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Christopher Plummer as Frank Grubman, Al Pacino as Danny Collins, and Katarina Cas as Sophie in ‘Danny Collins.’ see review on page 5
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Friday, August 21, 2015 Vol. 8 No. 66
Depp & Simmons Rock! Johnny Depp, Gene Simmons rock together for kids’ charity at Lucky Strick Bowling alley in Los Angeles By Sandy Cohen LOS ANGELES (AP) Johnny Depp didn’t say a word as he stepped onto a small stage inside the Lucky Strike bowling alley. He just strapped on a guitar and started playing with the band. One song later, Gene Simmons joined in. The superstar pairing capped off a fundraising concert Sunday for MendingKids.org,
an organization that provides hundreds of free corrective surgeries each year for children around the world. Besides Depp and Simmons, the event also featured a surprise reunion of rock group Extreme for a performance of their 1991 classic “More Than Words.” After appearances by various musicians, Depp quietly joined the house band to play Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out.” (The
52-year-old actor announced last week that he is forming a band with Cooper and guitarist Joe Perry called Hollywood Vampires that will release a self-titled album next month and donate proceeds to charity.) His hair slicked back, Depp wore jeans and an oxford shirt topped with a gray vest. He played a white electric guitar. In a statement provided by his publicist, Depp said he was
By Desert Star Staff Residents of some of southern California’s wealthiest communities are using around three times more water than other nearby areas, a new study reports. In the throes of a severe water shortage, the state has mandated a 25-percent cut in water use. Using data from the state Department of Water and Power, researchers at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) found that the average affluent neighborhood in the Los Angeles metropolitan area consumes three times more than lesswealthy communities. “We found that overall about
50 percent, if not more, of water, is used on outdoor irrigation,” said Dr. Stephanie Pincetl, lead researcher on the study, according to CBS News. “Bigger house, bigger lawn, more water use -- more water, and they can afford it.” Pincetl said richer Californians are “lacking a sense that we are all in this together.” “The problem lies, in part, in the social isolation of the rich, the moral isolation of the rich,” Pincetl told the Los Angeles Times. Last week, California Governor Jerry Brown issued the state’s first mandatory water restrictions amid a devastating four-year drought. California
may only have 12 month’s worth of water left, as snowpack measurements for the year are set to hit record lows. Through the restrictions, officials say they are trying to change the culture from wanton water usage that enable lush, green yards to one of a more considerate, conservationminded approach. “Some people -- believe it or not -- don’t know we are in a drought,” George Murdoch, general manager of utilities in Newport Beach, told the Times. “We have people that own a home here but aren’t around a
California Water Wars
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“thrilled to be a part of an event that benefits children around the globe.” “Mending Kids is not only changing the lives of these kids, but making a difference in developing countries that are in need of medical care,” he said. Simmons was the last to take the stage. A supporter of MendingKids.org for several years, the 65-year-old entertainer invited anyone with $1,000 to
donate to the organization to come up and sing with the band. About 10 donors took him up on the offer, including his son and daughter, and they shared the stage with Depp, Simmons and the rest of the band during the closing number, the Kiss hit “Rock and Roll All Nite.” After the show, Depp waved to fans and disappeared out a side door. Source KMIR
A section of Lake Oroville is seen nearly dry in Oroville, California, August 19, 2014.