Desert Local News Feb. 28, 2011 Edition

Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 1Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 1

Frank Sinatra celebration

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The Coachel la Val ley had some br ight stars shining this weekend. Many big name celebr i t ies and our communit y notables attended The 23rd Annual Frank S inatra Starkey Hear ing Celebr i t y I nvitat ional Gol f Tournament for the Benef i t of The Barbara S inatra Chi ldren’s Center at the E isenhower campus in R ancho M irage. Fr o n t Pa g e A r i a n n a S a va l a s s i n g s ~ P h o t o Pa t K ra u s e

Februar y 28, 2011

PRICE $5.95

Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 2 Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011

PALM SPRINGS, CA- The wife of a former Deser t Hot Spr ings mayor was caught l i tera l ly red-handed whi le attempting to rob a Palm Spr ings Bank of Amer ica branch downtown on Wednesday. Carol Jean Bias, 69 , was caught one hour af ter she was handed a large bag of money f rom the bank and upon discover ing the explos ive device which ac tual ly sta ined her.

Repor ts f rom ABC af f i l iate KESQ and the Palm Spr ings Pol ice Depar tment have stated that she was running through a downtown restaurant and bar park ing lot and was discovered by the business owner, who gave the pol ice the descr ipt ion of the getaway vehic le she was running to. Unnamed sources stated that i t was indeed a red truck , of ten dr iven by her husband, former Deser t Hot Spr ings Mayor Alex Bias.

M rs. B ias was booked into the Larr y Smith Correc t ional Faci l i t y in Banning, with a bai l set at $25,000. She is due in cour t on Fr iday at the Larson Just ice Center in I ndio at 8 :30 a .m. Pol ice of f ic ia ls bel ieve that M rs. B ias f i t the same descr ipt ion of a woman wear ing a straw hat and glasses who robbed another Bank of Amer ica branch in Palm Spr ings, located in the eastern par t of the c i t y at the Wal-Mar t Shopping Center on R amon Road on Februar y 3rd.

Her husband, Alex Bias, ser ved as M ayor of Deser t Hot Spr ings f rom 2005 to 2007, winning over then- counci lwoman M ar y Stephens, who ran for the top spot on a safe seat , replacing

the ret i r ing three -term mayor M att Weyuker. M r. B ias was best k nown for h is taped sexual harassment remark towards then-counci lwoman (now current mayor) Yvonne Parks dur ing a specia l sess ion counci l meet ing in Oc tober 2006. He was then forced to apologize and did not win reelec t ion the fol lowing year. I n fac t , he came in last p lace. He is the owner of S imply Bias Realt y in Deser t Hot Spr ings and has been employed as a subst i tute teacher with the Palm Spr ings Unif ied School Distr ic t .

Alex and Carol B ias met in Beaumont, Texas back in the 1960s dur ing a t ime when c iv i l r ights for Afr ican-Amer icans was st i l l a b i t ter p i l l to swal low for most in the southern states and when interracia l marr iage was barely legal ized. Goto Deser tLocalNews.com for more info.

Former DHS M ayor ’s Wife Arrested For B ank Robb er yby : Just the Fac t ’s M ax

Ca r o l B i a s

Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 3

2011

HEADS WEST TOLOS ANGELES

CONVENTION 2011BO O K L OV E R S

APRIL 6 -10

The RT convention always mixes business with pleasure, which is why, in addition to more than100 workshops for writers, readers, booksellers and librarians, attendees will enjoy a bevy offun parties, mixers, happenings and events scheduled throughout the five-day extravaganza.For the complete agenda, including workshops, visit our website, RTBookReviews.com.

APRIL 6 -10

WESTIN BONAVENTURE HOTEL

HEADS WEST TOLOS ANGELES

Meet 400 authors who willbe signing their latestbooks at the Book Fair!

MockUp4.qxd 2/4/11 4:15 PM Page 1


I ’ve long made a joke that credit cards are evi l . But that ’s not t rue. When a person who is responsible with their money uses a credit card responsibly, credit cards are not evi l at a l l . Tr y rent ing a car or mak ing a hotel reser vat ion without a credit card. Credit cards a lso of fer a level of protec t ion when you make purchases. For instance, i f you buy something onl ine, and you’re unhappy with i t , or i t ’s never del ivered to you, you have the opt ion of d isput ing the charges on your credit card. I t can protec t you f rom many of the poss ible dangers of purchasing something f rom an unk nown company.

The problem is that many of us do not use credit cards responsibly. When my wife went back to school to f in ish her degree, we were mak ing ver y l i t t le money. We were bas ical ly l iv ing of f s tudent loans and credit cards. By the t ime she got out of school , we had racked up thousands in credit card debt . We were bur ied with i t and f inding i t d i f f icult to dig our way out . We considered bank ruptc y.

We went to a credit counsel ing ser v ice, chopped up our cards, and made monthly

payments unt i l we were out of debt . I t ’s a l iberat ing feel ing to make that f inal payment on your credit cards. We haven’t looked back . We no longer use credit cards. I f we can’t af ford i t , we don’t buy i t . We have learned the hard way that we’re better of f without credit cards. I t doesn’t make them evi l . I t just means that we’re not responsible enough to use them responsibly. Because of our access to “money ” on our credit cards, we were spending more money than we were mak ing. We were running a budget def ic i t ever y year.

Does this remind you of our federal government at a l l?

S ince the ear ly 1960s, our federal government has run budget def ic i ts ever y year except 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001. They spend more money ever y year than they receive in tax revenues.

M any have brought up the idea of a balanced budget amendment. This would force the federal government to balance their budget ever y year, and el iminate budget def ic i ts .

I n theor y, I d isagree

I t ’s Time for a B alanced Budget Amendment

by : Lee E ldridge

C o n t i n u e s o n Pa g e 7


Wind is our friend!

Congratulations

O n We d n e s d a y, Fe b r ua r y 2 3 , 2 0 1 1 t h e f i ve co u p l e s i n w h o s e h o m e s D r. C o n n i e M o n t g o m e r y h a s b e e n d o i n g r e l a t i o n a l l i t e ra c y t ra i n i n g t a u g h t o t h e r p a r e n t s o f p r e s c h o o l e r s a n d k i n d e r g a r t n e r s s o m e o f t h e s k i l l s t h e y

h a ve l e a r n e d.

Learning Seminar at Grace Church Carmen Los E lephantes. ~ Photo By Bruce M ontgomer y


The 6th annual Modernism Week was a big hit again this year br inging in people f rom around the US. Hotels were ful l , restaurants were busy and events were packed with Spec tators.

The Saturday N ight event at the Palm Spr ings Convent ion

Center was jammed with buyers and lookers. The vendors had an array of c lothing, ar t , rugs, autographed photos, v intage photos and posters, This was a celebrat ion of things that we cal led Modern dur ing 1940 to 1970.

New i tems were a lso on display and for sa le. Unique works of ar t were shown in the lobby with smal ler p ieces by famous sculptors were ins ide the main area of

the Convent ion Center. These were just a few of the many excit ing displays.

Many of the vendors were local businesses se l l ing books, c lothing, jewelr y, p lus a l l other works of ar t .This was an oppor tunit y to see what the wor ld of fashion did and is doing in the architec tural communit y. Food

was ser ved to a l l attending.

There were over 75 events dur ing Modernism week . Double decker buses ran dai ly to show the di f ferent st y les of architec ture in our Val ley. Some of the Vendors held par t ies to show off their wares. Brani f f Ai r ways had a gala to exhibit some of the v intage stewardess outf i ts worn in the past and a lso what is worn now. O thers hosted cocktai l par t ies and exhibit ions. The R iv iera Resor t and Spa, The Palm Spr ings Ar t Museum and The Palm Spr ings Convent ion Center were the main venues for this event . Hotels and homes hosted the rest . . Book lovers had an oppor tunit y to get autographed books dur ing the week with several book s ignings.

Nothing was over looked as Vintage Travel Tra i lers were shown at the R iv iera Hotel and Spa and Vintage cars at the Palm Spr ings Convent ion Center. Home tours were a popular event as famous architec ts K r ise l , Frey and Wexler des ign bui ldings and even The former home of Frank S inatra were shown.

Modernism Week

Modernism Week was a big hit again this year br inging in people f rom around the US. Hotels were ful l , restaurants were busy and events were packed with Spec tators.

event at the Palm

Center was jammed with buyers and lookers. The buyers and lookers. The vendors had an array of c lothing, ar t , rugs, autographed photos, v intage photos and posters, This was a celebrat ion of things that we cal led Modern dur ing 1940 to 1970.

a lso on display and for sa le. Unique works of ar t were shown in the lobby with smal ler p ieces by famous sculptors were ins ide the main area of

buyers and lookers. The

Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011

the Convent ion Center. These were just a few of the many excit ing displays.

vendors were local businesses se l l ing books, c lothing, jewelr y, p lus a l l other works of ar t .This was an oppor tunit y to see what the wor ld of fashion did and is doing in the architec tural communit y. Food

the Convent ion Center. These were just a few

by : Pat Krause Stor y andPhotos

S t e p h e n M o n ka r s h , M i s s M o n d e r i s m We e k J a i m e

A s k v i g a n d J a m e s H a r m o n

R o o m D i s p l a y o f f u r n i t u r e a n d wa l l d e co r

A r c h i t e c t D o n a l d We x l e r a n d M y ra G o r d o n

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with this approach. But in real i t y, i t needs to be considered.

Why? I t ’s k ind of l ike credit cards. I n theor y, credit cards are useful and of fer purchasing protec t ions for consumers. But in real i t y, many consumers use them to buy produc ts they cannot af ford.

I n theor y I oppose a balance budget amendment. I n t imes l ike these when our countr y is in a recess ion, or i s coming out of a recess ion, tax revenues to the federal government are down. A balanced budget amendment would force the federal government to reduce ser v ices dur ing a t ime we need them the most .

But real i t y shows us a di f ferent pic ture. I f the federal government ran budget surpluses dur ing the good t imes, we could t rust them to make good

decis ions and a l low them to run budget def ic i ts dur ing the bad t imes. The problem is that our government does NOT run budget surpluses, even dur ing the good t imes. They just cont inue to increase spending in good t imes and bad.

They are not responsible with our money, and they need to chop up their credit cards. I t ’s t ime for a balanced budget amendment. I t would be good for our countr y, and ult imately, good for our economy.

A b o u t T h e A u t h o r :

Le e E l d r i d g e i s a w r i t e r, m u s i c i a n a n d m a r ke t i n g co n s u l t a n t w i t h m o r e t h a n 2 0 ye a r s e x p e r i e n ce.

h e a u t h o r i nv i t e s yo u t o v i s i t :

h t t p : / / w w w.p r o m o t i o n a l b e e r co a s t e r s.co m

I t ’s Time for a B alanced Budget Amendment

by : Lee Eldr idge

C o n t i nu e d f r o m Pa g e 4

E a r l y v i n t a g e 1 9 5 0 ’s A i r s t r e a m Tra ve l Tra i l e r

C l o t h i n g D e s i g n e r Tr i n a Tu r k a n d h e r d i s p l a y

Vi n t a g e p h o t o s a n d p o s t e r s.


I n d i a n We l l s M a yo r P r o - t e m , D o u g H a n s o n a n d h i s w i f e E l e n a a n d J a n & D i c k O l i p h a n t

I n d i a n We l l s M a yo r Pa t r i c k M u l a n e y

B i l l a n d A n i t a Po we r s a n d L a r r y S p i ce r

~ a l l P h o t o s b y Pa t K ra u s e


I ndian Wel ls Deser t Town Hal l ser ies had Fareed Zak ar ia as i ts f i rst speaker of the season. M r Zak ar ia i s the Time Editor at large and Host of a CNN show. This i s a lways a sold out event as t ickets se l l out ear ly. This years speakers inc lude former Pres ident George W. Bush, Jeanette Wal ls and Bi l l Bradley. A fantast ic l ine -up of speakers.

The M ayor of I ndian Wel ls , Patr ick Mul lany thanked the guests for being there and was so happy to have Fareed speak ing at this par t icular t ime. I ts per fec t t iming with the unrest in the M iddle East . He a lso praised the Deser t Town-hal l Ambassador program where students can meet the speaker, l i s ten and ask quest ions.

Fareed spoke about what a how a peaceful non-violent protest unseated an old regime that had been in power for over 30 years. People involved wi l l be te l l ing their chi ldren and grandchi ldren about this and that they were there for this groundbreak ing event . This i s real h istor y happening. Now we are wonder ing what wi l l come nex t in the Arab wor ld as more upr is ing are happening. Wi l l Egypt become another Repress ive countr y l ike I ran.

He expla ined that the energy of the young people star ted the turmoi l . 65% of the M iddle East i s under 30 years o ld. When you have a major i t y of young men in a countr y you wi l l f ind unrest . Rel igion gets tangled up in the problems that occur. I n 1968 i t was the US that had a larger amount of young men. Changes in the M iddles East wi l l happen s lowly and change won’t come easy.

30 years ago Nassar was head

of the Arab wor ld and spoke of peace and f reedom. I t was ver y secular and went f rom Secular to Tyranny, Monarchy and repress ive Dic tatorship. The M iddle East i s less f ree today than i t was 50 years ago. They are 50 years behind and are t r y ing to catch up with the rest of the wor ld.

The one thing no one can control are the Mosques where they become a meet ing place. Another thing that can’t be control led anymore is the wor ld wide web. Government secrets can now be around the wor ld in seconds. Technology has changed the wor ld and a l l these under-developed countr ies are t r y ing to CATCH UP. Modernizat ion which star ted in the western countr ies i s now tak ing hold in Japan,China I ndia and the rest of the wor ld. We need to stay ahead instead of just doing status quo in order to remain a number one countr y.

He sa id the reason we are hated over there is that we have suppor ted the dic tatorships. We treat them l ike they are the wor lds largest gas stat ion. We have taken the stance that we must save Israel . We a lways wanted to be on the r ight s ide. He praised Obama for only tak ing a week to distance us f rom Mubarak dur ing the Upr is ing.

Technology and k nowledge have made the wor ld smal ler. 10 years ago we didn’t have Facebook , I phones, I pads, fast computers and faxes. Now al l the countr ies are dimensional , ever yone is connec ted and no one has control . Syr ia and Nor th Korea remain stable as they have no Facebook , etc. He thinks the M iddle East i s now ready for democrac y.

Fareed ZakariaStor y and Photos by Pat Krause


B e cc i I a m e l e a n d Le s l i e M c M i l l a n i n R e d H a r p o a n d Pe t e r L i

M e l H a b e r a n d B a r b a ra S i n a t ra ~ P h o t o s b y Pa t K ra u s e

Barbara Sina t ra i s Angel of the Year 2011


The 57th annual Angel View Luncheon honored Barbara S inatra as i ts Angel of the Year 2011. The luncheon was held at the Doral Deser t Pr incess Resor t on Feb. 21st . Dr, Mar t in Russel l chaired the event with Jack ie Lee Houston as Honorar y Co - Chair. Enter ta inment was provided by Bi l l Mar x on the Piano and young Sar ik a Audavolu sang several songs. Frank ie R andal l was asked by Barbara S inatra to s ing at the event . He sang a song he wrote for Barbara and Frank on their 20th anniversar y. Celebr i t y host and emcee,Patr ick Evans, jo ined Frank ie for a Duet .

Pres ident of the Board, M el Haber spoke to the crowd about Angel View and i ts long t ime commitment to helping Cr ippled Chi ldren. The new 19th group home named af ter J im and Jack ie Lee Houston wi l l be ready this summer for more chi ldren occupants. Angel View star ted as a char i t y for people with pol io. When Dr. Sa lk found a vaccine to eradicate the disease, Angel View turned to helping other chi ldren with a cr ippl ing i l lness. I t was stared by a young man with pol io who was

asked to help others in need. He star ted i t back then with only ten dol lars . Through dedicat ion i t has become a much needed place wherecr ippled chi ldren get the care they need.

Nelda L insk , longt ime f r iend of Barbara S inatra gave the t r ibute speech for Barbara . The other award given was to Cl ient of the Year, Peter L i . A raf f le and s i lent auc t ion was held to ra ise money for Angel View. Shoppers were awarded with many vendors se l l ing jewelr y,c lothes, furs, face creams and lots of interest ing i tems.

S h a r i ka A n d a vo l u

Ra n d i Ly l e, D e A n n Lu b e l l a n d S a n d y G ra ve s

B a r b a ra S i n a t ra i n f r o n t o f p o s t e r s w h e n s h e wa s a m o d e l a n d w i t h Fra n k S i n a t ra ~ P h o t o Pa t K ra u s e

J u s t c l i e n t s o f A n g e l Vi e w

Stor y and Photos by Pat Krause

Angel View


Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonÊ and Ê Fashion Ê ShowÊ and Ê Fashion Ê ShowÊ and Ê Fashion Ê Show

Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonÊ and Ê Fashion Ê Show

Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonÊ and Ê Fashion Ê Show




Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê Luncheon


Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonBarbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê LuncheonÊ and Ê Fashion Ê ShowÊ and Ê Fashion Ê ShowÊ and Ê Fashion Ê Show






Barbara Ê S inatra Ê 23rd Ê Annual Ê Luncheon


I f i t wasn’t enough to have three fantast ic d inner events, each with terr i f ic enter ta inment, ever y year on Fr iday at noon, Barbara S inatra with the master y of Nelda L insk , put on one of the Coachel la Val ley ’s top luncheon/fashion shows of the year. This t radit ion has been going on now for 23 years and Nelda L insk , a long-t ime and dear f r iend of Barbara S inatra , has been at the helm of this g lor ious event , and puts i t together meticulously and so per fec t ever y year. This year was no except ion. The food was del ightful , and the fashions were “ to drool for.” The lovely, “ ladies in red,” were there with their chic hats to match. Many other women in attendance a lso donned some ver y lovely chapeaus and gorgeous outf i ts .

Designer, Kevan Hal l , was responsible for the del ic ious or iginal creat ions being spot l ighted in the Fashion Show. Hal l ’s sense of updated c lass ic feminine chic appealed to ever y woman. I t was so tempting to see a Halston t ype c lass ic sheath dress with a modern, f resh touch; one shoulder, of f the

shoulder and strapless as wel l as the t radit ional jewel neck l ines abounded. There were unexpec ted elements used to add a new spin on a c lass ic shape. The capt ivated women in the audience applauded lavishly for mult i - layered shredded ruf f le sk i r ted dresses or dresses spor t ing asymmetr ic layers of sheer organza as wel l as some s imple and c lass ic formal gowns hint ing an “Audrey Hepburn” look .

Kevan Hal l announced that on Saturday, for a few hours, he would be at Troy on E l Paseo for any of the women who needed to make some of Kevan’s fashions their own.

The eternal ly handsome and gal lant , Rober t “R .J .” Wagner, escor ted Barbara S inatra to the stage so that she could welcome the “ ladies and men who did lunch.” M rs. S inatra graciously thanked R .J for h is k indness and then she went on to thank this event ’s major sponsors, Tani and Bi l l Aust in f rom the Starkey Hear ing Foundat ion and R alph Aguera and Angelo Lucchesi f rom Brown Forman-Jack Daniels . Brown Forman-Jack

Daniels has sponsored the S inatra event for 23 years. Jack Daniels was the favor i te beverage of Ol ’ B lue Eyes, Barbara ack nowledged. M rs. S inatra a lso gave her s incerest thanks to the Cabazon Band of M iss ion I ndians’ Chairman, David Roosevelt , as wel l as General Manager, Paul R yan, and Jay Chester ton and the staf f of Fantasy Spr ings Resor t Cas ino and Eagle Fal ls for host ing this major event for the second t ime.

I t was easy to overhear the women discuss ing how much they loved the fashions and even mentioned their favor i te one. Several sa id that they would be going to get one of these unforgettable outf i ts . Another fantast ic af ternoon repast with f ine food, company and top notch designs.

Thank you Nelda L insk and Barbara S inatra for cont inuing to present a most enjoyable luncheon/fashion show event . Just when we think you can’t top this , you prove that you can and do i t so ver y wel l . We can hardly wait to see what nex t year ’s event wi l l br ing.

Barbara Sinatra 23rd Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show

Barbara Sinatra 23rd Annual Luncheon and Fashion Show

Written by Lisa L awrencePhoto graphs by Pat Krause

N e l d a L i n s k , B a r b a ra S i n a t ra a n d Pa t R i l e y

To ny O r l a n d o

M o d e l s o n t h e r u nwa y


M a r y Ly n n G l a d s t e i n , Pa t r i c i a We l c h a n d J a n Ra y

N e l d a L i n s k , B a r b a ra S i n a t ra a n d Pa t R i l e yC e l e b r i t i e s A n n M ye r s - D r y s d a l e, R o n Pe r l m a n ,

Ca n d a n ce a n d S t e ve G a r ve y

To ny O r l a n d oKe va n H a l l w i t h a m o d e l

Ra l p h Ag u e ra , h o l d i n g a wa r d, a n d A n g e l o Lu cc h e s i a cce p t a wa r d f r o m

Pa t B o o n e

M o d e l s o n t h e r u nwa y



I t was Black Tie Saturday. Al l the men and women were dressed to the 9 ’s and prepared for the ver y cold weather. What a beaut i fu l s ight to behold. Celebr i t ies and patrons of the Barbara S inatra Chi ldren’s Center a l l mingled together and the excitement of the evening was palpable. Celebr i t y s ight ings abounded; Steve and Candace G ar vey, Joe Mantegna, Joe S i rola , E lke Sommer, R .J . Wagner and J i l l St . John, Barr y Wi l l iams, Pat Boone, Norm Crosby, Ron Per lman, Rol l ie Fingers, Joe Regalbuto and so many more.

Tom Dreesen star ted the night of f once again with a few jokes and introduced Barbara S inatra who presented awards of appreciat ion to R alph Aguera & Angelo Lucchesi for the 23 years of sponsorship f rom Brown Forman-Jack Daniels . Tani & Bi l l Aust in f rom Starkey Hear ing Center were given an award of appreciat ion for their cont inued t i t le sponsorship of this event , Chairman David Roosevelt of the Cabazon Band of M iss ion I ndians was a lso graciously presented an

award of appreciat ion for Fantasy Spr ings being such wonder ful hosts of the 23rd Annual Frank S inatra Starkey Hear ing Celebr i t y I nvitat ional . Fol lowing the award presentat ions Tom Dreesen announced the winners of the gol f tournament. Joe Mantegna’s foursome won the tournament and was presented with a t rophy. Fred “ The Hammer ” Wi l l iamson at the tender age of 73 was the celebr i t y winner of the tournament with the best score.

There was an “over-the top” four course meal ser ved to the del ight of the guests. Fol lowing dinner, Tony Or lando and his band took the stage and real ly wowed the audience. Tony Or lando’s band members, each a ta lent unto their own, had a chance to showcase their amazing abi l i t ies. On keyboards was Toni Wine (wow), music composer of the hit song “Candida” and co -composer with Carole Bayer Sager of “Groov y K ind of Love” among others. Wine a lso did the female voices of Veronica and Bett y in the Archies song “Sugar, Sugar ” and has backed up several s inging

legends including Wi l l ie Nelson in “ You Were Always On M y M ind.” O ther band members, brothers Kerr y and Trac y Cole are not only ver y accompl ished music ians but they are able to s ing l ike Wi l l ie Nelson, Sonny & Cher, Ozz y Ozbourne, James Taylor and even Er ic Clapton.

Tony Or lando per formed a montage of h is h i ts inc luding “ Tie a Yel low R ibbon,” “K nock 3 Times,” “Candida” and many more to the del ight of the audience. Or lando proved that he st i l l has i t and gave his a l l to the audience. Tony Or lando and his mult i - ta lented assemblage of music ians/vocal ists real ly pleased the audience and they received a standing ovat ion for their except ional per formance.

From al l indicat ions this was a ver y successful , 23rd annual fundraiser benef i t for the Barbara S inatra Chi ldren’s Center. Don’t miss out on the excitement and great enter ta inment nex t year ; i t i s for a much needed cause.

Stor y by Lisa Robin L awrence, Photos by Pat KrauseStor y by Lisa Robin L awrence, Photos by Pat KrauseStor y by Lisa Robin L awrence, Photos by Pat Krause

Frank Sinatra Starkey Hearing Celebrity Invitational

The Saturday night Gala


T he Coachel la Val ley had some br ight stars shining

this weekend. Many big name celebr i t ies and our communit y notables attended The 23rd Annual Frank S inatra Starkey Hear ing Celebr i t y I nvitat ional Gol f Tournament for the Benef i t of The Barbara S inatra Chi ldren’s Center at the E isenhower campus in R ancho M irage. The ser ies of events were held at Fantasy Spr ings Resor t Cas ino and Eagle Fal ls Gol f Course for three days beginning Februar y 24 and culminat ing on Februar y 26.

Thursday evening there was a Pair ings Dinner for a l l of the gol fers and other fo lks who wanted to suppor t the Barbara S inatra Chi ldren’s Center. There were 26 foursome teams created and each one was ass igned one celebr i t y. Some of the celebr i t y ac tors who par t ic ipated were Tom Dreesen, Joe Mantegna, Ron Per lman, Wi l l iam DeVane, Matt Monroe, J r. , Rober t Hays, Tim Reid, Bever ly Johnson, Paula Tr ickey, M ichael Dante, Dave “Dr. G adget ” Dettman, Chr istopher R ich, Joe

Regalbuto, Kevin Sorbo, Pat Boone, Barr y Wi l l imas, E lke Sommer and R ichard K arn to name just a few. There were spor ts celebr i t y greats Steve G ar vey, Rol l ie Fingers and Vince Ferragamo too. The gol f tournament was a t wo day event .

The “Master ” of Masters of Ceremony, Tom Dreesen emceed the three evening events. Thursday evening opened the s i lent auc t ion which of fered a voluminous assor tment of i tems to bid on. The I ta l ian buffet of fered delec table dishes for the guests to choose f rom along with a desser t table to tempt ever yone. Chef Freddy did a fantast ic job with the food preparat ion and presentat ion.

The night ’s enter ta inment was the diversely ta lented, Scott Record. Record has wonder ful comedic t iming with a voice that can mimic a lmost any famous recording ar t ist . Peals of laughter rung through the Specia l Event Center, showroom that was decked out with cr ysta l chandel iers and beaut i ful ly dressed tables and chairs . This was a thoroughly enjoyable evening for a l l who attended.

Frank Sinatra Starkey Hearing

Celebrity Golf Tournament

Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Starkey Hearing Starkey Hearing

Celebrity Golf TournamentWritten by Lisa Robyn L awrence

Photo graphy by Pat Krause

A r i a n n a S a va l a s s i n g s ~ P h o t o Pa t K ra u s e

M i c h a e l D a n t e a n d w i f e M a r y A n n w i t h e n t e r t a i n e r S co t t R e co r d


Fr iday night was Frank ’s Favor i to Pasta I ta l iano Dinner. The consummate auc t ioneer, Larr y Zucker, emceed the night ’s donat ion pledges and l ive auc t ion. He a lso announced the winners of the s i lent auc t ion i tems. Al l to l led for just th is one night more than $85,000 was ra ised.

Due to an unforeseen injur y, Dick Van D yke, was unable to per form Fr iday evening, so our Val ley ’s own Frank ie R andal l ca l led a few of h is f r iends up to jo in him on stage at the last minute. Frank ie, the

consummate showman, was able to pul l of f a fantast ic evening of music. Jo ining R andal l on stage were notables l ike footbal l s tar, Vince Ferragamo, who played “Gir l From I panema” on guitar (who k new?) and was backed by Pat R izzo’s orchestra . Peter Marshal l sang with Frank ie, N ick Palance (son of Jack Palance) sang “Music of the N ight ” and received a standing “O ”, Ar iana Savalas ( Tel ly ’s daughter) wowed the audience with her beaut i fu l voice. Matt M onro Jr. , ( f rom Great Br i ta in) sang a ver y

touching duet with a v ideo of h is late father, Matt Monro, who was as famous as “Ol ’ B lue Eyes” in England, and throughout Europe and Asia , the audience ate i t up. Steve Ross i (of Al len & Ross i ) had the audience rol l ing in laughter with his humor and then per formed his Academy Award winning hit song, “More.” Pat Boone per formed some of h is h i t songs and then did his rendit ion

of “Smoke on the Water,” an unforgettable s i te to behold. Frank ie R andal l f in ished the evening of f with “New York , New York ,” to a standing ovat ion f rom the audience. No one would have ever k nown that this ensemble was put together on last minute not ice. The guests agreed that i t was a ver y enjoyable evening of del ic ious food and fabulous enter ta inment.

Ke n Ve n t u r i a n d w i f e Ka t hy w i t h Vi n ce n t Fe r ra g a m o ~ P h o t o b y Pa t K ra u s e

C e l e b r i t i e s R o l l i e Fi n g e r s, J o h n Ca l l a h a n a n d Ti m C u l b e r t s o n ~ P h o t o b y Pa t K ra u s e

C e l e b r i t i e s E d M a r i n a r o, J o e M o n t e g n a a n d R i c h a r d Ka r n ~ P h o t o Pa t K ra u s e

B a r b a ra S i n a t ra w i t h To m D r e e s e n a n d Pa i n t i n g b y t h e C h i l d r e n a wa r d g i ve n t o s e ve ra l s p e c i a l

d o n o r s. ~ P h o t o Pa t K ra u s e


EDITORIAL- “ I f you bui ld i t , they wi l l come,” was an a l l - too fami l iar phrase f rom a Kevin Costner f i lm cal led “Fie ld of Dreams”. This was a l l the thought of the Deser t Hot Spr ings Cit y ’s Communit y and Cultural Af fa i rs Commiss ion when they wanted a grand music fest ival to shine a new l ight on their c i t y af ter i ts long-k nown reputat ion of a c i t y chocked with cr ime and dysfunc t ional government. S ince the present Cit y counci l were a l l e lec ted in 2007 (Scott Matas dur ing a specia l e lec t ion replacing the late G ar y Boswor th in March, Russel l Betts and K ar l Baker beginning their f reshman term and Counci lwoman Yvonne Parks steal ing the spot f rom outgoing incumbent Alex Bias that year) each member a l l agreed that the c i t y needed a new image.

Two out of three did happen, however. Annexat ion to the I -10 f reeway was soon a real i t y by December 2009 upon reelec t ion of Matas, Parks and conf i rmat ion of veteran counci lwoman Jan Pye (a team player f rom 1999 to 2003 previously) and the downtown corr idor did get i ts facel i f t . Al though

many do not seem happy with the new look of the southwest corner of Palm Dr ive and Pierson Boulevard and despise the pointed landscapes a long the edges, at least the c i t y promised what i t has wanted s ince 1988.

The economy is to blame for why no new business has sprung up in the now-annexed area adjacent to the f reeway, p lus why Redevelopment Agenc y funds have exhausted sooner than expec ted. That the c i t y cannot control , but to f inance a fest ival that more than def ini te ly wi l l not happen and waste more money on di lapidated proper t ies downtown k nowing they would only get hal f of their investment back? Plus having to make some major t r ims here and there?

Sure, i t a l l seemed too good to be t rue. Former Cit y Counci lman Hank Hohenstein encouraged the c i t y to invest the $250,000 because he fe l t that the returns would be great . I n 1993, Hohenstein was responsible for br inging Seatt le -based rock band Pear l Jam (which r ivaled N ir vana as the f lagship

The gloves are off !

Just The Fac ts M ax

C o n t i nu e s o n Pa g e 2 2

To ny C l a r k a n d B r u ce B a r r e t t

Fo r m e r C i t y C co u n c i l p e r s o n D o t R e e d “ I f you bui ld i t , they wi l l come”

To ny C l a r k ,Wa y n e B a r u c h , C h u c k G a y t o n r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e We l l n e s s & Wo r l d M u s i c

Fe s t i va l d i l e m m a ~ P h o t o b y B r u ce M o n t g o m e r y


Photos by M ark Ostrom


band of Generat ion X) to I ndio. Counci lman Scott Matas bel ieved that with 5 ,000 people v is i t ing the fest ival , local hotels would f i l l up. When Dot Reed spoke to Tony Clarke, the apparent promoter of the event that never was, she bel ieved in i t as wel l . C larke promised that he would have people overseas and in neighbor ing cont inents k nowing where Deser t Hot Spr ings is . (Meet ing on September 1 , 2009) . Or iginal ly, they were hoping that by Memoria l Day 2010, th is would a l l become a real i t y. Then, a date of Oc tober 9th was ant ic ipated, with a bi l lboard near Cabazon erec ted a long the f reeway. Soon i t was a l l downhi l l f rom there. Two Bunch Palms went into receivership. The fest ival was soon announced ever y where that M iss ion Spr ings Park was the a l ternate s i te. Now people wondered, “ Where would 5 ,000 cars be parked?” Were there any issues regarding that? Did they c lear nearby lands for park ing? ( Two Bunch Palms c la imed to hold a capacit y of 100,000 people. Fi re code anyone?)

The news a l l looked good when a meet-the -press gala was held in Palm Spr ings at Hotel Zoso pr ior to the magical event supposedly happening. G abr ie l K ing f rom the now- defunc t Fr iends of Deser t Hot Spr ings wondered why a local hotel in DHS wasn’t used for that event . Not one quest ion of doubt was asked by any media person (Deser t Local News, KPSP 2 , KMIR 6 or KESQ 3) .

I n i t ia l ly, Counci lmembers K ar l Baker and Russel l Betts had their doubts and Betts voted against the idea, c i t ing that i t was a l l going to be done with too l i t t le of t ime. Baker jo ined him, c i t ing a few technical i t ies in tex t . Al though both agreed that a fest ival sounded l ike a good idea, by 2011,

both appeared to have lost a l l hope and Baker demanded that the c i t y f i re Clarke and demand their money back .

By August 2010, t ickets have yet to be announced, despite major announcements of Z iggy M ar ley, son of the late reggae pioneer Bob Mar ley headl in ing the event . Ever yone wondered i f i t was for real . No hotels have had any spots booked and a repor ter f rom KESQ 3 a i red an invest igat ive repor t . Then the worst case scenar io came to l ight when Cit y M anager R ick Daniels announced the delay of the fest ival , with hopes that more t ime wi l l make a better show. I t ’s a l ready March 2011. M ore drama unfolds.

St i l l , no word on how Tony Clarke spent $265,000 of the c i t y ’s money. How wi l l th is af fec t counci l members Betts , Baker and Mayor Parks’ reelec t ions? Wel l , the c i t y of Deser t Hot Spr ings has posted i ts f inances to the state and salar ies aren’t any where near the luxur y levels of Bel l , Cal i fornia . However, the c i t y has had a histor y of bad decis ions and the c i t izens have had to pay the pr ice over the decades with tax increases. Twice before, the c i t y had a munic ipal pol ice depar tment and both col lapsed due to f inancia l hel l . Too many cr ime incidents forced the c i t y to hi re i ts own current depar tment in 1997. I n 2000, they a lmost fo lded. A ut i l i t y tax had to be passed to keep i t going. A decade later, the same thing happens again , with an increase, despite a bad economy and near ly 20% of the c i t y unemployed. Thanks to bad decis ions that c i t y of f ic ia ls have made, future generat ions wi l l be paying for this music fest ival that never was, unless the c i t y gets sober f rom the fumes f rom al l of the meth labs and sues Tony Clarke.

The gloves are off !J u s t T h e Fa c t s M a x

C o n t i nu e d f r o m Pa g e 2 0


Desert Local NewsPublisher

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[email protected]

EditorialsJust the Fact’s Max

Nancy MorganCONTRIBUTORS:

Jack LyonsDavid Mikelberg

Pat KrauseDr. Lisa Robyn Lawrence

Dr. Allen LawrenceBruce Montgomery

PHOTOGRAPHERSBruce Montgomery

Pat KrauseMark Ostrom

Catherine Jardine Mark Osborn

SPECIAL EDITORLeslie Andrews

Desert LocaL News © Feb. 28, 2011 24

PICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOPICO DE GALLOEste Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.Este Sabado a las 10:30 en el canal 15 de Telemundo.

Payasito Martii, Jose Fernando, Maria Canchola ( Relaciones Publicas del Augustine Casino )Marcos Palma ( Productor General : “Pico de Gallo” ) Hilario “El Master Gaucho” del Circo Vargas, Francisco

Camacho, Ismael Villalpando ( Director de Mayo Productions ).

Marcos Palma Productor General : “Pico de Gallo”

760-702-0634

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Desert Local News Feb. 28, 2011 Edition