Desert Hot Springs Police Chief Patrick Williams announced today that he would be resigning his position on August 13 to accept the Police Chief position in Petaluma, California. City Manager Rick Daniels reluctantly accepted his resignation and initiated a recruitment process that focuses on an internal promotion to continue the high level of service and community-based policing philosophy of the Police Department.

Chief Williams has served the City for five years beginning in June 2007. He was not only Police Chief, but Assistant City Manager for all Public Safety services including: Police, Animal Control, Code Enforcement, Graffiti Abatement, and Fire Protection. Chief Williams managed the largest portion of the City’s workforce and budget.

 “I have never worked with a finer public servant than Patrick Williams. His tireless and imaginative work to improve the lives of the good and decent people of Desert Hot Springs was monumental and established the new baseline. He continuously provided the City Manager and Council with “Best Practices” policies and programs. His years on the San Jacinto City Council gave him great perspective on the needs of the elected officials that consider his recommendations,” said Daniels.

Mayor Yvonne Parks added, “The City’s history will have a chapter on the improvements to public safety under the guidance of Chief Williams that will include significant crime reduction, enhanced parolee supervision, solving cases and securing convictions in court.”

 “While we are momentarily saddened that Chief Williams is leaving the City, we are quick to wish him, Shirley, and his family, as well as the City of Petaluma great success and prosperity in the future. The City’s most recent gains in economic development rests on the foundation of a safer community for our residents and businesses,” said Daniels.

 “Patrick leaves behind a great legacy of building the best Police Department with the most highly qualified officers in the Coachella Valley and perhaps in all of California as witnessed by 2010 and 2011 awards and recognitions from the Regional Community Policing Institute, California Police Chiefs Association and the California Police Officers Association for Community Policing and Ethics,” said Daniels.

 Russell Martin, Chairman of the Desert Hot Springs Public Safety Commission offered, “As a former police official I have the highest regard for Chief Williams. He understands the importance of establishing a positive relationship between the community and law enforcement. The result is a consistent reduction in crime and a safer community.”

 During his five year tenure with the City of Desert Hot Springs, Chief Williams achieved the following;

 Formulated a modern law enforcement organization to protect and serve the City when his 10 predecessors had failed to do so in the previous decade.

• Led “Operation Falling Sun,” which at the time was the single largest police action in Riverside County history utilizing 700 officers from 35 different agencies, targeting 485 locations to remove over 150 gang members, drug dealers, thieves, and criminals of all kinds from the City.

• Led the public effort to commit over $40M of new funding for Public Safety through voter approved ballot measures in 2009 & 2010, which passed by margins of 74% and 83%.

• Expanded the Police Force by 40%, which resulted in significant reductions in crime over his 5-year tenure.

• Implemented technological innovations, which leverage available manpower through a region-wide interoperable, radio system, community cameras, and enhanced crime laboratory.

• Led the dramatic reductions in the felons on parole population through enhanced supervision, new regulations limiting housing options, and assisting in the establishment of a service center aimed at reducing the recidivism or likelihood of repeat offenses of those recently released.

• Patrick was previously recognized by his colleagues for his expertise as their elected President to the Riverside County Chiefs of Police and Sheriff Association and as their representative to the counties Community Corrections Partnership Executive Committee charged with the responsibility to minimize the impacts of the state’s “AB 109 Realignment Plan” that shifted supervision of parolees to local jurisdictions as a way to reduce prison populations.

The Desert Hot Springs Police Officer’s Association added that they “wished Chief Patrick Williams and his family a successful transition to their new home in Petaluma. Chief Williams has been instrumental in changing the culture of the police department to a point that the POA is more involved than ever before. Chief Williams has been fair and just with not only the sworn members of the agency but the non-sworn. His leadership will be greatly missed, and the POA is committed to continuing the work Chief Williams started to make the Desert Hot Springs Police Department a model of effective, engaged and ethical public safety services in California.”

 When asked to comment about his pending move Chief Williams said, “Together with our residents, businesses and visitors, we have built a police agency that effectively fights crime, delivers exceptional service and has improved the quality of life in Desert Hot Springs. I am proud of our employees, the foundation of our organization, for the implementation of our award-winning Community Policing Initiative and for the sacrifices they make on a daily basis in service to this community. Though I fully embrace the new opportunities that lay ahead, my choice to leave the Desert Hot Springs Police Department was a difficult decision.

 “I will miss the many friends and colleagues I respect and admire. I am indebted to them for helping me to learn and grow as a leader and as a person. Also, I want to extend my sincerest gratitude to our community for their unwavering and visible support in helping make the Department and the City the best they can be. Our staff, with the support of our council and community, will continue to deliver the exceptional work that has become their trademark and help take the Department to the next level.”

 The City of Desert Hot Springs, CA is a community of 28,000 residents in the greater Palm Springs area. I-10, State Highway 62, and Joshua Tree National Park border the City. The City is a well known tourist destination of “Spa City” because of its naturally occurring hot springs-served spas, international award winning drinking water, Cabot’s Pueblo Museum, clean air and unmatched night sky views. The City is a statewide award-winning city for its Community Policing, Ethics, and Economic Development Strategies; Desert Hot Springs was California’s fastest growing City in 2011 and has recently led the region in sales tax growth. www.cityofdhs.org.

 The City of Petaluma was founded in 1863 and has a current population of 58,000; Petaluma is located in Sonoma County, in the North Bay Area. Petaluma is a short 32-mile or 50-minute drive from San Francisco and only 90 minutes from Sacramento. City Manager, John C. Brown, (707) 778-4345 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting end_of_the_skype_highligh, JBROWN@ci.petaluma.ca.us, www.cityofpetaluma.net. 

Tall, slim and high-spirited, that is twenty-one-years-old, Mayra Gonzalez. She is from Zacatecas, Mexico, but has been living in Desert Hot Springs, California for the last eight years with her family. After graduating from the DHS High-School, she trained to be a Nurse’s-assistant but soon realized, that this was not for her.

She has a dream, and her passion is the camera and the model-runway, and to become a super-model. Long-legged and very tall for a Latino girl, she has all the attributes to make a career out of this.

An opportunity came quickly; her sister introduced her to the Organo Gold Coffee Company. Organo was looking for a model to introduce their products to the desert communities. Organo Coffee is new phenomenal rising niche organic product for a healthy cup of java without the side-effects of regular coffee, right now being distributed in 14 Countries And her first gig was to enter the “Diva of The Desert’ contest.

The ‘Diva Del Desierto’ kicked-off at Heritage Palms Country Club with rousing success, a dozen of very beautiful Latina’s was competing and showing off their stuff on stage in their colorful, sexy outfits. This was a family affair. The girl’s families supported their candidates with loud vocal support, and enthusiastic applause, almost deafening Madonna’s theme-music playing at full 100+ decimal as the girls danced and strutted around the stage.

Of course, Mayra’s family was the loudest, her three, also very attractive sisters, Consuelo, Yadira, and Fatima Gonzalez are her biggest fans; and all that under the watchful eyes of her father Aurelio Gonzalez, and mother Maria Gonzalez and not to forget her only brother Jorge Gonzalez and his lovely wife. The whole family is proud of Mayra, and she has their respect and full support.

You can follow the contest on Facebook and support their efforts. The Organo Coffee Company can be reached at 760-393-7716 or 760-288-6959.

Bijan is one of Desert Hot Springs most gifted artists. He works  as a teacher of fine arts with the students of the Desert Hot Springs alternative High School.

One  of his latest works is a Wall-Muriel at the Carl May Center. A powerful, live-like painting of Cabot Yerxa, showing the surrounding mountains, it’s rare desert animals, the colorful blooming flowers and the life-giving mineral springs water of Desert Hot Springs.

The Carl May Center is the heart of our community, the place where decisions and politics is made, as well as  the home of our fine library. Congratulations to you Bijan, and your team, for this outstanding  painting, bringing the arts and culture to our town.

The most influential Short Film Festival and frequent harbinger of Academy Awards nominations for a short festival, was held in Palm Springs June 19 through June 25, 2012.

     The city of Palm Springs is now recognized as the destination for young and emerging filmmakers to be and be seen during the month of June.  It’s generally accepted that the desert paradise city is the number one magnet for exposure and recognition of short films.  Serious filmmakers, those who are interested in having their films receive attention or possible Academy Award nomination consideration, agree that to have a film entered in the Palm Springs International ShortFest and Market is a must, and to have it screened is a real coup.

     What the late Palm Springs Mayor Sonny Bono created back in the early 90’s, as a way to raise the city’s visibility for tourism, has become the 800-pound gorilla of film festivals worldwide.  Led by festival executive director Darryl Macdonald and philanthropist/businessman and Board Chairman Harold Matzner, these two gentlemen have produced a formula for success that is the envy of festivals the world over.

     During the month of June, the Short Festival comes to town bringing 20,000 loyal movie junkies, film buffs, and lovers of movies of all sizes and shapes and genres.  In January of every year the city swells in population by some 40,000 attendees eager to get a look at the many Hollywood stars who, not only attend, but who also walk the Red Carpet for a worldwide press corps.  

    This June marks the 18^th year of the festival.   More than 320 short films were viewed on the three screens of The Camelot Theatres, in Palm Springs.  The festival showcased fifty world premieres, sixty-three North American premieres and twenty-one USA premieres.  Films submitted came from fifty-two countries around the world. 

     For movie buffs with short attention spans (which is rarely the case) the short festival film format is for you.  Selections are structured into fifty-three themed programs, consisting of anywhere from six to eight short films in each program which generally run between seventy and one hundred minutes.  Films and animated shorts cover a wide array of subjects and niche topics that the festival programming staff feels the general public will enjoy.

     One of the highlights of this year’s festival was a special screening and a special award presented to American filmmaker Gus Van Sant, by executive director Darryl Macdonald.  Van Sant, long a supporter of the short film genre, shared with the audience his philosophy concerning, not only short films, but the long form full length features, as well, encouraging the filmmakers in the audience (there were almost 30 in attendance) to never give up their dream and to keep knocking on the door. So to speak.

     A partial list of this year’s award winners and prizes are:  Best of Festival Jury Award to “Behind the Mirrors” (Peru/USA, by Julio O. Ramos; The Panavision Grand Jury Award worth a $60,000.00 camera package went to “Paulie” (USA), by Andrew Nackman; Future Filmmaker Award to “Khanna” (UK), by Rajinder Sawhney; Audience Awards/Audience Favorite Live Action Short to “A Curious Conjunction of Coincidences” (Netherlands), by Joost Reijmers; and Best Documentary Short to “The Record Breaker” (Denmark), by Brian McGinn.  For a complete list of winners from this year’s entries, go online to www.palmspringsinternationalshortfest.com.

The Old Globe Theatre of San Diego is one of America’s finest Regional theatres.  Their Shakespeare Summer Festival staged in the Lowell Davies Outdoor Theatre is a San Diego tradition always worth attending. 

     Theatre performances have been given in the Repertory format, in an outdoor setting for more than a half a century in the theatre complex located in Balboa Park (five minutes from Downtown).  The outstanding Repertory company of players performs June through September every year.

     A couple of seasons back former Globe Artistic Director Darko Tresynak decided to slip into the repertory rotation, two Shakespeare productions and one non-Shakespeare production as a way to vary and sweeten the theatre-going experience.  As a result audiences still see productions staged in the classic tradition, but have been written by more modern playwrights.   Last season audiences saw two Shakespeare productions and the richly textured, magnificent production  “Amadeus”, written by Peter Shaffer   This season, audiences will be treated to Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” and “Richard III, along with the Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee masterpiece, “Inherit the Wind”.

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   Richard, Duke of Gloucester, is Shakespeare’s greatest villain/monster creation, hands down.  Under the direction of Lindsay Posner, Jay Whittaker (last season’s Mozart in “Amadeus”) brings a whinny, but snarling Richard for audiences to love/hate, depending on your personal predilection for the character.  However, Whittaker’s towering performance as Richard still instills fear and loathing no matter your loyalties.  It’s best to stay out of his way as he marches his way toward the throne.

      Yes there are obstacles in his way, but he merely removes them either by drowning them, assassinating them, or have them die in battles or under other mysterious circumstances.  He’s a bad dude!  And, did I mention that Whittaker relishes the role?  It’s a tour de force entertaining performance by Whittaker.

     Solid supporting roles abound and are solidly supported by a large and talented company (twenty nine plus).  Standout performances come from Robin Moseley as Queen Margaret, Jacques C. Smith as the Duke of Buckingham, Robert Foxworth as Lord Hastings, and Vivia Font as the vivacious but doomed Lady Anne.

     It’s always good to see onstage the reliable Joseph Marcell as the Lord Mayor, and Charles Janasz as Stanley, the Earl of Darby.  Also, young Aidan Hayek as Young Duke of York, has a future in the theatre should he be so inclined.  He has wonderful stage presence for one so young.

     “Richard III”, has a first-rate creative team led by the innovative and talented scenic designer Ralph Funicello, (nice projections on those graffiti-laden slabs enhance Act II’s coronation scenes), lighting designer Alan Burrett, sound designer Lindsay Jones, and costume designer Dierdre Clancy.  Although, I must say, Whittaker’s costumes look a little bit like he got his wardrobe from the “Star Wars” costume shop (lots of high-tech looking materials) in Act I.  Kudos also go to Fight Director Steve Rankin for his staging of the battles scene in Bosworth Fields.

     Director Posner launches the 2012 outdoor Summer Shakespeare Season with a winning, albeit a long production (almost 3 hours) of “Richard III.  The Summer Shakespeare Season runs through to September 29^th.  For reservations and ticket information call the box office at 619-234-5625 or go online at www.oldglobe.org .

The Broadway smash hit musical “Suessical” running at Theatre 29 in Twentynine Palms through July 28 is a real family affair!

The delightful family-friendly show is based on the children’s books of Dr. Seuss and features characters and situations that generations grew up with. The adventures of the Cat in the Hat, Horton the Elephant, Gertrude McFuzz, Mayzie La Bird, Sour Kangaroo, and more favorites are brought colorfully to life in the bright and energetic musical Directed by Gary Daigneault with Musical Direction by Bill Barrett and Choreography by Mandi Pushkar.

The summer blockbuster show is a fun endeavor involving many area families. The Schmelling family has their entire family involved, Dad Marv plays The Mayor of Whoville, wife Robin is running the specialized sound tracks, daughter Lauren is Gertrude McFuzz, and daughter Lizzie shines in a variety of quick-change roles. 13 year old Kayleigh Coughlin plays Jojo and her 8 year old sister Natalie charms as Cindy-Lou Who. Robin Wilson is brassy as Mayzie LaBird while her daughter Kirby Davis-Wilson is sassy as one of the Bird Girls. Director Gary Daigneault sees wife Cindy playing the Grinch and his grandson, Quentin Roberts, 10, drives the Circus McGurkus train. Choregrapher Mandi Pushkar has husband Robert Pushkar as her assistant, daughter Jasmine  on stage and daughter Audrey runs a spotlight. More family fun on stage with Shelly Sheckler joined on stage with her daughter, Emily, and while young Linnea Hilderbrand is in the spotlight, Mom Celeste Hilderbrand is running the theater’s new Hi-Tech Projection system. Costuming genius Katherine Ferguson has her husband, Charles Harvey in the show as Horton the Elephant.

With an all-volunteer cast of 27 and stage crew of 10, “Suessical”, is the essence of true community theater for the entire Morongo Basin. The powers of friendship, loyalty, family and community are challenged and emerge triumphant; in a story that makes you laugh and cry, “Seussical”.

Tickets for the five-week run are available online at www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 box office at 760-361-4151.  Ticket prices are $12 for adults; $10 for seniors and military; and $8 for students.

Theatre 29, a 501 ( 3 ) non-profit all-volunteer Community Theatre, is located at 73637 Sullivan Road, (right around the corner from Barr Lumber) in the City of Twentynine Palms.