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Palm Springs
Cathedral City
Desert Hot Springs
Rancho Mirage
desert
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PRESORTED STANDARD
Golden Eagles fail to soar against Falcons. See story on page 11.
US POSTAGE PAID Desert Hot Springs, CA
Fashion for a Cause
W E E K L Y
PERMIT NO 00005
September 25, 2013 Vol. 7 No. 46
Laurie Wietz, Brenda Lynn Martin and Angela Romero modeling Wearable Fine Art Fashions by Lon Michels.
Desert Blind and Handicapped Association Gets a Charitably Wearable Fine Art Assist
PALM SPRINGS – Helping to kick off the desert’s busy social season, Copley’s restaurant will be the scene of a fashionable Fall Garden Party on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 2-4 p.m. to benefit the non-profit Desert Blind and Handicapped Association, Inc. (DBHA). “We are extremely excited to be hosting this party,” said George Holliday, DBHA president and treasurer.
The event will showcase wearable fine art fashions by Lon Michels of Lon Michels Gallery and jewelry by Alex Hunter. Entertainment will include wellknown local classical cellist Ray Kelley of Resort Music and jazz guitarist Jon Dalton from Los Angeles. Brian Wanzek (known for his alter ego, Bella da Ball) will emcee, and hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar will be available. Among the local notables and
celebrities who will be modeling the work of Michels and Hunter will be Mellissa Ballard, Cindy Ferris, Albert Gonzalez, Dr. Raila Horne, Barbara and Jerry Keller, Rose King, Brenda Lynn Martin, Michell Michou, Bianca Rae, Willie Rhine, Charlene Robbins, Grace Robbins, Sara Rogers, Theresa Rogers, Angela Romero, retired NFL Quarterback Gary Valbuena and Laurie Wietz. Michels, whose gallery is
Exceeding the Grade
located at 1061 N. Palm Canyon Dr., has been painting for more than 45 years; his work is in museums and private collections around the world. The artist paints evening gowns and other clothing pieces to help raise funds for charitable causes — donating $60,000 to charity in the last year alone. D B H A , b y p ro v i d i n g transportation and social services, empowers the blind, low-vision
and / or physically disabled population to develop and live independently. Services are available to residents of Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs and Rancho Mirage. Tickets to the Fall Garden Party at Copley’s, located at 621 N. Palm Canyon Dr., are $50. They can be purchased through desertblind.org/events.php, by calling 760-440-7720 or emailing events@desertblind.org.
Cielo Vista Charter School Soars in California State Test PALM SPRINGS – Students at Cielo Vista Charter School were surprised with a full-day, schoolwide celebration last Wednesday for achieving the highest California State Test (CST, aka STAR) scores in the history of Palm Springs Unified School District (PSUSD). Cielo Vista’s academic performance index (API) score for 2012-13, which was recently released, is 903. It is the first time a PSUSD school has reached 900 or above. The state requires 800. The day of celebration included an assembly with the Palm Springs High School jazz band, under the
direction of Brian Ingelson and “Rocky the Ram,” the Palm Springs Power Baseball mascot. The Living Desert held three Wildlife on Wheels assemblies sponsored by the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation, while Camp of Champions had inflatable sports activities and DJ, Craig Michaels led a dance party. The most recent API score for Cielo Vista Charter School is 13 points above its last score. With a 39 percent English Language Learner population, the school has seen a 117-point growth over the last five years. “One of our goals when
becoming a charter school was to reach a 900 API by our third year,” said Lynda Lake, CVC principal. “We did it, and we couldn’t be more proud! This is a huge accomplishment for our entire school community and everyone who has supported us.” Cielo Vista became a charter school in 2010 after operating as a traditional public school within PSUSD since 1952. CVC presently serves nearly 800 students from the Palm Springs area in grades K-6, with 79 percent of the student body considered economically disadvantaged by state standards. Students of Cielo Vista Charter School celebrate their record-setting California State Score.