Columnists

Marissa Willman – “Columnist

Marissa Willman is a journalist and travel writer in the Coachella Valley. Originally from the Pacific Northwest, she moved to the desert in 2001 and has called it home ever since.

After a two-year stint teaching in South Korea and wandering around Asia, Marissa returned to the Coachella Valley in 2011 and works as a freelance writer. She holds a degree in print journalism from California State University, Fullerton (Go Titans!) and her writing has been featured in The Desert Sun and VisitPalmSprings.com. Marissa’s writing portfolio can be found at MarissaWillman.com.

Bronwyn Ison – “Mind Body & Spirit” Columnist

Bronwyn Ison is a RYT 200 Yoga Instructor and Television Personality. Ms. Ison attended Arizona State University and has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Broadcast Journalism from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

Her Yoga education includes more than a decade of studying and practicing as well as an additional 200 hours of training with Yoga Works. Bronwyn loves spending time with her daughters and family when she is not inspiring/instructing her students.
Bronwyn instructs public classes at Empire Polo Club. Visit www.bronwynison.com or bronwynison@yahoo.com for more information.

Curtis Hendricks – “Education” Columnist

Born and raised in the Coachella Valley, Curtis Hendricks has been a lifelong resident since the late 70’s. Curtis shows a passion for education through his completion of master’s classes in secondary education and his collective experience of 8 years teaching and tutoring our valley’s children and adults. He has always been a teacher at heart, volunteering time in high school to help elementary school band students develop their musical skills. Now with interests in math and science, Curtis teaches at a local private school.
Curtis knows the Coachella Valley and its schools well. He is a proud father of four children who all but one attend local schools at various grade levels. Curtis brings the unique experience of understanding the views of the students, teachers, and parents in our Valley’s educational system.

Eleni P. Austin – “Consider This” Columnist

I spent my formative years in Los Angeles with my mother, Irene Karubis Austin , and our big, loud Greek family. We moved to the desert in the mid-seventies just in time for puberty and disco. I have worked in music retail for 34 years starting back in high school. I was with Wherehouse Entertainment from 1985 to 2004 From 2002 to 2004 I held a weekly Local Band Showcase at the Wherehouse in Palm Springs culminating in an acoustic performance from Concrete Blonde. I wrote music reviews for the Desert Sun from 1983 until 1988. I have also worked in Music management for Borders and Barnes & Noble. I consider myself a pop culture savant and full time Bitch Goddess. I live in Palm Springs with my amazing partner and Phoebe, the grooviest
dog on the planet.

Heidi Simmons – “Book Review” Columnist

Heidi Simmons was born and raised in Southern California. She has lived in the Coachella Valley for nearly 20 years. She is a screenwriter and has worked in marketing and public relations. Heidi has a master’s degree from the University of California, Riverside.

Dale Gribow – “Business” Columnist

Dale Gribow has been profiled in Palm Springs Life Magazine 2011 as a TOP LAWYER. He is honored with his AVVO legal rating of 9.7 out of 10.Gribow has been Man of the Year 6 Times including the City of Palm Desert and the City of Hope and Dale Gribow Day has been declared 4 times.The Law Office of Dale Gribow has been in Palm Desert  for almost 20 years and prides themselves on their longstanding and loyal client relationships. The firms  practice areas include civil litigation, business trial work, real estate, estate planning, divorce, accidents and criminal litigation with an emphasis on dui representation.Dale Gribow constantly works to earn respect from colleagues, bench officers and adversaries. Many of his clients come from people he opposed in the past who respected the quality of their work.They follow their motto ….”We Turn Wrongs Into Rights”.


Raymond Bill – “The Pampered Palette” Columnist

Born in Huntington Beach, CA, Raymond has called the Coachella Valley, “home” since the late 1980’s.  With the steady rise of tourism, casinos and restaurants, Raymond has always worked in the hospitality industry, with over ten years of experience in fine dining restaurants.  Although he has an extensive background in finance and a current career in accounting, he has always had a passion for food and wine.

When he is not working or studying, Raymond spends his free time with his three children, ages 8, 10 and 12.  Raymond will tell you his greatest accomplishment in life is being “Daddy”.

Rick Riozza – “Wine” Columnist

Rick Riozza is the Coachella Valley’s sommelier-at-large conducting wine tastings, food and wine pairing events as well as fun wine tutorials in and around Southern California.  He also entertained regularly the wine lovers atop the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino at the 12th Floor Wine Bar & Lounge at their Wine Down Friday events when European wines were featured.A defense lawyer and law instructor in a past life, he later transitioned to the Bay area where he and his wine-quaffing clients and friends established a wine investment business as they traipsed about Napa/Sonoma to Bordeaux and Roma eating, drinking, and networking with winemakers.  A long-time friend of Don Galleano, owner and winemaker of the historic Galleano Winery in Mira Loma, Rick is the Goodwill Ambassador for the winery as he tags along with Don participating in a myriad of competitions, pourings, and tastings.  He can be contacted at winespectrum@aol.com.

Haddon Libby – “Politics/Economics” Columnist

Haddon Libby is an experienced investment banker and financial strategist having worked in London, New York City and Los Angeles before moving to Indian Wells ten years ago. He has served on the Board of the La Quinta Arts Foundation as Chairman and Secretary, The Living Desert and Palm Springs International Film Festival. Haddon has spoken for such groups as the Milken Institute, California Broadcasters Association and USC Graduate Film School. Since moving to the desert, Haddon has been a regular contributor to local television and radio stations on financial and economic issues of local importance. Haddon is co-founded of the business incubator and non-profit, ShareKitchen. More information on ShareKitchen is at www.sharekitchen.org. Haddon can be reached directly by email at haddon@sharekitchen.org

Lola Rossi – “Music” Columnist

Janet McAfee – “Pet Place” Columnist

Janet McAfee is the program director for Loving All Animals’ Mobile Mutts adoption program. She has been involved in animal rescue and advocacy for the past 5 years. She completed an Animal Law course at California Western School of Law, the ACES training at the Helen Woodward Animal Center and Best Friends’ No More Homeless Pets Conferences. Previous experience includes Riverside County Department of Animal Services’ East Valley Task Force, and Community Liaison/Fundraiser for Save A Pet Animal Shelter. She was raised by her German Shepherd dog named Boy.

Craig Michaels – “Desert DJs” Columnist

Co-Owner and Founder of Musical Affair entertainment. A native of Southern California, TV and Radio personality, Craig Michaels, has been entertaining audiences as a professional MC and DJ for more than 25 years. Craig was first bitten by the entertainment bug when working on cruise ships in the mid-1980’s. As the Entertainment Director for various cruise lines, he gained experience as a professional M.C., and was responsible for coordinating numerous entertainment events.

From there, he went on to broadcasting school in Huntington Beach, California, and secured his first job on the air at a local radio station in Palm Springs in 1989. Over the next 14 years, he worked at several local radio stations in the Coachella Valley, which include, KDES, KC 92.7 and Mix 100.5 at KPSI in Palm Springs.

In addition to his radio broadcasting experience, Craig also acquired quite a television audience when he served as the local weather anchor for NBC affiliate, KMIR TV6 in the late 90s. Using his vast entertainment background and experience in the Valley, Craig most recently worked for KPSP, the CBS Channel 2 affiliate in Palm Springs, as an entertainment reporter. Voted the recipient of the 2002 Orion Award for Entrepreneur of the Year, Craig now works full time on his company, Musical Affair Entertainment, and is still one of the most sought after premier DJs and emcees in Palm Springs.

Diane Marlin-Dirkx – “Don’t Be Clueless in the Coachella Valley” Columnist

Writer, Columnist, Journalist 

As a writer and columnist, Marlin-Dirkx has put her pen to a variety of subjects including fashion, food, home and lifestyle features.  For over ten years, she covered the ASociety” social scene and her weekly byline “Style Quest” answered fashion, beauty and style etiquette questions from readers of The Desert Sun newspaper, a Gannett Publication.  She has also been a contributor to Palm Springs Life Magazine, Desert Magazine and Fashion Editor for Season in the Sun Magazine, an upscale publication in the Palm Springs area which, alas, passed away recently.   Prior to moving to the desert, Marlin-Dirkx lived in New York writing for major advertising agencies and retail accounts as a freelance writer.  Marlin-Dirkx has been Copy Chief at I. Magnin in San Francisco, having honed her craft at Macy’s New York.  She has written fashion feature articles for magazines and newspapers in major markets of San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis. She has also provided direct marketing, public relations and fashion show scripts for leading specialty and department stores and advertising agencies in those cities.   

PERSONAL SLANT ON PROFESSIONAL HISTORY

Marlin-Dirkx first felt the heat of the spotlight and the thrill of the stage singing Hoagy Carmichael=s AUp A Lazy River@ in a school talent show in her small Minnesota town where, as fellow Minnesotan Garrison Keiller says, Aall the children are above average.@ After receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Speech, Theatre and Music from Hamline University in St. Paul, Marlin-Dirkx choked on chalk dust in public education as a teacher and wet her lips on gloss as a model before scrambling to New York. There, she pursued her dream, polishing her craft on what some would call, Athe wicked stage,@ by studying with Sanford Meisner at the Neighborhood Playhouse, Lee Strasberg at The Actor=s Studio, among others, and gathering up union memberships in Actor=s Equity Association (AEA), Screen Actor=s Guild and American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA) with bit, background and left-on-the-cutting-room-floor parts in the theatre, movies and on television.  Soon, she gave up Ago-sees@ in stilettos to let her fingers do the walking as a freelance writer.  Marlin-Dirkx now lives in Rancho Mirage, California. 

 She has been actively involved in non-profit charitable and fund raising organizations in the desert, such as sitting on the board as a founding director of ACT for MS, Angels Alliance, the auxiliary of Shelter from the Storm and of The Friends of the Rancho Mirage Library.  Marlin-Dirkx has been Regional Director of the Fashion Group of Palm Springs and Desert Communities, a chapter of the global organization. At present, she is a director on the board of Palm Springs Women in Film and Television.

Personally, she enjoys a good marriage, good friends and a good cat.

Sam DiGiovanna

Fire Chief Sam DiGiovanna – “Safety Tips” Columnist

From the Chiefs Corner.” Sam DiGiovanna is a Fire Chief in Los Angeles Ca and part time Coachella Valley resident. Sam has over 30 years experience in the Fire Service. He has graduate studies in emergency incident management, disaster preparedness, and fire suppression/administration. His education and experience is not limited to the fire service as Sam has graduate studies in human behavior, organizational development and personal and professional coaching. He provides professional development coaching for both private and public entities as well as individuals. Sam is also a news safety correspondent for various newspapers and television networks.

Robin Simmons – “Movie & Film” Columnist

Robin E. Simmons is an experienced screenwriter, developing movies for directors, actors and production companies. He attended USC Film School and worked in the movie and TV industry in various creative capacities (extra, animator, writer, director, producer, etc.) He loves movies and believes they are the ultimate art form of our time. “Movies unite us as a human family — it’s our shared experience. Much more than a mere diversion, it’s where we face our fears and desires and sometimes see a reflection of who we are — or might become. Movies matter.”