Business Networking Mixer for the Desert Hot Springs Chamber is Wednesday July 18th 2012 at Studio M Salon and Spa (located in the Smoketree Shopping Center in Palm Springs)
Come out to meet the owners, take a tour and have a fun time networking. Bring your business cards and smiles! Snacks and beverages provided by Studio M Salon and Spa.
Border Collies are easily bored and thrive on mental stimulation.
How smart is your pet? While any “10 best list” is subjective by nature, the dogs on this list all possess tangible traits that, when compared with other dogs, suggests they are more intelligent than most.
Because intelligence does not necessarily equate to a dog’s ability to be trained, we should not mistake this list of “smart dogs” for the easiest dogs to train.
And the smartest dogs are…
10. Australian Cattle Dog: Originally bred to herd cattle in Australia (no surprise there), these resourceful and protective dogs require regular exercise and mental stimulation.
9. Rottweiler: Contrary to their intimidating reputation, rottweilers make excellent family pets. They are extremely courageous and loyal, making them ideal guard dogs.
8. Papillon: Some say they’re moody and aggressive, others say protective and affectionate. Either way, the papillon is one smart little pooch.
7. Labrador Retriever: Really? You mean my food-obsessed play-a-holic is not just a big sweet doofus? Nope! These water dogs are actually very smart–and lovable.
The sweet-natured golden retriever makes an idea therapy dog.
6. Shetland Sheepdog: Bred to herd sheep and cattle, a feat demanding keen concentration and intelligence, shelties are quite loyal and affectionate with their human pack, but can be slow to welcome strangers.
5. Doberman Pinscher: Known for being assertive and fearless guard dogs, many are docile and can make ideal therapy dogs in hospitals.
4. Golden Retriever: Also ranked among the 10 ten most affectionate dogs, goldies are America’s most popular dogs.
The sweet-natured golden retriever makes an idea therapy dog.
3. German Shepherd: Given their high IQs, these dogs thrive when given a purpose or job, and not surprisingly are a favorite with law enforcement.
2. Standard Poodle: This smarty-pants is also one of the most trainable. They are considered sensitive people-pleasers who hate to be left alone.
1. Border Collie: He’s so smart he gets bored without a job to do. You don’t want to leave a border collie home alone with nothing to do, or else he might make a demolition project of your house! They thrive on companionship, praise, and exercise.
Think your dog is the world’s smartest? Email us a picture and tell us what makes your pooch an Einstein of the canine community.
Desert Hot Springs, California (July 10, 2012) – City Manager Rick Daniels announced today the promotion of Commander Kate Singer as Desert Hot Springs Police Chief-designate who will replace Police Chief Patrick Williams on August 9, 2012.
Kate Singer gets brand-new Golden Shield from Chief Williams in 2008. Congratulations Chief Singer!
Chief-designate Singer started her career in law enforcement in 1988 as a Volunteer Police Reserve with the San Rafael Police Department. In 1989, she promoted to Deputy Sheriff I with the Marin County Sheriff’s Department and moved up the ranks to Sergeant. While with the Marin County Sheriff’s Department she worked and supervised in the county jail system and patrol operations. She served as a Field Training Officer, Jail Training Officer, Drug Recognition Expert and Peer Counselor.
In 2000, Chief-designate Singer took a position with the California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) in Sacramento where she served as a Senior Law Enforcement Consultant in the Basic Training Bureau, Center for Leadership Development Bureau and Training Program Services. While at POST, Chief-designate Singer created the regulations, supporting courses, and publications to enact mandated police officer field training programs statewide. She also created the regulations, supporting courses, and publications to offer the alternative COPS (Community Oriented Policing) Police Training Program (PTO) within California. She initiated the curriculum revision for POST’s premier leadership program , the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute (SU).
In 2008, Chief-designate Singer took the position as Commander with the Desert Hot Springs Police Department. She has been responsible for managing, directing and supervising both the Patrol Operations and the Support Services Division.
While as a Commander, she re-engineered the annual police officer evaluation process, brought current the Administrative Investigations, served as the Department Liaison for Operation Falling Sun, initiated the 1st Annual Community Policing Initiative (CPI) Town Hall Meeting in 2011 and directed the implementation of the Community Oriented Policing and Problem Solving (COPPS) through the Community Policing Initiative.
Chief-designate Singer was an Adjunct Faculty and Recruit Training Officer at the Santa Rosa Criminal Justice Training Center where she served as a Recruit Training Officer for academy classes. She was responsible for developing, coaching, disciplining, evaluating and supervising trainees/students throughout their academy experience.
Chief-designate Singer received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in History and Psychology from Houghton College in Houghton, New York and received her Master of Arts Degree in Educational Psychology from San Francisco State University. She also holds a Management POST certificate.
The employment contract is currently being negotiated and will be finalized by next week.
“He who troubles his house, inherits the wind”… It may sound Shakespearean, but the line is uttered by Mathew Brady, a character in the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee masterpiece drama “Inherit the Wind”, now onstage at the Lowell Davies Outdoor Theatre.
The insightful drama is the third production being performed in repertory, as part of the annual Old Globe’s Summer Shakespeare Festival, which kicked off on June 3rd and will perform through September 29th. “Richard III” and “As You Like It” complete the trio of plays available to patrons at the venerable Balboa Park theatrical complex.
Artistic Director, Adrian Noble takes over the directing chores for this production. In the hands of the “boss”, the Lawrence and Lee story based on the famous 1925 “Scopes Monkey Trial” in Tennessee, and the issues that divided a nation come vibrantly alive once again. The question of when does a segment of a secular society in the Twentieth Century accept the findings of science and Darwin’s theory on the origin of the species, when those facts conflict with their religious beliefs and dogma going back hundreds of years? It may be a mouthful, but that’s the central issue in Lawrence and Lee’s play. It’s a thorny issue for believers and non-believers alike; and it still isn’t fully resolved.
Photos by Henry DiRocco.
The story revolves around Bert Cates (a solid and appealing Dan Amboyer), a local schoolteacher who is on trial for teaching the tenets of Darwinism to his class of young students. The prosecutor for the state has hired Mathew Brady (a marvelous Adrian Sparks) one of the country’s most famous lawyers and orators to lead the prosecution’s case. Brady has few equals in courtroom oratory, and his well-known, rock-solid, public and personal positions on the absolute verites of the Bible is legendary. It looks like a slam-dunk for the state.
With the sensationalism that comes with a hot-button issue such as the “monkey trial”, and the public’s insatiable appetite for news, the Baltimore Sun newspaper decides to hire one of the leading trial lawyers of the century for the defense – Henry Drummond (the equally marvelous Robert Foxworth) the “heathen” attorney of Chicago… Game On!
The production is intelligently and deftly directed by Noble, who gives, not only to the principals, but to his supporting players their many moments to shine in this well-crafted production. The showier part goes to Sparks. His Brady is a study in bluster, and the sureness of his position as the defender of the faith in rural America. He’s a joy to watch as we wait for the inevitable fall from grace. Sparks has never been better. Brady is a part he was born to play.
Not to be outdone by all of Brady’s bluff and bluster, Foxworth’s understated, and razor-sharp portrayal of Henry Drummond is like watching a cobra, patiently waiting for the right moment to strike. One can almost feel Brady’s biblical armor beginning to melt under the withering scientific-based attack of Drummond’s interrogation. Foxworth and Sparks together make for wonderful theatre.
Standouts in this well-paced show are Vivia Font as Rachel, Happy Anderson as the Mayor, Charles Janasz as Rachel’s zealot-like minister-father Reverend Brown, Joseph Marcell as E.K Hornbeck, the cynical reporter covering the trial and the circus-like atmosphere, Bob Pescovitz as the trial judge, and Jaques C. Smith as Mr. Meeker.
The technical credits at the Globe are always first-rate. The scenic designs for all three rep productions are functional and creative thanks to Ralph Funicello. I especially liked his design for “Inherit the Wind” utilizing a series of tables and chairs which, when rearranged, act as multiple sets and locations in the production. I suspect director Noble’s fine hand in that decision, as well. Alan Burrett’s lighting and Deirdre Clancy’s costumes, along with Lindsay Jones’ sound design, and Steve Rankin’s fight choreography give the entire show a solid, rural look and feel.
“Inherit the Wind”, runs through September 29th. Call the box office at 619-234-5625 or go online at www.oldglobe.org .
Musicals always seem to hit the right spot with theatre audiences. Perhaps, it’s a way to escape the troubling economic times, or the unsettling international news we read about in newspapers and on the Internet. Whatever the reasons, the Palm Canyon Theatre’s production of “Forever Plaid” originally written, choreographed, and directed by Stuart Ross, is a crowd pleaser.
In this version, under the direction of Palm Canyon’s excellent musical director David McLaughlin, along with choreography by Andrea Bellato, “Forever Plaid” ethereally flies across time zones and the heavens in the form of four singer/actors (in four-part harmony no less) and gently returns them to Mother Earth and the stage nicely designed by resident scenic design wizard J.W. Layne.
Unless you have been living in a cave somewhere, the story of “Forever Plaid” is the story of four young singing friends, who, on their way to their first singing gig as professionals, leave the planet forever courtesy of a bus loaded with teenage catholic high school girls on their way to a performance of The Beatles” on the Ed Sullivan TV show. The bus and girls were spared in the accident. Our intrepid singing foursome, however, weren’t as fortunate. But, through heavenly interventions and machinations, known only to a few, they are miraculously allowed to return to earth for a one time performance, as “Forever Plaid”.
A four-part harmony group is the epitome of an “ensemble performance”. It doesn’t get any closer than that. Four sing as one and then solo when called on. Starring as the singing “Plaids” are Erik Bradley as Smudge, Daniel Lee Dehnert as Frankie, Anthony Meyer as Sparky, and Jacob Samples as Jinx. The show also provides and features the piano magic of Brit Endsley, the group’s onstage accompanist.
The Plaids infuse a lot of energy and comedy into their routines and performances, which director David McLaughlin has orchestrated into a thoroughly entertaining evening of musical theatre. The evening’s program consists of sixteen musical numbers that bring smiles, laughs, and moments of nostalgia. Musical numbers are capricious in that they are equal-opportunity providers. What pleases some members of the audience doesn’t necessarily resonate with other groups or individuals. Such numbers as: “Three Coins in a Fountain”, “Moments to Remember” “No Not Much”, “Perfidia”, “Cry”, “Caribbean Plaid/Matilda”, “Lady of Spain”, “Shangri-la”, and “Love is a Many Splendored Thing”, however, appears to meet everyone’s criteria.
Opening nights are always exciting, and on occasion, a slight case of the jitters can run through a show. Opening night for “Forever Plaid” had one or two bumps, and a prop blip, but once everything settled down, it was smooth sailing for this well-crafted production. You can bring both Grandma and junior to this show where both will be entertained and enjoy the evening. Not always easy to do these days.
“Forever Plaid” at the Palm Canyon Theatre runs through July 15th. For reservations and ticket information call the Box Office at 760-323-5123.
TimeLine Theatre of Chicago is just one of more than 200 vibrant theatres that comprise the League of Chicago Theatres. Also, it’s the largest number of live theatre venues, in one city, anywhere in the country. It was one of five excellent productions made available to attendees of The American Theatre Critics Association who, this time, held their yearly conference in Chicago in June.
TimeLine Theatre’s mission statement, in part, is to present stories inspired by history that connect with today’s social and political issues. They employ collaborative artistic teams that produce provocative theatre and educational programs that engage, entertain, and enlighten. And they most certainly did exactly that with their groundbreaking and powerful world premiere production of “My Kind of Town”, written by Chicago native John Conroy.
Reporters are a dime a dozen. Good reporters are at a premium. But really good investigative reporter/journalists are a rarity. The qualities required of investigative types are: fearlessness and the nature of a terrier with a rag bone or toy. Once they get their teeth into a story, they don’t let go until the story or situation is resolved.
Rita Jeffries (Ora Jones) and Albert Jeffries (Trinity P. Murdock) discuss the plight of their son Otha
TimeLine’s first time playwright John Conroy comes to his stage debut honestly and with excellent “street creds”. He’s slugged it out in streets and in journalistic reportage of Chicagoland as an investigative reporter for over twenty years. He knows his material and his characters well. It’s his milieu, and he’s hit a home run with his first effort as a playwright.
The story of “My Kind of Town” is a far cry from the upbeat song title that Frank Sinatra warbled some thirty years ago. Frank’s rendition was a paean to the “City That Works”. Conroy’s play chronicles a far darker side not only of Chicago, but of all urban American cities – that of systemic police brutality. The play is inspired by the stories of numerous victims, police officers, prosecutors, and families whose lives have been tainted by allegations of torture by Chicago police, and the scandal it produced over a three decade period.
Conroy’s play wonderfully directed by artistic director Nick Bowling is a compelling and urgent piece of stagecraft from a “first-timer”. It’s a play that disturbs (not just Chicagoans) but is a drama that provokes, in large part, a wider audience. Torture (never seen onstage) is a repugnant, universal, and an equal opportunity offender/cancer with good guys and bad guys on both sides of the equation. The practitioners, however, are not always black and white monsters. They’re just people. They are people who bring shades of gray to the workplace and their lifestyles. The larger conundrum or issue is how to break the climate of violence and torture when it’s so pervasive, and so available as a way to resolve issues and behavior.
The story revolves around a riveting Charles Gardner, as Otha Jeffries, a gangbanging, drug-dealing minor thief who finds himself on death row after confessing to arson and a double homicide. It looks like an open and shut, slam-dunk case as far as the authorities are concerned. But we soon learn that things may not be as they appear, and there are other voices to be heard from, which might mitigate the obvious.
Police detective Dan Breen (David Parkes) and prosecutor Maureen Buckley (Maggie Kettering) discuss an upcoming hearing for Otha Jeffries.
Without giving anything away, it’s fair to say that Conroy’s play and Bowling’s production lays out one of the bedrock issues that confront today’s society: the need to become involved in our communities, eventually doing the right thing despite the pressure from “just carrying out orders” as a way to keep one’s job or marriage intact.
There is no doubt about it – it’s a thorny issue that each and every one of us has to come to grips with on a daily basis.
Bowling’s outstanding cast includes: Ora Jones (a strong and staunch defender of her son, who “knows” he’s innocent), Trinity P. Murdock as the father, Derek Garza, as a very patient public defender and Gardner’s attorney, A.C. Smith as Officer George Dawson, Maggie Kettering as the conflicted prosecuting attorney, Danica Monroe as Ann Breen, Carolyn Hoerdemann as her sister Peg, and David Parkes, in a highly nuanced performance as the interrogating police officer, Dan Breen. There are so many finely judged “star quality” performances in this production it’s almost unfair to single out any particular turn. It’s a true ensemble effort by all.
Kudos to the creative team also: Scenic Designer Brian Sidney Bembridge for providing a realistic and functional set design that has the necessary grime and gritty look, allowing the actors the space they need to perform their magic. Nic Jones’ mood-inducing lighting design compliments Bembridge’s effort and lends verisimilitude to the costumes of Alex Wren Meadows. What impresses me the most is the fluid motion and pacing of director Nick Bowling’s unseen hand on Bembridge’s multi-level set. Everyone looks and knows where they’re going and what they’re going to do when they get there – and they look comfortable doing it.
Additionally, I can’t remember when I’ve mentioned the unheralded efforts of a dramaturg, but in the case of Maren Robinson, and this production, I secretly suspect it’s well deserved.
The TimeLine theatre of Chicago, now in its 15th year, is a theatre worth supporting. I may be based in Palm Springs, California, but I recognize excellent work when I see it. So, if you find yourself in Chicago this July; before the 29th, I highly recommend you catch a performance. For reservations and ticket information call 773-281-8463 or go online at www.timelinetheatre.com
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