PRESIDENT’S CORNER

by Michael O’Keefe

C abot‘s Museum Foundation has

achieved much during the past two years. We have become famous for our Annual BBQ Bash.

However, there are some other things we have done, including:

opened Cabot‘s Trading Post & Gallery

opened the L.W. Coffee Gallery

opened the Desert Hot Springs Visitors‘ Center

opened Portia‘s Quarters

started publication and distribution of our own professional-quality newsletter

discovered, inventoried, and protected priceless artifacts

discovered much previously forgotten history of the Coachella Valley, local and national Native Americans, and various other peoples and places touched by Cabot Yerxa.

applied to the National Registry for recognition as a historical monument

preserved and protected Cabot‘s original art

rededicated Peter Toth‘s 30-year-old totem Waokiye

rededicated Cabot‘s Kachinas as the city‘s first Art in Public Places project

worked with DHS High School and

Groundwater Guardians for Eagle‘s Nest Bench (to be unveiled in November 2009)

worked with City of DHS and PSUSD to name Cabot Yerxa Elementary School (opening fall 2009)

In addition, we developed working relationships with:

Agua Caliente Tribe

Agua Caliente Cultural Museum

The Living Desert

Palm Springs Art Museum

Palm Springs Art Museum Western Art Council

The Community Foundation

The Berger Foundation

Coachella Valley Emergency Preparedness Network

3rd Annual Cabot’s Birthday BBQ Bash a Huge Success!

(Continued on Page 3)

T he 3rd Annual Cabot’s Birthday BBQ Bash was a more fabulous

affair than its two predecessors. It was

indeed a fitting way to celebrate the fantastic success of the museum and Trading Post & Gallery, as well as to honor our Special Guests, Richard Milanovich, Chairman of the Aqua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians, and Gordon Gribble, our dedicated

volunteer and contributor. The celebration was held under a

tent with open ceiling to view the stars and gorgeous moon. A six-foot high ice carving—a large magnificent replica of our Waiokye sculpture— greeted guests in the courtyard.

A sit-down dinner for nearly 500 included City Council, County and State Officials, Council members of sister cities, Members of Indian Council, and dignitaries from throughout the valley.

The food was provided by Papa‘s Smokehouse BBQ. Onstage entertain-ment by Tom Hiatt and the Sundown Riders, followed by the highlight of the evening, vocalist Donna Theodore, was accompanied by pre-dinner entertainment scattered throughout the facility and included flutist Carlos

Reynosa, guitarist Tom Boyer, and rope artist Tomas Garcilazo.

The evening was one of high celebration. And in raising nearly

$30,000 for the museum, the 3rd Annual Cabot’s Birthday BBQ Bash put a very large exclamation point to the statement of three years ago that ―we can do this.‖

See page 4 for additional photos of the 3rd Annual Cabot’s Birthday BBQ Bash

Where We’ve Been. . . Where We’re Going!

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 2

by Vonda Pate-Davis

W hen the Trading Post & Gallery at

Cabot‘s Museum opened on Valentine‘s Day 2008, it was an unknown

venture. It was as though we were giving a big party and did not know if anyone would come, a nearly

traumatic experience for any host to undergo, much less a host who wants and expects everything to

be in perfect order. Fortunately, we kept Michael O‘Keefe so busy with questions of where for this and what for that, he had little time to dwell on whether or not anyone would arrive.

Then he knew he had some very dedicated volunteers who had worked many hard and long hours to pull the opening kickoff together. There was never a thought among us of whether or not it was worth all the effort and pain. We just knew it. After all, most were from the art and literary world where a worthwhile cause does not always produce immediate gratification. And some of us just wanted to see that something with the value of Cabot‘s did not get lost along with so much of our forgotten past.

However, the guests did arrive in large numbers and left that day with considerable awe and hope.

Art Showings were held throughout the next season, and then The 2nd Annual Birthday proved to be another great party

Soon after, the City of Desert Hot Springs started its street paving project, which brought the first remedy

to some of our neighborhood‘s difficulties. Anyone who hasn‘t been around Miracle Hill lately will be amazed at how much has improved with the rehabilitation of the neighborhood streets. Though Desert View Avenue, the street that Cabot‘s fronts, still requires extensive engineering work, that will be done soon. But the paving project came not a moment too soon as visitors from out of town soon converged on Cabot‘s to see ―What‘s Up‖ and also began checking out local neighborhood spas.

The arrival of visitors began as a trickle and ended in a torrent, which, though very exciting, put considerable stress on the facilities, particularly the one restroom on the premises. And while a single restroom may have sufficed in Yerxa‘s day, ours gave up the ghost with the onslaught of current visitors. (Don‘t ask if it collapsed while we had guests.)

Temporary facilities were rented. However, everyone knows portables are barely acceptable in the desert heat. With guests coming in large numbers, Michael O‘Keefe, working with the RDA and the City Council, put to-gether a plan, pre-sented it to the community, and got a building under contract. The new facility, coming not a second too soon, shows the great effort made to blend it in with the original structures.

The winter season was in full swing and brought us to our Tamale Mixer for the year‘s end. It was the first oppor-tunity that many local people had to see the marvelous transformation Michael, Jim Hehn, and the other volunteers had performed with the Trading Post. Our 50-year blast of cold, rain, and snow arrived but did not dampen the spirits or the awe and

hope, for what had happened there. We lost one of our strong supporters of the museum this year. Editor of The Valley Breeze, ―Buzz‖

Gambill, passed away, but not before he was able to see the restoration of the museum.

He expressed many times his gratitude for the work being done to see that the museum did not go the way so much of the City‘s history had gone. ―Buzz‖ presented Michael O‘Keefe with the Breeze Whirlwind Award for Year 2008-2009, which seemed to sum up the way Michael took on the task of the museum. With the opening of the Visitor‘s Center at I.W. Coffee Gallery and the Dr. Bingham Room at the museum, Buzz could sense others cared as much as he and expressed his gratitude for that several times.

Our 2009 Annual Birthday BBQ Bash for Cabot Yerxa was just weeks

away and it was to be the event of our year of accomplish-ment. It seemed only yesterday that we had had our 1st Annual Birthday BBQ

Bash and had finished the grubbing and clearing that began the restoration of the museum. Now we were coming up on our 3rd Annual Cabot‘s Birthday BBQ Bash.

This is the year we can look around, see how much has changed, and talk about the future. Our General Plan for Cabot‘s is on the agenda for the City. It is now time to be proud and time for reflection.

A Day — A Year — A Beginning for Us

Before (Need we say more?)

Gordon Gribble carefully examines the heavy

beams of today‘s new restrooms

Interior TP&G—Before

Exterior TP&G Today

February 2007

Interior TP&G at Grand Opening, February 2007

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 3

Coachella Valley Convention and Visitors Authority

DHS Chamber of Commerce

Tourist Bureaus

Palm Springs Architecture and Design Council

Palm Springs Historical Society

Coachella Valley Historical Society

Desert Hot Springs Hoteliers Association

Joshua Tree National Park

Desert Arc

Groundwater Guardians

Mission Springs Foundation

Mission Springs Water District

DHS Little League

DHS AYSO

DHS Women‘s Club Scholarship Program

Palm Springs Unified School District

PSUSD Alternative Education Center

We began serious working relation-ships with distinguished elected officials, including

Sen. John Benoit

Assemblyman Brian Nestande

Assemblyman Manuel Perez

Supervisor Marion Ashley

Desert Hot Springs Mayor Yvonne Parks

Desert Hot Springs Mayor Pro Tem Karl Baker

Desert Hot Springs Council members Russell Betts, Scott Matas, Jan Pye

Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet

Coachella Mayor Eduardo Garcia

Coachella Mayor Pro Tem Steven Hernandez

Mission Springs Water District Board Directors John Brown, John Furbee, Mary Gibson, and Nancy Wright

Palm Springs Unified School District Board Members Gary Jeandron and Justin Blake

Each year at the museum we have produced multiple:

art exhibits

music concerts

plein air demonstrations

crafts demonstrations

book signings

We have worked with the City of Desert Hot Springs to achieve:

new restrooms

extensive irrigation

professional grounds lighting

air conditioning

drinking fountains

new signage

We have provided DHS residents with an opportunity for:

employment

volunteerism

community service

Chamber of Commerce mixers

shopping

free Halloween, Dias de los Muertos, Christmas, and Easter parties

cultural and historic center

We have created ongoing pro-grams to:

develop strategic planning and sustainability programs with 5- and 10-year plans

clean the grounds and be environmentally conscious

submit grant applications

create fundraising opportunities

We have marketed Cabot‘s and the City of Desert Hot Springs through:

Eye on the Desert

KESQ

KMIR

EZ-103

KUSC

Palm Springs Life

The Desert Sun

Desert Valley Star

Desert Local News

The Valley Breeze

Total Marketing Partners

Oh, and did I mention that we achieved a milestone this year—more than 10,000 guests came to Cabot‘s from November to June! Almost 7000 paid guests went on tours through the pueblo.

If the past is prologue to the future, then Cabot‘s brightest days lie ahead.

Stay tuned!

Where We’ve Been. . . Where We’re Going!

(Continued from page 1)

What’s Up on Miracle Hill

Newsletter Staff

Donald Reed .................................. Editor Bent Reed Press ....................... Publisher Michael O’Keefe ................... Contributor Vonda Pate-Davis ................. Contributor Jane Pojawa ......................... Contributor

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

Board of Directors

Michael O’Keefe ...................... President John Brown ...................... Vice President Linda Blake ......... Chief Financial Officer Sally Rogers ............................. Secretary Louis Barbo ................................. Director Mike Chedester ........................... Director Judy Gigante .............................. Director John Gilmer ................................ Director Mike Grein .................................. Director Wes Laws .................................... Director Rich Lopez ................................... Director Barbara Maron ........................... Director Muffi Mendelson ......................... Director Jane Pojawa ............................... Director Eric Pontius ................................. Director Steve Sobotta .............................. Director Joanna Stark .............................. Director Todd Gregory Young .................. Director Donnalda Smolens ..... Leave of Absence

Cabot’s Pueblo Museum

& Desert Hot Springs

Visitors Center

67616 East Desert View Avenue Mailing Address: P.O. Box 104

Desert Hot Springs, California 92240 760-329-7610

www.cabotsmuseum.org Tours Daily

Cabot’s Trading Post &

Gallery

Daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. 760-329-7610

Publishing Graphic Design

Logos

DONALD REED

39421 Bel Air Drive Cathedral City, California 92234

760-770-6562 donaldreed@dc.rr.com

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 4

3rd Annual Cabot’s Birthday BBQ Bash in Pictures

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 5

Waokiye Restoration Gives DHS Icon a Make-over

by Jane Pojawa

T he big news at Cabot‘s this spring has been

the return of Peter Toth, sculptor of our Whisper-ing Giant, Waokiye. Waokiye is our 43-foot

Native American sculpture, the most instantly recognizable icon of Desert Hot Springs.

As a gift to his adopted country, the Hungarian-born artist has carved a giant log into a sculpted head in every single state to honor our Native American past. Collectively these are known as the "Trail of the Whispering Giants," and Waokiye was the 27th in the series; sadly he is now the only giant left in California, the state where Peter Toth received the inspiration for his life‘s work. The original sculpture, carved into the cliff face at Wind ‗n‘ Sea Beach in La Jolla, has weathered away.

―If you focus on the statue, you‘re missing the point,‖ says Toth. ―I‘m just a tool. God has given me the gift [of sculpting] but I do this to honor all Indian people.‖

Toth revisited the museum, 30 years after Waokiye’s creation, to do some badly needed restoration work and corrected some weather damage

to the sculpture‘s south-facing side. It was not his first time back. In 1986, he also returned to the desert to do a bit of renovation to the sequoia statue.

Toth spent most of February living on site in a motor home donated by Zoltan Cser. Rainy weather delayed the start of the project, as happened in 1978, but Toth and his helpers quickly made up for lost time and even

managed to keep a chess match going while the grind and dust of power sanders, hammering, and flying chips of redwood continued apace. Lavish detail has been added to the Waokiye’s face; his lips are now parted to ―whisper‖ more effectively, his eyes seem to sparkle and his headband has new decorative

flourishes. His hair has been re-pegged and glued, and a steel beam has been added to the back for reinforcement. There is a new copper cap to protect the heartwood from rain and sun. The beam and the copper have been artfully camou-flaged; they are almost unnoticeable. Wood treatments that were not available 30 years ago now offer protection against weather damage and termites.

The city council passed a resolution

honoring Peter Toth and his work that was read by Mayor Yvonne Parks at the re-dedication ceremony. Agua Caliente Tribal Chair Richard Milanovich was a special surprise guest. ―Today isn‘t really Peter Toth Day,‖ Toth said. ―It‘s Native American Day. I would like especially to honor the Aqua Caliente people and the other tribes of California.‖

We are very fortunate to have Waokiye restored to tip-top condition. Other giants have not been as fortunate. David and Bonnie Schumacker, of Highland, have visited more than 50 of the Whispering Giants, and have recently returned from Maui, where they found that the Hawaiian Whispering Giant, Maui Pohaku Loa, and the little house that stood behind it have been bulldozed. The sculpture is sitting in the contractor‘s boneyard, its fate uncertain. ―People don‘t know what they have ‘til it‘s gone,‖ says Schumacher. ―It‘s important that we preserve these sculptures before it‘s too late.‖

Peter ―Wolf‖ Toth in 1978 sculpting Waokiye

Toth in February 2009 restoring Waokiye

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 6

by Vonda Pate-Davis

T hose were the words spoken to a member of the Cabot‘s Foundation

over two years ago, when it seemed impossible to continue with the restoration of the museum without locating funds to move forward. The volunteers were wearing down on energy, the city was having difficulties finding budget items for the city improvements, and RDA money was very limited. Everyone had donated his or her time and whatever money could be afforded, but it seemed hopeless. Vice President of the Foundation, Barbara Maron, appeared so stressed, she said she felt it was all slipping away. She was told to just ―hang on – because there is someone out there who will be able to see the dream and the value‖ in the same way she and Michael O‘Keefe and the volunteers could see. She sighed and said ―I hope you are right; can I believe in that?‖ The answer was a resounding ―yes.‖

Michael O‘Keefe brought his friend, Gordon Gribble onto the scene. Gordon is a quiet, low-key person without any need for fanfare or blaring horns to announce his arrival. Born in Northeast Nebraska (so appropriate to have the ―Heartland of America‖ as heritage), Gordon lived in Northwest Washington before venturing to California in the ‘60s. He owned a business with his family in the San Diego area for 25 years. He lived in Palm Springs as well as other desert cities of Scottsdale, Tucson, and Las Vegas, before finally making the decision to return to Palm Springs. He

had owned a home at Paradise Springs in Scottsdale; so when he saw the name of a new development, Paradise Springs in Desert Hot Springs, he decided to settle there. Later he relocated back to his beginning desert roots, the Deepwell area in Palm Springs.

Gordon has traveled through-out the world. Along the way he has picked up pieces for his frog collection. His home is a display of his numerous crystal, porcelain, and ceramic frogs in various sizes and expressions. He has also acquired an array of ring boxes—one from Tiffany‘s, one hand carved by Indians of the Northwest, and numerous boxes from different ports of the world.

The entry court- yard to his resi-dence reflects his enjoyment of another pastime, gardening. Just being outside and taking care of his and his neighbor‘s gardens is how he spends his time when not volunteering at the museum or enjoying his love for music, especially symphonies and opera.

However, the things that bring a special gleam to his eyes are the plaques of appreciation given to him by Senator John Benoit and Assembly members V. Manuel Perez and Brian Nestande for his generosity to Cabot‘s Museum and his contribution to it as a place of cultural importance.

He expressed surprise over the recognition bestowed on him; it seems no one has ever given him anything so special before. It is very much deserved, for he has donated so generously of his

time in painting the inside and outside of the Gallery, watering plants, and, as with so many other volunteers, doing what-ever was necessary in general to help out for the day at hand.

He did not appear on that white horse, nor did anyone notice his shining armor; however his generous monetary donation to the museum classifies him as that ―someone‖ who was to come along someday. He came and gave the museum the start that it needed to become what many saw and dreamed about—preserving its heritage and becoming the brightest tourist attraction in our City of Desert Hot Springs.

“Someone will Come Along . . . .”

Gordon displays his new awards

SHOP— Daily, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 7

by Jane Pojawa

M uch of what we know about Cabot Yerxa came from his

column, ―On the Desert Since 1913,‖ which he wrote intermittently for the Desert Sentinel from approximately 1951 -1956. Of course, much was also written about Cabot and his ―fantastic pueblo‖; some notable writers who devoted columns to Cabot included Ed Ainsworth of the Los Angeles Times, Russ Leadabrand of the Pasadena Independent, and Louis Sobol, whose Broadway column ''New York Cavalcade,'' appeared in The New York Journal.

In 1949, Cabot partnered with Arthur Bliss Conkwright, known to all as Conky Conkwright, on Conky‘s project, Pa’m Springs Pup, for the Palm Springs Limelight News. Conkwright, a photographer and actor was, with his wife Marie Ashley, a fixture of New York‘s silent film industry. By the ‘50s, Conky, calling himself ―The Pa‘m Springs Hillbilly,‖ struck out on his own with the Pa’m Springs Pup. It was an intermittently published newsletter, along the lines of Harry Oliver‘s Packrat Gazette, although not as polished. Cabot furnished the trademark illustrations and possibly some of the content as well.

Desert Sentinel editor Jerome ―Jerry‖ Storm kept Cabot busy writing articles about his memories of the old pioneer days and natural history – the bugs, plants and critters of the desert. Cabot sometimes used a nom de plume for the nature articles, referring to himself as ―The Old Sage,‖ and his column was ―This Side of the Wash.‖ ―Su Amigo‖ first appeared in 1948 as

the ―guest columnist‖ of ―This Side of the Wash,‖ with an article about Harry Oliver and the Peg Leg Smith Liar‘s Contest. Other ―Wash‖ articles included plugs for the Desert Hot Spring‘s Improvement Association, of which Cabot was the first president. Both he and Portia were active members.

In 1949, Su Amigo (now spelled ―Sue‖ Amigo) was called in to replace Jean Shannon, the ―Feminine Reflections‖ columnist for a couple of issues. ―Sue,‖ was, in fact, Cabot. Sue Amigo did not have to do a thorough exploration of his feminine side, amusing as that might have been, and instead ran a letter from ―her friend‖ Cabot! Cabot‘s letter warned of the dire consequences of leaving water-filled glass bottles in the hot summer sun (they explode). ―Sue‖ thanked Cabot profusely for his timely advice.

No matter whether Sue Amigo, the

Old Sage, the Pa‘m Springs Pup, or just plain ol‘ Cabot Yerxa was writing for the local papers, his love for the desert came shining through. Some-times funny and always informative, Cabot‘s observations about the growing village of Desert Hot Springs caught the attention of the city‘s early residents and helped to establish a distinct local identity—even if that elusive columnist had several distinct identities!

Cabot’s Columns

Though included here for indentification (and amusement) purposes, the accompanying photo caption shown above should be taken with a grain of historical salt. For example, Sir Francis Drake—not Don Cabot—is usually credited with discovering San Francisco Bay.

by Jane Pojawa

W hat if Cabot didn‘t build a pueblo? In 1941, Cabot was

living further down Miracle Hill at his first cabin, Eagle‘s Nest/Yerxa‘s Trading Post. These structures were razed in 1957 to make way for the Miracle Hill Subdivision by the Realty Company of America.

Cabot Yerxa‘s Trading Post offered ―post cards, curios, Indian work etc for sale,‖ according to one of his handbills and, in addition, a ―Snake Pit: Desert

snakes, trained chuckwallas, etc. See ‘em alive—10¢.‖ Most significant, there were also an art gallery and museum, the first in Desert Hot Springs.

This museum contained many of the same exhibits we cherish in today‘s Pueblo Museum, including the Alaskan artifacts, and Cabot had a mind to expand his trading post into something much bigger.

The December 25 edition of The Desert Sentinel had a front-page story ―Yerxa Builds Own Studio,‖ and went

on to announce: Since first coming to the

desert nearly 30 years ago, Cabot Yerxa, single-handed, has done all his own building on Miracle Hill, where he conducts his antique trading post and art gallery. He is still building.

Just one mile from his trad-ing post, Mr. Yerxa is now at work on a two-story building, which he says will be called Yerxa‘s Igloo.

Cabot’s Igloo Museum

(Continued on Page 8)

What’s Up on Miracle Hill Page 8

Cabot Yerxa Elementary School Opened August 31

by Jane Pojawa

T he April 24, 1947 issue of the Desert Sentinel carried the front-

page news: “New Elementary School Dedication Opens Forty-Niners Days Celebration.” It described the opening of Desert Hot Springs‘ first elementary school as a festive occasion and went on to report:

―Cabot Yerxa, desert pioneer, picturesque in broad-brimmed hat and fringed buckskin jacket, accepted the new elementary school for the com-munity of Desert Hot Springs from W.P. Hillary, President of The Board of Trustees of the Desert School District at dedication ceremonies Friday morning which opened the second annual Forty-Niners Days celebrations for the town…

―‗This is indeed a great event for the community,‘ said Yerxa after the formal presentation of the school had been made to him. He related some of the problems

attendant in the past on the education of local elementary school youngsters, who until last month were taken by bus to Palm Springs to the Francis Stevens School. . . .

―‗The community also wishes,‘ Yerxa said, ‗to express publically its

gratitude to L.W. Coffee, local sub-divider, who made the new school a possibility by donating the land now occupied by the building and playgrounds.‘‖

The first principal was John Nichols, and the enrollment in the new school was 77 students, a substantial increase from the 27 young-sters who had been eligible for elementary school in 1946.

How times have changed. Cabot Yerxa Elementary School, at

67-067 Desert View (Desert View and Verbena), is the newest of the 16 elementary schools in the Palm

Springs Unified School District. Mike Grein, the new principal, has plenty of experience under his belt—he was the former principal at Della S. Lindley Elementary and was one of three educators in the district who received

awards for their work with English learners from the Riverside County Office of Education last year.

The school serves approximately 600 students in grades kindergarten through fifth but is built to accommo-date 810 students in 34 classrooms. The 60,000 square foot facility also includes a library, an administration building, and a multi-purpose room. It is also built to a sustainability standard as a California High Performance School and as such is expected to save up to 20 percent on energy costs annually.

Cabot Yerxa Elementary, home of the Explorers, is using a traditional academic calendar for the 2009-2010 school year, since the school was not be ready in time to accommodate a single track E modified schedule (year-round). The school‘s official colors are copper and light yellow. First day of instruction was August 31, 2009.

At Cabot‘s Pueblo Museum, we wish the Explorers the best of luck in the 2009-2010 academic year!

Artist‘s rendering of new Cabot Yerxa Elementary School, to open August 31, 2009.

In it will be his art studio work room, where, he says, his artist friends may have a place, affording a magnificent view of the desert, in which to work when they come to visit him.

The walls of the first floor of Yerxa‘s Igloo are being built of rock, and the entire structure will

have a stucco finish. The east wall of the igloo will be 24 inches thick and built into the hillside. The ground floor will be of concrete.

Cabot Yerxa‘s Trading Post is located about three miles southeast of Desert Hot Springs and attracts an ever-increasing

number of visitors each year.‖ Seventy years later, we count

ourselves lucky that Cabot persisted in following his dream of building a museum and trading post in Desert Hot Springs. We are also fortunate that he changed his mind about the igloo and built a pueblo instead!

Cabot’s Igloo Museum

(Continued from page 7)

Dedication of Desert Hot Springs Elementary School, April 1947