The Vortex Made Me Do It,part 2 (interview with Lee Rayburn KNEWS FM 94.3n). The Mystery and History of Desert Hot Springs by Bill Effinger.
This Book is dedicated to all of the people who have lived in, are currently living in, or are planning to live in Desert Hot Springs, California.
It is my sincere wish and hope, that one day the city and its residents will be able to enjoy the normalcy of a well balanced and financially sound community without strive, fear or angst about their future, in a relative calm and serene atmosphere, suitable for raising and educating their children in safety, or when retired, to fill out the remaining period of their lives in peace and tranquility.
It is also my sincere wish and hope that Desert Hot Springs will one day be looked upon as a good neighbor to all of the cities in Coachella Valley, and in so doing, legitimately earn the title of:
“The Shinning City on the Hill”
Bill Effinger
The book is available in Paperback and Kindle Edition for $9.95. Click this link for the Kindle Edition!
Editorial reviews:
Scholars have said that truth is stranger than fiction. Nothing could be proven more true than what you are about to read.
Since living in the city a relatively short time and moving away a few years ago, I contemplated writing the unusual history of Desert Hot Springs, and was finally jolted into doing so with this news headline:
Former Desert Hot Springs Mayor Alex Bias’ wife faces charges in two bank robberies
Desert Sun
(2:02 PM, Feb. 23, 2011)
“Carol Jean Bias, 69, has been charged with robbing the Bank of America at 5601 Ramon Road on Feb. 3, and the Bank of America at 588 Palm Canyon Drive around noon Wednesday.”……………….
After pleading not guilty Mrs. Bias was remanded to jail, released on Bail and a hearing was set in Riverside County Mental Health Court:
Former DHS mayor’s wife due to appear in mental health court
11:53 PM, Apr. 12, 2011
Written by
City News Service
****
Now if that wouldn’t make you jump out of your chair, not much would. It did me. I was a supporter of Alex’s bid to become mayor, and met with both he and his wife Carol on many occasions. She was quite small in stature, had a mouth like a truck driver, but I would never have taken her for a bank robber. When that Energy Vortex gets you, it just won’t let go. After sharing the article with my wife Diana, we decided the curious story of this community had to be told.
Desert Hot Springs is a historical place in the Imperial Desert of California resting high above the floor of Coachella Valley. The area, was once roamed by the Cahuilla Tribe’s Band of Agua Caliente Indians, and the Morongo Band of Mission Indians.
During 1913 the area became home to one of its earliest and most famous residents, Cabot Yerxa, whose adobe house still stands as a museum and monument to the pioneering spirit of America. It is also a place where local lore and some enthusiasts believe there is an “Energy Vortex” in the center of the city creating mystic powers for residents and visitors.
What follows, is 103-years of that history; starting with Jack Riley in 1908, purportedly the first white man to set foot in the area and then Hilda Gray in 1910, the area’s first known white settler/homesteader; followed by Yerxa in 1913.The scientific explanation of the many geological, meteorological and mystic mysteries within this desert oasis containing rare cold pure drinking water and hot mineral springs, exposes two juxtaposed natural phenomena creating a mystery of nature for the curious to experience and ponder the reasons and meaning of it all.
It is also a place where local lore and some enthusiasts believe there is an “Energy Vortex” in the center of the city creating mystic powers for residents and visitors.
