DON’T BE CLUELESS in the Coachella Valley

BYLINE: DIANE MARLIN-DIRKX

Speaking of—and for Veterans Day November 11, we want to salute the heroes—and “she-roes,” as poet Maya Angelou calls our other gender in the military—who know that in the words of an anonymous, unrealized poet, “Freedom is never free.” Do your part by attending one of the many tributes being held in our Coachella Valley. In Cathedral City, you’ll find the Healing Field, sponsored by the Cathedral City Rotary Club in the Patriot Park, a beautiful landscape of American flags, each with the name, rank, and branch of a hometown hero. It will be on display all this week until Sunday, Nov. 11 with a closing ceremony at Noon. Or you may simply go up to a soldier, or soldress (with apologies to Maya) and say, “Thank you for your service.” In President Ronald Reagan’s words, “Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn’t pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected and handed on for them to do the same.”
Thursday, November 8,7am. With the patriotic strains of “God Bless America” sung by the Cathedral City High School choir echoing through Palm Springs, a group of Marines from the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center, Twentynine Palms and local businessman Tim Esser put pedal to the metal, and with a Palm Springs Fire and Police department escort, wheeled away on their bicycles from the Palm Springs Hilton for a ride to the combat center to honor all veterans in recognition of the national Veterans Day holiday. If you missed the kick-start attended by Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit, welter-weight champion Timothy Bradley and local veterans, you sleepy-head you, you are welcome to catch up to them for the 60 mile trip. On Friday, they will head out from the Combat Center to San Diego’s Camp Pendleton. Come on! You can do it. Info, 760-801-7938.
Thursday, November 8, 10am. College of the Desert is getting into the act, with a Veterans Day Ceremony and ribbon cutting of the Bighorn Golf Club Charities Veterans Resource Center. Held at the East Lawn Cravens Center, 43-500 Monterey Avenue, Palm Desert, attendees are asked to park in Lot 27, south of the Cravens Center. Dr. C. Douglas Kroll, Associate Professor of History, will speak to the history of Veterans Day and the benefits of the Veterans Resource Center. “This wonderful gift will provide much needed assistance to the more than 400 veterans who currently attend college here,” says Jim Hummer, Assistant to the President/Executive Director of COD Foundation. “Ultimately, the Resource Center will provide a safe and welcoming environment for military veterans and their dependants to receive information about their VA benefits, academic and counseling support, and peer to peer camaraderie.” Info, 760-346-3363, or visit www.foundationevents@collegeofthedesert.edu.

Sunday, November 11, 9:30am. In honor of all who served to guarantee our nation’s freedom, the city of Rancho Mirage is hosting a Veteran’s Day Ceremony at Whitewater Park, where the Art Affaire is in full bloom with juried fine art in a variety of mediums and smooth to edgy toe-tapping jazz, rhythm and blues. The Sunday morning ceremony features the Cathedral City High School Jr. ROTC Color Guard and “Red, White and Blue Swag,” but you might want to come a day early (Saturday) for all the activities that draw Coachella Valley residents, as well as the just-hot-off-the-tarmac snow birds to the event all day, every year until 4 pm, rain or shine! Food from local award-winning eateries, a Wine & Beer Garden, Local Sheriff and Fire Department vehicles with photo-ops for kids, the “Rad Hatter” will present children’s recycled art activities. Enjoy educational booth displays, super giveaways, information on city services, and so much more fun in a beautiful setting with no charge and no dress code! Info, call City Hall, 760-324-4511.
Sunday, November 11, 11am. The Palm Springs Air Museum honors veterans of the Vietnam War in a special tribute with its 16th anniversary celebration. All veterans received free admission to the event which includes Bi-plane rides for sale upon entry given by Navy veteran Tom Ackland, pilot/owner of www.palmspringsplanerides.com. (Weather permitting!) After a meet-and-greet with a look-alike General George S. Patton, kids are invited for face-painting between 11 am – 1 pm, simmering warmth from the Heatwave Jazz & Show Band at Noon, and a special unveiling of the newly repainted F-4 Phantom II in VF-161 period markings at 1 pm. Ladling out the best fare in the valley will be vendors from Harry’s Bar-B-Q, Yogurt At Its Best and the Freedom Fighter’s Café. Be sure to save room for calorie-loaded birthday cake at 2pm! All activities (except the plane ride) are included with the price of admission, ranging from $8 to $15. Children under 6, active military with ID and all veterans are welcome at no charge. Special family rate of $30 covers 1-2 adults, plus 3 children, ages 6-12. Info, call 760-778-6262, or visit www.palmspringsairmuseum.org.
Sunday, November 11, 11am. Veteran’s Day! The General George S. Patton Memorial Museum at Chiriaco Summit, presents its 24th annual Veterans Day Celebration with an air salute fly-over by World War II aircraft operated by Warbirds West, a collectors’ fav-rave car show, special interest booths and exhibits, a sinus-clearing chili cook-off, an exhibit of military vehicles (I don’t know whether they’ll let you look under the hood), and a salute to singer Al Jolson—the first to entertain US troops in WWII and Korea—with a special performance of his music. Patton, nicknamed “Bandito,” Georgie,” “Old Blood and Guts,” “The Old Man,” among other colorful monikers, died in 1945, but Michael Keane, author of the new biography Blood, Guts and Prayer will be an honored guest. Chiriaco Summit is 30 miles east of the Coachella Valley, off Interstate 10 at exit 173. More info, call the Museum 760-227-3483.
Now through November 30. We thank the marines for their service, and now for their waiting children, the Assistance League of Palm Springs Desert Area is launching a Holiday Toy Drive at the 29 Palms Marine Corps base. New, unwrapped toys for infants to 17-year-olds will be collected at the Assistance League Treasure Chest, 68-355 Ramon Rd., Cathedral City, 760-321-1990, until November 30. Or you may drop your toys off at Paula Vaughan at Salon Internationale, 73-290 El Paseo, Suite 2, Palm Desert, 760-776-1120. The Assistance League is a national organization, founded in the 1890s, that now has 26,000 member volunteers in 120 chapters in the country. Each chapter focuses on the needs of its own community with fundraising in the local area. More information, visit www.assistanceleague.org, or contact Jane McDonough at 760-771-5771.
Wednesday, November 14, 10:45 am-1:30pm. “Where Are We Growing Summit” is the 2nd Annual Film & Television luncheon given by the Palm Springs Women in Film and Television (PSWIFT) that answers the question through the wisdom and experience of an expert panel in the pertinent industries concerning the many faces of Digital entertainment, now getting star billing as the “Digital Hollywood Era.” Panelists include Ezra Callahan, former Product and Operations Manager for Facebook and hotel builder in Palm Springs, Stephanie Greene, Founder/CEO of FG Creative, a full-service advertising, marketing, public relations agency, Lori McCreary, Founder/CEO of Revelations Entertainment and film producer (Invictus, Under Suspicion, The Contract, Thick as Thieves), Robert Stearns, president of ArtsOasis, a program of the Coachella Valley Economic partnership. Kate Spates, president of Graphtek Interactive, will moderate. PSWIFT members $30, Non-members $45. Indian Wells Resort – IW Club, 44-500 Indian Wells Lane, Indian Wells. RSVP w/payment, 760-238-0306.
Wednesday, November 14, 3 – 5pm. Passione di Modo (Passion for Fashion)! Benvenuta! Benvenuto! The Fashion Group International of Palm Springs and Desert Communities (FGI) invites you to an late afternoon feast of friends, food and fashion with an Italian accent to benefit the FG Foundation which awards college scholarships to Coachella Valley students wishing to pursue an education in fashion, beauty and the home, as of now they have given over $90,000 to future leaders in the industry. Honorees are Mrs. Kay Hanson, who will receive the Passionista Award, and Regional Director Karen Cantrell, who will receive the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Enjoy a Bellini, sweet and savory menu, tea and coffee, conversation, informal modeling of the newest fashion trends and an Opportunity Drawing. Dress code: Business casual. Complimentary valet parking. Villa Portofino, 4001 Via Portofino, Palm Desert. FGI members, $65; Non-members, $75.For an invitation or for reservations, call 800-758-4633.
“Don’t Be Clueless” wants to remind you that press releases for inclusion should be in to the Coachella Valley Weekly at least two weeks ahead of the scheduled event! Thanks!