Palm Desert, Calif., (June 22, 2012) – The Coachella Valley Symphony received a $25,000 grant to continue the expansion of its music education programs. The symphony is the most recent Coachella Valley Spotlight honoree presented by the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation and CBS Local 2.

“This gift from the Berger Foundation will go a long way to promote the music development of our students,” said Wayne Abravanel, Coachella Valley Symphony music director and conductor. “Much of the funds will be used for private instruction scholarships through the Beginning Strings Conservatory. We find that individual lessons advance students’ talents more rapidly, preparing them for the next level of performance.”

The organization aims to expose the educational and therapeutic values of music by supporting student musicians, adult performers, teachers and concert patrons through the trio of the Beginning Strings Conservatory, the Buddy Rogers Youth Symphony, and the Coachella Valley Symphony. Since 1993, approximately 850 young musicians, ages 8-18, and 1400 adults have benefited from the organization’s efforts. The symphony reaches students from the High Desert to Idyllwild and throughout the entire Coachella Valley. Six main concert events are held each season including a subscription series of four concerts and two benefit events.

“The Coachella Valley Symphony has enhanced our community for decades,” said Catharine Reed, Senior Program Officer for the H.N. and Frances C. Berger Foundation. “We are happy to support music education for those young people who want to pursue dreams of performing.”

As part of the Coachella Valley Spotlight, CBS Local 2 featured the Coachella Valley Symphony on its “Eye on the Desert” community program, in public service announcements, and on the www.cbslocal2.com website in the month of June to raise community awareness of the organization and its programs.

“The Coachella Valley Symphony is a gem in our community,” said Mike Stutz, General Manager of Gulf California Broadcast Company, which owns and operates CBS Local 2. “It has been our pleasure to feature this noteworthy organization.”

City Manager

• Attended the following meetings/events:

o City Budget Presentation for Video.

o Update on SCAQMD Grant Applications.

o CVAG Executive Committee.

o Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) Meeting with Hotelier’s.

o Regular Council Meeting.

o Hotelier’s Meeting.

o Budget Town Hall Meeting.

o Policies & Procedures Sub-Committee.

o Wellness Center Update.

o Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC) regarding pending housing projects.

o Chamber of Commerce Update.

Community Health & Wellness Center –

o Slab on grade foundations are being poured for the 4,200 sq.ft. addition.

o Gutter spouts were poured/shotcrete.

o Installation of fire line, fire riser and hydrant is ongoing.

o Splash pad structure and piping about to begin.

o Installation of wrought fences and gates about to begin.

Administrative Services Department Finance

• Prepared for the City’s interim financial audit for fiscal year ending June 30, 2012,

which will be conducted by Teaman, Ramirez & Smith the week of June 11th.

• Preparing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for Business License Audit Services, with

the target release date being mid-July.

Human Resources

• Prepared for Open Enrollment, which will be conducted the week of June 11th.

• Preparing an RFP for Economic Development Services, with the target release date

being end of June.

Economic Development Planning

• Led enforcement against Hyundae Hotel for operating without any City permits or

licenses; Business License, Building Permit, Use Permit, Sign Permit.

• Dollar General Plans back from Plan Check and now with the Architect for final

revisions, expect to issue final permit to construct by end of June.

• Carl May Mural completed.

• Fireworks pre-sale meeting with booth operators is being organized.

• Completed courtesy inspection for investors considering remodeling a 10-room spa.

Public Works

• 2012 Street Rehabilitation Program kick off meeting held with Cactus Street

construction to begin on June 25.

• Phase II is out to bid and will be awarded on July 3.

• Sonora Sidewalk Project is out to bid and will be awarded on July 3.

• 4th Street Sidewalk Project is out to bid and will be awarded on July 3.

• Coordinating Area F Sewer Project with MSWD for August/September start.

• Issuing final street construction permit for the Villages project.

Public Safety Administration

• Participated in the following meetings/events:

o Met with FSA and others regarding the Promise Neighborhood grant proposal.

o Gang Ad Hoc Committee meeting.

o City Council Meeting.

o Budget Town Hall Meeting.

o Criminal Justice Liaison Committee (CJLCM) Meeting.

o Met Police Officers Assoc. Board

o Attended EDC/ICSC Recap.

o Cabot’s Pueblo Museum Fundraising Event.

o ARCCOP Meeting in Beaumont.

o Cal Chiefs Sub-committee Meeting regarding Data Sharing.

Patrol

Handled 703 incidents (calls for service/officer generated activities), including 22

misdemeanor arrests, 20 felony arrests, 99 traffic stops with 43 citations, 97 patrol

checks (includes City parks and businesses) and two (2) DUIs.

Code Enforcement

• Issued a second Administrative Citation for a recreational vehicle parked on a vacant

parcel in the 67000 block of Monterey Rd. A Notice of Violation (NOV) was also

issued to the property owner for Disruptive Activities.

• Red- tagging a hotel/spa in the 11000 block of Palm Dr. An Administrative Citation

was issued and the case forwarded to the City Prosecutor to file criminal charges.

• Issuing an Administrative Citation to a hotel in the 13400 block of Palm Dr. for

expired permits, no landscaping, Visual Blight and Public Nuisance.

• Issued an NOV to the property owner and tenant in a commercial center in the

13500 block of Palm Dr. for abandoned signage not removed pursuant to code.

• Cost Recovery for 2012 is nearly completed.

This summer, follow these energy-saving tips and you can cut your energy bill by 20 to 50 per cent.

Work your thermostat
Electric thermostats can be programmed so that the A/C isn’t on when you don’t need it. Set the thermostat at 28°C (82°F) before you leave for work in the morning and at 25°C (77°F) when you get home.

Live off-peak
In many cities, such as Toronto, electricity usage is calculated on a time-of-use rate. Go online and determine when your off-peak hours are and run your dishwasher, washing machine and dryer at these times. Often, electricity rates are the lowest early in the morning, at night and on the weekends.

Draft proof
Drafts in your homes are big energy wasters. Find out where air is escaping by performing a simple air leak test. Take a piece of tissue and go through your entire house holding the tissue near windows and door frames, electrical outlets, baseboards and other possible leakage locations. If the tissue moves, consider sealing in these gaps with caulking and weather stripping.

The materials you need are relatively inexpensive and can reduce loss energy loss by up to 10 per cent.

Keep the light out
Closing your blinds and curtains during the day can naturally cool your home by blocking heat that otherwise would have come in through your windows.

Improve your habits
Do you let the water run when you brush your teeth? Do you keep your fridge door open for a long time while you decide what to eat? Be aware of these bad habits and try to pick up a few good ones, including: taking shorter showers, turning off the lights when you leave the room and watering the lawn at night.

Remember, a little can go a long way.

Reduce your phantom load
Phantom load is the electricity consumed by a device when it is turned off. For example, your television, video game console, cable box and laptop and cell phone chargers all suck up energy even when they’re not on.

Ensure that these devices are unplugged when they’re not being used. Alternatively, plug them into a power bar and turn off the bar before you go to bed and when you leave for work in the morning.

Wash laundry efficiently
Becoming smarter about how you do your laundry not only saves you money, but it also protects valuable fresh water resources.

Roughly 90 per cent of your washing machine’s energy consumption comes from heating water, so wash your laundry in cold water whenever possible. Loading the washer to its capacity at all times uses up less energy than washing two medium loads. Also, set your machine to the shortest wash time, and forego the extra rinse cycle.

Hang your clothes to dry
The dryer is a huge source of energy. During the summer, hang your clothes outside to dry and/or dry them on a clothes rack indoors.

Lighten up with energy-efficient bulbs
The electricity used over the lifetime of a single incandescent bulb costs five to 10 times the original purchase price of the bulb itself.

Replace your regular light bulbs with either Light Emitting Diode (LED) or Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs, which are more energy-efficient and longer lasting.

Get informed about your energy use
Understand the options you have available for managing your energy consumption, such as home energy monitors and other applications. And take advantage of the many rebates and incentives available from your government or local utility, such as the Peaksaver program in Ontario.

These energy-saving tips are brought to you by the Energy Savers initiative at the Centre for Urban Energy at Ryerson University.

About Energy Savers
Energy Savers is a student-led, not-for-profit social enterprise developed by Ryerson University’s Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) and Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE). Energy Savers’ mission is to help Toronto energy users save on their costs by educating them on the value of energy conservation and empowering them to take advantage of other existing opportunities.

About CUE
The Centre for Urban Energy (CUE) is an academic-industry partnership that is exploring and developing solutions to urban energy issues, such as the advancement of clean energy technologies, energy conservation and demand management, energy storage and smart infrastructure.

About SIFE
SIFE is an international non-profit organization that brings together student leaders to create a better, more sustainable world through the positive power of business. SIFE operates in over 40 countries with the involvement of 1,500 college and university campuses. Students form teams on their university campuses and apply business concepts to develop outreach projects that improve the quality of life and standard of living for people in need.

Do YOU have a mini-panther?  While sleek, elegant, loving and intelligent, black felines are routinely overlooked by potential adopters. Animal Samaritans has dubbed their black kittens mini-panthers for the obvious resemblance to their majestic cousins in the wild.

Since our Mini-Panther adoption event at the Westfield Mall on June 9th, three black kittens have found homes.  But we still have more!

Novice cat lovers are easily lured by the multi-colored tabbies, tortoise shells, and calicos, however black cats are arguably the more passionate and practical choice for adoption. Here’s why:

Black is elegant and always in vogue

• Your mini-panther will look swanky lounging on any chair, bed, sofa or floor in the house
• You can “jungle-theme” her food bowl, toys, and litter box
• You can be a hero; on average, black cats stay longer in shelters than any other colored cats
• She will love you unconditionally

Adopting your own mini-panther is much safer than adopting a real panther.  Unlike their larger, undomesticated relatives, mini-panthers prefer Friskies and Iams to fresh python, warthog, and goat meat. You can give your mini-panther a hip, leopard-pattern collar too, which is much better than being collared by a big black leopard.  And when you cuddle and snuggle with your affectionate little mini-panther, she’ll be purring because she loves you–not because she’s gnawing on your carcass!

Visit the mini-panthers at Animal Samaritans’ animal shelter, located at 72307 Ramon Road in Thousand Palms. We’re open Monday through Saturday, 9am – 4:30pm. 760-343-3477 x4

Website, just click!