Joshua Tree Voice - March 2024

Folklore from other desert cities - The newest release from the godfather of desert rock

mama's boy-a son's tribute to Seinfeld's favorite tv mom, Estelle harris pioneertown-a tale of resilience and community spirit true desert golf woof walk 2024

culturas music and arts festival del rebozo - the incredible vision of gonzales & yaya

Thank you to our advisory board whose talents, insights, and passions contribute to the quality of this publication

Jacqueline Guevara

Executive Director, Joshua Tree National Park Association

Barnett English

Festival Founder and Director, Joshua Tree Music Festival

Dave Catching

Owner, Rancho De La Luna Recording Studio & Rancho De La Luna Mezcal, Musician, Producer

Mario Lalli

Musician, Fatso Jetson, Yawning Man, Mario Lalli and the Snake Charmers

Bobby Furst

Owner/Creator of FurstWurld, Artist

OUR TEAM:

Design Wizard: Jeff Day

Web Guru: Chelsea Van Es

Staff Photographer: Sandra Goodin

Art Writer: Katie Nartonis

Angelus: Poetry Corner Creator

Owner/Publisher: Lisa Lynn Morgan

Owner/Principal: Ray Rodriguez

FEATURE WRITERS

Barnett English

Glenn Harris

Rebecca French

Kevin Bone

Raymond Rodriguez

Lisa Lynn Morgan

ADITIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS

Andrew Barber

Erin Alvarez

Joe Alvarez

Mos Desert Tavern (Mario Lalli & the Snake Charmers)

Mario Lalli

Cierra Breeze

Jade Winne

WE WOULD NOT BE HERE without our amazing team, the love of this diverse and colorful, supportive community, and the following businesses that have partnered with us. Please, whenever you can, show them some love – lots of it!

29 Palms Inn, 29 Palms Creative Center, Agua Caliente Cultural Plaza, Cabots Pueblo Museum, Casuelas Café, Coco Rose, Compound YV, Copper Mountain College, Cork Tree Restaurant, Coyote Cone, Desert Dog Coffee, Desert Vacation Rentals, Diamond Environmental Services, Fans Sports Bar & Grill, Karen Martin of Farmers Insurance, Healthy Generations, Hi-Desert Nature Museum, Hi-Desert Tails, Karen Lowe of Inspire Realty, Jenifer Halbert Realtor, Joshua Tree Saloon, Joshua Tree Bottle Shop, Joshua Tree Excursions, King of the Hammers, Kitty’s Wildlife Refuge, Larry & Milt’s Western Café, Libby’s Realty, Nature’s Health Food & Café, Palm Desert Bike N’ Brews, Peace of Mind Retirement Planning, Pointed Pearl, Recapitate Hats, Rock & Rapture, Sacred Fire, Stargazing Joshua Tree, Tac/Quila Authentic Mexican Cuisine, Thai Café, The Saint Boniface Boutique Hotel, Tiny Pony, Yucca Valley & 29 Palms, and Tortoise Rock/ Spotlight 29 Casino.

If you would like to partner with Joshua Tree Voice through digital and print marketing, please contact us at (760) 237-0124.

ABOUT THE COVER:

Mario Lalli, considered the Godfather of the Desert Rock genre by many, is one of our desert’s true treasures. Like the other local legends in his latest project, Mario Lalli & the Snake Charmers, they pack venues across the world because of the music they’ve produced over the last 40 plus years. For Lalli and his Snake Charmers there has never been any other option but to make music. They are the music. This latest release, Folklore from Other Desert Cities, is an important contribution to the world of rock and roll.

NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER:

In October 2022 we celebrated the first Joshuas Honors Gala at the historic Joshua Tree Retreat Center. 22 honors were given, more than 15 acts performed, food and beverages were overly delightful. Everyone on the production team worked hard to make this a special night, but we had no idea what we would tap into. The gathering of creative hearts and minds coming together to lift up those who pour themselves into their craft and this community created an energy we had never experienced before. But then again, we’d been isolated and locked down for a season that lasted longer than anyone expected, and Covid restrictions had just been lifted.

October 2023 proved it wasn’t a fluke or matter of timing – the gathering created yet another vortex on the storied property, one of joy, love, and kindness, and we were overwhelmed once again. Again, there were more than 15 performances – not a single repeat from the year prior – and the magic happened AGAIN.

If you have not yet been or have been and do not want to miss it, please save the date – Sunday, October 20, 2024. We’ll feed you. We’ll entertain you with a vast array of the area’s incredible talent. Libations will flow. And we will be in awe together at just how deep the love and talent runs in this beautiful kaleidoscope community. (Date revised since February 2024 Publication)

MARIO LALLI & THE RUBBER SNAKE CHARMERS

“Folklore from the Other Desert Cities”

By Lisa Lynn Morgan

Most who live in the greater Joshua Tree area year-round have a special place in their hearts for desert storms. With a front row seat to miles of vista, they watch, feel, smell, and taste the escalating shift from gentle breeze to the bellowing cauldron as cumulous clouds morph the sky and traverse the plains. It is spellbindingly powerful, heavy, dramatic, beautifully dangerous, potentially devastating, and absolutely necessary. Somehow, the legendary Godfather of Desert Rock, Mario Lalli, and the Rubber Snake Charmers have fearlessly wrangled the storm and channeled it into a sonic treasure on vinyl with their first release, “Folklore From the Other Desert Cities.”

The freshman release, almost a decade and a half in the making, features a weighty collaboration of desert rock pioneers: Sean Wheeler (Vocals and Poetry), Brant Bjork (Guitar), Ryan Güt (Drums), and Lalli (vocals and bass), accompanied by Mathias Schneeberger (keyboards). Folklore from Other Desert Cities is a tribute to the individual and collective music, sweat, and tears these troubadours have been compelled to bleed for decades. It brings its frontman (Wheeler) and curator (Lalli) full circle to the stories of their youth growing up in the “other desert cities” surrounding the more popular Palm Springs. The impeccable live recording captures a special performance at Mo’s Desert Clubhouse in Gold Coast Australia and is a vital encapsulation of all that was and will forever be Desert Rock.

This perfect sound storm exercises the desert born ethic and approach of rock improvisation, psychedelic freeform, and sonic exploration. At the foundation, Lalli’s grooving heavy bass lines dictate the principles of thunder, from deeply meditating to emotionally fraught, as he poignantly shepherds the ensemble’s ambulation. Drummer, Ryan Gut (Brand Bjork), reads Lalli like a wizard and the two make for an authoritative sound bed that is soul jarring. Lalli and Gut don’t keep time, they tell time how to keep.

The great, extraordinarily intuitive, Brant Bjork (Kyuss, Vista Chino, Fu Manchu) brings in the wind and rain, drenching the sonic story line with the signature heavy chord progressions and lead lines only he can conjure. For Bjork, it’s not about the guitar, or about him - it’s about the storm and the other elements within. He loses himself creating something that is even greater than the sum of its parts in fluid concert with the ebb and flow of its members.

Enter the lightning, Sean Wheeler (Throw Rag), the charismatic, unabashed, pied piper of beautifully broken things. Wheeler’s poems and songs capture the dark and beautiful stories and images of life as a punk kid growing up in a desert that held no gentle place for the poor. Poor, latchkey kids had to make a place for themselves in a “swamp cooler reality.”

“Sand in my blood… skinny arm down the hole… kangaroo rats bowl invisible pins… nothing but love… snakes without sin… lost in the riches of the winter sun’s gold… there are no trees and the creosote breeze… blows through like kisses… dreamt before dreams… digging together… dancing on knees… there’s a feeling you get when the fair has to leave… and the Ferris wheels lights they don’t sine anymore… the rainbows once spoiled.. now black and alone…” Sean Wheeler, Dry Heat

“This is desert rock in its purest form,” shares Lalli, the man who, in 1981, began carving out an entire genre that world now knows as, “Desert Rock.” Lalli facilitated the generator parties that drew hundreds of kids into the hills, some to play music, others to experience the music channeled from the dirt under the vast desert sky. These parties fueled a community of young punks with nowhere else to go and nothing else to do in the undeveloped places that existed before “Operation Pave the Desert.” Lalli’s early bands, Across The River, Fatso Jetson, The Sort of Quartet, and Yawning Man, are imbedded in the foundation and etched in the bearing walls of the desert rock sound, a collection of multiple genres cultivated through several collaborations, with its own distinct thumbprint.

Lalli’s multiple collectives and projects throughout the years including writing, recording, and performing with artists such as Queens of the Stone Age, Mark Lanagan, Greg Dulli, Greg Ginn, covering a wide arrangement of musical styles, not least of all his current long-standing band, Fatso Jetson. Lalli’s key interview appearances in several documentary films - “LoSound Desert”, “Desert Age”, “Such Hawks Such Hounds,” Dave Grohl’s HBO series “Sonic Highways” – all reflect just how deep his footprint is planted on the rock music scene. Lalli has released nine studio albums with Fatso Jetson, six with Yawning Man, four with The Sort of Quartet, and has contributed to numerous bands in the stoner rock and desert rock scenes in a career spanning over forty years.

Mario Lalli & The Rubber Snake Charmers “began in 2010 with a focus on live psychedelic rock improvisation and sonic experimentation,” with Lalli as its curator. Some of the past Snake Charmers include, Dino Lalli (Mario’s son), Gary Arce (Yawning Man), Tony Tornay, Joe Baiza, Vince Meghrouni, Mathias Schneeberger, Bill Stinson, Nick Oliveri, Janet Housden, Michael Glass, Alain Johaness, Jason Simon, Dave Travis, John Ramirez, and Herb Lienau, to name a few. You are likely to see any combination of these and other players in live performances, always anchored by Lalli’s heavy grooving, morphing dynamic bass lines. Lalli provides a canvas where each participant is encouraged to create fine lines or splatter and explode into chaos. “Wherever it goes, it goes,” says Lalli.

Lalli and Wheeler fearlessly bear their legendary naked souls as they come full circle to give musical testament to what it truly means to have sand in your blood. They’ve been practicing their whole lives for this, and it shows. To be release March 29, 2024 by Heavy Psych Sounds Records, “Folklore From the Other Desert Cities” is a necessary addition to any discerning rock and roll collection.

Black and white photos courtesy of Mos Desert Tavern. Other photos by Mario Lalli.

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Milanovich Legacy

Hike and 5k Run in Indian Canyons

For nearly a decade, the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians has honored former Tribal Chairman Richard M. Milanovich by inviting Tribal members and the public to participate in the Richard M. Milanovich Legacy Hike and 5K Run in the Indian Canyons. This year’s event takes place on March 16, 2024.

The proceeds of the event support the Tribe’s Richard M. Milanovich Fellowship at the UCLA Native Nations Law and Policy Center to prepare the next generation of leaders in Indian Country and to honor and preserve the legacy of service and leadership of the late Tribal Chairman, Richard M. Milanovich.

The UCLA Native Nations Law & Policy Center is a renowned center at the law school designed to advance Indian nations’ laws and institutions, promote cultural resource protections, and prepare the next generation of legal service providers for Indian country. Through clinical programs led by eminent faculty, the Native Nations Law & Policy Center addresses critical public policy issues facing Native tribes while offering students invaluable opportunities for legal training.

The Tribal Legal Development Clinic serves Native American communities directly, providing legal

expertise and support to those most in need, while students engage with tribal leaders, officers, and attorneys to contribute services to Indian tribes. A joint JD/MA degree in American Indian Studies offers an integrated study program to produce law graduates with a rich understanding of tribal cultures. The Center interweaves resources and educational opportunities

to sustain and enrich Indian nations’ laws and focus on key public policy issues and challenges.

To register for the Legacy Hike or to learn more, visit acbci.com/hike.

All photos courtesy of Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians

Joshua Tree’s 55th Annual Egg Hunt and 60th Anniversary Spring Celebration

The Joshua Tree Community Center is holding its 55th Annual Egg Hunt and 60th Anniversary Spring Celebration on Saturday, March 30th starting at 9 AM! Come join the fun for our egg hunt, which kicks off PROMPTLY at 9 AM and stay for a day of fun and entertainment!

Our egg hunt is held throughout Sunburst Park in 6 age-appropriate zones. Each age category will have PRIZE EGGS with the opportunity to exchange them for a variety of indoor and outdoor games or toys, generously provided by the local Sportsman’s Club!

We fill and hide over 6000 plastic eggs with individually wrapped candy with the help of our tireless food distribution crew and district staff. In efforts to promote more sustainable practices, we will have donation stations to deposit your empty plastic eggs.

We will be offering pictures with the Easter Bunny, and an indoor carnival with hosts such as the Joshua Tree National Park Association with the Jr. Park Rangers activity. Animal Action League will have their pet engraving machine on site, and local small business, Flamingo Gum Drop, will be hosting a live mural painting. Some of our preschool parents will be hosting a Dino Dig and more!

In addition, we will have a talent revue featuring Ismael’s Magic with guest stars, The 3rd Ear Experience. Local and youth talent to be revealed! We will have tasty offerings on hand by I Fall to Pizzas! We will be rounding out the day with a good ol’ fashioned square dance hosted by the stellar Star Twirllers!

The community center and park are located at 6171 Sunburst Avenue, Joshua Tree. CA 92252.

*If you or your organization would like to be a part of the day’s festivities as an activity host or vendor for our indoor carnival, please contact Recreation Coordinator, Charlie E. Parker at Charlie.Parker@dpw.sbcounty.gov or call 760-366-8415 for more information and an application today! Deadline to submit is March 15th!

Joshua Tree Recreation & Parks District

55th Annual Egg Hu & 60th Anniversary Spring Celebratio

Saturday

March 30th at 9AM SHARP!

Arrive early

Thank you to our egg hunt sponsor!

Pioneertown:

A Tale of Resilience and Community Spirit

By Curt Sautter

In the sprawling lore of Pioneertown, truth and myth intertwine like desert sagebrush in the wind. Among its tales, one stands out: the inception of Pioneertown as a cinematic sanctuary. Guided by actor Dick Curtis and producer Frank McDonald, a group of 18 visionaries, including actors, musicians, and filmmakers, set out to create more than just a movie set. Their ambition extended beyond mere facade; it embraced the vision of a vibrant community amidst the post-World War II optimism. United by their passion for the B-Western genre, they fashioned Mane Street into an 1880s Western town, not just for cinematic backdrops but as the core of a self-sustaining residential enclave. The town brimmed with the promise of camaraderie and creativity, where industry insiders could forge both art and community against the backdrop of a living, breathing Western tableau. Thus, while Pioneertown’s cinematic origins remain integral to its narrative, they serve as but a fragment in the larger tapestry of its communal ethos and enduring legacy.

As the dust settled from the groundbreaking ceremony on September 1, 1946, Pioneertown’s story branched into a tapestry of tales: accounts of its founders, the

cinematic enclave, and, most significantly, the resilient community that began to take shape.

Challenges and Triumphs of Early Settlers

Life for the early settlers was marked by hardship. They dwelled in tents and weathered prospectors’ shacks scattered across the rugged landscape, with Stud Valley providing a backdrop to their toil. Electricity was a luxury, rationed by a diesel generator that briefly illuminated Mane Street’s buildings each day until 1949. Meals were cooked over open flames or wood stoves, and amenities were scarce, with the Red Dog Saloon boasting the area’s sole shower—a modest offering amidst its rustic charms.

Yet, amid these challenges, a spirit of determination thrived. Families, including those with young children, sought to establish roots and provide their offspring with educational opportunities. In a testament to their resolve, the community organized the “Korny Karnival” on Halloween 1947—a three-day extravaganza aimed at fundraising for a one-room schoolhouse. Recognizing that self-reliance was the key to progress, residents like

Top: Ray White, Val Jones, Ron Young, Harry Althoff

Front: Marge White, Honey Fellers, Lil Thomson, Nell Althoff

Pearl Jones, spouse to one of the Red Dog’s proprietors, stepped forward, assuming the role of a schoolteacher and embodying the ethos of collective action that defined Pioneertown’s early years.

Commercial Struggles and the Spirit of Resilience Curtis encountered two primary hurdles in bringing his vision to fruition. Firstly, Pioneertown’s geographical location posed a logistical challenge, lying outside Hollywood’s coveted Thirty Mile Zone (TMZ) or “the Studio Zone.” This zone delineated areas where movie studios agreed to pay union workers additional compensation for filming. Consequently, Pioneertown’s

distance from this zone slowed the influx of film crews despite its picturesque backdrop. While neighboring movie ranches like Iverson, Lasky, and Monogram thrived within the TMZ, Pioneertown faced barriers to attracting cinematic productions.

Secondly, the influx of real estate speculators and developers between 1946 and 1948 presented a more formidable obstacle. As excitement and growth surged, opportunists from Los Angeles seized control, displacing many of the town’s founders. Intent on capitalizing on Pioneertown’s allure, they envisioned grandiose transformations, from resort hotels to upscale ranches, overlooking the foundational ethos of a community intertwined with the film industry. This departure from the town’s original vision underscored a shortsighted focus on luxury and profit, disregarding the intrinsic draw of celebrity proximity that initially propelled Pioneertown’s early success. With the forced departure of Dick Curtis and other luminaries, the community’s cohesion waned, signaling a shift away from its authentic roots toward commercialization.

However, what remained unforeseen was the steadfast commitment of Pioneertown’s non-celebrity residents. These unsung heroes labored to construct the town and sustain its businesses. Despite the departure of famed personalities, they remained staunch believers in Dick Curtis’ vision, cherishing the romanticized allure of the Old West and nurturing hopes of a revival. Holding fast to the dream of equestrian lifestyles and communal camaraderie.

Yet, without the backing of celebrity allure, Pioneertown’s fortunes took a downturn. Land

sales plummeted, culminating in the bankruptcy of the original Pioneertown Land Company by 1952. Subsequently, in 1953, the company’s assets were auctioned off on the steps of the San Bernardino courthouse, with two developers who had been on the board, arranged for the loan, and had been the individuals that filed the company’s bankruptcy, emerging as the property’s new owners.

Revitalization Efforts and Cultural Resurgence

In a remarkable display of grassroots entrepreneurship, locals took ownership of Mane Street’s businesses, ensuring the town’s vitality even amidst uncertainty. Raymond and Marge White continued to operate White’s Grocery/Hardware, while Val Jones and Don Knox welcomed patrons to the Red Dog. Harry and Nell Althoff curated homewares at Altoff’s Furniture, and Cecil Riding remained a fixture at the Beauty Corral, offering hairstyling services and the Tunstal family continued to run the Grubstake Cafe. This community-driven resilience served as a beacon of hope amidst the tumult, embodying the enduring spirit of Pioneertown’s pioneers.

Just as Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace stands as a vibrant hub in the town’s commercial district today, The Golden Station restaurant held sway as the epicenter of activity from the 1950s until 1966. Operated by Harry Jew, Frank Gee, and Fay Moon, it tantalized patrons with char-broiled steaks and Chinese delicacies, embodying the eclectic charm of Pioneertown’s culinary scene. Amidst this bustling backdrop, residential life in Pioneertown persevered, transcending the glitz of celebrity presence.

Easter weekend of 1966 brought a monumental setback to Pioneertown’s landscape. Over the course of three days, tragedy struck as both the Red Dog Saloon and the Golden Stallion succumbed to separate, unrelated fires, reducing these beloved establishments to ashes. In the wake of this devastation, the community rallied, resilient and determined to reclaim its vitality.

Swiftly, efforts were underway to rebuild and revitalize. The proprietors of the Red Dog embarked on constructing a larger iteration of the saloon, signaling a renewed commitment to Pioneertown’s enduring legacy. Meanwhile, John Smith and Bill Bragdon spearheaded the formation of the Bravados, a pioneering troupe dedicated to reviving the spirit of the Old West in Pioneertown. Their thrilling gunfights and stunt shows, culminating in the symbolic hanging of an outlaw, breathed new life into the town, captivating visitors and locals alike with their daring performances. In this display of resilience and creativity, Pioneertown once again emerged from the ashes, reaffirming its status as a beacon of frontier spirit and community resilience.

By the mid-1960s, a new chapter unfolded in Pioneertown’s tumultuous history as developer Benton Lefton acquired the remnants of the Pioneertown Land Companies’ properties along with additional land to realize his grand vision—the California Golden Empire. Envisioned as a sprawling resort replete with lakes and golf courses, this ambitious endeavor aimed

Teacher Pearl Jones with her young students in Pioneertown’s one-room schoolhouse. One of the last three one-room schoolhouses in California.

to transform Mane Street into a modern complex, echoing the aspirations of its predecessors. Initial land sales surged, buoyed by promises of opulence and leisure. However, the project faltered due to a fundamental challenge: the scarcity of potable water. Despite Pioneertown’s existing water system, the well water proved unfit for consumption, tainted by high levels of arsenic and traces of uranium. As dreams of the Golden Empire crumbled in the sixties and seventies, many Mane Street structures found new life as residential abodes.

Yet, amidst the backdrop of dashed ambitions and shifting fortunes, Pioneertown’s communal spirit endured. Residents united to establish a volunteer fire department, acquiring a used fire engine to safeguard their community. Tradition persevered through spirited gatherings, including the Queen of Pioneertown pageant, watermelon eating contests, and potluck barbecues, fostering a sense of unity and continuity.

Adapting to Change: Pioneertown Through the Decades

In the 1990s, a grassroots revival took root as residents embarked on a mission to reclaim Mane Street’s former glory. With a nostalgic eye towards 1948, they began purchasing properties, dedicating themselves to restoration and revitalization. Following on the footprints of the Bravado’s, the Mane Street Stampede and the Gunfighters for Hire performed (and still do) free shows on Mane Street when the weather allowed. By 2018, Mane Street witnessed a resurgence while unique artists and craftspeople opened shops. Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace achieved global acclaim as a premier, worldclass music venue renowned for its stellar barbecue. In 2020, the long-dormant Red Dog Saloon was resurrected. The revival of the Bravados, spurred by the efforts of Gay Smith and her Wild West Theater non-profit, breathed new life into Pioneertown’s cultural landscape, symbolizing the enduring spirit of resilience in this storied desert enclave.

Over the passage of time, Pioneertown has welcomed a diverse array of inhabitants, ranging from celebrities to outlaw biker gangs, from families to artists, criminals, and pioneers. Its allure attracts individuals with eccentric personalities bold enough to brave the desert’s challenges. Within this dynamic tapestry, properties and businesses change hands, reflecting the ebb and flow of life in the high desert.

For some, the romanticized notion of high-desert living proves fleeting, dissipating when confronted with the stark realities of desert existence. Yet, those who heed Pioneertown’s call demonstrate a remarkable capacity for adaptation and resilience, thriving in the rugged landscape.

Central to Pioneertown’s ethos is not where its residents originate but how they engage with their surroundings. Many newcomers arrive, captivated by the natural beauty and serenity, learning to honor and preserve the neighborhood’s rich wildlife and history. It is this shared reverence that binds the community together, fostering a collective spirit of stewardship and mutual support. Undoubtedly, history has shown that Pioneertown is susceptible to recurring cycles of outside interests seeking to capitalize on its tranquility and allure, often at the expense of its unique character. Time and again, new entities emerge with designs on profiting from the area’s charm, only to risk diluting its intrinsic appeal in the process.

Such endeavors, driven by commercial interests, threaten to disrupt the delicate balance that defines Pioneertown’s allure, potentially eroding its tranquil atmosphere and diminishing its authenticity. As past experiences have demonstrated, unchecked development and commercialization can lead to the loss of the very qualities that make Pioneertown a cherished destination. The community remains vigilant and proactive in preserving the integrity of Pioneertown. By advocating for responsible development practices and fostering a shared commitment to preserving its heritage, residents can help ensure that history repeats itself in a manner that benefits Pioneertown’s essence.

Locals volunteering to help clean up Pioneertown Road during an FOP quarterly roadside cleanup

Only through thoughtful stewardship and collective action can Pioneertown thrive as a haven of tranquility and allure for future generations.

In times of need, Pioneertown residents unite, demonstrating an unwavering commitment to one another and their environment. Whether repairing dirt roads during rainfall or swiftly addressing instances of graffiti, they respond with a sense of duty and responsibility. This ethos extends to proactive measures, such as the creation of wildfire watch groups and notification systems, reflecting a community’s proactive approach to problem-solving.

While not all residents actively participate in communal endeavors, each individual contributes to the unique fabric of Pioneertown life in their own way. In this vast desert landscape, the essence of community lies not in obligation but in the collective choice to come together, support, and uplift—a testament to the enduring spirit of Pioneertown, where individuality thrives within a shared sense of purpose.

The Friends of Pioneertown: Preserving Heritage, Fostering Community

The Friends of Pioneertown is a 501(c)3 charitable nonprofit organization founded and operated by devoted Pioneertown residents. Established in 2015, its mission is to preserve and honor Pioneertown’s historical significance as an integral part of the American narrative. Founded and comprised of longtime residents dedicated to supporting their community, the organization serves as a liaison with the county of San Bernardino.

Throughout its existence, the Friends of Pioneertown has undergone evolution, with retiring board members

making way for new leaders impassioned by the community’s heritage. In its pursuit of preservation, the organization has orchestrated numerous initiatives, including a commemorative seventy-fifth-anniversary celebration and the successful submission of Pioneertown to the National Register of Historic Places.

Beyond historic preservation, the Friends of Pioneertown actively fosters community cohesion through a variety of engaging events. Notable among these are the annual Pioneertown Christmas Potluck and the Pony Express Bake-off which unite residents in celebration and camaraderie. Additionally, the organization demonstrates its commitment to environmental stewardship by adopting a 6-mile stretch of Pioneertown Road, organizing quarterly trash cleanups, and overseeing annual street sign repairs.

A pivotal achievement of the Friends of Pioneertown lies in its advocacy for improved infrastructure. Addressing community concerns regarding the scarcity of potable water, the organization collaborated with the county of San Bernardino to facilitate the establishment of a pipeline, ensuring access to clean water for residents.

For those passionate about Pioneertown’s legacy and its vibrant community, becoming supporting members of the Friends of Pioneertown offers opportunities for engagement in educational and community-centered activities, furthering the organization’s mission of preservation and revitalization.

To learn more, mosey on down to the following: FriendsofPioneertown.org

Pioneertown Historic – PioneertownSun.com

Photos Courtesy of Friends of Pioneertown/Curt Sauter.

Founders Lloyd Perryman, Bob Nolan, Tim Spencer and Dick Curtis reviewing plans with landowner Bud Abbott. 1946

Roy Rogers with the children of Pioneertown 1948

Rotary Carnival Returns to Twentynine Palms

The City of Twentynine Palms and Twentynine Palms Rotary Club are thrilled to announce the return of the much-anticipated Rotary Carnival, set to take place in Twentynine Palms, CA. The event promises a weekend of family-friendly fun, entertainment, and community spirit.

Scheduled for March 21-24, the Rotary Carnival will transform Luckie Park into a vibrant hub of activity, featuring an array of exhilarating rides, delectable food vendors, and captivating games for attendees of all ages.

“We’re delighted to bring back the Rotary Carnival to Twentynine Palms,” said Daniel Mintz, President of the Twentynine Palms Rotary Club. “This event is a wonderful opportunity for our community to come together, enjoy thrilling rides, indulge in delicious treats, and create lasting memories.”

“We’re grateful for the support of our volunteers, Rotary Club members, and City of

Twentynine Palms staff who make events like the Rotary Carnival possible,” added Mintz. “Their contributions help us make a positive impact in Twentynine Palms and beyond.”

The City of Twentynine Palms and Twentynine Palms Rotary Club encourages residents and visitors alike to save the date and join in the festivities at the Rotary Carnival. It’s an event not to be missed!

For more information about the Rotary Carnival, including ticket prices, times, and vendor opportunities, please visit 29palms.org.

Photo credit: Mike Ricciardi

I’m a wanderer in body and spirit, building connections everywhere I am. Words have fueled my spirit since I was little and read every little thing around me, from street signs to books and over again. I’m excited to share them with you!

You can learn more and follow Piper on Instagram @piper.montera

Said The Mirror

By: Piper Montera

If words were wishes, said the mirror, I’d write a whole book.

Dozens upon dozens, of glass pages, Held fast with golden thread.

On the first, I see a carousel, burning, Or are those the bathroom lights?

On the third, I see a blue jay, Melted, slick like wax, Throat held wide screaming, Blindly upwards towards the sun.

Across the twenty-sixth, Are fine-tipped pens, Strewn, rolling over gray and blue marble, Tipping one by one over the cliff, And into the sea.

To have your poetry published in our Poetry Corner, submit your piece (300 words max). If you like (please know, it’s not mandatory), include a short three-line bio introducing yourself, a photo of your inspiration, and/or a photo of yourself along with your composition to PoetryCorner@JoshuaTreeVoice.com

Please understand that submitting does not guarantee publication.

Somewhere in the middle, The pages feel caressed, Moonlight on velvet, Where the edge of one world, Touches the next.

On the four hundred and fifty-fifth page, There is nothing, though, You can look through the Left page to the first and the Right page to the last.

The page I’m on feels like hot beeswax, I am warm, and filled with summer, Though I’m finding it hard to breathe.

The page after mine doesn’t make sense, It’s got lines that move, that grow, That dance across the page like Dazzling, icy spiderwebs in a winter wind.

The last page is crimson, Struck through, Violent like golden thread, Too small to grasp, Or even see, Twined around my neck.

No, Said the mirror, If words were wishes, I would not speak.

Bio Photo Credit: Piper Montera

Mirror photo: Angelus

The 10th Annual Woof Walk Returns to Pioneertown

By Lisa Lynn Morgan

Woof Walk 2024 will be held in Pioneertown, California on April 6, 2024, and the shelter pups are all excited and ready to s strut their stuff. This will be The Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter’s 10th annual fundraiser, a day full of live entertainment, food, local vendors, live and silent auctions, and of course, the pup strut down Mane Street. Held at the Wild West Theater in Pioneertown, 100% of the proceeds will benefit the programs and operation of the only no-kill shelter in the region.

The total commitment to the no-kill concept comes with extreme challenges. “It is very costly for the medical, social, and behavioral issues that arise with our animals until they find their forever homes,” shared board member, Glen Harris. “Almost 100% of our funding comes from our supportive community throughout the Morongo Basin and beyond.”

The Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter, operated by the nonprofit Morongo Basin Humane Society, began in 1972 in the midst of a homeless and/or abandoned pet crisis in the Morongo Basin. Kay Baker, the operator of

the Hi-Dez Kennels in Yucca Valley, donated a 3.5 acre property in Joshua Tree to the newly formed Morongo Basin Humane Society, and the Shelter finally opened in 1981. The Shelter struggled through the years, but with community support, established a reputation for the caring and nurturing of abandoned animals that included upfront medical care in advance of adoption and long-term sheltering.

The Shelter officially became No-Kill in 2005. They now provide veterinary care, animal sheltering, animal rescue, pet fostering, and pet adoptions, plus Pet Responsibility Classroom Education Programs. “We have rescued and adopted out thousands of dogs and cats throughout the decades, including many from other shelters scheduled for euthanasia,” Harris explained. “We work hard to find them responsible and loving homes, but sometimes, they live out their entire lives with us, cared for and nurtured by our incredible staff and volunteers. Every one of them is precious and deserves to have a full, healthy, and happy life.”

The shelter is currently in the beginning stages of rebuilding with all new, state-of-the-art facilities which will guarantee and strengthen their future success. “We are working tirelessly to make this happen,” Harris shared. “On behalf of our Board of Directors, we thank our community for their compassion, and appreciate any financial support that will help us build our new No-Kill Sanctuary for the many lost, abandoned animals throughout our area. It’s an exciting and new era. We are Rebranding, and Rebuilding!”

Rebranding! Formerly known as the Morongo Basin Humane Society, they are now officially registered as

the JOSHUA TREE NO-KILL SHELTER. “We are building on the internationally recognized name of our Joshua Tree community and are emphasizing the No-Kill purpose of our mission,” explains Harris.

Rebuilding! Addressing the most critical need, the shelter is well on its way towards the building of whole new facilities which will be able to house more of the animals that need them. “Thanks to our most generous donors, community leaders, and businesses, we are well on our way to reaching our $1,000,000 goal the first phase of our new building fund, but we still have a long way to go,” says Harris! “We are actively seeking additional groups, organizations, individuals, foundations and businesses for partnership and sponsorship opportunities. We are not government or county funded, so we rely on folks to help us in this most meaningful way.”

The plans for the new JOSHUA TREE NO-KILL SHELTER consist of several brand-new buildings that will include housing for cats and kittens, dog kennels, plus several shaded dog parks for doggie free play.

So come on down and join in on this fun packed, love fueled, community event. Registration for walkers begins at 9 am. A fun day that includes a performance by award winning musician, Jesika Von Rabbit, begins at 10 am.

In the summer of 1964, Evelyn Conklin responded to a newspaper ad requesting recreation ideas for the Yucca Valley Parks and Recreation Department. Having previously established the Trailside Nature Museum in Los Angeles with her father, Percy “Slim” Conklin, Evelyn responded with an idea for a local nature museum. Hence, the Hi-Desert Nature Museum was born. The Hi-Desert Nature Museum opened the doors to its 800 square foot building at Jacobs Park in October 1964, with its official grand opening occurring on January 21, 1965. As a naturalist and extensive traveler, Evelyn started the museum with many of her own collections. After nine years, the museum expanded and moved into its current location at the Yucca Valley Community Center complex. The museum collection has grown over the years with many donations coming from local community members.

From its inception, visitors would come to the Hi-Desert Nature Museum to identify and research local flora and fauna, including wildflowers, insects, and reptiles. Ms. Conklin also established many aspects of the museum

which are still in place today, including the live animal mini-zoo, fluorescent geology display room, and a rotating local artist showcase. Evelyn was curator of the museum for twenty-eight years. The museum has been shaped over the years by the museum supervisors, with Mrs. Celeste Hilderbrand stepping into the current supervisor role in August of 2023.

The Hi-Desert Nature Museum continues to be an educational staple for residents and visitors to the Morongo Basin. The museums maintains a rotating exhibit space that highlights themes of nature, art, or culture as well as a permanent local natural history room with displays of geology, fossils, insects, and animal taxidermy. For those interested in local culture, there is a collaborative exhibit done with the Malki Museum as well as information on homesteading and mining in the high desert. Children of all ages are also welcome to explore the “Kids Corner,” which replicates an old pioneer schoolhouse filled educational reading materials and activities encouraging imaginative play.

(Article Courtesy of the Hi-Desert Nature Museum)

Mama’s Boy

A son’s tribute to Seinfeld’s favorite TV mom.

By Glen Harris

When the phone rang that morning, I panicked. Sure enough, it was the caregiver. He told me, “You better get down here NOW!” I got into my car and started down Hwy 62 to Palm Desert, and I started to cry. It was time to say goodbye. I didn’t know if I could do this thing called life without her by my side. I gazed out at the magnificent vista of the desert surrounding me, and I prayed for her. She was my best friend, my confidante, my Mom. When I got to her bedside, she was sleeping. I stroked her cheek. She was so fragile, so small. She looked like a ghost. I let her know that I was there with her, and I was not going anywhere, like she was always there for me.

Once, when I was a young kid, she sent me to school dressed up in a sailor suit. I did look cute, but I came home in tears because they made fun of me; they told me I looked stupid. She assured me, “There is nothing wrong with being different. Don’t ever let them get you down.” And in that moment, I believed her.

But as I grew up, I was frequently ostracized, criticized, and brutalized for being “different”. I suffered from that daunting sense of aloneness, never knowing where I belonged and always feeling like I never fit in. “Queer.”

“Dirty Jew.” “Fat pig.” “F…ing faggot.” “Why don’t you just disappear or die, Momma’s Boy?”

In junior high, a couple of these bastards beat me up badly in the gym locker room and humiliated me in front of everyone. No one came to my defense. After throwing me around like a rag doll, they left me there all alone. I just wanted my Mama. I was hurting like never before, both physically and emotionally. When I got home, my mom took care of me, once again. “Those assholes should go f… themselves”, she told me. She consoled me and promised me that one day I would be happy, and that one day I would be free from the torment and hate. I wanted to believe her. But I didn’t think the hurting would ever stop.

I turned to drugs and alcohol for relief — it worked, and I couldn’t get enough of it. That crazy hedonist lifestyle kept me going for a really long time. I finally found my people, my community, and for the first time ever, I felt attractive and accepted. Then I found Palm Springs which became my getaway to “check out” and further fuel my addictions, and I loved it. Through the purple haze, I always knew I would end up in the desert one day. But not yet.

So the party and the stupor kept going, harder and harder, and I lived that life for quite a few years…. Until it all stopped. I was getting more and more isolated, I became morally bankrupt, and my body started breaking down. The doctors told me I will probably not live another year, and I believed them. I was face to face with my mortality, and my morality. Everything was crashing and burning around me, and inside me. Something had to change.

Once again, my mom stepped in. “Hell no, not under my watch.” She nurtured me, loved me, and gave me the strength and courage I needed to get back up and fight for my life… to fight like never before. “Goddamn it, you can do this,” she said. Thank God, I believed her.

It was really rough, but I finally got clean and sober. I vowed to stay on that path no matter what because I really did want to live. I began to get better. I found drive and purpose. My career started to take off. Mom was also achieving incredible success as an actress. We started living the “good life” in Hollywood, and we were there for each other through it all. Her promises of a better life were coming true.

Then one day there was a scathing and slanderous front-page article in the tabloids all about me, for everyone to see while in line at the market. Being the son of a celebrity made me fair game. The phone calls started pouring in. I was too afraid to leave the house. I was sure this could ruin me or screw up my mom’s career. I couldn’t deal with it, and it felt like the gig was up. But then Mom, God bless her, sat me down and told me, “Don’t you worry about me; I’ll be fine. And you - here’s the good news….” Good news, I thought? How can any good come from this? Her fierce hazel eyes glowed as she looked me deep in the eyes. “Glen, you now have no more secrets. NO ONE CAN EVER HURT YOU AGAIN.” And you know what, she was right.

For years, we had homes in LA and in Palm Springs, and we did enjoy the best of both worlds. But nothing beat the majestic beauty of the desert or it’s tranquility…. and dare I say, the casinos?

In this desert, I found my true love, Tom, and we started to build our life together out here. But soon, my mom’s health began to fail, and her dementia was setting in. It was tough - really tough - as we helplessly watched her beauty, sensibilities, and dignity being stripped away. Tom was MY strength during those years of sadness and grief. He was also there for Mom 100%, to love on her and be with her. Together we made sure her final years were as comfortable and safe as possible.

As her sun was setting, I lay with her and held her for hours. She was struggling. She seized and moaned,

and I let her know again and again I was there, and it was OK. I hummed her favorite songs (he loved show tunes). I told her how much I loved her. I cried. I cried, and I remembered… everything: her love of movies and theatre, how she taught me to cook, how to throw a party, her passion, her zeal for life, her laughter, and her voice - oh that voice! The voice that taught me, “No matter what else is going on in your life, you can

always afford to be kind and caring.” The voice that always built me up and insisted, “Don’t ever let them discourage you, or bring you down.” The voice that always told me, “I’m so proud of you.”

In that moment I realized that I had been loved every day of my life.

As she took her final breaths, I told her I was happy like she always promised me I would be. “Your boy is good now, Momma…please, it’s time for you to be at peace.” And then, she was gone. I miss her every day, but her spirit still lives in me. She is forever here in the desert and my desert is her. I sense her everywhere around me. She is my brightest star in the sky above. I see her in the morning sun, and when the day is over, I look at the moon and I see her too. And now, I get to share the courage, hope, love, and laughter she gave me. Here in this odd, quirky, magical, wild, and wonderful place called Joshua Tree, I am truly living my best life. And all of us are surrounded and forever embraced, by her eternal and mystical love. Believe me.

Publisher’s note: Glen’s wonderful mama was American actress and comedian, Estelle Harris, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice, and incredible comedic timing. After years in the film and television industry, she made TV history as George Costanza’s mother on “Seinfeld.” She went on to voice Mrs. Potato Head in the Toy Story franchise and played the recurring character, Muriel, in the Disney Channel sitcom, “The Suite Life of Zack & Cody.” Born in Hell’s Kitchen, NYNY, to Jewish immigrants, she lived to be 93 years old.

Making magic from Remainders in JT

By Rebecca French

Few places are as magical to a creative as an arts and crafts store. The endless rows of pristine canvases, the smart stacks of ribbons and notions, the kaleidoscope of oil and acrylic paint tubes, all make you feel like Veruca Salt in Wonka’s factory - bratty like her too when you realize the expense of it all - and on an artist’s income! It can make one of the most vibrant artistic communities on Earth, the arts and crafts store, feel so... far… away.

I was recently thrilled to discover there’s a new nonprofit arts and crafts thrift store right here off of Highway 62 in Yucca Valley. Home to art supplies and materials for most mediums, Remainders JT is an affordable and sustainable alternative to big box and traditional arts and crafts stores.

Started by two creative couples, Joe Alvarez and Erin Campbell-Alvarez, Jim Brown and Shannon Bryan-Brown, Remainders JT is a non-profit created by artists for artists. Joe is an accomplished mixed media artist. Jim is a talented airbrush painter. Erin is a fashion designer and creator of the popular brand, Lover Dovers.

In speaking with Shannon, I was touched by how much her love of arts and crafts has been central to her life. Her grandmother first taught her to sew when she was a young girl. “I love to sew but mostly I love to meet new people and talk about their hobbies. I also love learning new ways to create,” says Shannon.

Remainders JT’s new and pre-loved goods are all offered at a great discount as about 80% of their inventory is donated from local companies and residents. “We’re looking to serve our local community by offering affordable art supplies. The area is full of artists, but supplies are limited in the area.” says Erin.

Remainders JT is inspired by the beloved Remainders Pasadena store first started by artist Robin Cox. Erin explains, “My husband Joe would chat with Robin when visiting Remainders Pasadena. During a conversation there, Robin asked Joe if he would be willing to open a Remainders store in the high desert. As an artist himself, Joe was really the person pushing for us to get involved and start the new location.”

Often called a “Goodwill for crafters,” Cox started Remainders Pasadena while she was teaching art and found she couldn’t bear to just toss her surplus arts and crafts materials. Not only were they often purchased at a premium, but she knew lots of teachers who would appreciate access to low- to no-cost art supplies. In visiting an art materials thrift shop called Scrap in San Francisco, Robin was inspired to create a similar place in Southern California but with an eye toward altruism. In 2014, she started something of a craigslist arts and crafts co-op, raised enough money to secure nonprofit status in 2016, and moved into her first storefront in

2018. To date, Remainders Pasadena has up-sized locations three times and is still growing.

Joe, Erin, Jim, and Shannon are looking to honor the Remainders Pasadena vibe and ethos and have already hosted their first workshop with plans to hold more classes in the future. Remainders JT also participates in the popular Yucca Valley 3rd Saturday Art Walk.

Shannon expands, “We love that we’re also a place you can come and try a hobby without a big investment. You can shop here and start crocheting for pennies.” And for those of us who often invest in hobbies we do not stick with, it’s nice to know there’s now a place to donate our supplies and they’ll go to a good home. And truly, the Remainders JT space itself is magical. Nested behind beautiful Poppy Fabrics (another Alvarez-Brown gem of a shop) it’s got bookcases and shelves, neat bins and boxes all filled with arts and craft confections that you could happily get lost in for hours.

You never know what treasures you’ll find at Remainders JT. Supplies for painting, ceramics, fiber arts, and much more. “There’s always new stuff coming in. It’s almost like a new store every time because people are donating all the time.” admits Shannon.

Help support Joshua Tree artists! Bring any creative

materials, supplies, and tools that are in good, usable condition to Remainders JT. All donations are tax deductible and they’re happy to provide donation receipts upon request.

Remainders JT is located at 55940 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy, Suite #2 in Yucca Valley (Behind Poppy Fabrics). They are open Wednesday – Saturday, from 12 to 5 pm.

Among other things, Rebecca French makes bespoke disco mobiles for adults, almost like air aquariums. www.rebeccafrench.biz, IG: @_retro_specs_

Top photo by Andrew Barber. Bottom photo by Erin Alvarez.

Starting Thursday, March 7, the Palms Restaurant in Wonder Valley will be presenting their 2nd annual “Wonder Valley Film Festival”, a collection of locally produced short films covering an array of genres but connected by the love for Wonder Valley and its neighboring desert communities.

Last year’s WVFF spawned from an idea to show films that captured the essence of the area and the artists who live in the area. No competition, no “high-brow” attitude..just providing a place where filmmakers of any level could bring what they’d created to an attentive audience.

The screenings included documentaries, music videos, drama and comedy, older “pulled out of the closet and dusted off” college projects, and even one fulllength feature film, the gripping “The Ascent” by local filmmaker Tom Murtagh. The original plan for two evenings of films grew to a total of four weekly showings as films came in and the audience wanted more.

Similarly, this year’s WVFF will show a variety of styles and formats (including some fun short films by young and wildly imaginative art school students!). Filmmaker Ted Meyer will be one of a few returning artists this year, with a film that you’re not going to want to miss: an interview with the amazing and visionary artist Cathy Allen, not long before she was taken away from us from a battle with Cancer (screening on Thursday, 3/7). More information on each individual screening night will be shared on the Facebook event page: “Wonder Valley Film Fest ‘24”, as well as on Instagram.

Doors for the WVFF ‘24 will open at 6:30, with a full bar as well as a vegetarian meal option offered. The screenings will begin in the back room at 7 pm.

Following each evening’s screenings will be a Q&A with the filmmakers. Admission is only $5, at the door. As there is limited seating, reservations are

highly recommended (and can be made at bonykev@ gmail.com”). More information as well as submission inquiries can also be directed to this email address.

Sonja Krastman is a fine painter who has made art as far back as she can remember. “Nothing was more exciting to me when I was a little girl than a new set of crayons or pencils,” shares Sonja. “I dabbled my whole life in art and wanted to go to art school.” A California native who grew up going to Joshua Tree with her family, not only is she inspired by the desert, but she says it brings back fond memories of long ago. While she splits her time between Joshua Tree and Huntington Beach, she always says her “muse” is in Joshua Tree.

Krastman holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California Berkeley and a master’s degree from Gonzaga. She studied art at Cal State University Long Beach and Parsons in NYC as well as in several workshops with leading artists. When not making art, she consults in the world of communications and organizational change management. Her work has been in solo and group art shows throughout California and can also be found in collections in the Bay Area, Chicago, Portugal, New York City, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, Cleveland, Indio, Costa Mesa, and Joshua Tree.

Sonja grew up coming to Joshua Tree, 29 Palms, and Desert Hot Springs nearly every other weekend as a child. Her family lived in South Pasadena, but her Dutch father loved the desert. “As a man who grew up in the Netherlands,” reflects Sonja, “the desert must have felt

Sonja Krastman: Desert Painter

By Katie Nartonis

I am not really interested in rendering something perfectly, that doesn’t hold my interest; what holds my interest is mark making and capturing moments in a unique way.

– Sonja Krastman

like the opposite world to him. I have old pictures with my parents in Hidden Valley and other locations. Two places that we would stay that I remember were the Circle C motel and the El Rancho Delores in 29 Palms. My father passed away when I was young, so I never learned why the desert was such a pull for him. But I do know that when I bought my house in Joshua Tree, I felt like my muse was here. It felt so peaceful and creative, and I just felt inspired. Most of my best work has been made in my garage studio here.”

Sonja likes to experiment with both encaustic and acrylics. “I like to see where the material takes me,” Sonja explains. “With my abstracted landscapes, I have an idea of where I want to go and it is a responsive process. With my totally non-objective work, I just start and see what shows up. With either one, one mark begets another and then another, and it becomes a series of decisions – a creative puzzle actually. I guess I hope the viewer looks at the place differently, experiences the feel of the place, or relates to how I saw it when I created the work. Much of my work is from memory, but some start from photos as a loose reference.”

“I seek to capture the magic and mystery of a location. With this and most of my work, it is less about exact

imagery, but transporting the viewer into the feeling of the space and evoking an experience.”

Her last two series are a combination of encaustic and ink, completely inspired by Joshua Tree. Encaustic is a wax and damar resin mixture which is applied in layers and fused with a torch to create depth. She then cuts into the wax with ink. In her last series, which has a very white background, she builds up the white ground and then draws with inks and oils. Finally, she fuses the final result. She scrapes the wax back carefully to pull the color back and then layers with more color to add dimension back in. She notes, “All the layering creates some really interesting textures. The layers also remind me of life; we have lots of things that occur that add and detract from life but that also give it its richness and meaning.”

Being in the desert has hugely impacted the imagery in her work. “In the quiet of the desert springs such life,” she muses. “I feel like without all the noise and distraction of the city, there is room to observe

better and see more. The amazing colors and details and the feelings the desert evokes - walking among the boulders or through wide open spaces- drive my designs. I see such intense and subtle colors. There is nothing dull about the desert.”

Sonja continues, “There is also magic and mystery here. A waitress at the Joshua Tree Saloon said to me one time, ‘Everyone here is running from something.’ That has always stuck with me. I think we all need space to think a little more clearly, and we have that space here. This idea of space is showing up big time in my latest work where I am stripping down colors entirely to emphasize specific other areas. They are about noticing.”

Her hopes for our desert community are inclusive and generous: “I think the creative community here is so vibrant yet at times also hidden. I kind of wish there was a large area where artists could get reasonably priced studios where we could commune together. I vacillate between hoping the community grows into an even larger more vibrant and thriving arts community, and hoping it remains its somewhat subtle self. No matter what, I hope the spirit, lore, and authenticity of our desert community always remains. Art can be solitary sometimes, and having an artists’ gathering place would be great. The newly formed High Desert Artist group will be a good step towards that.”

Website: sonjakrastman.com

IG: Sonja_Krastman_Art

Katie Nartonis is a writer, curator, film maker and specialist in art and design. Her most recent documentary film, “Jack Rogers Hopkins: Calfornia Design Maverick,” about the late San Diego based mid-century designercraftsman, premiered during Palm Springs Modernism Week in 2023. She is currently writing “Glimpses of The Joshua Tree Dream,” a book on the way we live in the high desert.

Culturas Music and Arts: The Incredible Vision and Work of Ruben R. Gonzalez and Oralia “Yaya” Ortiz

By JoAnne Windsand Reed

Ruben R. Gonzalez, Oralia ‘Yaya’ Ortiz: Warm-hearted, kind, and generous with open smiles, partners Ruben Gonzalez and Oralia ‘Yaya’ Ortiz grew up in Coachella, CA. Dedicated to inspiring disadvantaged youths and promoting the arts and music, they, along with a group of volunteers, friends, and family, have helped to create a cultural uprising in the eastern area of Coachella Valley.

Ruben, a busy Coachella contractor, has been mentor to many. Assemblyman Eduardo Garcia owes a great debt of gratitude to Ruben. As a 17-year-old without direction, Ruben mentored him, kept in contact, and encouraged him to reach for higher goals. Eduardo did just that; he went to the University of California, Riverside, earned a master’s degree, became Coachella’s first elected mayor, and now serves the State Assembly. Ruben has that special gift of giving hope for the future to young people through sharing his own experiences and caring enough to reach out. His family worked with Cesar Chavez, the civil rights activist who did much to help Coachella Valley farmworkers. Growing up in

that environment has inspired Ruben to do what he can to help his community and honor his culture.

Yaya, Director of Culturas Music and Arts, is also on the Cultural and Arts Commission in Coachella. She has been honored by Palm Springs Life as a nonprofit leader at the Women Who Lead 2019 Luncheon and previously worked at Shelter From the Storm, a comprehensive domestic victim assistance service and shelter provider located in Palm Desert. Yaya has continued a working relationship with the shelter who provides Yaya with clothing, toiletries, and toys to give to needy families.

Ruben and Yaya are both music and art lovers. Their home is filled with art, much of it by local artists, and folk crafts that they have collected. Their home is decorated in beautiful, rich Mexican colors. Ruben

grew up in a home filled with music and art. His mother was a composer, and all 12 of his siblings are involved in the arts.

Culturas Music & Arts: Culturas Music and Arts is a non-profit organization conceived in 2008 by a group of friends, co-founded by Ruben and Yaya. It started with Ruben’s Ranch, an amazing destination venue for music, gatherings, and political events. Like a Mexican zócalo, or town plaza, there is a bandstand and the Vato Loco Café, a place for sharing food and a unique stone cantina. There is also a retro children’s play area, sculptures, culturally relevant bas-relief art on the walls with stunning art-filled walkways throughout.

The Ranch began as an idea in 1981 when Ruben bought the property in the farming countryside outside of Coachella. Building began in 1985, initially as a compound to share with family and friends. By the early 1990s they began having music and political events at the Ranch. Among multiple charity events, there have been low rider car shows held to fund scholarships for underprivileged kids.

In 2008 an art event was held to showcase young, local artists. It was the first time that they had a chance to display their work. And that led to the start of Culturas Music and Arts. The Culturas mission is to form strong, positive community values, through cultural understanding, artistic awareness by insuring a safe, healthy, educational environment that promotes art, music, dance, and theater. Their purpose and commitment is to provide a program where self-expression, creativity, and diversity can be appreciated. The goal is to keep youth and other community members engaged in healthy, creative, and interactive activities that will empower them to take pride in themselves and their community. There is a large group of struggling young people in Coachella with few resources. Ruben and Yaya want to help those that are willing to make a change for the better.

on a public project. Young people said, “It’s about time we had something for us.” The Synergy Festival is held to promote underground graffiti and hip-hop artists, local crafters, food vendors selling tamales, burritos, and other Mexican fare. The festival has music, live painting, and a car show with more than 200 classic cars. It’s one day of unity, tolerance, and self-expression, encouraging engagement in art, music, and culture.

This year’s Women Rising awards will be given to the following:

Lifetime Achievement Award: Rosa Martha Zarate Macias, known as a heroic singer, composer, and popular community organizer, committed to serving others.

Woman Warrior Award: Perla Penalber

Mas Chingona Award (“Most Badass Award”): Celina Jimenez

“Festival del Rebozo,” is the theme of this year’s festival. The rebozo, or Mexican shawl, has come to symbolize feminine strength, resilience, and resistance in times of change. Historically, rebozos were used at the first birthing as swaddling, in church to cover a woman’s hair, as a wrap when a coffin couldn’t be afforded, to carry guns and ammunition to the men fighting during the Mexican Revolution of 1810-1821, and many other everyday uses. In Mexico, rebozos have different dyes, materials, designs, and braiding of the tassels depending on the region. Five major states make them with the finest being able to be passed through a ring. During the festival, there will be a buffet luncheon, entertainment (including singing by this year´s Lifetime Achievement Award winner), flowermaking, a fashion show, and a “tiendita” where unique artisan wares can be purchased. There will also be a silent art auction. All proceeds will benefit the organization’s Center for the Arts and Music.

The land for The Center for the Music and Arts has been allocated by the City of Coachella and is to be built at Vine Street and Second Street. Centered on helping at-risk youth, it will offer career training in the arts, media, drama, and theater and will also teach how to run a business. Not all kids can go to college. For some, their paths lead them in a different direction. Ruben and Yaya want to provide an alternate opportunity.

Coachella Shady Lane Mural: The Culturas Music and Arts first project was completed in 2012. The story of Chicano-Mexican history is on a wall across from Dateland Park in Coachella. The mural, one of the longest in the state, is over 1000 feet long. Painted by 100 volunteer artists and first-time muralists, many were graffiti artists and taggers who learned a bit of history and a lot about their own culture in preparation for painting the different eras. These eras span from the pre-Columbian era to Zoot Suits, Cesar Chavez to Latino Rock and Roll artists. The people of Coachella take great pride in the mural and hold great respect for Ruben and Yaya; in the 12 years since it was completed the mural has never been vandalized.

Synergy Music & Arts and Car Show Festival: This annual festival, organized by Culturas Music and Arts in Dateland Park, sprang from an art event that was held in 2009 across the street from the Shady Lane Mural. It was the first time in the desert communities that graffiti artists were able to express themselves

Women Rising: Women Rising is a festival also sponsored by Culturas Music and Arts in partnership with the Alliance of California Traditional Arts (a private non-profit organization). It is an event for all. Born at Reuben’s Ranch with a music event, the festival is now in its 12th year and will be held March 16, 2024, from 11:00-3:00 at Spotlight 29 Casino.

Here is to Strong Women - May We Know them - May We Be Them - May We Raise Them

– Women Rising Motto

The motto of Women Rising says it all. The festival is all about, “empowering women, celebrating local women, entrepreneurs, artists, and their accomplishments,” touts the Facebook page. It is for women who almost go unnoticed, volunteering in addition to working. Awards are for recognizing the contributions to local, national and/or international communities and individuals.

Another project taken on by Culturas Music and Arts is the revamping of an old Fed Ex truck that will be used as a Mobile Art Outreach, taking art out into the community. Eventually, the plan is to hire artists to go out into the disadvantaged communities of Mecca, Oasis, Thermal, and the Salton Sea area. Just this month, a Creative Corp Inland SoCal grant through the Inland Empire Community Foundation (IECF) was provided to help develop this program.

Coming in the not-so-distant future, Culturas Music and Arts hope to connect the Shady Lane Mural to the Coachella Art Walk and have a gallery and a new sculpture garden added. Culturas Music and Arts is reaching out to bridge the eastern and western Coachella Valley and connect the Low-Desert to the Hi-Desert and beyond through art, music, and cultural sharing.

To find out more about Culturas Music and Arts and their current ventures, visit their website at www.culturasmusicartscv.com

The Joshua Tree Music Festivals (held twice a year) are community-centric, life-affirming gatherings; renewing and solidifying the bonds that hold a community together. There’s a joyful euphoria felt during a shared experience, and an incommunicable thrill of a group deliberately united in exaltation. It’s a potent mix of connectedness, communal emotion, and a sensation of sacredness that happens when we are a part of something bigger than us. Community is crucial. It’s what we’re all about.

The festivals themselves are a platform for wildly talented healers, musicians, painters, makers, and creators to share their outrageous goodness with others. In such a vibrant communal setting, musicians, mindfulness practitioners and artists rise up to create at a whole new level, further

inspiring one another. Cultivating creativity. Inspiring others to be inspired. Creativity begets creativity. And so on. It’s so much more than the music; there are so many ways to connect.

You’ll find more than 55 Healing, Movement and Thought Stimulating sessions at the Positive Vibration Station, Kidsville, Sanctuary, The Queer Salon, the Healing Oasis and the Mojo Dojo Tea House. Dance & Movement. Action-packed Kidsville. AA Meetings, Wim Hof Method Fundamentals, Hip-Hop Improv, Cacao Ceremony, Integrative Breathwork, Khi Gong, Sound Baths, Grief Sessions, Ecstatic Dance, Kundalina Yoga & Meditation, and more. Rejuvenate, reinvigorate and rehumanize yourself at the next JTMF on May 16-19.

Bottom right photo by Jade Winne. All other photos by Cierra Breeze.

THE DESLONDES

Jonny Fritz

Fri Mar 1

THE PAPER KITES

With Special Guest: Bella White

Sat Mar 2

THE PAPER KITES

“At The Roadhouse” performed in full

Sun Mar 3

REVEREND HORTON HEAT

WILD PARTY

Sat Mar 16

SKINNY LISTER

Mon Mar 18

JASON JOSHUA

The Sextones

Thu Mar 21

COCO MONTOYA

Fri Mar 22

COLD WAR KIDS

THE COPPER ROOM

LIVE JAZZ EVERY SUNDAY 6PM - 9PM

LIVE BLUES EVERY WEDNESDAY - 6PM

TheCopperRoom1957.com

GIANT ROCK MEETING ROOM

Dale Watson, Jason D. Williams

Tue Mar 5

MARK SULTAN

Sun Jelly

Thu Mar 7

THE BROOK & THE BLUFF Teenage Dads

Fri Mar 8

LOVELYTHEBAND

Luke Wild

Sat Mar 9

JIMMY CHAMBERLIN COMPLEX

Sun Mar 10

BIRDTALKER

Ryan Traster

Thu Mar 14

DEVENDRA BANHART

Fri Mar 15

CHARLES MOOTHART

Expensive Shit

Fri Mar 15

Sat Mar 23

THE HALLUCI NATION

Sat Mar 23

“THE TAG TEAM TOUR”: AN EVENING WITH DAWES & LUCIUS Performing Together As One Band

Sun Mar 24

PARTICLE KID

Sun Mar 24

CMAT

Thu Mar 28

ISRAEL NASH

Fri Mar 29

SAVE FERRIS

Sat Mar 30

DOGS IN A PILE

Sun Mar 31

For events list, visit: pappyandharriets.com

NANK’S LINKS MACRO GOLF, A Spiritual Union With The Land

(Non golfers, please read of your neighbor’s harmonious blending of life, art and living things.)

By Ray Rodriguez

Craig recalls a Pro tour golfer’s sincere question: “How’d you decide where to plant everything?”

Long before Craig Nankervis, Art Major, retired from teaching including 19 years in 29 Palms and Yucca Mesa, he had begun to focus some of his creativity and passion upon a piece of wild desert among the open spaces of the Morongo Basin.

With roots in the area since 1954, based on a dated photo of his Grandparents at their area cabin, then situated where the hospital now stands providing a different type of health care, Craig maintains a lifelong love affair with the region. A love shared by his bride Cheryl, who led the Yucca Valley Chamber of Commerce for 20 years and today quietly, though effectively, supports his passion project. Ahh, but hers is a different story.

As with many of the area’s best destinations, the drive is approximately 10 minutes from the all connecting Hwy 62, punctuated by a couple minutes up a definitely dirt road banked so high on both sides that in a small car it feels like driving alongside ruddy snow banks. That impression is quickly erased by a noble Joshua Tree standing guard over the turnoff to “Nank’s Links”.

The interior property road is graveled, lined with rock pilings and art elements throughout. It’s a meandering, entertaining and convenient loop by his home, alongside the course, around to the combination pro shop/gift shop/historical museum/photo op/ bar then by the poker room, before it returns back to the entrance/exit. It is on this loop that you get your first glimpse of Craig’s homage to golf, art, humor, and the rugged beauty of the high desert.

There is an awkward level of anticipation when a globe traveling golfer approaches for the first time a course with NO GRASS! Among regional golfers the course is renowned as a private/secret curated path through the desert…working with and around desert life long established. A desert respected and always reverently granted the right of way. The honor of an invitation is also tempered with an uncomfortable ignorance, “Uh, do I take dirt divots?

But a few scattered pennies (from heaven?) glistening among the gravely parking area seem like lucky, smiling faces, welcoming a first timer. The walk from parking to the first tee seems a tribute to the Ballybunion Old Course in Ireland, often heralded as the finest links course in the world. There, your first shot can stray into the Killehenny graveyard, and at Nank’s Links you are greeted with a body half emerging from a coffin, followed by signs warning of Rattlers.

Course Owner/Designer Craig, son Mike, friends Mike, Robert, Randy and longtime local golf professional and course record holder Mark Elliot, PGA, are quick with their orientation. Midget tees or tufts of rubber turf are provided from which to hit each shot. If a ball lands in or even near enough a living plant/shrub or tree, complete relief is granted to avoid damage to the flora. They move quickly, as if not wanting to wear out their welcome on the wild land.

There are no warm-ups, no driving range, no practice putting green. There is no “green”. The putting surfaces are pre-existing open areas of slightly groomed and very brown dirt. Uncommon, though dirt or sand “greens” have historically been a part of the game. They putt surprisingly well, though a firm stroke on short putts is recommended.

Indeed, 37 years ago upon securing the 5-acre parcel, the original Nank’s design was exclusively a dirt putting course referred to as Nank’s Micro Golf. It provided years of fun and hijinks until as Craig says, “putters became golfers” and the good time putting course gave way to the more serious design.

There are 5 putting greens on the course, two of them double greens a/la St. Andrews, with 9 different dirt tee boxes, featuring holes from 58 to 162 yards. There have been 3 hole in 1’s, including one by our host.

But the soul of the course is native plants in their rugged natural surroundings, witnesses to a blessed frolic on a sunny day. Our shots fly over creosote, ocotillo and yucca. We carefully, politely, walk narrow naturally occurring paths among cholla, buckwheat and chaparral as dozens of towering Joshua’s, all well out of harm’s way, also enjoy the pleasant breeze.

For those of you who don’t play the “game”, believe it or not, golf is a mystical endeavor. But then, any work of art is…

“The chief object of every golf architect or greenkeeper worth his salt is to imitate the beauties of natures so closely as to make his work indistinguishable from nature itself.”

Alister MacKenzie

All photos by Sandra Goodin

Ray Rodriguez, Principal for Joshua Tree Voice, has been a successful businessman and restaurateur in the desert for over 30 years as well as a lifetime community and civic leader.

PAUL IVANUSHKA:

DESERT NATURE CAPTURED ON FILM

By Katie Nartonis

I love the weather, color and space of the desert

- Paul Ivanushka

Paul Ivanushka (b. 1950, Highland, New York) is a fine art photographer currently enjoying the challenges of macrophotography using native desert wildflowers as his models. Ivanushka’s work brings to mind the luscious botanical paintings of the Northern European Renaissance. It’s quiet presence and its capture of luminous color and light evokes the still-photography of modernist master photographers such as Karl Blossfeldt or Robert Mapplethorpe’s flower images.

“Cat Claw Acacia Pods”

Photograph of pods from my Catclaw Acacia. This photo was shown in the 2023 Joshua National Park Art Exhibition. was one of my first photographs of wildflowers shot in a studio with portrait lightning.

Paul was born “an Army brat at the West Point Military Academy,” and as the son of a career soldier, was raised in various cities across the United States where he was exposed to the diversities of cultures, people, and nature. This was a major influence on his photographic direction. He spent his career in the printing industry, “managing tone reproduction on offset presses,” as well as implementing the first stages of digital technology into commercial printing and publishing.

Paul notes, “As a result of a trip to the Grand Canyon when I was 9 years old, I was fascinated by the canyon photographs taken by the Kolb Brothers who ran a photography studio on the rim of the canyon. My father bought me a simple book on photography from them. After reading this book, I developed my first roll of film (in a coffee can no less) when I was ten years old. The process of being able to capture a moment, any moment, of time was most amazing to me - the immediacy of it! I was hooked.”

Largely self-taught, Paul took courses at the junior college in San Bernardino. From there he went on to study at Brooks Institute of Photography and Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo. He spent several years photographing equine events, and in 2010, started exploring the world of fine art photography. He is retired as a software business analyst and currently resides in Yucca Valley. His focus now is to create images of the California desert that are related to contemporary photography.

He notes this about his creative process: “I enjoy the technical end of photography. I still shoot film for landscapes, both medium and large format. I like the fidelity it provides but most importantly it slows me down. When shooting film, I find that I pay more attention to the elements of the subject that I am photographing. A stronger connection with the subject can then be made, which is something I find hard to do with a digital camera.”

He continues, “I now have a darkroom and studio in my garage. Here I can finally focus on alternative process printing (gum bichromate, carbon, and cyanotype). I like the hands-on approach and challenges that these 100+ year old processes provide. There is nothing like listening to Miles or Coltrane while mixing watercolor pigments and gelatin for an emulsion that you will use to print on a hot-pressed water color paper. I tell youlife doesn’t get any better!”

While taking a Biology course at Copper Mountain City College (CMCC) he was having difficulty memorizing the names of various parts of plants and he thought photographing them close-up would help in his understanding of them. This became his first body of work out here. He recalls, “It was great! I found them (plants) all in my yard and ended up photographing them in my garage using portrait lighting and strobes and a macro lens and bellows. For 2024, I am planning to travel the roads in the back country of the desert to view it on a larger scale.”

Paul recently became the moderator for the Critique Review group at the Artists Council at the Galen and has also been asked to jury the photography category for the La Quinta Art Festival for a second time. He is making his mark on the local arts community, and his work is raising the bar for excellence.

His vision for the desert community is simple and persuasive. He notes, “My hope is that we can achieve a balance between growth and preservation. Art plays a big part in showing the beauty of the desert and making people aware of all that is worth preserving. It will be important for the art galleries and us as artists to maintain this awareness.”

“Paperbag Bush Inflorescence” Macrophotograph of a Paperbag Bush inflorescense. Using Darkfield Lighting. I was amazed at how fast this species blooms. Was fascinated by the details of this plant.

“Buckwheat Inflorescence” Macrophotograph of Buckwheat beginning to bloom. Its actual size is about the width of your thumbnail. First experiment with Darkfield lighting.

“Sage Flower” Photograph of a Desert Sage. The Desert Sage photographs were my last ones for 2023. I was pleased with my progress in compostion, acheiving focus and good lighting. This own is my favorite piece to date.

Katie Nartonis is a writer, curator, film maker and specialist in art and design. Her most recent documentary film, “Jack Rogers Hopkins: Calfornia Design Maverick,” about the late San Diego based mid-century designercraftsman, premiered during Palm Springs Modernism Week in 2023. She is currently writing “Glimpses of The Joshua Tree Dream,” a book on the way we live in the high desert.