The Desert Hot Springs City Council met on Tuesday evening, March 19 at the Carl May Center for its regular meeting. Mayor Parks presented proclamations for Child Abuse Prevention Month to Judy Shae, and for Hunger Action Month April 2013 to Gwen Ford from FOOD Food Bank.
CPV Sentinel representative Mark Daniels presented a million dollar check to the city. Reports were given by Lee Eastman, Public Safety Commission and by Police Commander Dan Bressler (regarding the WeTIP annual crime report).
Mission Springs Water District presented a check to Mike Platt for one thousand dollars for Little League.
Public Safety Commission Chairman Lee Eastman ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Mike Platt accepts a check for one thousand dollars from Russ Martin president of MSWD board ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Mark Daniels CPV Sentinel ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Judy Shae accepts Child Abuse Prevention Certificate ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Gwen Ford accepts Mayor Parks proclamation of April as Hunger Action Month on behalf of FIND Food ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Elaine paces before making public comments ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Police chief Kate Singer ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Gwen Ford accepts Mayor Parks proclamation of April as Hunger Action Month on behalf of FIND Food Bank ~photo Bruce Montgomery
Dan Bressler gives WeTIP Annual Crime Report ~photo Bruce Montgomery
The BNP Parabas Open has a couple new repeat winners for 2013. These world class tennis players have thrilled fans with their extraordinarily fine exciting play on the courts. This two weeks of tennis at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens is always looked forward to by tennis fans. The event started on March 4th and lasted until march 17th when the final men’s and women’s championships were played.
Maria Sharapova defeated Caroline Wozniacki in two sets. Sharapova seemed to control the whole game. She played like she wanted that trophy again for a second time. She beat Wozniacki who was the 2011 BNP Parabas Open. The weather for the whole open was just fantastic. A bit warmer than usual but the fans loved the sunshine and filled the stadium each day.
Rafael Nadal had a little harder time beating Juan Martin Del Potro. Del Potro started strong with his lighting serve winning the first set 6-4. Nadal showed he has the right stuff when he came back winning the next 2 sets, 6-3 and 6-4. This is Nadal’s 3rd win at the BNP Parabas Open. He dropped his racket and fell to the court as he realized he had won. He was so excited he ran over to owner Larry Ellison to shake his hand and others on the 1st row. He ran to his trainer and friends before greeting the crowd with his arms in the air. It was a truly exciting match to see these two players make extremely difficult saves and serve returns. They were both all over the court with long volleys before one or the other would make a mistake. It was a, sit on the edge of your chair, match.
Bob and Mike Bryant broke the spell and won the doubles tournament after the 14th try here. Women doubles winners were Elena Vesnina and Ekaterina Makarove. Attendance records were broken with over 320,000 attending and day and night matches attendance records were also broken as many matches were sold out. Title Sponsor PNB Parabas announced that they have agreed to continue to be the Sponsor for another 5 years. Ground breaking has begun already for the new addition that will be done for the 2014 BNP Parabas Open.
Integrated Wealth Management Fashion Week on El Paseo is the week of March 15 thru March 23rd in the big white tent on Larkspur Ave in Palm Desert. The is the eight annual Week of Fashion for the Coachella Valley. Top designers show elegant designs and exciting haute couture. Designs include women’s ready to wear, sports and evening attire, Men’s fashions, children’s lines and even designs for pets.
Designers show their fashions on a long runway inside the big white tent. Each night is a different designer or store that shows it wares. There will be 11 designers from the TV show, Project Runway, that will be showing their new lines on March 20th. Opening night kicked off the week long event with the Best of Saks Fifth Avenue clothing. Sunday the 16th saw Le Chien Showcase with designs for people and their pets.
Sunday the 17th had the Style and Beauty Bash where 30 salons participated that included, Hair cuts, styles and make-up applications and mens haircuts for a $30 donation. Sunday night’s show presented collections by Deborah Drucker and Victor Tung Fashions. Each night starts with a cocktail reception. Other days include trunk shows and merchandising . Other designers will be showing their collections all week. Designer of the week, Gilbert Chagoury, will be showing his collection on Sat. March 23rd.
Models showing designs by Victor Tung ˜photo Pat Krause
Lindell Campbell and Donna MacMillan ˜photo Pat Krause
Carol Dean Ross, Steven Cuoco, Janet Newcomb and Terry Hampton ˜photo Pat Krause
Designers Natalie Baroni and Char Maigne ˜photo Pat Krause
Jim Casey and Lisa Vossler Smith ˜photo Pat Krause
Tony and Karen Barone with Rascal the worlds ugliest dog and Dane Andrew ˜photo Pat Krause
Frank Jones and Susan Stein from Palm Springs Life Magazine ˜photo Pat Krause
Christian Hohmann and Ursula Hohmann ˜photo Pat Krause
Models ˜photo Pat Krause
Models ˜photo Pat Krause
Models showing designs by Victor Tung ˜photo Pat Krause
Models on Runway with Victor Tung and the very back ˜photo Pat Krause
ACT for MS held it 15th annual Spring Gala at the Renaissance Esmeralda Emerald Ballroom on March 16th. This years honoree was writer, TV hostess, editor, interview expert and society editor for Palm Springs Life Magazine, Gloria Greer. A Roast and Toast was planned for Greer, the founder of ACT for MS, Multiple Sclerosis, by her friends and celebrities.
The Roast was started by Comedian Scott Record who was unable to be there but provided a fun video for the crowd. Actress Carol Channing spoke graciously about Gloria after a few cute barbs. Another Friend Kaye Ballard told a few jokes about Gloria before thanking her for all her good works in the Valley. Locals Karen Devine and Rich Tarpening from KESQ TV, Gary Hall From Wells Fargo Bank and Palm Springs Life Magazine owner Milt Jones all made comments about her age before extolling on the many good things each had encountered while they knew her. They had all learned a lot from Gloria and felt she had mentored them in some way.
Good Friend and actress Ruta Lee sang a couple songs for her and called her, a Little Sister, as they have know each other for years. Author Andrew Neiderman and his wife did a skit where Gloria interviewed Gloria. Others teased her about interviewing Long Dead celebrities. Pianist Bill Marx has been a friend for a long time as they are at the same galas a lot during the year.
The final Celebrity to Roast and Toast Gloria was Singer Jack Jones who also sang a song to her. Gloria sat on a chair in the middle of the stage while all her friends did a roast and then a toast to her.
Gloria spoke to the guests and told them she was so thrilled to be able to be honored this way. Gloria said it was her daughter Norma that contracted MS and asked her mother to start something to help those struggling with the disease and finding it hard to make ends meet. Gloria thanked all the guests who have contributed so much to the ACT for MS that helps people with utilities, physical therapy and medical supplies they need.
Honoree Gloria Greer ˜photo Pat Krause
Pianist Bill Marx ˜photo Pat Krause
Eleanora Jones, John Bayless and Jack Jones ˜photo Pat Krause
Act for MS President Suz Hunt, Jo Pond, John Benoit and Jackie Autry ˜photo Pat Krause
Andrew Neiderman ˜photo Pat Krause
Helene Galen, Marylynn Gladstein,Nelda Linsk and Jan Ray ˜photo Pat Krause
Bob and Ann Byfield with Pat and Joe Manhart ˜photo Pat Krause
Susan Ramirez, Jennifer Grothen, Rebecca Black, Clarence Wright and Norma Greer-Fishkind ˜photo Pat Krause
Jerry Green, Carol Channing and Gary Hall ˜photo Pat Krause
Ruta Lee and Joey English ˜photo Pat Krause
Harold Matzner, Brian Harnik and Mayor Jan Harnik ˜photo Pat Krause
Al Jones and Kaye Ballard ˜photo Pat Krause
Dr. and Mrs. Reza Nazemi and lori and Aubry Serfling ˜photo Pat Krause
Milt Jones ˜photo Pat Krause
Patrick Mundt, Ann Greer and Nelda Linsk ˜photo Pat Krause
A Cypriot woman shouts slogans as she holds a placard during a protest against an EU bailout deal outside the parliament in Nicosia (AFP Photo / Patrick Baz)
The Cypriot parliament has voted against a revised bank deposit levy. The tax was meant to shave 9.9% off any deposits over €100,000 and has since caused uproar in the country.
Thirty six deputies voted against the proposal to tax bank deposits in the 56-member chamber, while 19 abstained. One deputy was not present for the vote.
“The bill has been rejected,” said house speaker Yiannakis Omirou, as thousands of protesters outside the parliament building in Nicosia erupted in cheers.
According to the proposal, a 6.75% rate was to be set for amounts between €20,000 and €100,000. Deposits of up to €20,000 euros were to remain untouched.
Passage of the bill was considered a prerequisite for a €10 billion European Union bailout for the Mediterranean island. EU finance ministers have warned that Cyprus’ two biggest banks could go bust if a bailout deal in some form is not forthcoming. The government and opposition parties have scheduled emergency talks on the bailout for Wednesday.
Cyprus has discussed the tax with its European creditors. Ministers from the 17 eurozone countries urged protection for savers with €100,000 or less and for them to be spared from the levy, after the prospect brought panic to the markets and had Cyprus dealing with the prospect of Russia withdrawing its rescue loan.
The Cypriot government’s original proposal was to tax all depositors, setting the rate of 6.75% on all deposits under €100,000 and maintaining a 9.9% tax on all deposits above that level.
In the meantime all Cypriot banks have frozen the accounts liable for the tax and stopped all transactions, including electronic and closed for a long weekend until Thursday to prevent panic.
Cyprus needed to raise €5.8 billion euros for its bailout program and was hoping to get the money in the planned bank deposits levy.
Coyote StageWorks, the professional theatrical group, now based in Palm Springs scored a major coup in producing and presenting a brilliant one man show “Clarence Darrow Tonight”, written and performed by award winning actor, playwright, director, producer, and all-round theatre and film Renaissance man Laurence Luckinbill.
The performance, at The Annenberg Theatre, Palm Springs, CA, was a one night only event (March 10, 2013) as part of Coyote StageWorks’ new community and outreach program called “Play Dates”. And the best part is, all of these events and presentations are FREE to the public.
For those historians and/or just plain folks interested in the life of Clarence Darrow – who often was referred to as “America’s most dangerous lawyer, and a follower of Satan” – you missed one stimulating and enlightened evening of not only facts, but also in witnessing the transformative power that only live theatre provides.
Darrow earned that “dangerous man “ soubriquet from those who opposed him in the courts of law. He was a champion of protecting the rights of those without a voice inside the privileged halls of government. Also he was a primary member of the American Civil Liberties Union and a tireless fighter for civil rights and decent working conditions, and was a dedicated advocate for the abolition of the death penalty all of his adult working life.
Luckinbill as Darrow, brings the famous lawyer of the 1925 Scopes Monkey Trial in Tennessee, up close and personal, delivering a penetrating, riveting, and insightful portrait of the man many thought they knew but didn’t. The production begins with Darrow/Luckinbill rhetorically asking the audience “What is justice?” For the next ninety minutes we sit riveted and enthralled as the complicated answer to this most simple of questions is explored and parsed with examples and anecdotes by a master storyteller.
One-man shows can be tricky, at times, for performers. Especially when waiting for that invisible, though palpable, audience feedback feeling that tells the performer his timing and internal pacing is in “sync” with the audience. Luckinbill as Darrow, exudes the confidence and charm of a man who knows his subject and his audience. It’s a joy to watch a consummate professional, portray one of this country’s iconic lawyers from the past.
Laurence Luckinbill, is a protean actor, and frequently takes his repertoire of historical characters in a one-man show format on the road. He has performed incisive, insightful, and entertaining portraits like “Clarence Darrow Tonight”, “Teddy Tonight” (about the life President Theodore Roosevelt), “Lyndon”, and “Hemingway”, all of which he has produced for the New York stage, for TV, and for DVD. If you spot a TV listing or see an ad for a stage reading for any of his one-man shows, by all means, buy a ticket and make sure you see this talented actor at work. It’s an experience you won’t soon forget.
Up next for Coyote StageWorks at the Annenberg Theatre, is the one-man show “TRU”, the Truman Capote story, starring Chuck Yates, a co-founding member of Coyote StageWorks and its current Artistic Director.
Truman Capote was an American novelist who became famous and a celebrity for his novella “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” in 1958, which was later made into a movie starring Audrey Hepburn. His novel “In Cold Blood” (four years in the writing) became a best seller in 1966, and was made into the chilling murder-Athriller movie by iconic director Richard Brooks.
According to Yates, it’s a play he has wanted not only to produce, but to star in as well. “I’ve been waiting almost thirty years to play this role. Now, I’m finally the right age.”
“TRU”, opens at the Annenberg Theatre Friday, April 19th. For tickets and reservations call the Box Office at 760-325-4490.
