Coachella Valley Independent July 2021

2 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2021

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR Mailing address: 31855 Date Palm Drive, No. 3-263 Cathedral City, CA 92234 (760) 904-4208 www.cvindependent.com

Editor/Publisher Jimmy Boegle staff writer Kevin Fitzgerald coveR and feature design Dennis Wodzisz Contributors Kevin Allman, Charles Drabkin, Max Cannon, Kevin Carlow, Katie Finn, Bill Frost, Bonnie Gilgallon, Bob Grimm, Valerie-Jean (VJ) Hume, Clay Jones, Matt Jones, Jocelyn Kane, Matt King, Keith Knight, Cat Makino, Brett Newton, Dan Perkins, Guillermo Prieto, Anita Rufus, Theresa Sama, Andrew Smith, Jen Sorenson, Robert Victor, Madeline Zuckerman The Coachella Valley Independent print edition is published every month.

All content is ©2021 and may not be published or reprinted in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The Independent is available free of charge throughout the Coachella Valley, limited to one copy per reader.

Additional copies may be purchased for $5 by calling (760) 904-4208. The Independent may be distributed only by the Independent’s authorized distributors.

The Independent is a proud member and/ or supporter of the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, the California Newspaper Publishers Association, CalMatters, the Desert AIDS Project, the Local Independent Online News Publishers, the Desert Business Association, the LGBT Community Center of the Desert, and the Desert Ad Fed.

CVIndependent.com

After 15 long months of widespread restrictions due to the pandemic, California has finally reopened.

The state is open again … but it’s definitely not the same. The ongoing pandemic, the damage it’s causing, and the scars it’s leaving behind will be with us for a long time.

These thoughts kept crossing my mind as I looked over this print edition of the Independent. For many months now, we’ve been covering the ways in which the pandemic altered life as we knew it. So much of what we cover in “normal” times focuses on things to do outside one’s home—the goings-on at restaurants, theatrical productions, bands you can go see, etc. When we were all of a sudden supposed to stay home as much as possible, we had to change things up. Our cocktail columnist wrote about home bartending instead of drinks at local places. Our music writer wrote about streaming performances rather than live shows. Our theater reviewers … well, they had almost nothing to do at all, save a review of one online show Dezart Performs brilliantly presented in the midst of the strict shutdown earlier this year.

Now, finally, again, we’re covering the goings-on at restaurants, theatrical productions, bands you can go see, etc. But things are definitely different.

On Page 5, you’ll find a piece from a service-industry professional who is frustrated by a thus-far fruitless job search … because some restaurant owners don’t realize how things have changed since March 2020. On Page 11, you’ll find a feature on an east valley youth-leadership group … and one of the big concerns they’re facing is mental-health challenges due to the pandemic. On Page 22, you can read about CVRep’s plans for the summer and the upcoming season … every one of which has been downsized in some way because of the pandemic.

It’s also important to note that the pandemic is not over. Millions of Americans are not vaccinated, and deadly SARS-CoV-2 variants are making their way around the U.S.—and the Coachella Valley. As of this writing, 36 people in Riverside County are hospitalized with COVID-19. Six of them are in the intensive-care unit.

Beyond the United States, the pandemic in many places is as bad as it’s ever been.

On June 17, Reuters reported that the global COVID-19 death toll just surpassed 4 million. This sentence from that report was particularly sobering: “It took over a year for the COVID-19 death toll to hit 2 million, while the next 2 million were recorded in just 166 days, according to a Reuters analysis.”

California is finally open again. Life is much, much better for people who are vaccinated. But the pandemic is not over, and things are not the same.

Welcome to the July 2021 print edition of the Coachella Valley Independent. Thank you for reading, as always.

—Jimmy Boegle, jboegle@cvindependent.com

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 3

JULY 2021

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JULY 2021

OPINION OPINION

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS W

BY ANITA RUFUS

hen you’ve lived in the desert long enough, you get used to having part-time neighbors—people who come and then go as the weather changes.

Carol Koby and her husband, Denis Carey, are “locals”—at least while the weather in Wisconsin is way too cold.

“A friend from Madison told us how appealing of a place the desert is,” she says. “We’d always wanted to go somewhere during the winter. Here, the weather, the sunshine, no humidity and NO BUGS were appealing enough—then add to that becoming immediately involved in the political environment of the area and meeting so many welcoming locals who made us feel at home.” a cow! The night before, they taught me Koby, 79, an only child born 14 years after to think of each teat as a clarinet, and play her parents married, was born and raised in it.”) and occasionally judged hog contests.

Superior, Wis. (“The most northwest corner The position was a full-time job promoting of the state: ‘Little Scandinavia,’” she says), in Wisconsin’s agriculture and dairy industry a family with four Swedish grandparents. around the country, and Koby says it changed “My mother was 36 when I was born. She her life. was a fabulous musician,” Koby says. “She Koby later moved to the University of played piano by ear, and was a frustrated Wisconsin-Madison and changed her major to performer and entertainer. I think she lived communication arts and broadcasting. “I had her life through me: She wanted me to do done so many interviews and lots of radio and what she didn’t get to do herself. I had six television while I was ‘Alice,’” she says. “The lessons a week—music, dance and violin. She decision to change my major was the turning and her brother had an orchestra and did point in my life. sing-alongs. We’d go to senior homes and get “Before graduating from college, I met a people dancing. We were a real dog-and-pony dashing Air Force pilot and got married. He show. I thought every family got together and was bossy and controlling, but I thought sang after dinner. that meant he cared. I insisted on finishing “She was a real ‘stage mother,’ and I was college, and had my wonderful daughter, always performing as a kid. She said that in Kristen. The marriage didn’t last.” spite of my being shy, she wanted me to be Koby’s career in media took off after more comfortable—I had terrible stage fright. college. She’s done everything from She was also a great cook and baker, and did copywriting and buying media time, to lots of volunteer activities. hosting a daily television show, to being the “My dad was 44 when I was born, first director in charge of women’s issues ‘Mr. Steady,’ a wonderful person. He was at a Milwaukee TV station, to on-air news crazy about my mother. He was very reporting. She was the director of consumer Scandinavian—reserved, not outgoing or affairs at a Madison television station affectionate. He didn’t talk much, and he and moderated a public-health television worked for the same company for 44 years. series. She has also been active in volunteer What I remember most is that he was a activities, primarily related to health and voracious reader—history, nonfiction, and he policy. She has wonderful pictures with the always knew the answers on Jeopardy! likes of Cary Grant, Bob Hope and Barack “My father was always there—a decent, Obama. decent man.”

“I decided at 50 to go back to school, and Koby earned a scholarship to Stephens got a (master’s) majoring in continuing and College in Missouri, where she majored in vocational education, with a focus on women music. “I had thought I couldn’t function and health. It was my 50th birthday present without my mom, but I found out I could,” to myself,” she says.

Koby says. “She had so dominated my life Koby had been remarried for many years until then. I always assumed my life would be when her beloved husband was diagnosed a hope chest and marriage and lots of kids. I with frontal-lobe dementia in the mid-1990s. had never thought about a career.”

She cared for him as long as she could, while Koby was named “Alice in Dairyland,” becoming knowledgeable about the illness and spent a gap year after her two years at and involved in organizations that inform Stephens representing Wisconsin’s dairy state policy. industry. She once competed in a cowAfter her husband’s death in 2001, Koby milking contest (“I didn’t know how to milk CVIndependent.com

Meet Carol Koby, a former ‘Alice in Dairyland,’ an ex-radio host— and a strong voice for public health

Carol Koby with President Barack Obama.

responded to an offer to do a radio program for an aging audience and launched All About Living, which she wrote and produced for more than 18 years. She recently retired, but has continued her public-policy work as president of the board of directors of the Alzheimer’s and Dementia Alliance of Wisconsin; she also sits on other boards.

Sixteen years ago, Koby was attending a Rotary Club meeting (“They encourage doing the best job you can and surrounding yourself with leaders and contributors to the community. I love that!”) when she met Denis Carey, a retired dentist whose long-time wife had died of cancer. They subsequently married and have been devoted to each other for the past 16 years. Koby and Carey have made permanent friends in the desert and take advantage of many arts and educational opportunities here.

What does Koby wish she could do over in her life? “I wouldn’t get married so early!” she says. “My life journey potentially would have been a lot smoother in the earlier years had I completed my education, and established my own identity and place in the world instead of succumbing to someone else’s definition of who I should be. That habit continued for far too long.

“When it comes to making a difference in the world, the obvious answer is to help one person at a time, and to do something to

change policy for the good of society. If you can do both, you’ve earned a place on the Earth.”

Her advice? “Make sure you develop your own potential, and have that solidly in place before you get married and have a family.

Develop your own independent sense of self.

Figure out who you want to be, and don’t let someone else decide that for you.”

While she only lives here part-time, Carol Koby is a neighbor well worth getting to know.

A

fter more than eight years of getting to know some of our neighbors, I’ve decided to take a break and work on some other things that have been on my to-do list for years.

Most of the neighbors I got to know are still making an impact in their various fields of endeavor. Sadly, at least two of the friends I profiled are no longer among us: The Rev. Bill Edelen and pianist/organist Dan Waddell.

These two men hold a special place in my heart; I am in awe of how centered they were within themselves.

I want to acknowledge my editor, Jimmy Boegle, who gave me this opportunity, and who almost always made my writing much better … almost always.

Anita Rufus is also known as “The Lovable Liberal.”

Her show The Lovable Liberal airs on IHubRadio.

Email her at Anita@LovableLiberal.com.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 5

JULY 2021

OPINION OPINION

I WANT TO WORK! I

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

A frustrated veteran of the service industry says closeminded, pre-pandemic thinking is dooming restaurants

BY ANONYMOUS

reached out to the editor of the Coachella Valley Independent in sheer frustration.

I was actually calling to leave his colleague a voicemail, in response to an article about difficulties many restaurants are having finding employees (“Help Wanted,” May 2021 print edition). To me, the piece came off slightly one sided, and it hit some nerves. Two of the restaurant owners complaining in the piece had each denied my applications twice, without even an interview.

I have more than 25 years of experience in the hospitality/food and beverage industry, ranging from restaurants with Michelin stars to private yacht clubs, from hotels to three different coffee houses. I’m accountable, experienced and adaptable; I don’t need to be microbreaks—even though we did not have enough managed. I have a deep-rooted desire to make staff support to even take a 10-minute break, sure my guests have the best experience let alone a half-hour meal break. possible. My résumé and recommendation It’s worth noting that since I left that job, letters back this up. I do not claim to be the it’s gotten harder to get interviews. This best, but I know what I bring to the table.

The pandemic changed everything—except, industry is very connected, so it is possible I’ve been unofficially black-listed. Here are a it seems, many employers’ expectations and demands. Some of them act like the pandemic few lowlights from my job search: • I accepted a job offer on a Tuesday—only never happened. During one interview I to be ghosted by the manager when I tried to had in the midst of a strict lockdown, the contact her for a training schedule. More interviewer’s mask was below the nose. Many than a week later, she finally called to employers are completely unwilling to work apologize for the delayed response—and told with people’s schedules. Others are asking me the position was no longer available. How prospective staff members to do the work of is this OK? two or three people—without appropriate • At another interview, the manager talked compensation or support. about how busy the place was, and said a lot The last job I had, which lasted less than of her staff members had refused to come two months, was at a hotel restaurant. back due to the unemployment benefits. After That entire time, we were extremely shortshe mentioned additional responsibilities staffed and over-booked. On one particularly that go well beyond the scope of the server busy night, after I told my manager about position for which I was interviewing, I asked a mistake I made—I forgot to put in a if there was any wiggle room on the minimum sandwich order for one table—he responded wage being offered. Her response: “No! You by belittling, berating and swearing at me, make tips.” in front of the entire kitchen staff. I filed a • At yet another interview, I was shut down complaint with human resources and said I after I said I needed every other weekend off was no longer comfortable working with that due to family commitments. Even though I manager, yet I was still scheduled with him. am completely available otherwise, even on Staff members were threatened with writeholidays, the interview went no further. ups if we didn’t take our legally required

So … what needs to happen? It’s simple: The close-minded, pre-pandemic thinking of many restaurant owners and managers has got to end. They need to be willing to work with job-seekers who may have scheduling obstacles. They need to realize that good, quality hospitality workers are worth more than minimum wage—especially if they’re being asked to go above and beyond. They should be willing to have their employees’ back—especially regarding abusive customers.

It’s amazing what employees will do for an employer who values them.

As of this writing, I don’t have an income.

(The editor is allowing me to write this commentary without using my name, so it doesn’t hinder my job search.) I have not yet been approved for unemployment, and I have $7 in my checking account. But, hey, I’m just lazy, and don’t want to work, right?

That couldn’t be further from the truth. I want to work, and so do countless others in our industry; the Facebook industry support pages I’m a part of prove this. We just want to be valued, fairly compensated, and maybe, just maybe—after a year and a half that’s pushed all of us to our limits—shown a little humanity.

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JULY 2021

OPINION OPINION

HIKING WITH T T

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/OPINION

Yes, it’s hot—but it’s still possible to enjoy the great outdoors with schedule adjustments or a little travel

BY THERESA SAMA

he hottest time of the year is upon us!

Good news: After record-breaking summer temperatures last year, The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicts this summer will be cooler than normal, with the highest temperatures in mid-June (seems right so far!) and late August. Still, even “cooler-than-normal” desert heat is far too intense for hiking … or even being outside, period, through mid-September. So what can running/hiking/biking/camping fanatics do to continue getting outside and exercising—in order to keep our sanity and stay fit?

I do two things. First: I adjust my schedule. I’m up and outside at daybreak—around 5 to 5:30 a.m.—and I’m back inside by 7 to 7:30 a.m. on the hottest days. I always take more water more strenuous hikes that lead to the peak. than I should need, at least one liter per The Idyllwild Nature Center is surrounded hour, and have either a wet gaiter or bandana by hiking trails, with guided tours available around my neck. These can be literal lifefor specific interests. Just 10 miles outside savers while hiking in the desert heat. of Idyllwild, along Highway 243 toward The second thing I do: I get away to cooler Banning, is Lake Fulmor, where you can fish, climates when I can. We are very fortunate picnic and take a walk around the lake. From to live in an area that is surrounded by a vast Palm Desert, it’s fastest to take Highway 74 array of beautiful national parks and forests, state parks, and quaint mountain towns, all of to Highway 243. From Palm Springs, take Interstate 10 West to Highway 243. Learn which offer various trails and other outdoor more at www.idyllwild.com. activities—where temperatures are 10 to 30 Another great place to keep cool is Oak degrees cooler than they are on the Coachella Glen, located less than 40 miles west of Valley floor. Many of these places are less Palm Springs, just off of Interstate 10 in the than 50 miles away and make for an easy and foothills of the San Bernardino Mountains. enjoyable day trip.

Oak Glen is a small farming community Let’s start with a short 10-minute drive known for its you-pick apple orchards; there from downtown Palm Springs to the Valley are also various activities and hiking trails.

Station of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, It’s a great place to keep cool, forget about the world’s largest rotating tram car. After the desert heat (with temperatures nearly 20 only a 10-minute tram ride—and nearly 6,000 feet of elevation gains—you’ll reach the degrees cooler) and get some exercise. Lean more at www.oakglen.net. amazing beauty and pristine wilderness of Early morning hikes at Joshua Tree Mount San Jacinto State Park. Temperatures National Park are another fairly close option there are usually about 30 degrees cooler, and for escaping the valley. The West Entrance to there are more than 50 miles of hiking trails. the park is approximately 40 miles from Palm The Mountain Station features observation Springs, off of Highway 62; the South Entrance decks offering breathtaking views of the (from Interstate 10) near Cottonwood Springs desert floor and beyond, a natural history is about 30 miles from Indio. According to museum, documentary theaters, a gift shop the National Park Service (www.nps.gov/jotr/ and fine dining—all at an elevation of more planyourvisit/hiking.htm), there are about 15 than 8,500 feet. It’s like being a whole world short walks and nature trails that range from away, but you’re actually only 20 minutes one to five miles, and a handful of moderate (plus a possible wait in line for the tram) hikes that are two to five miles. Temperatures from downtown Palm Springs. Learn more, in the park are typically 10 to 15 degrees cooler including prices and hours, at than they are in the Coachella Valley—but it www.pstramway.com. can still be dangerously hot, with temperatures Less than 50 miles west of Palm Springs reaching upwards of 110 degrees, so it’s and Palm Desert, nestled in the San Jacinto important to monitor the weather forecasts.

Mountains, sits the town of Idyllwild. With Temperatures can be in the 70s with an early temperatures 25-30 degrees cooler than those start between 5 and 7 a.m., but plan to finish in the desert cities, Idyllwild is a perfect your hike by 9 or 10 a.m. Also, there is no cell breakaway. Things to do range from hiking, service in portions of the park—so be sure to biking, camping and climbing, to delicious tell someone where you’re going. Again, bring eateries, a winery, art galleries, shopping more water than you think you might need— and much more. As for hiking trails, Humber at least one liter per hour, so bring at least two Park offers a variety of hiking, from an easy liters—even for shorter hikes; wear sunscreen stroll along the Ernie Maxwell Scenic Trail to CVIndependent.com

Idyllwild is less than 50 miles away from the Coachella Valley—but it’s 20 to 30 degrees cooler. Theresa Sama

and sunglasses; and don’t forget a hat.

This is just a start; there are other nearby cool-me-down places that offer various activities for us desert-dwellers to break

away for a bit and keep our sanity during the months of unbearable heat. Be smart; be safe; and smile knowing that we have cooler options!

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 7

JULY 2021

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JULY 2021

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

LIQUID GOLD T

Many Coachella Valley Water District customers will face a state-mandated increase in their water bills come July 1

by kevin fitzgerald

he good news: The Coachella Valley Water District, which serves the majority of the Coachella Valley, is confident in its ability to provide clean, safe drinking water. Given the fact that California is in the midst of what’s being called the worst extended period of drought in California history, this is a relief.

The bad news: The majority of CVWD customers will soon be paying more for their water— in some cases, a lot more.

On June 8, the CVWD board of directors voted 4-1 in favor of adopting a new water-rate structure—while claiming their hands were tied by California’s Proposition 218. It was passed cost of service study doesn’t dictate what the by the state’s voters in 1996, and a 2006 actual water rates will be over the next five court decision affirmed that it applies to years. While the projected maximum waterwater agencies. service rates, including maximum increases CVWD Division 2 Director Anthony Bianco said he empathized with upset customers who (or decreases, because some customer’s rates will actually be reduced), are established spoke out (mostly virtually) at the June 8 meeting, just before he cast the lone “no” vote definitively by the study for the 2023-2026 fiscal years, new one-year budgets must be on the adoption of Ordinance 1441, which developed and approved by the CVWD board officially made the 2021 “cost of service of directors annually. study,” dictated by Prop 218, the yardstick for “The only (final rate adjustment) that rate levels through 2026. was approved was for this year,” Evans said.

“The problem that the board has is that “So the rate increases for this current year we’re a public agency,” Bianco said, “and an (fiscal 2021-22) were approved, but over the independent person looks at this. Under our state law the way it is now, we can only charge next four years, the staff will have to do an analysis each spring and go back to the board the cost to deliver water (to each specific type with our model to determine if we need an of customer).” increase, and if so, how much. But it cannot In this case, the “independent person” exceed those maximum amounts” set by the was the company Carollo Engineers. It cost of service study. conducted—at a cost of $247,503—the study If all goes well, those rate increases will be of real costs associated with domestic water, nowhere near the maximums set by the cost canal water and replenishment assessments. of service study. After the last five-year study “We can’t arbitrarily, as board members, was adopted in 2016, the total maximum just change things to make it more expensive increase for fiscal years 2017-2021 was set for commercial (customers) and less at a potentially whopping 67.5% for a singleexpensive for (others).” Bianco continued. “I family residential customer using 20 centum mean, I wish we could, but under state law, cubic feet (CCF) of water each month. (One this is the way that it has to be done. … There CCF is equal to 748 gallons.) However, the is no leeway for cutting corners for people actual increase in annually established rates who are on a fixed income, or a single-family after five years totaled only 6.1%. home versus commercial (properties).”

Under the newly adopted five-year rate In a recent interview with the Independent, structure, that same customer could see Katie Evans, the district’s communications their rates increase from $32.20 in fiscal year and conservation director, explained the need 2021-2022 to a maximum of $47.91 in 2025for a cost of service study.

2026, Evans said, which would represent a “Things change as demand changes and cumulative increase of 48.8%. our costs change,” Evans said. “I mean, there Meanwhile, a budget item calling for $2.5 are lots of cost changes for us. Electricity million in funding to be set aside for CVWD costs change; fuel costs change; vehicle costs staff raises irked some customers—just as change. … Some of the increases are based a similar budget item did five years ago. We on things that are projected such as … capital asked Evans to explain that figure. improvement projects and our schedule to “It’s a staff-generated number, but it build those things. For example, if there’s comes from our contractual obligations with a project that we’re not going to build until our employee bargaining units for cost-of2023, or 2024, it’s budgeted for that time, living increases and then merit increases,” and that adjusts the scheduling of the Evans said. “It’s not like we passed this rate (required) rate increases.” increase, and now everybody gets a raise. Our To make things even more confusing, the CVIndependent.com

employees are all part of bargaining units, or unions, and we negotiate with them for their contracts, and the cost-of-living increases are part of their contractual employment agreement. Any salary adjustment that’s a raise is based entirely on performance. We have a pay-for-performance program here, and it’s not like you get a step increase every year. They are merit-based increases.”

Another topic of concern among the board members at the June 8 meetings was whether the district should, or could, increase the amount of financial aid it makes available to customers who can’t afford their newly increased monthly water bills. The current maximum rate relief amount is a $100 annual stipend per customer. We asked Evans if more rate relief may be coming.

“Staff will be making a new presentation to the board going forward and will request

their approval of an increase in that program,” Evans said. “I can’t say if it will be (another) $100, $60 or $50, but our customer service staff is working on it. … It sounded like the board would be very supportive of some increase.”

Evans mentioned the United Wayfacilitated “Help to Others” program as another source of assistance for CVWD customers in need.

“It is a great program through which we’ve been able to help a lot of people who need assistance,” she said. “Another real benefit of the program is that, when somebody calls us and tells us that they’re having trouble paying their water bill, when we connect the customer with the United Way … they often can connect (the customer) with other programs that can help them with other bills or expenses.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 9

JULY 2021

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10 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2021

NEWS

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/NEWS

A NEW SCHOOL NORMAL O

by kevin fitzgerald

n Aug. 4, the Palm Springs Unified School District will open school doors and welcome back all students, teachers and staff to a daily routine of in-person classroom learning for the first time since the pandemic closed classrooms in March 2020.

Everyone will be greeted, at least in spirit, by Mike Swize (pronounced “sweezy”). He will become the district’s new superintendent of schools on July 1, upon the retirement of Sandra Lyon from the post she’s held since 2016.

Swize is certainly not new to the school district; he’s now spent 31 years working for the district, and was sought out by the PSUSD Board of Education early on in the search for Lyon’s around equity, innovation and high academic replacement to provide his insights and input. outcomes for all students.”

“I was able to meet with the school board When asked what work the district needs and talk to them about what I felt the district to do, Swize cited ongoing issues of equity and needed, what the district’s strengths were, diversity. and what some next steps might be for the “Our school board, along with a broad group district,” Swize told the Independent during a of stakeholders, has established some specific recent interview. “And as part of that process, goals for us in those areas, and working with I did let the board know that I would be the entire district to advance that work is interested in the position if that’s the direction going to be a top priority,” Swize said. “Overall, that they chose to take.” we need to continue to focus on some of our In early March 2021, Board President key academic indicators. Are students reading Timothy Wood offered Swize the position.

Fittingly for these times, the offer came during proficiently by third-grade? Are they being successful in their high school integrated math a Zoom board meeting. course work? Are students college- and career“The school board invited me in (to ready? We need to do it in a way that (shows us participate) with Dr. Lyon and shared with to be) a positive district, where we are valuing me that their recommendation was that I be culture and relationships, and attending to the appointed as the superintendent,” Swize said. social and emotional needs of our staff, our “It was very nice, very congratulatory and students and their families. That’s something really positive. There’s a lot of enthusiasm in that we’re all very proud of in our district.” the district for our future, and it was a very After 15 months of disruptions due to exciting conversation.”

COVID-19, the district is recommending that In his 31 years with PSUSD, Swize has some students at critical transition points— worked in a variety of jobs. He’s been a such as graduating seniors, or transitioning teacher, a bilingual programs coordinator and fifth-graders or eighth-graders—attend one a principal for both elementary and middle schools. He was also the director of the English of a variety of summer-school programs being offered by the district. learners and elementary curriculum, and since “We are limited in the number of seats that 2011 was the assistant superintendent of we can offer, just to ensure that we’re staying educational services. with very small class sizes and to keep all of “I love this district very much, and I’m the health and safety protocols in place for proud to have worked here with so many students and staff,” Swize said. “So, in some amazing people,” Swize said. “Working cases, the teacher recommendation or student alongside Dr. Lyon, and the other assistant need may outweigh the demand or interest of superintendents, Dr. Tony Signoret and Dr. students to participate. … That being said, this Brian Murray, the district was really moving will be the largest summer program we’ve ever in a very positive direction and making some run in person … and we’re excited about that significant changes. Although the mandated opportunity.” school closures created some new challenges Unfortunately, that means that this year’s for us, we continued to work closely together “summer break” will be anything but a break to navigate through that. So, to me, (my for Swize and many of his PSUSD colleagues. hiring) was the school board acknowledging “Correct! That is right,” Swize said with a all of the incredible people in this district, chuckle. “That’ll be true for so many of our and the direction in which the district is school staff as well. I know it’s been said a headed, and really reinforcing that we’re on lot, but this has been such a unique year or the right path. We need to continue to make year and a half, and we’ve had so many people improvements, and focus on a few things, and working so hard, and they’ll continue to be do them extremely well—with shared values CVIndependent.com

Mike Swize, the new Palm Springs Unified Superintendent, talks about the district’s goals for 2021-2022

working hard through the summer—and then we’ll be ramping up and excited for the fall.”

We asked Swize where the district stands regarding the ongoing efforts to eliminate the “digital divide”—the lack of broadband access from which some students suffer.

“We’ve continued to work on that throughout the year,” Swize said. “Every time we’ve had a specific instance where a family was challenged, we were able to provide some kind of support to make it better. We did end up distributing over 6,000 hotspots—sort of portable WiFi—during this past school year. That was in addition to the 22,500 Chromebooks that went to every student so they had their own device. Then, in some areas, where one company’s WiFi hotspot was not as reliable as another company’s, we actually wound up swapping those out for families. So, in essence, we were shopping for them to get them the best internet (connections) in their homes that they could.

We provided that to every family who asked and to whom we could get that service.

“There are a few communities or neighborhoods that are still really challenged with reliable internet access, as they were even before the distance-learning time period. So we did open our schools and were using the school buses to bring in students to give them a reliable internet source—and we did that before we even opened the schools for hybrid instruction. In other cases, we gave multiple hotspots to a family so that individual children in a home could be on their own internet connection instead of sharing one at the same with multiple siblings. We will continue to offer all that support, but at the same time, we are really planning, and looking forward to, everybody being back on campus for the majority of the time starting this August.”

What can students expect when they return?

How normal, in the pre-COVID-19 sense, will the daily schedule and operations be?

“I can tell you that we have a meeting scheduled as soon as (new state guidance) comes out to discuss the ramifications for the fall,” he said. “But we’re preparing for all of our students to be able to return five days a week for full days of instruction. Some of the other questions—around masking, social distancing, if there will be different sets of rules (for different) grade levels—those … are the details we’re really waiting for. Our plan is to be prepared at the beginning of August to open our doors up for five days a week of fulltime instruction, and to be inviting all of our

Incoming PSUSD Superintendent Mike Swize: “We’re preparing for all of our students to be able to return five days a week for full days of instruction.”

students back to in-person learning.”

Finally, we asked if the district has any initiatives in place to address the psychological or emotional needs some students and families may have as a result of the pandemic.

“This extended period of pandemic has been challenging for everyone in their own unique way,” Swize said. “Certainly, as a large school district that serves over 22,000 students and an equal number of families in the community, we do know that this has been a difficult period. So we are focused on providing additional support in the social/emotional arena, making sure that all of our schools are prepared for students to come back to school and to offer them the support that they need.

We’re adding counseling and mental-health support and all kinds of things designed for students, but also for families and staff as well. … All of us, in whatever ways we can, are working hard to ensure that, as a community, we come out of this extended period healthy, happy and with a way for us to continue to educate children moving forward.”

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EMPOWERING YOUTH I

by matt king

t’s a cliché, but it’s true: The children are our future—and that’s why it’s vital for them to become knowledgeable about and involved in worldly affairs now.

Inland Congregations United for Change (ICUC) is working to make sure that’s happening locally.

ICUC is a nonprofit community organization that “empowers people of faith, youth, and marginalized communities by teaching them community organizing and providing them with the tools to revitalize and transform their neighborhoods” in San Bernardino and Riverside counties. In recent months, the ICUC in the eastern Coachella Valley has formed a tight-knit group of youth leaders, thanks in large part to to actually be heard. That’s actually how everything started—just by listening to the Monica Galvez, ICUC’s Coachella Valley youth youth.” organizer.

As for what Galvez heard: Local youth “ICUC has been here in the Coachella Valley were interested in mental-health issues, for many years, but they haven’t actually especially surrounding the pandemic; voter focused on the youth,” Galvez said. “Last year, engagement; and environmental health, I started doing one-on-ones with different among other things. “After I did the oneyouth—seeing what they were going through on-ones with them, I told them to do the during this pandemic, during their lives, same thing (by talking) with their peers and and finding more information about what classmates, to see how they were doing—and the youth were interested in. Before talking for them to realize that they were not the about ICUC and all the work we were trying only ones going through the situation with to do, I wanted to give them the opportunity

Inland Congregations United for Change is working to develop young leaders in the eastern Coachella Valley

online learning and all the changes with the pandemic.”

Then they got to work. Local ICUC youth organized candidate forums during the election season, held food drives for families impacted by COVID-19, and engaged in canvassing in the east valley. In May, the group put on an in-person “Nurture the Vote” event at the Rancho 51 Date Garden in Coachella.

“It was an amazing event that was planned and led by the youth,” said Galvez. “Me and another organizer were there for support, but everything that happened was their idea.

The purpose of this event was basically to talk to the community—but it was especially for the youth to talk to other youth about the importance of voting, and how they can register once they turn 16 so that once they hit 18, they’re already registered. We tried to make the event entertaining as well, because talking about voting and politics can

Coachella Valley youth leaders with Inland Congregations United for Change put on the “Nurture the Vote” event in May at the Rancho 51 Date Garden in Coachella. Photo courtesy of ICUC

be boring for the community, especially the youth. … It was one of the first events that people could actually attend in person.”

Next up, the youth council has its sights set on destigmatizing mental-health issues and improving mental health within the Coachella Valley Unified School District.

“We have been attending the (CVUSD) board meetings just to hear what their plans are for the next school year in terms of reopening and mental health, to see how we can work together,” Galvez said. “We noticed that they are actually going to be hiring a therapist for every school within the district, from elementary schools to high schools, which is great. Our main goal is going to be talking to the board, and also to (Norma) Rodriguez, who is in charge of the mental health (issues), and also the welfare and attendance department. … I made a mental health survey for the students just to see how their mental health is; if they’re prepared to go to in-person school … and if they have actually reached out to the district.”

ICUC youth made sure they kept on working despite pandemic lockdowns.

“At the beginning, everything was virtual, so it was hard for them to be on the screen all day attending classes or regular classes, and also doing homework,” Galvez said. “The challenge that I face is trying to make this as fun and entertaining as possible for them so that they keep joining, while also showing them the importance of the different issues that we’re working on. It’s hard to be talking to someone through a screen, because you don’t get that sense of belonging. The main challenge was trying to make them feel a part of a group.”

Despite the challenges, Galvez was able to keep the youth council together.

“We meet every week, but every other week, we try to have a fun day, meaning that we play virtual games,” Galvez said. “We actually did it in person one time, with all the precautions and everything. It’s to keep them motivated, because I know they’re interested in making changes in their schools and communities, but I don’t want them to feel like it’s only work. It’s also giving them the opportunity to be part of a group, make new friends, interact with other people, and learn from different experiences. Even if they’re helping the community, they can also enjoy the work in the process.”

For more information, visit icucpico.com.

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NEWSOM DURING COVID I

by emily hoeven, calmatters

t was strange, after 15 months of watching Gov. Gavin Newsom’s press conferences on my computer screen, to see him up close.

He was sitting in a conference room in the California Lottery building, wearing his signature bear-emblazoned face mask and typing on his phone. He had just held a press conference announcing the first 15 winners of a $50,000 cash prize in the state’s vaccine lottery—but the event hadn’t gone as expected. Unimpressed with the glitzy Wheel of Fortune-style decor and confetti fireworks, reporters had pummeled him with tough questions, and recall supporters had pounced on Newsom’s assertion that he wouldn’t give up his emergency powers after the state reopened on I want to watch. The one show I cannot see June 15. another episode of is Spirit. My daughter When I walked into the room, the first loves horses, and every time I try to turn the thing Newsom did was apologize for being on channel, it goes back to Spirit. … We just finhis phone. I sat down and pulled out my own ished the one Netflix series. We did finally get phone to record our interview, commenting through all the seasons, my wife and I, and we that the coffee brewing in the corner of the did it late at night. It was not a great way to room smelled good. To my surprise, Newsom go to bed every night: We got through Narcos, jumped up and poured me a cup. which we’ve been obsessed with. Obsessed.

Actually, I was surprised to be meeting NewWe’re just like, at one in the morning, “One som in person at all. For nearly a month, I had more.” “No.” “One more.” “All right, let’s do been trying to land a conversation with him for one more.” And it’s 1:43, and we’re like, “I can’t a fun project: a series of talks with California’s believe we’re doing this.” living governors about their favorite books, TV shows, movies, music, food, etc. His press office I actually was curious about your sleep and I had settled on a phone call or Zoom, but schedule, especially at the beginning of we hadn’t picked a date, and I was beginning to think the interview wouldn’t happen. Then, the the pandemic. How many hours a day would you sleep, and what is it like now? night before Newsom’s lottery event, I got an It’s wholly dependent on how the kids are email offering a 15-minute in-person interview doing. When you have so many kids this age, with the governor. someone’s sick; someone’s scared; someone’s in Fifteen minutes: That would be more than the bed with you; someone’s angry; someone enough for Newsom to run through what he woke up early because the other person woke was reading, and what he was watching on them up earlier; someone can’t go to bed. …

Netflix. But our conversation ended up being And then we just made the worst decision of all longer than 30 minutes, and it also ended up times. I did not make it. I’ll take responsibility being more serious than I had expected, with for everything in this state, because at the end Newsom talking about his childhood, his parof the day, I’m accountable—except for the ents and his own experience as a father. fact that the kids bought a rooster, and now we He also talked about his life during the have a damn rooster waking us up every mornCOVID-19 pandemic, providing a rare behinding. … My wife is complicit in this, and deep the-scenes glimpse into one of the country’s accountability is required. And I don’t know most visible governors—whose visibility has what to do to sanction. I could sneak in and only grown with the looming election to oust steal the rooster; I can invite in the bobcat that him from office. got one of our chickens … .

The recall, of course, looms over everything—and could very well have something to What’s your go-to date with your wife, I do with me getting an in-person interview in guess, in non-pandemic times? the first place. I didn’t go into the conversation The last date Jen and I had, true story, not with the intention of grilling him about the recall—that wasn’t the goal of the piece—but it making this up—so cute. I have photos, actually. The kids decided to dress up in little mini came up anyway, because the political inevitasuits, and they did a date night … They surbly bleeds into the personal.

Here are key excerpts from our conversation, prised us. They made menus and nameplates like “Mom,” “Dad,” then went downstairs … it edited for length and clarity. was like a cold little basement thing, but it was Do you watch TV? Do you watch shows? Do so cute. And they set up dinner, and they made us dinner, and they were the servers. … And, of you watch Netflix, Hulu? course, they sat with us the whole time. They I do have four kids, so yes, but it’s not what CVIndependent.com

Our partners at CalMatters talk to the governor about his pandemic life

Gov. Gavin Newsom with his youngest son, Dutch, during the annual Christmas tree lighting at the Capitol on Dec. 15, 2019. Anne Wernikoff/CalMatters

were like, “Do you like it?” I’m like, “It’s good, OK, get out of here!”

What do you eat in a day, actually?

Eggs in the morning, religiously. Banana. Two eggs minimum, sometimes as much as four.

Coffee. … Chicken salad, unless I’m on the road—then it’s a chicken sandwich or a turkey sandwich. … That’s pathetic; I’m not even interesting. And then, at dinner, I’d eat pasta every single night of my life until the end of time. I would eat tortellini—I mean, just, whatever the pasta is. … Lasagna, come on. It’s like the greatest thing ever created.

What does your typical Saturday look like when you’re able to, you know, do what you want to do? Like, how do you relax?

I just started, after a year and a half of not being able to get anywhere—save, literally, one fated infamous place—and then … literally only two other nights we went to a restaurant in the last 14 months. … Been stuck in the house.

Like, it’s this place, this place or with you guys 24/7—you heard those wonderful questions and how wonderfully happy everyone seems to be when they’re around me. And so my staff, to their credit, had a little intervention.

Wade Crowfoot in Natural Resources says, “You’re in Sacramento—you gotta get out!”

And so I’ve been doing these hikes every Saturday, which has just been game-changing, up in the Auburn trails. … I’ve had poison oak now twice already. … My passion as a kid was photography. My obsession. … Now I’m back out taking these just spectacular—I’m just so proud—I’m obsessed with the ones I’m taking of all the wildflowers.

Do you drive yourself anywhere in your private life, or do you always have someone (with you)?

I’ve tried. I’ve tried to sneak out. We’ve had a few, uh—you guys, lovingly, don’t have any sense of the threats. I mean, it’s comical; it’s bad. I mean, the protests in front of the house are never-ending. It’s bad. … And I’ve had, I mean, just getting coffee, people—it’s very emotional now, very raw. We’re shoving again as a society over these last few years, so it’s a little more intense. So I’ve come to be a little bit more like, “I kinda get it.” We’ve had two in particular that were actually serious that made me go, “I’m going to listen to these guys.”

How do you not crack under the pressure?

This year’s been intense. I’m facing a recall … all my businesses are shut down for a year, employees, life, people are angry, stress across the board. Kids, their friends that don’t like me because their dads don’t like me. It’s intense.

Life, right? Protests, the whole thing—it stacks a little bit. … When you know that at the end of the day, quite literally, no one cares—you have to move on, live your life, try not to hold grudges, and remember that everybody else is struggling in a million different ways, and their pain is unique and distinctive and just as profound.

And you’re not a victim. I’m not a victim. We’re not victims. …

I’m really worried … in our society how this victimhood thing is taking shape. It’s a big part of the Republican Party. … It’s like the Republican Party’s been taken over by victimization, like mainstream media victimization. … I’m like, “My kids, you’re not victims. Don’t maintain a victim mentality. It’s decisions, not conditions, that determine your fate and future.” I keep saying that to them, and they’re like, “Oh, God.” And so that’s the resiliency that I want to see in them.

This article was originally published by CalMatters.

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JULY ASTRONOMY I

By Robert Victor

Venus, Mars, Regulus and Mid-Twilight the moon Planets and Bright Stars in Evening For July, 2021 traffic jam, of sorts create an interplanetary This sky chart is drawn for latitude 34 degrees north, but may be used in southern U.S. and northern Mexico.

N

July's evening sky chart.

ROBERT D. MILLER

n July 2021, evening twilight gatherings of brilliant Venus, faint Mars and the star Regulus include close pairings on July 11-14, 21 and 29; a crescent moon passing through on July 11 and 12; and a gathering of three bodies in a field just 5 degrees across on July 21.

Three hours after sunset on July 1 (lowering to one hour at month’s end), bright Jupiter rises in the east-southeast, and chases Saturn across the sky for the rest of the night, ending in the southwest at dawn. Late in July, it becomes possible to see the two brightest planets, Venus and Jupiter, simultaneously, above opposite horizons.

Castor In order of brightness, the actors in July’s evening “celestial traffic jam” are brilliant Venus, of Pollux magnitude -3.9; Regulus, at magnitude +1.4; and Mars, at magnitude +1.8, as faint as it gets. BinDeneb oculars are recommended for viewing the two 24, wait until about 90 minutes after sunset fainter members, low in bright twilight. to see the moon 8 degrees to the lower left of Venus 1 As July opens, Venus, very low in the Saturn, with Jupiter, just risen, 14 degrees to 8 1 8 15 22 Vega west-northwest, is the lowest of the three bodthe moon’s lower left. On July 25, look about Mars 15 29 ies, with Mars within 7 degrees to its upper two hours after sunset to catch the 94 percent 22 left, and Regulus 17 degrees to the upper left of waning moon, just risen, within 5 degrees to 29 Altair Mars. The three objects span 24 degrees on July the lower right of Jupiter, and 21 degrees to the E W Regulus 1. Venus moves closer to Mars each evening lower left of Saturn.

Arcturus until July 12. In the first “narrow miss,” they’ll Other stars: Castor and Pollux, very low in appear within 1 degree on July 11; 0.5-0.6 the west-northwest to northwest twilight glow degrees apart on July 12 and 13; and about 1 at the start of July, require binoculars and very degree apart again on July 14. clear skies. They’ll be in conjunction, on the far Even the moon gets into the act! A very thin, side of the sun, July 12-15. Arcturus is very 22 Spica 29 1 percent crescent moon—setting in bright high in the southwestern sky at dusk. The SumSaturn twilight some 16 degrees to the lower right of mer Triangle of Vega, Altair and Deneb, climbVenus—on July 10 will be a challenge to see, ing higher in the eastern sky, is visible all night.

Antares but on the next two nights, the beautiful waxing Later in the evening: Saturn rises in the crescent moon will hopscotch past the Venuseast-southeast within two hours after sunset on Mars pair: On July 11, the 5 percent crescent July 1, and rises at sunset on the 31st. moon will appear within 5 degrees to the lower On July 6, Venus and Saturn are at mutual right of Venus, and on July 12, the 10 percent opposition, 180 degrees apart in celestial lonmoon will appear 8 degrees to the upper left gitude, and appear less than 1 degree above of the Venus-Mars pair, and 5 degrees to the opposite horizons, about 1.6 hours after sunupper right of Regulus. On both evenings, the set, a few minutes before end of evening twiS non-sunlit portion of the lunar disk will be light. On July 18, about 1.2 hours after sunset, Evening mid-twilight occurs Stereographic Projection attractively illuminated by earthshine. each will be 5 degrees up. On night of July 21, about thewhen first Sun three July. On July 1, and 11 degrees to the lower ofD.Jupiter. is 9weeks below of horizon.

Map byright Robert Miller On July 1:planet, 46 minutes after sunset. +0.8, is The moon, almost at first-quarter phase, Venus and Jupiter are at mutual opposition, the innermost of magnitude the morning of the 26th, the 93 percent moon 15: 46 " left " of "similarly bright will appear in the southwest, 6 degrees to the and appear barely above opposite horizons 1.6 9 degrees to the lower appears 6 degrees to the left of Jupiter.

31: 43 " " " upper right of Spica, on July 16. Next, a waxhours after sunset, very near the end of eveAldebaran, eye of Taurus, the Bull. On July 6, All the groupings mentioned here are illusing gibbous moon will appear 7 degrees to the ning twilight. By July 29, these two brightest a 12 percent waning crescent moon appears 6 trated on the Sky Calendar. To subscribe, visit upper right of Antares in the south-southeast planets appear 3 degrees above opposite horidegrees above Aldebaran and 7 degrees below www.abramsplanetarium.org/skycalendar. to south at dusk on July 19, and 9 degrees to zons 1.4 hours after sunset. the Pleiades. On the morning of July 8, MercuThe brightest stars on July mornings are the left of that star on July 20.

Morning twilight planets: Jupiter, at magniry, brightened to 0 magnitude, appears within Vega, sinking in the west-northwest to northThe second “narrow miss” of the “traffic tude -2.7 to -2.8, is the brightest morning “star.”

5 degrees to the upper right of a 3 percent old west; and Capella, ascending in the northeast. jam” will occur on July 21, as Venus passes 1.1 Find it in the south to southwest at morning crescent moon. Mercury reaches its highest Altair and Deneb complete the Summer degrees north (to the upper right) of Regulus. mid-twilight, with Saturn, of magnitude +0.4 to elevation, nearly 7 degrees above the morning Triangle with Vega. Fomalhaut, mouth of the That evening, Mars will be 5 degrees to their +0.2, 19-20 degrees to Jupiter’s lower right. The mid-twilight horizon, on July 8-10. Mercury Southern Fish, is in the south to south-southlower right, creating the most compact gathergiant planets reach a maximum distance apart, brightens to magnitude -1.0 by July 18, and to west, 20 degrees to the lower left of Jupiter. ing of the three objects. All three bodies will fit 19 3/4 degrees, on July 11, when Jupiter’s magnitude -1.5 by July 24, but by that date, it After mid-month, watch for the rising of Orion’s within the field of view of most binoculars magrate of retrograde (westward) motion against is barely above the horizon at mid-twilight. two bright stars: Betelgeuse, about 10 degrees nifying no more than 10 times. background stars begins to exceed Saturn’s. The Also on July 24, the moon returns to the north of east; and Rigel, about 10 degrees On the last date of the moon’s visibility in distance between the giants will then close until morning sky. Low in the southwest just past south of east. evening mid-twilight, July 23, the full moon will Oct. 24, when they’ll be 15.4 degrees apart. full, it is 6 degrees to the lower left of Saturn. appear low in the southeast, 9 degrees to the The other naked-eye morning planet is Mer- On the next morning, July 25, the moon is Robert Victor was a staff astronomer at Abrams upper right of Saturn. On the next night, July cury, visible very low in the east-northeast for within 11 degrees to the upper left of Saturn, Planetarium, at Michigan State University.

CVIndependent.com

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BY KEVIN FITZGERALD

The story of Lithium Valley begins in earnest on Sept. 29, 2020.

That’s the day when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 1657, sponsored

by Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia, creating a “Blue Ribbon Commission on Lithium Extraction in California.” That commission is now called the Lithium Valley Commission.

What is this all about? Oh, just the fact that up to 40% of the world’s potential future lithium supply is located under and near the Salton Sea. In the months since the establishment of the Lithium Valley Commission, the area has become the focus of intense and optimistic attention by the media, government officials and leaders in industries ranging from clean energy to electric transportation.

What does this all mean? Let’s start with the basics. Lithium is a soft, alkali metal—its atomic number is 3, making it the lightest of all metals. It doesn’t occur freely in nature; it’s only found in compounds. It’s highly flammable—and is primarily used today in ubiquitous lithium ion batteries. It’s often found in areas where there is also a lot of geothermal energy.

This brings us to the area now known as Lithium Valley.

“The term Lithium Valley refers to the entire region of the Salton Sea, and more specifically, the southern end of the Salton Sea,” said Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia during a recent interview with the CVIndependent.com

Independent. “Similarly, a couple of decades ago, the term ‘Silicon Valley’ was coined, and we know what that did for California’s economy and technology across the world.

So we’re talking about Lithium Valley in that same context.”

Yes, Garcia just compared the potential of Lithium Valley to Silicon Valley. The huge deposit of lithium located under the Salton Sea area—a deposit that may be recoverable in a cost-effective fashion, at a large scale and with limited negative environmental impacts—is a potential game-changer for the Coachella Valley, the state and even the United States.

Let’s explain.

David Snydacker

is the founder and CEO of Lilac Solutions.

According to the company website, Lilac is “a mining technology company … building partnerships with (lithium) brine developers and operators around the world.”

“Lithium is the lightest metal on the periodic table and can charge quickly into a variety of electrode materials, making it uniquely valuable for batteries,” Snydacker said in an interview last autumn

with Northwestern Magazine, published by his alma mater. “If we made a top five list of the world’s best batteries, lithium is the key element in every one. That’s why lithium dominates every kind of high-performance battery, from electric vehicles to portable electronics. Demand for lithium continues to increase as electric vehicles offer stunning performance and become cost-competitive.”

As mentioned above, Lithium Valley has the potential to meet 40% of world’s lithium demand moving forward, according to the California Energy Commission, although no authoritative source has calculated exactly

how much lithium is in the deposit.

“I’ve been told by some that we’ve got the largest deposit of lithium in the world, or on the continent,” Garcia said. “I’m going to give you the 6-year-old’s answer: It’s a lot.”

The Lithium Valley region is a hotbed of geothermal energy production, with roughly a dozen plants in operation there.

“Most of the world’s lithium is found in the brine deposits underneath salt flats,” Lilac Solutions’ Snydacker told Northwestern Magazine. “This salty water contains 0.1% lithium at best, and the remaining 99.9% is low-value salts and water. Currently, to extract that lithium, you need to evaporate everything around it using ponds. Not only do these types of projects leave a massive footprint and affect nearby water resources; they can take 10 years to develop and, at best, capture only 50% of the lithium available.

The whole process is antiquated, inefficient and unsustainable.

“Lilac’s solution eliminates the need for new evaporation ponds.

Instead, Lilac offers a new ion-exchange system capable of extracting 80% of available lithium in a Thermal mud pots bubble at the Controlled Thermal Resources project site at the matter of hours, versus Salton Sea. Courtesy of Controlled Thermal Resources

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years, with a footprint 1,000 times smaller than ponds.”

There is no shortage of potential stakeholders who think Lithium Valley may one day soon become a promised land which will spawn considerable economic wealth; massive synergistic business opportunities in the clean-energy and electric-transportation spheres; and the environmental salvation of

the Americas, Europe and China.

• Geothermal energy has the potential to become a major supplier to California’s cleanenergy power grid, which last year received 63% of its output from carbon-free energy sources.

However, there are questions regarding Lithium Valley that need answers.

Amidst this enthusiasm

will the lithium-recovery process and its geothermal-energy production antecedent truly be?

“It’s a good question,” Garcia said. “(Environmental concerns are) perceived as a negative aspect, because people don’t know—including us. But I think this first attempt at understanding the technology, and the comparisons of how (lithium recovery) is being done in other places, and how it’s being proposed to be done here, can put some people’s minds at ease. If we’re talking about a really distressed environmental situation being (compounded) by additional pressures due to this initiative, then people would say, ‘Hell no; we’re not going to do that.’ We’ve got to spend a lot of time on this—and partly, that’s the role of the Lithium Valley Commission members, who have to roll up their sleeves and dig into this issue.”

Dr. Raul Ruiz, who represents California’s 36th congressional district, conceded that stakeholders have a lot to learn.

“There’s more that we need to study and learn about the actual brine itself and the (recovery) processes themselves,” Ruiz said during a recent interview with the Independent. “We need to know more about that and the effects on the environment. At

the same time, this form of lithium extraction is the cleanest (when compared to) other forms that require demolishing land. But the most important points here are that the community that will be affected has to be at the table—they must be consulted in a meaningful way—and that there must be complete transparency, so that together with all the other stakeholders, we maintain the integrity and the health of the community.

“As a doctor, from my perspective, the biggest benefit is the advancement of our economy alongside the protection of our health from the (effects of) the receding Salton Sea. It’s going to be important to link the benefits of the lithium extraction to the protection of our public health.”

Ruiz mentioned three things that need to happen next.

“One is to ensure that we link the lithium and geothermal potential to the public health in the area,” Ruiz said. “In other words, they need to go hand in hand. We cannot allow private industry to come in and extract the lithium, make profits and then leave behind the public-health dilemma (that results from) exposed playa. The challenge is to create incentives to tie the economic opportunity to

"A couple of decades ago, the term ‘Silicon Valley’ was coined, and we know what that did for California’s economy and technology across the world. So we’re talking about Lithium Valley in that same context.”

coming from so many quarters, some voices are raising concerns about how all of this will affect the historically disadvantaged communities and residents of the eastern Coachella Valley and Imperial County.

One such voice belongs to Luis Olmedo, the executive director of the Comite Civico del Valle, an organization which, since 1987, “has been serving California District 56 Assemblymember Eduardo Garcia speaks at the communities of press conference held on the shores of the Salton Sea. Photo courtesy of the Office of Eduardo Garcia Imperial Valley, (and) now serves various the Salton Sea. That vision is already being California communities through collaborative financed by some of our country’s wealthiest efforts with other established environmental investors, including Bill Gates, Warren Buffett justice organizations and in partnership and Michael Bloomberg, among others. They with researchers, academia and government see a future of geothermal energy production, agencies,” according to the organization’s lithium recovery and electric transportation website. companies coming to the area.

Efforts by the Independent to reach David Hochschild is the chair of the Olmedo before this story’s deadline were California Energy Commission. At an unsuccessful. However, he recently told The continued on next page informational hearing held on May 26 by the New York Times: “Our California State Assembly’s Select Committee region is very rich in on California’s Lithium Economy, he spoke natural resources and enthusiastically and at length about the mineral resources. promise offered by the state’s commitment However, they’re very to lithium production—particularly in the poorly distributed. The Lithium Valley. Referring to the high-value population has not been element as “the oil of the clean-energy future,” afforded a seat at the Hochschild rattled off a number of facts that, table.” when digested together, point to the economic The ideas for Lithium boom that could result from Lithium Valley: Valley come with a lot of • In California, an average of 650 electric questions. For example, vehicles are currently sold per day, with more how will the brine be than 860,000 total EVs sold to date. safely disposed of once • In 2020, electric vehicles became the the lithium is removed? leading export from California and its 34 Will more geothermal electric-vehicle production companies. plants result in unclean • On May 25, Ford motor company air emissions? Just how announced it will spend $22 billion through One of the geothermal power plants operated by Berkshire Hathaway Energy’s CalEnergy at the Salton Sea. environmentally friendly Courtesy of Berkshire Hathaway Energy 2025 on electrifying many of its vehicles in

—Eduardo Garcia

California District 56 Assemblymember

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16 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

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continued from Page 15 the 10-year (Salton Sea Management) Plan, and prevent exposed playa from harming our health and our economy.

“The second key,” Ruiz continued, “is to ensure that the local community is involved in making decisions about community benefits around the Salton Sea, and that the jobs created are made available to local residents.

That’s going to be very important.

Local residents should have input into the design and implementation of these economic projects as it relates to their lives and livelihoods in their community.

“The third is that the vision must be comprehensive.

We don’t just want lithium to be extracted and then moved away from our district or area. We want the full supply chain. We want to match our lithium extraction with battery production through manufacturing in our local communities, which would also boost our economy and provide more jobs for our residents.”

Garcia also said Lithium Valley must play a role in addressing the pollution threats posed by the Salton Sea. “Everything that happens here has to have multiple co-benefits for the Salton Sea challenges that are before us,” Garcia said. “One of the conversations that is happening on the ground is about what the community benefit will be from all of this activity. Aside from counting the number of jobs, and (calculating) property value and property taxes paid to the county, what are the additional benefits, and is there a way to capture them? I keep referring to the community as being a stakeholder and a shareholder when it comes to the success of these efforts getting off the ground.

“So, what needs to happen? I think the local community needs to establish what could potentially be a ‘community benefit fund’ that will create resources to reinvest back into solving Salton Sea mitigation and restoration problems.”

Both locals and the state of California

have vested interests in the success of Lithium Valley—and so does the entire United States.

As a result, several federal initiatives are already focused on Lithium Valley.

“President Biden’s American Jobs Plan and the infrastructure package that we are developing currently call for building America back better and responsibly, with an emphasis on renewable energy, so that we don’t cause more pollution,” Ruiz said. “We want to address the pollution (that exists) by building as much as we can with lowpolluting renewable energy.

“We import the vast majority of the lithium that we use, and then we have to export the lithium to China for them to include in their batteries for us to purchase. But there have been studies done that show there’s enough lithium under the Salton Sea to make the United States the second-biggest lithiumexporting country in the world. In fact, the Salton Sea is one of the five largest lithium deposits on the globe—so that’s an enormous amount of potential. Since the infrastructure of the future requires electric vehicles, microgrids and the conversion of manufacturing industries into more environmentally friendly (operations), it will also require energy storage capacity with batteries—and we could be producing the batteries here in America. …

I am bringing the lithium deposit potential to the attention of President Biden and Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm in order to start the process within the federal government of building collaborations among the departments, and furthering the opportunities for collaboration with the state.

“Already, the federal government, under the Department of Energy, has initiated two projects. One comes from their Geothermal Technologies Office, which launched a $4 million American-made geothermal lithium extraction prize, which is focused on turning geothermal brine from the Salton Sea into useable lithium. It’s a contest with local

“(We need) to ensure that the local community is involved in making decisions about community benefits around the Salton Sea, and that the jobs created are made available to local residents.

That’s going to be very important."

universities partnering with a company that can license the intellectual property from the (prize-winning technology) as well.

“The second thing the DOE has done is partner with the state to provide $21 million to Berkshire Hathaway Energy, which has a pilot project at the Salton Sea to extract the lithium from the brine and convert it to useable battery-grade lithium. And on Feb. 24, President Biden issued an order directing the Department of Energy to analyze the American supply chain for high-capacity batteries, and develop recommendations to secure it.”

(Amy Kort, a corporate communications representative with Berkshire Hathaway Energy, reached out with this response: “The Department of Energy did not ‘partner’ with the state. Rather, BHE Renewables won two separate, independent matching-fund solicitations—one from the California Energy Commission for a demonstration project to recover lithium from geothermal brine, and the other from the U.S. Department of Energy for a demonstration project to convert lithium chloride into battery-grade lithium hydroxide and to fund engineering for full-scale commercial operations.”)

opportunity to see the tremendous benefits from the lithium here,” Garcia said.

Garcia said the Coachella Valley and Imperial County need to be ready to take advantage of Lithium Valley’s stunning potential.

“We’re looking at what programs and policies need to align (to promote) workforce training for the region to be prepared to take on these jobs,” he said. “You know, we’re not just talking about benefits for the Imperial County and eastern Riverside County. We’re talking about a statewide benefit if this all occurs. And we’re not stopping at (a statewide level), given that the federal government’s goals and objectives clearly are starting to align with what we’re talking about here. …

There’s a whole national-defense component to this, which is why I think that the U.S. Department of Defense and the Department of Energy have stepped up and are engaging in this conversation.”

Garcia concluded by again comparing the potential of Lithium Valley to Silicon Valley.

“I’m telling you that now we’ve got folks calling us to talk about (the fact that) this is what they felt and what they envisioned in Silicon Valley’s early days,” Garcia said. “Of

—Congressman Raul Ruiz

CVIndependent.com

Rep. Raul Ruiz tours the Salton Sea with Rep. Marcy Kaptur and representatives from the Bureau of Reclamation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the State of California, the Salton Sea Authority and the Audubon Naturalist Society in March 2020.

Photo Courtesy of the Office of Rep. Raul Ruiz/Facebook Garcia said the Berkshire Hathaway Energy Renewables demonstration plant needs to prove it’s possible to scale up the lithium operation into commercial levels. “When that happens, I think it will become evident that what we’ve been talking about for this period of time is going to attract the car manufacturers, and other lithium industry end-users, or beneficiaries who will get an

course, we don’t want to overpromise and underdeliver, but I think it’s possible to get this industry in California off the ground and really help the local regional economy be transformed, while helping us to meet our ambitious environment and energy goals.”

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 17

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ARTS & CULTURE JOY AND LAUGHTER ARE BACK Y

By jimmy boegle

ou know that old phrase, “Be careful what you wish for; you just might get it?” Comedian Dana Goldberg learned how true it is last year.

“I flew 175,000 domestic airline miles in 2019,” she said during a recent phone interview. “I remember saying to myself, ‘God, I wish I could just get a little time off.’ And then the pandemic happened—and I was like, ‘That is not what I meant. That’s not what I meant!’

Thankfully, Goldberg’s “time off” has come to an end: At 7 p.m., Thursday, July 8, Goldberg will perform at Hunters Palm Springs. She’ll be headlining a free night of LGBTQ comedy, and will be joined by Ian Harvie, Brad Loekle and Shann Carr. This is the first in a series of shows “I haven’t really been with people that I’m Carr is organizing at Hunters; the next one, unfamiliar with, or that I don’t know are with an as-yet-undetermined lineup, is slated vaccinated,” Goldberg said. “So there is some for Thursday, July 22. (Full disclosure: Shann nervousness around it, but at the same time, Carr is a friend of mine.)

I’m thrilled to be able to get back onstage and Goldberg said she expects she’ll need to do what I love, and to bring laughter and joy “brush off some dust” during the show.

Dana Goldberg: “As much as I want to say the last five years gave me so much material, it also scared the shit out of me, because I’m not just a comedian; I’m also a lesbian and a Jew. So I’ve just been marching and day-drinking for, like, five years. That’s all I do now: I just march and day-drink.” Irene Young

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Dana Goldberg helps kick off a new LGBTQ comedy series at Hunters Palm Springs

to people who have also been locked inside for a year and a half.”

While the pandemic is obviously still on people’s minds, Goldberg said she doesn’t plan on bringing it up much.

“I think people are hungry for live comedy,” she said. “I think they’re tired of the Zoom shows. I’m tired of the Zoom shows. I think people want to be around their community.

They want to laugh. They want to let go.

Material-wise, I’m going to do what feels good to me. I’m not going to be doing a bunch of mask material. I’m going to perform as if we didn’t lose a year and a half of our lives, and that we just picked up where we left off.

Hopefully, the audience comes with me.”

An online search of Goldberg’s comedy reveals videos that cover a wide variety of topics. One recent search revealed a set, from about 10 years who, during which she made jokes about codependent relationships; the next video was a portion of an interview with Mary Trump, part of Goldberg’s Out in Left Field podcast. This political bent carries over to Goldberg’s social-media accounts— including a hilarious take on that crazy nurse who testified that the COVID-19 vaccine had made her magnetic, and “proved” her claim by sticking a key to her chest.

“She’s like, ‘Explain to me why this is sticking here,” Goldberg said, “And I’m like, ‘It’s because you need to shower.’”

I asked Goldberg if the events of the last five years have made her comedy more political.

“Over the years, I’ve become more politically savvy,” Goldberg says. “As comedians, we try to make sense of the insane—and politics over the last five years were scary as hell. But even before that, when Sarah Palin came onto the scene, those types of GOP politicians … really changed for me this outlook of how political comedy can be done.

“My show in itself involves so much material from daily life and relationships and my family, but I’m very good at political comedy. So it’s become a little staple for about 15 to 20 minutes of an hour-long show, just to try to bring some levity to some scary times. As much as I want to say the last five years gave me so much material, it also scared the shit out of me, because I’m not just a comedian; I’m also a lesbian and a Jew. So I’ve just been marching and day-drinking for, like, five years. That’s all I do now: I just march and day-drink.”

Our discussion then turned to the unique

challenges facing comedians these days, including so-called “cancel culture.”

“There are a lot white, straight, cis men out there who feel like, well, they’re getting canceled, and they can’t say anything without offending people,” Goldberg said. “I’m, like, ‘Maybe you’re just not funny. Maybe you are insensitive. Have you ever thought of that?’ … What’s funny to one person is definitely offensive to others, but that’s not even something comedians can necessarily worry about. This is the bottom line: If you’re going to say something that is edgy and could be offensive, you’d better make it funny, because if it is funny, people will forgive you for things that they would not otherwise forgive you for.”

I asked Goldberg if she has ever gotten in trouble because of a joke.

“I offend a lot of people on the right,” she said. “That’s not something that bothers me.

I make an effort not to punch down, because I don’t think it’s necessary; I try very hard to punch up, toward people in power. So I offend people on the right, absolutely. But there have been times … how can I say this? There are fanatics on both sides. I think if you go way too far to the left or way too far to the right, you’re going to be offended.

“I’ve played to that middle part; that’s where I want to live. … Some things are black and white; don’t get me wrong. You know, transphobia? Black and white. Racism? Black and white. Misogyny? Black and white. But there’s a gray area where you can find joy and laughter with people you disagree with politically.”

Politics aside, Goldberg said she is glad to be coming to Palm Springs.

“I mean, what Jew doesn’t like going to Palm Springs in the middle of July and schvitzing for the entire day?” Goldberg said. “Palm Springs is truly a magical place for me. I’m from Albuquerque. N.M., so the Palm Springs mountains and the desert are the closest thing I can get (to that) here in California. It makes me feel like home. I’m very excited to go to Palm Springs for my first live show in front of a real, live audience in a year and a half.”

Dana Goldberg will perform with Ian Harvie, Brad Loekle and Shann Carr at 7 p.m., Thursday, July 8, at Hunters Palm Springs, 302 E. Arenas Road, in Palm Springs. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ events/346149293546649.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 19

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THEATRICAL BABY STEPS D

CVRep eases its way back into live shows with its Summer Classical Music Series

By MATT KING

uring normal times, CVRep hosts a show each week during the summer.

“We’d have a jazz series, a classical music series, one-person plays, a cabaret series, etc.,” said Ron Celona, CVRep’s founding artistic director, during a recent phone interview.

Of course, these aren’t normal times—but after being closed to live audiences since March 2020, CVRep is finally opening its doors again. Instead of a show once a week, the theater is dipping its figurative toes back into live performances by hosting one show a month.

The Summer Classical Music Series features a different performance monthly during the in a full audience without an intermission summer. At 2 p.m., Sunday, July 25, CVRep where they have to go out and come back in will team up with the Palm Springs Opera and mingle. I only have two people who never Guild to feature world-renowned opera singer leave the stage—so as long as they’re both Jacquelynne Fontaine. vaccinated, I’ll be happy. That’s my way of “The classical series (shows) are partnerships with classical music organizations easing into doing a play on the stage, with a singular set that doesn’t have to be moved in here in the Coachella Valley, like the Steinway by a crew of six people.

Society, the Palm Springs Opera Guild and “The second play, which is in January, is the Virginia Waring International Piano called Life x 3 by Yasmina Reza. That play Competition,” Celona said. “One of them is a is two couples—four people who are in the privately produced classical show in August by living room of this house for the whole play.” composer Joe Giarrusso, who happens to be As for the third show, Celona gave himself the president of our board, who is resigning at a challenge, he said. the end of June. This was a way of honoring “The third is our musical in March; now his work and everything that he’s giving to the that was tricky,” he said. “Because most theater.” musicals have a large cast—dancing and Celona is taking what he calls a “baby singing—and my last musical had a huge steps” approach to reopening. orchestra onstage, I had to figure out how to “The first show (had) maybe a third of have a simple show. I found a musical that the audience, and then the second show will was written for piano—the whole musical is bring in 50% of the audience, the third show written for one instrument. Now I can put three-quarters, so that we build up to 100%,” bass and drums safely on that stage. The Celona said. “It’s not only for (audience) artists in the play are only four people, so I safety, but for our safety, to sort of know how have a very small cast and musicians. It’s an to maneuver people in. Even though the state open-air stage with no sets involved, so it’s is saying everything is open, we’re still taking going to be a simple, easy musical to do.” safety measures and precautions.

Celona said his precautions regarding the “For our dressing rooms, we built Plexiglas 2021-2022 season have to do with both safety walls between each person, so they have their and financial prudence. own little booths, if you will. That’s just a “Our last play is Native Gardens—again, a good safety feature to have in place anyway, four-person play,” Celona said. “I did a play even beyond COVID. We’re also making sure two years ago that had nine people in it, and everyone working and onstage is vaccinated.” a musical that had 20 people in it. I can’t do Celona said he prides himself on being that from two points of view—not only from cautious and considerate. safety, but we have to be cautious financially.

“Numbers have been considered We don’t know how many people are going to throughout,” expressed Celona. “Even in my come back.” full season (in 2021-2022), I’m easing in with Because of that possible hesitancy from the amount of people who are on the stage.” audiences, CVRep is planning on allowing I asked Celona to talk a bit about that people to watch the Summer Classical Music upcoming season.

Series online as well as in person.

“I always have a theme for my seasons, and “It’s the first time that we’re doing my theme this year is ‘Hopes, Dreams and anything virtual that we’re filming from Expectations,’” Celona said. “My season is set; our stage,” said Celona. “We have rented the we begin on Nov. 9 with Bakersfield Mist by theater out, and other people have filmed Stephen Sachs. It’s a two-person play in one fundraisers on our stage, but we have never act, and that’s a great way to start bringing CVIndependent.com

CVRep and the Palm Springs Opera Guild are bringing opera singer Jacquelynne Fontaine to the Coachella Valley for a show on Sunday, July 25.

done it as a company. We’ve done virtual theater; we were the first ones to do it (locally), from April of last year to May of this year. We did a show every single week … and it was livestreamed through Zoom from wherever these (performers) were.”

Despite the caution and all of the unknowns, Celona said he was excited to have audiences back at CVRep for live shows.

“I miss it so—and I know that a lot of other people do as well,” he said.

CVRep’s Summer Classical Music Series will feature opera singer Jacquelynne Fontaine at 2 p.m., Sunday, July 25, at the CVRep Playhouse, 68510 E. Palm Canyon Drive, in Cathedral City.

Tickets are $30. For tickets or more information, call 760-296-2966, or visit CVRep.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 23

JULY 2021

Photo By: John Warden

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ARTS & CULTURE

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NO B.S. ART HERE L

Joshua Tree’s La Matadora Gallery marks four years of celebrating post-modern works

By CAT MAKINO

a Matadora Gallery “is only 333.33 square feet,” says owner and mosaic artist Colleena Hake, “but it packs a punch.”

Artist Carmen Tostado, whose art on the subject of child abuse was featured at La Matadora, says the Joshua Tree gallery provides a service for artists and the community. It also provides a whole lot of fun.

“The inside is intimate, but there is also a large space out front for art parties, which happen every second Saturday and feature two or more artists with live sound art, performances and/or a DJ,” Hake says. These parties can attract up to 200 people, drawn from throughout “So many (people) came during COVID.” Southern California.

Marcano says. “I stayed behind a plastic Hake says she came to Joshua Tree on a curtain, and everyone wore masks.” road trip of discovery, and moved there after The gallery will commemorate its fourth falling in love with the place. anniversary on Saturday, July 10, from 6 to “Joshua Tree was the most beautiful 9 p.m. Featured artists include Kim Green, place on Earth—boulders, Joshua trees, the Tracy Brown and Hector Santos, with DJ extreme desert,” she says. “There were also AlKimmy (aka Kim Green) and Third Circle a lot of artists living there.” She has formed Visuals. personal connections with many of these Marcano will be curating an exhibition at artists, and her gallery features their work.

La Matadora between July 22 and 26, called After closing her Candelabra Gallery in Fruit of the Vine, featuring John Rogers, Tucson, she started La Matadora. Why La Antonio J. Ainscough, tattoo artist Gavin Matadora? Hake explains that she had been Daily and others, including Eric Sena, 18, collecting black-velvet paintings for some whose work will be shown for the first time. time, but “then my friend Lisa Kanouse “My goal is to inspire young future artists,” painted me a red-velvet matador painting. I Marcano said. “The Matadora is cool. … It has decided La Matadora would be the name of a lot of heart and soul.” my next gallery.”

Marcano says that the exhibition at La Hake’s mission statement: “Taking a stab at showing post-mod art, and cutting through Matadora will bring something new to the high desert. “It will be insanely different, and some bullshit.” something Joshua Tree has never seen before,” After Hake studied art history in London, he says. “It’s contemporary street art.” she earned a master’s degree in humanities, In August, artists Daniel Martin Diaz with an emphasis on performance art. and Alexandra Bowers will be coming to Performance art is important to Hake, as she sees it as a way of creating moods. Her mosaic La Matadora, and September will feature Wendy Lee Gadzuk, an artist and musician, work is inspired by artists including Isaiah as curator for the whole month. She curates Zagar, of Philadelphia; Antoni Gaudi, of every third month at the gallery, so Hake can Barcelona; and Hildreth Meiere, of Nebraska. catch her breath. She also curated the show Like virtually every other business, La that will be on display through July 4, called Matadora had to make changes during the Six Fingered Beast, featuring the work of “six pandemic. For Hake, who has been deaf since OG Los Angeles punk/art rockers.” the age of 2, the arrival of COVID-19 posed “I love her aesthetic and eye for detail,” a particular challenge: Used to reading lips, Hake says about Gadzuk. “We balance each she found it impossible to do so while people other out in many ways.” were wearing masks.

In return, Gadzuk says that La Matadora “I became psychic,” she says with a laugh. is a welcome contrast to galleries in Los “After having been focused on lips, I had to Angeles, where high overhead costs force a look at their eyes. Soon I had customers write business-oriented outlook. Hake, instead, down their questions. It became like an art chooses artists about whom she is passionate. project.”

The September show will have a taxidermy/ La Matadora stayed open in a rather roadkill theme and feature artists Paul unique way: Attendees could view art via a Koudounaris, Brooke Weston, Lauren Kane/ walk-up window. The gallery featured a show Precious Creature and Beth Allen (who is an in January by Al Marcano, whose art focused Independent contributor). The theme of the on COVID. He called the exhibition Death show: honoring death.

Dance, and he sold 40 of his 50 pieces.

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Colleena Hake’s mission statement: “Taking a stab at showing post-mod art, and cutting through some bullshit.” Penelope Valentine

“Each artist has their own unique take on the subject,” Gadzuk says. “Brooke Weston is a Los Angeles artist who builds colorful and whimsical worlds inside the hollowed-out bodies of animals who have passed, tenderly giving them a new life.”

Lauren Kane is the owner of Precious Creature and works in the Victorian tradition of memorial taxidermy—preserving animal companions that have passed. Beth Allen is also a taxidermist, inspired by a punk-rock aesthetic.

Paul Koudounaris, an author and photographer with a doctorate in art history, will be showing collections of tales and images from his macabre and educational

excursions. “Paul Koudounaris’ photographs document roadkill in the desert,” Gadzuk says. “He honors the creature who has passed by covering its body in a collection of colorful silk flowers, creating impromptu roadkill memorial shrines.

“The goal is to take away some of the stigma around discussing the topic of death, which is a perfectly natural part of the process of life, and to honor our non-human friends who have passed,” Gadzuk says.

La Matadora Gallery is located at 61857 Twentynine Palms Highway, in Joshua Tree. For more information, call 520-370-1465, or visit lamatadoragallery.org.

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Palm Canyon Theatre returns to live shows with the musical ‘You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown’

By MATT KING

s California opens up, live art forms that the pandemic took away are returning, including theater—and the folks at downtown Palm Springs’ Palm Canyon Theatre couldn’t be happier.

The theater’s first show back, the musical You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown, will be performed Friday, July 9, through Sunday, July 18—and it is very much a family affair.

Theater co-founder J.W. Layne is set to play Charlie Brown, while also doubling as the set and lighting designer. He’s sharing co-artistic director duties with his sister, Se Layne, who is also the choreographer. Finally, Dr. William “Bill” Layne, their father, is directing.

The next show on the Palm Canyon Theatre I spoke to the family about the schedule, Sordid Lives, will also feature a production—and how the pandemic affected smaller cast. the theater.

“We did that specifically because of “It’s taken quite a toll, because not only COVID,” Se Layne said. “We have all been could we not have people close together, like traveling, and we’re finding that people are in a theater; we also couldn’t have people hesitant at the very beginning, but then live on a stage,” explained Se Layne. “We’ve they’re like, ‘Why do I have this mask on?’ I been closed for over 15 months now, so we’re know it’s different in Palm Springs, but we’re excited to get back open again.” hoping that once people come out and see J.W. Layne jokingly referred to the last 15 that it’s safe, they’ll come out in full force. months as “an interesting vacation.”

Then we’re moving up into larger shows like “We’ve been champing at the bit just Shrek and Les Misérables.” waiting it out,” J.W. Layne said. “I’ve got both Added Dr. Bill Layne: “We’re having the my shots, I’m ready to go back to work.” whole cast make sure that they’ve had their The Laynes said they put a lot of thought shots and all that, so they feel comfortable into their first show back. being on stage with one another.”

“We were trying to find something that I asked the Laynes if they felt extra would make the audience comfortable pressure to put on a great show, since it’ll be and the actors comfortable, because even one of the first live shows in a local theater though we’ve all had our shots, there’s still since the pandemic started. a huge hesitancy to come back,” expressed “We do want the quality to be really topSe Layne. “We don’t have any grants or any notch, because they have been away for sponsorships, so we depend on the ticket a year,” J.W. Layne said. “They might not sales. … Since people have been watching so remember the last time they saw us at the much TV, they’re over sitting and watching Palm Canyon Theatre, so we want to do a something, so we needed something that nice, professional job. They’ll say, ‘I forgot would intrigue them and captivate them. We how nice of a job this group does; let’s come chose Charlie Brown, because it seems like right now, people have been in their own lives back and see the next show.’”

Added Se Layne: “You’re only as good as so much that they’re really inside their heads. your last show. I totally believe that, and I Charlie Brown characters are all really stoic have seen that so many times with people and in their internal emotions and worries about actors and production companies. Luckily, our the world—so it’s kind of like a reflection on actors and our staff are wanting to come back people right now.” and wanting to be creative.”

Added J.W. Layne: “We wanted something While J.W. Layne may joke about a that takes you out of your worry of catching 15-month “vacation,” the Laynes said they’ve COVID, or losing your job, or whatever you’re actually been quite busy during the closure. worrying about at home.”

“We’ve been planning a lot,” said J.W. While California has “reopened,” Se Layne Layne. “We also improved the lighting and said the theater is still taking precautions.

“We have a resident costumer, and he made worked on the stage while nobody was in the building, so that was nice. We also did singer packs designed for a show on Zoom, some Zoom productions. I work at College of where they can actually have a mask on and the Desert, and we did a production there. have the mic away from their face enough It was a radio show, and then the Palm that they can sing and project and enunciate Canyon Theatre did the (educational) kids’ and not be eating their mask,” said Se Layne. production with masks on everything, and “We’re also going to have smaller casts.”

J.W. Layne will play the lead role in You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Photo courtesy of Palm Canyon Theatre

that was hugely successful—not financially, but through the turnout and enthusiasm of getting people to enjoy the theater again.

That was definitely a positive experience.

We worked on some stuff that we wouldn’t normally have been able to spend so much time on.”

The Laynes said they hoped potential audience members are as ready for the return of live theater as they are.

“It’s going to be fun,” Se Layne said. “…

We’ve got full music, and the cast is excited.

We just hope the audience comes.”

The Palm Canyon Theatre will perform You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown at 7 p.m., Thursday; 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday; and 2 p.m., Sunday, from Friday, July 9, through Sunday, July 18, at 538 N. Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs.

Tickets are $32 to $36, plus fees. For tickets or more information, call 760-323-5123, or visit palmcanyontheatre.net.

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FOOD & DRINK

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CAESAR CERVISIA O

BY brett newton

ne of the great joys of being a craft-beer nerd is finding a store surprisingly filled with liquid gems—places so unremarkable that you think twice about even walking in.

Maybe you stumble across the store yourself. Or perhaps a friend of a friend finds it, and you’re soon standing before bottles and cans with names you have heretofore only heard whispers about.

The store that sparked my interest in beer didn’t quite fit the unlikely mold: It was the Vons in La Quinta. In the mid-’90s, it carried a nice assortment of imported single bottles, as well as beer from the relatively few American breweries that were trying to forge their own paths. I experienced my first European styles thanks about five years ago, when a sales rep piqued to this store, along with many seasonal his interest. offerings from Sierra Nevada, Anchor and “I started looking it up online to get more Samuel Adams. Ever since, I’ve felt a little knowledge on it,” he said. “I was able to thrill at the sight of a well-stocked beer get a little grip on the industry and started section. ordering a few beers for my store. I started This brings us to two current local visiting different breweries to get in-person exemplars of amazement-inducing craft-beer experience.” variety—places with beer from breweries I While his hard work didn’t pay off right haven’t even heard of. Places with curators away, things started to pick up. If you build it, who exert great effort in acquiring and caring they will come. for their stock—and are willing to hear your “People came to my store from all over suggestions regarding what to carry next. the valley to pick up beer,” Hadi said. “I was Places I can wholeheartedly recommend to surprised that some of my customers told me anyone with any proclivity for craft beer. that they come from Desert Hot Springs and I present to you University Village Food Beaumont just to pick up their favorite beers.”

Mart, at 36957 Cook St., in Palm Desert; and Bryan at Ranch Market and Liquor was Ranch Market and Liquor, at 32055 Monterey first inspired by a classic: Russian River Ave., in Thousand Palms.

Brewing’s Pliny the Younger.

We’ll begin with Hadi at University Village “While living and working in the Bay Area, Food Mart. His journey into craft beer began I attended great beer fests that allowed me to

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These two independently owned stores are havens for Coachella Valley craft-beer lovers

The owner of University Village Food Mart stocks beers that you won’t find anywhere else in the valley.

try different breweries,” he said. “But once I moved back to the Coachella Valley, I noticed the craft-beer scene was nearly nonexistent.

I would have to drive to San Diego or Los Angeles to get some good craft beer. I wanted to change that and cultivate a craft-beer community here in the desert.”

He has learned from the shining example that is his uncle’s store in Placentia: Mr. K’s Liquor. If you are ever inclined to visit The Bruery’s tasting room, the unassuming liquor store—next to a welding-supply shop—before you turn into the parking lot has an eyepopping selection of beer. Ranch Market and Liquor has imitated this to great effect.

Both Hadi and Bryan cited BeerAdvocate and Untappd as sources that have aided them in their research regarding what to stock. But Hadi and Bryan don’t stop there.

“I get samples from sales reps to give out to my customers, check public feedback about the breweries, and take special requests from customers if they ask to me get some beer for them,” Hadi said.

Bryan similarly does his due diligence. “A lot of the beers I seek out are from breweries that I’ve visited in the past, and I have come to love what they continue to brew,” he said. “Before any beer enters my store, I do research on how it was brewed, and I read a lot of feedback.”

If this sounds like a lot of work, you’re right. Both of these stores stock numerous beers that are simply not available from local distributors.

“Most beers that I get are from the breweries directly. It’s all about cultivating a relationship with the brewery,” Bryan said.

Hadi also travels to get beer. This has paid dividends for all of us. “You would be surprised to know that I was the one to

introduce some of the craft beers to this valley, like Societe Brewing,” he said. “I was the only one who was carrying that beer in the whole valley, and I did pretty well with it. Stone Distributing added them to their portfolio and distribute them all over the valley now.” I’ve mentioned Societe’s The Pupil IPA here before, and I will recommend it again wholeheartedly.

I finally want to point out a seemingly simple thing that is often eschewed by other craft-beer sellers: These stores refrigerate everything. Refrigeration extends the life of beer—especially in this age of canned craft beer—with hoppy beers benefitting most of all. I harp on this all the time, and I’m so grateful these men both get it.

Both asked me for suggestions about what to carry, and while I definitely had some (thank you, Hadi, for getting Burgeon Beer Company in your store!), they clearly know what they’re doing. I’ll give them the last word.

“I have a few plans for the future in regards to craft beer,” Hadi said, “but I would like to give craft-lovers a surprise. I’m working on it and trying to implement it ASAP. I definitely want to have all the great beers at my location for the great craft-beer lovers out here in the valley.”

Bryan has similar ambitions: “At this time, I’d like to continue to capture loyal local craftbeer enthusiasts and provide them all fresh and reliable stock for all their beer needs. I hope within the year, I can expand my craftbeer footprint here in the Coachella Valley and open a beer cave.”

Beer cave? Are you excited? I sure am.

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.

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Baja California’s Valle de Guadalupe is doing amazing things with wine and food— and it’s just a four-hour drive away

HAIR STUDIO

I

By KatieLOVE finn YOUR

HAIR

’m often asked at the shop if we carry local wines. I know this seems like a ridiculous question to us desert denizens, but to visitors from anywhere east of Nevada who flock here to bask in our idyllic winter climate, it seems wholly possible.

The answer: Not really. Yes, there’s Temecula, but you’ll seldom see Temecula wines outside Country Club and Cook Street of Temecula. Rancho Cucamonga has a fascinating wine history, but that story seems to be Palm Monterey, De sert Paso Robles and San complete (for now). Farther northwest, you have Santa Barbara, Luis Obispo—but I wouldn’t necessarily call a five- or six-hour car trip “local.”

760-340-5959 That leaves us with a most unexpected that the kitchen comes with an uber-talented “local” wine region: Baja California’s Valle trio of chefs who are there to delight you with www.jasondavidhairstudio.net de Guadalupe. In less than four hours, whatever your palate desires. you can be pulling into one of the area’s Upon our arrival, our concierge, Danielle, many wineries or hotels. I recently went asked us if we were hungry after our long down to explore the region, its wines and drive. “Yes!” we said enthusiastically, only to restaurants—and I’m going to share with you begin an awkward conversion. just how mind-blowing the experience was.

“What would you like?”

We ventured down mid-week in May. Our “What do you have?” drive was easy, through rolling hills and flat “Anything you like! What do you want?” agricultural lands. As we approached the Finally, after some prompting from Tecate border crossing, we frantically got out Danielle, we settled on some chicken burritos. our passports, itinerary, lodging reservations To our astonishment, once we got up the hill and concierge contact info, so we were to Casa Montana, our chicken burritos— prepared—but the border officials didn’t ask along with fresh, homemade guacamole, us one question. They didn’t even ask to see chips, salsa and refried beans—were waiting our passports. on the table for us, accompanied by a chilled Um … ok. I guess we’re in Mexico now. bottle of delicious Bruma Ocho Rose of We drove along the Ruta del Vino for about Sangiovese. We stuffed our faces while taking 30 minutes before we reached our hotel. I’m in the breathtaking scenery—via the floor-tonot going to sugarcoat it: You drive through ceiling windows—of rolling hills covered with some pretty heartbreaking areas—with abject vineyards. The only obstruction to the view poverty and shanty towns made of every kind was the infinity pool and hot tub flanked by of scrap available. Please note that I never four wide lounge chairs, and a long, builtonce felt unsafe. The area was poor, yes; in outdoor dining table and seating bench, dangerous, no. covered in embroidered pillows.

As we pulled into Bruma, the Babylon We came to find out that these ladies of the where we would spend our next three days, cucina bake fresh muffins every evening to I immediately knew we were somewhere give us with our coffee in the morning, and incredibly special. Yes, there was a guard gate, they bake cookies every night to put on our and he needed to know who we were before nightstands. Can I move in? we entered, but it didn’t feel pretentious. It Other than the exceptional didn’t even feel necessary. It felt more like the accommodations, what was the best part security existed to put us at ease. of the trip? Without doubt, it was the food.

We pulled into the dirt lot in front of the Our first night in town, we dined at Fauna, unassuming reception room—and when I say the restaurant attached to our hotel. We unassuming, I mean this place is the essence savored 12—yes, 12—courses with wine of rustic chic, understated elegance. It’s a and beer pairings that left me painfully full, place designed to seamlessly blend into its but incredibly inspired. We sampled, among surroundings so you can’t help but feel an other things, fresh Kumamoto oysters, grilled escapist mentality—a place where you could octopus, bluefin tuna, poached scallops, a almost disappear right along with structures tamale stuffed with mussels, and the tenderest themselves. piece of ribeye you’ve ever tasted. We rolled We stayed in a separate compound called out of the restaurant and walked back to our Casa Montana. This is a villa with a central villa while being serenaded by bullfrogs in great room, kitchen and dining room for the the pond. (Incidentally, my husband would guests of the two attached suites to enjoy. conclude our stay with a jump in this pond— What we didn’t know until we arrived was only to be rescued by the staff Malinois. The CVIndependent.com

Animalon is a “restaurant” located under a 200-year-old oak tree. The kitchen is an old shipping container transformed into a state-of-the-art culinary workshop. Katie Finn

dog thought he was drowning. Men.) The second night of our stay featured the best meal of my life. Seriously. I’ve eaten at Michelin-starred restaurants all over the world, and I’ve experienced some pretty epic food and first-class service, so when I tell you that Animalon unequivocally served the best meal and service I’ve ever had, it’s coming up against some stiff competition. The “restaurant,” if you even want to call it that, is under a 200-year-old oak tree in the middle of nowhere. The kitchen is an old shipping container transformed into a state-of-the-art culinary workshop. When the sun sets, your dining experience is illuminated by fabriccovered lanterns that hang from the low-lying limbs of the tree. When the temperature dips at night (and it does!), there aren’t any heaters; instead, shivering guests are wrapped in traditional blankets.

Our server was Mario. We enjoyed eight magnificent courses under the guidance of this extraordinary man. At one point during the meal, when I apologized—for asking him to see the bottle of another wine, or get a more detailed description of a dish—he responded with the most sincere statement from someone in the hospitality industry I’ve ever heard: “Don’t apologize. Please don’t apologize. I’m here to spoil you. I’m here to take care of you.” Whoa. And you did, Mario.

You. Are. Awesome.

I could go on and on about the breakfast

we had at Dona Esthela (the manchaca is to die for) and the lunch we had at La Cocedora de Langosta (where the ceviche was so fresh that the fish was practically still flapping on the plate). Here, we met winery owner Jaime Palafox, where he introduced us to his new natural rose wine made from the mission grape. The pairing was a match made in heaven.

However, this is a wine column, so you’re probably asking: How are the wines?

Well, they’ve come a long way, baby. The winemakers there are dedicated to the process. They are knowledgeable about their land and what they can grow. There are producers like Palafox, Bruma, Adobe Guadalupe, Lechuza, Casa Magoni and Torres Alegre that are uber-serious about what they’re doing—which is putting out the region’s best wines. There are a bunch of other wineries we didn’t get to visit whose reputations are exploding in the wine world— wineries like Casa Piedra, Tres Mujeres and Vinas de Garza that we will definitely be visiting next time.

Look out, California: Valle de Guadalupe is doing great things. And it’s closer than you think.

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.

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Many bartenders loathe the espresso martini … yet they take great pride in the ones they make

BY kevin carlow

he espresso martini … it just won’t die.

It’s not a martini. It’s rarely made with actual espresso. It’s loaded with booze and caffeine—the party-girl version of Four Loko. It’s rarely ordered in Palm Springs, until someone orders one, and then it’s the only thing made for the rest of the evening. A lot of that has to do with the demographics; we’re more prone to an invasion of ladies “out on the town” in large groups than most places, and copycat ordering is a big thing when people are going out for a social requirement and not necessarily because they want quality cocktails. ladies, it looks like you’re getting a little It’s also a drink that inspires disdain from Kahlua, some Bailey’s, and … oh, we just most bartenders, especially if they have a got this espresso-flavored Three Olives full bar and must pull 15 fresh espressos to make 15 of them for the birthday party in the vodka. That sounds right! Three cocktails were shaken in one tin before being “crack private dining room. (Yes, that’s something the egg” strained (i.e., no strainer was used) that’s happened to me, as I’m sure you into three knobby “2000’s-tini” glasses. It realized.) It has a reputation as the drink of was actually a mudslide and not an espresso The Bachelorette, The Karen, the White Girl’s martini, but I was cute back then, and nobody Instagram. This is clearly nothing a serious knew any better, so I got away with it. I cocktail fan would order, right? would’ve been surprised if anyone ordering Right? the drink back then had ever had a real one, Where did this unfortunate modern classic unless they frequented posh watering holes originate? Luckily for you (and not luckily for those who enjoy my opinionated speculation), internationally.

Speaking of international bartending: we have the answer readily at hand. The short I recently met with some folks from Mr. version of the story, which I heard for years Black, an Australian cold brew coffee liqueur from other bartenders, is that the legendary (no money was exchanged, and this is not Dick Bradsell (the creator of many of the sponsored), and was surprised to find out drinks from the 1980s that didn’t completely the espresso martini is still the No. 1 cocktail suck) came up with it at London’s Soho in Australia. (Most of my understanding Brasserie for a “top model” who demanded of Australia comes from Crocodile Dundee, wake me up and fuck me up. Nobody really Yahoo Serious and Men at Work, so perhaps knows for sure who the model was; the I shouldn’t be surprised; it just seems weird, models who people usually posit in the story were children at the time. Hey, there has to be like if I found out that the most popular drink in Montana was the cosmopolitan.) a little mystery, or this wouldn’t be cocktail Now that I have thoroughly attacked this history, would it? It’s a great ’80s origin story, cocktail, or at least what it’s become, I must only missing a cameo from David Bowie. say that some bartenders hang their hats on Bradsell took a little sugar, some Kahlua, a bit of Tia Maria, a slug of vodka and some hot how good their espresso martini is. In other words, it’s not universally hated by members espresso, and whipped up a little something of the craft. It’s true: You can actually make called the “Vodka Espresso.” Catchy. The this drink delicious and a treat for the senses drink went through a few more names … and I’m going to tell you how! throughout the years, even ending up on the First of all, you’ll need to start with hot rocks now and then, before finding its forever espresso, and don’t let it cool. As any decent name and form. barista will tell you, espresso dies a quick By the time I started bartending in the death, and once that crema is gone, your early 2000s, this drink had degraded to the drink is already starting with one strike point of being ridiculed—at least here in against it. Some will pull espresso ahead of the United States. By then, the espresso time, or even use cold brew concentrate, martini had become a nightclub drink … and still manage to have the drink come but nightclubs do not have espresso machines. out tasting pretty darn good. However, I’m As usual, food science came to the “rescue” assuming most people reading this don’t with artificial flavors and mixes …. ugh. have the years of drink engineering and/or When I first “learned” to make this cocktail, well-toned shaking muscles to pull this off, so it was with 200 people waiting on drinks use hot, freshly pulled espresso. If you must at 11 p.m., a stack of questionable spiraluse the concentrate or chilled espresso, get a bound bar books, and a vintage Motorola better coffee liqueur than Kahlua (Mr. Black, in my pocket instead of a smartphone. OK,

or NOLA from St. George), and dry-shake the cocktail before you shake it with ice.

OK, I know, you’re here for the recipes.

Here’s one that those Aussies recommend. It’s pretty darn easy, and good.

1 ounce of vodka 1 ounce of cold brew coffee liqueur 1 ounce of freshly pulled espresso Shake with ice; strain up into coupe; garnish with an espresso bean This is the one that most bartenders use, more or less.

2 ounces of vodka 1 ounce of freshly pulled espresso or concentrate 1/2-3/4 ounce of simple syrup 1/2-3/4 ounce of coffee liqueur Shake; strain into a coupe; garnish with a coffee bean Feel free to add a pinch of salt; it really makes the drink pop!

Lastly, don’t be afraid to experiment with other base spirits. I recently made a version with Slivovitz for an event (don’t ask!), and it was pretty darn good—and probably the

only way to mask Slivovitz. Dave Arnold, bar-nerd extraordinaire, recommends rum in his classic book Liquid Intelligence. Here’s an adapted version; it’s not strictly an espresso martini, but it’s in the family. Call it the Boozy Shakerato: 2 ounces of “dark rum” (I use Diplomatico) A full, freshly pulled espresso 1 1/2 ounces of heavy cream 3/4 ounce of simple syrup Pinch of salt Combine all ingredients in a shaker; fill with ice; shake and strain into short glass.

Any of these three espresso martinis is guaranteed to be better than the one you get at those chain restaurants with the pieces of flair, at your local booty-shaking club—or even at your favorite craft bar, maybe!

Whether you make it at home, or go support a favorite bartender, raise a glass to this deadly mix that was born in Britain, raised in Australia, and reborn in the States. As long as you don’t tell everyone else at the bar to order one, we’ll get along just fine.

Kevin Carlow can be reached at CrypticCocktails@gmail.com.

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FOOD & DRINK INDY ENDORSEMENT

the

www.GayAndLesbianPages.com

This month, we’re drooling over tasty meatballs, and an amazing soft-shell crab po’ boy

By Jimmy Boegle

WHAT The meatballs in marinara WHERE Vicky’s of Santa Fe, 45100 Club Drive, Indian Wells HOW MUCH $11 CONTACT 760-345-9770; www. vickysofsantafe.com WHY These meatballs are, well, meaty.

If you’re a foodie in the Coachella Valley, you have to accept the fact that some of your favorite restaurants are going to be closed for a quarter of the year.

A few weeks ago, I discovered the meatballs in marinara appetizer at Vicky’s of Santa Fe. The Indian Wells hotspot is known for live music (during non-pandemic times), good drinks and excellent steaks, but not necessarily tasty meatballs. While everything we had during our meal was great—from the fantastic ahi tuna stack to a perfectly prepared medium-rare New York strip—it was indeed the meatballs that stole the show.

The marinara sauce is delicious—I could have eaten a bowl of it on its own (hey, don’t judge; I said I COULD have, not that I DID)— but it’s the meatballs themselves that make the appetizer so fantastic. They’re meaty and firm, but not dense, and they’re perfectly seasoned. They were so good that we got a second order of them after we scarfed down the first in record time. In fact, they’re the best meatballs I have had in the Coachella Valley.

If these meatballs sound good to you … well, I have some bad news: Vicky’s of Santa Fe is one of the myriad local restaurants that close during the toasty months. You only had until June 27 to get to Indian Wells for these delicious meatballs; after that, your next opportunity will come on Thursday, Sept. 30, when Vicky’s reopens for “season.”

Sigh.

We understand why the good folks at Vicky’s might want to take the summer off—but that doesn’t mean our taste buds are happy about it.

WHAT The soft-shell crab po’ boy sandwich WHERE The Southern Belle Café, 35400 Date Palm Drive, Cathedral City HOW MUCH $15 CONTACT 442-615-0344; www. southernbellecafecc.com WHY Fresh Maryland soft-shell crab is awesome.

When I saw that the Southern Belle Café was featuring a soft-shell crab po’ boy sandwich on its menu, I instantly knew I needed one.

There are few things better in this world than a well-made po’ boy sandwich. The melding of high-quality seafood—lovingly breaded and fried— with cool, crisp vegetables (butter lettuce, tomato and pickles) and a tangy remoulade … just the thought makes my mouth water.

After I ordered the sandwich on my recent lunch visit to the Southern Belle Café, I attempted to get my expectations in check. It’s no fun to build up something in one’s mind, and then suffer from disappointment, after all.

Well, it turns out I didn’t need to temper my expectations: The po’ boy was every bit as good as I’d hoped it would be. The soft-shell crab was, of course, the highlight, but every part of the sandwich was perfection. The accompanying fries were hot, crisp and nicely seasoned.

All in all, it was a delightful lunch. The service was quite good, and the décor has some nice touches, such as a faux brick wall covered with various old-timey signs. However, don’t be surprised if you’re sitting next to food-service or pantry items; apparently, storage space is at a premium in the small strip-mall space.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that the hush puppies, which we ordered as an appetizer, were splendid—and that the peach cobbler, which I ordered for dessert, was even better.

This po’ boy experience left me eager to try out more of the Southern Belle Café’s offerings.

Breakfast items include a Louisiana grits bowl, a Cajun omelet and more-standard fare; lunch items include various burgers and sandwiches, salads, Cajun blackened catfish, gator bites, hickory smoked pork ribs, gumbo shrimp etouffee and jambalaya.

Dang it. My mouth is starting to water again …

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 31

JULY 2021

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/FOOD-DRINK

Restaurant NEWS BITES By charles drabkin IS YOUR FAVORITE RESTAURANT TAKING A SUMMER BREAK? It’s long been a Coachella Valley tradition for restaurants to take a summer hiatus.

Given the combination of fewer guests and sky-high air-conditioning bills, this made sense.

However, things are changing a bit. While the A/C bills are higher than ever, more people are sticking around—or coming to visit—during the summer.

Nonetheless, a lot of eateries are continuing the summer-closure tradition and taking a break—for anywhere from a couple of weeks up to a few months—to recharge before what could be a very busy 2021-2022 season.

Here’s a list of restaurant closures we know about. This list is surely incomplete, and these dates are subject to change—so it’s always best to call ahead.

Bar Cecil: Aug. 30-Sept. 15 Bernie’s Rancho Mirage: Reopening in October Copley’s: July 28-Sept. 3 Jake’s: July 4-Sept. 26 John Henry’s: Reopening Sept. 2 Johnny Costa’s: July 4-Sept. 2 Le Vallauris: Reopening Sept. 24 Michael’s Cathedral City: July 18-Sept. 24 or 27 Mitch’s on El Paseo: July-September (exact dates to be determined) My Thai La Quinta: July 21-Aug. 21 Peninsula Pastries: June 28-Sept. 9 Rooster and the Pig: Reopening in September Tyler’s Burgers: July 4-Sept. 2 Vicky’s of Santa Fe: June 28-Sept. 29 Wally’s Desert Turtle: June 26-mid-October IN BRIEF Sad news from the mountains: The amazing Sugarloaf Café—which, in my opinion served some of the best barbecue in the area, just off of Highway 74 above Palm Desert—has closed. Here’s hoping owner Gabbi Rose’s food has a future at her currently closed Green Door Hotel, where Rose operated a pop-up restaurant during portions of the pandemic. … Los Arcos Mexican Restaurant has moved from “downtown” Cathedral City to 50855 Washington St., in La Quinta. This family-owned restaurant offers Mexican soul food like albondigas and arroz con pollo; learn more at www.facebook.com/ LosArcosMex. ... New in Palm Desert: The Larkspur Grill, in the former AC3 space inside the Hotel Paseo, at 45400 Larkspur Lane. Watch www.facebook.com/larkspurgrill as details emerge. … The owners of Monster Shakes in Palm Springs have opened Monster Subs in Palm Desert, at 74600 Highway 111, Suite F. The menu includes various sandwiches and, yes, ice cream and date shakes; you will not leave hungry. Details at www.monstersubspd.com. … The new Chef Tanya’s Kitchen location in Palm Desert is now open. It can be found in the old Evzin space at 72695 Highway 111, Suite A6. This is seriously delicious food—that also happens to be vegan; cheftanyaskitchen.com. … New to Palm Desert: Oceana Restaurant, at 77932 Country Club Drive. The seafood restaurant slants toward Mexican flavors, but not exclusively. Get the lowdown and peruse the menu at www. oceanapalmdesert.com. … The Rancho Mirage Chamber of Commerce is bringing back its Taste of Summer promotion. Here’s how it works: You buy a $10 wristband from the chamber or a local charity; you get discounts at various restaurants from July 15 to Aug. 15; the charity gets wristband proceeds. Learn more at ranchomiragechamber.org. … There’s a new coffee house in Rancho Mirage named, appropriately enough, RM Coffee. It’s at 70020 Highway 111; with a full pastry case, blended treats and hot drinks, this is a perfect place for locals; www.facebook.com/rmcoffee111. … SoCal cookie-shop chain the Cookie Plug has opened a location in Cathedral City, at 67555 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Suite F111. The signature “Phatties” come in a variety of flavors like Purple Haze, Chocolate XTC, and Crunch and Munch. They also play up a cannabis connection, though they assure me that there is no cannabis in any of their baking; learn more at www.thecookieplug.com. … Sister properties Holiday House (200 W. Arenas Road, Palm Springs; holidayhouseps.com/dine) and Sparrows Lodge (1330 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Palm Springs; sparrowslodge.com) are now open for food service seven days a week, although their famous communal dinners are still on hold. I hear that the famous Holiday House fried chicken is also available, but it is not on the menu, and you need to pre-order. … Biscuit and Counter is on the move again—opening a new pop-up location at the Tiki Hotel, 1333 N. Indian Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs, as of July 1. The menu will include biscuit sandwiches, the buttermilk biscuit with mushroom gravy, and pre-ordered biscuit boxes; watch www. biscuitandcounter.com. Ross Mathews’ Dragtastic Bubbly Brunch is back. The former Moxie Palm Springs event is now at the V Wine Lounge, 600 E. Tahquitz Canyon Way, in Palm Springs. The girls “werq” the stage while guests enjoy eggs, coffee cake and beverages. It happens every Sunday; doors open at 11:30 a.m. for a noon show. Yaassssss! Tickets are at www.rossbubblybrunch.com.

Got a hot tip? Let me know: foodnews@cvindependent.com.

CVIndependent.com

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JULY 2021

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COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 33

JULY 2021

35 36 37 37

Three well-known valley musicians join forces to create The Ill Eagles, a new reggae band the venue report: july brings heath sanders. kevin james, the return of jazzville—and more! the lucky 13: get to know the powerful frontwoman of empty seat The lucky 13: get to know the vocalist/guitarist of The Holy Corrupt

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MUSIC AND ART IN NATURE

Mario Lalli and Dave Catching bring a Summer Concert Series to Joshua Tree National Park

34 CVIndependent.com

34 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2021

MUSIC

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

MUSIC, ART IN NATURE D

By matt king

uring the height of the pandemic, musicians did what they could to keep performing.

First, there were shows on Zoom. Then there were drive-in shows. Now, as restrictions are eased, we’re starting to see concerts returning to their natural habitat.

But in the case of the Beneath the Desert Sky Summer Concert Series, “natural habitat” has another meaning entirely.

Two shows were scheduled for the series, which is taking place at the Indian Cove Amphitheater inside Joshua Tree National Park. Mojave Lords, eARTHLINGS? and Alain Johannes were slated to perform on Friday, “The event has a very limited capacity—only June 18; on Saturday, July 17, Yawning Man about 100 people, so it’s almost like a backyard and Sean Wheeler (performing Dry Heat) will party or wedding as opposed to a rock ’n’ roll be featured, along with a short film by Kate show,” Lalli said. “As far as the production of McCabe called Known Unknowns. Tickets for the event, it’s low volume; it has a very small the July 17 show had not yet gone on sale as footprint; and all the equipment is small and of our press deadline; watch www.eventbrite. minimal. There’s no staging; the venue itself com. The shows are fundraisers for the Desert is so visually stunning that you don’t want Institute at Joshua Tree National Park; to interfere with that at all. You want to have Local icons David Catching (Mojave Lords, people feel that they’re in the environment. eARTHLINGS?, Eagles of Death Metal; he also “In our (July) show, only half of it is owns Rancho de la Luna studio) and Mario music. The other half is visual and spoken Lalli (Yawning Man, Fatso Jetson) curated the word—poetry, stories … and a short film by June and July nights, respectively, with Lalli Kate McCabe called Known Unknowns. We are taking a role in facilitating the whole series. limiting the access of vehicles, so there’s only “The coordinators for the Joshua Tree going to be one small vehicle that gets within National Park Association had posted a load shot of the stage; we’re going to have to picture of the amphitheater and said, ‘It’s carry gear over the area between the road and been 10 years since we’ve done anything the stage area.” here, and we’re excited to get it going again; Despite the precautions, some locals and what should be our first event?’” Lalli said environmentalists have raised concerns. during a recent interview. “I traced down who “The whole idea is not to rock out in the I could get ahold of and sent them an email desert and blast everybody away, but to curate with some information and a basic idea of a beautiful, fitting piece of art and music that what I could do. It turns out that the woman suits the environment and works within the who is the one of the event coordinators is environment,” Lalli said. “The attention to a friend of mine; we both worked at Pappy managing the event as it’s happening will be and Harriet’s together, and she is really above and beyond. We’re doing this to raise good friends with some other musicians money for awareness for educational programs from the High Desert who I know, like that are presented by the national park, so Dave Catching and the Mojave Lords guys, there’s no way that we could go in the opposite the eARTHLINGS? guys and the crew from direction. It’s going to be quite beautiful.

Rancho de la Luna studios. It was the perfect “I appreciate the concerns of the residents thing, and she was excited about my idea to and supporters of the park. I really respect that curate an evening. She had already worked people voiced their concerns, and I just want with Dave on curating an evening for June.” to let those people know that your concerns It must be emphasized that the Indian Cove are heard, and were already considered before Amphitheater is not a typical music venue. your voices were even raised. The people that “We’re doing an event at a national park,” are producing this event have nothing but the Lalli said. “There are lots of concerns about park’s interests in mind.” treading on the park environment, and David Catching, who is curated the June how to do that lightly and delicately and show, is treating the event as his love letter to conscientiously. … If you’re doing anything the desert. out in nature, you clean up your mess, and you “I don’t know if you’ve ever been to the take care of it. It was very serendipitous how it Indian Cove Amphitheater, but it’s a huge all turned out.” honor to be asked to play in the park,” Lalli explained that the conscientious Catching said. “It’s been a dream of all of ours approach goes beyond just cleaning up messes. forever, since we’ve been up here. When they CVIndependent.com

Mario Lalli and Dave Catching bring a Summer Concert Series to Joshua Tree National Park

asked, we jumped on it. We’re out here because we all fell in love with it.

“My first trip through the park was in 1983.

I was on my way to L.A. to play a show, and we had a little extra time and saw the entrance.

We went through the whole park, and I kind of fell in love with it. I wasn’t able to get back here until probably ’86 or so, and then I started coming out here quite a bit on weekends or whenever I had a day off. Back in the ’80s, you could get out here in an hour and 40 minutes.”

Catching said the benefit show was scheduled to be his first big performance since the pandemic started.

“It’s a win-win anytime we can help the community in any way possible, especially in the park,” Catching said. “We’ve hosted a few little events here and there, but this is going to be one of the coolest ways to do it, because it helps us more than them. It really gets us back into easing into playing shows. Honestly, we’ve all been really itching to get back out there.”

Lalli said he’s honored to earn the trust of the Joshua Tree National Park.

“That’s a big deal,” said Lalli. “I’ve done events at the McCallum Theatre, the Palm Springs Art Museum, and the Annenberg Theater. These things aren’t rock ’n’ roll

clubs; these aren’t bars. These are places of art and culture that require the respect of the performers and producers. You have to understand the venue that you’re in and what that means.”

Lalli said he’s also honored to be able to help out Joshua Tree National Park.

“The park has suffered so much because of what’s happened over the last year, with the lockdowns and quarantines,” Lalli said. “I’m not just talking about the park losing funding or losing opportunities to make money. People couldn’t go and do and see and experience. …

We get to usher into this new time with a really cool celebration that welcomes people back to the park, so it’s super-groovy.

“The concerns that popped up kind of hurt my feelings. I feel like I’ve got to call every one of them and explain what we’re doing so they get it and want to come. I realized that I can’t control what people are concerned about, and I just have to respect where it’s coming from. It’s coming from a good place … so the best thing I can do is take that and go make sure that this is done really, really right.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ joshuatreenationalparkassociation.

Mario Lalli and Sean Wheeler will take the stage on July 17.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 35

JULY 2021

MUSIC

CVINDEPENDENT.COM/MUSIC

ALL ABOUT GOOD VIBES

Three well-known valley musicians join forces to create The Ill Eagles, a new reggae band

By matt king

T

he Coachella Valley is known for the desert-rock scene and those big festivals. The area is not known for reggae—even though there’s a vibrant reggae scene here.

Bands like MoZaiq, Crucial Culture, Higher Heights and Unity Frenzy played almost every weekend back when shows were more common, and the one-off Desert Oasis Music Festival brought both locals and big names like Damian Marley and Rebelution to the Empire Polo Club.

Now another band is joining the fold of talked to Dub Wallace (MoZaiq, Blasting Echo) local reggae artists: Bradley Burton (Captain and saw that he started a skate company. I Ghost), Spade Haivyn (Empty Seat) and Ryan rode my bike over to his house. … I didn’t even Alexander Diaz (Crucial Culture, Unity Frenzy) know he played in a reggae band at the time. I have formed The Ill Eagles. Of course, when I talked to him about music, and then I learned got on a group call with the band, I had to ask that he plays with MoZaiq, and after I checked about the name. them out, I was like, ‘Wow.’ “I would rather leave it up to the listener to “I started going through and watching determine the meaning,” Burton said. “It could videos of different reggae bands performing in have many meanings; the word ‘ill’ could be the desert, and of course, Ryan’s all over the considered as physically ill—or dope. Eagles are place. I was super-impressed by his drumming. freaking awesome; they represent the U.S., and Jerry Whiting, our producer, is the one who we’re American. It could also mean the illegals, pushed it and said, ‘Hey, hit this guy up.’ I describing whatever turmoil is going on in the started creeping on Ryan’s Facebook—and States, or whatever issues we might have. I like then we started rehearsing. We only did one how, if you’re not reading ‘Ill Eagles,’ it almost rehearsal with Dub, and then he gracefully sounds like the word ‘illegal.’ That frees us up bowed out. He said he was too busy with his to kind of go either way with it.” skate company. It did take us a long time to For Burton and Haivyn, the reggae sound find someone else, but Ryan and I just decided marks a big change from their previous, to keep going with it, because we were having harder-rocking bands. Still, they said the vibes too much fun.” have been there all along.

How did Haivyn get involved?

“I’ve been writing reggae songs for quite a “I know him from Empty Seat, and we’re long time, and I’ve had a few that have been friends on social media,” Burton said. “He is a ready to go,” Burton said. “I used to perform big supporter of Captain Ghost, and he’s a bass quite a few of them back in the day when I player, so I started creeping on his profile. I’m was a jam musician who just played for fun. totally creepy, but it worked out.”

I actually tried to bring it up with the guys Since the band members are already quite in Captain Ghost, but they wanted to keep busy—especially Diaz—I was curious how easy it more of a rock band. I think in some of the decision was to start The Ill Eagles. the songs, you can hear the influence, like a “I love reggae to death,” said Diaz. “The little bit of ska in ‘Last Day’ or the beginning other groups I’m in are a different kind of of ‘True Blue.’ But as far as just straight-up reggae. I like the fact that, in this one, we’re reggae, we kept it out. I’m glad I did—because trying to aim more toward the surf and skate now I have another avenue for that, which has culture—that ’90s-style reggae, like Sublime been so much fun.” and Pepper. We’re going toward what we call The Ill Eagles were formed thanks to the the ‘Cali roots.’ I was excited to join when Brad pandemic, too much free time—and Facebook hit me up; I knew Captain Ghost, and just stalking. from being in quarantine, I needed an outlet.

“I was out of work last year on an injury, and It sucked not being able to do shows with my I had a shed built in my backyard,” Burton said. other groups, so when Bradley hit me up, it “I left it empty for weeks, because I was just was kind of a blessing.” flowing in there as far as songwriting. That’s Haivyn’s answer? “My other band is not that my favorite place to try to write music—just busy, and like Brad said, I was the superfan an empty room. I had a few reggae songs of Captain Ghost. I’d send him notes after that I was inspired to write, and that’s when his performances; I was probably a little too I got excited about the idea of trying to start much in love with that band. When he asked a reggae band. I just started going through me, ‘Hey, do you play reggae?’ it was a fucking Facebook—the friends that I had on there, automatic yes. Being a bass player, how do you and the reggae bands that were in the desert. I not like reggae?”

The Ill Eagles. Wolf

The lack of shows helped lead the band to focus on recording for the time being.

“We’re going to shoot for a debut EP in the beginning of August,” Diaz said. “The focus is having a product to show, so that when we decide to do shows, we’re going to have something to show people. We want people to listen to us before they actually see us live— and have some kind of good impression.”

Burton said he thinks studio-first, showssecond is more of a traditional way to do things. “It’s definitely nice when you go play a show to have something to offer. If people really did like it, then they can go and listen to it more. My other band, Captain Ghost, did it backwards.”

The Ill Eagles are set to release their debut single, “Set Free,” on Friday, July 2.

“It is an older song that I wrote when I was younger, and it took on new life,” Burton said.

“On this track, we actually got a saxophonist and a trumpet player, and they go by Jah Connection.”

Diaz elaborated: “They’re actually a mainstream horn line for big reggae names like Tribal Seeds, Slightly Stoopid and Iration, but they also do horns for pretty much any reggae band that wants some horns, which is kind of a cool thing. Brad reached out to them, and they helped us build the song, which is coming out killer. We’re definitely impressed with it.”

The Ill Eagles pride themselves on being professional, they said.

“Sometimes, it’s hard to work with other musicians,” Burton said. “There are always, like, egos and bullshit like that. With these guys, we just keep that out—and we just want to work. We work really well together, and everyone’s suggestions always seem to work out. These guys are real professionals.”

Haivyn added: “Everybody is a pro. We’ve got our shit together, so it’s really easy working with these guys.”

Burton said feels extremely lucky.

“I scored big, man; it’s been so much fun,” Burton said. “Captain Ghost is my first band; I did that a little bit later than most people (who are) in their teens or 20s or whatever. I think I took that project a little too seriously. I worked really hard to accomplish everything that we did, as did everyone else in the band. With this band, I just want to make sure that I don’t put too much stress on myself. I just want to keep it fun—because it’s really fun music to play.”

Added Diaz: “Reggae is all about good vibes, good people and a good environment. That’s what we kind of want to represent—the Cali culture out here, with the skating and the surfing and the barbecues.”

For more information, visit www.facebook.com/ theilleaglesband.

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The Venue REPORT

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July 2021

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David Mendez

Brian Eggert

Sheila Miller

Anthony Gangloff

Gary Moline

Linda Gearhardt

Lex Ortega

Mike Genova

Arthur Passante

Ted Guice

Scott Phipps

Laura Hein

Raul Rodriguez

Tracy Hill

Darin Roper

C. Stuart Kent

Mark Talkington

Richard King

Christopher Winslow

James Lawrence John Lindner

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By matt king

ford fairchild

Heath Sanders

California has officially reopened—but it’s also July, and we’re in the Coachella Valley. In other words: While venues can now be open, the heat is keeping a lot of them from booking live entertainment.

As a result of all this, July is looking slow, music-wise. Nonetheless, there are some intriguing shows worth mentioning.

The Rock Yard at Fantasy Springs continues to be the premier spot for tribute bands every Friday and Saturday from 7 to 11 p.m. On Friday, July 2, Linkin Park cover band In the End is set to perform. If you’re looking for classic rock, check out the tribute to Heart, Dog N Butterfly, on Friday, July 9. Other highlights include Toxicity (System of a Down tribute) and Faux Fighters (Foo Fighters) on Friday, July 23, and Saturday, July 24, respectively. Lit hosts Country Night every Thursday from 7 to 11 p.m., where you can see acts like Rye Brothers on July 15, and a Keith Urban tribute dubbed Urban Skies on July 22. If Noches de Fuego is more your thing, you can catch events every Wednesday and Sunday from 7 p.m. to midnight, like Adelaide Band on Wednesday, July 7, and Chalito on Sunday, July 18. Admission is free; you must be 21 or older to attend any event, except for the classic-rock series at the Rock Yard, for which you must be 18-plus.

Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Parkway, Indio; 760-342-5000; www. fantasyspringsresort.com.

Agua Caliente in Rancho Mirage has started welcoming back bigger names to The Show.

At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 10, top Beatles tribute band The Fab Four comes to town.

Tickets are $25 to $35. At 8 p.m., Saturday, July 24, the Long Island Medium herself, Theresa Caputo, returns for a night of personal stories and audience interaction.

Tickets are $75 to $120. And at 8 p.m., Saturday, July 31, comedian/actor Kevin James will appear. Tickets are $65 to $105.

Agua Caliente Resort Casino Spa Rancho Mirage, 32250 Bob Hope Drive, Rancho Mirage; 888-999-1995; www.hotwatercasino.com.

Agua Caliente’s newest location in Cathedral City continues on with its residency events—and is including something special this month. On Monday, July 5, at 5 p.m., rising country artist Heath Sanders is slated to perform at the Agave Caliente Tequila Bar. Seating is first come, first served. Admission is free, but you must be 21 or older. Agua Caliente Cathedral City, 68960 E. Palm Canyon Drive, Cathedral City; 888-999-1995; www. aguacalientecasinos.com/cc.

Agua Caliente in Palm Springs is continuing its residency events—and adding a brand-new one. Every Thursday at 6 p.m., you can attend the relocated Jazzville concert series. Lizzy and the Triggermen kick off the new series on Thursday, July 1. You can also catch The Jazz Cartel on July 15, and the Sandra Booker Quintet on July 22. Tickets for all shows start at $10, and you can find complete details at www. jazzvillepalmsprings.com. You must be 21 or older to attend. Agua Caliente Casino Palm Springs, 401 E. Amado Road, Palm Springs; 888-999-1995; www.sparesortcasino.com The Coachella Valley Brewing Co. is providing a lot of great acoustic entertainment in July. On Sunday, July 4, at 3 p.m., listen to relaxing performances by Nick Hales, Adam Gainey and Courtney Chambers. On Sunday, July 11, at 3 p.m., catch Josh Heinz, Tim and Val, and Kelsey Manning. On Sunday, July 25, at 3 p.m., Switcharoo, Miguel Arballo and Krystofer Do are set to perform. All shows are free and open to all ages. Coachella Valley Brewing Company, 30640 Gunther St., Thousand Palms; 760-343-5973. terry hastings

Krystofer Do

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 37

JULY 2021

MUSIC

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the

LUCKY 13

Get to know the frontwoman of Empty Seat, and the vocalist/guitarist of The Holy Corrupt by matt king What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

I am a big fan of music of the past, because it was so original and unique. People don’t make music like that anymore. I would have to say it’s a tie between The Ramones and James Brown. I never got to see those two performers. You can never go wrong with some punk ’n’ funk!

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Besides David Bowie (my favorite), it would have to be Jimmy Gnecco of the band Ours.

His voice is so dreamy and bad-ass.

NAME Erin “Red” Marie GROUP Empty Seat MORE INFO Empty Seat hasn’t taken its foot off the gas pedal since the band found quick success in the Coachella Valley music scene.

The band has continued to write and record during the pandemic, and even released a song with Cherie Currie of the Runaways.

Vocalist Erin “Red” Marie has one of the strongest voices in the valley; get more info at www.facebook.com/EmptySeatband.

What was the first concert you attended?

The 1995 No Quarter Tour with Jimmy Page and Robert Plant.

What was the first album you owned?

Crimes of Passion by Pat Benatar. That was my vocal teacher right there. Every day after school, I would sing that album from start to end when I was a kid.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Right at this moment, iDKHOW (I Don’t Know How But They Found Me).

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

I can’t say; everyone is unique and beautiful in their own ways. I don’t think it’s cool to put down other artists. I give everyone credit who can get out there and make something happen.

What’s your favorite music venue?

A lot of them are gone now. Growing up in the Hollywood music scene, I enjoyed a lot of cool venues, and we had the honor of playing most of them. House of Blues on Sunset Boulevard (gone) was pretty epic; Whisky a Go-Go (still there) was as well. They’ve got this magical residue left from the greats who played there in the past.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

The beginning to “I Feel for You” by Chaka Khan. This song’s intro has been in my head since I was a kid. I even use it as a mic check sometimes.

nature, so I would like to see people laughing, not crying.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

“Changes” by David Bowie. He was such a character.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

Of course, I am going to plug my own band: “Rise,” by Empty Seat, featuring Cherie Currie of the Runaways. This was our latest release.

NAME Donny Browne GROUP The Holy Corrupt MORE INFO Local music fans may already be familiar with The Holy Corrupt, a two-piece doom-metal band whose debut single, “Black Cadillac,” was released last year. The duo— Donny Browne on guitar and vocals, and Alex Gerber on drums—plans to release a debut self-titled album on July 10. For more info, visit facebook.com/TheHolyCorrupt.

What was the first concert you attended?

I believe it was Better Than Ezra with Sixpence None the Richer, a show my baby sitter took me to. It was in Atlantic City, N.J. I just remember the high energy of the show and thinking to my 6-year-old self, “This is what I wanna do!”

What was the first album you owned?

A copy of With the Beatles that my mother gave to me in the mid-’90s. That was a turning point that got me deeper into rock ’n’ roll music and wanting to learn guitar.

What bands are you listening to right now?

Too many. A lot of Captain Beyond, Crowbar, Mephistofeles, Eyehategod, old ZZ Top, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, STÖNER, Electric Wizard, and Fu Manchu. That’s just a few.

What band or artist changed your life?

Pat Benatar. She inspired me to become a frontwoman. I always worked hard to get that rock edge to my voice like hers. She was my musical hero growing up.

What artist, genre or musical trend does everyone love, but you don’t get?

Pop Country, aka “Bud Light country.” It’s the worst thing to ever exist: Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Luke Bryan, etc. No offense to those who like it, though; I just can’t do it.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

This is a hard one. One of the stories or rumors that disturbed me was when they had that documentary Paul McCartney Really Is Dead. I would ask Paul: Is he really Paul, or is he Faul?

What musical act, current or defunct, would you most like to see perform live?

Toner Low. I’ve been watching a lot of live videos on YouTube lately, and they have such an amazing heavy sound. I would love to see them live.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“The Boss” by James Brown. That’s my jam.

When I am working at my home business, I play this often to keep motivated. I’m silly by

What’s your favorite musical guilty pleasure?

Hard house music. I’ve always had a soft spot for it and artists like BK, Zany, and Tidy Boys.

I love the late ’90s/early 2000s hard style. I blame The Fast and Furious movies for that.

What’s your favorite music venue?

It was the Electric Factory in Philadelphia (R.I.P.). It was a pretty stellar venue. Lately, I’ve been hanging around local legend spots like The Hood Bar and Pizza and Plan B Live Entertainment and Cocktails. They are solid spots.

What’s the one song lyric you can’t get out of your head?

Captain Beyond’s “Armworth” is always playing in my head. “What was my arm worth / when they took it away? / In a spirited rush that set up / Armistice Day? / Where did they push them, fella ? / Where and which way? / Did it stop the mad charge / that the enemy made?”

What band or artist changed your life?

Led Zeppelin. I was already super into Chuck Berry and The Beatles, and then I discovered Zeppelin at around 9. I just wanted to play hard and heavy rock ’n’ roll from there on out.

You have one question to ask one musician. What’s the question, and who are you asking?

I’d ask Matt Pike from Sleep, “How many bowls do you smoke before each show?” In all seriousness, I just want to ask, “What pedals are you running for fuzz?” I’m fairly sure it’s mostly a lot of amp tone.

What song would you like played at your funeral?

“Child in Time” by Deep Purple. I feel it would be quite fitting.

Figurative gun to your head, what is your favorite album of all time?

I’d have to say Led Zeppelin III. It’s been a favorite since I was kid.

What song should everyone listen to right now?

“Curse of the Knife/Chains of Agony” by Mephistofeles. It’s real groovy and sleazy psych/doom with that nice warm analog sound. It’s great stuff!

CVIndependent.com

38 \\ COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT

JULY 2021

CANNABIS IN THE CV

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UNFOUNDED FEARS N

by jocelyn kane

early five years have passed since voters approved Proposition 64, and recreational cannabis has been legal in California since Jan. 1, 2018—yet some people continue to spread negative myths and mistruths regarding legal cannabis businesses.

One of the most pervasive mistruths: Cannabis is bad for property values. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth.

City councils were (and are) given a difficult task: They are asked to decide whether to allow commercial cannabis activity in their city, and if so, they then have to figure out where those businesses can operate. Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert fruition. and Coachella allow at least some parts of Nonetheless, these fears often make city the cannabis supply chain; the other four councils enact zoning laws that are quite Coachella Valley cities do not. restrictive, allowing cannabis businesses in These zoning conversations often include only small slivers of a city, or in marginal discussions about fears of nuisance behaviors areas with less infrastructure and little to no and an increase in violent crime. Take, for foot traffic. In some cases, cities have made example, a 2018 article in The Desert Sun mistakes by forcing cannabis businesses into regarding the city of Indio’s opposition to industrial areas—or putting them closest to a cannabis retail store the city of Coachella poorer, underserved neighborhoods. had allowed near the border between the However, the research is in—and various two cities. The story says: “Indio repeated studies show that cannabis businesses are concerns about the dispensary’s proximity actually quite good for property values. A to Martin van Buren Elementary School, a recent review of 42 key research studies by farmworker housing complex and a service Leafly data analysts found that cannabis and shelter facility for the homeless, ‘among retail stores generally improve public safety other sensitive uses.’ In addition, the and nearby property values. The broad body complaint expressed concerns regarding ‘the increased odor from the cultivation and use of of published research from states such as Colorado and Washington has shown that cannabis.’” property values increase when legal cannabis To date, none of these fears has come to

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Ignore the myths and misinformation— weed businesses actually increase safety, property values

is allowed.

For example, a recent study by Clever, an online real estate referral service, found that between 2017 and 2019, home values increased $6,300-plus more in cities where recreational cannabis is legal than in cities where it is not legal (while controlling for population, initial home values and other factors). This conclusion was based on data provided by popular real estate website Zillow. The appreciation of property values was even more significant in those places where cannabis retail stores were easily accessible—much like property that is close to hip restaurants and bars tends to be more valuable.

As for crime rates, the allowance of adultuse cannabis seems to have little to no effect. Many studies, including one from the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, found no increase in crime related to the location of cannabis stores. This makes logical sense when you realize that many stores have opened in previously empty storefronts, with the businesses pouring many thousands dollars into renovation, lighting and security.

Bright and attractive retail stores, more eyes on the street and more activity all lead to

safer streets. Locally, the owners of the Four Twenty Bank and Lounge on South Palm Canyon Drive in downtown Palm Springs spent more than $1 million to renovate a space that had been shuttered for more than two decades, bringing the building up to code and into compliance with city standards.

Additionally, cannabis taxes have been used to improve city infrastructure, hire more public safety personnel, open more amenities and improve the quality of life. Cannabis-tax revenue has already helped the city of Desert Hot Springs—with more than $4 million added to city coffers in 2020 alone—pay for a new City Hall, a library and better roads, as well as more police officers. Housing developers are now eyeing the area, as the industry has created an estimated 2,300 new jobs in DHS. Yes, cannabis remains the subject of a lot of stigma—but it would be wise for cities to consider the realities of cannabis businesses, like increasing property values, more vibrant and safer streets, and higher local employment.

Jocelyn Kane can be reached at jocelyn@ coachellavalleycan.org.

COACHELLA VALLEY INDEPENDENT // 39

JULY 2021

OPINION COMICS & JONESIN’ CROSSWORD

“Just Ir-ish”—oh, whatever.

By Matt Jones

35 Lara Croft: ___ Raider 36 Showing little emotion 37 Roman emperor after Across Claudius 1 Concession stand 38 Mixed vegetables drinks ingredient, maybe 6 Tugs 40 Laundry day target 11 Shot in the arm 41 Distant lead-in 14 Authoritative decree 42 Car accessory 15 “You’re ___ and don’t 43 ___ pastry (eclair even know it” basis) 16 Need to square up 45 Five-iron nickname with 48 Architect Ludwig Mies 17 Compliant van der ___ Transformers 49 Casino customer director?

50 Bearded zoo animal 19 Milliner’s product 53 Intent 20 Printer refill 54 Pop soloist familiar 21 Coast-to-coast with the Egyptian vacation, maybe underworld?

22 “(You’re) Having My 56 “Don’t text and Baby” singer Paul drive,” e.g.

23 Sheepish sounds 57 Optimal 24 Orchestra woodwinds 58 Come together 25 Beach atmosphere 59 RR stop 28 Sapphire novel 60 Teacher’s summons on which the film 61 Printer refill Precious was based 29 T, e.g.

Down 30 Allowed past the door 1 Big rig

2 Mythological deity with two ravens 3 Nickname for Nixon 4 German grumble 5 Illuminated, as at night 6 “Big Three” conference site of 1945 7 “To reach ___, we must sail ...” (FDR quote) 8 “Dona ___ pacem” (Mass phrase) 9 Hold onto 10 Mess of a spot 11 Unfortunate tractor inventor?

12 Up 13 Software versions still being tested 18 At any point 22 Kind of ballot 23 Potato chip flavor 24 In circulation 25 They haven’t flown for 18 years 26 Self-help Internet site 27 Disappointing “Save Me” singersongwriter?

28 File on a phone 30 “What am ___ do?”

31 Mail motto word 32 F9 actor/producer Diesel 33 Reggae Sunsplash adjective 34 Taboo 36 Biol. or ecol.

39 Prom piece 40 Foments 42 Pest greeting 43 Vegas game with rolls 44 Raise, as a flag 45 Battle royale 46 George Peppard TV series, with The 47 Mode of fashion 49 “I’ll ___ my time” 50 Hang on tight?

51 “Last ___” (The Strokes song) 52 Tablet owner 54 Prefix with information 55 ___ nutshell © 2021 Matt Jones Find the answers in the “About” section at CVIndependent.com!

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