together to identify specific areas of improvement by making fashion accessible to all customers. Through the

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Based on Alcott’s novel, first published in 1868, the musical adaptation opened on Broadway in 2005 and featured a book by Allan Knee, music by Jason Howland, and lyrics

by Mindi Dickstein. The original production garnered nominations for a Tony Award, three Drama Desk Awards, and an Outer

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for men and women

Banking Woes Send Consumers Looking for Safer Alternatives

Nuray Ozbay, investment officer for Self Help Federal Credit Union in California, said Community Development Financial Institutions and Minority Depository Institutions, known as CDFIs and MDIs, are comparatively well-capitalized and with high levels of liquidity.

“Community banks, CDFIs, and MDIs are usually financially conservative,” Ozbay explained. “They put their members first, and they are usually risk-averse. So, they are safe places to invest.”

Silicon Valley Bank focused heavily on startups, while Signature Bank invested a lot of money in cryptocurrency. Ozbay noted that local banks are much less likely to rely on higher-risk investments.

helps people invest their money according to their values, said smaller credit unions are more accountable to their members because the members are also the banks’ leading investors.

“They’re more likely to take profits from the year and invest it in member services,” Quirk-Garvan pointed out. “Whether hiring more tellers or investing by making loans in a local community bakery, they’re making different decisions regarding their values.”

The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the FDIC, keeps the banking system stable by insuring all deposits up to $250,000, no matter the size of your bank.

By

result, some experts are pointing to a more significant role for community banks.

Brady Quirk-Garvan, coowner and financial adviser for Natural Investments, which

Disclosure: Self-Help Credit Union contributes to our fund for reporting on Consumer Issues, Environment, Health Issues, and Social Justice.

Coachella Valley’s Top Priority Transportation

By Desert Star Staff

INDIO, CA ¬– The Interstate 10/Monroe Street Interchange Project in the City of Indio received a $26.2 million federal grant, further advancing the project to construct significant upgrades and improvements.

The Surface Transportation Block Grant (STBG) from the U.S. Department of Transportation was approved for the project on March 8, 2023, by the Riverside County Transportation Commission.

“Monroe Street is one of the busiest highway entry

points in Indio and provides access to many popular activities and locations within the City. These funds will benefit the entire Coachella Valley by supporting a thriving local economy, providing enhanced safety, and increasing accessibility to neighborhoods, businesses, and recreation,”

Indio Mayor Oscar Ortiz said.

The I-10/Monroe Street Interchange Project was named the top priority transportation project in the Coachella Valley in the latest Transportation Project Prioritization Study by the

Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG).

The $89 million project will support upgrades such as widening the Monroe Street Bridge to provide four lanes over the Coachella Valley Storm Water Channel and I-10. Additional improvements include sidewalks, protected bike lanes, and upgraded traffic lights.

Construction is expected to begin in early 2025 and be completed by fall 2026. The City of Indio contracts with the County of Riverside to perform

Large & Gorgeous fashion design for men and women

partnership, Holliday has been involved in H&M’s local U.S. Content Studio, providing valuable feedback during model castings and on best practices for photo shoots while significantly ensuring extended sizing

styles were not only wider ranging in size but also stylistically. Hence, the garments are flattering in fit.

In addition to their extended size assortment, H&M recently introduced a new denim collection, Curvy Denim, which is sized to focus on fit and

shape instead of size and caters towards a curvier body shape by including more room in the hips and thighs and longer rise.

The new extended-size styles are now prominently featured on HM.com for easy navigation.

“Little Woman Musical”

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Critics Circle Award. The additional cast of Palm Canyon Theatre’s Little Women the Musical production includes Laurie Holmes as Marmee March,

Michele Davis as Aunt March, Jesus Sandoval as Laurie Laurence, and David Brooks as Professor Bhaer. The show is directed by PCT founder Dr. William Layne and choreographed by Se Layne. Costumes are by Derik Shopinski, with lighting and

set design by J.W. Layne.

Little Women the Musical runs April 7-23. Show times are 7 p.m. on Thursdays, 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $38 for adults, $34 for seniors, and $17 for students. Group

project-related activities.

The state allocated the STBG funds to the RCTC under the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. RCTC identified highway plans and improvements as a

priority for using the funds. CVAG has been a project partner with the City of Indio since 2007, providing funding for the project’s pre-construction phases.

discounts are available.

For tickets, sponsorship opportunities, or other information, call the PCT Box Office at 760-3235123 or order online at palmcanyontheatre.org. Palm Canyon Theatre is located at 538 North Palm Canyon

Drive, at the corner of Alejo Road and Palm Canyon Drive. Box Office hours are currently Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Little Women the Musical is presented through a special arrangement with Music Theatre International (MTI).

Desert Star Staff

The recent collapse of Silicon Valley Bank and

Signature Bank has spotlighted the safety and stability of the U.S. financial system. As a

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