Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com
Editor/Publisher
Jimmy Boegle
staff writerS
Haleemon Anderson
Kevin Fitzgerald
coveR and feature design
Dennis Wodzisz
Contributors
Melissa Daniels, Charles Drabkin, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Terry Huber, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Matt King, Keith Knight, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Greg Niemann, Dan Perkins, Theresa Sama, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Eleanor Whitney, Rob Wilcox
The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, DAP Health, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, and the LGBTQ Community Center of the Desert.
A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR
I was in the Los Angeles area on the morning of Saturday, May 17, because the California News Publishers Association’s journalism awards event was that evening. We’d just sat down for brunch at a restaurant when a friend called.
He told us he’d seen claims on social media that a helicopter had crashed into Desert Regional Medical Center. My heart sank, and I felt sick to my stomach.
I jumped on social media. In addition to a lot of posts effectively asking, “What in the hell was that boom?!” I saw the same reports my friend had. I also saw claims that there had been a gas-line explosion, that a car bomb had gone off, and that whatever the explosion was “completely destroyed” multiple buildings. I also saw posts proclaiming an “abortion clinic” was involved.
As details started to come in from reliable news sources about what had really happened, accusations of partisan/ideological blame started flying willy-nilly. This had to have been done by an angry Trump supporter, some said, or perhaps a “Christian pro-lifer.”
Others blamed the radical left. (My favorite post, however, was a rambling, grammatically challenged claim on X saying that due to the explosion, “There has been a serious increase in air surveillance UFO HUnters in morongo valley sky valley palm springs tonight is a great night to see the aircraft they claim does not exist i personally spotted 10 of them tonight look up.”)
Of course, we now know what really happened: A suspect identified as Guy Edward Bartkus, a 25-year-old from Twentynine Palms, drove a 2010 Ford Fusion into the parking lot of the American Reproductive Centers (ARC), a fertility/in-vitro fertilization clinic at 1199 N. Indian Canyon Drive. A little before 11 a.m., that vehicle—with Bartkus in it or nearby—exploded, essentially destroying the ARC building, and damaging multiple buildings within several blocks of the blast. Four people were injured—but thankfully, Bartkus was the only person killed.
We now know, based on various things he posted online, that Bartkus was someone who was “anti-life” or “pro-mortalist”—someone who was angry that he existed, and did not like that he was brought into this world without his consent.
So … there was no helicopter crash into a hospital, thank god. There was no gas explosion. An abortion clinic was not targeted. And being “anti-life” is not part of any Democratic, Republican, liberal or conservative platform I’ve ever seen.
This is just the latest example of how misinformation spreads like crazy whenever a big news story breaks. Please: Whenever something big happens, assume whatever you see on social media is an unverified rumor, until reliable, trusted sources start to chime in. And please, don’t spread unfounded rumors on social media yourself. Misinformation is real, and it sucks.
The ARC building was essentially destroyed, and other nearby buildings were badly damaged. The May 17 bombing is considered an act of terrorism—and most insurance policies don’t cover damage due to terrorism.
This is why Palm Springs-area business leaders including Bob Smiland (Desert Hand Car Wash), Liz Ostoich (Farm, Tac/Quila, Clandestino), Willie Rhine (Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge, Willie’s), Bill Sanderson (Townie Bagels) and Gregory Goodman (My Little Flower Shop) teamed up with the Desert Business Association (DBA) and Greater Palm Springs Pride to create Rebuild Palm Springs, an effort to raise funds to help businesses and residents whose buildings were damaged. The DBA will disperse the funds, with Greater Palm Springs Pride acting as the fiscal sponsor, using guidelines based on the city of Palm Springs Facade Improvement Program.
If you’re able, please go to bit.ly/ RebuildPS to contribute.
Welcome to the June 2025 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. As always, thanks for reading.
—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com
Bring your family and friends to the Agua Caliente Cultural Museum for summer 2025 activities. Learn, create, and explore during select hands-on Sundays from June to July.
SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 11 A.M.- 3 P.M.
PALM CANYON
Learn about Palm Canyon with Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Tribal Member Anthony W. Purnel. After you visit the canyons in the Permanent Gallery, complete your own desert animal track art activities in the Museum classroom.
SUNDAY, JUNE 22, 11 A.M.- 3 P.M.
BEGINNER POTS
Join Museum educators to view and learn about ollas, clay pots, and make a small clay vessel with traditional potter Tony Soares. Please be aware that depending on capacity, there may be a wait to participate.
SUNDAY, JULY 13, 11 A.M.- 3 P.M.
TÁVUT, MÁLMAL, AND MÁNAL
Come discover more about desert plants and animals like the távut (cottontail rabbit), málmal (butterfly), and mánal (beavertail cactus) through art and observation! Create a watercolor landscape project and experience hands-on educational objects.
RSVP for Summer Sundays to programs@accmuseum.org. Space is limited. Free same-day Museum admission with RSVP (admission not guaranteed).
STANDING UP FOR HUMANITY
When violence strikes health care, none of us are untouched
by Dr. Keith Tokuhara
As the week of May 19 approached, I was preparing for a full week of cataract surgeries—routine cases, complex ones, many involving patients I’ve known for years.
Then, on Saturday morning, May 17, I received an emergency alert from Desert Regional Medical Center. A bomb had exploded across the street from our surgery center, targeting a nearby fertility clinic. It was quickly labeled an act of domestic terrorism. As a cataract surgeon, I never imagined receiving instructions on how to report to work after a bombing. Yet here we are.
Although the blast didn’t directly hit our facility, it shook every corner of our medical campus. At our El Mirador Surgery Center, we had to halt all surgeries for safety reasons for at least several
days. That meant calling patients who had been preparing for sight-restoring procedures and telling them they had to wait.
We often say medicine is a calling. Most of us enter the field because we want to help people. We stay in it, even as the health-care system grows more strained and chaotic, because we still believe in our purpose. But no part of our training prepares us for becoming collateral damage in an act of health-care violence. We don’t expect to fear for our staff. We don’t expect to fear for ourselves.
The ripple effects of violence in health care don’t stop at the walls of one clinic. They move through hallways and waiting rooms, through operating-room schedules and morning rounds, through team meetings and phone calls with anxious patients. When a bomb goes off outside a fertility center, it’s not just fertility doctors and their patients who are affected. It’s the oncologist two doors down. The pediatric nurse down the hall. The ophthalmologist across the street. Fear doesn’t distinguish between specialties.
The morning after the attack, I received an update from Ian Mullings, our surgery center administrator. The building was structurally sound, but we would remain closed for a time. I understood the need for caution. Still, it broke my heart.
Some of the patients we had to postpone had waited months for their procedures. For elderly individuals with worsening cataracts, these surgeries aren’t just about improved vision— they’re about reclaiming independence, driving
again, recognizing loved ones’ faces. That loss of momentum matters.
Violence in a space dedicated to healing strikes a particularly cruel chord. But what’s equally tragic is how normalized the fallout is becoming for health-care workers. In recent years, threats against medical providers have grown more common. So have verbal abuse, harassment and physical attacks. Burnout was already rampant in our profession after the pandemic. This kind of trauma only deepens the wound.
The hardest part isn’t just the danger. It’s the conversations we’re now forced to have—with our staff about evacuation routes. With our patients about rescheduling their appointments. With our own children about why someone would bomb a doctor’s office.
And yet, amid this tragedy, something extraordinary has also emerged: solidarity.
In the hours after the bombing, I received messages online from patients expressing concern—not for their delayed surgeries, but for our team’s well-being. I saw nurses comforting each other, front-desk staff returning to work with quiet resolve, and physicians offering their time to colleagues stretched thin.
That kind of unity is more than comforting— it’s sustaining.
To my fellow doctors, nurses, technicians and administrative staff: Whether you deliver babies, restore sight or administer medicine, know this—you are not alone. Even if your office windows didn’t shatter, you likely felt this blast in some way. That ache is real, and it’s shared.
We cannot let violence in health care become the new normal. We cannot allow fear to displace our purpose. If we’re going to keep showing up for our patients, we must also show up for each other—with vigilance, empathy and courage. Violence tries to silence. But our duty as physicians has always been to speak up—for our patients. For our safety. For our humanity.
Dr. Keith Tokuhara is a board-certified ophthalmologist at Desert Vision Center in Rancho Mirage, specializing in cataract surgery and ethical, patient-centered eye care.
HONORING NATURE, HISTORY
Chuckwalla National Monument deserves protection for both its natural beauty and its historic significance
by Craig Meling
Iserved in the United States Army for more than 18 years and was part of 250 combat patrols. When I left the Army, though, I found it hard to return to everyday life in the Coachella Valley. Diagnosed with PTSD, my journey back to civilian life was a long process with twists, turns and setbacks. I found during this journey that spending time in nature helped with my healing.
I’ve become an advocate for our parks, national monuments and public lands because of this experience. I want other veterans to be able to visit these places and find healing in nature. That’s why I became one of many voices in the Coachella Valley that pushed for the creation of the Chuckwalla National Monument. Veterans, Republican and Democratic elected officials, tribes,
business owners, people who go off-roading and like to hunt and camp—we all came together to ask that these special public lands be protected.
With this strong chorus of local, bipartisan support, we were successful! Chuckwalla National Monument was established on Jan. 14, 2025, and protects public lands south of Joshua Tree National Park.
For me, one of the most important features of the monument is its military history. This includes Camp Young (located to the south of Joshua Tree National Park), one of several camps included in the larger Desert Training Center. These locations were used by the Army during World War II to train soldiers for desert warfare abroad. Remnants of the sites remain, including insignias of military units.
To have Camp Young protected means something to me. It means that we have a place—close to home—where we can take friends and family and remind them about our history. Less than half of one percent (0.5 percent) of the total Americans who served in World War II are still alive today. With the passing of these heroes, it is more important than ever that we preserve the places that represent their sacrifice.
I am a constituent of Rep. Ken Calvert, who represents communities to the west of the monument. Rep. Jay Obernolte serves an area to the north with lots of public lands, parks and monuments. I’m asking these members of Congress to join veterans like me and others and advocate strongly for the Chuckwalla National Monument to remain protected.
Over the past several months, we in the Coachella Valley have experienced a lot of uncertainty about the future of our public lands. The people who steward these places have been suddenly fired. It’s been reported that the Department of the Interior is considering trying to strip protections from six national monuments, including Chuckwalla.
In times of uncertainty, we look to our leaders for direction. I consider it my
patriotic duty to continue standing up for my community of veterans.
If you, like me, care about honoring our veterans and want to see our region’s military history remain preserved, please call your member of Congress. Ask them to ensure that Chuckwalla National Monument and its World War II history remain protected. Thank your representative for what they do on behalf of our veterans, and encourage them to champion the places where our military heroes can find healing in the great outdoors.
Craig A. Meling is a U.S. Army veteran who lives in the Coachella Valley
FBI Assistant Director Akil Davis speaks at a May 17 press conference as Palm Springs Police Chief Andy Mills and City Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein look on.
Craig Meling.
HIKING WITH T
BY THERESA SAMA
Are you looking for cooler places to hike during the summer months?
This is the time of year when we must be creative to find those cooler places to hike. We can take advantage of our local preserves and canyon trails, which often offer shade; some even have running water nearby. Some of the most popular trails to enjoy this time of year are in the Indian Canyons (especially the Andreas Canyon hike and the Murray Canyon Trail to Seven Sisters falls), the Thousand Palms Oasis Preserve and the Whitewater Preserve.
I like to take drives in my spare time and discover new trails. If you are familiar with Riverside (just an hour from the desert), or even if you’ve just passed through, you know the temperature is often 10 to 15 degrees cooler than it is in the Coachella Valley.
You may have noticed the big white “M” on the hillside as you travel between Moreno Valley and Riverside along Highway 60. That “M” is 150 feet tall and 150 feet wide, with each leg of letter being 20 feet across—and there’s a trail you can use to hike right up to it! Not only is the “M” an amazing sight; the hike offers magnificent views of Riverside and Moreno Valley, at least on clear days.
The “M” hike comes highly recommended, but be aware that AllTrails lists the level of difficulty as moderate, and the Box Springs Mountain Reserve website at rivcoparks.org lists it as difficult; I agree with “difficult.” It’s 3.8 miles out and back and can take around 2 to 2 1/2 hours to complete, with some steep and slippery sections. This trail has more than 1,200 feet of elevation gain and is not for the faint of heart. Be sure to wear proper gear— including actual hiking shoes—and take plenty of water. There are several trail crossings along this path that can be confusing and cause you to take a wrong turn, so I recommend taking a trail map or using the AllTrails app.
The ”M” hike is one of seven popular hikes, which vary in difficulty, within Box Springs
Mountain Reserve, which totals 3,400 acres. The mountain rises more than 3,000 feet, providing breathtaking views. You can find a printable map of all the trails at rivcoparks.org.
Within Box Springs Mountain Reserve, you’ll find two parking areas that have shade, picnic tables and restrooms. They’re perfect places to take a break from the surrounding trails and take in the beauty and tranquility that nature has to offer. Dogs are welcome, but must be on a leash.
Upper Box Springs (Box Springs Mountain Park) is located at the top of the mountain, near the “M,” at the end of Pigeon Pass Road. It is a beautiful and peaceful area that’s often secluded, with 1,100 sloping acres (15 miles) of trails offering spectacular views and a variety of wildlife. I discovered this area years ago, back in my running days, when I would go to escape the desert heat and spend hours running all over this mountainside. It’s a great workout for sure! I’ve seen more wild burros and coyotes than people in this area.
Hidden Springs is located at the base of the mountain, just off Hidden Springs Road, accessible from Pigeon Pass Road. I was in the area recently and discovered some cool trails; some were wild burro trails. I saw some beautiful wildflowers and a few grazing burros along these trails. It turned out to be a great stopping point for a break in my travels.
Both Upper Box Springs and Hidden Springs are open seven days a week from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m., with a use fee of a $5 per vehicle, and $2 per pet.
Across the way, off Highway 60 at the Market Street exit, is Fairmount Park, which offers an accessible trail—an easy 1 mile loop that can be completed in less than 30 minutes. This is a nice walk around a beautiful lake with lots of shade, picnic tables and restrooms. There are almost always ducks around, and the park offers a beautiful rose garden that should be in full bloom through June. During the summer, you can rent paddle boats to cruise around the lake. There are other surrounding trails in this beautiful, shaded area to enjoy as well.
Be creative, and find cooler trails—like those at the Box Springs Mountain Reserve—during the summer
Back in the desert: Mark your calendar so you don’t miss these cool night events hosted by Friends of the Desert Mountains: • From 8:45 to 10:30 p.m., Saturday, June 14: Friends of the Desert Mountains’ Monument Night Adventures begin at the Art Smith Trailhead, at 51500 Highway 74, in Palm Desert; meet 15 minutes prior to the start time at the trailhead parking lot, across the highway from the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center. This is a family-friendly night hike where you will discover how the desert comes alive after dark—and see which animals change colors under a blacklight. Wear closed-toed shoes; bring water and a black light, if you have one. No dogs are allowed, and minors must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. A suggested donation of $5 per person is encouraged to support the volunteer programs. For more information, call 760568-9918. RSVPs are required; register online 14 days prior to the event at www. desertmountains.org.
• From 8 to 9 p.m., Saturday, June 28, join the star party at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center, hosted by members of the Astronomical Society of the Desert, for fun “sky tours” and direct observations of the night sky through telescopes and binoculars. This is a family-oriented event, and minors must be accompanied by their parents or guardians. A suggested donation of $5 per person is appreciated and encouraged to support the volunteer programs. For more information, call 760-862-9984; you may register online 14 days prior to the event at www.desertmountains.org. The event will be cancelled if skies are overcast. Always plan any hike carefully, and drink water prior to hiking. Bring a buddy and plenty of water with you (at least one liter per hour, per person). Make sure someone knows where you’re going, and avoid hiking during the hottest parts of the day (generally 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Stay safe, and don’t forget the Friends’ 10 Desert Essentials (www.desertmountains. org/hiking)!
Wild burros graze along the “M” Trail that starts at Hidden Springs within Box Springs Mountain Reserve. Theresa Sama
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS
BY BONNIE GILGALLON
The first things you notice about Alison Elsner are her smile, her energy and her chic short blonde haircut. Describing herself as an empath, Elsner is passionate about many things, including health care and the welfare of animals.
Born in Portland, Ore., Elsner enjoyed what she described as an idyllic childhood. An only child, she moved with her parents to Southern California when she was 12. Their new home was in San Marino, just outside of Pasadena.
Elsner studied political science at the University of Southern California, and moved to Washington, D.C., to work for Sen. Pete Wilson after graduation.
“My original goal was to become an attorney,” Elsner said. “But I found that working in the
political world in D.C. was so exciting, so fun— especially meeting all of these people.”
Elsner, now 61, said that in hindsight, she wishes she had obtained that law degree, but her political career took on a life of its own, and she doesn’t really have regrets.
When Wilson became governor of California in 1991, Elsner continued working for him, and she made the move back to the Golden State. Elsner was held over when Gray Davis was elected governor. Elsner was a moderate Republican during those years, she said, but is quick to say she is currently a firm independent.
She said there’s “no way” she could be a member of the Republican Party as it stands today. But during her career, she did get to attend four Republican National Conventions, back when their platform was, as she describes it, “less hateful.”
“It was amazingly exciting,” she said. “You saw every media person down on the floor, mixing it up in the pit. That was pretty heady stuff for a young person in their 20s.”
There were some downsides to the political world. “Every day, there was new crisis—a new fire to put out,” she said. The job also involved long hours, hard work, dealing with people with tempers, etc. Elsner said she and her co-workers often dealt with the stress by going and having a drink or two. The bonds she
formed with her colleagues were strong.
“We were really in the trenches together; I’m friends for life with many of them,” she said.
Elsner added that those difficult experiences when she was young prepared her for later life.
“Either it’s not as hard now, or I’m just well prepared,” Elsner said.
In 2002, Elsner moved to Palm Springs and began working for the Family YMCA of the Desert as public-relations director. Eventually, she became the organization’s associate executive director, for both the Palm Springs and Palm Desert locations. In 2011, Elsner was named executive director of the United Way of the Desert. In 2013, Elsner decided to fulfill her dream of starting her own public-relations firm. She loved it—but grew tired of having to chase people down to pay their bills.
In 2015, she became CEO of the San Bernardino County Medical Society, which is a county arm of the California Medical Association. Elsner has been there for nearly 10 years now and calls it her dream job. The organization advocates for physicians and organized medicine, and ensures access to care for patients in the community.
Elsner said she and her colleagues are extremely worried about proposed cuts to Medicaid, and possible cuts to Medicare. Not only would cuts affect access to care for
patients; they’d take away jobs for physicians.
“If you don’t have doctors, guess what? You don’t have care,” she said.
Elsner does a lot of public presentations to doctors, medical residents and social services groups as part of her job, which she enjoys. It’s a bit of a full-circle moment for Elsner: Her father was the CEO of the California Medical Association. Though she grew up in the middle of the medical world, Elsner never thought that’s where her career path would lead.
Elsner is a vegan, and her journey into veganism evolved over time. She said she started seeing posts on social media about it, and later visited a few animal sanctuaries, including The Gentle Barn in Santa Clarita.
“I realized, wow, these are sentient beings that have families and feelings. They go through pain and emotion like all of us,” she said. “I just can’t justify seeing their lives end just so I can enjoy a sandwich—but I’m working on becoming a bit more temperate. I’m sure I offend people sometimes with my passion on the subject, and that’s no way to win over converts. I’m finding my voice.”
Though cows are not killed for dairy products, Elsner said there is still cruelty involved. “They are repeatedly inseminated with machinery to impregnate them,” she said. “Their babies are taken away immediately after birth, which is traumatic. The cows are kept in extremely small enclosures on a rotating platform. ‘Peaceful pasture life’ is a fallacy.”
Veganism can be inconvenient and difficult to maintain, Elsner admitted, especially when at a party or at someone else’s home for dinner. “There’s a fine line sometimes between standing up for yourself and being rude,” she said. “I admit I’m not always perfect with it. You just do the best you can.”
Elsner said her veganism was a factor when she lost a lot of weight three years ago, as was the medication Tirzepatide.
In June 2020, Elsner was diagnosed with breast cancer, and had a double mastectomy. After rounds of chemo and radiation, she is now cancer-free. After her cancer journey, and living on this Earth for more than 60 years, Elsner said she’s really learned how to enjoy each moment to the fullest.
Traveling is one of Elsner’s passions, and when asked to describe her idea of heaven on Earth, she mentions being at an elephant or monkey sanctuary in Thailand or Vietnam. She said the people, energy, beauty, history and design aesthetic of both countries are fascinating.
Elsner’s bucket list includes writing a novel,
going on a safari and seeing the gorillas in Rwanda. “I’d also like to open my own animal sanctuary—but I think I’d have to win the lottery for that!” she said, flashing that winning smile.
Bonnie Gilgallon has written theater reviews for the Independent since 2013. She hosts a digital interview show, The Desert Scene, which can be heard on www.thedesertscene.com and viewed on Mutual Broadcasting’s YouTube channel. Learn more at bonnie-g.com.
Alison Elsner, on being vegan: “I realized, wow, these are sentient beings that have families and feelings. They go through pain and emotion like all of us. I just can’t justify seeing their lives end just so I can enjoy a sandwich.”
A HISTORY RESOURCE
by Kevin Fitzgerald
As April drew to a close, people at media outlets, schools, libraries and businesses statewide were shocked to find out that free access to the California Digital Newspaper Collection (cdnc.ucr.edu)—and the continued existence of this valuable online statewide newspaper archive—could soon come to an end.
Hosted and managed by the University of California, Riverside, since its launch in 2007, the CDNC archive may have to shut down its operations after June 30 due to the state government’s failure to deliver the fiscal year 2024-2025 funding approved by the Legislature last year.
After exhausting contingency funds, the CDNC is almost $300,000 in debt. Those dollars were spent by the archive management team to cover the cost of its operations over the last year. Now the team is scrambling to replace the mysteriously “disappeared” funds through donations from individuals or organizations.
Brian Geiger, director of the Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research at UC-Riverside, said shortly before this article’s publication that so far, the CDNC team had received $85,000 in contributions. While that is a noteworthy achievement, that leaves $215,000 needed before June 30. If you’re so inclined, you can make a donation at www.givecampus. com/schools/UniversityofCaliforniaRiverside/ help-preserve-the-california-digitalnewspaper-collection.
Jeannie Kays, the director of Palm Springs library services, explained how vital the voluminous and keyword-searchable collection of hundreds of California newspapers is to the library’s research capabilities.
“Starting in 2013, we obtained grant funding to do a project for (the Palm Springs Public Library) called ‘Accessing the Past,’ which is a local history digital collaborative,” Kays said. “We digitize our local collection of phone books, yearbooks and various little things. But the biggest project we’ve ever done is digitize The Desert Sun archive. We received grant funding, and we worked with the CDNC to get The Desert Sun from 1934 to 1993 digitized, and they host it for us. … With grant funds and our own in-kind city funds, (the city of Palm Springs) spent almost $300,000 of funds to digitize this, to set up our archive and get this project going. It was a giant undertaking, because we had to get permission from The Desert Sun’s publisher, Gannett, (before working) with the CDNC.”
The CDNC includes content from hundreds of different newspapers that have been published throughout the state, going back as far as 1846. Many of the newspapers are no longer
in publication. One can find archives from defunct area publications like the Palm Springs News (from 1934-1951), the Palm Desert Post (1963-1999) and Palm Desert’s short-lived Post Script (1980-81). The 21,603,341 pages in the CDNC archive, as of this writing, can be searched and viewed free of charge online.
We asked Geiger why the state government failed to deliver the $430,000 in funds last year that had been approved by the Legislature.
“The money for 2024-2025 was allocated by the Legislature, but it doesn’t come directly to us,” Geiger said. “It goes through the State Library, who then passes it down to us. … Our funding, just like funding to a lot of state agencies, was reduced by 7.85%, so that part was clear … but the second part, why they withheld it all, wasn’t entirely clear to me. As far as I can tell from the email they sent, it seems like the library was hit with so many cuts this year that they decided they needed the money up there, rather than send it down to the CDNC.”
Geiger theorized that the State Library may have been counting on using federal funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services to cover the CDNC’s allocation.
“This is all conjecture,” Geiger said, “but my guess is they thought they would be able to give us IMLS money if they absolutely had to, and then they realized IMLS was being cut (due to an executive order by President Trump), so they had no recourse other than to just not send us anything.”
Trump is trying to completely eliminate the IMLS—which also helped with the city’s digitization of The Desert Sun’s archives.
“The initial grant that we got was through the California State Library,” Kays said. “I will tell you, though, that those were federal funds originally from the IMLS. This is one of the projects that benefited from that funding years ago.”
In the 18 years since the archive was started, the CDNC has grown substantially and is positioned to potentially quadruple the amount of historical information it can provide.
“Right now, it has about 50 million pages that we digitized, and about (21 million) of those are actually publicly accessible right now,” Geiger said. “I estimate there’s somewhere between 150 and 200 million pages we could digitize; that work will probably end if
After its funding is cut by the State Library, the California Digital Newspaper Collection could shut down
the archive closes down. If we stop work, and if the archive lives on at all, it will live on as 50 million pages. … It will be a static archive at that point.”
Geiger held out hope that the CDNC could get some last-minute help from the Legislature. Over a week, the Independent reached out several times to the offices of Assemblymember Greg Wallis and state Sen. Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh requesting interviews about the predicament facing the CDNC, but we received no response.
“It seems like we have pretty strong support in the budget subcommittee, from what I can gather, but I’m not quite sure what, if anything, the Legislature could do for us in 2024-2025—especially since they already approved the money for us, you know? …
This university, like all of the University of California schools and most higher-education (institutions) in California, is facing its own cuts each year, compounded by all the federal cutbacks. So they’re not in a position to fund the $300,000 that we’re short. It might be in a position to host the contents, and that’s something we’re exploring, but in terms of keeping us going as an active project, the university isn’t in a position to support us to do that.”
Geiger mentioned one potential positive scenario that could extend the life of the CDNC.
“As long as (UC-Riverside can) have assurances that we’ll get the (2025-2026 state) money at some point in the coming year, that’s good enough for the university, I think. But a lot is going to have to happen very quickly to keep the doors open.”
What will happen if UC-Riverside decides it can no longer host the CDNC, which gets 130,000-plus unique monthly visitors?
“We are exploring different options for
hosting,” Geiger said. “My guess is that there won’t be one CDNC anymore. If we do find other hosting options, it’ll probably be data is distributed across a number of different platforms, so there won’t be one central location to use any longer. That’s because of the size of the collections, which are humongous. I don’t know if there are many institutions that would want to take on a collection of that size, both in terms of the cost and the time. … We’re also exploring making sure that the data is backed up. We have backup to tapes already, but we’re looking at another backup option as well, just so that the data is preserved.”
Kays said she hopes the CDNC will get a reprieve with help from the state.
“It affects so many people,” Kays said. “You don’t realize what’s missing when things get turned off (because) the state loses the federal funding. Then, the state funding goes away, and suddenly, you realize something’s missing that you need. The impact is on more than just one or two people. I get people calling me from all over the country, asking for various obituaries (and other) research. Actually, the reporters from The Desert Sun contact us from time to time, writing stories from the past. We give them tips and tricks on how to best search their own archives. … I mean, there’s a lot of information in these newspapers.”
Perhaps the best description of what losing this valuable resource would mean came from a Desert Sun opinion piece co-authored by Kays and Randy Lovely, president of the Coachella Valley Journalism Foundation: “We understand the state is facing tough fiscal choices. But the CDNC is not a luxury—it is a foundational public good. Preserving local journalism isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about continuity. Without access to our past, we are unmoored in the present and blind to the future.”
Brian Geiger is director of the Center for Bibliographical Studies and Research at UC-Riverside, which oversees the California Digital Newspaper Collection.
PROTECTORS’ PREDICAMENT
OOther executive orders, as well as directives by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, have further by Kevin Fitzgerald
n the first day of his second term as president of the United States, Donald Trump issued executive orders intended to relax—or eliminate—an array of federal restrictions on fossil-fuel production and timber-cutting on federally controlled lands.
eliminated federal protections. The existence of the newly designated Chuckwalla National Monument, which borders Joshua Tree National Park, is in jeopardy.
Fortunately, the lands owned and managed by the Oswit Land Trust are safe.
Based in Palm Springs, the nonprofit organization was founded in 2021 and is one of the most active protectors of desert lands in the area. We recently asked David Paisley, the deputy director and community engagement director at OLT, if Trump’s various orders are affecting the organization.
“It’s certainly a problem for our mission,” Paisley said. “While it doesn’t impact any of the properties Oswit Land Trust currently owns, it impacts our mission of protecting wildlife habitats—and ultimately, our lives as human beings are interconnected with nature as a whole. We can’t survive without providing space for wildlife and for insects and for birds and all these different species that enable us all to live and to thrive.
“When you look at areas that are already protected, they’re already protected for a reason. They were protected because they were viewed as critical wildlife habitat, and to reverse that seems very unwise to me, especially with what’s happening with climate change and the threat to all species, including our own.”
The OLT website displays statistics that summarize the organization’s accomplishments during its first four years of work: eight properties acquired; 10,000-plus acres of land saved; more than 1,000 wildlife species protected on that land.
We asked Paisley if wildlife corridors on or near OLT land—the migration passageways for many local wildlife species—could be disrupted by the federal government removing protections for lands the OLT doesn’t control.
“Absolutely,” Paisley said. “There are two issues here: First is that for the corridors that exist in the Coachella Valley and in San Bernardino and Riverside (counties), there is a risk of breaking some of those corridors, if some of these lands get changed as far as their usage. The second way in which we potentially have a problem is that we’re always trying to buy and purchase new land. When we go to purchase new land, it’s (done with) private
funds, and also sometimes state, federal or local government dollars. Everything is so up in the air fiscally right now that it is hard for any of these government agencies to make any commitments to preserve more land. … Also, (funding for) the people who are doing the work of dealing with issues like invasive species (control), which really has important wildfire implications, or people who are staffing the parks and making sure people are using the parks appropriately, is all getting cut back. That’s going to allow for major damage to lands that are already protected.”
The OLT was originally formed by founder and executive director Jane Garrison to protect one of Palm Springs’ last surviving alluvial fans, named Oswit Canyon. Known originally as Save Oswit Canyon, the organization has expanded to include eight staff members and three regular volunteer project leaders. At any one time, the group may be working on five to 10 different land-acquisition deals or agricultural-easement arrangements.
“It often takes years to complete these types of transactions,” Paisley said. “It’s always a process. We’re always working more and more, and we’re growing quite rapidly. We have multiple properties in the works that we’re trying to purchase right now. … Desert Hot Springs, Indio Hills and Hemet are areas that traditionally have a lot of important wildlife habitat, and a lot of open desert that needs to be protected. These are certainly areas that we are working in.”
Purchasing these tracts of desert land, Garrison and her team believe, is the only way that OLT can truly protect habitats from any future commercial or private development. To paraphrase a maxim that Garrison states frequently: The only way to protect open land and wildlife from the detrimental effects of development is to own it.
“You just have to look across the Coachella Valley (to see the evidence),” Paisley said. “Every day, more and more raw desert is being developed. It can be really frustrating, because there are a lot of infill areas, especially in the Coachella Valley, that could be could be developed or redeveloped more efficiently to (create) more housing. But developers just want to take raw desert and plow it under and create new housing developments.”
The Oswit Land Trust continues its work to acquire property and save it from development— but Trump’s policies could slow them down
Paisley said he’d like to see governments do more to encourage infill developments.
“(Infill) could be the priorities of those developers if local or county governments demanded that these infill areas, (where there’s no) risk of destroying natural habitats in the raw desert, get redeveloped first,” he said. “… There’s so much land that can get redeveloped, and a lot of is just sitting vacant. By vacant, I mean not even raw land. How many strip malls are half-filled now that could be redeveloped into condo complexes, or town houses, or housing for people?”
As for agricultural-easement arrangements: The Natural Resources Conservation Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture defines agricultural conservation easements as legal agreements that “help private and tribal landowners, land trusts, and other entities such as state and local governments protect croplands and grasslands on working farms and ranches by limiting non-agricultural uses of the land through conservation easements.”
OLT has started working with government entities and agricultural producers to put ACEs in place on productive regional farm and pasture lands, to ensure they will only be used to raise crops or for livestock in perpetuity. Federal funds have often been used, at least in part, to compensate agricultural land owners for not accepting windfall profits that could result from land sales to commercial developers.
“When you look at agricultural easements across the country, traditionally, the federal government has been very important to funding those kinds of projects,” Paisley said. “So that is a concern in the future for any land trust or other organization that’s working with agricultural (conservation) easements. … We have to protect our food supply. People talk about protecting our energy supplies, and that is important, but protecting our food supply is also very important. Our food supply comes from our farmers, so if we don’t protect these farms, we’re going to run out of food, too.”
Can the Oswit Land Trust continue making deals when there is this much uncertainty around financing commitments?
“Sure,” Paisley said. “If you look at some of our deals, like Prescott Preserve, (that) happened because of Brad Prescott, one private individual. Not all our deals involve just government money. We’re working on a lot of different ways to acquire important land. Sometimes that land is funded by private individuals; sometimes it’s funded just by state (monies), which are relatively stable right now. Sometimes, local, county or city funds chip in.
When we’re looking at a big, expensive piece of property, typically the money comes from a lot of different sources. The federal government is not the only (funding) source, but it is an important source—and it’s also an important source for other types of activities like education or transportation. If money gets pulled from those sources, the state or city or county might not have as much money to provide for land acquisition, so it’s all connected.”
David Paisley, deputy director and community engagement director at Oswit Land Trust: “Every day, more and more raw desert is being developed. It can be really frustrating, because there are a lot of infill areas, especially in Coachella Valley, that could be could be developed or redeveloped more efficiently to (create) more housing. But developers just want to take raw desert and plow it under and create new housing developments.”
A COMMUNITY’S CHARACTER
by MELISSA DANIELS
Concerned residents in Joshua Tree have sued a developer in San Bernardino County Court to stop a master-planned gated community from being built near the west entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.
LoveMore Ranch is a proposed 64 houses on 18.49 acres along Alta Loma Drive, a road that
connects to Park Boulevard leading to Joshua Tree National Park. It is billed as as “a sustainable community,” and developer Axel Cramer says the project will preserve more natural landscape than comparable developments, with stylish architecture, rooftop solar and an onsite wastewater-treatment facility.
But the Morongo Basin Conservation Association and a community group called Joshua Tree Village Neighbors oppose the project. Their suit alleges violations of the California Environmental Quality Act around the county’s initial study, as well as violations of county code.
Legal arguments aside, the project has struck a nerve with locals concerned about the area’s cultural and ecological future, and how the project could change the community’s character. They’re also skeptical that Cramer and his team have done enough to inform residents about the project’s particulars during the planning process.
LoveMore Ranch would be the first gated homeowners’ association in the Joshua Tree area. Neighboring properties along Alta Loma are now dotted with yard signs saying “Stop LoveMore Ranch” and “Protect Joshua Tree,” plugging a website that lays out the concerns about the project.
“Sixty-four homes on 18 acres have never been approved before in Joshua Tree,” the group said in an online statement. “This will set a dangerous precedent for future Wall Street developers to swoop in and overdevelop our rural desert community.”
Cramer, owner of the property, declined the Independent’s interview request. But in public presentations, he and his team have emphasized how this development differs from other master-planned communities.
The 64 proposed homes are well under the 114 that current zoning allows. And the plans call for preserving 20% more of the natural landscape than similarly zoned projects.
“With lower temperatures and lower prices in the High Desert compared to the low desert, among many other compelling factors, it is very likely that the population will increase in years to come,” LoveMore Ranch’s website says. “Our project addresses this growth by providing a model for sustainable development, which the county can use as a precedent for future housing plans.”
Cramer, for his part, hasn’t lived in the area permanently, but he’s a fifth-generation Southern Californian who has traveled through Joshua Tree and is a rock climber who has visited the national park. He has said in public meetings that he intends to live in LoveMore, and wants to distinguish the project by prioritizing nature and the precious desert landscape.
LoveMore’s project documents paint a picture of luxurious, design-forward indoor-outdoor living. Single-story low-slung homes with wallsized glass windows would have two to four bedrooms, situated on lots ranging from 7,000 to 13,000 square feet. The plan calls for multiple community gathering spaces, as well as community gardens, a fitness center and a pool.
But some Joshua Tree residents are concerned about the scope of the development— and what it means for the environment. As one resident wrote in response to a recent survey, the project “is simply too large for our community to absorb responsibly.” Said another comment: “I feel dismayed that the county would approve this huge build without the input of people that will be directly affected by it.”
Beyond the homes themselves, LoveMore will require significant infrastructure—and that brings its own set of concerns. Joshua Tree does not have a community sewer system; residents instead use septic systems. The proposed tract map for LoveMore calls for an onsite waste-treatment plant, and neighbors are concerned about the smell, noting that homes that are less than 100 feet away. The lawsuit alleges that the county’s initial study on the project failed to adequately assess the impact of this facility and a proposed detention basin.
From an economic development perspective, LoveMore is positioned to be a boon to the county coffers. Developers anticipate it would generate around $2.2 million in permit and development fees, plus $1.5 million in annual recurring revenue from increased property taxes. The property will also bring more than $3 million in off-site infrastructure like roads and sidewalks, per LoveMore’s estimates.
LoveMore Ranch’s team members have said they aim to get shovels in the ground by the end of 2026, and open by 2028.
The Approval Process
County records show discussions about the
Will Joshua Tree be forever changed by a proposed gated community, or will resident concerns win out?
project area and a previous 75-lot proposal dating back to 2022. But tensions have mounted over the past year as plans for the 64-lot development have started moving forward in earnest, culminating in the May 9 lawsuit.
In August 2024, Cramer held a public meeting that drew more than 70 residents, many of whom spoke out against the concept. As radio station Z107 reported, one resident said: “We think this is a disgusting money grab of a development.”
Despite these concerns, when San Bernardino County’s Planning Commission in January approved the tract plan, no one spoke in opposition. With two commission members absent, the project was OK’d with a unanimous 3-0 vote from commissioners who praised the design, as well as the outreach plans.
Following that vote, the Morongo Basin Community Association and Joshua Tree Village Neighbors appealed the decision. They argued the approval was based on a flawed planning review that violated CEQA, because it did not consider the hydrological impacts of the project. The groups also raised concerns about the impact on traffic.
More broadly, the appeal argued that the community didn’t have enough time to weigh in; the groups said people simply didn’t know the vote was happening until it was too late to go to San Bernardino for the meeting. Public records show that 63 public notices were sent to neighbors, though MBCA’s survey of about 28 local residents showed only two said they received them.
The notice of hearing for the January meeting was sent to the San Bernardino Sun—which is billed as “a newspaper in general circulation in the project area,” though it is unclear what the paper’s circulation is in the Morongo Basin.
The Board of Supervisors denied the appeal at its regular meeting in April. In the lawsuit, the MBCA and Joshua Tree Neighbors Group say they want the approval voided.
A Debate About the Future of Joshua Tree
In a video message posted on the LoveMore Ranch website, Cramer addresses concerns that the project paves the way for future development.
“If we’re not the benchmark or there isn’t a precedent, the county or the jurisdiction is going to look at what else has been done,” he said. “You’re going to find a big time developer who is going to try to squeeze every drop of profit out of the development.”
Some residents have spoken up in favor of the project. Pamela Garcia attended the January Planning Commission meeting and praised Cramer for his vision, citing her experience as a real estate professional.
“This development will help meet the demand for growing choices in community living, and offer a much-needed alternative to the housing currently available,” she said. However, the voices who oppose the project are louder—and willing to go to court.
Stacy Doolittle, a volunteer with the Morongo County Conservation Association, said the project still seems too sprawling for the area. She’s concerned that the houses will be too expensive for existing residents, bringing wealthier newcomers to what is a gateway to a national park.
Doolittle said residents know that the area is growing and has a housing crisis, and aren’t flat-out opposed to any new homes. In its appeal to the county, the MBCA said more acceptable proposals would involve affordable housing, or even market-rate housing that doesn’t have a gated entry, with each house on one to two acres.
LoveMore, Doolittle said, simply doesn’t fit the high desert, rural-living mindset.
“This kind of development with this kind of housing density is not aligned with a rural community,” she said. “MBCA believes we can have sustainable development in the Morongo Basin and in Joshua Tree. But this isn’t it.”
This story is made possible in part by a grant from the IE Journalism Innovation Hub + Fund of the Inland Empire Community Foundation. To submit ideas, comments or questions to the Coachella Valley Independent about housing in the desert, visit tinyurl.com/housinginthedesert.
Yard signs from the Joshua Tree Village Neighbors alert passers-by to a website that outlines the opposition to the project. Melissa Daniels
PROFESSIONAL EXPOSURE
by HALEEMON ANDERSON
Expanded learning programs give students chances to practice classroom lessons in professional settings, alongside working artists and curators.
These programs are sometimes called “afterschool programs”—which doesn’t quite capture the cachet of students taking part in signature events like Desert X and Fashion Week El Paseo.
Aubrey Garibay-Morreo and Christina Reyna are elated after their first trip to Fashion Week. Their fashion club at Desert Hot Springs High School caught the attention of the show’s producers, who asked them to create a garment to display at the event. Working with their fashion teacher—the school offers fashion courses that transfer for college credit—the budding designers made two outfits for the show and attended as special guests.
“It felt, definitely, like a huge accomplishment,” Garibay-Morreo said. “Especially since we’ve had our fashion shows at school, and it’s really just the students who come, or just the teachers. But being able to take our project out and letting people who don’t go to our school—people we don’t even know yet—see it was really … I don’t know how to explain it. It was exciting.”
Reyna said the high fashion crowd at El Paseo was very encouraging. “They were really impressed,” she said. “They seemed so happy to know that kids our age are already starting with the love of fashion.”
Michael Hill’s art students at DHSHS were able to work with sculptor Alison Saar on her piece for Desert X. The student artists are among more than 100 people listed as collaborators on Saar’s “Soul Service Station.”
Through a partnership between Desert X, the artist and the Palm Springs Unified School District, Saar taught classes at DHSHS, located within a mile of “Soul Service Station” and two other Desert X 2025 pieces. Under her direction, students created large-scale milagros out of heavyweight foil and then attached the traditional good-luck tokens to the sculpture.
Giselle Ramirez Vasquez, a junior at DHSHS, designed one of the milagros. She’s a “star art student,” according to art and fashion teacher Rosa Esposito—as well as a long-distance runner.
Ramirez Vasquez said she was training the week Desert X opened and decided: Why wait for a future school tour? “I’m part of the long distance runners for track. We’ll run outside of school, and on our way on one of the long runs, we ran to the installation,” she said. It took a while to realize she and her classmates were participating in one of the biggest arts events in the country. “Honestly, it didn’t
really hit me at first, but, as the time went on, you feel more involved,” she said.
Expanded learning is not new, but these two highly immersive experiences are part of an intensifying effort to get students involved in the booming arts culture here.
Max Finneran runs the education unit at Desert X, which delivers arts training in more than 80 area schools through the Desert X Art Club. In the eight years since the inaugural Desert X in 2017, the education program has spread to all three local school districts. Students participate in a range of projects, from studio art to photography, arts journalism and documentary filmmaking. They go on arts field trips, get visits from guest artists and, of course, do class assignments.
The inter-district arts club created enough art to fill an entire showroom. Their diligent work culminated in an exhibition at Melissa Morgan Fine Art in the El Paseo Arts District.
Film students shot almost every aspect of Desert X 2025, from press day to opening ceremonies, student field trips and glimpses of the artists at work.
During the closing weekend of Desert X 2025, the programming included a screening of student films at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Finneran introduced the screening inside the Annenberg Theater and talked about the value of giving students these experiences.
“There’s (the) opportunity, obviously, for students to explore behind the scenes of Desert X, and (learn) how you document the making and creation and reception of an installation,” he said. “There’s also an amazing kind of professional development opportunity for students. The films capture the students’ interactions with the art and are, in large part, about articulating how students are connecting to Desert X and then responding to it with their own creative statements and visions.”
Think Together is California’s largest provider of expanded learning programs. As the site manager at DHSHS, Fiona Burns was already working with the fashion club when the opportunity came for students to attend Fashion Week.
“Think Together was the (benefiting) charity for the fashion show,” Burns said.
Desert Hot Springs High School students benefitted from expanded learning programs featuring ‘Desert X’, Fashion Week El Paseo
Fashion Week producers asked her what the fashion club students could contribute. She worked with fashion and art teacher Esposito and got students on board.
“It was really good to see how they learn,” Burns said. “They put it on paper and, all of a sudden, you get this creation, and then you get to get dressed up, and now you get to be in the spotlight and show your creativity.”
Esposito said she made sure the students got the most out of the professional exposure.
“We learn a lot that would help if they wanted to go further,” said Esposito. “(My classes) are based on principles of design. We do patterns; we do color theory; and we do the history. We learned (about) Coco Chanel, and we did a whole big Met Gala unit—things that are going on in the fashion world now, you know? I actually had a whole lecture prepared after El Paseo, because I wanted them to really pay attention to what we saw that night. It wasn’t just the models. … (I told them), ‘Look at the hundreds and hundreds of people who put on that one night we saw.’ And Fashion Week was a whole week.”
Next year, Garibay-Morreo and Reyna will be seniors. They are set to chair the fashion club as president and vice-president. They’ve completed the two courses offered at their school, but they plan to continue studying fashion through programs within the club.
Esposito said leading the club will put the students in pivotal roles for next year’s fashion shows—and with fashion becoming more popular on campus, Esposito could perhaps expand the curriculum to a third course. Hers
is the only fashion curriculum offered in the district, she said.
Meanwhile, Burns started a barbering club at the high school. She hopes it will engage students in the same way fashion has by providing a creative outlet and a path to employment or entrepreneurship.
“It’s a new program that’s a club, which, hopefully—I’m speaking this into existence— will do the same thing that fashion does. It will (become) a class for them,” said Burns.
Christina Reyna knows she wants to continue with fashion beyond high school. “I absolutely want to explore that, because I’m into almost every single (fashion) job,” she said. “I need to stick to just one, so I think I’m going to continue exploring.”
Aubrey Garibay-Morreo said she’s managing her obsession.
“For the past year, I’ve definitely had my mindset on working in the medical field,” she said. “But I would be interested in fashion, because right now, as a high school student, it’s very much all I care about.”
On the art side, Giselle Ramirez Vasquez said she’ll sign up for more art classes next year. Working with Desert X on the Saar project was a lot of fun, and she thinks art will be a hobby that she can pursue for years to come. Desert X made art seem more “accessible,” she said.
“When you think about art, it sometimes seems intimidating, like, ‘Oh, they’re professionals, and oh, they’re just on this other level.’ But when you get to work with them on their project, it’s kind of like: Anyone could really make their vision come true.”
Students at Desert Hot Springs High School and teacher Michael Hill joined artist Alison Saar to install their original artwork, produced as a part of Saar’s Desert X 2025 installation “Soul Service Station.” Max Finneran/Desert X
CV HISTORY
by greg niemann
DCabot Yerxa revealed to the world the trait that makes Desert Hot Springs one of the world’s most unique geological places
esert Hot Springs is famous for natural hot mineral waters that surface throughout the town. Nestled against the Little San Bernardino Mountains and the Joshua Tree National Park boundary, the town grew as numerous spas and resort hotels developed around the natural bubbling springs.
The area which became Desert Hot Springs was homesteaded in the early 20th century, most notably by Cabot A. Yerxa, who spent more than 20 years building his now-famous Indian pueblo. Desert Hot Springs incorporated in 1963 and has a population today of about 33,000.
While the town itself is not as upscale as other desert communities, there are several large resorts in the area, including the Miracle Springs Resort and Spa, the Desert Hot Springs Spa Hotel, the Onsen Hotel and Spa, and the upscale Two Bunch Palms, as well as several smaller spa hotels.
No Indigenous groups settled permanently in today’s Desert Hot Springs. Before the 20th century, the only people in the Coachella Valley north of Palm Springs were a band of
the Cahuilla who camped in the Garnet area. Today, Desert Hot Springs is the only Coachella Valley city primarily north of Interstate 10, and as such, it is generally the windiest community in the valley.
According to the city of Desert Hot Springs, the first homesteader there was a woman, Hilda Maude Gray, who staked her claim in 1908, five years before Cabot Yerxa. (Others say the city is incorrect, and that John “Jack” Riley was the first homesteader.) Yerxa, however, became the character most associated with Desert Hot Springs. He was born in 1883 on the Lakota Sioux Reservation, and is said to be the first white child born in the Dakota Territory. His family was friends with William “Buffalo Bill” Cody. A nearby ranch owner was future president Theodore Roosevelt.
At 16, Cabot joined the Alaska gold rush, and opened a stand in Nome, where he made a small fortune selling cigars. He lived with an Inuit family and learned their language. He then moved to California, where he became Postmaster of Sierra Madre. He married his first wife, Mamie, in 1908.
Hearing about homesteading possibilities, he boarded a train heading to the Garnet train station in the Coachella Valley. He headed north across the desert and, for a $10 fee, was able to homestead 160 acres just east of the Two Bunch Palms oasis.
While sleeping on the ground, he built a 10-by-20-foot cabin using castoff remnants of wood. After walking seven miles each way to Garnet to get water three times a week, he was motivated to dig for the necessary resource—and he discovered the hot water aquifer on Miracle Hill.
The name “Miracle” comes from the fact that he found both hot and cold water springs. On one side is a cold water aquifer; the other has a hot water aquifer, due to the Mission Creek branch of the San Andreas Fault bisecting the area. The hot water contains a large variety of minerals, including lithium, and emerges from the ground at 120 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit. The area’s spas and resorts are supported by the hot water aquifer, while the cold water aquifer provides fresh water to the city and has received awards for its exceptional taste.
With water and a questionable home, he sent for Mamie and his son, Rodney, born in 1914. The primitive living arrangements at the small cabin he called “Eagle’s Nest” prompted Mamie to leave, and they never reconciled.
Yerxa served in World War I, and then returned to California to run a retail store in Moorpark, in Ventura County. There, Cabot met L.W. Coffee, a Los Angeles developer who became intrigued by the hot springs in the desert as described by Cabot. In 1931, Coffee visited the desert and recognized the potential to develop the hot springs commercially.
After staking claims, in 1939, Coffee began laying out the streets and lots in what would be the original Desert Hot Springs cabin sites tract. In 1940, Coffee—now considered the town’s founder—recorded the map and named the town Desert Hot Springs, The official dedication of one square mile, along with the hot mineral water bath house and swimming pool, was officially made July 12, 1941, with 2,000 people in attendance—even though there were fewer than 20 residents at the time. The original town site was centered at the intersection of what is now Palm Drive
and Pierson Boulevard.
Also in 1941, Yerxa settled on a new property just north of Miracle Hill and began building a pueblo in homage to the Native Americans. He scavenged from the desert and used old railroad ties, telephone poles, deadwood and driftwood. He built a stone fireplace and mixed adobe bricks from local clay. At the age of 60, he remarried, and his bride, Portia Graham stipulated she would like more modern appliances, so he added a stove and other accruements.
While never completely finished, the Cabot pueblo is an eclectic building. At four stories, the pueblo has 150 windows, no two alike. The same is true of the 65 doors and 35 rooms. Cabot opened his pueblo-style home as a museum in 1954. He died in 1965 at 82, and flags in Desert Hot Springs flags were flown at half-mast.
His structure is now one of the oldest adobe-style buildings in Riverside County. Cabot’s Pueblo Museum was designated a state historical site, and Cabot’s Trading Post and Gallery opened there in February 2008, featuring an array of desert souvenirs and local books. On-site docent-led tours are available.
Desert Hot Springs became a tourist destination thanks to its collection of warm mineral springs, one of the largest in the United States—and one of the few places in the world with both naturally occurring hot and cold mineral springs.
Sources for this article include Cabot Abram Yerxa on the Desert Since 1913 by Cabot Yerxa, edited by Richard E. Brown (Cabot’s Museum Foundation, 2011); Desert Lore of Southern California by Choral Pepper (Sunbelt Publications, 1994); and Celebrities in Hiding by Audrey Moe (Walk Publishing, 2012); as well as pamphlets and the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society.
Cabot Yerxa’s homestead included what came to be known as Miracle Hill—a place with both hot and cold mineral springs. Photo courtesy of the Desert Hot Springs Historical Society
JUNE ASTRONOMY
By Robert Victor
As June begins, bright Jupiter is very low in the west-northwest twilight, and Mars is far to its upper left; they’re the only evening planets. Begin following Jupiter while it’s easy to see at the start of the month, and let the departing giant be your guide to emerging Mercury for a few evenings around June 7. A few days later, Jupiter disappears, and Mercury replaces it. Bright stars at dusk include the Arch of Spring: Procyon is low in the west, with Pollux-Castor 4.5° apart at the apex, and Capella low in the northwest. Jupiter is below the arch, while Mars and Regulus appear to the arch’s upper left. Other bright stars at dusk are golden Arcturus and blue Spica crossing the southern sky, and blue-white Vega, with Deneb in the northeast quadrant. Later in evening, or in twilight later in June, watch for Altair rising to complete the Summer
Triangle with Vega-Deneb. Red supergiant Antares, having just passed opposition on May 30, begins June low in the southeast at dusk. The morning twilight scene is dominated by Venus, low in the east. Reaching a maximum angular separation from the sun (greatest elongation) of 46° on June 1, Venus, as seen through a telescope, reveals a “half-moon” phase, 24” (arcseconds) across. By month’s end, Venus fills out to 63 percent full, but shrinks to 18” across. Far to Venus’ upper right, Saturn will lie directly ahead of Spaceship Earth on June 22. This month, we’ll move 44 million miles closer to this slow-moving giant planet. Saturn’s rings are inclined only 3.1° to 3.6° from edge-on during June, while the sun illuminates them only dimly from an angle only 0.4° to 0.8° off their plane. Under these conditions, the rings appear as a dim, narrow line crossing the planet. Bright stars visible at dawn include Arcturus and Antares, about to set in west-northwest and southwest; the Summer Triangle of Vega, Deneb and Altair overhead; Fomalhaut, Mouth of the Southern Fish, in the southeast quadrant; Capella, rising in the far north-northeast to northeast; and finally, Aldebaran, eye of Taurus, rising in the east-northeast twilight before month’s end. Many of the following events are illustrated on the Sky Calendar. Subscriptions are available at www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar for $12 per year.
Sunday, June 1 at dusk: The star Regulus, appears about 1° to the lower left of the fat, 40 percent crescent moon, one day before first quarter phase. Tonight, Mars appears 8°-9° to the lower right of the moon and Regulus. June 2 at dawn: Saturn, magnitude +1.1, appears 26° to the upper right of Venus, magnitude -4.4 in the east.
June 5, early dusk: You’ll need binoculars, very clear skies and an unobstructed view of the horizon to see Mercury (magnitude -1.5) in bright twilight 30 minutes after sunset, just more than 5° to the lower right of Jupiter (magnitude -1.9). Watch daily for changes, as Jupiter appears lower each night, with Mercury
higher. As the sky darkens tonight, look for Spica, the spike of grain in the hand of Virgo, 5° to the lower left of the 77% waxing gibbous moon. Tomorrow, Mercury will appear 3.6° to the lower right of Jupiter, and Spica will appear 7° to the upper right of an 85% moon.
June 7, 30 minutes after sunset: Mercury (magnitude -1.2) has now climbed slightly higher than Jupiter, 2.3° to its right.
June 8, 30 minutes after sunset: The largest and smallest planets of our solar system appear closest tonight, with Mercury (magnitude -1.1) 2.1° to the upper right of brighter Jupiter (magnitude -1.9). Antares, heart of the Scorpion, appears 15° to the lower left of the 95% moon as the sky darkens. June 9, 30 minutes after sunset: Can you still see Jupiter? It’s almost gone, 3.1° below Mercury. As the sky darkens on June 9, look for Antares just 3° to the lower left of the 99% moon in the southeast.
In the evening sky June 9-24, Mars and Regulus will appear closer together than Pollux and Castor, the “Twin” stars of Gemini. The Mars-Regulus pairing will be most striking when closest, within 0.8° apart on June 16 and 17.
June 10, at dusk: Find Antares 9° to the upper right of the moon, which will be full overnight, at 12:44 a.m. early Wednesday morning, June 11. The nights of June 10-11 and June 11-12 present the southernmost full moon of this year; and the southernmost moonset. By mid-June, Jupiter is lost in the glare of evening twilight, and Mercury and Mars are the only planets still visible at dusk. Both offer striking displays. Mercury, below the “Twin” stars Pollux and Castor, forms a nearly isosceles triangle with them for two evenings: On June 15, Mercury is about 10 3/4° from each, and on the next evening, about 9 1/3° from each. Mars appears very close to Regulus on June 16 and 17. Mercury passes 5° south (to the lower left) of Pollux on June 21, and lies in a straight line 11 1/4° long with the Twin stars while passing 6 3/4° left of Pollux on June 24. Reminder: June 24 is the last evening that Mars-Regulus appear closer together than Pollux-Castor (4.3° vs. 4.5°).
Planets and Bright Stars in Evening Mid-Twilight
For June, 2025
The month brings the shortest nights of the year—with so much to see!
This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.
Evening mid-twilight occurs when the Sun is 9° below the horizon. June 1: 46 minutes after sunset. 15: 47 " " " 30: 46 " " "
Let’s shift back to the morning of June 18 to check on the waning moon in the predawn sky. On the 18th, 1 1/4 hours before sunrise, the 54% moon is high in the southeast, 8° to the upper right of Saturn. The next morning, find the 43% fat crescent within 7° to the lower left of Saturn. On June 22, the 12% crescent moon appears within 8° to the upper left of Venus. Using binoculars, can you spot the Pleiades cluster, 9° to the moon’s lower left? Any day now, watch for the rising of Aldebaran, eye or Taurus, nearly 14° below this “Seven Sisters” star cluster.
One last chance to see the waning moon occurs on June 24. The best time to see it might be a little less than an hour before sunrise, when the hairline one-percent crescent will appear just above the northeast to east-northeast horizon, 33° to the lower left of Venus.
On June 26, about an hour after sunset, find Mercury 3° to the left of the 4% crescent moon, and Pollux and Castor within 6° and 10°
to the moon’s right. On June 27, the 10% moon appears 10° to Mercury’s upper left. Regulus and Mars, 6° apart, await 18° and 24° to the moon’s upper left. On June 28, Regulus lies 5° to the upper left of the 17% crescent, while Mars lies another 6.6° to the upper left of Regulus. On June 30, the moon, 34% full, aligns with Mars, Regulus and Mercury, 13°, 21° and 46° to its west (lower right), respectively.
The Astronomical Society of the Desert will host a star party on Saturday, June 21, at Sawmill Trailhead, in the Santa Rosa Mountains at elevation 4,000 feet; and on Saturday, June 28, at the Santa Rosa and San Jacinto Mountains National Monument Visitor Center. For more information, including maps and directions to the two observing sites, visit astrorx.org.
Robert Victor originated the Abrams Planetarium monthly Sky Calendar in October 1968 and still helps to produce an occasional issue.
Stereographic Projection Map by Robert D. Miller
Spica
Arcturus
Antares Vega
Altair
Deneb
June's evening sky chart.
ROBERT D. MILLER
Did you know that Greater Palm Springs recently became a Certified Autism Destination? And that it’s a very big deal?
The CAD designation is awarded only after multiple locations, including hotels, attractions and entertainment venues, train 80% of their staff on how to serve autistic and sensory-sensitive visitors and their families.
The designation was recently announced at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens. Greater Palm Springs is the first Southern California destination, and just the fifth worldwide, to achieve such recognition.
Visit Greater Palm Springs partnered with the International Board of Credentialing and Continuing Education Standards to initiate the CAD designation. VGPS president and CEO Scott White called the designation a “benchmark for inclusivity” that furthers the goal of making the valley a more welcoming and friendly place for visitors and locals alike. Currently, there are 24 local venues and organizations with the CAD designation; each venue receives a Certified Autism Center emblem from IBCCES, which indicates the space is an autism-friendly venue with staff trained to anticipate the needs of visitors on the autism spectrum. Certified venues may also provide resources like activity bags, stimulus toys or headphones, and in some cases quiet rooms or areas where overstimulated children can reset.
VGPS chose local music producer, rock guitarist and “autism dad” Josh Heinz to spearhead the multi-year process.
“I got hired (at VGPS) in 2021,” said Heinz, who is well-known for putting on the annual Concert for Autism, a fundraiser for the Desert Autism Foundation, with his wife, Linda. “I met the staff, and I told them all about my family (with) kids on the autism spectrum. My wife and I play music, and we do this concert. And our CEO, Scott White, said, ‘Josh, we need to talk about autism certification.’ So we met with IBCCES, and (explained how) we advocate and promote all nine
cities of the Coachella Valley. And they said, ‘Well, you guys can become a Certified Autism Destination.’ Scott really entrusted me to make it happen, and I’m grateful for it. It took about 3 1/2 years, and here we are.”
Josh and Linda Heinz met 16 years ago as single parents both raising sons who are autistic. Linda and Josh are now parents to an 11-year-old son who is high functioning on the autism spectrum. Their two older sons, now 23 and 25, have needs requiring high levels of support.
In a family with varying needs, a venue being CAC certified can make a huge difference.
“We want to be able to take our kids out and have a great time,” Linda said. “Just to be able to take our kids somewhere where they’re understood better, and accepted as people who should be in that place, too—that is a big thing for families like ours. And we’re not the only ones out here. There are a lot of us out, and we’ve been kind of ignored for a long time, so to have the light shine on us is really nice.”
Linda, a musician and music teacher, said the local network of parents needing resources is large and expanding.
“We have a big autism community out here in the desert,” Linda said. “There are plenty of parents (with) recently diagnosed children. Some of them are new to the valley; some are from here. Some of them have language barriers in getting the help they need. The autism initiative is a huge step forward for our community … even to people who don’t understand autism. It gives a lot of comfort and hope and excitement to families out here.”
Sara Castillo and her husband raised two children on the spectrum in Palm Springs during a time when autism awareness was not widespread. They always took the kids out into the community, but the going was tough. Castillo said she cried every day.
“Our daughter is 25 (now); our son is 26, so we’ve been around for quite a while,” Castillo said. “Back then, that was kind of your dream as parents—for people to not just know what autism was, because it just really wasn’t as known or prevalent 20 years (ago), but (to have) the awareness component of it.”
Autism doesn’t always present itself as an obvious disability. “It’s not visible, until maybe you start interacting with them,” said Castillo. “That’s when you see their demeanor change. So I feel like that’s the awesome part, is that there’s so much compassion out there.”
The work Josh Heinz and the team at VGPS are doing is badly needed, said Castillo. “‘Which places are they (that are certified), so we know we can go there and eat comfortably, or go hang out and just be accepted?” she said.
Families with autistic members have to do a lot of planning before any outing, said Linda.
“Whether it’s going on a vacation, or even just out to eat, you’ve got to have all your (stimulus) toys and the right kind of snacks and the kind of juice that they’ll drink,
because oftentimes, they’re very picky eaters and picky drinkers,” Linda said. “So we have to plan: What if there’s a problem? What if my child has sensory problems and gets upset or gets nervous?”
Families with children on the spectrum can now look for the CAC emblem. It’s a failsafe if, for example, toys or items are left at home by accident, with staff trained to be of assistance if needed.
Meredith Tekin, the president of IBCCES, was on hand at The Living Desert to bestow the CAD designation. The Florida-based company is a leader in global training and certification in autism, neurodiversity and accessibility.
IBCCES, using data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, says one in 31 children in the U.S. is diagnosed with autism. That number is probably low, said Tekin.
“It’s a commonly quoted statistic, but may not take into consideration children who don’t have access to care, or (are) waiting for a diagnosis, (or) millions of adults who never got diagnosed,” Tekin said. “It just really shows this is not a small part of the community. This is part of our potential market as tourism professionals that really historically has been ignored, but is a huge portion of the community and a huge opportunity.”
The investment in autism training contributes to a destination’s appeal, Tekin said. “There is a huge desire for travel, and IBCCES certification delivers a message specifically to the autism community that you’re going to be understood and welcomed here.
“There really is a connection that needs to
Josh Heinz: “As a parent, I want every single business and organization to get certified, because this is knowledge that is not just workplace knowledge; it’s a bigger deal than that. We need more options, and more accommodations, because not everybody can afford this resort or hotel, or that restaurant. We need it across the entire valley.” Credit: Ken Larmon
The Children's Discovery Museum of the Desert offers sensory bags to visitors who are autistic.
be made with this segment of the community, because what they tend to do is find a place they enjoy or where they feel comfortable, and they will go back over and over again, which is great. You know, they’re the most loyal fans, if you serve them appropriately. We want to widen folks’ options and widen their horizons so they feel comfortable trying a variety of locations and things to do. It’s important to essentially market and say, ‘My hotel, my attraction, my restaurant, my destination wants you here,’ because for so many years, they have not felt seen or heard, or felt like their needs were going to be met.”
nesses to get involved. He said several businesses that did not get certified before the big announcement are working through the process.
“ We have a big autism community out here in the desert. ... The autism initiative is a huge step forward
for
our community … even to people who don’t understand autism. It gives a lot of comfort and hope and excitement to families out here. ”
– Linda Heinz
Tekin noted that city governments in Indian Wells, La Quinta, Palm Desert and Palm Springs all opted to train their staff. Cathedral City included its fire and police departments in the training as well.
“We don’t require the city governments to be part of it, but it just so happened in this area, the community just took the opportunity and ran with it,” Tekin said. “A lot of those city governments wanted to be part of the initiative. The city of Palm Springs wanted to focus on inclusive hiring, so they became a certified neurodiverse workplace. Really, they just kind of took up the spirit of the initiative and wanted to join and be part of it.”
IBCCES provides ongoing support to every organization it certifies, ensuring that 80 percent of all public-facing staff members are certified.
“We’re doing quarterly check-ins; we’re providing guidance resources,” Tekin said. “Then, typically, every two years, they’re going to have to renew that certification. They take updated training, and they have to renew, just like any good professional credential. You don’t just do it once, and then you’re good to go forever.”
Now that the Coachella Valley has achieved the CAD designation, Heinz wants more busi-
As a community engagement manager at VGPS, Heinz is working with city councils to support businesses that want the training. He said some cities have set up reimbursement grants to help with the base cost of the CAC designation.
“We want to watch it grow,” he said. “As a parent, I want every single business and organization to get certified, because this is knowledge that is not just workplace knowledge; it’s a bigger deal than that. We need more options, and more accommodations, because not everybody can afford this resort or hotel, or that restaurant. We need it across the entire valley.”
Castillo said she can already see the difference the CAD designation is making around the valley. The goodwill is showing up, even in places that have yet to earn their Certified Autism Center emblem.
“What is so special about this is, it’s spreading,” Castillo said. “I feel like people are feeling, ‘I’m being kind right now; I’m being accepting right now; I’m offering a different service that I probably didn’t offer to that family before, because they have special needs.” And it’s a really beautiful overall feeling.”
To learn more about becoming a Certified Autism Center, visit www.visitgreaterpalmsprings.com/ partnerportal/partners/become-autism-certified
June 17 - Glenn Rosenblum
June 19 - Sally Mayes
June 24 - Alix Korey
June 26 - Susan Edwards Martin
July 8 - Glenn Rosenblum
July 10 - Julie Garnye
July 15 - William Ryall
July 17 - Claybourne Elder
July 22 - David Burnham
July 24 - Jeff Harnar
July 29 - Lee Roy Reams
July 31 -Christiane Noll
TUESDAYS AND THURSDAYS
JUNE 17 - JULY 31 7PM
68510 East Palm Canyon Dr Cathedral City, CA 760-296-2966 ext 101 CVRep.org
DO-GOODER
The Nonprofit SCENE
June 2025
ONE IN SIX COACHELLA VALLEY RESIDENTS IS FOOD INSECURE, STUDY SHOWS
Food insecurity is a pressing issue in the expansive desert of the Coachella Valley, as revealed by a recent study.
FIND Food Bank is one of the 200 regional food banks in Feeding America’s nationwide food bank network, and serves as one of the key experts in food security for the Southeastern desert region of California.
Feeding America’s annual Map the Meal Gap study finds that in the Coachella Valley desert region, which FIND serves, the food insecurity rate is more than 15%. This translates into approximately one in six people in our region being at risk of wondering where their next meal is coming from (compared to one in seven nationally).
Map the Meal Gap builds upon USDA’s most recent report of national and state data, which showed 47 million people, including 14 million children, experienced food insecurity in 2023, the highest rate in more than a decade. Map the Meal Gap emphasizes the need for the public to join the movement to end hunger.
“Hunger remains a critical issue in the Coachella Valley,” said Debbie Espinosa, president and CEO of FIND Food Bank, past chair of the National Council of Feeding America food banks, and former Feeding America national board member. “This recent study underscores the local need and confirms what we hear from people facing hunger every day. People continue struggling to make ends meet and put food on their tables. They continue to choose between medical expenses or fuel to get to work and to eat. FIND is dedicated to addressing the challenges faced by our community, and we believe in the power of our community to make a difference.”
To learn more, visit FeedingAmerica.org/ MaptheMealGap. For more information about FIND Food Bank and how to help end hunger in Coachella Valley desert region, visit FINDfoodbank.org.
THERESA
A. MIKE SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION PRESENTS ‘VIVA MEXICO!’ ON JUNE 14
“Viva Mexico! A Celebration of Celebrations Fashion Show, Sale and Dinner,” hosted by Theresa A. Mike Scholarship Foundation, is set to take over the Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa in Rancho Mirage on Saturday, June 14. The excitement begins at 5 p.m., with the fashion show starting at 6 p.m. The evening will be hosted by Katie Boer,
evening meteorologist at KESQ News Channel 3. The Cahuilla Ballroom at the luxurious Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa, at 32250 Bob Hope Drive, in Rancho Mirage, will come alive with vibrant colors, dazzling fashion, and a celebration of Mexico’s rich culture.
Get ready for an unforgettable journey into the heart of Mexico’s culture, featuring a high-energy fashion showcase with the hottest summer-inspired collections. Watch as the runway lights up with the latest styles from top designers, including JCPenney Palm Desert and Gina’s Fashion Boutique of Coachella. Feel the pulse of Mexico with DJ Chase Martinez spinning the beats to keep the energy high all night long.
This family-friendly celebration is packed with excitement for all ages. From exclusive shopping opportunities to live music performances and a meticulously curated multi-course dinner, every moment will be filled with joy. Plus, our silent auction is loaded with generous items from our incredible sponsors.
Leanna Thomas, vice president of the Theresa A. Mike Scholarship Foundation, expressed her excitement for this year’s event: “Our fundraiser has always been a familyoriented event and a celebration of life for our beloved Theresa A. Mike. What sets us apart from other fashion shows and fundraisers is the production we create for all our attendees. People are spending their Saturday evenings with us, and we want it to be worth your while by providing an evening filled with love, culture and friendship among old friends and supporters, while also hoping to build new bridges with new friends and supporters. The best way to explain it is that you must experience it for yourself and enjoy a good time with us. Hope to see you there!”” Become a sponsor or secure your VIP tickets for $150 each. Regular tickets are available at $125 each. All tickets grant access to the reception, dinner, fashion show, and a night full of memories
The Theresa A. Mike Scholarship Foundation is a nonprofit organization that awards individual scholarships to full-time, enrolled tribal members of any tribe across the United States, and/or full-time non-Native students from the Coachella Valley and the Morongo Basin. It was established in honor of Theresa A. Mike’s legacy and dreams, and honors her commitment to developing a sense of cultural richness, history, and future for the people of her tribe.
Learn more at www.theresamike.org.
—Submitted on behalf of the nonprofits by Rachel Anderson and Makeyli Marroquin
ARTS & CULTURE
CELEBRATING RESILIENCE
By Eleanor Whitney
June is Pride Month, and this year, high desert residents and visitors can look forward to a month-long, multifaceted celebration that showcases the vibrancy and diversity of the local LGBTQ+ community. Events will include performances, art shows, open mics and parties—all infused with a sense of community.
“Soul is being imbued into this year’s events,” said T. Hammidi, of Joshua Tree, who was one of the initial organizers of Joshua Tree Pride and runs the California Hi-Desert Queer and Trans Oral History Project. “Throughout the high desert, there’s interesting, creative collaborations across generations of LGBTQ+ people. Young and old, we need each other.”
The high desert has long drawn members of the LGBTQ+ community looking for refuge, creative space, an affordable cost of living, and inspiration from the unique landscape.
“As a rural place, the high desert has a very well-connected, resourceful and inviting queer community,” said Corinna Rosella, owner of Milk Thistle Apothecary in Yucca Valley.
Lady Chilane, a drag performer who moved to Joshua Tree from Tennessee in 2022, referred to the high desert as “a vortex that attracts a certain type of people. I’m all about authenticity, and this community keeps it real.”
Today’s Pride celebrations have their roots in events that started in the late ’00s as a way to increase LGBTQ+ visibility in the desert, advocate for equal rights, share resources and pay homage to the Stonewall rebellion that sparked the LGBTQ+ rights movement nationally. What began as a performance and festival emanating at the Art Queen gallery in Joshua Tree has expanded into a constellation of events across the Morongo Basin. Newer local businesses and organizations owned and run by LGBTQ+ community members and their allies have recently created more spaces for queer-centered events.
“These businesses are really important for creating queer-affirming spaces, especially with oppressive laws and hateful rhetoric under the current administration,” Rosella said.
Businesses like the Tiny Pony tavern in Yucca Valley, La Copine in Flamingo Heights, The Station and Mas o Menos in Joshua Tree, the shops at Corner62 and Ryan Heffington’s DESERTRADE residency in Twentynine Palms regularly host events that center, platform and promote queer artists and performers.
OBSIDIENNE, a drag artist, emcee and classical-music performer, co-produces the monthly HORSE GIRL drag show which blends theater, performance and art at Tiny Pony.
“The high desert is a very interesting place for creative liberation that’s open minded and down for whatever,” OBSIDIENNE said. However, they note that there’s a lack of brown people leading initiatives in the high desert, and are grateful that Tiny Pony has offered them a venue to put BIPOC performers and trans women in the spotlight.
Jill Hill, a HORSE GIRL co-producer and video artist, said they’re fighting the myth that queer people can only be safe and visible in urban areas.
“There’s power for folks to establish community outside of major centers, to meet and experience queer joy everywhere,” Hill said. “We’re flipping the script and doing this on our own terms.”
Celebrating Pride is especially important this year due to the current presidential administration’s anti-LGBTQ+ stances. Chris Kallgren helped produce some of the original Joshua Tree Pride events.
“Pride events are important for awareness, especially for young people,” Kallgren said. “There’s a lot of misinformation and hatred out there right now, and we need more exposure of the LGBTQ+ community so our children have safe spaces to live and be who they want to be.”
While Pride celebrations in the high desert have always been homegrown, festivals in larger cities have been losing corporate sponsorships; OBSIDIENNE said this means performers are losing out on income. This shift is a challenge— but also a return to the roots of Pride.
“We have to remember the original Pride was a riot, and trans women and drag queens
Pride events in the high desert promote culture, creativity and community across the Morongo Basin
tore down walls for us at Stonewall,” they said. “This year, we’re celebrating resilience, but it’s also a fight. We have to applaud the people who lift us up and create space for us. We’re bringing Pride back to the community and making it good for everyone.”
Those looking to find queer joy in the high desert during Pride month will have many opportunities. Highlights announced as of this writing include:
• The annual Joshua Tree Mermaid Parade, organized by artist Aaron Sheppard, and a contest for the best “art queen,” hosted by Lady Chilane, at Art Queen gallery on Saturday, June 21.
• A community painting and open mic event at Corner62 in Twentynine Palms hosted by Hammidi, on Sunday, June 22. The paint party is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; the open mic is from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
• Various performances and celebrations at Tiny Pony, including HORSE GIRL’s “That’s So Neigh” themed event; time and date TBD.
• A tarot-themed art show at Milk Thistle
opening at 6 p.m., Friday, June 20.
• An exhibition of local queer artists at the Beatnik Lounge in Joshua Tree. The Beatnik will also host Feral Fusion, a monthly open mic whose June edition takes place at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, where Hammidi will discuss her California Hi-Desert Queer and Trans Oral History Project.
• All month, Desert Bingo will feature pride-related themes and prizes at Red Dog Saloon in Pioneertown, on Mondays at 6:30 p.m., with proceeds benefitting local nonprofits that uplift the LGBTQ community.
• The Pride Ball will close out the month on Saturday, June 28, kicking off at 7 p.m. the old sportsman’s lounge at the Joshua Tree RV and Campground. Co-hosted by Lady Chilane and Jeff Hafler of Beauty Bubble Salon, the party will feature drag performances, food, music and DJs.
Capturing the overall spirit of pride in the high desert, Lady Chilane said: “Come as you are; come how you want to come—and dress your gay best!”
Jeff Hafler and Lady Chilane at the 2024 High Desert Pride Ball. Sandra Goodin Photography
ARTS & CULTURE
AN ORIGIN STORY
By Matt King
Apoet laureate, musician and advocate for Native American rights is making a special appearance at the Idyllwild Arts Academy during its annual Native American Arts Festival Week.
Idyllwild Arts—which operates on the land of the Qawishpa Cahuillangnah, also known as the Cahuilla Band of Indians—is hosting the week from Monday, June 16, through Friday, June 20. Activities focused on Native American arts, including a film series, a lecture series, special cuisine and more are set to educate and engage the local community with Native American
culture. All of the events are free to attend. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, poet, musician and activist Joy Harjo will host a staged
reading of We Were There When Jazz Was Invented, a musical Harjo is developing. Jazz trumpeter Delbert Anderson will provide a
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Former U.S. poet laureate Joy Harjo will lead a staged reading of her new musical during Idyllwild Arts’ Native American Arts Festival Week
musical background, while Harjo and other actors read through the work.
“I’ve been working on a musical that will show how Muscogee people are part of the origin story of blues and jazz,” Harjo said during a recent phone interview. “I’ve been working on the play off and on for some time, and I’m in the middle of finishing another revision. I started working on it in probably 2015. … By the time we do our reading, I’ll have another revision.”
Harjo said Julia Keefe, leader of the Indigenous Big Band, will also participate in the reading.
“She’s done a lot to bring forth the work of Mildred Bailey of the Coeur d’Alene tribe, who was a major song and performance influence in jazz back in her day. Julie has done a lot to promote an awareness of her and her music,” Harjo said. “… Julie is going to be the music director, and we’re just going to do a run-through.”
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Harjo said some of the musical’s songs will be performed live during the reading, while other musical moments will be “filler songs.”
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“I did a one-woman show with music called Wings of Night Sky, Wings of Morning Light, but this is very different,” Harjo said. “There’s an ensemble cast for this, and the ensemble cast makes a band that’s always onstage when all these scenes play out.”
Harjo said she’s always valued the oftenunderappreciated connection between poetry and music.
“I came to poetry through music, through my mom’s songwriting,” Harjo said. “My sister just found some of her lyrics, and I just recorded an album for Smithsonian Folkways. My co-producer was Esperanza Spalding, and one of the songs that will be on the album is a song my mother wrote in the ’50s called ‘My Guy.’ That’s a really cool song. … Now I’ve got to figure out how I can fit it into the musical.”
We Were There When Jazz Was Invented dives deep into the relationship between poetry and music, specifically within the context of Native American history.
“The roots of poetry go back to music, so I see (the musical) as a way to put everything together … to show that we’re part of the origin story, and show really how Muscogee music has all the elements of jazz and blues—while, at the same time, creating new music and honoring different people who have been in that field.”
Harjo said this staged live reading will be truly beneficial for her revision process.
“We’re looking for a producer in order to get to the next stage,” Harjo said. “Readings like this are helpful for the writer to see what
works, and see what doesn’t. As a poet and as somebody who writes stories, generally, it’s just you in a room, and with revision, you kind of do it on your own. Because it’s a performance piece, it’s important to be able to perform it, and to see it in motion.”
Harjo has had astounding success as both a writer and a musician. With her writing, she has published numerous books of poetry, won countless awards, and is one of only two people to serve three terms as the United States poet laureate. In the music world, she has released a handful of albums and attracted a completely separate fanbase. No matter the medium, Harjo uses the arts to examine and explore the rich history—and deep oppression—of Native American culture.
“I started my first band, Joy Harjo and Poetic Justice, and I learned to play saxophone onstage with that band,” Harjo said. “My performances evolved from just straight reading to sometimes, I sing. I would lay the performance out in different ways, but it’s evolved to full-on music performance. I used to think that there would be crossover, but I find that the poetry people generally just want the poetry, and I have music fans who, (even though) there’s poetry in it, they know me as a musician.”
The Idyllwild Arts Academy’s Native American Arts Festival Week takes place Monday, June 16, through Friday, June 20. At 7 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, a staged reading of We Were There When Jazz Was Invented will take place at the Bowman IAF Theater, on the Idyllwild Arts campus, at 52500 Temecula Road. No. 38, in Idyllwild. Admission is free. For more information, visit idyllwildarts.org.
Joy Harjo: “(We Were There When Jazz Was Invented) is a musical that will show how Muscogee people are part of the origin story of blues and jazz.”
ARTS & CULTURE
ONE FINAL RUN
By Jeffrey Norman
Desert Ensemble Theatre Company, known for presenting innovative and often challenging theater works for Coachella Valley audiences, has announced its 2025-2026 season.
It is the company’s 15th anniversary season—and it will also be its last. DET was founded in 2011 by playwright, director and producer Tony Padilla with a vision to create “a small repertory company that allows artists to participate in the realization of their creative vision both onstage and off,” according to the company’s website. “We are looking at this 15th anniversary season as a celebration of everything we have done well over the years,” said Jerome Elliott Moskowitz, DET’s artistic director. “This is going to be a
joyful season with plenty of wonderful theater for our audiences.”
The ’25-’26 season will start on Oct. 10 with the fourth annual Singing With the Desert Stars, a musical fundraising gala which supports DET’s education initiatives.
The mainstage productions will run from November 2025 through April 2026. Starting the season is The Roommate, a recent Broadway hit written by Jen Silverman. Described as a “dark comedy about unlikely friendship and fresh starts,” the play will be directed by Kudra Wagner, who helmed DET’s production of Collective Rage: A Play in Five Betties, also by Silverman, in November 2023.
Next, DET will present the world premiere of Dispersion of Light by Rich Rubin, directed by Moskowitz. In March 2023, DET presented a world premiere of another work by Rubin, Kafka’s Joke.
“He is a marvelous historical writer, and in this play, he portrays the poetic and tempestuous relationship between artist Georgia O’Keeffe and photographer Alfred Stieglitz,” Moskowitz said.
Next up is Steve Martin’s Meteor Shower, a surreal comedy where dinner and stargazing spiral into cosmic absurdity. The show will be directed by first-time DET director Keith Hoffman. Interesting note: A 2017 production marked the Broadway debut of comic actress Amy Schumer.
Rounding out the season will be A Knife to the Heart by Stan Zimmerman and Christian McLaughlin, whose writing credits include The Golden Girls and Married … With Children. The play will be directed by Zimmerman.
“It’s a comedy about circumcision,” said Moskowitz. “The playwrights delve into a dispute between a mother and a son who are wrestling with traditional values.”
If critics’ reviews and Desert Theatre League awards are to be believed, Desert Ensemble’s productions are as strong as ever—so why is the company coming to an end?
“Just like all good books, there is a final chapter, and we decided to end on Chapter 15,” said
Shawn Abramowitz, DET’s executive director and board president. “We are leaving a great legacy, and I think that’s something to celebrate.”
Both Moskowitz and Abramowitz have given considerable thought to DET’s legacy, they said.
“I believe, just like our two-part mission, we are leaving a two-part legacy,” said Abramowitz. “We have brought some really wonderful productions to the Coachella Valley—some new, some never performed here before. At the end of the day, we have been great storytellers.
“The other legacy we are leaving is our internship program. Thanks to the support of generous community partners and donors, we have trained a lot of students not only to be great workers and designers in technical fields, but also to be great citizens.”
To date, DET has awarded nearly $40,000 in scholarships, and there will be a final round of internships and scholarships next season. DET interns have gone on to successful theater careers in places from California to New York, and have provided local companies with backstage support, from stage managers to light and sound designers. (Full disclosure: The Independent has funded a DET scholarship during the last two seasons.)
Moskowitz sees DET’s legacy as finding “an intellectually curious audience in the desert.”
“Producing plays that are thoughtful, innovative and experimental excites our audiences,” he said. “We have been fortunate that our audience encouraged us to do that for fifteen years.”
While various factors led to the decision to conclude DET’s efforts, Moskowitz and Abramowitz said economic uncertainty played a large role.
“We’ve seen that because of the way the economy is going, people are cutting back on their entertainment spending,” Moskowitz said. “Government funding for the arts is also in jeopardy—and a large portion of our audience is Canadian, and we know that many of them are not coming back next season.”
Said Abramowitz: “There’s no question that it’s getting harder and harder to produce the-
Desert Ensemble Theatre announces a compelling 15th anniversary season—which will also be the company’s last
ater. But I’m really happy we’ve been a major part of the extraordinary live theater produced in the valley, and we are ending both on our terms and on top. This has been a fantastic chapter in my life.”
Abramowitz and Moskowitz praised Tony Padilla, DET’s founder and producing artistic director emeritus, for helping the company grow and flourish.
“He not only gave his time and money; he also gave his love,” said Abramowitz. “We would not have been where we are without his vision and talent.”
Added Moskowitz: “I can’t underscore enough Tony Padilla’s role in getting DET started, and for the first few years, he was the main financial backer of the company. We are very proud to have produced many of his original works and grateful for his vision.”
Both Abramowitz and Moskowitz pledged to remain active in the local arts scene. Moskowitz plans to return to his cabaret roots, he said, and Abramowitz hopes to continue to mentor students and take the stage as an actor.
“There is no way I’m not going back on those boards,” Abramowitz said. “Theater is my artistic way to express myself.”
Moskowitz said he will “miss the sheer joy of bringing people things they never thought they would see in the Coachella Valley. I will miss that sense of discovery and people telling us how glad they were that we took the time to find the works we presented.”
They said they’ll miss working closely with each other as well.
“Shawn is without a doubt the kindest, most optimistic person,” Moskowitz said. “To watch him with the students in our internship pro-
gram is a masterclass in mentorship. He knows how to make them believe they can do something that they thought they couldn’t—and he’s done that for me, too. He’s really helped me develop my leadership potential.”
Said Abramowitz: “I don’t think there are enough positive words in the dictionary to explain my love and affection for Jerome. He is such a wonderful, kind human being. He has led us down so many wonderful paths. I have seen him grow to be a fantastic artistic director. He gives so much of his own personal time, not just to make things work, but to make them beautiful.”
While they’re understandably concerned about the effects of the economy and the current presidential administration on the arts, Abramowitz and Moskowitz expressed optimism about the local theater community.
“We hope people will maintain their theatergoing in spite of what’s going on in the world, because it’s an absolute necessity for a full life,” said Moskowitz. “I can’t imagine a life where I didn’t go to the theater.”
Said Abramowitz: “Everyone is doing something fun and different. Our theater community has been exceptionally generous partners over the years. I hope that new work continues to be presented, and I hope that DET audiences will connect with these other organizations. There is so much good work happening in the valley.”
Season tickets will go on sale for renewing Desert Ensemble Theatre subscribers on June 1, and for new subscribers on July 15. Single tickets will go on sale Sept. 1. For more information, call 760-5652476, or visit www.desertensembletheatre.org.
DET executive director Shawn Abramowitz, founder Tony Padilla, and artistic director Jerome Elliott Moskowitz.
CAESAR CERVISIA
By brett newton
Anyone who regularly reads this column knows that I struggle to keep it locally focused. If every column was entirely focused on the Coachella Valley, you’d get tired of my griping, and I’d get tired writing it—but today, I’m excited to write about something positive and local.
When I got an email from Ed Heethuis inviting me to Twentynine Palms to experience 29 Palms Beer Co., I jumped at the chance. If his name is familiar, you may have read my column about 29 Brews (not to be confused with 29 Palms Beer Co.) at Spotlight 29, where he was the founding brewer. He told me the people who own GRND SQRL, a gastropub in Twentynine Palms, opened 29 Palms Beer Co. after being entrenched in the craft beer scene in San Diego. I was cau-
tiously optimistic; could this be a craft beer oasis in the high desert?
I snaked through the retreating festival-goers to Highway 62 and made my way up to the brewery, parking in the back parking lot, shared with the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. The taproom is cozy, but not cramped, with a few tables between the back wall (where the kitchen hides) and the bar.
Heethuis greeted me and suggested the first flight I should have. My expectations were that the beer would be at least as good as they were at 29 Brews at Spotlight 29—and I detected some beers on the board that indicated he has more freedom here than he did at the casino, such as a fruited sour ale which is part of a series called Delly Jonut (likely a play on the Jelly Donut shop across the street).
There were also some familiar-sounding brews. The Highway 62 Blonde tastes like and has the mouthfeel of an American blonde ale;
the version he served at Spotlight resembled a pilsner more than a blonde. This is essentially the type of beer you have to make for customers who want nothing more than an American lager, except a blonde doesn’t take the same time to ferment, meaning it has a quicker turnover. I’ve said many times how uninspired I think it is as a style, but it’s here to stay, and this is a good example of this beer.
The Roadrunner Red was a straight-up American red ale—and I’m here for it. It’s a style I miss, and when it’s done well, it combines bold American hop flavor with a biscuity, cracker-y malt base; I hope it makes a comeback. The Two Mile Rd. IPA was a very drinkable beer with a dank hop presence and a little bit of that aforementioned biscuit/malt note to round it out, but with a very subtle bitterness. I tried two hazy beers: the Ocotillo Hazy Pale Ale, which was very tropical (I got notes of pineapple, mango and passionfruit), but it didn’t drink like
Up in the high desert, 29 Palms Beer Co. is producing fantastic craft beer
a milky haze bomb; and the This Wind Blows Hazy IPA, which was also fruity, but surprisingly floral, which I love in a hoppy beer.
I had arrived at the taproom hungry, because I had eyed the menu on their website and saw some incredible breakfast items, as well as smash burgers and hot dogs, all dreamt up by the chef at their GRND SQRL location, Joel Pettersson, whose Scandinavian name makes The Skaagen Dog on their menu make much more sense. But breakfast time had passed, so I chose the turkey smashburger and thoroughly enjoyed it with the beer samples I had before me.
This is when I met owner Mike Usher. He moved to the area when he was 5, eventually moved away, and played a part in some important San Diego tap rooms such as Ballast Point and North Park Beer Co. It was at the former that he met his wife; he then moved back to the high desert, and they opened GRND SQRL and eventually 29 Beer Co. He wants it to be a place where locals (and visitors, of course) are able to enjoy proper craft beer—and not the stuff that is owned by the big boys that the distributors heavily suggest you keep on tap. I saw, for the first time, a North Park Beer Co. tap, and this is one of the still-rare places locally where you can get Pliny the Younger at the right time of the year.
Usher and I chatted about the San Diego glory days (so long to the golden days of Alpine Beer Company, Green Flash and a few others that are sadly nowhere close to the way they
used to be) while I sipped on Ed Heethuis’ Batch 29 Russian Imperial Stout. This was my favorite of the day: Rich chocolate, raisin and almond flavors jump out and grab you. I hope there will eventually be a barrel-aged version. I am always glad to get an invite because of this column, but I’m very pleased when it’s local and good. Is “good” too much to ask for? I don’t think so—but 29 Palms Beer Co. exceeds that, and seemingly has what they need in order to improve on what they’ve already done.
Heethuis took me over to the small brewhouse—looking out toward the patio, the visitor center and the surrounding hills—and showed me his latest piece of equipment, which he plans on using to add more of whatever adjunct or hop he chooses to a beer. I also met one of his assistant brewers, Dave McLellan, whom Ed plucked from the legendary 3 Floyds Brewing in Indiana.
I have very high hopes for the brewery, and I insist you go support them, because when someone does something right in craft beer here, they deserve to thrive—and that is not always a given in this industry. Take an afternoon; drive up; and enjoy.
29 Palms Beer Co. is located at 73565 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Twentynine Palms. Learn more at www.29beercompany.com.
Brett Newton is a certified cicerone (like a sommelier for beer) and homebrewer who has mostly lived in the Coachella Valley since 1988. He can be reached at caesarcervisia@gmail.com.
29 Palms Beer Co. is adjacent to the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center. Brett Newton
WVINE SOCIAL
By Katie finn
hen people think of South American wine, two countries usually come to mind faster than a cork popping on a Friday night: Argentina and Chile. Argentina brings the brooding malbec and zesty Torrontés, while Chile is known for the versatile Carménère and citrusy sauvignon blancs.
To the east of these wine powerhouses is a small country with big wine ambitions—Uruguay, home to sweeping Atlantic coastlines, world-class beef (sorry, Argentina) and one of the most exciting, underrated wine scenes in the world.
At the heart of it all? The stunning Bodega Garzón, nestled just inland from the chic beach towns of Punta del Este and José Ignacio. I had an incredible opportunity to explore this region with a small group of top wine professionals from around the U.S., part of the first-ever GarSom experience. This initiative, created by Bodega Garzón, is designed to give sommeliers an immersive look at what makes Uruguay’s wine scene special, and to inspire us to spread the word. There were only eight of us on this curated immersion—a sommelier’s dream come true—into Uruguayan wine, food and culture, and we were all equally curious: What exactly is going on with wine in Uruguay? Spoiler: a lot.
After 17 hours of travel, I landed in Montevideo, hopped into a van, and made the drive to Punta del Este. Often dubbed the Saint-Tropez of South America, Punta is a glam blend of yacht parties, bronzed jet-setters and breezy sophistication. Naturally, we were whisked off on our own private yacht, sipping Garzón’s sparkling wine and rosé of pinot noir as the sun dipped below the Atlantic. Not a bad way to start a wine education.
From there, the rhythm was set: Eat. Drink. Sleep. Repeat.
If there’s one thing you should to know about Uruguay—other than the wine—it’s the food. Imagine flaky empanadas with tomato preserves, impossibly fresh seafood, vibrant vegetables and pillowy, homemade bread. Somehow, all of that pales in comparison to the beef. This is carnivore heaven, and Uruguay’s asado culture is strong. We savored every cut of beef imaginable, each grilled to juicy, smoky perfection. If you’re a steak lover, this is your promised land.
But back to the wine … Uruguay is the fourth-largest wine producer in South America, after Argentina, Chile and Brazil. But what it lacks in size, it more than makes up for in quality and variety.
The star grape here is Tannat, originally from France’s Madiran region. In France, it’s rough and rustic, but in Uruguay—kissed by ocean breezes and grown in cooler coastal
climates—Tannat is reborn: structured yet smooth, bold yet balanced. It’s like the grape went on a yoga retreat by the sea and came back all relaxed—and go figure, it pairs perfectly with that melt-in-your-mouth steak. Tannat and beef, a love story for the ages.
But Tannat isn’t the only player here. Uruguay also excels in sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and the Spanish white grape Albariño, which is fast becoming the country’s whitewine calling card. In fact, Uruguay is one of the few places in the world where you can sip estate-grown Albariño while actually staring at the Atlantic Ocean.
Other standouts included silky pinot noirs, luscious cabernet Francs, and a red I absolutely adore: Marselan—a grape created by crossing cabernet sauvignon and grenache. Bright red fruit from grenache meets the muscle and depth of cab. It’s seductive and super food-friendly.
If there’s one winery that captures Uruguay’s potential, it’s Bodega Garzón. Just 18 miles inland from the coast, this architectural stunner sits amid rolling granite hills, olive groves and eucalyptus trees. Designed with sustainability in mind, the winery looks more like a luxury estate than a production facility. The architecture is modern and eco-friendly, with a gravity-flow design and sweeping views from every angle. Behind the floor-to-ceiling windows, you’ll discover a must-visit restaurant helmed by legendary chef Francis Mallmann. The vision behind Bodega Garzón belongs to Argentine billionaire Alejandro Bulgheroni, who brought in renowned wine consultant Alberto Antonini and talented winemaker Germán Bruzzone. Together, the Garzón team has focused their vineyards on more than 1,000 small plots (called micro-terroirs), each with its own distinct soils, slopes and exposures. This results in wines with surprising depth, minerality and complexity. The wine is not just “good for Uruguay.” These wines are worldclass—period.
They also produce several high-quality olive oils, which we happily poured over nearly everything we ate.
And the culture? Just as warm and welcoming as the wine. Uruguayans are laid-back, genuine and incredibly hospitable. The country is politically stable, socially progressive and infused with European charm—from its architecture to its café culture. There’s an ease to life here, a sense that good food and great wine should always be shared.
So ... why aren’t you drinking Uruguayan wine? That’s the million-peso question. For years, most of Uruguay’s wine was consumed locally or exported in small quantities, but that’s changing. Thanks to pioneers like Garzón and a new wave of passionate winemakers, Uruguay is finally earning the international recognition it deserves.
No, you won’t find these wines at every corner liquor store. But that’s the beauty of it: Drinking Uruguayan wine feels like being in on a delicious secret. One sip, and you’ll want to book a ticket, rent a beach house in Punta del Este, and start brushing up on your Spanish. Thenext time you’re wine shopping, skip the
usual suspects. Look for Uruguay on the label. Better yet, go there. Tour the vineyards; taste the food; and let the cool Atlantic breeze and friendly locals win you over.
Katie Finn is a certified sommelier and certified specialist of wine with two decades in the wine industry. She can be reached at katiefinnwine@ gmail.com.
FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT
This month, we have brunch and then dinner at two great Palm Desert restaurants
By Jimmy Boegle
WHAT Chilaquiles
WHERE Breakfast Republic, 44491 Town Center Way, Palm Desert HOW MUCH $16; $24.50 with carne asada and avocado CONTACT 760-690-3550; breakfastrepublic.com WHY The taste and texture.
Two summers ago, Breakfast Republic arrived in Palm Desert.
WHAT Country meatloaf
WHERE Sweet Basil California Eatery, 73655 El Paseo, Suite L/M HOW MUCH $29
CONTACT 760-610-1698; www.sweetbasilpd.com
WHY The mushroom gravy flavor bomb. Most of the best entrées are greater than the sum of their parts—and the country meatloaf at Sweet Basil California Eatery is an excellent example.
The popular Southern California restaurant chain bills itself as an “innovative breakfast destination” that serves “tasty takes on American classics”—and the emphasis here is on “innovative” and “twists.” You may have to scan the menu for a while to find standard breakfast fare; those items are there, but they’re generally listed after offerings like the crab and crawfish cake Benedict ($22); the shrimp and grits breakfast ($21.50); and French toast stuffed with peanut butter and topped with bananas foster and bacon (called “Mr. Presley,” $16).
I’ve been to a San Diego-area Breakfast Republic before, but our recent visit to the Palm Desert location was our first. The hubby ordered the protein lover scramble with “Jurassic pork” (thick-cut, smoked bacon coated with brown sugar and paprika), ham, bacon, cheddar and onion ($16.50), while our friend Tony got the cluck madame benedict, with ham, gruyere cheese and bechamel sauce, in addition to the requisite sourdough English muffin and eggs ($16). Breakfast Republic has a full bar, and the hubby indulged in the Bloody Mary with the Jurassic pork bacon ($14.25), which was decent. Despite an abnormally long wait for Tony’s food, the eats were all top-notch. However, the star dish at the table was what I ordered—Breakfast Republic’s take on chilaquiles, featuring corn tortilla chips, red salsa, three eggs, queso fresco and sour cream; I did as the menu recommended and added carne asada, as well as avocado. The variety of textures was fantastic—and the concoction was delicious. Next time, I’ll forgo the carne asada, as it surprisingly didn’t add much to the dish. Due to the fun vibes, the unique offerings and the decent-by-2025-standards prices, Breakfast Republic is in the upper echelon of Coachella Valley breakfast joints, no doubt.
By itself, the meatloaf is a touch bland—but it has a fantastic texture; it’s tender and juicy in the middle, and a touch crispy on the edges, just as meatloaf should be. By itself, the mushroom gravy is salty and rather intense. But put them together, and wow: You have a near-perfect dish.
Sweet Basil’s origin story is fascinating. After working various restaurant jobs, the chef/ co-owner, Sally Hill,
enrolled in the culinary program at College of the Desert in 2000. She went on to open Sweet Basil Bistro with her husband, Martin, up in Big Bear in 2007. After numerous cold winters, they decided to move back down to the Coachella Valley and prepared to open Sweet Basil California Eatery … in early 2020. Eek. Despite the pandemic, Sweet Basil opened in late 2020, and has been serving tasty lunches and dinners on El Paseo ever since. When you go to Sweet Basil, there’s a good chance Sally Hill will be there, joking around and helping with your service.
The hubby and I stopped in with our friend Bryan for dinner on a recent Friday night before a show at the McCallum Theatre. While the dishes the hubby and I ordered were good, Bryan was the fortunate soul who ordered the meatloaf—and that’s what I’ll be ordering on my next visit. I’ll ask for a little more gravy on the side, just to make sure every bite has the right, balanced mix of meat and sauce. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.
Restaurant NEWS BITES
By charles drabkin
JUNE BRINGS A BELOVED FISH FRY AND A SPIRITS/WINE FEST
Come out and support the Palm Springs Firefighters Association at the 92nd Annual Palm Springs Firefighters Fish Fry!
It takes place at 6 p.m., Saturday, June 7, at Ruth Hardy Park, 700 Tamarisk Road. For just $15, enjoy delicious fried fish, hamburgers, hot dogs, corn on the cob, coleslaw and watermelon, along with music from DJ Big-John Miller of KPLM 106 FM—and country line-dancing! This is a great way to eat something delicious and thank our firefighters for all they do. Learn more at www.facebook.com/palmspringsfire.
The Second Annual Classic Club Spirits and Wine Festival will be held from 2 to 4 p.m., Sunday, June 29, at Bellatrix Restaurant, at 75200 Classic Club Blvd., in Palm Desert. Billing itself as “the ultimate Palm Desert lifestyle destination,” the Classic Club promises to showcase the Coachella Valley’s rich cocktail heritage through tastings and entertainment. General admission tickets are $45 plus fees; early-admission VIP tickets can be had for a very reasonable $7 more. Get tickets and learn more on Eventbrite.
RESTAURANTS DESTROYED IN PALM DESERT FIRE GET CLOSER TO REOPENING
In the early morning hours of April 14, 2024, two beloved Palm Desert restaurants were completely destroyed in an arson fire at 73131 Country Club Drive—but Papa Dan’s Pizza and D’Coffee Bouteaque are both getting closer to reopening.
Papa Dan’s will be reopening in a different building within the same shopping center. Owner Ira Mosley told the Independent last year that he was hoping to open during the holiday season in 2024. That didn’t happen, but progress is being made, and the new, larger space—with a full bar and patio dining—is now slated to reopen later this summer.
Meanwhile, D’Coffee Bouteaque has been teasing its impending reopening—at an as-yet undisclosed Palm Desert location—on its Facebook page. Watch CVIndependent.com for updates very soon.
IN BRIEF
Babe’s Bar-B-Que and Brewery closed after a long run at The River late last summer—but has now re-emerged as Babe’s Smokehouse and Tavern, at 49870 Jefferson St., Suite 100, in Indio. A lot of changes have occurred; Babe’s is no longer a brewery (although there’s still a nice selection of beer, wine and cocktails), and the plating has been elevated, including a vegetarian jackfruit barbeque option, and a short rib pappardelle. Find out more at www.babestavern. com. … Trio Palm Springs has opened a second location inside the Palm Springs International Airport, in the Sonny Bono Concourse. The menu is pared down compared to the downtown Palm Springs location, unsurprisingly, but I have walked by several times in the last month, and I’m happy to say the space looks very inviting, with Trio’s signature colors and style. Learn more at flypsp.com/shops-restaurants-amenities. … A new place called Marilyn’s is opening in the former Haus of Poke location at 111 N Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs. My sources tell me it will be a sports bar emphasizing seafood, although I have not received confirmation from the ownership, nor can I find any online presence. I walked by and peered in the windows, and it has a nice look—with, of course, lots of pictures of the iconic Marilyn Monroe. … Coming soon to 110 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs, is Coffeeism Co. is a Scandinavian-inspired, midcentury-modern coffee bar serving Intelligentsia Coffee, artisanal French and Italian pastries, and cold drinks. Follow their progress and see some of the delicious treats they plan on offering at instagram.com/coffeeismco. … An application to sell alcohol has been posted at the space formerly occupied by AMP Sports Lounge, at 68718 E Palm Canyon Drive, Suite 201, in Cathedral City. The business name: Mark’s Burgers. There was no information on the state Alcoholic Beverage Control website as of this writing (it had not been updated, which not an unusual occurrence), and there’s no online presence I could find, so watch this space. … A Korean fried chicken franchise has opened in Palm Desert. Bb.q Chicken, at 74868 Country Club Drive, No. 103, serves fried chicken in a variety of sauces—bone-in or boneless—as well as Korean staples like bulgogi, ddeok-bokki (stir-fried rice cakes) and fried dumplings. Learn more at bbqchicken. com. … Palm Desert will soon get a location of another Asian food chain as well. 85C Bakery and Café, specializing in bread baked fresh every hour, savory buns, cakes, coffee and boba drinks, will be at 34140 Monterey Ave. See the menu 85cbakerycafe.com. Do you have any hot tips or news to share? Reach out: foodnews@cvindependent.com.
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MUSIC
HONING HOSPITALITY
By matt king
Two local musicians are opening a new music venue and restaurant in the high desert. Mojave Gold is slated to open on Saturday, May 31. Cooper Gillespie and Greg Gordon of the band LANDROID are spearheading the project, and aiming to craft a thriving place for great music and great eats. Mojave Gold is located at 56193 Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley, the former home of Gadi’s Bar and Grill, and the short-lived AWE Bar.
During a recent interview with Gillespie and Gordon, they explained how they came across the opportunity to open Mojave Gold.
“We’ve been out here for probably about 10 years,” Gordon said. “I remember when this place was Gadi’s, and then it changed to AWE Bar. They did a really good job with it. I remember when Gadi’s didn’t even have bands here (in the months before Gadi’s closed), so when they changed it over to AWE Bar, the stage got bigger; they brought in some lights and put in a sound system, and it was kind of cool. Seven months later, it was gone. At that time, I was working over at Pappy’s. I was the beverage director over there, and I was really shocked that the only other venue in town had gone away. Cooper and I would drive by this place all the time and be like, ‘Why isn’t somebody opening that?’
“One day back in December, my friend called me up, and he’s like, ‘Hey, Greg, I just was talking to the owner, and they want somebody to take over the place and run it. It’ll be yours, and all you have to do is pay the rent.’ I thought about it for an hour, called him back, and I was like, ‘No gets you nowhere in this life, so I’m going to say yes.’”
Even though there was a lot of work ahead of them, they said it was important to add another local music venue.
“We should specify we have long-term experience in the hospitality industry, and as being musicians,” Gillespie said. “I always joke that I started working in hospitality back when you had to punch in three-digit codes for every modifier, like tomato was like 456, on the old NCR system. I think a lot of times people want to buy a venue, or get started in hospitality, and maybe they haven’t done it before, and it’s a lot. … We felt confident that we had a lot to bring to it, because we both have years of experience in that industry, and also as musicians.”
Gillespie and Gordon brought on Dale and Brookelyn Fox, of Foxden Hospitality—a luxury vacation-rental company—as partners.
“We don’t have a lot of money, but it’s going to take x amount of dollars to get this going, so I got in touch with my friend Dale Fox and his wife, Brookelyn, and we started talking,” Gordon said. “We started putting together
(financial) sheets … and the number kept going higher and higher, and he was like, ‘Look, I think I can get this money raised for you,’ so they came on board. They’re our partners, and it’s such a dream team. Brookelyn is really heading the design, and Dale’s really heading all the finances.”
As the group sifted through the challenges of renovating the building, they quickly realized why there is a lack of local venues.
“Once we were in here, we’re like, ‘Oh, the walk-in is not working; we’ve got to replace that,’” Gordon said. “Then the HVAC stopped working, so there’s $40,000 you need for that. There’s all kinds of electrical stuff that we’re getting done.”
Mojave Gold intends to operate with the local community at the forefront. For example, Gillespie and Gordon are eager to put local musicians on full display.
“One big thing is focusing on community and really bringing in our locals,” Gillespie said. “Not just musicians, but our local community—the local people who live here, and local artists, and having it feel like a community hub, I think that is really, really important. Having Liz Garo (formerly of The Alibi in Palm Springs) as our talent buyer is really incredible, because she can bring in bigger national touring acts, but we can give locals the opportunity to open for those acts. I don’t want it to be a space that’s just for nationals or just for locals, but rather, a space where it’s community driven, and it gives local musicians an opportunity to get opportunities.”
On the restaurant side, some have criticized Mojave Gold after another publication’s headline stated that the business will be focusing on elevated dining.
“Dale was asking me, ‘What is missing in this town?’ I was like, ‘Well, I know we don’t need another rib place, barbecue place, or Mexican restaurant,’” Gordon said. “We’re not going to compete with Pappy’s for food. Every time I want to take my wife out to dinner, I’m either going down the hill to Palm Springs for something nice, or Kitchen in the Desert out in Twentynine Palms. There are a handful of restaurants in Twentynine Palms that have elevated food dining, and I think we’re missing that up here. We should have a place that’s got
Two musicians are opening Mojave Gold, a new restaurant and music venue in Yucca Valley
really nice food, and great service, and I think that’s going to really help us.”
Added Gillespie: “It isn’t exorbitantly expensive; it’s reasonably priced, but really great food. Our menu has a lot of vegan and vegetarian options. Don’t worry; we’ve got the meat, too … but there are a lot of really delicious vegan and vegetarian options. Someone was like, ‘There’s no place where I can get brussels sprouts in this town,’ and I’m like, ‘We got the brussels sprouts for you.’”
Executive chef Beren Ekine-Huett and chef de cuisine Williams Grimoldi are creating a sustainable, local menu.
“(Ekine-Huett) was previously the chef de cuisine at Workshop in Palm Springs for five years,” Gillespie said. “She lives up here, and she’s just amazingly talented. Her right hand, Williams Grimoldi, is also hugely talented. What I like about their menu is it’s recognizable, but they put twists on things. Our whole kitchen is focused on sustainability, sourcing from local ingredients as we can. Will is also a
nutritional coach, and he majored in nutrition, so he’s also really focused on the nutritional aspect of the food. What they’ve put together is different and really needed around here.”
Gillespie and Gordon said they want everyone to feel welcome at Mojave Gold.
“I was a bartender for a really, really long time, and I came to this place where I really believed that I was changing the world one drink at a time,” Gillespie said. “I do think the work that hospitality people do is really important. … Having people be taken really good care of—it’s almost like a sacred mission. I know that sounds, like, out there, but I do really believe that. I see service that way, and I think you can feel that. You can feel when your drink is made with love; you feel the difference in the energy of your drink. … It is a sacred service, and you can really change people’s day with a great meal.”
Mojave Gold is located at 56193 Twentynine Palms Highway. Learn more at mojavegolddesert.com.
Mojave Gold co-owners Greg Gordon and Cooper Gillespie.
MUSIC
FRIENDS PLAYING MUSIC
By matt king
Alocal producer and musician responsible for some of the greatest rock albums ever made is celebrating his birthday at Pappy and Harriet’s.
David Catching, musician and owner of the famed Rancho de la Luna studio, is turning 64 this year, and his Pappy and Harriet’s birthday party will feature eight bands performing at the indoor and outdoor stages of the historic venue. Catching’s band (earthlings?), other local legends
and up-and-coming rockers will all take the stage on Saturday, June 7.
During a recent phone interview, Catching expressed his appreciation for returning to Pappy’s, as it’s been a while since the Joshua Tree resident’s last birthday show.
“We’re all happy to have Pappy’s back,” Catching said. “It was kind of dark there for a couple of minutes. They weren’t as receptive to having cool, local stuff there, and the people who had been there didn’t have the best things to say. It looks like the Knitting Factory folks are really putting in the effort to make it cool again, and I know all the locals are very happy about being able to come back. I’m certainly happy to be coming back and have another birthday there. I’ve celebrated a few there and always had the best time, and this time is no exception.”
It’s only fitting that a larger-than-life lineup was put together to celebrate Catching’s birthday.
“I’ve got some of my favorite bands like Fatso Jetson and my buddy Alain Johannes, and we’ve got a lot of special guests coming up to have some fun with us,” Catching said. “I’ve got a great couple of local bands I’ve been working with. CocoVera is a really cool band; we recorded a bunch of stuff together, and they started playing around a lot. Our friend Moe Shahrooz has got a band called Concept1, and we’ve been doing his album here, and he’s going to be playing with a lot of friends. It’s also his birthday, so that’s extra-special for us, to have him playing along. My friends from New Orleans and I have had a band called Gnarltones for about 30 years, and this is the first time we’ll be playing in California, so that’s really exciting. We’re working on our album just before the show. (As for) earthlings?, we haven’t played in a couple of years; that’s a band I’ve had since 1993. It’s going to be a very exciting night. … It’s really shaping up to be an extremely special birthday celebration.”
Fans of desert rock will revel in the fact that they can enjoy intimate performances inside, and larger rock energy in the desert air, with a beautiful night sky view, outside.
“We’ve got Fatso Jetson, Alain Johannes and friends, and earthlings? with some friends and couple of surprises on the outside stage
starting around 6 p.m., and then inside, we’ve got CocoVera, Concept1, Gnarltones and Futuristic Past Heroes Band, which will be a lot of friends playing some surprise stuff and just having a good time toward the later part of the evening,” he said.
Catching will be performing two full sets, doing some sit-ins, and rocking out to his friends’ bands during one busy evening.
“I’m going to be a little too busy,” Catching said with a laugh. “I went there to Pappy’s the other night to see The Hard Quartet, some good friends of mine. It was a great show, but it made me realize how much work I’m going to have to do that night.”
He highlighted two performances audiences shouldn’t miss.
“Concept1 is really cool, and no one’s seen them play yet,” he said. “It’s kind of trip-hop meets desert rock, so it’s a really cool vibe. CocoVera is a really great, fun, exciting band. I’m just thrilled that we’re going to have a good night with everybody there having fun.”
Beyond music, Catching has been busy with the success of Rancho De La Luna Mezcal, a brand of alcohol that has brought “a taste of the desert” to businesses both local and worldwide.
“My Mojave Lords partner Bingo Richey really thought of the idea,” Catching said. “It was all his concept, and he made it a reality, which is awesome. We’ve been having a lot of fun with that. We worked with a master distiller, and we have been having a great time going down to Oaxaca and visiting with him and his family. They make the best mezcal that I’ve ever tried, and we’ve been having a lot of success with it. … Pappy’s has had it since we first started selling it, and it has sold at all the places around here. We’ve been sponsoring a lot of music events, and we’re going to keep doing that and having fun with that.”
The last time I spoke with Catching, in the summer of 2023, he said he was working on a Rancho De La Luna anniversary album. The success of the studio and the mezcal, as well as personal matters, have delayed the album.
“It was supposed to be for the 30th anniversary, but we’re into the 32nd year,” Catching said. “We were supposed to get together and finish it last year, and a few things happened
After a long hiatus, Dave Catching returns to Pappy and Harriet’s for a birthday show
so we couldn’t, and then we were supposed to get together in February, and a few things happened so we couldn’t, and now we’re hoping to get together in July and finish it. I think we have almost 30 songs to choose from at this point, with lots of great guests on it as well. So many of my old friends were cool enough to jump in on it with us, and I couldn’t be happier with the way it’s turning out.”
Even though Rancho De La Luna has hosted legendary acts such as Queens of the Stone Age, Iggy Pop, Foo Fighters and others, Catching still welcomes up-and-coming local bands to the studio quite often. High desert rockers and event bookers Lisa Rae Black and Paul Forrester have recorded a lot of material at Rancho.
“Lisa and Paul, we’ve recorded a lot of times with them, and they’re always super-fun,” Catching said. “They’re such great musicians and such a fun hang. They’re doing so much for the local music scene here, which is really cool.”
Other bands coming through Rancho are heating up, such as Ecca Vandal, who are slated to perform at Pappy and Harriet’s on Sept. 26.
“Ecca Vandal, they’re making such cool music, and the fact that they would stop by and say hi and do a little recording was super cool,” he said. “It was great to meet those guys, and I can’t wait to have them back out here. They’re working with a lot of different friends of mine, and
they’ve got a lot of choices on where they can go to record, but we had a great time, and we got a lot of really cool stuff done with them. I’m hoping they’ll be back at some point.”
Catching is nothing but thankful for the fact that people still love to visit his studio and record music.
“The music biz is such a weird thing now with Spotify and TIDAL, where people aren’t making a lot of money. A lot of people aren’t getting any budgets to record, so mostly, everyone is just doing it themselves, because they love music, which translates into great things and great records, because everybody’s doing it for the right reasons,” he said. “It’s not like people are doing it to get rich. … They’re doing it because that’s what they do, and that’s what they have to do. The music that people are making here is really interesting and very, very cool.”
“Another David Catching Birthday Extravaganza,” featuring performances by earthlings?, Fatso Jetson, Alain Johannes, Futuristic Past Heroes Band, Gnarltones, Queen for a Day, Concept1 and CocoVera, will take place at 6 p.m., Saturday, June 7, at Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, at 53688 Pioneertown Road, in Pioneertown. Tickets are $42.74 for just the outdoor show, or $54.14 for both the indoor and outdoor shows. For tickets and more information, visit pappyandharriets.com.
Dave Catching’s earthlings? is one of the performers at “Another David Catching Birthday Extravaganza.” Dave Catching
MUSIC
MENU FOR MISOGYNY
By matt king
One of the desert’s most prolific rockers has a new band that’s releasing a new EP that combines social issues with groovy riffs.
The Royal Chicano Underground is the latest project from Bolin Jue, the guitarist/ vocalist of Town Troubles. After producing more than a decade of desert rock, Town Troubles called it quits late last year—before the band’s final lineup of Jue, Mario Estrada and Jeronimo
Arellano Contreras reappeared in March as the Royal Chicano Underground, taking the riff-tastic jams of Town Troubles out of the gritty and drone-y desert rock space, and adding in more dance-filled disco beats.
The band’s debut EP, Menu for Machismo, released on May 17, features a whirlwind of psychedelic rock jams that hit hard—and groove even harder. Between head-spinning drum mania, Latin-infused guitar rhythms and funky basslines are lyrics relating male stereotypes to a food menu.
During a recent phone interview with Jue, he explained the concept behind the EP.
“It came out of a light-hearted approach to trying to understand the mindset of a misogynist, or someone with a boomer mentality, and thinking, like, ‘How could you possibly think that?’” Jue said. “I just thought that a lighthearted way of answering that question would be if there was a menu for these different character flaws … if you get a ‘Menu for Machismo,’ and you just ordered the items off of that menu. Obviously, that’s not how these things happen, but it’s a way of dealing with the reality that we live in this patriarchy. This is how these men come to these conclusions. … They have a menu that’s handed over to them, and they pick which item on the menu they want to be that day.”
An example of Jue’s satire: “This dish comes with a false soup / Boiled in a liar’s pot / Seasoned with fresh BS / So that you’re right even when you’re not,” from “Macho Cheese.” And: “How will u have it? / With sweetness or spice? / He’ll try anything if it buys him your likes,” from “Nice Guy Sauce.” Physical copies of Menu for Machismo come with a lyric zine made to look like a restaurant menu.
“There are men who victimize themselves strategically as a way of not having to deal with the choices that they’ve made,” Jue said. “There are men who are image creators, and they want you to see them a certain way, because who they are behind closed doors is so grotesque that they themselves don’t even want to see that. As opposed to being a decent person, or growing up and dealing with your choices, how about just picking how
shitty you want to be off of something like a menu? I’m not making this menu and trying to promote these types; it’s satirical.”
Jue relates awful male behavior to being able to order a burger and french fries.
“They are both very common, so much so that it’s been normalized by men and women, and so much so that we’ve voted twice now for a dude who seems to be ordering these items,” he said.
The Royal Chicano Underground, although the band features the same members as Town Troubles, marks a new era for Jue’s songwriting. In our last interview, he mentioned having to “mask certain ideas” in Town Troubles for the band to have a distinctive sound and lyrical style.
“I feel like I’ve grown as a songwriter, as a musician, and as a person, and so having a new band feels right,” Jue said. “I get to do things that are new, and then I get to push myself. What’s cool about this band is, as far as the songwriting goes: These songs are really difficult for me to play and sing at the same time, or just play even if I wasn’t singing. It’s a way of getting better by having to challenge yourself and push yourself and write songs that are in a style that is new to me. It’s a space to grow, and I feel Town Troubles is a whole other thing.”
Throughout Menu for Machismo, the band explores moody and mystic tones, upbeat disco funk jams, and irresistible psychedelic and Latin grooves, while still maintaining Jue’s endless supply of catchy riffs and poetic songwriting.
“You could tell it’s the same dude writing the songs,” Jue said. “One of the many differences between this band and Town Troubles is the drum setup. The drum setup in Town Troubles was a very specific one that I had thought up years ago as a very strippeddown setup, and this new one is also not a typical setup, like most drum sets are.” (A video on the band’s Instagram page features drummer Contreras going over his unique kit in-depth; the kit includes cymbal stacks and timbales for toms!)
Jue said the main goal for the Royal Chicano Underground is to “be political and
The members of Town Troubles shift gears to meld groovy riffs and social-issue lyrics as the Royal Chicano Underground
dance about it.”
“Dance used to have this place in culture and society, pre-Founding Fathers,” he said. “My ancestors, they would dance to mourn; they would dance to celebrate; they would dance for all sorts of purposes. I feel like dance was sort of taken away and eradicated from those people, and it’s funny: It was taken away by white men, and it was also brought back by white men. Elvis brought it back after it was gone for hundreds of years or whatever. This idea of making music that we ourselves can dance to is important, and it’s also a political act. Dancing is a form of protest, and it is also a form of healing. That’s a pattern … to have a certain uplifting liveliness juxtaposed with some lyrics that can talk about depressing shit.”
Most desert musicians don’t record and release new music on a consistent basis. Jue is not part of that majority.
“We have another EP that’s supposed to be coming out (in June),” Jue said. “It’s a three-song EP called Red Waves, and that one’s about some of the executive orders that Trump has been signing, and the current state of all that horribleness. We want to spend the next couple of months after that working on an LP that’ll hopefully get done before the end of the year.”
Jue and his partner are also expecting a baby boy soon.
“I do feel like I have a responsibility to show this little feller the ways,” he said. “Something that my girl and I talked about is we’re going to make sure that he takes accountability for his actions, and we’re not going to baby him. That’s sort of how a lot of these realities emerge.”
For more information, visit www.instagram.com/ theroyalchicanounderground.
Royal Chicano Underground.
MUSIC
IT’S ABOUT TIME
By Matt King
The immediate success of a brand-new local band proves the desert has an obsession for sick riffs and breakdowns.
Built to Break, one of the Coachella Valley’s newest hardcore bands, played their first show in December 2024, and in the months since, the band has become beloved by the 760. The group performed a handful of shows before releasing CVHC DEMO ’25 on April 24—and at Built to Break’s
release show, many fans of the desert’s hardcore music scene were shouting and moshing along.
Built to Break is TJ Jackson on vocals, Alex Whyte on bass, Nick Riccio on guitar, Sebastian Waggoner on guitar, and Marcus Velarde on drums. I spoke with the band, minus Waggoner, following their set at their demo release show.
“When we started, we wrote eight songs within the first three days, and we were getting asked to play shows by Sage (Jackson, Hot Stuff Booking and Face Facts) immediately,” Jackson said. “We kept being like, ‘Uh, we’re working on them,’ and it just wasn’t working. I had the genius idea of basically stealing my old band’s demo and redoing it, while putting our own little spin on it, so we at least had something to play shows with and to get going with. That band only existed for a couple of years, and all the dudes gave me permission. It gave us enough of a platform to start playing shows. The Wednesday before we were going to do the demo, we wrote ‘It’s About Time,’ so that’s our actual, full Built to Break song. ... We didn’t practice it once together. We just recorded it, and it went pretty cool.”
“It’s About Time” and some as-yet-unreleased tunes showcase the tight-knit nature of Built to Break’s writing process.
“Whenever I get with Seb, the writing process is pretty fast,” Riccio said. “We want to start writing our next release already. We already have an album’s worth of material. … We’re going to work on it hopefully ASAP.”
Added Jackson: “The writing process with all
After just six months, Built to Break
is making waves in the Coachella Valley hardcore scene
is now.”
While the guest performances and live shows have helped the band grow closer to the community, Jackson noted the intense connection he has formed with his bandmates.
of us is fucking unreal. The joke Sage made is that we’re a craigslist band, because none of us are the same. We’re all just so fucking different. We’re just mushed together, and it somehow just works. I write dumb, angry, caveman lyrics, and then Nick and Seb write riffs and breakdowns, and then Alex and Marcus are like, ‘Oh, cool, I got that,’ and it all just meshes together. It’s pretty tight.”
Whyte said he’s equally amazed at the success of the band’s writing process.
“Part by part, we’re writing each song, and adding our own little parts to it, especially with Marcus and I,” Whyte said. “I always feel like, for a hardcore band, a good rhythm section makes the band so much better. As long as Nick and Seb are throwing us riffs and breakdowns, we’re immediately like, ‘Dude, I know exactly what to do with that.’”
CVHC DEMO ’25, as the title suggests, is all about the Coachella Valley hardcore scene. Built to Break summoned the ‘CVHC Avengers’ for the project: Each song, except for the intro and outro, features a guest vocal performance by another local hardcore band, including Bronca, Face Facts, KILLFLOOR.
“Bronca and Face Facts and KILLFLOOR have been putting on for this shit forever, especially Bronca,” Jackson said. “… They’re very hardcore punk, and they’re badass. Sage is just building and molding the scene day by day and year by year, and it’s incredible. The KILLFLOOR dudes, they get it, and they’re doing it right. They’re conducting themselves in the way a hardcore band should. They’re about the ethics; they’re about the ethos, the life; and they’re about all the positive good, things in hardcore.”
Each track on the demo features Built to Break exploring their style, mixing hardcore with grunge and sludge metal. In a way, each guest performance serves as a seal of approval from respected bands in the scene.
“Being older and coming from an older scene, features are the shit, and having those dudes doing so much for Coachella Valley hardcore, with me being the transplant now, I’ve never felt more at home in a hardcore scene in my life,” Jackson said. “I’m riding hard for it. These guys grew up in it. I just wanted it to be like a love letter to Coachella Valley hardcore, and how it
“It’s wild how we all clicked so well,” Jackson said. “Me and Nick, the first time we met, we’re like, ‘So we’re best friends now.’ Same thing with Alex, with Marcus; these dudes are, like, my brothers now, and Seb is our truly obnoxious little brother who we all love.”
Jackson is indeed much older than the other members of Built to Break, causing him to be the target of hilarious yet loving jokes.
“They’re incessantly calling me ‘Unc’ and saying, ‘Oh you’ve never heard of TikTok; you’re an old guy,’ and it’s fucking ridiculous,” Jackson said. “It’s borderline elder abuse, and, like, I’m pretty sure it’s a felony. You will be hearing from my lawyer.”
As of this writing, Built to Break has garnered close to 400 monthly listeners on Spotify, following just a handful of shows and the recent demo release. The band members said they’re shocked at how quickly the local scene has supported them.
“It trips me the fuck out,” Jackson said. “At our first show, there were people moshing. Before our first show, our Instagram already had people following and saying, ‘When are you guys playing?’ Anytime we were at any of the other shows, people were like, ‘Where’s the music?’ That’s kind of the beauty of this. I’ve never in my life seen a hardcore scene develop predicated only on local bands. … Scenes don’t start off of local bands like that, and it’s so fucking cool that this one did.”
Special things are happening here in our desert, between the local talent and the shows being booked by Sage Jackson and Hot Stuff Booking. A lyric that sums it all up can be found on Built to Break’s “It’s About Time”: “Coachella Valley is up next / Bitch we might be.”
“The scene is growing. The scene is pumping out amazing bands, and these kids are starting to branch out of the valley and go to other shows,” Jackson said. “We have Face Facts playing Mosh for Youth (a hardcore benefit show in Pomona). Shit like that is going to put this valley on the map, and it deserves to be. All of these out-of-town bands are so stoked to play here. Everyone knows the scene is growing, and the fact that we get to be even a tiny part of this means everything. CVHC for fucking life, straight up.”
Learn more at instagram.com/builttobreakcvhc.
June!
and
some local entertainment! Here’s a list of what our local venues have to offer.
Acrisure Arena hosts Latin legends … and Hot Wheels! At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 21, modern banda sensation Banda MS will cause our local arena to erupt into an evening-long dance party! Don’t miss the musicians responsible for the jams often heard at quinceañeras and carne-asada gatherings! Tickets start at $77.10. Buckle up for some racing action with Hot Wheels Monster Trucks Live, happening at 12:30 and 7:30 p.m., Saturday, June 28; and 2:30 p.m., Sunday, June 29. The theme this year is Glow-N-Fire, so bring your neon, and prepare for full-throttle fun! Tickets start at $35. Acrisure Arena, 75702 Varner Road, Palm Desert; 888-695-8778; www.acrisurearena.com. Fantasy Springs features two doses of Mexican singer/songwriters! At 8 p.m., Sunday, June 8, regional Mexican artist Eden Muñoz is set to perform. He is most notable for his work with Norteño-banda hit-makers Calibre 50, and embarked on a solo career in 2021. Tickets start at $82.50. At 8 p.m., Friday, June 27, Mexican-American artist Bobby Pulido will head to Indio. Pulido is one of the biggest stars of Tejano music, and is performing one last tour before stepping away. Don’t miss your chance to see this legend! Tickets start at $72.50. Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com.
Spotlight 29 has lots of laughs and Latin jams! Honest Goodness comedy Fridays continue in June, featuring Chingo Bling (June 6), Jose Velasquez (June 13), Tania Estrada (June 20), and Edgar Rivera and Christian Zaragoza (June 27). Tickets start at $17.85, and shows take place inside the Chairman’s Lounge. At 8 p.m., Friday, June
Bobby Pulido
By matt king
Happy
Summer is here, so stay cool; stay hydrated;
enjoy
13, Grupo Laberinto bring their corridos straight to Coachella! Tickets start at $38.80. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 28, Gerardo Coronel is set to perform his viral Latin TikTok hits! Tickets start at $33.65. Spotlight 29 Casino, 46200 Harrison Place, Coachella; 760775-5566; www.spotlight29.com.
Morongo features Spanish pop! At 8 p.m., Friday, June 13, experience regional Mexican star and vocalist Luis Angel “El Flaco” live!
Things are heating up entertainment-wise at Agua Caliente Rancho Mirage; here are a few highlights. At 8 p.m., Thursday, June 12, witness a performance by one of the greatest musical voices of all time, as Rod Stewart brings his iconic rock sounds to town. Tickets start at $219.50. At 8 p.m., Saturday, June 21, ’00s alternative rockers Silversun Pickups will grace The Show stage. Their song “Lazy Eye” is one of the best indie-rock songs ever!
Tickets start at $43.62. At 8 p.m., Thursday, June 26, Vegas king Wayne Newton is set to perform. Did you know Newton has released 165 albums in his career? Tickets start at $48.73. Agua Caliente is hosting the second annual 80s Fest, starting at 6 p.m., Saturday,
The Venue
June 28. Blasts from the past Loverboy, The Smithereens and Vixen are all set to perform. Tickets start at $48.73. Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com.
Residencies continue at Agua Caliente Palm Springs. Desert Blues Revival Wednesdays feature rockin’ blues from The Alvarez Band (June 4), a Beatles tribute from cover pros The Dreamboats (June 11), Americana soul from Mystic Chiefs (June 18) and The Connie Converse Universe, a musical exploration into the history of a forgotten folk legend (June 25). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start from $12.51 to $17.85, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Carousel Thursdays showcase exotica and noir sounds from Skip Heller’s Voodoo 5 (June 5), drumming wizardry from the Dave Tull Quartet (June 12), saxophone and flute mayhem from Tristan Cappel (June 19) and a tribute to Nina Simone by Claude Hall (June 26). Shows are at 7 p.m., and tickets start at $17.85, available at eventspalmsprings.com. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com.
Here are some highlights from another star-
studded month at Pappy and Harriet’s. At 10 p.m., Friday, June 13, the high desert queen of abstract pop music, Jesika von Rabbit, makes her return to Pappy’s to celebrate her album release. Tickets are $26.68. Locals Q.varo and Gene Evaro Jr. mix genres and sonic experiences for a night of desert jams at 9 p.m., Sunday, June 15. Tickets are $26.68. At 9:30 p.m., Saturday, June 21, fuzzed-out garage rock trio L.A. Witch stop in Pioneertown to support their latest LP, DOGGOD. Tickets are $26.68. At 9:30 p.m., Friday, June 27, psych prog outfit Drug Hunt and hi-dez rockers This Lonesome Paradise team up for an evening of heavy desert
tunes! Tickets are $23.32. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Road, Pioneertown; 760-228-2222; www. pappyandharriets.com.
Oscar’s in Palm Springs is hosting one interesting event alongside the residencies. At 7 p.m., Saturday, June 14, jazz and R&B vocal powerhouse Freda Payne, who you may know from ’70s and ’80s music, film and TV, is performing a special, intimate show at Oscar’s. Tickets start at $44.95. All shows include a food and drink minimum. Oscar’s Palm Springs, 125 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs; 760-325-1188; oscarspalmsprings.com/events.
Jesika von Rabbit
MUSIC
LUCKY 13 the
We query a Joshua Tree folk-pop sensation, and the frontman of Drive-By Truckers—both coming to Pappy’s
by matt king
NAME Pearl Charles
MORE INFO Pearl Charles is Joshua Tree’s latest folk-pop sensation. Her expansive sound stretches across moments of spacey and bubbly Grateful Dead-esque jams (“Step Too Far”), funktastic ’70s disco (“Only for Tonight”) and heart-wrenching acoustic ballads (“Just What It Is”). The high desert phenom’s expressive musical style keeps people coming back for more. The country-disco songstress is set to perform at Pappy and Harriet’s at 9:30 p.m., Saturday, June 28.
What was the first concert you attended? Spice Girls.
What was the first album you owned? Eagles, Their Greatest Hits.
What bands are you listening to right now? American Flyer, Thin Lizzy, Airwaves, Splinter.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Overtly literal lyrics. I long for the days when lyrics still had some mystery and poetry!
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live? Steely Dan.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
Shania Twain.
What’s your favorite music venue? Pappy and Harriet’s.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“Looking through some photographs I found inside a drawer / I was taken by a photograph of you / There were one or two I know that you would have liked a little more / But they didn’t
show your spirit quite as true,” Fountain of Sorrow,” Jackson Browne.
What band or artist changed your life?
Discovering Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris absolutely changed the course of my life, from being inspired by their fusion of country and rock ’n’ roll, to moving out to the Joshua Tree desert!
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?
I’ve always wanted to ask Bob Dylan if “Went to See the Gypsy” was about Elvis, but I know he’d never tell.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
“I Must Be in a Good Place Now” by Bobby Charles.
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Fleetwood Mac’s Tusk.
What song should everyone listen to right now? “Midnight Moonlight” by The Rowans.
NAME Patterson Hood GROUP Drive-By Truckers
MORE INFO Nothing screams “Southern rock” quite like the blistering sounds of Drive-By Truckers. With twangy and slightly distorted guitar, and nasally, heavily accented lines, the band has charmed listeners with their soft-rock stylings over the past 27 years. The band is set to perform at Pappy and Harriet’s on Friday, June 6. Lead vocalist and guitarist Patterson Hood has been a constant throughout the band’s existence, helping shape Drive-By Truckers into the consistent force of rockin’ and rollin’ it is today.
What was the first concert you attended?
I saw the band Chicago in 1974 (I was 9) in Florence, Ala., at Flowers Hall. It was the Terry Kath era. (Jimi Hendrix called him the greatest guitarist in the world.) It was pretty badass.
What was the first album you owned?
Not sure what actually came first, but among my very first albums were Elton John, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road; Pink Floyd, Dark Side of the Moon; Jim Stafford, self-titled; and BachmanTurner Overdrive II
What bands are you listening to right now?
MJ Lenderman, Wednesday, Friendship, Waxahatchee, Hurray for the Riff Raff, S.G. Goodman, Will Johnson, and Craig Finn. I’m going to see Jason Isbell tonight.
What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?
Crappy modern country (like Morgan Wallen). Hate it. Seems like lowest common denominator crap.
What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?
I recently finally got to see Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds. I’d love to see Kendrick Lamar with SZA, HAIM, and Cameron Winter. I never saw Led Zeppelin, but always wanted to. That’s my time-machine band.
What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?
I don’t believe in guilty pleasures, per se.
I love Hall and Oates unconditionally and without guilt.
What’s your favorite music venue?
The 9:30 in D.C., The Fillmore in San Francisco, First Avenue in Minneapolis, the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, N.Y., and the 40 Watt Club in Athens, Ga.
What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?
“God could have thought up a better way / To teach me just how small I am / To teach me the other side of luck / Oooh small town is where my mind gets stuck,” S.G. Goodman from the song “Snapping Turtle.”
What band or artist changed your life?
Led Zeppelin, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, The Roches, The Clash, R.E.M., and The Replacements.
You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking? I’d ask Tom Waits about the best dive bar in Singapore.
What song would you like played at your funeral?
The Staple Singers, “I’ll Take You There.”
Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time? Todd Rundgren, Something/Anything?
What song should everyone listen to right now?
S.G. Goodman, “Snapping Turtle.”
Mandi Fountain
Brantley Guitierrez
OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD
“Double, Double”—the powers of two compel you! By Matt Jones
House broadcaster
Letter after pi
Origami bird
Area well beyond the coast
Pointer’s beam
Eyeglass prescription effect times 4?
Curved paths
He wrote “The Raven”
Piece of sound equipment
Partake of
Barry Bonds and Willie Stargell, for short
Baby leopard
Soup with sprouts and slices of beef
2002 NBA Rookie of the Year ___ Gasol
Late actor Kilmer
Percolate slowly
Saying that has about 8 different meanings, some of them dirty?
English university town
37. Salonga of Broadway
38. Cut down
39. Con game run 16 different ways?
42. Maker of Regenerist skin care products
43. You may pay less to get more of them
44. Biden, familiarly
45. The “N” of NDA
46. George of the Jungle creature
47. Top Gun flier
48. Proper
51. Knight’s title
52. Chest muscle, for short
53. Pageant garment
54. Hybrid letter with 32 peaks that just looks like a long zigzag?
59. Photographer Leibovitz
60. Gadget used after hard-boiling, perhaps
61. Piece of lumber
62. Airport presence
63. British formal jackets
Down
1. ___ vin (chicken dish)
2. San Antonio team
3. Nobel Prize category
4. Partners of “ifs” or “buts”
5. It goes with “neither”
6. Auto takebacks
7. Revolutionary War spy Nathan
8. Number under the ! on a keyboard
9. Go higher
10. Speak with a gravelly voice
11. Bad ___ Wanna Be (Dennis Rodman book)
12. Prefix for classicist
13. Ending for north, west, or northwest
15. Dry ingredient recipe measurement
18. Bank’s storage room
23. Expire, like a subscription
24. Panama divider
25. The Last of Us star Pascal
26. “___ Johnny!”
27. Columnists’ pieces
28. Seinfeld character played by Patrick Warburton
