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W E E K L Y
PALM SPRINGS • CATHERDRAL CITY • INDIAN WELLS • LA QUINTA • DESERT HOT SPRINGS
Cathedral City Councilman Charles Vasquez
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DHS Salsa Blast! Spicy food, hot music and Desert Hot Springs cool breezes are on the menu for the 1st Annual “Salsa Blast!” The Desert Hot Springs Salsa Festival, “Salsa Blast!” will be held Saturday, May 4, 2013 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Pierson Blvd., west of Palm Drive in DHS. “Salsa Blast!” is presented by the Desert Hot Springs Chamber of Commerce and is a free community event designed to celebrate everything salsa – savory spices, tempting rhythms and mesmerizing moves. You can taste it, you can dance it and you can even take it home. “We expect more than 5,000 attendees,” said DHS Chamber President and CEO Heather Coladonato. “We encourage Valley businesses to apply for vendor participation. Interest and participation in the event has
surpassed our expectations. “We are amazed at the wonderful support and recognition of the event by members of the community and our neighboring communities as well.” Gather your fans to vote for you as one of our 2013 divisional champions. Salsa Blast! will feature the Great Salsa Challenge with participation open to restaurants, chefs, aspiring chefs, home cooks, groups and non-profit organizations from throughout the Coachella Valley. There will be food, music, vendors, a Kid Blast Fun Zone, a Custom Car Show and a DJinspired exclusive Caliente Club. There’s sure to be something spicy at the Salsa Blast! for everyone. All participant and vendor applications are now being accepted. For more information, go to www.salsablast. com.
Palm Springs Gala Benefits Shelter From The Storm
PRESORTED STANDARD US POSTAGE PAID Desert Hot Springs, CA PERMIT NO 00005
May 1, 2013 Vol. 7 No. 17
Cathedral City Councilman Faces Charges CATHEDRAL CITY – A Cathedral City councilman (and current Mayor Pro Tem) returned to work last week under intense public scrutiny after being arrested for allegedly siphoning funds from the city’s employee computer loan program. Charles Vasquez, 57, was arrested Monday, Apr. 8 at his home in Cathedral City and booked into the Indio jail. He was released the next day after posting a $50,000 bond and is scheduled to be arraigned on Tuesday, June 11 on three felony counts of embezzlement by a public officer. Riverside County District Attorney Paul Zellerbach filed charges against Vasquez for misappropriation of public funds, according to a press release posted on the DA’s website. If convicted, Vasquez faces up to six years in jail. “The crimes charged involve the councilmember’s misuse of city funds through a program the city offers to loan money to employees and council members so they can purchase desktop computers, laptop computers or tablets,” said John Hall, senior public information officer for the Riverside District Attorney’s Office. “The program provides the loan at six percent interest and allows employees to make payroll deductions to repay the loans. Participants obtain an invoice or price quote from a vendor and are then given a city check to use for the equipment purchase,” Hall said A three month investigation
of domestic violence at a spectacular Gala fundraiser on Saturday, May 4 at 5:30 p.m., featuring the casts of Broadway and national tour musicals singing show tunes from The City of Palm Springs and beginnings for Shelter from the a host of top productions including the Palm Springs Police Officers Storm, the Coachella Valley’s only Les Miserables, Chicago, Hairspray, Association will celebrate new full-service shelter serving victims Jersey Boys, Wicked and many more.
conducted by District Attorney’s office revealed that from August 2011 through December 2012, Vasquez did not properly use the program and instead misappropriated city funds for personal purchases. The investigation showed that Vasquez would use part of the funds for computer purchases and part for unauthorized personal items. It also was discovered that in December 2012, Vasquez was provided a city credit card for the purpose of purchasing a laptop and a tablet but instead used the credit card to purchase $2,028 in prepaid Master Card gift cards. On previous occasions, Vasquez submitted fraudulent invoices under the loan program and then used the loan proceeds to purchase unapproved personal items in addition to some computer equipment. The complaint states that Vasquez on two occasions allegedly purchased computers and then returned them and bought personal items or kept the refunded money. The case is being prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney William Robinson of the District Attorney’s Professional Standards Unit of the Special Prosecution Section. Vasquez said, “This will be heard in the courts my only statement at this time is that I will be cleared of the charges against me.” He was elected to office in 2005. Cathedral City Mayor Kathleen DeRosa responded by saying, “This is on-going litigation and I cannot add anything.” The Shelter fields more than 3,200 calls to its 24-hour Crisis Lines each year, bringing many families to the shelter’s 70-bed emergency location. For tickets, go to www.shelterfromthestorm/gala, or 760-674-0400.