Imperial Valley Alive - First Edition 2016 by ReliancePublicRelations

Price $5.00

-Photo By Dane Knight, from Facebook

Publishers’ Message Welcome to the inaugural edition of Imperial Valley Alive! magazine. This new quarterly publication is the culmination of ideas that a couple of us (Bill Gay and Sue Giller) have been kicking around for more than a decade. Even then, in the middle of the recession, we knew the Imperial Valley was ripe for a regional magazine. A magazine for visitors, newcomers and the rest of us interested in the diverse, vibrant, creative, energetic, innovative community that we know and love, but rarely see in the media. Yet, most media coverage of the region painted a picture so bleak we didn’t recognize this place or its people. Don’t get us wrong; all three of us are former journalists and passionately support the media. Yet, we also understand how easy it is to lose the essence of a place in the midst of late-breaking news and the pressure of the news cycle. So the idea kept percolating. Everything fell into place this year when Gay’s Reliance Public Relations and Giller’s former firm merged and former newspaper and magazine editor Peggy Dale joined the team. The magazine seeks to embrace and celebrate our Valley and people unique and extraordinary: our diversity, our quality of life, our geology and geography, our agriculture; our location on the frontier (physically and metaphorically) in terms of innovation and our way of life. When we took to Facebook to announce the magazine, you breathed life into the concept. Your enthusiasm and ideas made Imperial Valley Alive! this community’s magazine. We are grateful to the thousands of comments, photos and suggestions that helped develop this magazine. Several articles grew from your ideas. Your words, images and creativity helped make Imperial Valley Alive! compelling and cutting edge. We are particularly pleased that what you see before you is the product of local professional graphic, photographic and writing talent. It is printed locally. We are very grateful for our advertisers, without whom this magazine would still be a dream. We encourage you to frequent these businesses, services and providers who are a big part of the community. In this inaugural issue, you will find a story by Sue Giller about the Valley’s exquisite sunsets and sunrises that tie us to this place

Imperial Valley Alive! celebrates our Valley and the diverse people, places and things that make us unique and extraordinary.

Bill Gay

Susan Giller

Peggy Dale

Editors & Publishers and our community. And, check out the heart-stopping photos drawn from posts to the Imperial Valley Alive! Facebook page. And, if you are an adventure junkie, you won’t want to miss Peggy Dale’s piece about the dizzying array of off-road activities available around the Imperial Valley. Then there is a glimpse into the range of the local live music scene by well-known editor, columnist and musician Richard Brown. In anticipation of Veterans Day, read Bill Gay’s piece that profiles two members of the Greatest Generation, who may be better known for their civilian contributions, but who had spectacular military careers. Local feature writer and stay-at-home mom Stefanie Campos contributes a compelling story about a former physician who has helped rejuvenate the Valley arts scene. She also drew the envious assignment to write about the Valley’s newly established craft breweries. And there is plenty more, including our calendar of upcoming Fall events. Check out our website (http://www.imperialvalleyalive.com) to subscribe or for a complete list of locations to get your print copy of the magazine, including coupons. We hope you will also read (and contribute to) what we hope will become the Valley’s most complete calendar of upcoming events. We invite you to like our Facebook page, and contribute your ideas and comments to what has become part of the virtual, and indispensible, Imperial Valley Alive! advisory group. P.S. See you in January, when IV Alive! will feature Imperial Valley's history and heritage. Fall 2016

InDex |

Volume 1, number 1 eDITORS & PUBLISHeRS Bill Gay Susan Giller Peggy Dale

COnTRIBUTORS Richard Montenegro Brown Stefanie Campos

COVeR PHOTO A child rides her bicycle accompanied by her mother at Bucklin Park at sunrise in el Centro. -Photo By Joselito Villero

Joselito Villero

GRAPHIC DeSIGneR Alejandra Noriega

InDex

WeB DeSIGneR

WATCH | Cover story

TASTe | Craft Beer

Sunrise, Sunset

Local flavors, local spin

Spectacular views are source of pride

Page 6

LISTen | Patty Saracco Lang Former physician has passion for music and for others

Page 12

CReATe | Music Scene Valley is hopping

Jesus Uriarte

Page 20

DRIVe | Offroad Adventures

ADVeRTISInG

Discover what the desert has to offer

Page 22

Places to visit Page 11 Indoor Range Page 14 4

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advertising@imperialvalleyalive.com 760-693-5330

SUGGeSTIOnS info@imperialvalleyalive.com

SALUTe | Veterans Ponder their sacrifices

Page 26

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SUBSCRIPTIOnS Send name, address and email address along with $15 for annual subscription to:

Reliance Public Relations, Inc. P.O. Box 1944 El Centro, CA 92243

ALSO InSIDe Publishers’ Introduction Page 3

SALeS Sue Gay Sue Kappeller Mark Gran

Coupons

Page 15 Road-tripping Visit Julian Page 17

Innovative weight-loss program Page 24 Calendar of Events Page 28

www. imperialvalleyalive.com IMPERIAL VALLEY ALIVE! is published quarterly by Reliance Public Relations, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical for any purpose without the written permission of Reliance Public Relations, Inc.

WATCH |

Sunrise Sunset

In the Imperial Valley there is nothing routine or commonplace about the majesty with which the sun anoints the dawn and twilight sky on almost any day of the year.

By Susan Giller For the night owl the idea of deliberately awakening early to witness an Imperial Valley sunrise may seem, well, at least odd if not downright absurd. Yet, once sunlight pierces the Valley’s predawn eastern sky, concerns about the early hour fade and magic unfolds. The sun paints the sky vivid, ethereal hues. Yellow, orange, red, magenta and blues dance across the sky. Sunrises and sets across the globe are so predictable that you can set the clock by them. The continuum of the phenomena makes it the perfect biblical and literary metaphor for the passage of time, the cycle of life. Now, thanks to scads of websites you can find out the time of the rise and setting of the sun on any given day of the year at virtually any spot on the planet. Yet here, in the Imperial Valley there is nothing routine or commonplace about the majesty with which the sun anoints the dawn and twilight sky on almost any day of the year. Throughout the Imperial Valley sunrises – and sunsets for those who cannot make the sun’s early call – are so frequently stunning that many locals follow them, photograph them and

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wax eloquent about them. They evoke mystical, metaphoric and spiritual connections. They get the creative juices flowing. Here, sunrises and sets are one of many luxuries and points of pride that bind residents and visitors to this valley of the sun. When Imperial Valley Alive! took to Facebook to invite people to post images and share their sunrise and sunset experiences, the results were overwhelming and aweinspiring. We expected to find a few key favorite viewing spots. Instead images came from locations throughout Imperial County’s 4,598 square miles; from the Salton Sea in the north, to the border with Mexico in the south; from the sand dunes and Chocolate Mountains on the east to Ocotillo and the mountains on the western horizon. “I am usually the first up in the mornings at work. I walked out to this beautiful sunrise ... the coffee had to wait while I ran back into my room for the camera,” Dane Knight posted on Facebook on Aug. 7 with a sunrise he captured at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. Of the image he posted on July 6, Todd Evangelist wrote, “I was reminded of the description in the beginning of Psalm 19, when I saw the sky this morning #GodsCreation.”

Far left: A couple watches the sun set at Bucklin Park in el Centro. Bottom Left: A bicyclist pedals through the park. Left: A man jogs at sunrise along a canal near el Centro. -Photos By Joselito Villero

And then there was a post from Robin Dodge on July 20, “Mother Nature sure knows how to put on a show!” Her comment accompanied a sunset photo she captured at Sunbeam Lake in Seeley in which the colors reverberated off the lake and the clouds. Fans of Imperial Valley sunrises and sunsets are not merely spouting parochial hyperbole. It turns out the Imperial Valley is in a global sweet spot for sunrises and sunsets. It is a matter of science. According to Stephen Corfidi, a meteorologist with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the most stunning sunsets are found in warmer latitudes, i.e. deserts and the tropics; in cold climates, inversion layers

trap a hazy layer of air near the ground that dulls the colors. “Clean air is, in fact, the main ingredient common to brightly colored sunrises and sunsets,” Corfidi wrote in a September 2014 essay titled “The Colors of Sunset and Twilight” that is posted on the NOAA Website. Despite the sand and dust inevitable in an arid climate and the smog that occasionally migrates from metropolitan areas, the Imperial Valley’s atmosphere is relatively clean. Moreover, the area rarely sees inversion layers full of pollution that obscure the sun’s splendor. To understand what makes Imperial Valley’s dawn and dusk light show so spectacular, it helps to review the basic physics of light. The wavelength of the light determines what color the human eye sees. Sunlight contains a full spectrum of colors ranging from the short wavelengths of violet and blue to the longer wavelengths of orange and red. The earth’s atmosphere, with its tiny air molecules, acts like a prism, scattering, or redirecting the sun’s wavelengths, or colors, in different directions. Corfidi wrote that the

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Left: Onlookers watch as a helicopter flies during Freedom Fest at Imperial Valley College.

-Photo by Joselito Villero

atmosphere scatters out the shorter, higher energy blue/violent wavelengths of light more effectively. That is why the sky looks blue when the sun is directly overhead. The sunlight seen on the horizon at dawn or dusk follows a much longer path through the earth’s atmosphere because of the angle of the

earth relative to the sun, By then, the blue wavelengths have been scattered and the viewer sees more orange and red light. To illustrate, Corfidi notes the sunbeam that turns the afternoon sky blue in the Rockies is seen at the same time a few thousand miles farther to the east as an

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orange-red sunset in the Appalachian early evening sky. Even beyond its relatively clear sky, the Imperial Valley enjoys geological and meteorological attributes that boost its reputation for dawn and dusk spectaculars. Mountains on the region’s east and west provide stunning backdrops for the sun’s daily dawn and dusk spectacles. In fact, in all directions, the Imperial Valley is hugged by higher elevation terrain. The net effect is local sunrises and sets send tendrils of color toward all visible horizons. Surrounding mountains, albeit not among the tallest of peaks, do prevent the intrusion of most low-lying coastal clouds, the kind that can obscure or dull the sunrise and set colors. Thanks to those mountains, the Imperial Valley experiences 360 or so sunny days a year and the conditions that support year-round farming, largescale solar development and military

flight training at the Naval Air Facility, El Centro. Yet the mountains aren’t enough to block the appearance of high-level clouds, which further enhance local sunrise/sunset viewing. “Clouds catch the last red-orange rays of the setting sun and the first light of the dawn like a theatre screen and reflect this light to the ground,” Corfidi stated. Not just any cloud will do, however. He noted, to be effective, the clouds need to be high enough in the atmosphere to reflect the light before it is tainted by pollution trapped in lower cloud layers. How clouds, atmospheric conditions and winds interact and affect sunrises and sunsets is a noble and complex field of scientific study. Images of local sunrises and sunsets, however, are worth far more than 1,000 words of scientific explanation. Perhaps Velma Ruiz Pacrem’s July 21 Facebook post sums up the possibilities best with a photo she took on Bowker Road near Meadows Union Elementary School in rural El Centro. For good reasons she called the image she captured “a dragon sunset.” Clouds are not the only phenomenon

to embellish the view of local sunrises and sunsets here. The Salton Sea, local lakes and even irrigated farm fields can mirror the sky’s brilliant hue. In a July 7 Facebook post, Leslie Lara shared a sunset photo she took on the shore of the Salton Sea in Calipatria showing her niece, arms silhouetted in the sun’s a orange-red glow shimmering off the surface of the sea. The ground and what grows here also accentuate local sunrise/sunset viewing, discerning observers report. Ralph Fernandez, a retired California Highway Patrol officer who patrolled Imperial Valley highways and byways for 25 years, is something of a sunrise-sunset connoisseur. During his tenure with the CHP, Hernandez estimates he drove about 3,000 miles a week on roads in virtually every area in the Valley or a total of more than half a million miles in his career. Along the way, he’s witnessed and sometimes photographed more than his share of sunrises and sunsets. There were a few that he still speaks of with awe. “Probably my favorite,” he said, “ was in the sand dunes. Not just on the road, but when you walked into the dunes so

Top: The sun sets behind an iconic tree at Salton Sea. -Photo by Lisa Woodward Brown,

from Facebook Above: Leslie Lara took this image of her niece at sunset along the southern shore of the Salton Sea. -Photo By Leslie Lara, from Facebook

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A fisherman catches bass at Sunbeam Lake Park at sunrise in Seeley. -Photo by Joselito Villero

all you saw around you was sand. At one point the sand started to reflect the color of the red sky. It felt like you were walking in the sunset.” Yet there is no need to travel far afield or spend much to find or be touched by an Imperial Valley sunrise/sunset. It may

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be the view right from your backyard, as were many of the photos posted on Facebook. Or, at work, such as the photo submitted by Debbie Murton Campbell on June 27. Her post stated, “My recent high school graduate son is not a

morning person by nature, but to earn some college money, he's up and at 'em before dawn to drive a tractor. The benefit, he says, is views like this.” For others, the Imperial Valley’s daily sunrises and sunsets have less to do with place than with heart. One woman said she always watches the sunset looking toward Mount Signal (also called El Centinela in Mexico), a peak that straddles the California’s border with Mexico, near where her late parents are buried. To her, sunsets evoke a sense of peace, a connection to her family and to her community. Though Imperial Valley takes pride in its frequent resplendent sunrises and sunsets, few here take them for granted. Each one is distinctive. The vivid colors, the swirling clouds, the energy, emotion and spirit they evoke are all within easy reach. And, here each day dawns and twilight falls with a new chance to make nature’s experience uniquely your own.

Not to be missed is Mount

Signal, known south of the border as el cerro Centinela. With a summit nearly 2,500 feet above sea level, it sits mostly in Mexico. Snowfall on the peak has been recorded a number of times over the centuries, including during treks documented by the explorer De Anza, who used it as a landmark. It is most easily enjoyed through the lens of a camera, but it is popular with hikers willing to tackle its steep and rocky, sometimes loosely so, slopes. Passports needed. Caution and research beforehand are urged. -Photo by Dane Knight, from Facebook

Unique Places

to Visit in Imperial Valley

Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area Spanning approximately 250 square miles of desert in eastern Imperial County, the dunes, approachable along Interstate 8 and Highway 78, play host to a million off-road visitors each year. They also offer stunning opportunities for photography, and have been the settings for scenes from box office hits such as “Star Wars: Return of the Jedi,” “American Sniper,” and “The Men Who Stare at Goats,” as well as countless commercials. http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro/re creation/ohvs/isdra.html

The simpler pleasures often are the most rewarding, especially when they cost little. Our corner of California offers many such simple pleasures. Here are a few of them

restaurants as well as one of the Valley’s movie theaters. Air-conditioning makes this an ideal place in which to do your walking during the hotter months. http://www.imperialvalleymall.com

Woof Town Dog Park Imperial is home to the area’s first park for our four-legged friends and their owners. Situated on North Morning Glory Trail in the Sky Park Subdivision, it also has been the site of outdoor fund-raising activities for various causes.

Felicity

Stroll around this indoor, well-designed mall on Dogwood Road south of El Centro, home to many popular stores and

Calipatria Flagpole The 184-foot flagpole, with its top at sea level, stands tall in the city that is the lowest in elevation in the Western Hemisphere. This monument to “Good Neighborliness” was born out of tragedy, the symbol of kindness and good will. Its height guarantees that should waters once again cover this part of Imperial Valley, Old Glory still will fly high. http://www.calipatria.com/city/history

Sonny Bono national Wildlife Refuge

“The Official Center of the World” off of Interstate 8 west of Winterhaven was built by Jaques-Andres Istel and his wife, Felicia, and is based upon the 1985 children’s book, “COE, The Good Dragon At the Center of the World.” It features a staircase from the Eiffel Tower, church, sundial and museum of history in granite. http://www.felicity.us

Imperial Valley Mall

perhaps the Valley’s most famous event, the Cattle Call Rodeo. The park offers a picnic area and is popular for those who enjoy hiking and group exercises. http://www.brawley-ca.gov/section/Parksand-Recreation/Recreation-Activities-forAdults

Cattle Call Arena This Brawley park on Cattle Call Drive is maintained by the city and home to

Established in 1936, the refuge on the southern edge of the Salton Sea annually attracts thousands of birdwatchers and outdoor enthusiasts. It was renamed for the late congressman and musician Sonny Bono, one of its most well-known proponents. Enjoy the visitors’ center, and then visit Black Rock, one of the dormant volcanoes in the area. On the way, pick up pieces of obsidian. https://www.fws.gov/refuge/sonny_bono_ salton_sea Fall 2016

LISTen | Patty Saracco Lang at Brawley Sacred Heart -Photo by Peggy Dale the then-executive director Mitjl Capet spoke to her about reviving the Northend’s performing arts. “I spent that year (1997/98) doing what turned out to be the first stage of bringing Palmer (Auditorium) back on its feet,” she explained. In May of 1998, she and Rosemarie Wood joined together for their first musical, “Kiss Me Kate,” with Wood as stage director and Saracco Lang as music director. “Right away I realized that putting on musicals was a great community project,” said Saracco Lang, who didn’t stop there. A summer arts program followed as well as bringing in shows for schools. In 2001, the Coalition achieved its own nonprofit status to which Saracco was named executive director, an unpaid position except for a few years of health insurance. Wood eventually followed Saracco Lang as executive director. “She did an amazing feat for 17 years to create a vision,” said Wood, now part of the executive team of the Coalition. “We have an entire generation of kids that one way or another, NoCCA had exposed them to the arts.” Wood explained that Saracco Lang may have stepped down, but in no way vanished. “She continues to anchor us and mentor us and inspire us,” said Wood, “and I think that is a testament to her passion in the arts resident — she’s answered the same phone number since 1977 — speaks of her … there’s just no doubt.” It would have been time for Saracco Lang marriage to Denny Lang in 2010. She was to enjoy her (second) retirement, but that previously married to Peter Saracco (a was not in the cards. She was approached Brawley OB/GYN) for 28 years until his by Father Ed Horning, pastor of the passing in 2000. Saracco Lang said her Catholic communities of Brawley and marriage to Denny on Friday the 13th “turned out to be our lucky day. We sure do Westmorland, to assist in the creation of a radio station. Saracco Lang also serves on have a lot of fun.” the Sacred Heart Parish Council. Together, the two share a passion for “She was really instrumental in raising music and often work together: she as funds for the radio station as well as accompanist, he as artistic director. It’s a spreading the word … asking people to get fitting union for the woman who worked to create arts-involved opportunities for many involved,” he said. “It just kind of fell in my lap,” said Saracco years. Yet despite her impact on so many Lang. “I wasn’t looking for it.” and in testament to her character, when After its formation, Saracco Lang stepped asked to speak on her volunteering contributions to the Imperial Valley, she back yet again, but like her other previous immediately defers to the work of someone commitments, offers assistance when else. Afterward, she is happy to comply needed, whether with parish events or and explains the beginnings of her work playing music for Mass or funerals. with NoCCA. “In these days where it might be easy to While on the board of the Imperial complain or be negative, she’s always County Arts Council, Saracco Lang said positive and a supportive person. I breathe

Volunteer Patty Saracco By Stefanie Campos Chances are, if you live in Brawley, the name Patty Saracco Lang and the gingerhaired woman behind it have touched your life or someone you know in one way or another. She may be familiar to you through her years as an internal medicine physician, or later as executive director of the North County Coalition for the Arts. Or, yet again as she redirected her efforts through her church and its formation of a local radio station. It isn’t very often that someone so well-known in the community reincarnates his or her presence and creates a lasting impression thereafter, yet Saracco Lang continues to do it over and over again. “If you want God to laugh, tell him your five-year plan,” said Saracco Lang. “I certainly never thought I’d be married.” “You just don’t know,” she said. “Life is so unpredictable.” The recently turned 72-year-old longtime

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a sigh of relief when I see her,” said Father Ed. Currently, Saracco Lang said her activities revolve around her music (she returned to academia to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in Music with a focus on conducting from Scripps College in Claremont in 1993) and she enjoys spending time with her grandchildren. “The arts just have to have that place in our lives,” she said. “Every time the schools drop an arts program, it makes me sad.” She encourages those who may be navigating the same roads she once did to learn from the experience of others. “People are always willing to teach you what they know,” she said. As she found with her years in the medical field, she found the arts community to be willing to share their knowledge; however, it’s not possible without a benefactor. “When you look back on the arts and how artists survived when they worked, they always had to have a patron,” she said. “You want to keep doing what you’re doing, but you can’t do it on thin air.” She encourages community groups to

persist. “Go out and find people who will support you,” she said. What’s next for Saracco Lang? She’s not making any plans. She’s cherishing her

time with her husband and the grandchildren. “I just love doing things with my grandkids,” said Saracco Lang. “It’s really so nice I can see them a lot.”

Do you want to get involved in your community? From a few hours to full-time involvement, there are opportunities throughout the Imperial Valley in a variety of fields. not sure where to start? “See what the needs are of the local community and examine your talents and abilities, your virtues and see how you might remedy the needs of the local community,” suggests Father Ed Horning, pastor of the Catholic communities of Brawley and Westmorland. For the tech savvy, log onto www.volunteermatch.org, a volunteer engagement network that lists opportunities ranging from Camarena Memorial Public Library in Calexico, Court Approved Special Advocates, the American Red Cross or Girl Scouts of the USA. Dayana Silva-James, volunteer services manager at Girl Scouts, San Diego-Imperial Council, recognizes volunteers come in all forms — the military family, the college student, the professional — who could give

back without the longtime commitment as troop leader. She said interested parties may log onto www.sdgirlscouts.org to search for volunteer opportunities or e-mail volunteer@sdgirlscouts.org. There may also be ways to volunteer by following a passion: caring for pets, for example. “We’re always in need of volunteers,” said Devon Apodaca, executive director at the Humane Society of Imperial County. From walking dogs and helping with weekend adoption events to cleaning and helping with the office work to transporting animals to rescue groups out of town, “there’s lots of different things that people can do,” said Apodaca. For more information, send an e-mail to ivhumanesociety@gmail.com or call (760) 352-1911.

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‘Ski lodge

for shooting’

Despite California’s sweeping gun control restrictions, sportshooting enthusiasts have a safe, clean and comfortable haven to practice their sport in the Imperial Valley. Border Tactical at 925 Imperial Ave. in El Centro operates two indoor eight-lane shooting ranges that are open to the public. Everything you need, or could think of, for the sport is available right on site. “We’re like a ski lodge for shooting,” said Bill DuBois, owner of Border Tactical and Phoenix Uniform within which the ranges are housed. “We have it all here under one roof. We work hard to provide a safe and fun place for everyone who wants to shoot.” Use of the ranges runs $13 an hour. Eye and ear protection are provided at no charge. The only prerequisite is proof of firearm safety training, such as a military ID or a hunter’s license. Non-shooters also are welcome once they complete Border Tactical’s mandatory hour-long introductory course on the safe handling of a firearm. The course is $25. The ranges are open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m weekdays and noon to 6 p.m. on weekends. And they are busy. DuBois said sportshooting enthusiasts from all walks of life and all over globe find their way to the ranges. For instance, the British military troops that train in the Imperial Valley enjoy the ranges for a chance to use a sidearm. They are assigned rifles and only the British officers get sidearms, DuBois said. He added a number of Mexican citizens cross the border to shoot at Border Tactical’s ranges and Canadian winter visitors frequent the ranges to enjoy the unique experience of shooting, which is virtually prohibited in their nations. Firearms may be rented on site, and ammunition, targets, and safety gear are available for sale. Requirements for individuals bringing their own firearms are spelled out on Border Tactical’s website www.bordertactical.com or call (760) 353.4884 for information. Actually Border Tactical offers much more. They buy and sell all firearms and ammunition and even do repairs. “We like to think of ourselves as the go-to experts for anything having to do with firearms,” DuBois said.

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| ROAD TRIPPInG

-Photos By Peggy Dale

Julian: Mountain Getaway By Peggy Dale September and apples are the perfect combination in the mountain mining town of Julian. An easy 90-minute drive from El Centro, there are several roads to choose from that lead to Julian. Take your pick: Highway 78 north of Westmorland, State Route 2 out of Ocotillo, Sunrise Highway through Mount Laguna, or Old Highway 80 through Pine Valley and Guatay, which connects with Highway 79 near Descanso. Then enjoy the scenery as

the road before you climbs out of the desert and into the pines. This little getaway is best known for its apple orchards, where its popular Apple Days Celebration draws crowds every September. There are u-pick orchards, apples to enjoy fresh off the trees or baked in pastry, and fresh-pressed apple cider. But for those wanting more than all things apples, there are hikes, both easy and not, tours of mines, a plethora of places to stay or dine, and starry vistas to cap off the night. Nearby roads meander past simple abodes, spectacular mountaintop homes, cabins to rent, or beds and breakfasts. Wildlife such as deer and wild turkeys abounds. In fall, the hillsides turn crimson and gold as trees announce the change of seasons. Snowfall blankets those same hills and trees in winter, and daffodils herald springtime. Plan your trip to this mountain getaway, but before you do, map out your adventures by visiting the Julian Chamber of Commerce website, www.visitjulian.com.

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CReATe |

Music returns in a Big Way By Richard Montenegro Brown The dog days and soggy nights of summer have customarily come with a ramping down of things to do and places to go in the Imperial Valley. But don’t tell that to the small business owners, live music fans and the musicians themselves who are leading a Renaissance of sorts in live local music. With September and October comes cooler weather and a more active nightlife, yet on a sweltering early August weekend, it became apparent just how far the Valley has come in growing its entertainment offerings and in providing a place where musicians and listeners can come together. On a Friday, the fully amplified Quick Stop — a local four-piece band playing everything from classic rock to ‘90s and

Fall 2016

2000s alternative covers — shook the corrugated metal shed that is Hot Rods and Beer in Holtville, while the more mellow fare of acoustic musician Peter Chestnut brought his guitar and voice to the Courtroom in El Centro. Just down the street, at the very same time, singer guitarist Ruben Hernandez performed for the crowd at the Tavern in a similarly stripped-down fashion. And then on Saturday, Strangers West, a restaurant and live-music venue that opened in mid-July on downtown Main in El Centro, turned up the volume amid the turned-up heat, to feature a garage rock/punk band from Encinitas, Lo-Fi Nipple, and several other bands performing their own compositions. Strangers West, along with its sister location, Strangers Bar on Fifth Street in downtown El Centro, has made a niche

for itself in attracting original national — and more than a couple international — touring acts. What all of this means for the Valley and for fans of live local music, is that something special is happening, and it can be seen in a number of ways: there are more musicians playing more often than has been seen in a decade, and the diversity of offerings is really what has the scene alive and giving musicians hope. “People want to do stuff, and I’ve noticed that when there is an event, people come out with little notice,” said Imperial resident Ernie Quintero, owner and partner in Strangers West and Strangers Bar. “There are so many musicians right now, there is so much music to be offered. That is awesome.” Westmorland native and Imperial resident Lorenzo Galindo is one of those musicians who is knee deep in this live and local resurgence. The 36-year-old has been a working musician for two decades, and today does double duty as lead guitarist and a singer in Quick Stop and one-half of an acoustic duo with singer Kelly Aguilera. Aguilera and Galindo have a residency each Friday night at The Courtroom when Galindo’s not performing with Quick Stop. “I think it’s great,” Galindo said of the growing live music scene. “Everyone is kind of getting their own little sound,” he said, referring to the newfound diversity of the scene. “It’s all entertainment.” More musicians playing more, different styles of music really adds up to more choices for local fans, he said. Social media, of course, is helping sound the call, too, especially the page Imperial Valley Live Music, which promotes what local musicians are doing and where they are playing. More than 625 Facebookers are following the page, which seems substantial for such a specialized community. The weekend that Quick Stop, Peter Chestnut and Ruben Hernandez were performing, the page played it up, promoting solidarity and unilateral support for live music among what could easily have been about competition to draw crowds. Imperial Valley Live Music, and the musicians behind it, have also been instrumental in organizing open mic nights at various locations around the Valley. The heavy Instagram and Facebook presence for venues Strangers Bar and Strangers West make up the lion’s share of the promotion of their touring bands,

craft beer and fine food as well. Quintero has a more specific clientele and books a more niche style of musicians to frequent his establishments, but he agrees it’s been important to that diversification of nightlife options in the Imperial Valley. “I see that people are wanting more shows, and they’re asking for it,” he said. “The options are awesome for the Valley. This is the most stuff I’ve seen happening in the Valley in a long time, and what’s even radder is that there is more going on in downtown (El Centro).” He added through art, music and food, he’s seeing downtown El Centro becoming a destination spot. It’s an old world meeting a new world in terms of what is happening to the local scene. Restaurants and bars like Las Chabelas in Brawley or the La Resaca location in Calexico have long featured house bands that draw regulars looking for their fix of oldies or Mexican favorites, bands that are stocked with longtime local working musicians, for example, like Turie and the Crew out of the Northend. Yet added to the mix in recent years is the growing novelty and captivating experience of the tribute act, which Hot Rods and Beer has worked to great success. At least a half-dozen times a year Hot Rods will bring in regional and national tribute artists who specialize in the faithful recreation and experience of a popular artist’s show. Since the bar and restaurant opened there have been everything from AC/DC and Led Zepplin tribute acts, to groups dedicated to cribbing the music and style of Red Hot Chili Peppers and blink 182. Live music strikes a chord with people, said Clark Baker, a musician and owner of Clark Baker Music in El Centro for 33 years. “Emotion. That’s why people love live

music,” Baker said, who has had a front row seat in the ebb and flow of the local live music scene. “Live music is emotions.” Baker added that the up-and-down nature of the economy of the last decade has had something to do with what we are seeing today as well. When times were tougher, people stayed home, learned an instrument or got better at it. Now, as the economy improves, those musicians are playing the bars and the public has the disposable cash to come see them. There could be a deeply divided discussion on what exactly constitutes live music. Is it instruments only, or do DJs reading the mood and vibe of a crowd count? Can symphonies and stage musicals be considered live music? It’s all a matter of opinion — especially to those who wield guitars — but it’s clear that all of these areas have seen growth in the Valley in the past several years, some more so just in the last year. Earlier in 2016, for instance, the North County Coalition for the Arts returned with a live and locally produced musical on the Palmer Performing Arts Center stage with “The Music Man,” while multi-platinumselling rapper Snoop Dogg performed a DJ set at Inferno to a sold-out crowd that spilled into the streets surrounding the Brawley business. And the California MidWinter Fair & Fiesta (as well as the recent beer festival at the Calexico Gran Plaza) has found its stride with repeat visitors, Metalachi. Regardless of what one considers live music by definition or by design, there is nothing quite as magical as that interaction between people gathered in a common place, enjoying that familiar song or discovering something new. “To me, live music is always the best way to go,” Baker said.

Music Scene Strangers West: www.facebook.com/Str angersWest 612 W. Main St., El Centro, CA 92243 760-592-4285

Tavern: www.facebook.com/Tav ernEC 459 W. Main St., El Centro, CA The Courtroom: www.facebook.com/the courtroomrestaurant 841 W. Main St., El Centro 760-335-3660

Strangers Bar: www.facebook.com/Str angersEC 115 N. 5th St., El Centro, CA 92243 760-352-2586

Inferno: www.facebook.com/INF ERNO.btown 505 Main St., Brawley, CA 92227 760-344-7744

Hot Rods and Beer: www.facebook.com/Ho tRods.and.Beer 235 W. 5th St., Holtville, CA 92250 760-356-9900

Las Chabelas: www.facebook.com/Las -Chabelas-Restaurant172362752823112 749 S. Brawley Ave., Brawley, CA 92227 760-351-2991

Fall 2016

TASTe |

From Left: Border Town Blonde, Humble Pale and Dusty Day Amber ales in 5-ounce pint glasses and ready for serving at Humble Farmer Brewing Company in Holtville. Above left: Ales, container sizes and their prices are displayed on a wall at Humble Farmer. -Photos By Joselito Villero

Craft Beer Local flavors, local spin By Stefanie Campos Carrot beer is a fitting creation coming from Holtville, the small Imperial County town that is home to the long-running Carrot Festival and billed as the Carrot Capital of the World. But the craft beer, one of nearly a dozen tasty variations developed by the young owners of the Humble Farmer Brewing Company on Walnut Avenue, is also a symbol of the changes brewing in this county more known for its innovations in agriculture and plentiful off-roading opportunities. The youngest county in California is also attracting younger residents, and many of the millennials who were born here are finding opportunities and incentives to stay. Humble Farmer’s owners – local attorney Drew Williams and business partners real estate broker Christopher Marrs, local farmer Eric Strahm, and Dan Williams – are taking advantage of the red-hot craft beer market sweeping the West Coast. Already they are planning to expand in the Valley by opening a satellite tasting room, although a location has not

Fall 2016

"Just because we are a small community, people from outside don’t realize what we have to offer.¨ - Drew Williams, Humble Farmer Brewing Company, Holtville

yet been finalized. “In San Diego there are 125 breweries,” said Williams, a 30-year-old El Centro native. “If you wanted fresh craft beer, you go to San Diego or the one in Yuma. There was nothing in the Imperial Valley, so we decided to be the only one in town to serve the needs of the growing craft beer scene.” But not for long. Roughly 13 miles to the northwest of Holtville sits Imperial, the first city in this county and home to the annual Crown Craft Beer Invitational. Soon this city will house its own brewery, Pentagonal Brewing Co., as well as what is believed to be Imperial County’s first winery. Five locals — four partners and a manager —will join the ranks of Humble Farmer this Fall. Johnny Stump of Heber, Humberto Chavez of Calexico, Barrett Dunn and husband and wife Chad and Kathie Grieve, all of Imperial, have already developed upward of 20 beers. Taking advantage of the local crops — honey and citrus in particular — Stump credits Dunn, Pentagonal’s brew master, with adopting local flavors and integrating his own spin on them. One experiment, for

example, a pale ale aged in tequila barrels that features a prominent agave flavor. “A lot of the flavors that we enjoy, loving the Mexican culture and the spice, and the amount of flavors that can come out in the food,” said Stump, who may not be a lifelong resident here but at 17 years attests to the heritage that surrounds living in the Valley. Adventurous souls long have been drawn to this corner of the Sonoran Desert, bordered on the south by Mexico and on the east by Arizona. The descendants of those who helped transform desert to farmland share a bond with newcomers finding ways to expand the area’s economic viability and the camaraderie among those breaking into the local market is only propelling its future. “We don’t want the brewing scene in the Valley to be a competition; it’s more of a family,” said Stump. “We’re all doing what we love in order to bring great product to the Valley.” Stump said Pentagonal has a relationship with Humble Farmer and also speaks with members of the soon-to-be

third Valley installment looking to break into the local craft beer scene this fall, Calexico Brewing Company Inc. Brothers Jose Luis and Robert Yetez and Ramiro Salas, all in their early 20s, began as home brewers and decided to take their craft to a larger scale. Situated just across from the border of what Jose Luis calls the craft beer capital of Mexico, Mexicali, the Calexicans are taking advantage. They began over the mountain with research and development in San Diego and now collaborate with breweries in the capital of Baja California, amassing hands-on experience and testing various pieces of equipment. The Brew Company will open with six to eight taps, five that will remain year-round and two to three specialty beers that will change with the season. “Profiles are changing,” said Brandon Adams, craft and import brand manager at Alford Distributing Co. in Imperial. “That local craft, small-batch brews is in demand.” From a distributor standpoint, Adams said he could see a shift in drinking preferences, switching over to new styles and new flavors. Working together with the city of Imperial, the Invitational was an opportunity to not only offer an event for

the local community, but to showcase to the Valley what was available. With two succesful events under their belt, the third is in the works. “It’s a good event,” said Adams. “It’s a fun time to be in craft beer. Whether you’re making it or drinking it … there’s just a lot of good things going on in the beer world.” “It’s great to see that Imperial Valley is forwarding their stakes in the game and participating,” said Alexis Brown, executive assistant to the city manager and one of the organizers of the Invitational. Herself a craft beer fan, she said she sees first-hand the rapport the brewers have with each other. “It’s great that you have that brotherhood and sisterhood. A community of brewers that help each other out. … It really is a great sense of community that they share with each other, let alone their patrons.” “Just because we’re a small community, people from outside don’t realize what we have to offer,” Williams said. “We have great athletes coming out of the Imperial Valley and now we have great beer coming out of the Imperial Valley.” “It’s fun,” he said. “Fun to own, fun to run, fun to make beer.”

Top photo: Humble Farmer owners eric Strahm (left) and Dan Williams each carry a growler jar in front of their brewery. Above: Strahm uses a meter stick to measure the volume of a mixture of barley and water. -Photos By Joselito Villero

Fall 2016

DRIVe |

Offroad Adventures By Peggy Dale Imperial County is a mecca for those who prefer their adventures to be offroad. Home to the nation’s largest sand dunes open to off-highway vehicles, California’s ninth-largest county stretches across more than 4,000 square miles of desert terrain. What may seem uninhabitable and remote to some, is just right for those who have discovered the beauty and excitement to be found along the county’s miles of trails and in its open areas. The off-roading season, which is when permits are required, runs from Oct. 1 to April 15. Information on permit costs, regulations, and requirements may be found online at http://isdpermits.net. “Once you get off the pavement, there’s plenty to see out in the desert,”

Fall 2016

The Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area is the largest mass of its kind in the state, making it a favorite destination for off-roaders.

said Charlie Nichols of Imperial. The Imperial Irrigation District engineering technician and his family enjoy it all – sand buggies, quads, motorcycles and Jeeps. The average age of an off-roader is in the mid-to-late 30s, Nichols estimates, with multiple generations of the same family often making the most of their time together. “We go out five or six times during the season as a big group – 10, 12, 15 of us – to the Superstitions,” Nichols said. Superstition Mountain, northwest of Imperial, offers a challenging array of off-highway riding opportunities and is popular with local families. Other weekends Nichols and his family will take one- or two-day trips in their Jeep, traveling in groups of street-legal vehicles into the canyons, the valleys, the wilderness of the Southwest.

“We go to the mountains, over to the (Colorado) River, into Mexico,” he said. As temperatures cool, desert areas favored by off-roaders begin to fill. By Halloween, an estimated 78,000 people will have arrived in the Imperial Sand Dunes alone, said Charla TeetersStewart, executive director of the nonprofit United Desert Gateway organization. They’ll bring with them thousands of RVs, trailers or haulers loaded with equipment and supplies. Teeters-Stewart said Thanksgiving weekend in the dunes will draw about 100,000 off-roaders, with New Year’s and President’s Day weekends attracting 85,000 and 75,000, respectively. Located in eastern Imperial County, the dunes, which stretch for more than 40 miles, are more commonly known as Glamis. The dunes are the largest mass of their kind in the state.

Above: Chris Bostic, Josh Marquez, James Ornelas and Luis Ramirez watch UTV races Oct. 10, 2015, at Superstition Mountains.

-Photo by Luis Ramirez, from Facebook

Page 22: Ready for race.

-Photo by Nicole Nicholas Gilles Right: The sun sets over the dunes.

-Photo by Nicole Nicholas Gilles

Visit these websites for more information on off-roading in Imperial County: http://www.blm.gov/ca/st/en/fo/elcentro.html http://isdpermits.net/ americansandassociation.org 

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track their activity and fitness goals. The idea is to help patients develop new eating and exercise habits while the balloons help tame hunger. Once the balloons are removed, patients will have the guidance and support of professions to maintain their new habits for life. In one trial done prior to FDA approval, the ReShape Procedure patients Dr. Oscar A. Lopez, medical director for the Center for Digestive and Liver Disease at Pioneers procedure were found to lose two times more than those in a group that received only diet and exercise coaching. In another study conducted in Europe, ReShape patients on average lost 47 percent of their excess weight and maintained 98 percent of their weight loss after one year. The need for effective approaches weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight is compelling. According to the FDA, more than 16 million adults in the As anyone who has struggled with patient’s stomach through the mouth in an U.S. are obese – that is more than 30 excess weight knows, there is no magic endoscopic procedure. Once the balloons percent of the population. bullet or one-size-fits-all solution to losing are properly positioned, they are filled with The FDA considers obesity a major weight. There is, however, new help saline (salt water). Dr. Lopez said the public health concern because it is linked available here and now. outpatient procedure is done under to serious health issue including heart The ReShape Procedure, a new, sedation to keep the patient comfortable disease, stroke, diabetes, high blood minimally invasive approach proven to and takes about 20 minutes to complete. pressure, sleep disorders, and breathing help people achieve and maintain With the balloons in place, Dr. Lopez problems. significant weight loss is available now at said there is only about 10 percent of the Dr. Lopez added that obesity increases select facilities around the country, stomach’s capacity left for food. Hunger an individual’s risk of getting cancer of the including Pioneers Memorial Healthcare diminishes more quickly and the balloons, pancreas, liver, stomach, esophagus and District in Brawley. The procedure in effect, become a sort of built-in portion breast. approved by the Food and Drug control. However, the balloons must be “Losing excess fat reduces the risk of Administration (FDA) in 2015 is intended removed after six months. life-threatening conditions, can eliminate for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) Dr. Lopez is quick to note that ReShape chronic health concerns and improve a of between 30-40, who may not want or isn’t a medical quick fix. person’s quality of life,” Dr. Lopez said. qualify for a surgical approach. “This is really about lifestyle, a major “That is how important a lifestyle change Dr. Oscar A. Lopez, medical director for change in behavior,” he said. “The whole can be.” the Center for Digestive and Liver Disease program is quite intense.” Interested Individuals can contact the at Pioneers, said, “Pioneers is one of the In addition to regular follow-up visits with Pioneers Center for Digestive and Liver first six hospitals in California to offer the the doctor, a nutritionist, counselors and Disease at (760) 351-4469 to set up a free procedure. We are also the first and only other staff specialists work with each initial consultation to learn more and see if one to provide 12-month counseling and patient throughout the yearlong program. they qualify for the procedure. Those who follow up.” Throughout the program patients use an have had bariatric surgery or have certain In the ReShape Procedure, two activity monitor, such as a Fitbit, that links conditions are not eligible for the connected balloons are inserted into the to a scale in the doctor’s office to help procedure. While most insurance will not

“Pioneers (Memorial Hospital) is one of the first six hospitals in California to offer the procedure. We are also the first and only one to provide 12-month counseling and follow up.”

PMH offers ReShape

Fall 2016

Left: Michelle, lost 32 pounds with the ReShape procedure Right : Michelle, before the procedure

-Photos by Pioneers Memorial Healthcare District cover the cost of the procedure, financing is available. The Center for Digestive and Liver Disease at Pioneers is located at 751 W. Legion Road, Suite 303, in Brawley. Dr. Lopez said the center is no stranger to bringing cutting edge technology to the Valley to provide the care he can with the subspecialties he has studied. Dr. Lopez is Board Certified in Internal Medicine, Gastroenterology and Hepatology and also is certified in Advanced Endoscopy, Endoscopic Ultrasound and Interventional Gastroenterology. He said the center is the third in the state to implement the use of a specialized endoscopic camera needed for the early detection of certain conditions. Additionally, endoscopic ultrasound was added in 2014 in addition to the full range of services available at the center.

Fall 2016

SALUTe | Far Left: Former Central Union High School Agriculture instructor Ken Holmes (left), who earned the navy Cross during the Battle of the Philippine Sea, stands with his World War 2 crewmate in front of their navy dive bomber. Top Center: A veteran’s plaque at San Diego’s Mt. Soledad national Veterans Memorial honors Holmes (top right) for his decorations in combat as a pilot during World War 2. Left: World War 2 landing ship commanding officer Bill DuBois is presented a recognition medallion by Korean War veteran Bennie Benavidez during the ceremonies of the Imperial Valley College veterans’ resource center. remained silent — even to their families — about the specifics of their wartime service. As thousands returned to the United States, they took up where they left off. Take for example Ken Holmes and Bill DuBois. Both served in the Pacific and were among the newly minted veterans who in the late 1940s transitioned from distinguishing themselves in combat to distinguishing themselves in building today’s Imperial Valley. They were among many who continued in a parallel military career in the reserves, a women who served recently. According to calling that Winston Churchill said was census reports, nearly two-thirds of “Twice the Citizen.” Holmes and DuBois Imperial County’s veterans spent their time continued their naval service in the in uniform during the Vietnam War era, the reserves -– both eventually retiring as final years of the Cold War, the 1990-91 Lieutenant Commanders. Persian Gulf War or the current Global War But Bill DuBois is known primarily today on Terrorism. for being a leader in the Valley’s agriculture As veterans of the World War 2 era community. He has been acknowledged by gradually fade away, many of their stories fellow farmers as the “foremost water are being lost to history. This Veterans Day expert in the Valley.” And as Director of Natural Resources for the California Farm marks 71 years since the Greatest Bureau in the 1970s and 1980s, DuBois Generation put aside their uniforms and advocated for the state’s agriculture returned home to resume their civilian industry in major legislation during that lives. Like many vets of today, many

Veterans more than heroes By Bill Gay Get any group of veterans together and the conversation will inevitably turn to military topics, shared experiences or in Navy lingo, “sea stories.” One item they usually do not volunteer, though, unless asked, is the subject of personal decorations they might have received. While vets are proud of their service, going deeply into personal accomplishments is too much like bragging. Vets today mostly include men and

Fall 2016

period. He recently celebrated his 100th birthday. DuBois can still fit into the same uniform that he wore in the Pacific. Somewhat hidden on the left pocket is a gold metal pin consisting of a star surrounded by anchor flukes and a partially unfurled pennant showing six stars. The pin designates him as one of a very select group of naval officers who have served a command at sea in combat. DuBois was commanding officer of Landing Craft Infantry ship (LCI 968) that landed troops in several World War 2 Pacific campaigns. Meanwhile, Holmes' former Central Union High School students remember him as a 30-year agriculture teacher and Future Farmers of America advisor at Central Union High School. In 2002, he was inducted as member of the California Agriculture Teachers Hall of Fame. Holmes was recognized for his development of a self-supporting school farm and nursery, where his students could apply what they learned in the classroom. But on June 20, 1944, flying a Curtis SB2C Helldiver from the USS Bunker Hill, LTJG Holmes was part of the largest carrier-to-carrier battle in history: the Battle of the Philippine Sea, also known as the

“Great Marianas Turkey Shoot.” For his valor that day, he was awarded the Navy Cross “for extraordinary heroism” while flying through heavy aerial opposition and intense anti-aircraft fire to score a direct bomb hit on an enemy cruiser. According to his citation, Holmes “contributed materially to the infliction of extensive and costly damage on the Japanese Fleet in this decisive engagement.” The Navy Cross is the second-highest military decoration for valor, second only to the Medal of Honor. Holmes, who flew 45 combat missions, also holds the Distinguished Flying Cross, Six Air Medals and the Presidential Unit Citation as well as campaign medals. “He never talked much about any of this stuff until the last few years,” says his son Roger. “And even now the discussions are limited to the good times.” Holmes’ two younger brothers also were aviators in World War 2. Ken, who is 98, resides in Carlsbad. His brother Ray, a veteran of 80 Army Airforce missions in the South Pacific, is 96 and lives in Hacienda Heights. John, 95, who flew Navy PBY Catalina flying boats, lives in Corvallis, Ore. Said

nephew Roger “They didn’t ship him overseas because they had a rule that they would only send two per family, so (John Holmes) was a flight instructor and stayed in Corpus Christi, TX, doing training.” According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, “Many people confuse Memorial Day and Veterans Day. Memorial Day is a day for remembering and honoring military personnel who died in the service of their country. … While those who died are also remembered, Veterans Day is the day set aside to thank and honor ALL those who served honorably in the military — in wartime or peacetime.” This year, Veterans Day falls on a Friday. Not only will this Federal holiday be the start of a three-day weekend, it is also in the middle of the Valley’s largest single civic event, the Brawley Cattle Call. But as you go about enjoying this typically busy fall weekend in the Valley, take a moment to ponder the service of people like Ken, Ray and John Holmes and Bill DuBois, as well as your friends, relatives and neighbors who put aside civilian life for a time to serve their country.

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Calendar of Events

editor’s note: The information included in the print version of Imperial Valley Alive! is what was available by publication deadline. Visit our calendar online at www.imperialvalleyalive.com and submit your event information.

SePTeMBeR

Oct. 1

Sept. 30 The Rattlesnake Chase 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Wheeler Road at Superstition Presented by Road Runner Offroad Racing, Coyne PowerSports and AMA District 38. Classes determined by engine size or age.

OCTOBeR

Oct. 1 &2 The Rattlesnake Chase

6:30 a.m. Wheeler Road at Superstition Presented by Road Runner Offroad Racing, Coyne PowerSports and AMA District 38. Classes determined by engine size or age.

Oct. 6

Cattle Call Queen Coronation 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Inferno, 505 Main St., Brawley. Admission is $35 for non-reserved ticket.

24 Carrot Gold Awards Banquet 5:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. Imperial Valley Swiss Club, 1585 E. Worthington Road, Holtville. Tickets are $35 each. For more information, call 760-356-2923.

Oct. 1

Oct. 7

Oct. 1

Project Hope FundraiserFall Into Christmas Bazaar 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. El Centro First Assembly of God, 871 Park Ave., El Centro. Admission, $1. More information, 760-562-1783.

Back to the Eighties 8:30 p.m. El Centro PAL Event Center, 1100 N. 4th St. Presented by El Centro PAL and SAL. For information, call 760-337-4577 or 442265-6100.

Fall 2016

Air Show Gala Fashion Show and Ladies Night 6 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Imperial Palms Resort at Barbara Worth, 2050 Country Club Drive, Holtville, CA. Tickets available at www.elcentrochamber.com

Oct. 8

2016 Harvest Bowl 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Imperial Valley Swiss Club, 1585 E. Worthington Road, Holtville. Featuring fine food, music and dancing. Dress code: denim. Tickets are $100 per person. For information, call 760-370-0966

Oct. 8

Yuma Zombie Run/Ghostbusters Movie in the Park 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Yuma West Wetlands Park, 282 N. 12th Ave., Yuma

Oct. 8

Yuma Nightmares Haunted House 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 15485 S. Avenue 4E, Yuma

Oct. 10

Improving Your Bottom Line workshop 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Brawley Chamber of Commerce, 204 S. Imperial Ave., Brawley. Admission is free. Registration requested. Contact Jill Andrews at 619-727-4885 for more information.

Oct. 20 Farmers Market

5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Holt Park in Holtville. Food and craft booths, games, and paint a pumpkin for $2. For information, call 760356-2923.

Oct. 30 Celebrate Light Family Event 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. First Christian Church, 450 S. Waterman Ave., El Centro. More information, 760352-8300 or http://fccec.net.

Oct. 21

51st Annual Borrego Days Desert Festival 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Friday at Christmas Circle, Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs.

Oct. 22 Flyover and parade,

10 a.m. with events continuing until midnight. at Christmas Circle, Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs.

Oct. 23 Festival continues

Oct. 13

A Night of Comedy

6:30 p.m Ricochet Event Center, 450 S. Aten Road, Imperial. Program features inspirational comedian Nazareth and local humorists Manuel Nunez and Denise Rogers. Proceeds benefit Burning Bush International. For information and tickets, www.bbiugando.org. .

Oct. 15

50 Years of Great Futures 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Stockmen’s Club of Imperial Valley, 275 S. Marjorie, Brawley. Silent auction begins at 6 p.m. Cocktail attire requested. Reservations may be made at 760-344-2040. For information, visit http://www.bgciv.org

Oct. 15

Oktoberfest at Imperial Market Days 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown Imperial. For information, call 760-355-3316 or visit www.cityofimperial.org

Oct. 19

Red Shoe Day Imperial Valley 7 a.m. to 10 a.m. at sites throughout Imperial County. Fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities, San Diego. Visit rmhcsd.org/redshe-day-iv.

9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Christmas Circle, Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs. Live entertainment, beer garden, car shows, kids’ zone, vendors, food. Admission is free.

Oct. 23 I-8 Dezert Racers,

Plaster City West. Bike and ATV. For more information, visit amad38.com.

Oct. 27 57th annual Fall Festival,

7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sts. Peter & Paul Episcopal Church, Fifth Street and Orange Avenue, El Centro. Tickets are $25 each. For tickets, call 760-357-2442, 760-352-0110 or 760-4731985.

Oct. 31

Yuma Nightmares Haunted House 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. 15485 S. Avenue 4E, Yuma

Oct. 29 Ben Hulse Halloween

Carnival 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Oct. 29 303 S. D St., Imperial.

Oct. 29 Inaugural Pink 5K

8 a.m. Cattle Call Park in Brawley. Sponsor, Imperial Valley Press.

Oct. 30 Cattle Call Concert by the Master Chorale

4 p.m. Sacred Heart Catholic Church, 402 S. Imperial Ave., Brawley.

nOVeMBeR nov. 4

Fall Fun Fest 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. Imperial Valley Expo in Imperial.

nov. 5

Fall Fun Fest 12 p.m. to 10 p.m. Imperial Valley Expo in Imperial.

nov. 5

Imperial Valley Symphony Fall Concert 7:30 p.m. Jimmie Cannon Performing Arts Theater, 2001 Ocotillo Drive, El Centro. Admission is free.

nov. 6

Fall Fun Fest 12 p.m. to 9 p.m. Imperial Valley Expo in Imperial. For more information, call 760-355-1181.

nov. 5

Chili Cook-0ff 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Plaza Park in Brawley. Admission is free. For more information, call 760-344-3160.

nov. 9

Mariachi Night 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Plaza Park in Brawley. Admission is free. For more information, call 760-344-3160.

nov. 12 Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast 5:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. South Plaza Park in Brawley. Ticket prices to be determined. For information, call 760-344-3160.

nov. 12 Brawley Cattle Call Parade 9:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. Main Street between Western and Eastern avenues, Brawley. Admission is free. Fall 2016

DeCeMBeR Dec. 2

Christmas Lighting & Street Fair 11th and Main streets, El Centro. Time not yet determined.

Dec. 2

Christmas Parade

Dec. 9

14th Annual Parade of Lights

10 a.m. Downtown El Centro. For more information, call the El Centro Chamber of Commerce, 760-352-3681

6 p.m. Downtown Imperial.

Dec. 10

28th annual Christmas in a Small Town, 9 a.m. Dec. 10, downtown Imperial.

Dec. 10 Calexico Christmas Parade An American flag flies between two fire trucks at the 9/11 Memorial Stair Climb on Sept. 10, 2016, at the Imperial Valley expo. -Photo by Bill Gay

Downtown Calexico. For more information, call the Calexico Chamber of Commerce, 760-357-1166.

Dec. 12 National Public Lands Day nov. 12 Full Throttle Plaster City East. UTV, bike and ATV. For more information, visit www.amad38.com

nov. 12 Yumacon 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. (MST), Yuma Civic Center, 1440 W. Desert Hills Drive, Yuma

nov. 19 Harvest Palooza at Imperial Market Days 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown Imperial. For information, call 760-355-3316 or visit www.cityofimperial.org

Dec. 19 Roadrunner Off Road

nov. 19 12th Annual Honey Festival, nov. 29 Luna Walk to Celebrate Life 7 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. For more information, visit www.cityofwestmorland.net/chamber-ofcommerce

Fall 2016

Tumco Historic Mining Town at Ogilby Road and BLM Route 668. Meet at Bureau of Land Management office in El Centro at 8 a.m. or on site at 9 a.m. For information, contact John Johnson at 760337-4442 or email him at: jojohnson@blm.gov.

and Health

6 a.m. to 7 p.m. Caldwell Park in Calipatria. Cost is free.

Plaster City East. UTV, bike and ATV. For information, visit www.amad38.com.

Dec. 19 Nights on Main Street

5 p.m. to 9 p.m. 600 block of Main Street, El Centro Food, beer, art, music, crafts, sales

Fall 2016