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The Sun Runner
The Magazine of the Real California Desert
The Sun Runner
April/May 2010—Vol. 16, No. 2 The Magazine of the Real California Desert
The Sun Runner Magazine April/May 2010 Desert Ecology Issue
PO Box 2171, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
(760)366-2700 • www.thesunrunner.com
Publisher/Executive Editor:Steve Brown
Inside this Issue:
publisher@thesunrunner.com Dry Heat, by Steve Brown ... 11
Founding Editor Emeritus: Vickie Waite
Theatre/Film Editors: The Tortoise Telegraph
Jack & Jeannette Lyons News gathered from around the desert – at our own pace ... 12
Literary Editor: Delphine Lucas
Music Editors: Judy Wishart, Ed Munson Desert Art News, by Barbara Buckland & Steve Brown ... 14
Calendar & Social Media Editor,
Asst. Publisher: Barbara Buckland Woven Words, the Authors’ Page ... 22
Contributing Writers Coachella Valley Confidential, by Denise Ortuno Neil ... 23
Cynthia Anderson • Michael Armstrong Frey’s Yacht Club Returns to Sail the Salton Sea, by Steve Brown ... 25
Barbara Buckland • Lorraine Blair
David Brown • Steve Brown • John Di Pol In Loving Memory of Alvino Siva, by Katherine Siva Saubel ... 25
Pat Flanagan • Stefanie Kivelin • Jack Lyons The Blood of Ricka McGuire, by Steve Brown ... 26
Ed Munson • Denise Ortuno Neil
Steve Salkin • Linda Saholt The Desert Ecology Issue
Katherine Siva Saubel
Paul F. Smith •Judy Wishart The Sun Shines on Aztlan, by Steve Brown ... 29
Contributing Photographers: The Case for Preservation, by Steve Brown ... 32
Cynthia Anderson • Liz Babcock • Jim Barry Climate Change and the California Desert, by Cynthia Anderson ... 32
Steve Brown •Ed Munson
Denise Ortuno Neil The Water Smart Demonstration Garden, by Cynthia Anderson ... 34
Linda Saholt • Mark W. • Judy Wishart Eco-Hikes, by Cynthia Anderson ... 34
Contributing Artists: Keeping the Desert Alive at The Living Desert, by Cynthia Anderson ... 35
Karin Mayer • Diane Morgan • Sammy Morris
Rik Livingston • Noah Purifoy • Rick Unger Return on Investment, by Pat Flanagan ... 36
Advertising Sales: Off the Grid, Part One: A Season in the Wilderness,
Sam Sloneker, Ryan Muccio by Michael Armstrong ... 37
Distribution Manager: Sam Sloneker Desert Survival
The Sun Runner Magazine features desert DeRanger Steve: Gram ... 38
arts and entertainment news, desert issues
and commentary, natural and cultural history, Desert Ecology
columns, poetry, stories by desert writers, and Avoid Economic Blues by Greening Your Business, by Stefanie Kivelin ... 39
a Calendar of Events for the California desert Ridgecrest: The Other “Indian Wells”
region. Published bimonthly.
MAGAZINE DEADLINE: May 24 for The Historic Little Lake Gap, by John Di Pol ... 40
the June/July issue, for advertising, calendar Historical Perspectives on the California Desert
listings, & editorial. To list a desert event
free of charge in The California Deserts Camels in the Desert, Part 3, by Paul F. Smith ... 41
Visitors Association Calendar, please send Ramblings from Randsburg
your complete press release to calendar@
thesunrunner.com, or mail to: Calendar, c/o: On the Trail of... Kids on the Early Rand, by Lorraine Blair ... 42
The Sun Runner Magazine, PO Box 2171, Native Americans
Joshua Tree, CA 92252. Please include all
relevant information in text format. Notices Honoring Veterans With the Wall That Heals, by Linda Saholt ... 43
submitted without complete information or Desert Theatre Beat, by Jack Lyons ... 44
in a wrong format may not be posted. Event Film Talk, by Jack Lyons ... 46
information will not be taken over the tele-
phone or psychically. No exceptions! Desert Dining
SUBMISSIONS: By mail to the address Bit Of Country, by Ed Munson ... 47
above; by email: publisher@thesunrunner.
com, or stop us at the farmers market, like Coachella Valley Music Notes, by Ed Munson ... 48
everybody else does. Hi-Desert Music News, by Judy Wishart ... 49
SUBSCRIPTIONS: $22/year U.S.A. ($38/
year International, $38 trillion Intergalactic) Sustainable Living
Copyright © 2010 The Sun Runner. Per- Simple Times in a Simple Place, “Please sit down and do not be counted,”
mission for reproduction of any part of
this publication must be obtained from the by David Brown ... 50
publisher. The opinions of our contributors The California Deserts Visitors Association Calendar ... 52
are their own and do not necessarily repre-
sent the views of the magazine. We have
made every effort to be accurate, but we Cover Art — by Steve Brown
are not responsible for errors or omissions Where do human beings figure into the desert’s ecology? People have left their
in material submitted to us, nor claims by
advertisers. Advertising, press releases, and mark on the desert for thousands of years. Now, “green” solar and wind power
public service announcements accepted at projects threaten to leave their mark as well—including the possibility of destroy-
the indiscretion of the publisher. ing Native American geoglyphs and fragile desert ecosystems.
8 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 9
 Stay up to date on culture & life in
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10 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
S
ome people have the knack for
being all neat and tidy, with ev-
erything in its rightful place. I
have no idea how they do it. As I look
at turning 50, and six full years of run-
ning The Sun Runner (Vickie Waite,
our founding editor emeritus, would be
proud that someone called me “the new
guy” just a couple weeks ago), I find it
harder than ever to put the various facets
of life in the desert in their own boxes.
They just won’t stay put. (Is it just me,
or does everything in the desert seem
to be extremely independently-minded,
sometimes to a fault?)
For instance, where exactly does the
line between nature and art run out here
in the desert? How do I separate these
two aspects of existence so they can be
neatly stowed in their own boxes? I can’t
seem to do it, and I’m not at all convinced
I want to.
Especially after wandering around
the desert for all these years. I mean,
where else can you contemplate the
pure magic of Noah Purifoy’s outdoor
assemblage sculptural wonderland and
hike with the hummingbirds through
the wildflowers covering Big Morongo
Canyon—in the same day (something
everyone should do at least once a year)?
For that matter, where does the line
between art and the rest of human en-
deavor run? Isn’t a well-lived life itself
art? In my world, there are waitresses at
the Carousel Cafe who are true artists,
and who would ever question whether
Mara Cantelo is an artist? And does life
as art only apply to lives that are human?
I don’t think so.
Or, perhaps someone can show me
where the line is between humanity and
nature? Are we not, from one perspec-
tive, an integral part of nature? We’re
certainly a bunch of animals. Yet, often
times, it doesn’t seem like we appreciate
or respect the natural beauty around us,
especially if someone flashes some cash
in our direction.
Now don’t get me wrong. I like
making money as much as everyone else,
but I value other things as much or more.
Mostly I like money (what I see of it), for
the things it lets me do, like publish this
magazine and share it with 50,000 read-
ers each time out, for instance, or spend
a week showing my nephew Kevin, from
Virginia, around the desert for the first
time (he’s great—at age 15, he told me
he could spend a whole day just sitting
at Noah’s place to take it all in).
So, while I appreciate earning a
living, I also enjoy the company and
love of family and friends, a new place
to explore, questions I can’t answer just
yet, watching ravens pester hawks (for
some reason, I keep seeing pairs of ravens
enthusiastically double-teaming hawks),
and those tiny little yellow wildflowers
that smell like cumin when you pick
them.
Other folks seem to have shoveled
the intangible stuff into boxes, and all
that’s left is cash and rationalization.
Lately, our marketing-mad society has
decided “green” is the new buzz word.
Just say the word and abracadabra, the
government hands you a billion dollar
loan guarantee.
Sometimes the only green in green
energy seems to be the cash involved.
Must we obliterate much of the desert
for the “greater good?” (To echo the
call made for Green Path North, the
L.A. Department of Water and Power’s
ill-planned and now defunct plan to run
high voltage power lines through nature
preserves when there were other, better
alternatives.) And who is “greater” any-
way? Whomever is profiting?
Yes, there must be compromises.
Yes, there needs to be a balance. But no,
that doesn’t mean we all have to go along
hook, line, and sinker with whatever is
being shoved down our throats so Bechtel
makes billions of taxpayer dollars. Sorry.
I’m not saying all large scale green
energy production is a scam. But I am
saying that there are definitely scams go-
ing on in the promotion and production
of green energy in this country, and as a
general policy, if someone stands to make
a few billion off a deal, green or not, it’s
probably a good idea to not accept every-
thing they say as the gospel truth without
asking a few questions first. Especially
if you’re out here in the desert where
dozens of solar and wind projects are
planned, some of them going for miles.
In other news, our fourth annual
Desert Writers Issue is coming up, with
its deadline on July 6. Writers and po-
ets from the California deserts (or with
strong connections to the California
deserts), are encouraged to submit short
fiction, essays, poetry, and book excerpts
(details on our website). We also have
a special category in the issue this year,
Letters Home, for the writings of our
military personnel and their loved ones.
All desert-based or connected military
personnel and their loved ones are invited
to participate. We’re rounding up prizes
for the best entries in this section, so don’t
be shy, just check out our website,
www.thesunrunner.com, for details.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 11
Hit the Road, Jack
OK, we’re probably going to catch hell
on this one, but someone needs to send
the folks from Santa Ana who have been
drafting "branding" slogans for Twenty-
nine Palms packing. Don’t get me wrong,
we love Twentynine Palms, but if these
marketing specialists are coming up with
slogans like, "Flame of the Desert," as a
way to attract business and tourism, they
need to be smacked.
First of all, what the heck is the City
of Twentynine Palms doing paying lots
of cash to a Santa Ana firm to come up
with a good slogan? They don’t know the
desert, and they really don’t care about
the desert—precisely the kind of folks
who should be excluded from this kind
of process. To say their suggestions for
city slogans are passionless and lame is to
be kind. "Desert Gateway?" "The Real
Desert" (Note: We’re the magazine of the
real California desert, so maybe we can
sue for some vague form of infringment?
Heck, if you’re going to go paying some
OC MBAs lots of cash, well, we’d like
to get some too!) "Heart of the Desert?"
Give us a break, or at least a different
body part. What is the marketing slogan
for these Santa Ana MBAs? How about
"Lame Ideas Gone Bad," or "We’ve Al-
ready Cashed Your Check, So Who Cares
What You Think?"
I’m tired of an attitude I’ve encoun-
tered one too many times out here, that
if it’s local, it can’t be good. We don’t
need any Santa Ana MBAs to make us a
slogan. Most of us (some of the Cactus
Thorns contributors excluded), can draft
a fairly coherent sentence on our own.
Twentynine Palms should pony up
some cash, and run a contest for the best
12 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
marketing slogan, and logo, while they’re
at it, supporting, and utilitizing, our own
local talent. We have a great, underuti-
lized pool of talent here. The folks from
Santa Ana may be great at other aspects
of attracting business investment and
so forth, but they evidently can’t draft a
city marketing slogan worth shit (sorry,
but that’s truth in advertising). So, let’s
tell them to move on, and we’ll come up
with the slogan and logo on our own. We
might just have some fun in the process.
Of course, this is the typical market-
ing process—brand and market, without
much thought about what you are brand-
ing or marketing. You wouldn’t want to
actually do something first to make the
city more worthy of marketing, would
you? Like fix up your downtown?
The irony is that Twentynine Palms,
of all the hi-desert towns, has the most
pedestrian-friendly downtown. With
some leadership and incentives from
city government, the city could have
a vibrant, tourist and family-friendly
downtown, with dining, shopping, and
maybe even entertainment. But instead,
it is an opportunity missed—by a mile.
There are some great places downtown,
but the area could be an exciting destina-
tion for visitors, and it’s not anywhere
near living up to its potential.
Palm Springs tends to do the same
thing—spend tons of cash on marketing
Palm Canyon Drive when it has a 50
percent vacancy rate. Yeah, tell everyone
that it’s a great shopping and dining des-
tination then send them down to a bunch
of "for lease" signs.
You’d think that the first thing you’d
want to do is come up with a plan to
actually make the drive a great shopping
and dining destination, prior to telling
everyone around the country that it is one.
That’s not to say that there aren’t
more than a few excellent restaurants
in downtown Palm Springs (Kalura, for
instance), some nice shops and a smatter-
ing of entertainment options, but all too
often, there have been empty storefronts
that break up the continuity of a visitor’s
experience (and we won’t even talk
about the eternal Desert Fashion Plaza
heartbreak). So, while Palm Canyon is
fun to visit, it may not always match up
with the marketing it receives.
What happens when you tell some-
one from Chicago, for example, that
Palm Canyon is a superb destination for
shopping and dining out, and when they
get there it looks lackluster compared to
offerings they enjoy back home? They
tell their friends that it wasn’t all that it
was cracked up to be. I’m not sure that
was the desired marketing effect.
It’s a similar situation in Twentynine
Palms—there’s plenty to market(read
our last issue), just make sure that what
you market actually exists. Then, look
around, see what you think might be good
to add, and come up with a plan to make
it happen.
I’d start with turning a three-block
section of downtown into something
special for visitors and locals, but then,
I’m not a $120,000 a year economic
development specialist either.....
Passings
Brett St. Giles was a friend of mine, and
a delightfully witty, energized, creative
person. I was blessed to get to know her
and to play music with her. I will miss
her, and her strong, wonderful spirit.
 I didn’t get to know Dave Miller
of the Hi-Desert Star, but I saw him
covering so many community events he
almost felt like family. Miller had been
the sports editor for the newspaper up
until recently when he retired, but what it
seems like he really was, was the heart of
a that community paper. He went far be-
yond what most journalists ever do with
their jobs, and really told the stories and
took the pictures of everyday life in our
community. Everyone got their moment
in the limelight with Dave’s coverage,
and he took the time and made the extra
effort through his stories and photos to
make our young people really shine.
The story commemorating Miller’s
passing in the Hi-Desert Star shared
the heart-rending story of how he was
drawn into journalism. While working
as a firefighter, Miller responded to a
car accident. The editor of the local
newspaper lay dying on the side of the
road. Before he died, the story noted,
the editor spoke of how much he loved
his life, and that love must have touched
Miller profoundly, as he applied to the
local paper. From that tragedy came a
great blessing.
I guess we owe that nameless editor
a little gratitude. His dying words sent
one of the best community journalists
I’ve ever encountered to the hi-desert,
where he did us all a great deal of good.
My hope is Miller’s example is carried
on to other journalists the way the words
of that dying editor reached his heart.
Desert Marketing Gone South
I’m not sure about the reasoning behind
this, but a recent Google search for
something having to do with Joshua Tree,
brought up an ad for "Joshua Tree and
More." When you click on it, it takes you
to "California’s Secret Desert”—Borrego
Springs.
Though I’d venture to guess that
most of the desert remains a secret for
many people (those who don’t regularly
read this magazine, anyway), Borrego
Springs is now billing itself as both our
secret desert, and "the Joshua Tree alter-
native." Ah, trying to be the alternative
to the alternative, eh?
"Don’t you love Joshua Tree?" their
web page asks visitors. "So do we." Then
it goes on to encourage you to visit—Bor-
rego Springs, of course, since this website
is run by their chamber of commerce. I’m
thinking of putting up a "Visit Borrego
Springs" ad on Google and re-directing
people who click there to the Joshua Tree
National Park area. What do you think?
Actually, I don’t think this market-
ing approach was either necessary, or
should be encouraged too much. After
all, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is a
fantastic place to explore (provided the
state actually funds it this coming fiscal
year in our government’s ongoing at-
tempts to destroy the best places to visit
in California), and Borrego Springs sits
smack in the middle of it. Should you
visit? Absolutely. But why not stress
its own uniqueness, beauty, and great
experiences instead of trying to borrow
from someplace else?
The fact that the folks in Borrego
Springs claim that they’re comparitively
unknown might be because they have
mostly marketed to the nearby San Diego
region in the past, and now that they’re
trying to reach out, they don’t do it by
working with other folks in the desert,
but by trying to borrow a little business
from Joshua Tree? Maybe they don’t
work well with their neighbors?
From my visits to Borrego Springs,
I’d have to say that other than being
towns in the desert, there isn’t a lot
of similarity between that town and
our base in Joshua Tree, especially for
visitors. Borrego Springs appears more
oriented toward the conservative resort
crowd, tends to offer higher end accom-
modations (more along the lines of the
Coachella Valley), and is sprawled out
quite a bit (roomy). I’ve always found it a
bit confusing as to where things are, out-
side of the small downtown and the park
visitor center. Because of this, whenever
we go to explore Anza-Borrego, we stay
in Julian, which has an easily navigable
and attractive downtown, with reason-
ably priced accommodations and some
great restaurants, and shops. I can find
my way around there.
I’m not saying Borrego Springs
doesn’t have all those good things, I’m
just noting that it seems harder to find
them when you’re not familiar with the
area. The chamber’s site tells you to ask
around beccause they don’t have many
signs. Well, I didn’t have much luck
with that approach, so I’d recommend a
few more signs.
Borrego Springs and Anza-Borrego
Desert State Park have a great deal to
offer visitors. The park is one of the
absolute "must-see" destinations in the
California deserts. It’s also a fantastic
wildflower location in the spring. Ev-
ery time we go, we find new places to
explore and enjoy. It is breathtakingly
beautiful, and filled with its own brand
of desert magic.
We love the work of the Anza-
Borrego Foundation and Institute, and
we include all their educational and rec-
reational offerings in our online calendar.
I heartily encourage supporting the ABF
and taking advantage of their excellent
programs.
But Borrego Springs ain’t Joshua
Tree, and it never will be. Borrego
Springs is Borrego Springs, and frankly,
it should try to market itself that way too.
In Memory of Baby Wyatt
There are some things almost too tragic to
believe, but real, nonetheless. Such is the
case of little Wyatt Garcia, son of Steven
Garcia and Katie Tagle of Yucca Valley.
The couple had split up and Tagle
and Garcia went to Superior Court in Vic-
torville on January 21 to decide on cus-
tody matters. Tagle repeatedly brought
up threats reportedly made by Garcia
that he would kill their son Wyatt. She
had wanted a temporary restraining order
against Garcia for some time, but two
judges in Joshua Tree, and Judge Robert
Lemkau refused to take her seriously.
“My suspicion is that you’re lying,”
Lemkau told Tagle, before admonishing
her that if she was lying about the threats,
there would be “adverse consequences”
for her. Never does the judge ask Garcia
about the threats.
Ten days later, Steven Garcia killed
his infant son, then killed himself.
Now a website is up and active to
support removal of Judge Lemkau, or at
least to defeat his re-election. Talking to
the site’s organizer, activist Alan Boinus,
his goal is wider judicial reform. And
from what I’ve seen, it’s a good idea.
According to reports from the Vic-
tor Valley Daily Press and other sources,
Judge David Mazurek also refused to
grant a TRO, after allegations were made
by Tagle that Garcia had previously
hit her. This is difficult to understand
because it seems like it’s easier to get a
TRO at the Joshua Tree courthouse than
to avoid being called for jury duty once
a year. Finally, after being dismissed as
a woman (even, it should be noted, by a
female judge), Tagle got an emergency
restraining order from Mazurek after
Garcia reportedly sent her a story where a
father kills his son and then kills himself.
But Judge Lemkau refused to con-
tinue the restraining order, and continued
a procession of poor decisions that led
to Wyatt dying before his first birthday.
Though Lemkau was the focus of
a well attended protest in Victorville,
and later apologized for his role in the
tragedy, he is running for another term as
judge. In his own words, “I’m going to
deny it.” Deny Lemkau the opportunity
to make more decisions, and visit www.
lemkaumustgo.com for updates.
– Steve Brown
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 13

29 PALMS
29 Palms Art Gallery
The April exhibit is a judged Members Show being held in all
the galleries. There is an opening reception from noon to 3 p.m.,
Sunday, April 11. The May exhibit features works by Gloria
White (acrylic mandalas), Guild Members, a special Noah
Purifoy tribute, and a Morongo Basin Cultural Arts Council
Group Show (assemblage). The opening reception will be held
from noon to 3 p.m., Sunday, May 2.
Open noon to 3 p.m. Wed.-Sun. 29 Palms Art Gallery,
74055 Cottonwood Drive, 29 Palms (off National Parks Drive),
29 Palms. (760)367-7819, www.29palmsartgallery.com.
29 Palms Creative Center
James Hammons’ exhibit, Lucid Dreams, is featured from
March 20 -through April 20. Hammons received undergraduate
degrees in history and psychology from the University of Red-
lands; later earned a Masters of Fine Arts from the University
of Southern California’s famed film and screenwriting program.
The David Greene: “Movie Star Zombie Love Affair”
painting exhibit runs from May 1 – June 5, with an artist recep-
tion on Saturday, May 1, 6-9 p.m.
Greene notes, “It’s funny how an innocent conversation
can provide the inspiration for the creation of a series of paint-
ings. One day, local photographer Charlotte ’Charlie’ Ohnsten
remarked that she had seen a Vincent Price movie and she
14 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Art by Yucca Valley High School artist Sammy Morris.
thought he was sexy. Jokingly I remarked, ’Yeah, but he’s dead.’
To which she replied ’...Well, he’s still hot!’ Teasingly I said
’...oooh, movie star zombie love affaire, hey?’”
Creative Center Classes:
Bookmaking with Scraps, April 17, Saturday, Noon to 2 p.m.
Bookmaking with Scraps is a quick way to create a one-of-a-
kind book using images and designs from magazines, news-
papers, your sketch book and any other flat found objects that
can be glued or sewn onto the pages of your hand crafted book.
Bring any treasures you have been gathering to be candidates
for being incorporated into your bound book you will make.
The workshop cost is $65/person.
Earth Day Printmaking, April 24, Saturday, Noon to 2 p.m.
To commemorate Earth Day, we will explore the colorfulways
to express yourself with the etching press. The processes we will
explore: the basic monotype, pure color monotype, and viscos-
ity printing which are all instant gratification make you feel
good art making processes. The workshop cost is $55/person.
Mother’s Day Rainbow Roll, May 8, Saturday, Noon to 2
p.m.
In case you are looking to treat your mom to a unique and
bonding day together, this is the class for you and the whole
family. The workshop will explore the dynamic and magical
rainbow roll technique on a monotype plate, which entails mix-
ing 3 colors together on a big roller creating a beautifulfade
effect (a lot like our sunsets in the desert sky). The workshop
Our October/November 2009 cover artist, Rik Livingston, sent us this remembrance of Rick Unger, our December 2009/January 2010 15th
anniversary cover artist (see below right) who was diagnosed with liver cancer shortly before Christmas. We are devastated by his loss.
Rick was a great artist who knew how to have fun with art, and our hearts and prayers are with his wonderful Rebecca.

cost is $55/person.
Spring Fling Linoleum, May 15, Saturday, Noon to 2 p.m.
Now that spring is in full throttle, it is time to capture some
of that creative energy and put it to use on your linoleum plate.
Bring a 8x10 drawing or image to tranfer onto your plate and
Gretchen will teach you how to recreate the drawing by gouging
the linoleum. The workshop cost is $60/person.
Gallery Hours: Monday - Saturday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.,
Sunday call ahead.
29 Palms Creative Center, 6847 Adobe Road, 29 Palms.
(760) 361-1805. www.29palmscreativecenter.com.

The 29 Palms Inn

The art of Karen Swenson and Bruce Miller is on display
through April. Open daily. The 29 Palms Inn, Oasis of
Mara,73950 Inn Avenue (off National Park Dr.), 29 Palms.
(760) 367-3505. www.29palmsinn.com.

Twentynine Palms City Hall

Pat Flynn’s exhibit of spring wildflowers and cactus blooms
watercolors and paintings are on display through April 29.
Flynn, known locally for her floral paintings and greeting cards,
began her painting career in 1995 after her retirement from the
federal government. According to the artist, she enrolled in
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 15

Live Art, Give Art!
ART CLASSES & MORE
6847 Adobe Road 760.361.1805
Located across from Barr Lumber
www.29PalmsCreativeCenter.com
ART
A ROADSIDE ATTRACTION
69197 29 Palms Hwy., 29 Palms
(Near Indian Cove Entrance to JTNP)
760/362-4100
Open Mon.-Fri. 10-6 & Sat. 10-2
Custom Framing & Matting
D.L. BOWDEN
FRAME MAKER
367-1174 • 73487 29 Palms Hwy.
Canopy Row in Downtown 29 Palms
Simi Dabah
Sculptures
www.gallery29.com/simi
16 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
watercolor classes at Copper Mountain
College “just for something to do,” then
fell in love with the media and its chal-
lenges, and has been painting ever since.
Encouraged by a sister member of
Soroptimist International, she painted a
series of desert wildflowers and repro-
duced them into greeting cards. In 1996,
her first wholesale customer was the
Joshua Tree National Park Association,
where the cards are still selling in all the
gift shops.
Flynn specializes in desert wildflow-
ers, flowering cacti, desert animals and
hummingbirds, and works primarily in
watercolor, pastel, and colored pencil.
She has exhibited at the Twentynine
Palms Art Gallery and The Gallery in
Big Bear Lake, is a past president of Ac-
tion Council for 29 Palms, and chaired
the first “Mural in a Day” project for the
city in 2002.
The Art in Public Places exhibit is
sponsored by the City’s Public Arts Advi-
sory Committee and is on display through
April 29. Residents and visitors can view
the show Monday through Thursday
from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. at 29 Palms City
Hall, 6136 Adobe Road, 29 Palms.
(760)367-6799. www.ci.twentynine-
palms.ca.us.
Art at the Oasis – Joshua Tree National
Park Art Festival
Art and nature come together in charming
cordiality at Joshua Tree National Park’s
18th Annual Art Festival held April 2-4,
9 a.m.-5 p.m. daily. More than 25 artists
representing a wide variety of mediums
will be on hand to exhibit and sell their
work. A theme show, all work is an output
of creativity inspired by the spectacle and
innumerable delights to be seen in Joshua
Tree National Park and the southwest
desert. Meet the artists and learn what it
was in their desert view that so inspired
their creativity.
The Festival is sponsored by the
Joshua Tree National Park Association, a
non-profit organization that provides sup-
port and assistance to the park’s interpre-
tive, educational and scientific programs.
Admission is free. 74485 National Park
Drive, 29 Palms. (760) 367-5537. www.
joshuatree.org/artfestival.html.
JOSHUA TREE
Art Queen
Art Queen, in Joshua Tree East, currently
features works by resident artist Shari Elf.
Elf’s works are also available for viewing
online at www.sharielf.com/gallery.html.
Art Queen Gallery, 61855 29 Palms
Hwy, Joshua Tree. www.sharielf.com.
The Red Arrow Gallery
April at the Arrow features an “Art
Exchange” with six artists from Alaska:
Karen Foote, Tim Foote, Nancy Burh-
nam, Wendy Croskrey, George Giana-
kopoulos, and Sandy Gillespie. There is
an open house on April 3, from 10 a.m.-6
p.m. The show runs through April 24.
Gallery hours: Friday 5 to 8 p.m., Sat-
urday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The
Arrow Gallery, 61596 29 Palms Hwy,
Joshua Tree. (760)366-3700. www.
theredarrowgallery.com.
True World Gallery
On display through Arpil is the exhibit,
Sacred Connection: Amy Komar and
Elena Ray. The two artists in this show,
Sacred Connection, have never met, yet
they share a deep connection. Amy Ko-
mar is a painter from Fairbanks, Alaska.
Elena Ray is a photographer living in
Joshua Tree. Amy’s paintings are inspired
by the natural world, while Elena’s pho-
tographic collages are explorations of
energy, healing systems and archetypal
psychology. In Amy’s work, claybord
panels are built up in thin washes of iri-
descent acrylic paint, up to hundreds of
layers in a single painting. Elena employs
painting, photography, and collage on
handmade and Asian papers.
The exhibit includes Amy’s series,
The Alchemy of Connection. Using
social networking sites, she asked indi-
viduals to submit a brief list of their daily
joys and pleasures, which she then posted
to her blog, artistinthearctic.blogspot.
com. These simple pleasures became the
inspiration for this series of paintings.
Elena’s blog, The Transitional Im-
age, (elenaray.typepad.com/the_transi-
tional_image) is an insightful meditation
on art, process and spiritual practice,
illustrated by her unique photo imagery.
May 1, True World Gallery will open
a new show, with works by photographer
Brian Leatart and painter Lily Stockman.
The opening will be in the Starlite Court-
yard from 7-10 p.m., with live music,
food and drink. Mt. Fuji General store
will also be showing paintings by Lily.
Gallery Hours: Thursday, Fri-
day, and Sunday 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.,
Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Mon-
day through Wednesday by appoint-
ment. True World Gallery, 61740 29
Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)366-
2300. www.trueworldgallery.com.
Crossroads Café
The art of Janet Manes is featured from
March 3-May 5. May 5-June 30 the
Café is showing works by Geoffrey
Fenn. Geoffrey lives deep in the moun-
tains near the Yucca Valley area and is
continuously working on new writings,
films & artworks using music, water,
stone, wood, glass, leather, paint, thread,
feathers, earth, silicon, native plants, ani-
mals, video, time-lapse cinematography,
photography or whatever else he finds in
his travels around the Southwest.
Crossroads Café is open Sun., Mon.,
Tues., Thurs. 6:30 a.m.-8 p.m.; Fri. and Sat
6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; closed Weds. 61715 29
Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)366-5414.
www.crossroadscafeandtavern.com.
Mt. Fuji General Store
The art of Clare Youmans is featured
through April. Claire Youmans lives an
adventurous life deeply connected to na-
ture. Strongly influenced by Asian forms
in art and poetry, she is a Nichiren Shoshu
Buddhist who travels frequently in Japan,
where the transient yet eternal beauty of
Mt. Fuji dominates both the landscape
and the sensibility of the people. In ad-
dition to watercolors, Youmans creates
whimsical mixed media wall pieces for
indoor and outdoor areas. She is presently
compiling a book of watercolors and
poetry. Youmans has exhibited in group
shows in California and her works are in
private collections throughout the United
States and in Japan.
Lily Stockman’s work is featured in
May also on display at the True World
Gallery, with an opening show in the Star-
light Courtyard, May 1, from 7-10 p.m.
Gallery hours are Thurs., Fri., Sun.
11 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat. 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Mt. Fuji General Store, 61704C 29
Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)333-
9174. www.fujibird.com
Joshua Tree Art Gallery (JTAG)
The gallery is currently featuring The
Artists Collective Show with Best, Blue-
field, Burnham, Florek, Fulmer, Luckett,
Magnuson, Rieman, Szabo. The show
runs through April 30. This is Joshua
Tree’s newest gallery. Gallery hours
are Sat. and Sun. Noon-5p.m, Weekdays
by appointment. JTAG is located at
61695 #A 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree.
(760)366-3636.
The Sun Runner Gallery and Shop
The Sun Runner Gallery at the head-
quarters of The Sun Runner Magazine
in Joshua Tree East, features works by
Karin Mayer, Rik Livingston, Bruce
Miller, Billy Makuta, Steve Brown,
Suckass Greetings, and others, along
with a collection of desert books, CDs,
cards, and gifts.
Gallery hours are Mon.-Fri. Noon-5
p.m. through April 23. Sun Runner Gal-
lery and Shop, 61855 29 Palms Hwy,
Joshua Tree. (760)366-2700, www.
thesunrunner.com.
YUCCA VALLEY
Hi-Desert Nature Museum
Currently on display through April 23,
is the “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle” Exhi-
bition. This is an exhibition of artwork
contributed by local artists made from
recycled or reused materials. This exhibit
is designed to make people rethink our
throw-away society by sharing the local
community’s innovative and often sur-
prising use of discarded items.
The Town of Yucca Valley presents
the annual Yucca Valley High School Art
Show, April 27-June 6. The exhibition
highlights the impressive work of some
of the community’s young talent. An
opening reception is slated for Friday,
April 30, from 4:30-6 p.m. and is free
to the public.
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum, a
true gem of the hi-desert, has served the
residents and visitors of the Morongo
Basin since 1965. Museum hours are
Tues.-Sun. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (Closed Mon-
days and major holidays.) Admission is
free. Donations support the museum’s
educational mission. Hi-Desert Nature
Museum, 57090 29 Palms Hwy,Yucca
Valley. (760)369-7212. www.hidesert-
naturemuseum.org.
Tamma’s Magic Mercantile
Artists featured in Tamma’s include na-
ture and wildlife photography of David
McChesney, Christy Anderson’s license
plate and “junk art,” Christopher Pheyk
glass blower and art, Divine Design
greeting cards by Barbara Penney, Claire
Montrose stained glass windows and
bottle crosses, Frederick Ruldolph leather
art, gourd art of Ronald Churchwell.
Hours are 10 a.m-5 p.m daily. Tamma’s
Magic Mercantile, 55727 29 Palms Hwy,
Yucca Valley. (760)228-0700. Mark Speer
MORONGO VALLEY
Automotive
760-367-0222
The Purple Agave Art Gallery
4082-B
Currently showing through April are
Penelope Krebs’ bird paintings. Sheryl
Roy’s Adobe Rd.
Jordan ph James Hagerty acrylic paint- Tires 29 Palms
ings, Sandi Wheaton photography, and
Bob Nelson acrylic paintings.
May huge show featuring Cheryl
Jordan’s book of black and white pho- Owner
tography, “92256 Morongo Valley.” All Corey A. Collett
book sale proceeds will go for towards TIRES • WHEELS • REPAIR
COMPUTER BALANCING
scholarships for young ladies in Morongo
Valley after High School. Grand Open- (760)228-2084
ing May 8 from 5 - 8 p.m. Show runs 55666 Yucca Trail, Yucca Valley
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 17

Your gear specialist for
Hiking • Backpacking • Climbing
MOUNTAIN EQUIPAGE
NOMAD VENTURES
61795 Twentynine Palms Hwy. Joshua Tree
Park Blvd. & Hwy. 62 (760) 366 4684
18 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
through Sept. The gallery is open daily
from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
The Purple Agave Art Gallery,
49889 29 Palms Hwy, Morongo Valley.
(760)353-6076. www.purpleagavegal-
lery.com
Morongo Valley Art Colony
Morongo Valley Art Colony, located at
beautiful Covington Park in Morongo
Valley. (760)363-7927.
PALM SPRINGS
Palm Springs Art Museum
The Palm Springs Art Museum an-
nounced it will present Colors of the
West: The Paintings of Birger Sandzén,
a major exhibition of the works of Post-
Impressionist painter Sven Birger San-
dzén (1871-1954).
Sandzén’s personal style of bold
color with thickly applied masses of paint
earned him the title “the American Van
Gogh.” His vibrant paintings of prairie
and western landscapes have been rela-
tively unknown outside the Midwest until
recently, and this exhibition is the first
major West Coast exhibition of Sandzén’s
work since 1948. The exhibit runs from
April 17 through September 12, with
more than 60 paintings, watercolors,
and prints that showcase his western
landscapes.
A members-only opening event for
the exhibit is slated for April 16, with a
lecture in the Annenberg Theater at 5:30
p.m., followed by a reception until 8 p.m.
A lecture, Individualizing Nature: the
Art and Life of Birger Sandzén, by Ron
Michael, curator for the Birger Sandzén
Memorial Gallery, is scheduled for April
17 at 11 a.m. Following the lecture, tour
the exhibit with Michael and curator
Christine Giles.
After the lecture and tour there is a
luncheon scheduled in the Elrod Sculp-
ture Garden, $30 for Western Art Council
members, $40 non-members. Reserva-
tions required: (760)322-4888.
Between Earth and Heaven: The Ar-
chitecture of John Lautner, is on exhibit
through May 30 in the Annenberg Wing.
In a career that spanned six decades and
produced more than 150 built works,
Lautner created an architecture that val-
ued plasticity, transparent boundaries,
freedom in form and plan, and continuity
between building and landscape. In the
Palm Springs area, Lautner designed a
mountain cabin in the trees, a motel as
desert retreat and a showcase home for
designer Arthur Elrod. It is this dialogue
between nature and built structure that
defines his work and has provided a
legacy for the study and understanding
of his creative genius.
This exhibition of the work of one
of America’s most significant Modern-
ist architects is the first comprehensive
overview of John Lautner’s architecture.
Co-curated by Frank Escher, a practicing
Los Angeles architect and the Adminis-
trator of the John Lautner Archives, and
Nicholas Ohlsberg, former Director of
the Canadian Centre for Architecture
and independent curator, the exhibition
includes 115 original drawings and
sketches; ten original models; six large-
scale architectural models created for
the exhibition and a documentary film.
In addition, a monograph by the same
name, published by Rizzoli, contains es-
says by Jean-Louis Cohen, Frank Escher
and Nicholas Olsberg.
The Architecture and Design Coun-
cil present the film, Infinite Space: The
Architecture of John Lautner, April
18, from 2 to 4 p.m. in the Annenberg
Theater. The documentary traces the
lifelong quest of Lautner to create “ar-
chitecture that has no beginning and no
end.” Co-producers Sara Sackner and
Anna Thomas introduce the film and host
a Q&A session after the screening. $10
ADC members, $15 non-members.
Palm Springs Art Museum 101 Museum Dr., Palm Springs.
(760)322-4800, www.psmuseum.org.

Backstreet District First Wednesday

Art Walk
April 7 & May 5. Backstreet Art District hosts their First
Wednesday Art Walk Open galleries & studios featuring modern
& contemporary fine art. Galleries include Art By Peter, Dezart
ONe, Galerie Mystere, Images By Gideion, Red DOt Gallery,
Showcase 5 Gallery, Studio 3, Trevor Goss, Gallery, and Ted
Phillip Denton Working Studio & Gallery. Wednesday 6-9 p.m.
2688 Cherokee Way & Matthew Dr., Palm Springs (behind
the Mercedes Dealership, off Hwy 111 & E. Palm Canyon).
(760)328-1440. www.backstreetartdistrict.com/galleries.

Downtown/Uptown First Friday

Art Walk
April 2 & May 7. The Palm Springs Downtown/Uptown
First Fridays will be having their Art Walk from 6 pm - 9
pm. Browse cool galleries and upscale shopping along
Palm Canyon drive from Amado Road to Tachevah Drive.
Continuum Gallery at 258 N. Palm Canyon Drive; Crystal
Fantasy at 264 N. Palm Canyon Drive and M Modern at 2500
N. Palm Canyon Drive.

I.M.A.G.E.S.by Gideon
Art by Gideon, April 7 to May 14. Gideon remarks, “The
figure has always been a source of inspiration for me. Its ever
changing shapes, colors, and lines have been stimulus in my
exploration process. Figurative drawing and painting became
my conduit to the beauty of sensuality, flow of spirit and the
ties to earth”.
Gideon was born in 1947 in Sweden and grew up on a
Kibbutz in Israel. He lived in Israel and Holland before mov-
ing to California in 1983. A member of several museum and
art foundations Gideon has entered many art competitions and
has received a variety of awards.
May 15 to 16 – Student Art Show. Sat. 11 a.m-4 p.m. and
5-8 p.m., Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m
May 22 to June 25 – Group Show TBA, artist reception
Sat., May 22, 6-9 p.m. Gallery hours are Thurs.-Sun., 11 a.m.-4
p.m. Backstreet Art District, 2682 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs,
(760)250-1521. www.imagesbygideon.com.

Dezart One Gallery

April 1-30 a solo Show with new works by artist/actress Ash-
leigh Sumner is featured with an artist reception on Saturday,
April 3, 7-9 p.m.
The gallery is hosting a group show with from May
1-31 with the artists reception on Saturday, May 22 7-9 p.m.
Dezart One Gallery. 2688 Cherokee Way, Palm Springs. 760-
328-1440. www.dezartonegallery.com.

PALM DESERT

First Thursday El Paseo Art Walk

April 1, May 6, 5-9 p.m. Featuring works in the following Palm
Desert Galleries:
A Gallery Fine Art, 73-956 El Paseo, (760) 346-8885;
Adagio Galleries, 73-300 El Paseo,(760) 346-1221; Christian
Hohmann Fine Art, 73-660 El Paseo, (760) 346-4243; Chris-
topher Morgan Galleries, 73-956 El Paseo, (760) 568-0336;
Coda Gallery, 73-151 El Paseo,(760) 346-4661; Garant Gallery,
73-375 El Paseo, (760) 777-1362; J. Willott Gallery, 73-190 El
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 19

TWENTYNINE PALMS ART GALLERY
AND GIFT SHOP
Desert Art
Native American Jewelry
and Southwestern Gifts
74055 Cottonwood Dr.
(off National Park Dr.)
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
www.29palmsartgallery.com
(760)367-7819
Open: 12 to 3 PM Wednesday–Sunday
Summer Hours: 12 to 3 Friday-Saturday-Sunday
“The Community’s Natural Foods Store”
Joshua Tree
Health Foods
Your Informed Mind, Healthy Body Connection
Fresh Organic Produce • Refrigerated & Frozen
Bulk & Packaged Foods • Herbs • Supplements
Body Care • Books • Apparel
61693 Twentynine Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, CA
Corner of 29 Palms Hwy. & Sunset Rd.
9:00-6:00 Monday thru Saturday
(760)366-7489
joshuatreehealth@aol.com
20 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Paseo, (760) 568-3180; Jones & Terwilliger Galleries, 73-375
El Paseo, (760) 674-8989; Ramey Fine Art, 73-400 El Paseo,
(760) 341-3800; richard danskin Galleries, 73-111 El Paseo,
(760) 568-5557; S.R. Brennen Gallery, 73-375 El Paseo, (760)
773-9554; von Wening Art, 73-585 El Paseo, (760) 340-6711.
www.elpaseoartwalk.com
Heather James Fine Art
Heather James Fine Art presents the solo exhibition Kelly
Barrie: Trace Elements and the group exhibition A View to
the Soul: Portraiture, Old and New. Both exhibitions run
through May 30.
Kelly Barrie creates photographs that explore the imagi-
nary site where past and present converge. Using found photo-
graphs, the artist reconstructs the image through a performative
floor drawing using photo-luminescent pigment (glo-powder)
and his feet, walking out the image on the floor. The artist con-
structs a scaffolding system around the drawing and documents
his traces by photographing the area in small sections over the
course of several months.
A View to the Soul: Portraiture, Old and New is an entic-
ing display of material. Comprising of thirty-four works of art
and spanning an ambitiously broad time-frame, the exhibition
begins with a Pre-Colombian Olmec mask dating from 1,000 to
500 BC and flows through stylistic periods and artistic media
to the contemporary output of sculptress Micaela Amato and
photographer Lawrence Schiller.
Other artists’ work in the exhibition include that of Ste-
ven Assael, Milton Avery, Pierre Bonnard, Tseng Kwong Chi,
Alberto Giacometti, Robert Graham, Zhang Huan, Alex Katz,
Krisjanis Kaktins-Gorsline, Lawrence Lee, David Mach, Yang
Maoyuan, Kim McCarty, Berthe Morisot, Pablo Picasso, Diego
Rivera, Winold Reiss, John Stezaker, Tip Toland, Andy Warhol,
Tom Wesselman, Andrew Wyeth, and Francisco Zuniga.
Heather James Fine Art, 45188 Portola Ave., Palm Desert.
(760)346-8926. www.heatherjames.com.
LA QUINTA
Art Under the Umbrellas
The season finale of Art Under the Umbrellas takes place April
17, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Fifty to 70 artists participate in
the Art Under the Umbrellas event, located in Old Town La
Quinta, along charming, closed-off streets reminiscent of co-
lonial Mexico.  Quality artwork and treasured mementos, live
music and wine tasting. Free admission and ample parking.
(760)564-1244. www.lqaf.com.
TECOPA
Tecopa Basin Artists Group (TBAG) Gallery
Works by John Fisher, April 13 through May 30. Art-
ist reception April 17, 5-7 p.m.. TBAG Gallery at Teco-
pa Hot Springs Resort. www.tecopahotsprings.org.
BORREGO SPRINGS
First Friday Nights.
April 2, 5-8 p.m. Galleries include Stirrup Road: The House
of Borrego Springs; The Center: Liesel Paris Gallery, Matson
Gallery, Sally Rosen’s Gourd Art; The Mall: Borrego Art
Institute, featuring: Plein Air Paintings, SoShoMe Gallery,
Tumbleweed Trading Company. (800) 559-5524. Info and
map: http://www.borregospringschamber.com/calendar2.html.
Indian Wells artist Diane Morgan has been selected as a finalist in
Watercolor Magazine’s 2010 Cover Competition. The painting and
a story about her work will appear in the magazine’s summer issue.
Morgan will be returning to the Indian Wells Arts Festival Easter
weekend, and was selected as the creative artist for the “Eggs in the
Garden,” Easter Sunday brunch advertising for this year’s festival.

Borrego Springs Art Institute

April 14-30. “Borrego Days” LOGO Contest (contest for LOGO
design for the 2010 Borrego Days Festival) entries show,. Win-
ner announced at reception on April 24, 5-8 p.m. The winning
entry will be integrated into the official Desert Festival logo
and appear on Festival marketing and promotions, the program
book, and tee shirts and $500 from a Borrego Art Institute
donor and a $500 match from the Borrgo Springs Chamber of
Commerce. Borrego Springs Art Institute, 587 Palm Canyon
Drive, Suite 105, Borrego Springs. (760)767-5152. www.bor-
regoartinstitute.org.

RIDGECREST

Maturango Museum
Wildflower Show. April 9-11, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Tables of locally picked (with BLM permits, of course)
flowers all neatly arranged by flower families and labeled with
both common and scientific names and locations. And other
stuff - LOTS to see. Bring your camera! And enjoy the quilt
show in progress too.
May 15-July 7 - Benny Alba “American Vista Points”
The Friday evening of the opening of each show is an “Art-
ist’s Reception” from 7:00 to 9 p.m. At 7:30 p.m. there is a
presentation by the artist. The art pieces are for sale, prices are
listed on a brochure and on the object’s title tag. A portion of
the sales benefits the museum. Museum is open daily (except
major holidays) 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Maturango Museum, 100 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest.
(760)375-6900. www.maturango.org.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 21
 T
he Sun Runner Magazine's fourth annual Desert Writers
Issue is now accepting submissions of poetry, short fic-
tion, essays, book excerpts, and other works by Califor-
nia desert writers, or writers with a strong desert connection.
A special section for military personnel and their families
stationed in the desert, Letters Home, is also accepting sub-
missions. More information and guidelines for submissions
to the Desert Writers Issue are online at www.thesunrunner.
com. Deadline for submissions is July 6, with the annual
Desert Writers Celebration planned for September.
Desert authors wishing to have their books considered for
review in the Desert Writers Issue should send the book, along
with their press kit, to: Delphine Lucas, Literary Editor, The
Sun Runner Magazine, P.O. Box 2171, Joshua Tree, CA 92252.

P hantom Seed, the literary collection of desert poetry, prose,

interviews, and other writings, is seeking submissions for
issue #4. Deadline is June 15, with a publication date slated
for September 1. Issue #3 includes some of our favorites—Sun
Runner contributors Cynthia Anderson and Mike Cipra, Lee
Balan, Brian Brown of China Ranch, Allison Johnson, Kim-
berly Nichols, Ruth Nolan, and former Sun Runner columnist
Mary Sojourner, among others. For info and submission
guidelines, e-mail editor Ruth Nolan at runolan@aol.com.

S peaking of Mary Sojourner, her latest book, She Bets Her

Life: A True Story of Gambling Addiction (Seal Press),
is coming out this May. In this well-researched book, Mary

Join Us!
shares her personal struggle with gambling addiction, as well
as those of eight other women in her support group. With an
estimated six to eight million gambling addicts in the U.S.,
half are women, and they make up the fastest growing group
seeking help for problem gaming. Mary's book is a solid
resource for women in that situation, and is highly recom-
mended by our literary editor who is planning a review for
our upcoming Desert Writers Issue.

R idgecrest author Elizabeth "Liz" Babcock was recently

awarded Best of Show in the Spotlight Awards, a regional
technical publications competition for Southern California,
Nevada, and Hawaii. Babcock won for her book, Magnificent
Mavericks, a history of the Navy at China Lake.
Though the book includes technical and military terminol-
ogy, Society for Technical Communication judges commented
that, "the book reads like a good novel," that it personalized the
book with the thoughts and emotions of the people involved,
and by doing so gave readers "a more complete perspective."
Magnificent Mavericks is now eligible for entry in the
international competition the Society hosts. The book is avail-
able from the U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Tech-
nology, with the paperback also available at the Maturango
Museum and Red Rock Books in Ridgecrest.
22 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010

I
t was a beautiful morning in the desert
and I decided to take a brisk walk up
in the La Quinta Cove.
There are a many trails up in that
area most of which are au natural desert
and another that is more sidewalk-ish.
Since my hiking boots were in the shop,
I chose the more metropolitan workout,
and went concrete style. The trail snakes
around the side of the wash giving gener-
ous views of the desert landscape.
There are many wildlife characters to
enjoy along the way besides the variety
of plant life that lines the trail. Cute little
squirrels and a parade of lizards zig-zag
on and off the trail as if they were play-
ing a game of chicken with bicyclists and
sidewalk trotters.
I was enjoying myself and felt closer
to the natural desert than if I had gone
walking in the planned community com-
plex in which I reside. I thought I was safe
from the perils of perfect perennials. Safe
from weed-whackers and lawnmowers,
I mean it’s the desert it’s supposed to be
rugged and imperfect in its beauty, right?
Well actually no, apparently I would
need to be way out in the desert to escape
the tools that keep our desert country
clubs and valley streets looking so, Or-
ange County.
What could I have encountered that
would upset me so much to prompt such
an irritating view against landscaping you
might ask? There is only one thing that
can cause such disruption, only one that
can turn my enjoyment of the outdoors
into my desire to want to run indoors. It
is the clean air sucking, eardrum bursting,
allergy inducing leaf blower.
I encountered the menacing machine
as I was walking on the trail humbly
taking in the serene desert, absorbing
the rustic aromas of the outdoors and
genuinely enjoying a stretch of thea legs.
Then there was the noise, THAT NOISE
that assures flying debris and the unbear-
able odor of dirty exhaust. The noise
connected to the leaf blower.
It suddenly jarred me from my inno-
cent experience and tattooed an annoyed
grimace on my face. The clean desert
smell was uninvitingly replaced by the
violent smell of industrial progress. I
might as well have been sucking on a tail
pipe.
The whole concept forces my mind
into overdrive to try and understand
why these environmental monsters are
necessary in the first place. Honestly,
what happened to the rake and broom?
The leaf blowers are not sucking up the
dirt, that I could wrap my head around,
but are just displacing the dirt, leaves,
dust and trash, pushing it off into another
area. They could logically be blowing the
same cloud of crap around for days, not
ever getting rid of it at all, just taking it
for a ride around in circles. Talk about an
exercise in futility.
It blew my mind (rim shot), to see the
blower there in the first place, it’s a desert
trail for goodness sake! But that doesn’t
seem to make a difference; I guess the
long arm of manufactured landscape
beauty has no limit.
Perhaps we should adopt bans on the
leaf blower like other California areas
have. Places like Beverly Hills, Pasadena
and Laguna Beach, just to name a few,
have slapped a sort of restraining order
against the leaf blower, banning it from
their locations. The reasons are plentiful.
From air pollution, to noise pollution, the
leaf blower can and does affect the qual-
ity of life, much more than a persistent
barking dog, or a neighbor with blaring
music can, because at least they don’t
spew out carcinogens and you’ll still have
enough breath to tell them to shut up.
A-one, a-two, and a-three—that sort
of sums up Ultimate Entertainer Fleet
Easton’s performing capabilities, for he
can sing, dance and act. But there’s so
much more to this charismatic character
than just his entertainment value, as I
came to find out when I sat down for an
interview with him in a busy hip coffee
spot in Palm Springs.
As we started talking, a couple of his
fans walked up to him and praised him on
his recent performance in February at the
Embassy Suites in Palm Desert. They
were so excited to see him, like little
Fleet groupies. And with his giant sunny
disposition it’s easy to understand why.
So let’s get to know him a little, shall
we?
Fleet Easton has always had a desire
to entertain. As a child growing up in
Akron, Ohio, he would use a foil-embel-
lished kitchen utensil as a microphone to
assist him in his solitary performances
in his room. And although his mother
would shout at him to keep it down, the
voice and talent prevailed and led him
on an interesting journey with his love
of performing taking center stage.
Did I mention the “Voice?” Not only
his singing voice, but his inner voice, that
has helped to guide him to wonderful
experiences in his life. It is his higher
self, a spiritual beacon.
Okay, back to the story.
He focused on dance as he grew
into his teens and early twenties, earning
himself scholarships to American Ballet
Theatre and Julliard in New York, where
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 23
 his natural ability flourished. But his
entertainment journey became slightly
sidetracked when he suffered physical
strain due to his hectic dance schedule.
But Easton’s positive demeanor hardly
allowed this as a setback, and saw it as
an opportunity.
“When a door opens I just walk
through it and see where it goes,” he says.
This led him back to Akron, where
he turned his gaze to singing once again.
Back in his home town he started
to enter talent contests which boosted
his recognition and helped him land a
gig at a local nightclub. Then, on a trip
to Florida with his parents, noticing the
warm weather and entertainment pos-
sibilities, his “voice” persuaded him to
move there and take a chance. The chance
paid off as he worked in a multitude of
performance capacities. He started get-
ting roles in movies and television pro-
ductions such as, “The Cape,” and “Earth
to the Moon,” with Tom Hanks. He also
hosted a TV talk show and recorded an
album titled “In His Presence,” which
was faith inspired.
The whispers started to get louder as
the “voice” swayed him to move again,
this time to Palm Springs, which he did
three years ago. He performed at Hotel
Zoso where he eventually caught the
eyes and ears of The Forde Entertainment
Management Company from Las Vegas,
WELLS HOME which signed him to a contract.
They have built him his own one
FARGO MORTGAGE man show that he performs at venues
throughout the Coachella Valley, where
Easton can work using all his blessed tal-
Your Local Lender ents. Thanks to Barbara and Jack Forde,
as well as Renee Vargas and Dan French,
Mary Jane Binge, Branch Manager for making the show possible.
On top of doing his show, Easton
also serves as musical director and solo-
ist for The Interfaith Spiritual Center in
6528 Hillside Ave. Palm Springs.
29 Palms, CA 92277 It was a motivating and inspiring af-
(760)367-3622 • FAX 367-2767 ternoon I spent with Easton. He strongly
believes in the power of thought and
that “A trained thought is better than an
untrained thought.”
Start your It’s about the universe and a higher
Fridays with power; it’s about living your dreams and
believing they can happen. It’s about
The Sun Runner faith. There is no doubt that is why he
has been so successful in his life and has
at 8:30 a.m. on moved forward with quiet confidence
trusting in his “voice.” Perhaps we all
The Indian Wells Arts Festival takes
place at the Indian Wells Tennis Gardens,
Easter Weekend, April 2-4. Enjoy art
from over 200 renowned artists, with ac-
tivities for the kids and a special Sunday
brunch for Easter, (www.indianwellsarts-
festival.com).
And yes, it’s that special time of year
again when the desert swells with tens of
thousands of concert goers for Coachella
Fest 2010, April 16-18 at The Empire
Polo Club.
Performers include Jay Z, Devo,
Orbital and De La Soul, just to scratch
the surface. Check out www.coachella.
com for ticket information. And kicking
up some dust right after Coachella Fest is
Stagecoach April 24 and 25, with Keith
Urban, Sugarland, Toby Keith and many
more. Go to www.stagecoachfest.com for
additional information.
May brings more ear candy with the
2010 Palm Springs Smooth Jazz Fest
Saturday May 15, at the Riviera Resort
& Spa in Palm Springs benefiting the
Hanson House (www.palmspringsjazz.
com). And don’t forget to celebrate
Cinco de Mayo with a stiff margarita (I
know I will) from one of the Coachella
Valley’s many watering holes.
Until next time, hasta luego!
Sure, we want to play!
OK, so the casino that was supposed to
show up in 29 Palms didn’t (yet), but now
the 29 Palms Hotel & Casino is showing
up—in Costa Rica? Just wait—they’ll
probably find some desert tortoises there
and the whole thing’ll grind to a halt!
Thanks to the mysterious Mark W. for send-
ing this encouraging photo to us!

KX96
have an inner voice ready to guide us to
fabulous things in our lives. Maybe it’s
just a question of listening.
Spring is in the air, and possible al-

96.3 FM
lergens too, but there is plenty going on
in the glorious Coachella Valley, so take
out the tissue, and let’s sniffle on.
24 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
A fter decades of neglect, the North
Shore Beach & Yacht Club, designed
by the legendary architect, Albert Frey, is
reopening as the Salton Sea History Mu-
seum, as well as a community and visitors
center, after receiving some restoration
help from Riverside County.
Frey was a little known architect
when builders Ray Ryan and Trav Rogers
approached him to design their new resort
on the Salton Sea. Frey, a modernist
master, took off with a nautical theme,
designing the club to look almost like
a grand steamship surging through the
waves. The club even came with port-
holes, a mast and boom.
Now, the club has returned to a sem-
blance of its former glory. No boat drinks
Frey’s frayed forlorn masterpiece several years ago.
will be served in the Compass Room (to
the dismay of some locals), but kayak
tours, bird walks, and other fun activities
are already underway.
The grand opening of this magnifi-
cent new seaside facility is scheduled for
10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, May 1. An
RSVP is requested to (951)955-9759.
Museum director Jennie Kelly,
president of the East Valley Historical
Society, gave us a tour of the newly re-
stored building and grounds, and though
the swimming pool is no longer with us,
it is a family-friendly location that is an
excellent addition to the east coast of the
Salton Sea.
Salton Sea History Museum, 99-155
Sea View Dr., North Shore.
In Loving Memory of
Alvino Siva
by Katherine Siva Saubel
A
lvino Siva, my little brother, was
born March 15, 1923 in old man
Chino’s thatched adobe home in Palm
Springs, California. As he grew up he
was always getting me into trouble.
Alvino would do something disobedi-
ent and we would both be spanked for
it. More often than not he would run
off to Pedro Chino’s house and escape
his punishment. Pedro Chino was like a
second father to my brother and Alvino
was always with him until he joined the
Army in his early twenties. Pedro loved
him and taught Alvino so much. Alvino
sang Bird Songs with Mr. Chino and
learned how to make Bows & Arrows,
leatherwork, and gourd rattles used in
Birdsinging, and of course how to ride
and punch cattle...
My memories of Alvino playing,
going to school, even getting into trouble
are very precious to me. I am very
proud of all that my brother has done
throughout his 86 years. he learned and
remembered our customs and traditions,
and he respected and honored our elders.
Alvino learned from them and passed that
knowledge on to our younger generation
by teaching them.
I held Alvino’s hand when he was
born and I held his hand as he died.
Excerpted from the Malki News. The Sun
Runner would like to express our heartfelt
condolences to all of Alvino’s family and
friends. We are grateful for the cultural con-
tributions of Alvino, Katherine, and Amara.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 25

I
’ve been a journalist for a long time now, and I can say from
my perspective, it’s a profession to both love, and hate.
Most of my colleagues are better at it than I am, they can
keep themselves outside of the story, hold it at arm’s length,
and “report” it in a way that doesn’t seem to satisfy me. They
can make the worst egregious abuses of innocents, right up to,
and including their outright slaughter, sound like a “he-said,
she-said” story, alleged and inferred, never laid out naked and
bare for the world to see it for exactly what it is.
It’s like there’s a line they can see that I can’t, and they
know that if you go past it, you’ll have to acknowledge and
point out things that most people don’t really want to know.
It’s that innate knowledge that ignorance really is bliss, and
telling the truth in a story is a surefire path to unemployment,
or in my case, owning your own magazine.
I love to write the stories of real people though, and inevi-
tably, I wind up telling the stories of real people undergoing
unreal, often surreal, experiences. Many of the best stories I’ve
written begin with, “You’re going to think I’m crazy, but...”
They’re right, of course, they do sound crazy, and some
of them are. Who cares? Some of my favorite people are
crazy, and some of my least favorite are stone-cold sane. But
I’ve long ago learned that just because someone sounds crazy
doesn’t mean that what they’re describing isn’t real—very real.
Whether it’s the petite French woman describing how she spent
years helping her severely injured husband be able to walk
again, only to watch him be brutally beaten by the police over
an unpaid bar tab - while being beaten herself, or the elderly
woman who got 5150’d because she was worried about her cats
suffering in the heat of her apartment, or the homeless woman
who felt compelled to return to homelessness because Social
Security pays more if you’re living on the streets than if you
26 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
manage to swing a Section 8 apartment to better your condition.
Or the man whose job it was to attempt to negotiate agree-
ments so sweatshop workers could receive the most basic of
human rights. He broke down crying during our interview
because he still remembered holding the hand of a futureless
little husk of a girl in Bangladesh whose most fervent wish
during her 16 to 20 hour work days sewing container-fulls of
cheap clothes for us to buy at WalMart, was to die.
No real reporter would have written those stories, and in
fact, my corporate media “editor” at the time, cut the part about
the little girl out of a story I was working on. Actually, he cut
the entire section I had written about international sweatshops
and the dominance WalMart exerted over third world govern-
ments with fewer resources than the smiley-faced retail giant.
It wasn’t “relevant,” he explained, in a sneeringly patron-
izing manner, looking up from his desk at me as if I was hope-
less. If I had been a better journalist, I would have known of
this irrelevance going in and I wouldn’t have wasted my time
on irrelevant doomed children. I would have focused on shiny
packages of cheap chicken thighs and hundreds of thousands
of square feet of bright new bargains awaiting all who entered
the new “Super” WalMart coming to the desert. What is, after
all, the utter devastation of the lives of children halfway around
the world, if we get a T-shirt for under $10, anyway?
Sometimes people put a lot of hope in the story you’re
writing. They hope the wrongs they have unjustly endured will
be righted, that things will once again be set straight, justice
will prevail, and life will return to normal. They’re wrong, of
course. Hope is for fools.
I tell them not to expect too much, to be realistic. Most
of the time, you can write a compelling story about the most
egregious inhuman abuses, and nobody gives a damn. Noth-
ing changes. Not one bit. The abusers remain in power, you
remain screwed. That’s how it is. You’d like to think other-
wise, but still...
Sometimes too, a story haunts you. That’s when you
know you’ve really failed as a journalist, and you’ve become
something else, a storyteller, or a person with a conscience,
maybe. It might slip out of your mind for a time as you move
on to other stories, but it returns.
One story I had written years ago, began its return journey
to haunt me about a year or so ago when another writer con-
tacted me to ask about it. He was pretty coy, one of those from
Los Angeles or somewhere who didn’t want to tell me much
about his “project,” as if maybe I’d figure out how to steal it
from him if he shared what his plans were. But he insistently
wanted to read my story about Ricka McGuire and the “fugitive
felons,” so I sent it to him.
That story took place a long time ago. Congress had passed
legislation that played pretty well politically and sounded
good—taking a hard stand against good-for-nothing felons
sponging off the taxpayer, that sort of thing.
Sometimes, in Congress, I think they forget that their con-
situents are real living, breathing, human beings, and suddenly
destroying their lives no longer seems like something with a
negative impact associated with it.
My story dealt with the initial phase of what became a
two-part government program. The phase I had written about
was legislation that cut Supplemental Security Income for SSI
recipients who had outstanding felony arrest warrants.
Sounds good, right? Save the taxpayer some money by
denying benefits to criminals. Representative Mary Bono
certainly thought so, and so did many others. The legislation
passed overwhelmingly.
But while I wish life was as simple and straightforward
as some folks seem to think it is, when the legislation was
implemented, it became quite apparent that in the transition
from rhetorically-correct grandstanding to actual reality, it was
creating enormous unforeseen circumstances that nobody in
Congress had bothered to consider.
Suddenly, old people, frequently with some level of dis-
ability, received notices halfway through the month that they
would no longer have any income. In addition, they were
informed they were liable for thousands of dollars that they
now owed the government.
So, what’s the problem? They may be old and feeble, but
they’re still criminals, right?
Maybe. But did we really need to punish some 79 year-old
guy who didn’t pay his parking tickets or show up in court—in
1965, by throwing him out in the snow and leaving him home-
less in his latter years? That scenario began replaying itself - by
the tens of thousands, and elderly people around the country
began trying to turn themselves in to the police to serve their
sentence—and have a place to live in the bargain.
The only problem was that the police in Atlanta don’t care
that you didn’t pay your parking tickets or show up in court
in Cleveland back in 1965. They’re busy dealing with crack
dealers and serial killers and child abusers. With your benefits
cut off, old people couldn’t exactly afford to fly across country
to set the records straight, if the records could be found. And
many of the felonies were of such age that records were dif-
ficult to find, if not impossible. On top of that, the intervening
decades had produced such a vast quantity of heinous crimes
and deviant criminals that law enforcement and the legal system
couldn’t find the time or interest in bringing 80 year-olds in
walkers to justice.
So, the politicians, Social Security, and the legal system all
did what came naturally—they left tens of thousands of elderly
Americans to deal with this sudden change of events all on their
own. Their feeble, aged cries of despair didn’t even come close
to penetrating the walls of Congress, and I even heard tales of
Social Security workers hiding from those seeking help.
They were left to die, these criminals whose biggest crime
was sometimes to have not had the proper paperwork filed, or
who had their identity stolen; cast off by the government they
believed in, and shunned by those who represented them.
I think sane people don’t really fear death. I think they fear
growing old alone without friends or family that can be relied
upon in a crisis. After all, we’re all going to die, and once we’re
dead, well, that’s that for this world, it seems. But to be alone
in this world, with a body that needs help, a mind that’s trying
to reconcile decades of contradictions and suffering and loss,
and a spirit that’s worn and sorrowful, well, that frightens me.
Life kills, but does it have to torture us first?
Evidently it does. And so it went with Ricka McGuire.
Ricka readily admitted she had passed forged, stolen
checks—in 1965. A single welfare mother with three kids and
$162 a month to feed and clothe them, she made a mistake, and
did her time, five months in jail. The judge had told her he
was going to make an example of her, and he did, but the jail
time passed, and when she got out, she was reunited with her
children, a happy chapter in an otherwise sad story.
Something happened with her probation, and though she
told me she thought it had been taken care of, when the fugitive
felons legislation passed, her benefits were cut with about two
weeks notice, and she was informed she owed the government
over $17,000.
When I talked to her for the story, Ricka lived in a rather
basic cabin with hauled water and no plumbing, fairly far out
in Wonder Valley. Some folks out there, though probably not
many now, may even remember her. She was isolated, disabled,
with leg problems stemming from a childhood bout with polio,
ate peanut butter and crackers for dinner that week, and had only
24 cents left to her name, but she still had her sense of humor
and was grateful for what she had—just the kind of person who
needed a bit more punishment.
I ran the story on Ricka and a Cathedral City man, whom,
it looked like, was the victim of identity theft, and with his
mind only firing on three cylinders, was trying to figure out
how to avoid being thrown out onto the street at 81 years of
age. But I didn’t follow up. We received no indignant letters
to the editor, and I had other stories piling up. I think I heard
from Ricka shortly after the story ran, but I never did know
how her story resolved.
Maybe I didn’t want to know. Maybe that part of me that
was trying to be a good journalist really didn’t want to cross
that line. But ghosts are a dime a dozen on the desert wind, and
eventually hers rattled through the baked highway in Joshua
Tree on a mischievous dust devil from the past, and now I know
what came to pass.
It was the summer of 2006, a horrible season of death
and destruction, for both others, and finally, for myself and
my family. The Sawtooth fire ripped through Pioneertown
and the lives and homes of too many people. It tore up Burns
Canyon, destroyed beautiful hillsides, wildlife, and rampaged
up into the mountains. Other fires struck in and around Joshua
Tree National Park, and in July, the heat became unbearable.
Everytime I looked into the sky, it seemed there was another
column of smoke rising.
It was a bad week for the old and indigent. The lingering
heat slayed over 50 people in California, according to an LA
Times story, most of them elderly and poor, many without air
conditioning. There were too many and the newspaper couldn’t
list them all. Their stories were mostly a passing mention, or
left for the untelling.
Hospitals in Fresno County were filled to capacity, and the
morgue was out of room for the first time in its history. Nature
was nothing short of brutal. Ambulances logged almost 350
calls in one day in the Fresno area, many because of the heat.
A farmworker died in the fields, and a homeless person died
on someone else’s lawn. Down the street from the Capitol in
Sacramento, old people in an old hotel died. A woman in San
Bernardino was found dying next to her bicycle, while a hiker
near Tehachapi died on the trail with his water bottles emptied.
A man loading grass clipping into a trailer was found dead in
Kern County. Six old people in Imperial County were reported
dead. One Slab City resident died when her car ran out of gas,
while another died in Hinkley.
And Ricka McGuire, 65, was found naked and dead in an
old bus she had been calling home. The desert heat, up around
120 degrees, had simply been too much to bear.
A story by William Hillyard, the writer who had contacted
me asking to read my earlier fugitive felons story, noted that
the coroner’s report laid the cause of her death as “chronic drug
abuse,” though there was no apparent evidence of that, with
“probably heat stroke” listed as a contributing factor. That
blaming of the deceased continued the time-honored tradition
of demeaning and diminishing the poor and dead, of pushing
their senseless needless deaths away, of keeping their bloated,
stinking bodies on the other side of the line.
I am no stranger to death. But I am too far over the line
to believe I can keep it—and the consequences surrounding
it—at arm’s length. I am too poor of a journalist to think that
I could push Ricka’s sun-baked corpse far enough away that
I would not see her crippled naked body laying alone inside
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 27
 that bus, or hear her last slight breath exhale into the silence
of Wonder Valley without a friend or family member to hold
her hand as she died.
You see, I know the blood of Ricka Mc Guire is on my
hands. I could have stayed on the right side of the line. I could
have hung up when she called, saying, “You’re going to think
I’m crazy, but...” I could have done more to champion her
cause. But I didn’t. I have to live with that.
At the same time, I am also damned certain Ricka’s blood
stains the hands of the likes of Mary Bono and all those “rep-
resentatives” in Congress who sold out the lives of her, and
tens of thousands of others like her, for their own political
posturing and gain.
I’m not passing judgment, I’m just telling the story the way
I see it. I’ll let others look at their own hands, let them check
the cracks in their palms for the blood that won’t wash out.
As for me, I’m not washing my hands of Ricka’s blood.
It’s there for a reason, one that some won’t agree with and
others won’t understand. But to me, it marks that line I’ve
crossed, and reminds me that sometimes, it is better to be part
of humanity than to keep it at arm’s length.
Ricka McGuire had a hard life. She was jailed, raped,
mugged, and discarded by our own government, finally losing
even her tiny basic cabin, before losing her life. She told me
she liked the idea of growing old gracefully. That was denied
her. She deserved better, I think, but so many do.
At least that’s how it looks from this side of the line.

28 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010

I
am standing at the base of a small hill covered with desert
pavement, that has obviously, at some time in the past, been
terraced or shaped somehow, almost like large steps. Why
and how, for the time being, are a mystery. Desert lilies bloom
in the sand at the base of the hill. It is a beautiful, utterly natural
place. It is almost a dream.
I walk slowly back up to where Alfredo Figueroa and his
son Jesus wait for me. Jesus holds out a packet of tobacco. We
each take a little, and slowly release it, bit by bit, onto the wind,
an offering for a holy place. Jesus puts the packet of tobacco
away and picks up his drum. He sings a song, a Chemehuevi
creation song, if I remember correctly, a song that seems as
much of a natural part of the desert environment as the lilies
and the desert pavement spread out around us.
Alfredo and Jesus have been showing me things today,
magical things, that I had never guessed existed out here in
the desert near Blythe. Large geoglyphs etched into the desert
pavement, including a giant "Kokopilli" (Kokopelli to many,
I'm using Alfredo's spelling here), ancient trails, and mountains
filled with petroglyphs that may contain hints to a civilization
thought to only exist in mythology.
The dry wind and song mingle with the tangible silence of
this place to create something more than what western think-
ing and environmental impact statements allow to exist. I do
not want the song to end. It is both simple and profound, and
transcends language. This seems to be, at its very core, what
the desert is really about. The tearing down of barriers between
mankind and nature, and God, a oneness that transcends "ra-
tional" modes of thinking.
I am fascinated, and transported. The song Jesus sings has
a power, and perhaps a deep-rooted wisdom, to it, that cannot
be denied (not that I'd want to). I have traveled many places,
but this place, where we trace the lines of Kokopilli, the singer
of sorrows, and follow with our eyes where his flute points to
the west, is one of the most extraordinary I have witnessed.
That makes it all the more difficult for me to understand
how this site, this home of Kokopilli, could be soon marked
for demolition.
"Green" energy is a big buzzword these days. Like some
superhero come to rescue us from the coal-breathing dragon,
enormous lines of solar mirrors and towering windmills (trail-
ing long, high voltage power lines) march forward. They are
coming to set us free from fossil fuels and end the reign of
fossil fuel energy tyranny.
The only problem is that with current models of green
power production, we may be replacing one dusty old tyrant
with a newer, shinier, nearly as obsolete, tyrant. The true
"green" in this popular new "green rush" may be the enormous
"loan guarantees" and incentives available if your project gets
fast-tracked fast enough for stimulus funds. In other words,
it is the green of cash, not energy, that is driving players the
size of Bechtel into the market. And while this may prove an
ideal model for the utilities and the corporations planning and
building these projects, it may not, when all is said and done,
be that good for you and me.
This is ultimately why I have arrived in Blythe. Alfredo,
a magnificent man of Chemehuevi/Yaqui descent, has a tena-
cious history as an indigenous traditionalist, researcher, author,
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 29
environmentalist, farm labor organizer, community and civil
rights leader, musician, educator, and historian. He is possessed
of deep self-taught knowledge, bursting with "youthful" enthu-
siasm in his 70s, and has become a guardian of these sites, along
with the group he organized, La Cuna de Aztlan Sacred Sites
Protection Circle. Spend some time with him and you will be
regaled with stories of Aztecs, Cesar Chavez, Woody Guthrie,
John Steinbeck, Donna and Larry Charpied, the Coachella Four,
Bert Corona, desert mining, and Joaquin Murrieta.
Alfredo Acosta Figueroa was born in Blythe, and his fam-
ily has been involved in mining in the area since the Colorado
River Gold Rush of 1862. He has been aware of many sacred
sites along the river since childhood, and tells me he has known
of the existence of Kokopilli and the other geoglyphs for many
years, while Jesus has uncovered ancient trails, petroglyphs, and
more geoglyphs, including a thunderbird or eagle, somewhere
to the northeast of us. Alfredo has researched possible con-
nections between the Blythe area and the Aztec's purportedly
mythical homeland of Aztlan, for decades, writing a book,
Ancient Footprints of the Colorado River, La Cuna de Aztlan,
to outline the connections he has found between Aztec codices,
historical documentation, oral histories, and sites such as the
Blythe Intaglios, the Bouse Fisherman, and the Topock Maze,
along the lower Colorado River.
There are connections, including those of a linguistic na-
ture, but the topic of ancient civilizations along the Colorado
River, population migrations, and the histories and lore of the
tribes living along the river today, are going to have to wait to
be explored in future stories, for a more immediate develop-
ment, what several sources have called, "the new gold rush,"
or the "green rush," has emerged to threaten sites like the one
where Kokopilli rests.
This project is known as the Solar Millennium Blythe Solar
Power Project (a sister project, the Palen Solar Power Proejct,
is planned for 10 miles east of Desert Center). Both projects
are being jointly developed by Solar Millennium, LLC, and
Chevron Energy Solutions. The Blythe project (mostly planned
for Bureau of Land Management public lands) is proposing use
of solar parabollic trough technology where parabolic mirrors
heat a transfer fluid that leads to the generation of high pres-
sure steam to drive a turbine, producing electricity. More than
7,000 acres of land (about 11 square miles) will likely be used
for the project, with much of that land scraped of all vegetation.
In the project’s application for certification, an enormous
document of thousands of pages, it is noted that "an intaglio,
rock features, multi-component sites, trail segments, rock align-
ments, cleared areas, lithic scatters and quarries," and other sites
were discovered on and around the proposed project location.
Some 30 identified prehistoric sites are mixed in among more
modern historical sites that mostly date to the area's training
uses during World War II.
A reading of the summary of cultural resources and im-
pact assessments that is included in the application notes the
inclusion of prehistoric trails and other sites, but a later note
indicates a previously recorded trail as "most likely recent, not
prehistoric as originally recorded," making it unclear whether or
not all trails in the area are being ascribed as recent, or if there
may be a mix of prehistoric and modern trails, or if modern
users may have followed and increased wear on already exist-
ing prehistoric trails.
In fact, the inventory of "discovered" cultural resources is
eye-opening in that the geoglyphs of Kokopilli and other im-
ages, are not listed (though several "historical" era geoglyphs
are included in the listing).
“The geoglyph you referenced is a kokopelli figure, which
30 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
is not on the Native American Heritage Database and had not
been observed by the applicant when compiling their application
for certification," responded Michele Demetras, information of-
ficer for the California Energy Commission, when asked about
the Kokopilli geoglyph’s presence. "The Energy Commission
did not have sufficient time to research this before the staff
assessment/draft environmental impact statement (SA/DEIS)
was due to be published, but cultural staff is working on it now.
"It’s not traditional to any groups who are known to
have used the area and we are considering it as potentially
important" Demetras added. "The applicant did a 100%
survey of the entire site, in which a group of researchers walked
side-by-side in a grid pattern and noted any artifacts they saw.
The cultural resources inventory that has been found and logged
to date is listed in the DA/SEIS in section C.3-41."
How researchers managed to walk side-by-side in a grid
pattern over the top of these rather large geoglyphs without
noticing them is an impressive feat, calling into question what
else they may have missed during their survey, and the wisdom
of fast-tracking these projects. But they have found them now.
Interestingly, a “site visit” to introduce interested parties to the
location of the proposed solar project never left Interstate 10.
“They had balloons up over where the project is supposed
to be,” Figueroa said, noting the project area is about two
miles away from the freeway, hardly close enough to see the
site in any useful detail. Others, including an owner of private
property that would be impacted by the project, noted this odd
“site” visit.
A call to a BLM archaeologist was met with a refusal to
discuss the geoglyphs and a referral to David Briery, a BLM
external affairs officer based in Moreno Valley. Emailed
inquiries to other BLM archaeologists received no response.
Briery answered my call by noting my story had been stirring
things up quite a bit, though I pointed out that the story was
not yet published. The BLM was only releasing a brief formal
statement, Briery said, and promptly emailed a copy to the
magazine. It was your standard general explanation about the
process the BLM would be going through, now that this site
was brought to their attention.
"The BLM is currently conducting additional research and
archaeological investigations to clarify the antiquity of the site
and will continue to consult with the organization (La Cuna
de Aztlan), as well as Indian tribes and the Native American
Heritage Commission, regarding the sacred values of the site,"
the statement concluded.
A message to Briery requesting additional information and de-
tails on this additional research and archaeological investigations
and the timeline for this work, received no response by deadline.
Could these geoglyphs be of more modern origins? Using
Google Earth imagery, it is possible to trace the presence of the
Kokopilli and other geoglyphs to 1996, but historical imagery
for the application only goes back to 1994, and that year's im-
agery is not very clear. One representative from the Quechan
Culture Committee noted that she thought the Kokopilli geo-
glyph had been discussed, and that the comment made that it
appeared "more modern."
But Reverend Ron Van Fleet from the Fort Mohave Indian
Tribe, also a member of La Cuna de Aztlan, offered a different
interpretation.
"I think they date along with the intaglios," Van Fleet said.
"Coronado came up this trail. He mentioned some of them.
They recognized them and took them as warnings from local
tribes. For us they were places of worship that line up with
the stars and land, seasons. For the Kokopilli it's the equinox.
It lines up with it."
 Van Fleet said he has known
of the Kokopilli geoglyph for over
30 years personally, and he offers
an explanation for why it may ap-
pear modern to some.
"Somebody has come in
and tried to repair it," he noted.
"When I knew it it was fresh
(untouched), and that was 30
years ago. It was not fenced, not
gated, and we should have fenced
it 30 years ago. It was sacred to
us, not a place to go and touch.
Older people knew about it, but
back then it was, "Don't tell them
(Anglos) what it means." There
was a lot of hush-hush about it.
But now it's time to speak up and
get them saved. It was hidden.
now we need to reveal it."
Someone cleaning up and
maintaining the indigenous
equivalent of a historic church
may not match with contempo-
rary archaeological practices, but
it makes perfect sense in context. Alfredo Figueroa at the site of Cicimitl, one of several large indig-
Van Fleet said there are nu- enous geoglyphs that could be destroyed to make way for a solar
merous other sites including trails that once led from the power project near Blythe.
Colorado River to the Pacific Ocean, used for a variety of pur-
poses. Some, he noted, served the same purpose as religious the continent. This is too important of a site to continue shitting
pilgrimages to sacred and healing sites. on. You can quote me."
"One of the rites to be a man was to bring back a seashell Environmental and resource management organizations
from the ocean," he explained. "They had three days to get have voiced their concerns about the site as well. The Colorado
there and come back." Mohaves could run 125 miles per day. River Board noted that 628 acre-feet of water are expected to
We still do spiritual runs. My cousin does with the kids." be used by the project each year for its 30 year license period.
Van Fleet noted that power projects and off-road vehicle Contruction, the Board commented, would require an additional
enthusiasts present a danger to the geoglyphs that should be 3,164 acre feet. With the aquifer hydraulically connected to
protected by the Religious Freedom Act. the Colorado River, the Board asserted that a contract with the
"We have to physically put up fencing on Kokopilli," he Secretary of Interior will be required for the project.
said, adding there are many battles taking place to save cultur- The Center for Biological Diversity commented, “prelimi-
ally significant sites. He still stressed he supports clean energy. nary findings indicate the site hosts a suite of rare species.”
Robert Gonzales Vasquez, a member of La Cuna de Azt- Those species include some that are listed by the federal and
lan, a documentary filmmaker, and director of Inland Mexican state government as threatened with extinction, such as the
Heritage, is amazed more effort has not gone into protecting Desert Tortoise, or are a species of concern, such as the Bur-
and preserving sites like Kokopilli. rowing owl. The Defenders of Wildlife noted the complete
"My thoughts are, why haven't they been preserved? Why removal of all vegetation on the 7,000 acre site, the addition
hasn't there been a large collective effort?" Vasquez asked. of barrier fencing preventing wildlife movement, and added
"The Nazca Lines, they are a world treasure. I guess I just that the western portion of the procect site potentially has a
question why people don't know about them (the Blythe area “much larger, viable” Desert Tortoise population than reported.
geoglyphs)." And the Western Watersheds Project pointed out that both the
He noted his academic background is a polar opposite to Blythe and Palen project sites are within the Eastern Colorado
Figueroa's, and added that there hasn't been much in the way Desert Tortoise Recovery Unit, and would “disrupt connectiv-
of research done on the geoglyphs. ity” between the eastern and northern recovery units, and could
"This is a huge treasure, so why isn't it studied? It's like it reduce gene flow and impair tortoise recovery.
is a conspiracy of willful ignorance," he noted. "The stories out While Kokopilli may point to the setting sun during
there could rewrite the story of the area, its history. These are equinox, he also points to choices. Do we choose to continue
some of the few sites like this on the planet. We owe it to our to pretend the desert is a vast wasteland, its “empty, barren”
own culture in the U.S., and to history, to preserve these things. landscape suitable for scraping to build the next gold-driven
"I feel like we let people destroy the desert in every imag- dream, criss-crossing with high voltage power lines, or dump-
inable way," he added. "Given the opportunity, we can really ing centuries worth of garbage? Or do we learn to actually see
give people a better sense of our history, and learn from it. Strip the desert—its vibrant beauty, natural diversity, its rich history,
away the political, strip away Aztlan, strip away all the Mexica deep culture, and colorful heritage, and value its true wealth?
identifiers, and what do you have? A national treasure being With this story, we’re launching a series of “green power”
neglected and abused. I firmly believe the work of Alfredo pieces, and we’ll also be taking an ongoing look at the state of
Figueroa will help rewrite the history of this region, possibly the rights of indigenous cultures in the desert.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 31

U
nder normal circumstances, I would wait for someone
else with better credentials to propose protection for
the Blythe geoglyph sites. But with a fast-track proj-
ect proposed that would permanently damage or destroy the
geoglyphs, trails, artifacts, and other archaeological resources
of this site, I feel I must advocate for investigation of the pos-
sibility of, either through congressional or presidential action,
incorporating the sites of the Blythe Intaglios, combined with
the other geoglyphs sites on lands near Blythe (possibly includ-
ing outlying sites from the Bouse Fisherman in Arizona to the
Topock Maze near Needles), into some protected management
unit, possibly a new national monument.
In Peru, the Nazca Lines are a UNESCO World Heritage
Site. In California, few geoglyphs are protected or preserved.
These fascinating and mysterious images are windows into the
desert's past and the civilizations who lived here before us for
thousands of years. They have immense historical and cultural
value, even though at this time, we may not know precisely
what we're looking at, or why it may be there. These sites beg to
be studied, respected and revered, as we attempt to gain a fuller
understanding of the cultures that preceeded contemporary
American settlement, and who were, and still are, a significant
valuable component of human existence in the desert.
But the first step is to protect these sites, for without their
existence, there can be no future study, no possibility of eventu-
ally understanding what these figures represent.
These geoglyphs, trails, and nearby archaeological sites
could become a boon to Blythe's future. I believe serious
consideration of a plan that would include relocation of the
solar power project to lands on the other side of Interstate 10,
fencing and restricting access to the geoglyph sites to ensure
their immediate preservation, establishing boundaries for a
national monument that would include all Blythe area intaglios/
geoglyphs, and other sites of potential significance, funding
for an interpretive center, and establishment of an educational
32 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
O
n March 12, nearly 250 people attended the free Climate
Change and the California Desert Conference put on by
the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA)
and the Defenders of Wildlife.
Seth Shteir, NPCA senior program coordinator, introduced
the all-day event by saying, “We believe the best solution to
problems like climate change is to educate the public and our
elected officials.” Deann Albers of Defenders of Wildlife added,
“Global warming is one of the most serious threats to wildlife
today. With just a two to four degree increase, a quarter of the
species on Earth could go extinct.”
Next, Curt Sauer, superintendent of Joshua Tree National
Park, took the podium. He noted, “There’s been a shift in gov-
ernment from having to prove that climate change is there, to
doing something about it.” Sauer spoke about common sense
measures each of us can do to make a difference and suggested,
“Drive the speed limit. You can get the entire length of the basin
in just four more minutes, and you’ll save money and make
Hwy. 62 safer.”
The conference’s featured speakers included:
Dr. Cameron Barrows, Center for Conservation Biology
B arrows spoke on the implications of climate change for
desert tortoises and other reptiles. He observed that for
the past 130 years, overall temperatures have become warmer
worldwide; though some regions are cooler and some have more
variable weather than before, it’s all part of climate change.
Since 1975, there’s been a notable rise in temperatures due to
human-generated carbon dioxide. “That’s the culprit,” he said.
“That’s why humans are part of the problem.”
Along with warmer temperatures, he said that rainfall is
program at Palo Verde College that would support research on
these sites and others in the region, as well as their conserva-
tion, is in order. Protection for these sites should be assured,
and studies, involving all the tribes of the Colorado River (and
others with a demonstrated interest and connection), should
be conducted to establish a protected inventory of indigenous
sacred and culturally significant sites, trails, and lands.
With such a plan, Blythe could gain jobs from the solar
power project, plus additional jobs from establishment of a
national monument, as well as cultural heritage tourism and
educational programs that would ensue.
And America would have yet another puzzle piece of its
past preserved for future generations, and a better understanding
of the true roots of this country.
– Steve Brown
the key issue, especially in the desert. “The greatest climate
changes in the U.S. are going to happen right here, in both
precipitation and temperature. Some birds and mammals can
move in response to climate change—they can go upslope, but
they need upslope to go to. Animals that don’t move very much
are more vulnerable.”
Barrows studied climate change in relation to six reptiles
in Joshua Tree National Park: desert tortoise, desert horned
lizard, desert spiny lizard, chuckwalla, coachwhip and gopher
snake. He found that with a two-degree increase in temperature
and three inches less rainfall—a likely scenario in the next 50
years—all of these species would decline except the coachwhip.
Tortoises would attempt to move upslope, but with enough
warming would move out of the park. Also, larger-bodied
reptiles would do better than smaller ones.
He stated that wildlife corridors are essential to keep the
park from becoming “an island or a zoo.” On the up side, he
noted, “The topography of the park is the reason for its biologi-
cal diversity and is what will enable park animals to have some
resiliency to withstand climate change.”
Jim Ferguson, Mayor Pro Tem of the City of Palm Desert
A veteran of Palm Desert city government, Ferguson is pas-
sionate about helping people reduce their electricity costs.
He pointed out, “The cheapest way to save energy is to use less
of it. Our idea is to empower and encourage people to become
energy independent.” He sees the key to this as AB 811, state
legislation that allows municipalities to grant low-interest loans
to homeowners for energy-efficient improvements.
To date, the city of Palm Desert has granted $6 million to
homeowners, about half of that for air conditioning upgrades
and half for rooftop solar. Twenty other cities in California have
their own AB 811 programs, and the movement is growing.
Ferguson reported that in the next six to 12 months, the bond
market will likely provide a source of additional funds. The
loans are secured by the homeowner’s property and are paid
off via property taxes. (Alan Rasmussen, field representative
to Supervisor Neil Derry, said that San Bernardino County is
in the process of starting up a program.)
Ferguson observed that Southern California Edison plans
a 30 percent rate increase over the next two years and said, “If
all people in California reduced their energy use by 20 percent,
it would reduce consumption equivalent to building 10 nuclear
power plants or the total energy in the Alaska Wildlife Refuge.”
Dr. Debra Hughson, Science Advisor to the Mojave National
Preserve
H ughson spoke about the effects of climate change on water
in the desert, specifically as related to springs in the Mo-
jave National Preserve. She reported that there are 250 upland
springs and marshes within the preserve, all but two of them
above 1,000 meters in elevation.
At the present time, higher elevations in the preserve get
up to 12 inches of rain a year, while lower elevations get about
three inches. Climate change is expected to decrease rainfall and
have a significant impact on the springs. “Seeps and springs are
very susceptible to climate change, with only enough storage
to last a few dry years,” Hughson said.
In the past 100 years, 2002 and 2007 were the driest years
on record while 2005 was the wettest year on record (followed
by big fires that summer). This extreme variability is typical of
climate change. Hughson observed, “More variability means
more fire, flood, erosion, species invasions and loss of native
species.”
Regarding aquifers, she stated, “If you overdraft—take
out too much water for human use—it takes a long time for the
aquifer to recover, up to 150 years or more. By the time you
see damage, it’s too late.”
Dr. Lori Hargrove, Post Doctoral Researcher at the San
Diego Museum of Natural History
H argove’s research interest is the biogeography of birds—
that is, how their distribution and abundance is affected
by issues like climate change. She noted there are over 400
species of birds in the Mojave and Colorado deserts, and that
no two species share exactly the same distribution or habitat
preferences.
Desert birds have special survival strategies that include
flexible nesting schedules based on the climate year to year. Due
to climate change, she says, “There is evidence of changes in
migration dates, earlier egg laying, and mismatch with food—
for example, insects peak earlier than the birds show up.”
In a three-year survey of birds at three Coachella Valley
sites, she observed that some species like mountain quail and
phainopepla have already moved upward in elevation as a re-
sponse to climate change, and that some had better reproductive
success at higher elevations. “Bird shifts are the canary in the
coal mine in relation to climate change,” Hargrove said.
She is currently taking part in the San Jacinto Centennial
Resurvey—a survey of birds, animals and reptiles in the San
Jacinto Mountains that is revisiting sites from a famous bench-
mark survey in 1908. For more information, visit www.sdnhm.
org/research/sanjacinto.
After the speakers’ presentations, Mike Cipra, desert
programs manager for the NPCA, summed up, “It takes a com-
munity to tackle an issue as complex as climate change. It takes
all of us. Our impact needs to be personal, community-based
and political.”
Participants then relocated to the Hi-Desert Nature Muse-
um for a reception at the Climate Change Art Show and Contest.
The grand prize winner was Drew Reese for his photograph of
a Joshua tree titled, “Here Today, Gone Tomorrow.”
Additional conference supporters included the Mojave
Desert Land Trust, Morongo Basin Conservation Association,
The Living Desert, The Desert Protective Council, Joshua Tree
National Park, Mojave National Preserve, Copper Mountain
College, The Sun Runner Magazine, the Morongo Basin Cul-
tural Arts Council, and the Town of Yucca Valley.
To Learn More About Climate Change:
Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change: www.ipcc.ch
U.S. Global Change Research Program: www.globalchange.gov.
Climate Change Adaptation Strategies for California’s Water:
www.water.ca.gov/climatechange.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 33
I
t’s a sobering statistic: up to 75 percent of the drinking
water used every year in the Joshua Basin Water District
goes toward landscaping. What can be done to cut back on
water consumption and still keep our surroundings beautiful?
One answer is to choose more native and other low water us-
age plants. The new Water Wise Demonstration Garden at the
JBWD office (61750 Chollita Road, at the corner of Park Blvd.)
is a public education project that shows how it can be done.
The Water Wise Demonstration Garden has five areas, each
with a different theme: Desert Ranch, Mediterranean, Native
Plant and Wildlife, Rock Garden and Thornless. A group of
horticulturalists, botanists and naturalists participated in the
design process. Representatives from Joshua Tree National
Park made sure no plants were chosen that could contaminate
the surrounding desert ecosystem.
One special feature of the demonstration garden is a
“smart” watering system. Rather than working on a conven-
tional timer, this computerized, state-of-the-art system waters
only when necessary—as determined by a combination of soil
moisture, wind speed, and air and water temperature.
As far as current water usage patterns are concerned, the
clock is ticking. Kathleen Radnich, public information and
outreach for JBWD, observes, “The State of California passed a
law, effective this year, which requires water use to be reduced
20 percent statewide by 2020. We need some paradigm shifts
in how we think about water use to reach that goal.”
The exhibit’s grand opening will be held on Saturday, April
17 from noon to 4 p.m. Special events include a demonstration
on container gardening with cacti and succulents; a presentation
by Native Americans on ethnobotany (how native plants were
once used for survival); a native plant seed and seedling sale
sponsored by the Theodore Payne Foundation; and a demon-
stration on how to do your own quick start of native seeds.
After the April 17 opening, the demonstration garden
will be open Monday through Friday during office hours and
weekends by appointment. A self-guided walking tour brochure
will be available, or you can request a 15-minute docent tour.
Call (760)366-8438 to schedule an appointment or tour.
Templates for the themed gardens, which include plant
lists, planting plans and irrigation tips, are available online at
www.jbwd.com/water-conservation.
34 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
I
n February, the Mojave Desert Land Trust initiated a se-
ries of eco-hikes in partnership with Uprising Adventure
Guides. Led by experts in desert life and lore, these weekly
Saturday hikes range from easy to difficult and visit a variety
of destinations in Joshua Tree National Park—from the Eagle
Cliff and Lost Horse mines to Johnny Lang Canyon and the
Wonderland of Rocks.
Hike Coordinator Christa Cranston says, “Eco-Hikes bring
together those who love the desert with those who know the
desert—naturalists who understand the inter-connectedness of
desert life forms, geology and cultural history. Deeper under-
standing of our environment strengthens our attachment to the
land and reinforces the values of land preservation—which is
what the Land Trust is all about.”
Founded in 2005, the Mojave Desert Land Trust is a 501
(c) (3) public charity dedicated to protecting the Mojave Desert
ecosystem and its scenic and cultural resources. To date, hike
leaders have included naturalist Mark Wheeler, rock climber
Jacob Colella, MDLT resource advocate Pat Flanagan and hik-
ing veterans Rich and Vera Pringle.
The cost for the half-day hikes is $10 for MDLT members;
if you’re not a member, you can join for $25. The proceeds go
to the Quail Mountain Project, an effort to purchase 955 pris-
tine acres that adjoin Joshua Tree National Park. The property
encompasses “Tortoise Flats,” prime habitat where over 20
desert tortoises make their home. Once the Quail Mountain
property is purchased, it will be donated to the park.
Upcoming eco-hikes include Willow Hole on April 10,
Quail Mountain on April 17 and Ryan Mountain on April 24. To
sign up, visit www.mojavedesertlandtrust.org or call (760)366-
5440. The hikes take a summer hiatus from May-September
and resume again in October.
The Land Trust is always looking for hike leaders and
volunteers who want to help out while getting some fresh air
and exercise. If you’d like to lend a hand, contact christa@
mojavedesertlandtrust.org.
 Photos courtesy The Living Desert.
T
he Living Desert is a zoo with a difference. There, you
can see exotic animals and plants from deserts all over the
world. It’s no surprise that a big part of their mission is to
preserve desert species threatened with extinction. In the past
five years, that mission has expanded to include 75 conservation
projects at the local, regional, national and international levels.
Peter Siminski, director of conservation and education,
says, “The real power in conservation lies in partnerships. A lot
of what we do involves working with other groups to build up
animal and plant populations, promote research and education,
and conduct biological studies to protect species in the wild.”
Here are a few of The Living Desert’s ongoing conserva-
tion projects.
Desert Tortoise
The threats to desert tortoises are ever-increasing: predators
like ravens (which thrive on garbage and roadkill), habitat de-
struction by off-road vehicles and a reduced food supply due to
invasive species like brome grass. In some areas of the Mojave
Desert, tortoise populations have declined by 90 percent.
Siminski says, “We support education programs to show
that tortoises have value in the desert environment.” One
of those programs is California’s Mojave Max Emergence
Contest, where kids from eight counties try to guess the date
that Mojave Max will emerge from her burrow at The Living
Desert. Another program is Tortoise Trunks, steamer trunks
filled with fun information about tortoises that teachers can
use in their classrooms. This year, The Living Desert plans to
conduct teacher workshops and make the trunks available in
more desert communities.
Right now, The Living Desert is seeking funds to host the
coordinator position for the Desert Tortoise Information and
Education Project, a cooperative effort that involves the Desert
Managers Group and Defenders of Wildlife.
Siminski observes, “The Mojave Max contest in particular
has helped us raise public awareness not only of the desert
tortoise, but also of desert conservation as a whole.”
Desert Pupfish
If you’ve never seen a desert pupfish, The Living Desert has five
ponds’ worth. It was one of the first institutions to protect desert
pupfish, establishing the first pond in 1972. Most of the fish
came from San Felipe Creek and other areas in the Salton Sink.
“The wild populations are highly vulnerable to extinction,”
says Siminski. “These refugia are a safeguard against natural
catastrophes and a source of reintroducing the species to natural
habitats in the future.” Threats to desert pupfish include variable
and decreasing water sources, competing nonnative fish like
tilapia and mosquito fish, and crayfish and mollusk infestations.
The populations in the different ponds are kept separate in
order to maintain genetic diversity. To date, The Living Desert
has retained the most genetic diversity of all 24 pupfish refuges
in California and Arizona.
Spring is showtime for desert pupfish. Once the water
warms up, the males, which are sky blue, set up their territories
in the ponds and court the females—a display you can watch
from now to October.
North African Projects
At the international level, one of the most significant programs
to date has been the reintroduction of addax to the Sahara
Desert, where they are highly endangered. An addax born at
The Living Desert was reintroduced a year and a half ago,
along with 11 other captive-born addax and nine captive-born
scimitar-horned oryx, at Djebil and Dghoumes National Parks
in Tunisia.
The Living Desert is a founding partner of the Sahelo-
Saharan Interest Group and the Sahara Conservation Fund—the
strongest voices for saving critically endangered species there.
“Recently we helped an Algerian biologist get trained to survey
cheetahs,” says Siminski. “A little over a year ago he got the
first photos of a Saharan cheetah in Algeria—a pretty remark-
able achievement.”
Mecca Aster
There are a number of species of desert asters, like the fairly
common Mojave aster. But the Mecca aster is found only in
a few locations—among them, the Mecca and Indio hills and
the Orocopia Mountains at the edge of the Coachella Valley.
The Living Desert has worked with the BLM to develop
horticultural techniques for growing Mecca asters. They are
then replanted in areas damaged by off-road vehicle use. “Our
role is to determine the parameters for growing and reestab-
lishing the asters,” says Siminski. “We put out some plants a
couple of years ago, and we’ll do it again this fall. In the future,
we want to ramp up production to support further restoration
projects on BLM land.”
Plan Your Visit!
Spring is one of the best times to visit The Living Desert, so
plan your visit now! Hours are 9 am-5 pm seven days a week
through May 31. Starting June 1, summer hours are 8 am-1:30
pm. Admission is $12.50 for adults, $11 for seniors and military,
$7.50 for children 3-12, and children under three free. 47900
Portola Ave., Palm Desert, (760)346-5694,
www.livingdesert.org.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 35

Photo by Jim Barry. Prince’s rock-cress (Arabis pulchra).
R
ecently, following a friend’s directions, I took a walk
into the rocky foothills of Quail Mountain searching
for the delicate pink-petaled prince’s rock-cress (Arabis
pulchra). Looking very hard, there were maybe six or seven
plants in all the area we scanned. I had never seen this plant
before and for a time I thought we may have discovered some-
thing rare. That turned out not to be the case, though it is rare
in this location.
This essay is not about rare wildflowers; it is about a re-
turn on investment. I will explain. Even though desert plants
represent 37 percent of the state’s entire native flora, only about
one percent of the California deserts have been adequately
explored for plants. (This is shocking in itself but especially as
a stand-in for how much we really don’t know about this arid
land.) A complete survey has to include both spring and sum-
mer blooming periods and include the number of years it would
take some species to make an appearance. Alas, development,
which usually necessitates and funds plant surveys, does not
require such comprehensive studies.
Currently we are engaged in a renewable energy frenzy,
large scale solar and wind projects and transmission lines,
which will do more to destroy life in the California deserts than
any previous activity. Our state and federal governments are
committed to investing the desert landscape, like they would
invest money, for a massive “clean energy” return. The desert,
hundreds of thousands of acres of it, has become a thing, a limp
dollar bill, to be scraped and industrialized. Is this an experiment
with an uncertain outcome? Will desired returns on this invest-
ment—decrease in green house gas emissions—be realized?
There are only three other places in the entire world where
the air is as clear and the sun as bright as in the Mojave Des-
ert—Western Australia, the Kalahari Desert in Botswana, South
Africa, and the Atacama Desert in South America. The Mojave,
and the entire California desert region, has additional things
going for it: lots of cheap, level public land with only a short
transmission hop of 80 miles to the users (aka load centers).
So far, energy regulators aren’t impressed that the 80 miles
crosses the San Andreas Fault system, currently fairly active,
which produced the Transverse and Peninsular mountain ranges
characterized by dense vegetation and extreme fire danger.
I spend a good portion of my time trying to understand the
various aspects of the solar land rush. I believe in the reality of
climate change and the models showing the desert will experi-
ence hotter temperatures and more extreme weather conditions.
Currently our earth’s atmosphere contains 389.1 parts per mil-
lion (ppm) CO2 and scientists say that 350 ppm is the safe limit
for humanity. As a major world economy California must do
36 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
something to significantly diminish its green house gas emis-
sions. What will the process cost the desert?
For insight, I consult The American West at Risk—Science,
Myths, and Politics of Land Abuse and Recovery. Howard
Wilshire and his co-authors Jane Nielson and Richard Hazlett,
are geologists with years of practical work in the west. They
explain the concept of diminishing returns: it takes energy to
get energy. The concern is net yield, how much energy you
get after factoring in every input affecting production. This is
expressed as the ratio of energy returned on energy invested
or EROI. They give the example of oil production starting in
the 1930s when the reservoirs were full and extraction easy,
costing only one barrel of oil for every 100 barrels produced,
or 100:1. Now that reserves are low and pumping is difficult,
the ratio has dropped to 11:1, moving toward 1:1. Wilshire et.
al, demonstrate the margin for renewable electric power genera-
tion is narrow, helping us understand why transmission over
distance counts heavily, as does energy used to manufacture
parts and construct and maintain a facility.
Critics of industrial scale solar projects question if there is
enough groundwater to supply solar installations needs without
draining aquifers and impoverishing nearby communities. Fol-
lowing the recent Climate Change and the California Desert
Conference, I asked Dr. Deborah Hughson, science advisor
for the Mojave National Preserve and an expert on desert
hydrology, to summarize the situation. She explained, “The
overwhelming majority of groundwater basins in the desert are
in a state of overdraft. The cumulative effect on the desert’s
groundwater systems is unsustainable. Will solar projects be
required to purchase and retire more existing pumping than they
will use to avoid contributing to this unsustainable situation?
“The need to pump or import water requires energy which
cuts into the EROI. The EROI for most solar projects is already
small and probably does not include the large distances in the
desert that need to be traveled by vehicles for operation and
maintenance... If the price of oil goes up it means that the price
of the alternative also goes up. Another unanticipated input,
some would call it a happy surprise, is the recent discovery
that desert soils can absorb and store carbon at a high rate. If
pristine desert soils are disturbed over large areas, what is the
desert-wide cumulative effect of planned projects on the amount
of carbon released and the loss of storage?”
The BLM lists seven fast-tracked solar thermal projects
intending to break ground by December 31, in order to receive
substantial federal stimulus funds. These initial projects will
scrape 32,103 acres (50.1 square miles) of pristine desert land
to produce 3,970 MW of power or 8MW per acre. The EROI is
not calibrated as part of the environmental review. In contrast,
Southern California Edison is covering 1,280 acres (two square
miles) of warehouse roofs in Los Angeles with photovoltaic
power cells to generate 250 MW or 5MW per acre. Installed
where the energy will be used, there will be no transmission
or significant construction and maintenance costs. There will
be no scraped desert soils and scarce water resources are not
pumped long distances, trucked, or diverted from agricultural
use. The cost is 27 cents per kilowatt hour (2008 prices), 19
cents more expensive than conventional generation. That cost,
however, does not reflect the real energy return on investment.
I believe the EROI ratio is the most important information
we can have to make informed decisions. Currently the EROI
is not calculated as part of the environmental process, so we do
not know the return on the proposed investment of our desert
land. Until the return on investment is known, I do not believe
the need to sacrifice desert wildflowers, and all they represent,
has been demonstrated.

S
o I have this place in Joshua Tree, California, and I thought
it would be fun to spend last winter and spring here and
see if I like it. I do like it, and it has been a real adventure.
It is the Wild West, fer sure, fer sure.
The road in is really bad. So bad that the county put
up a sign saying, “Road Not Maintained by San Bernardino
County.” And it’s true. My neighbors and I fill in the holes
when we can’t get through. I like it.
The weather last winter was awful—windy and cold—and
there were many stay-in-the-house days. I have been learning
all about propane systems and how to repair them. One night
I went to Pappy and Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, our local
saloon, and I agreed with the guy who said, “It’s cheaper to
drink here than pay for propane at home.”
My neighbors are the greatest people, and they help me all
the time. For some reason they seem to think I am a real dumb
guy from the city. I don’t know why... The nearest house to my
place is about a quarter mile away. I’m really in town, about
three miles from the center of Joshua Tree, but it feels quite
rural, even though there are lots of people who live out past me.
My “ranch,” which I named the Outback Ranch, is in a
cute little valley in an area called Hidden River, which is in a
much bigger valley. I have a wonderful view of several moun-
tain ranges and the valleys between them. When I look south I
can see up into the park—Joshua Tree National Park—which
is the main reason I am here. Old timers call it “The Monu-
ment,” because it used to be a national monument, but many
more people come here since they upgraded it to a national
park, and some are even from foreign lands.
I found out that the County Assessor classifies my place
as being in a “Dirt Road Subdivision” for tax purposes. This
sounds like a class distinction to me. My truck gets stuck on the
road quite regularly, both coming and going, I like it. Usually I
can dig it out with my shovel. Jimmy, my neighbor, offered to
grade the road with his tractor for me, but I asked him not to.
He asked me why and I told him “It keeps the riff-raff out.” He
laughed, because he knows exactly what I mean.
Less than one vehicle a week comes down my street, and
they usually back out right away. A tow truck got stuck out in
front of my place this spring, but he got out. Twice this year
trucks came down the street and never came back. I could not
figure it out, because there is no way anyone could get through
on the road. I asked my neighbor Wayno what happened and
he said that they drove across the new neighbors’ yard to get
out. I guess they didn’t want to try coming back the same way!
I have a small pickup truck, two-wheel drive, and I like
it. Someday I may get four-wheel drive, but I know I would
still get stuck. Wayno feels sorry for my truck. “The poor little
baby truck! You’re killing it,” he told me. But it is OK, mostly.
A.J., my mechanic, told me my shock absorbers were bro-
ken off, and looked at me accusingly. I looked at the ground and
said I didn’t know how that could happen. All the light bulbs on
my truck have gone out this year, some more than once, and I
think it is the pounding from the washboard road that does it.
And my battery quit working without any warning, in a very
inconvenient location.
There are some off-roaders who like to tear across the
desert in my area. I put up a fence to keep them from destroy-
ing the vegetation. It seems to be working. Wayno told me I
should put up 4-by-4s with chain link fencing and concrete
(and perhaps tank traps) to keep them out, but so far it is fine.
My friend Willy asked me why I moved out here. He has
this stereotype of what it’s like. He said it’s a bunch of weir-
dos and wackos and meth heads trying to escape civilization
out here. I said, “That has nothing to do with why I am here.”
Everyone here is very nice to me, much nicer than where I
came from.
My new friend Tom came over not long ago and looked
around, and he was intrigued by the idea that I don’t have any
neighbors nearby. He asked me, “Why don’t they break in when
you’re gone?” I said I didn’t know, and he said, “Probably it
doesn’t look like there is anything worth stealing.”
I put in solar panels for electricity about five years ago,
and they work great! My TV gets nine channels, but only when
it is in one corner of my place. Neighbor Jay-lene clued me in.
She said you have to point the antenna down. This would never
have occurred to me. I can run my stereo and house lights, but
don’t have enough power for AC. Life is good.
It didn’t rain here for about two and a half years, and the
plants were dying. I even lost some Joshua trees. But this
winter it rained a lot, and I have never seen so much wildlife,
and so many flowers.
I am a geologist, and I study the geology of the area. It is
quite interesting. My place is on a fault, and also very near some
other big faults, and I can see that the landscape is completely
tectonically shaped. Here in the desert there is not much vegeta-
tion, and you can see exactly what is going on.
February 3 was a Sunday, the windiest day I have seen
here. It measured 75 mph at the airport a couple of miles from
me. The windows blew in at the store in town, and I saw sev-
eral garage doors that were blown into the garages, while they
were closed. Ow! They just don’t make them like they used to.
The wind was not a problem for me, except when I opened
the front door I could not close it, no way, and I weigh more
than 200 pounds. Later I went into town and got caught in a
sandstorm and my windshield has pits in it now. Bah. And the
many-centuries-old Joshua tree at the main intersection in town
blew down that day. Well, more later...
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 37
 DeRanger Steve
GRAM
I
t’s funny. For over 15 years I’ve
learned about, then educated, people
on the desert. Not just the A to Z as
found in the books but everything from
the Indians settling here 3,000 years ago,
how the sand is used in our technology
today, and my personal experiences.
There are stories of Viking ships and
Spanish pearl galleons buried under the
Salton Sink and a plank road that once
crossed the desert as well. Of course
there are the legends of Joshua Tree
National Park, the Lost Horse Mine
and the life and death of Gram Parsons.
G r a m w h o ?
Gram Parsons was an important
American singer/ songwriter, musician
and performer. Parsons was a member of
the International Submarine Band, The
Byrds, and The Flying Burrito Broth-
ers. He later worked as a solo artist who
recorded and performed duets with Em-
mylou Harris.
Parsons died of a drug overdose
at the age of 26 in Room 8 at the
Joshua Tree Inn. Since his death, he
has been credited with helping to found
38 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
both country rock and roots rock.
Parsons was considered a major
influence on groups like The Eagles,
Buffalo Springfield, and Creedence
Clearwater Revival. According to the
stories surrounding his death from a drug
overdose, his best friend, Phil Kauffman,
and a few others, stole his body from
the Los Angeles International Airport
where it was being held for shipment
to Louisiana, and drove out to Joshua
Tree National Monument where they at-
tempted to cremate his body against the
North Side of Cap Rock.
The cremation ended in a fireball
and the arrest of Kauffman and friends.
Kauffman was fined about $700 for the
theft of the coffin. No legal action was
taken against the theft of Grams Parsons’
body however, and his remains were sent
home to New Orleans for burial.
How many tourists have I taken to
Cap Rock to walk the less than 1/3 mile
loop trail? How many times have I given
climbing lessons there or just climbed to
the cap with friends?
Starting in the parking lot, most
people take the loop trail to the south
walking away from Cap Rock going
around giant piles of boulders and rock.
Gram’s cremation site is on the north side
of Cap Rock and most people never see it.
Those that do see the site comment on the
graffiti and how the park service doesn’t
take care of the site, not realizing what
they are looking at until I explain it.
Some people ask me about Gram,
commenting on the film Gram Theft
Parsons (2003), the story of his death
and theft of his body. They want to know
where the cremation site is, alluding to
the film’s script indicating that it hap-
pened in open desert somewhere.
It’s at this point I say, “Once you
leave town, you are in open desert,” as
we walk around this imposing chunk of
granite, looking at, and listening to, the
climbers as they move across the Gram
J.D. Reed & Maddy Miller’s book for
Wenner Books, Stairway to Heaven: The
Final Resting Places of Rock’s Legends,
includes photos of Cap Rock in Joshua
Tree National Park, and shrines to Gram
Parsons, shot by Steve Brown of The Sun
Runner.
Parson Traverse above us. “However I
think you’ll find the spot you are looking
for is here, somewhat hidden,” showing
them an indentation in the rocks, not a
cave, just something protected and out
of the wind. Covered in smoke stains and
paint it is the site of Gram Parsons’ failed
cremation.
For years people have left their
marks, notes and tributes on the surround-
ing rock. The National Park Service does
try to clean it up, only some legends are
just too strong and fans return to repaint
their feelings about Gram. “Gram safe at
home” and “Rest in Peace,” reads some
of the comments.
But Gram Parsons didn’t quite
rest in peace. Instead he rocks on, and
on the Friday night of Valentine’s day
weekend there was a concert at one of
the Indian casinos. It was John Fogerty
of Creedence Clearwater Revival.
For over two hours we sat and lis-
tened to old fashioned rock and roll and
had a great time filled with feel good
music—music most of us have grown
up with. Music that was definitely influ-
enced by Gram Parsons, a man who was
so caught up by the desert and Joshua
Tree, that he himself became one of the
legends of the desert.
Rock on, Gram Parsons because of
your passion for the desert, you and I
have become friends.

I
s the depressed economy still hurting
your business? The uncertain econo-
my may last into the end of 2010, but
one thing is certain: Your business can
cut costs by reducing energy, waste and
water use and do something good to help
Joshua Tree National Park and the planet.
Let’s kick off the second decade of the
21st century by empowering businesses
to develop green practices, educating
visitors about sustainability and protect-
ing our fragile desert habitat.
Let me explain.
In June, the National Park Con-
servation Association will kick off the
Joshua Tree Green Business Program.
The goal of the program is to reduce the
environmental impact of the Joshua Tree
National Park gateway community busi-
nesses while increasing public awareness
about environmental concerns in our
desert.
It makes sense for local businesses
to care about their sustainability and the
health of our environment. In 2008, there
were 1.3 million visitors to Joshua Tree
National Park. They came to view the
pristine night skies, hike through Joshua
tree forests, observe wildlife and rock
climb. According to a Michigan State
University study, visitors spent over $37
million in our region; they ate in our
restaurants, slept in our hotels and bought
gas and souvenirs. The health of our
local and regional economy is integrally
entwined with Joshua Tree National Park.
To achieve its mission, the voluntary
Joshua Tree Green Business Program rec-
ognizes businesses who pledge to imple-
ment at least five sustainability measures,
two of which have to be energy efficiency
or renewable energy measures. Member-
ship is free; however, businesses will be
asked to track electric, gas and water
use each year in an easy to use template
and implement at least 5 energy, water,
or material savings strategies within 12
months. The strategies can be selected
from over 50 different possibilities and
from three different categories: no cost,
low cost and capital intensive.
An example of a no cost measure
would be keeping your office thermostat
low during the winter while an example
of a low cost measure would be to replace
incandescent light bulbs with fluorescent
light bulbs. Businesses that have capital
and a desire to invest in sustainability
can take on capital intensive measures
such as replacing an old toilet with a low
flow toilet.
The three categories of sustainable
measures allow businesses to choose
the measures that work best for them.
We know that every business is differ-
ent; therefore, the Joshua Tree Green
Business Program honors a variety of
sustainability measures.
Our goal is to have 25 businesses in
the local community (Twentynine Palms,
Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Morongo)
join the program by December 2010.
To achieve this goal, the NPCA
Joshua Tree Green Business Program
will provide:
An electric, gas, and water use track-
ing sheet.
A list of energy efficiency, wa-
ter conservation, and waste reduction
measures that will help your business
identify ways to reduce its environmental
footprint.
A blog where businesses can check
up on the latest sustainability tips and
send in questions about how to save
money and reduce their impact on the en-
vironment. There will also be a resource
list providing information about rebates
and incentives available from the federal,
state, and local government, as well the
local utilities.
Joshua Tree Green Business Mem-
bers will also benefit through free ad-
vertising. The Sun Runner magazine
will showcase our community’s green
businesses. In addition, a NPCA website
is being created that will list members and
links to their websites, if applicable. At
the end of the first year, case studies about
the green businesses will be written and
showcased on the NPCA website. Josh-
ua Tree Green Business Members will
also receive a window decal, a website
badge, and a logo to use for advertising
that they are a green business.
The Joshua Tree Green Business
Program will assist our community busi-
nesses adopt environmental practices.
By being environmentally conscious,
businesses may lower material costs and
utility costs, benefitting both finances and
the environment. Furthermore, public
recognition enables the citizens and
visitors of our community to choose to
shop in eco-friendly businesses around
the basin, whcih is important to many
who are concerned about the future of
our local and global ecosystems.
Please join the Joshua Tree Green
Business Program to help our community
rise to the challenge of protecting and
preserving not only our National Parks
but also our Earth for future generations.
Stefanie Kivelin, a mechanical
engineer with an interest in energy and
the environment, volunteered to help the
NPCA develop the Joshua Tree Green
Business Program
For more info on the Green Business
Program, please contact Seth Shteir,
Senior Program Coordinator for the Na-
tional Parks Conservation Association,
at sshteir@npca.org or (760)366-7785.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 39

O
ur Indian Wells Valley here in the Upper Mojave Desert
is surrounded by mountain ranges to form one of the
chain of lakes that carried Ice Age glacial water from
the Eastern Sierras into Death Valley. The northern boundary of
our valley is the Coso Mountains which are of volcanic origin.
They run east and west and appear to connect on their west
end with the Sierra Nevadas that trend north and south. But
not so. The extensive ancient volcanic activity of lava flows
and cinder domes stopped short, leaving a gap in the northwest
corner of our valley.
It was through this gap, the “Little Lake Gap,” as it later
became known, that the glacial water flowed. The gap also is
the exit from our valley for the main route that connects Los
Angeles with the Inyo-Mono country and beyond. The gap is
six miles long, with its narrowest point a quarter of a mile wide.
It accommodates the Los Angeles Aqueduct, the four-lane U.S.
395 highway, the freshwater Little Lake and, in their day, the
Southern Pacific Railroad and an early settlement to serve the
travel and commercial traffic along the Midland Trail/Bullion
Road.
A main feature in the gap is the lake, on the east side of the
highway, which is not large. But its 200 acres are big enough to
harbor fish and wildlife—with waterfowl covering the surface
during migration season. Perennial underwater springs keep the
lake full throughout the year. The east side of the lake is bound
by the sheer 100-foot-plus face of a massive lava flow from a
nearby volcano. Habitation by prehistoric Native Americans is
evident by numerous petroglyphs at the base of the lava wall.
The Stahl Site, located a short distance north of the lake,
was discovered in 1947 by Will Stahl, an amateur archaeolo-
40 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Bill and Elvira
Bramlette with
their children
Wales and Eliza-
beth, 1908. Bram-
lette family photo,
courtesy of His-
torical Society of
the Upper Mojave
Desert. The Little
Lake hotel, store,
and Post Office
in their heyday.
Courtesy of the
Maturango Mu-
seum.
gist who reported his discovery to the Southwest Museum in
Los Angeles. The museum curator, Mark Harrington, began
excavation in 1948 and continued intermittently until 1951.
The site was quite extensive and rich with artifacts. Harrington
concluded that the site was occupied 3,000 to 4,000 years ago
with some evidence that indicates a greater age.
Fast-forward to the early 1900s. Traffic and settlers
increased with the construction of the L.A. Aqueduct (1908-
1913) and the S.P. Railroad (1910). William “Bill” Bramlette,
a native of Los Angeles, moved up to Little Lake with his wife
and children in 1915. An energetic 38-year-old, he purchased
an early homestead and began a 25-year program of building
and operating modern (for the times) facilities and services
for the touring public. A complex of gas station, auto garage,
store, café, two-story hotel, post office building, etc., were
constructed in the 1920s on the west side of Little Lake Gap
along the Midland Trail. The railroad line ran parallel to the
trail, and the Little Lake Station was a regular stop for people,
mail and goods.
Over these years and into the 1930s, Bramlette acquired
additional parcels of land, including the lake proper and the
land north of it where the Stahl Site and Fossil Falls are located.
His land, totaling 1,200 acres, formed the Little Lake Ranch.
Bill passed away in December 1940, and his wife Elvira died
in November 1943. The responsibility of operating the Little
Lake Ranch assets fell to their son Tom.
Of course, with the passage of time came changes. Tom
sold the business properties in the early 1950s. He and his wife
continued to live at the ranchhouse that had been built just north
of the lake. Eventually, in 1962 Tom sold the balance of the
Little Lake Ranch property to a group in Southern California.
Today little evidence exists of the historic Little Lake settle-
ments. The ranch house and fresh-water lake on the east side
of the present highway are still standing as private property,
not open to access by the public.
A major realignment and four-lane construction of High-
way 395 resulted in the demolition of many of the buildings at
the former business complex site. A short stretch of the paved
Midland Trail at the site still exists. The railroad is long gone,
with the embankment barely discernible. And on the west
side stands the ruins of the Post Office building—the lonely
reminder of a once-thriving community.
However, the topography of the gap has not changed. The
volcanic features in the adjoining Cosos are striking. Several
massive ancient lava flows are visible—like frozen black gla-
ciers.
Come up to see them, just a short 20 minutes north of
Ridgecrest.
John Di Pol
Historical Society of the Mojave Desert

E
dward Beale looked back across the Colorado River,
thankful that all 24 (some say 25) of his precious camels
had survived the crossing. Situated 25 miles north of
Needles, they were now ready to begin their adventure across
the Mojave Desert to California.
But, what had Beale already accomplished? Their journey
began at Camp Verde, near San Antonio, Texas, where the larger
herd of imported camels was located. His official business was
to survey a road along the 35th Parallel from Fort Defiance in
New Mexico to the Colorado River. The party included 120
animals including horses and mules, wagons and 44 men. They
had traveled for four months and over 1,200 miles. Beale’s job
was done. Or was it?
Beale had learned a lot about camels and come to respect
their abilities. They were patient and did not stampede. They
could wander miles for feed. He wrote to the Secretary of War.
“At time I have thought it impossible they could stand the
test to which they have been put, but they seem to have risen
equal to every trial and to have come off of every exploration
with as much strength as before starting…. In all our lateral
explorations, they have carried water sometimes for more than a
week for the mules used by the men, themselves never receiving
even a bucketful of one of them. They have traveled patiently,
with heavy packs, on these explorations, countries covered
with sharpest volcanic rock, and yet their feet, to this hour,
have evinced no symptom of tenderness or injury. With heavy
packs, they have crossed mountains, ascended and descended
precipitous places where an unladen mule found it difficult to
pass, even with the assistance of the rider dismounted, and
carefully picking his way.”
“… I believe at this time I may speak for every man in our
party, when I say there is not one of them who would not prefer
the most indifferent of our camels to four of our best mules.”
Their journey across the Mojave Desert was uneventful.
They reached Helendale near the Cajon Pass and then started
up the pass. In November 1857 a Mormon wrote:
“The expedition in charge of Lieutenant Beale, sent out to
examine a mail route from some point in New Mexico to San
Francisco, arrived in Cajon Pass Saturday night last. There were
twenty-four dromedaries and camels, a few Arabs, mules, etc.”
Edward Beale.
The pro-
fessional camel
experts included
George Cara-
lambo (“Greek
George”), Hadji
Alli (“Hi Jolly”)
and Hadagoi
Alli. Beale ini-
tially felt that
these Greeks
were incompe-
tent but after
the long journey
they had mas-
tered their abili-
ties at dealing
with camels.
Beale re-
ported:
“I have
subjected them
to trials which
no other animal
could possibly have endured; and yet I have arrived here not
only without the loss of a camel, but they are admitted by those
who saw them in Texas to be in as good condition as when we
left San Antonio.”
Historian George Stammerjohan disputes the honesty of
Beale’s report.
“He (Beale) failed to report that he had lost three camels,
the expense of which would have been deducted from the con-
tract’s final financial settlement. And he failed to report that
the Mojave Desert’s rocky soil nearly crippled the animals’ soft
hooves. They were hired for work in the softer, sand-gravel
deserts of the eastern Mediterranean.”
Beale divided the expedition at Cajon Pass. The main
caravan traveled north to the Mojave River and west to Palm-
dale, Lake Elizabeth, and finally Fort Tejon which was located
in the mountains some 40 miles south of Bakersfield. Beale
and Hi Jolly took a smaller contingent to San Bernardino for a
day’s rest and then some 60 miles or so to Los Angeles over a
stagecoach road.
Before entering the pueblo of Los Angeles, Hi Jolly
donned a colorful costume and draped one of the camels with
bells. When they entered the small city of 1,500 they created
quite a stir. People followed the camels all over town. Horses
reportedly reared back at the sight of the strange animals and
galloped away. After two days of a very public celebration,
the caravan got back to business and headed out of town on the
Camino Real to the San Fernando Mission. From there they
headed north through the mountains to Fort Tejon.
Fort Tejon was an army post which was established to
protect the San Sebastian Indian Reservation from incursions
by white settlers. It was also clear that the Fort was to protect
herds of cattle in the region from hostile Indian raids.
Hi Jolly was preparing to leave his camel duties for the
excitement of prospecting for gold in the diggings of the Sierra
foothills at Whisky Flat some 50 miles to the north. But he
remained with the venture when he learned that Beale was pre-
paring to return to the Colorado River with a small detachment
of camels designed to test the suitability of the route during
winter.
Camels had arrived in the American West and would be
here for some time.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 41
M
uch written western history has spun around conflict
of one sort of another…the term ’frontier’ suggests
tension between us and them, civilized and not-civi-
lized…the border of something and the start of something else.
We tend to look through this lens at mining camps of a hundred
years ago and see good guys versus bad guys. Throw in a few
weathered wooden buildings, donkeys, whisky, saloon girls
and mix with gold, silver, and even tungsten, and you have it:
LIFE IN A MINING CAMP.
But what about the children? (They lived there too, you
know.) What stuck in their minds?
On Randsburg’s pages of the 1900 census over half the
miners were listed as married; over 100 children were in local
schools! More children were too young for school and taken
care of by their mothers at home. Family photos and childhood
memories spin what we think we know about mining camps
into a new direction.
RAY
Ray Conaway, born in Westminster California in 1906, lived
for a time on Highland Avenue in Randsburg in what Ray
remembered as a two room house. In a photo picturing Ray’s
mother Ora May and toddler Ray, Ora is dressed in a loosely
fitting gingham checked sleeveless dress over a white blouse.
Ora and Ray wear similar sun hats as they stand in front of a
screen door and open window overlooking their Randsburg
front porch. Little Ray’s Uncle Fred had a freighting business
which moved supplies and equipment from the railroad depots
at Mojave and Johannesburg to Randsburg. Ray loved telling
that Dr Rose Burcham saved Uncle Fred’s foot from amputation
after a wagon rolled over it….
Ray’s little sister Edna was born in Randsburg on the 23rd
of December, 1907. About ten years ago, in Barstow, Ray shared
that the women and children of the family spent some cool time
in Long Beach in the summer…he showed me a photo of Edna
sitting in a wicker baby buggy at the edge of the surf.
HARRISON
Harrison Doyle, along with a brother and two sisters, accompa-
nied their parents to Randsburg in the early days. He recalled
tables and chairs in their dugout-home which were made
from dynamite boxes; mattresses were stuffed with the tops of
creosote bushes. As an adult, Harrison recalled the smell of wet
42 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Teresa McCarthy’s Rands-
burg home, top right; and
Teresa, right.
Ora May and Ray Conaway,
circa 1908, far left.
Harrison Doyle (second
from left in seated row),
aged about 12 in Randsburg,
1901, above left.
sawdust coming from saloons…and how much make-up was
scandalously worn by the women who worked in those saloons.
The Fourth of July was really exciting to Harrison who
recalled miners coming from surrounding claims to enter the
drilling contest. The boys loved the soda cracker eating contest
where the prize was awarded to the first boy who could whistle
after devouring a certain number of crackers. Other games
included a tug of war between married and single men (cigars
were the winning team’s prize), a spoon race for women and a
three legged race for children. A baseball game, a greased pig
contest, the reading of the Declaration of Independence and a
dance capped off the day.
In a 1959 interview Harrison (a distant cousin of author
Arthur Conan Doyle) related:
I learned a great many things in Randsburg, chief of which
was to sift the gold from the gilt: the real from the tinsel in life.
And the gift has stood me in good stead throughout a long,
and I hope useful life…I instinctively realized than that folks
changed the minute they got away from civilization. They
would let down the bars and do things in a mining camp they
would never dream of doing at home.
TERESA
Teresa McCarthy remembered the taste of strawberry sodas at
the drug store in Randsburg as well as the wind, which sounded
to her like rain as it blew through the cottonwood trees. Teresa
also remembered her parents in their Highland Avenue home:
Mother, a sweet patient woman, always had time to listen
to us, to answer our questions, and to pat or kiss us where it
hurt. Father, a fun-loving man, a tease, was always ready to
play with us.
Memories are still made on the California Rand, come for
a visit and do bring your children….
M
ark your calendars, veterans and families: The Mobile
Viet Nam Veterans’ Memorial for the Antelope Valley
will be on display in Ridgecrest in Freedom Park,
May 14 through 22. It will be assembled in the park May 14,
with a candlelight ceremony that evening. Ridgecrest’s Armed
Forces Day ceremonies will be held May 15 and 16. Exact
times and events are not yet confirmed (check our calendar at
thesunrunner.com).
Designed like a scar in the earth, the Wall has the names
of all known U. S. military personnel who lost their lives in
that conflict etched into its shiny surface, arranged by year of
death. While the full size original is permanently installed in
Washington, D.C., several half-size reproductions have been
made that travel the country, so those who could not otherwise
experience the Wall may do so. The Wall is said to be a catalyst
for healing, both among those grieving for lost loved ones and
those scarred by the war itself. Altogether, there are 58,000
names on the wall, listed chronologically.
The Wall also inspires honor ceremonies by several groups,
including Native Americans.
Local resident and veteran Nick Coy, one of the organizers
of the Wall’s visit to Ridgecrest, described his first experience
at the Wall. It was about 20 years ago, at a ceremony in Bishop.
Nick was one of the speakers.
“I had come to pay honor to the Wall. At the end of a
wreath-laying ceremony, drums started playing and adults and
children in full Native American regalia came out dancing up
the main aisle to the stage, across the stage, and circled around
the drum, singing songs to honor veterans. They stopped, and
one of the elders came up and did a prayer in the Paiute language
and someone translated into English. It was such a tremendous
thing to do, very powerful.
“Their spiritual advisor smudged all across the Wall with
sacred sage smoke, then they all sang more honor songs in
the circle, including “Soldier Boy.” It’s a modern song about
warriors from all the wars, done in English. Almost all Native
drum groups know and perform that song.
“They concluded with another prayer, and then people
started coming up to the Wall to read the names.” Nick was
deeply impressed by the intense spiritual feeling of the event.
“Native Americans have always revered their warriors—they
are the protectors of the Nations. They put their lives on the line,
Joe Morris Sr.,
one of the few
surviving origi-
nal Navajo Code
Talkers of World
War II, represent-
ing all Native vet-
erans at a similar
ceremony. Joe has
visited Ridgecrest.
just like anyone else does to protect their country. So, at every
Pow Wow, every Native gathering, the veterans are always
honored. There are special groups, like the Gourd Dancers, who
are all veterans, dancing to honor other veterans.”
The second time Nick saw the Wall, Natives brought a
riderless horse, to represent the horse of a warrior who fell in
battle. Decorated with painted symbols, the horse also boasted
feathers plaited into its mane and tail. It wore a bridle but no
saddle, since Natives traditionally rode bareback.
“In modern U.S. military symbology, it would be a saddled
horse with the boots in the stirrups backwards and no rider, led
by another soldier, so the two traditions are very similar. The
horse was led to the center of the Wall, to honor the many, many
Native Americans whose names are on the Wall. The earliest
year, 1959, starts in the center, with the years going toward the
right hand end. Then the listing continues starting at the far left
side, so the last year, 1975, meets the 1959 list in the center, like
a circle with no beginning and no end. That’s where the horse
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 43
stood. Circles are meaningful symbols to
Native people, too.”
Nick was presented with the feath-
ers that decorated the horse. “That’s how
Natives honor those who honor them,”
he said. He still treasures those feathers.
Looking forward to the candlelight cer-
emony, he said, “It’s a very, very moving
experience to see the glow of the candles
as people move around the Wall.”
There will be a strong Native pres-
ence. Little Deer Durvin, local Native
activist is expecting Natives from Te-
hachapi, Bakersfield, Rosamond, Palm-
dale, Bishop, and Los Angeles County, in
addition to those from the Indian Wells
Valley, to take part. Military and politi-
cal dignitaries have been invited, and all
ceremonies are open to the public.
“The Native American community
honors veterans highly, as we all should,
because of what they do for our country,”
said Little Deer.
According to Howard Auld, long-
time community leader and Armed Forc-
es Day organizer, this event is designed
to recognize present service personnel,
veterans, and the honored dead. The Wall
will be located behind the Freedom Park
gazebo, where ceremonies will be held.
“You can’t overestimate the signifi-
cance of the Wall,” said Auld. “It’s really
a marvelous opportunity for folks to ap-
preciate the sacrifice made by so many.
There is a synergism there, to recognize
not only the service personnel but also the
families that supported their loved ones
who served and are serving now.”
If you look closely, you will see
some familiar names. Several area
landmarks are named for local sons who
perished in the war.
Nick served three tours in the Navy
from 1967 to 1971, on board the USS
Hancock CVA 19 in the Gulf of Tonkin.
He didn’t think of himself as being in
the same danger as fighters in the jungle.
Years later, he came to realize that he
and his shipmates were in more danger
than they knew. “I thought of myself as
being in a safe area, but we were provid-
ing air cover that allowed others to do
their jobs.” He came home with a case
of survivor’s guilt.
“Why did I survive when so many
others did not? I didn’t figure it out until
I got involved with the Wall. It was so I
could keep their memory alive and that’s
what the Wall means to me.”
The Wall is managed by a group called
Point Man of Antelope Valley, a Lancaster-based
volunteer organization that works with homeless
veterans and veterans in need. The group is
headed by George Palermo, who can be con-
tacted at (661)992-2228 for more information.
Writer Linda Saholt lives in Ridgecrest.
44 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Desert Theatre Beat
By Jack Lyons
Sun Runner Theatre Editor
T
heatre in the hi- and low desert
may be a little bloodied, but it’s
still very much alive. The coun-
try’s economy has taken a terrible toll
on everyone’s pocketbook, with theatre
coming in for its share. Fortunately, our
hi-desert theatres are still open but in the
low desert some theatres have not been
so lucky...
HI-DESERT THEATRES
High Desert Cultural Center –
Joshua Tree
The much anticipated opening of the
landmark Hi-Desert Cultural Center
theatre, recently renamed the Kaye Bal-
lard Playhouse, will be a little longer in
the incubation/renovation period. It was
scheduled to open in March of this year
but HDCC President Jarrod Radnich,
informs me that newly acquired addi-
tional funding has delayed the opening
to November. This is a major renovation
project for the 30 year-old theatrical
organization, and the Board of Directors
want to give the venerable theatre build-
ing the proper attention due a hi-desert
cultural landmark.
“When we open in the Fall, it will
be a major public relations and cul-
tural event that will do the hi-desert area
proud,” said Radnich, adding, “there
are still the finishing touches to be done
and we want to make sure everything is
perfect.”
There are other major events on the
radar screens of the HDCC that will bring
additional recognition and prestige in
their cultural, arts, music and theatrical
endeavors. These are exciting times for
the hi-desert and Joshua Tree, in particu-
lar, so stay tuned to The Sun Runner and
this column.
On April 3, Justin Blake brings his
California Desert Regional Theatre pro-
duction of “No Way to Treat A Lady” to
the Blak Box Theatre. This play is part
of Blake’s “Murder/Mystery” series.
The last production in the series was the
highly successful “Scotland Road.”
“No Way to Treat A Lady” will
perform two shows on the same day,
Saturday, April 3 at a 2 p.m. matinee, and
a 7 p.m. evening performance. Call the
box office at (760)366-3777 for tickets
and reservations.
Theatre 29 – Twentynine Palms
You still have time to catch the current
show, “Walmartopia” before it moves
on. The Charles Harvey directed comedy
opened last month and performs Fridays
and Saturdays at 7 p.m. through April 10.
Following “Walmartopia” is the light
comedy children’s show “Aesop’s Oh So
Slightly Updated Fables,” directed by
Rob and Betty Wanless. It’s a smattering
of some of the better known fables, newly
updated to give the kiddies and audiences
more relevancy, but still imparts the wis-
dom and fun of the original tales. Theatre
29 always does a bang-up job with their
children’s theatre shows, as well as their
traditional Christmas shows, so it should
a fun evening for all. Taking your kids
and grandchildren to see the shows is a
great way to introduce young people to
the world of live theatre and the perform-
ing arts. Theatre 29 has an outstanding
program for young people interested in
the performing arts scene.
Show dates for “Aesop’s Oh So
Slightly Updated Fables” are May 7
through June 5, playing every Friday and
Saturday at 7 p.m., with one Thursday
show, 7 p.m., May 20, and one Saturday
matinee at 2:30 p.m., May 29. For reser-
vations and tickets call the box office at
(760)361-4151.
Groves Cabin Theatre – Morongo
Valley
The Groves may be small in the number
of seats available for patrons (only 23)
but has racked up more awards over the
years than any theatre in the hi- and low
desert (more than 50 awards). Also, the
Groves is one of the few theatre ven-
ues that accepts and produces original
material. Case in point, the last show at
the Morongo Valley theatre. “The Purr-
Loined Parlor,” was written by award-
winning actor/writer/director Wendy
Cohen and directed by Marge Doyle. I
hope most of you caught this little gem
of a comedy. It was a terrific show and
could nab another Desert Theatre League
Award this November. The outstanding
cast included Wendy Cohen, Nicole
Sment, Peter Nicholson, Rob Hubler, and
Taylor Carson.
The Groves’ current production,
“April,” written by local journalist, actor,
and director Kurt A. Schauppner, opens
April 10 and performs Saturdays at 8 p.m.
and Sundays at 2:30 p.m. through May 2.
This marks Schauppner’s third play to be
presented at the Groves Theatre.
The story revolves around two
groups of friends who meet for lunch
at a small restaurant located in Los An-
geles. The cast features: Manny Ricon,
Susan Brundage, Vicki Montgomery,
Joy Groves, and Ester Wingate. Assistant
director Michael Lipsitz and set designer
Ann Gongdon are aiding Shauppner in
mounting the production.
Following “April,” the Groves pres-
ents “In the Rest Room at Rosenblooms,”
a comedy written by Ludmilla Bollow,
which opens May 22 and runs through
June 13.
For reservations and ticket informa-
tion call (760)365-4523.
COACHELLA VALLEY THEATRES
Palm Canyon Theatre – Palm Springs
The flagship theatre of Palm Springs
presents the Rodgers and Hammerstein
musical classic “Carousel.” The musical
directed by Dr. William Layne, features
a cast of over 35 performers, including
singers, dancers, and award-winning
actors. Performances will be given on
Thursdays at 7 p.m., Fridays, and Satur-
days, at 8 p.m., Sundays, at 2 p.m. begin-
ning April 9 running through April 25.
Following “Carousel,” the Palm
Canyon is presenting the Cameron
Mackintosh blockbuster musical “Miss
Saigon.” The love story set against
the backdrop of the Viet Nam war will
perform Thursdays, at 7 p.m., Fridays,
Saturdays, at 8 p.m., and Sundays, at 2
p.m. It opens on May 7 and runs through
May 23.
For reservations and ticket informa-
tion to Palm Canyon Theatre shows call
(760)323-5123.
Thorny Theater – Palm Springs
The only theatre serving the GLBT com-
munity of the Coachella Valley, now in
its fourth year of providing quality “gay
themed” theatre, opened last month
with Doric Wilson’s play, “A Perfect
Relationship,” directed by Jim Strait. The
story about role-playing asks the question
“Are there too many friends, or tricks, or
one too many men in your life?” If the
answer is yes, to any of those questions,
then perhaps, you had better check out
this production, which opened March 12
and performs Fridays, and Saturdays at
8 p.m., and Sundays, at 2 p.m. through
April 4. Remember most productions
are strictly for adults (some male nudity
involved). Call the box office for content
and for reservations and ticket informa-
tion at (760)325-0853.
College of the Desert (COD) –
Palm Desert
COD performs a spring musical every
year, and the community looks forward
to the production. It’s always a first rate
effort, but this year, the award-winning
Theatre Department has a pall hanging
over it. Michele Gaines, long time di-
rector, choreographer, and teacher of the
year, and an inspiration to her many stu-
dents, passed away in March following
a long battle with scleroderma. Michele
was considered one of the finest directors
in the valley and she left us far too early.
She will be greatly missed. Our thoughts
and prayers go out to her family and
friends at this very difficult time.
In keeping with the finest traditions
of the theatre, however, the COD spring
production will go on. On May 6 through
May 9, the Theatre Department presents
“The Music Man,” by Meredith Wilson.
It should be an emotion-packed four
performances. Call the college for ticket
information and reservations at (760)773-
2565.
Indio Performing Arts Center (IPAC)
– Indio
“Vincent Van Gogh: A Portrait in Two
Acts,” by Delores Becker Trost, is being
presented at the IPAC stages on Satur-
days, April 17 and 24 at 7:30 p.m. and
Sunday, April 18 and 25 at 3 p.m. Make
sure you see local actor Lloyd Steele
in his DTL award-winning turn as the
troubled but brilliant painter Vincent Van
Gogh. It’s a tour de force performance.
Call the box office for tickets and reserva-
tion information at (760)775-5200.
Joslyn Players – Joslyn Senior Center
– Palm Desert
The Players are on hiatus until this
fall. Call the center for information at
(760)340-3220.
La Quinta Playhouse – La Quinta
After five and a half years, the LQP is no
more. The Old Town theatre closed its
doors after the final curtain last month—
a victim of the economy. It’s sad to lose
any business, but in the arts community
it’s especially disconcerting. Actors need
theatres in which to perform and the com-
munity needs actors to enjoy the magic
that theatre can provide.
I spoke to JoAnn Reeves, the for-
mer artistic director of the now defunct
theatre, asking what her plans, if any,
were for live theatre in the East Valley.
Reeves, is a savvy theatre person, and
like the Phoenix rising from ashes, she
is already moving forward with plans for
a new theatrical venture in Indian Wells.
The new performing space will be known
as “The PlayHouse at Indian Wells.”
Paula Klein is the new managing di-
rector, with Reeves named as the artistic
director. For Reeves it’s a role in which
she is very comfortable. When I asked
about the theatre’s location, she demurred
saying,“It’s a little too early to announce
any particular address. However, I can
say the new theatrical venture will be
presenting an evening of music along
with a fabulous dinning experience at the
Indian Wells Club on Saturday, April 17.
Tickets for the event are $60 for dinner
and show. Stay tuned….
A New Theatre Company Joins Our
Intrepid Troupe of Players…
I’m happy to report a new playwriting/
acting organization has dipped its cre-
ative toes into the desert’s theatrical wa-
ters. The Unitarian Universalist Church
of the Desert, located at 72425 Via Vail,
Rancho Mirage has a core group of four
playwrights with access to local actors
who will perform stage readings.
The four: Burt Peachy, Michael
Craft, Thomas A. Lister, and James
Royce McGuire, are collaborating on
the last stage reading of the group’s ini-
tial season. Their effort is entitled “Gin
And Coke,” which will be performed
Thursday, April 22 at the UUCOD at
7:30 p.m. Call (760)567-9734 for more
information. There will be more to come
about this group over the summer, so stay
tuned…
That’s a wrap for this issue.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 45

FADE IN:
Some people never see too many mov-
ies. They’re the film junkies that find
themselves in a seat at their local cineplex
three out of seven days a week. Now
that’s either total dedication to the art
form or it’s bordering on obsession or
outright addiction. I’m not sure which.
For these “lost souls” then, listen up!
Have you thought about increasing
your exposure to your addiction? Now,
if you perked up at the mention of more
movies available for viewing, how about
this Rx? There is a whole world of exotic
locales and scenery you wouldn’t nor-
mally see, stories you normally wouldn’t
seek out, and interesting and exciting
countries and cultures you would never
visit. Yes, I’m talking film festivals. Two
of the most important and largest film
festivals in the country are headquartered
right here in Palm Springs.
First, there is the 800- pound gorilla
of festivals, the Palm Springs Interna-
tional Film Festival, the third largest in
North America. Screenings for members
of their film society are relatively inex-
pensive and available throughout the
year. The Society holds forth at the Regal
Cinemas complex on Tahquitz Canyon
Way, in downtown Palm Springs.
The second film screening organiza-
tion, the Desert Film Society, is comfort-
ably ensconced in The Camelot Theatres
in Palm Springs. Both organizations are
very affordable and offer a wide variety
of genres, tastes, and subject matter for
their members. Also, both organizations
present films either in English or with
subtitles from the country of origin. Don’t
be turned-off at the mention of “foreign
films.” I urge you to attend as many for-
46 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
eign films as you can. It’s a great way to
increase your knowledge about the world
around you, and it’s interesting to see just
how the other half live. People and their
stories have a universal appeal no matter
where they take place, however, the cur-
rent U.S. economy not withstanding, you
will quickly come to realize and to really
appreciate how fortunate we all are to be
living in the United States of America.
Screening schedules for April and
May for PSFS films are: “Casino Jack
and the United States of Money,” di-
rected by Oscar-winning filmmaker Alex
Gibney. It’s a story about greed, and our
politicians’ desperate need to get elected.
Infuriating, yet undeniably fun to watch,
“Casino Jack” has a cynical villain audi-
ences will love to hate.
Having whetted your appetite about
the film, the actual date of the screening
hasn’t been announced as of press time,
nor has their May film. Therefore, contact
the Palm Springs Film Society office at
(760)322-2930 and ask about the screen-
ing dates, times, and how one becomes a
member, and sign up!
The Desert Film Society has an-
nounced its April and May schedule.
All films are screened at 9:30 a.m. sharp
at The Camelot. On Saturday, April 10,
“Angel of Mine,” (from France) is being
screened. The film is a psychological
thriller and stars two of France’s finest
actresses. On April 17, the film selection
is “Mortgage,” a comedy/drama from
Israel. “Mortgage” examines how far a
young couple will go in order to save
their house from confiscation.
The society’s May screening is the
German film, “A Year Ago In Winter.” It
will be shown Saturday, May 1. The story
deals with a touching tale of a family
coping with tragedy in an entirely differ-
ent way. For information on becoming a
member of the Desert Film Society, or
to obtain information about tickets, call
(760)772-2999
On a different, but somewhat related
subject for May, The Camelot Theatres
becomes the host venue for the 10th An-
nual Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival—a
separate special event not connected
with the film society’s yearly program of
screenings. The annual festival, named in
honor of the late Art Lyons (no relation),
a Palm Springs resident and author, and a
champion of film noir movies, pays trib-
ute to the films, the directors, the writers,
and the actors of the classic “film noir”
genre.
Many of the stars of the films being
presented are scheduled to be in atten-
dance over the four days of the festival.
If you are a true film junkie then you
absolutely have to be in attendance. The
festivities begin Thursday, May 13 and
run through May 16.
For information about schedules of
films, special events, Q & A sessions,
and tickets, call The Camelot Theatres
at (760)325-6565.
Don’t forget to check out Leanna
Bonamici’s new website dedicated to
short films: www.shortsshowcase.com.
Bonamici, operator of Casablanca Stu-
dios in Desert Hot Springs, started the
site to help promote makers of short films
and share their work with film fans and
the film industry through on demand
and online distribution. She, Brandon
Worswick, and Drew Mandinach operate
Shorts Showcase.
Current films include Breadwinner,
from Sky and Shadow Productions, I
Learn, from Grass Roots Media, Running
Back To Forward, by GF Film, Little Sto-
ries Of Some Interest, Chasing Forever,
from Dummy Dog Films, Bomb Yourself,
from Infinite Cre8tions, Inc., Reluctance,
by Hunter Woo, Dejection, from Zubarev
Brothers Film, and The Lifter Upper,
from Micah Monkey (poor Olive!).
Vote for your favorite shorts, or bet-
ter yet, enter your own work!
See you at a film festival.
FADE OUT:
T
here are many, many places one
can go to enjoy a good breakfast,
the most important meal of the day.
So why is it that this little Palm Springs
eatery, Bit Of Country, is always busy?
And why are so many expensive cars
parked outside? This is not just another
“greasy spoon.” People patronize this
restaurant for two reasons: the food is
good and the price is right.
Indeed, consistency with the menu
and pricing is a great key. Many patrons
get hooked on a particular breakfast and
order the same thing every time they go
there. I have eaten there many times and
find myself sticking to two or three fa-
vorite items. This is the place I go when
I desire a larger than average meal.
For example, their omelettes are a
personal favorite because they are big
and very tasty and very satisfying. There
have been some combinations that I have
ordered that proved to be almost more
than I could eat, but I took my time and
packed away every morsel. Sometimes
it strikes me that these gustatory delights
are “plate-lickin’ good”
Spring and autumn seasons are
favorites for those who prefer to dine
outside without chilling breezes or brain-
baking heat. There is something about
dining outside that has always held great
appeal, making one hungrier and the food
even better.
Dining outside is when you can take
your time looking at the colorful mural on
the north wall. This mural actually helps
folks find the place as it is otherwise so
understated. According to Mary Dallas,
Mary Dallas always has a friendly smile for
the customers.
daughter of Fred and Matoula Dallas,
who also own a steak house in Yucaipa,
there is an interesting story to go with the
wall.
Mary’s brother noticed a homeless
man sitting outside, looking like he could
use a decent meal. He offered to feed the
fellow in exchange for painting a mural
on the wall and that exchange continued
until the wall was done. As it turns out, a
lot of celebrities frequent Bit Of
Country and someone wanted
the man to paint them a mural.
As they say, the rest is history.
The homeless man now paints
murals professionally, all over
the world and enjoys a family
of his own. The mural is signed
“Dwight”.
The restaurant is open from
6am to 2pm and, although they
serve lunch, breakfast is by far
the main fare. Often, diners
will arrive somewhere around
what others consider noon, and
order a filling breakfast. Well,
there are plenty of people in this
valley, in the business of show
business, who stay up very late,
get up late and have breakfast
at noon.
Another concept that keeps
the customers coming back is
reasonable prices that do not
change every week is Just think-
ing of my most recent meal at
Bit O Country as I write this
article is causing me to get hungry again.
“One of our biggest favorites is the ham
omelete,” says Mary, “with diced ham
and biscuits and gravy. It’s the homemade
gravy that draws the comments. But we
use high quality ham too.”
Stomach is growling again. Time
for a good, hearty breakfast at Bit Of
Country, at 418 S. Indian Canyon Drive,
Palm Springs, (760)325-5154.
Enjoy your breakfast. It is the most
important meal of the day.
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 47

T
ed Herman’s 15-Piece Band is drawing crowds of dancers
to Dink’s on North Palm Canyon Drive, in Palm Springs,
every Tuesday from 7 to 10pm. At first thought, I pictured
napkins getting blown right off the tables but that is not the
case. Due to the brilliant design of the building, it is possible
to contain the Big Band in the “patio area,” which affords a
dance floor right in front of the band.
“We are thrilled to death”, says Ted Herman, “that many
come to just sit and listen.” Of course. Where else around here
can you get to hear a big band on a regular basis? Now, here
we have the opportunity to listen and dance to authentic Big
Band music played by professionals.
To watch and listen to or even dance to a 15-piece band is
a unique experience.
It is no wonder that those who love to dance are flocking
to Dink’s on Tuesday nights. Many people love to dance to
songs that were popular back in the 1940s and ’50s. Notable
among that diverse group is Chris Perry. In the photo he is the
well-dressed man in spats and fedora who teaches this kind of
dancing in the hi-desert.
Ted Herman: (760)774-7459; Dink’s: (760)327-7676.
Michael Bolivar is blowing a sweet horn over at Marguerita’s
Restaurant in Palm Springs. I went there to get an updated
photo of the Bolivar Brothers, Michael and John, as they have
been playing there going on three years. Only Michael was in
attendance. Soon I discovered that, due to economic reasons,
the restaurant had to cut the entertainment budget, so John now
plays at the Indian Wells Country Club.
This presented the opportunity to listen to Michael solo all
evening, a rare treat. He was in the mood to take requests and
Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville struck a familiar chord with a
group in the back.
“I guess that song just became a standard in this venue,”
suggested Michael. “Ask me for another one.”
“Harlem Nocturne”.
“But I’ve never played that one…let’s see…..”
Michael proceeded to blow Harlem Nocturne solo, with no
backing track, and it was the best version I have heard in a long
48 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Ted Herman’s 15-piece band keeps the
dance floor packed at Dink’s, North
Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs, every
Tuesday at 7 p.m., above. Michael Bo-
livar blows a sweet horn at Marguerita’s
in Palm Springs, Friday and Saturday
evenings, right. Kal David descends
from the stage while playing The Thrill
Is Gone among the audience, as part of
the evening’s grand finale, left.
time. Although the music is carried throughout the restaurant,
the tables near the band offer an intimacy with the musicians
not often found in a restaurant.
Michael Bolivar: (760)7778-6244; Marguerita’s: (760)778-
3500.
Kal David is set to play Gardens On El Paseo April 3 and
Space 120 April 11. The one-hour concert, from 6 to 7pm at
the Gardens on El Paseo is to benefit Angel View. “We’d really
like our friends and fans to pack this event,” says Kal. “Angel
View does a lot of good and deserves everyone’s support.”
This past February, Kal David and The Real Deal played
Space 120 (formerly Blue Guitar) and not only blew the roof
off the place but blew the minds of the owners of Space 120.
During that intermission, I asked owner Angelo Serio how he
liked the band.
“Pleasantly surprised to say the least,” said Serio. “Now I
know why people came to see him when he owned this club.”
In our most recent conversation, Serio offered, “We are over-
whelmed that he can show up and, with no advertising, fill the
club. We look forward to any time Kal can play here.”
That February concert featured drummer Tony Braunagel,
from Robert Cray’s band. The coming concert April 11 will
feature drummer Alvino Bennett and Anthony Patler on keys.
Both play with Dave Mason at present. Patler played B-3 and
punched bass with Kal David for some 10 years.
“I am anticipating a very good night. I’m excited,” says
Kal. “We’ve been busy. On April 25th, we hook up with our old
friend Johnny Rivers, in Brazil, to tour South America. I’ve
been reunited with Paul Cotton (Poco). He was in my band
the Illinois Speed Press, a long time ago in Chicago. No telling
what this reunion will produce.”
For Kal David April 11 tickets, call Leslie Valentine at
(760)668-9823.
Kal David: www.kaldavid.com, facebook.com/kaldavidforum.
 Chris Laterzo & Buffalo Robe, with Judy.
B
efore embarking on his international tour, Legendary
King of surf Guitar Dick Dale performed to a huge crowd
The fabulous (City) Fritters.
at Pappy and Harriet’s. Opening for Dick was his son
Jimmy playing drums with the 29 Palms band, Forever Came
Calling. I first saw Jimmy many years ago when he was just
starting out on guitar and he truly is a “chip off the old block.”
Shari Elf and her band The Kittens held a Valentine’s Day
party at the Art Queen in Joshua Tree. It included a set from
David Butterfield and Shari opened her studio for everyone to
participate in making Valentines.
Congratulations to Evaro (Family) who played to a packed
house recently at the Whisky A-Go-Go in Hollywood. Look
for them when they play the upcoming Joshua Tree Music
Festival the weekend of May 14-16. This is a very unique and
fun festival with bands from all over the world. Just added
from the UK are monster dance technicians Stanton Warriors!
Get your tickets now!
Portland’s Indie Rock/Acoustic/Electric/Guitar/Bass/
Ukulele sister duo Beliss Sisters sat in for an evening at the
Joshua Tree Celebration Center. Sisters Belinda and Melissa
Underwood were quite a treat and we hope they return soon.
To everyone’s surprise at a recent Monday night open mic
hosted by Ted Quinn at Pappy and Harriet’s, Canadian singer/
songwriter Feist who was here for a visit, discretely signed up
as “Leslie” after being inspired by a set from Judy Van Ruggles.
Feist was songwriter of the year in 2008 at the Juno Awards in
Calgary, and she belted out a few tunes to everyone’s delight.
You just never know who will show up. Quinn has also started
an open mic night at Stumps in 29 Palms on Thursday nights
as well as releasing a limited edition of his new CD “Mother
and Child” on May 1, in time for Mothers Day.
Josh Burrell (JB), Kenny Brown and Bobby Furgo have
been playing at the Roadhouse in Palm Springs. JB is also in
a new band with Clive Wright (Cock Robin), Phil Kaylor and
Marky Fry called The Invaders.
A recent benefit was held at Ricochet Vintage Wares to help
raise money for Friendly Hills Elementary School In Joshua
Tree. Coming to play all the way from Topanga Canyon were
our desert friends City Fritter with guest drummer our own
sound man extraordinaire, Roland Gagne. Also on the bill were
Tim Easton and the Joshua Tree Army.
Gram Rabbit have a new video “Candy Flip,” out from
their new CD, “Miracles and Metaphors. I see a lot of familiar
faces in the video and they also did something that Johnette
Napolitano from Concrete Blonde and I did one Halloween
Night—taking a Ouija Board into Room 8 at the Joshua Tree
Erik Webb & guitar students perform at Angel View.
Shari Elf!
Inn to contact Gram Parsons. Concrete Blonde are releasing
a re-mastered version of their CD “Bloodletting” for the 20th
anniversary of their smash hit “Joey.” There is also talk of a
few reunion shows this summer. Bring on the vampires!.
I would like to thank Erik Webb formerly of The Wild Ass
Ranchers for bringing his guitar students to play for the resi-
dents I care for at Angel View Crippled Children’s Foundation.
They did songs by Bob Dylan and Cat Stevens and brought such
joy to the residents. The students are in the process of learning
some Kyoti King songs for next time!
The town of Joshua Tree was ablaze with art and music
on a recent Saturday night. With performances from Krissie
Gregory and Harmondale at Mt. Fuji and Chris Laterzo and
Buffalo Robe at the Joshua Tree Saloon, the town was jump-
ing all night.
It was touching to see a photo and mention of our dear
friend and Grammy Award-winning Art Director Tom Wilkes
on the Grammy Awards. I just wish they would have given
a shout out to Sky Saxon of the Seeds who also passed away
last year. We lost a couple more musical gems in the last few
months that had ties to some of us in the desert, Doug Fieger
of the Knack and Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse. Our thoughts
and prayers go out to their friends, fans and family.
I am very excited to announce that there will be a Cracker/
Camper Van Beethoven Camp-out again this year on Sept. 10
&11 at Pappy and Harriet’s! This will be camp-out #6 and I
am looking forward to reuniting with the band and all their
fans (Crumbs).
BRING ON THE SUMMER!
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 49
Sustainable Living
Simple Times in
a Simple Place
“Please sit down
and do not be counted”
(By Pasquali via David Brown)
“Hi , my name is John, and I’m a
hippie! I go barefoot when I
can in the summertime and wear rubber
boots in the winter! I eat healthy things,
am not always high, do not grow dope
on my land, do have a job skill, work for
my living, and do not smell. How’s that
for an introduction?”
“I love it” says I, Pasquali of the
Hippies!
“Me too,” says Coyote to Rabbit,
“especially the part about not smelling.
And then there is the job skill part...”
“And what job skill may that be?”
says I.
“Oh well, the ability to live simply,”
replies John, King of the Gypsies and
Hippie at large. “I learned it sort of in an
abstract way. There I was, spent a few
years in ’Nam and then get out and come
back to Bakersfield where everyone just
gives me a load of crap...you know, the
guys we call “right wing” now saying
I was a loser and didn’t fight, and the
“leftist” of course giving me an equal
load about being a “baby killer.” It was
a bad gig from both sides, and I had all
this negative kharma banging around in
my head about the whole thing. It was a
bummer, man. Jeeze, sometimes people
really get my goat and it’s the only one I
have! I sure as hell didn’t like it.
“After screwing around on the GI
Bill and learning my trade, plumber and
pipe fitter by the way, got a job in LA and
between getting high and womanizing
and all that youthful fun stuff, saved up
a wad of cash and bought an ex-police
panhead. Bitchin’ bike my man! No hel-
met laws in those days, they gave me the
choice to wear a brain bucket, and mostly
I didn’t. Anyways, I rode that Harley
across the good ol’ US of A with my
ever-growing hair trailin’ in the breeze.
“Going to go back east and check out
those quasi-commie homesteaders, the
Nearings up in Maine. By the way, his
writings are the greatest and were a base
for my new beliefs. These people took the
old socialist talk of Jack London’s time,
mixed in a dosage of Quaker simplicity,
and dig it! Blew my mind and changed
my whole way of thinking man!”
50 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
“Mine too!” says Coyote, with his
eyes squinting and trying to talk like a
beatnik! “It’s like, man, I dig those inten-
tional den communities and the sharing
and free loving and the vixens and rock
and roll and all that bitchin’ stuff.”
“Hey, you’re missing the point,”
says I. “Just sit and listen, Coyote my
best of friends.”
“Hey Pas, are you listening? Hey
where was I? OK, yeah, the homestead
thing. Riding down Interstate 70 in Mis-
souri in the pouring afternoon rain my
scooter took a dump past Columbia and
I’m thinking like, this is not good, and I
gather up my stuff and am standing out
there with a thumb out, wishing I had
my Marine duds on and hair tucked into
a hat instead of wet and streaming down
the side of my face because I am in the
midwest after all. Instead, all these people
came blowing by looking at me with my
freak flag a’ flying and then this group of
shaggy bohemian farmer looking people
come by in a Studebaker flatbed and slow
down so fast I thought they where going
to fly through the windshield! They get
out in the rain and load up my gear and
scooter onto the back of this truck, and
dig it man, give us a ride to this home-
stead farm of theirs outside of a town
called, Fulton, I believe it was.
“Awesome man, an old farm, living
in harmony with nature and growing their
own food and raising their kids with re-
spect for the land and each other and not
doing massive amounts of drugs and they
are diggin’ the whole scene of love and
work on the land and eating good food
and enjoying the bounty of creation and
this just blows my mind. I stayed in good
old Mo until the late eighties, and then
we all moved to Northern Cal and kept
on farming and building stuff and doing
art and all that. Then the land grab and
the yuppie thing starts up there which just
ruins the whole vibe of the place, along
with the fact it was cold and wet. I dug it
to a point, but I needed a better climate
’cuz this old hippie is getting stiff in the
joints and all. So I moved to the desert
and here I stay...
“Here I am, living on this plot of land
in this converted camper, or at least that
was when it started.”
“Yes, an old vintage Avion truck
camper! It is a classic,” says I.
“Modified of course for the desert.
Check out the “double roof.” I used to
have a friend up the coast in Pismo who
lived in the middle of nowhere and drove
and old Land Rover model 80. That thing
had spent some time in the Sudan and it
had a factory hardtop with a double roof.
Driving out to Bakersfield in the summer
this cap would keep the inside of that
thing about 10 degrees or so cooler than
without. Awesome I thought, I can dig it
and do this to my camper. Used light duty,
26 gauge I believe it was, corrugated steel
so it would bend. Used single pieces so
they were long and not so cheap, which
was a bummer of sorts!
“Then, I spaced these panels off
of the camper’s roof using half-inch
galvanised pipe nipples about one inch
long, called “closed nipples.” I placed
these about two feet in length, which
matches the framing of the camper, and
at the end width of each panel, overlap-
ping the panels of course by a couple of
corrugations. These panels were attached
using self tapping screws long enough
to penetrate the framing. Each one had a
washer on the panel side up, and I used
roof tar for the holes on the camper roof.
You have to make all this strong because
of the wind and the birds. Make damned
sure it’s weather tight. When it rains in
the desert it pours, or sometimes it does.
Expect none or all. Anyways, this is what
they used to call a “double roof” in the
early homestead days. So, you could do
the same thing to a house roof and even
make it with rafters instead of the nipple
spacers. Man, it works sweet, just like
the Land Rover. I also mounted a double
walled stove pipe with a thimble to each
of the roof vents. These help draw hot air
out of the camper, acting as solar chim-
neys or what the Persians call ‘bagirs.’”
“To help this, I added some floor
vents so the cool air comes up into the
camper from underneath. Man, this was
Ben Franklin’s idea. It worked in his
stoves and it works in this camper, setting
up a nice air movement. Hell, he probably
got it from the Persians too! What good
things those guys came up with. Alpha-
bet, numbers, evaporative cooling, art...”
“This guy sounds like some type of
radical,” thinks Coyote. “All this Middle
Eastern architecture and Ben Franklin!”
“Didn’t he say, “He who trades
security for freedom deserves neither?”
queries Rabbit.
“I don’t know,” says Coyote “It was
one of those radical thinkers. Thoreau
perhaps or Whitman, one of those guys
who said, “please sit and not be counted.”
“No, I think Whitman said, ‘Obey
little, resist much,’” says I.
“You guys trip me out, man,” replies
John. He wraps a new band into his hair
and then starts walking over towards
his little garden area. “Pas, that’s what
I love about the desert! All these little
critters are so cool. Maybe it’s because
they haven’t had to deal with the rest of
the human race ‘en mass’ as the French
might say. Maybe it’s just because they live a simple and honest
life. Who knows, I wish there were more people like that...”
“Me too!” barks Coyote.
“Or at least fewer of the other types,” whispers Rabbit.
“Yeah, all of you guys are right to a point” replies I. “Juan
my friend, like another cerveza?”
“Sure man. They’re in the camper, in the cold box.”
“The what?”
“The cold box man! Oh yeah, check it out. Follow me.”
We walk back into the little camper while our desert friends
look on. In the center of the floor where the dinette used to be
is a trap door. This is where the cold box John built is located.
“Look at those greens,” says I. “Where in the desert did
you get those?”
“Oh, this stuff. Aridynamics, you know, it’s like biody-
namics except it’s in the desert. These dandelions I grow out
in that little lean-to using harvester ant hill discards and old dry
grasses for soil. Sometimes I use the green waste of the greens
themselves. It all builds the soil. This other stuff is amaranth.
Great greens and grains. It grows wild in ditches that get a little
rain. I cultivate it just like the Indians did. This other stuff is
Mojave mustard and yes, it’s a bit bitter but it’s edible!
“Sounds interesting my friend.” says I “I would like to hear
more, but for now, how about the cold box. Want of cerveza
has left me, how do you say, distracted...”
“Sorry man,” he says. “Sometimes I have the attention
span of a dog on a summer afternoon.” He lifts the door and
reaches in, grabs us each a cool cerveza and begins explaining..
“Pas, this thing is cool, no pun intended. It’s basically just
two plywood boxes placed inside of each other with a load of
insulation in between them. Check it out! First, you build a nice
well-constructed box as big as you need for storing your veggies
and beer. Make it as small as you can get away with, “waste not,
want not!” Then, line it with some sheet steel, because even out
here wet wood likes to rot. Then, build a bigger box just like it,
except don’t line it with metal. Make this bigger box, say about
six inches larger on all sides. Then, starting with the bottom of
the box, you put in six inches of foam building insulation. You
do the same thing on all the sides and to the top door, man. Since
foam has an R value of about five for inch of thickness, you get
about an R-30 rating out of this thing. Dig it man, that’s a hell
of a lot better than any refrigerator or ice chest, and you don’t
need power and you get to build it yourself. I added another 4
inches of insulation to the outside, and then most of this box is
in the ground under this camper in the shade anyway.”
“Psst, they call this a Thermal Mass Refrigerator” says
Coyote to Rabbit. “My friend Foxy has something like it in her
den...you put cool stuff in there and it traps in the cold mass
keeping everything cool...”
“Kind of like when I stash things deep in my burrow where
the ground temperature remains the same no matter how hot it
is on the surface,” replies Rabbit.
“Correctomundo!” snorts Coyote, thinking, “Where did
that article of American vernacular come from?” Then, with
all the attention span a Coyote can muster... “I would sure like
to climb into that box and sleep on some summer’s day, even
if there wasn’t food in it.”
“Hey, I think it’s time to go. Let’s leave these two and go
play. I got a great idea! Why don’t you chase me around this
here desert and act like you’re going to eat me or something.
You know, keep that old predator versus prey myth alive.”
“You mean you want me to help dumb down these ‘ci-
vilised men?’ OK, no problemo. You crack me up, Conejo!
Sure, but first let me go ‘borrow’ Pasquali’s cold beer...”
– Paws and Peace, Coyote and Conejo
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 51
 APRIL 2010

Apr. 1 – April Fools’ Day “Nature” Hike with Professor Itchy

Scratchy. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. $10. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Meet
at ABDSP Visitor Center’s 3rd Parking Lot. 200 Palm Canyon Dr.,
Borrego Springs. (760)767-4063, www.theabf.org.
Apr. 1-4 – Dinah Shore Week 2010 aka Palm Springs Women’s
Weekend. Wed.-Sun. Women who like women party weekend, www.
thedinah.com.
Apr. 2-4 – 18th Annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Festival.
Free. Fri.-Sun. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Artists exhibit and sell their work inspired
by Joshua Tree National Park. JTNP, Oasis Visitor Center, 74485
National Park Dr., 29 Palms. (760)367-5537. www.joshuatree.org.
Apr. 3 – Hell’s Gate Hundred AdventureCorp Cycle Experience.
$109. 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Epic, spectacular century and metric century ride
in Death Valley. Furnace Creek Ranch, Death Valley. (888)917-1117,
www.adventurecorps.com.
Apr. 3 – Palm Springs Firemen’s Association Annual Easter Egg
Hunt. 9 a.m. Children ages 1-9 years old search for approximately
3,000 eggs. The Easter Bunny is expected. Ruth Hardy Park, 700
Tamarisk Rd., Palm Springs. (760)323-8186.
Apr. 3 – Malki Museum’s 16th Annual Agave Harvest. Daniel Mc-
Carthy leads traditional harvest of agave. Meet at Cahuilla Tewanet
Overlook on Hwy. 74. $10 donation requested. Malki Museum, 11-
795 Fields Rd., Banning/Morongo Indian Reservation. (951)849-7289,
www.malkimuseum.org.
Apr. 4 – Pappy’s Allstar Band. 7-10 p.m. Sundays. Pappy & Harriet’s
Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. (760)365-
5956, www.pappyandharriets.com.
Apr. 5 – Wine & Books Book Club. 6 p.m. Free. The Palm Springs
Public Library & Wild for the Vine present a new book club that meets
the first Monday of the month. Wild for the Vine, 390 N. Palm Can-
yon Dr., Palm Springs. (760)325-9930. www.palmspringslibrary.org.
Apr. 5 – Teddy Quinn’s Open Mic Reality Show. Mondays, 7 p.m.
Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pio-
neertown. (760)365-5956, www.pappyandharriets.com.
Apr. 6 – Life-drawing Workshop. 6:30–8:30 p.m. Meets weekly.
Borrego Art Institute, 587 Palm Canyon Dr., Ste. 105, Borrego Springs.
(760)532-5129.
Apr. 7 – Mary Wilson of the Supremes. 1:30-3:30 p.m. $45.95 and
up. Through May 16. Palm Springs Follies, 128 S. Palm Canyon Dr.,
Palm Springs. (760)327-0225, www.psfollies.com.
Apr. 8 – Mars Arizona with Harmondale. 7:30 p.m. Pappy &
Harriet’s Pioneertown Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown.
(760)365-5956, www.pappyandharriets.com.
Apr. 9-11 – Wildflower Show. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free. Locally picked
flowers arranged by flower families, more. Maturango Museum, 100
E. Las Flores Ave. Ridgecrest. (760)375-6900, www.maturango.org.
Apr. 9 – Palm Springs Art Museum’s “Meet the Museum” Party.
6-9 p.m. $35 (must be a member). With actress Rose McGowan. Kicks
off “White Party XXII.” Food, open bar, music, more. 101 Museum
Dr., Palm Springs. (760)322-4825.
Apr. 9-12 – White Party XXII. Annual gay-themed extravaganza,
one of the biggest gay celebrations in the nation. Many events. Wel-
come center in The Renaissance Palm Springs Hotel & Resort, 888
Tahquitz Canyon Way, Palm Springs, www.jeffreysankertickets.com.
Apr. 10 – Exploring Rock Art. 10 a.m.-3 p.m. $10. Rock art petro-
glyph site at Corn Springs, about 90 minutes east of Palm Springs.
Presented by Agua Caliente Cultural Museum & the Corn Springs
Campground. Bring your picnic lunch, visit several sites of petroglyphs
& grinding features. (760)778-1079, Ext. 113, www.accmuseum.org.
Apr. 10 – Malki Museum’s 16th Annual Agave Roast. 10:30 a.m.
Annual Native food tasting event. Agave is cooked in an earthen pit
52 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
and served at noon along with a tasting of other traditional Native
foods. Those arriving early (10 a.m.), may help remove it from the
pit. Demonstrations this year include birdsinging, rabbit stick throw-
ing, basketweaving, Native foods display, fry bread demonstration,
Cahuilla pottery, old style rope making, and more. Free, food tasting
$10 per person. Malki Museum, 11-795 Fields Rd., Banning/Morongo
Indian Reservation. (951)849-7289, www.malkimuseum.org.
Apr. 10 – Second Annual Maturango Museum Dinner/Auction. 5
p.m. $30. Kerr McGee Center, 100 W. California Ave., Ridgecrest.
(760)375-6900, www.maturango.org.
Apr. 11 – Home Is Where the Hole Is. 7:30 a.m.-2 p.m. $50. Learn
about ground holes, elevated holes, divots, & mounds in classroom/
field class. Moderate hike. Oasis Visitor Center, 74485 National Park
Dr., 29 Palms. (760)367-5535, www.desertinstitute.homestead.com.
Apr. 14 – 6th Annual Taste of Palm Springs. 5-9 p.m. $50. 40+
restaurants, vast array of foods. Benefits Aids Assistance Program.
Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 N. Avenida Caballeros, Palm
Springs. (760)322-3554, www.tasteofpalmsprings.com.
Apr. 15 – Thursday Morning Hikes. 9-11 a.m. Free. Explore &
learn about the plants, animals, & geology that make this area unique.
Destinations vary. Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains National Mon-
ument Visitor Center, 51-500 Hwy. 74,Palm Desert. (760)862-9984.
Apr. 15 – Nick Jaina. 7:30 p.m. Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown
Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. (760)365-5956, www.
pappyandharriets.com.
April 16-18 – Coachella Music & Arts Festival. Ticket prices vary.
Echo & the Bunnymen, Gil Scott-Heron, Hypnotic Brass Ensemble,
Infected Mushroom, much more. Empire Polo Field, 81-800 Ave. 51,
Indio, www.coachella.com.
Apr. 16 – Roger Thomas: A Perfected World. Opening reception
6-8 p.m. Through June 30. Heather James Fine Art, 45188 Portola
Ave., Palm Desert. (760)346-8926, www.heatherjames.com.
Apr. 16 – MENsky’s BURLYesque. 8 p.m., 2 p.m. Sundays. $25.
Songs, sketches, etc. as seen through the eyes of the 21st century male.
Nudity/mature. Through May 9. The Thorny Theater, 2500 N. Palm
Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. (760)325-0853. www.thornytheater.com.
Apr. 17 – Party for the Planet: Earth Day Celebration. 9 a.m.-5
p.m. Free for members, general admission ($12.50) is 1/2 price. Kids
activities, live entertainment, art show, plant giveaways, & more. The
Living Desert, 47900 Portola Ave., Palm Desert. (760)346-5694 ext.
2000, www.livingdesert.org.
Apr. 17 – Yucca Valley’s Earth Day Celebration & Conservation
Fair. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Free. Family-oriented event includes live inter-
national music & dancing, kids activities, artists & environmental
education resources. Community Center Complex, 57116 29 Palms
Hwy, Yucca Valley. (760)369-7212, www.hidesertnaturemuseum.org.
Apr. 17 – Alex A and the Desert All Stars Latin Ensemble. 9 p.m.-
midnight. Every Saturday in April. Viva Cantina & Grill, 78075 Main
St., La Quinta. (760)777-6625, www.myspace.com/lxsantana.
Apr. 18 – Morongo Basin Photography Show. 1-3 p.m. Juried
Show. A Roadside Attraction Art Gallery, 69197 Hwy. 62, 29 Palms.
(760)366-2226, www.mbcac.org.
Apr. 18 – KCRW Presents: Outdoor Show with The Artic Monkeys
& special guest earthlings? 8 p.m. $20. Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneer-
town Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. (760)365-5956,
www.pappyandharriets.com.
Apr. 23 – 57th Annual Imperial County Farm Bureau Scholar-
ship Barbeque. 5-7 p.m. Ryserson Hall (Desert Trails RV Park
& Golf Course), 225 Wake Ave., El Centro. (760)352-3831, www.
elcentrochamber.org.
Apr. 23 – Old Firehouse Lecture Series: Water and the Coachella
Valley. 7 p.m. $5. Robert Keeran, Coachella Valley Water District.
The Portola Community Center, 45-480 Portola Ave., Palm Desert.
(760)367-5535, www.desertinstitute.homestead.com.
Apr. 24 – Earth Day at Cabot’s Pueblo Museum. 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
$10 suggested donation. Music, food, cultural exhibits, art show.
67616 E. Desert View Ave., Desert Hot Springs.(760)315-7416. www.
cabotsearthday.org.
Apr. 24-25 – Stagecoach Country Music Festival. Ticket prices
vary. Brooks & Dunn, Keith Urban, Sugarland, more. Empire Polo
Field, 81-800 Ave. 51, Indio, www.stagecoachfestival.com.
Apr. 25 – CBID Downtown Car Show. 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Free. Car
show, food booths and live entertainment for the family. Downtown
Calexico. (760)357-1166. www.calexicochamber.net.
Apr. 29 –Villagefest. 6-10 p.m., every Thursday. 200 booths with art,
handcrafted items, unique foods, music, farmers market, etc. And the
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 53
 Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Dr., is free from 4-8 p.m.
Downtown Palm Springs. (760)320-3781.
Apr. 30 – Christopher Hawley Rollers. 9:30 p.m., 21+. Joshua Tree
Saloon, 61835 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree. (760)366-2250.
Apr. 30-May 2 – 15th Annual Elvis Presley Celebration. “Memphis
in Palm Springs,” 75th Birthday. Riviera Resort & Spa (Grand Ball
Room.), 1600 N. Indian Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. (760)322-1192.
www.elvishoneymoon.com.

MAY 2010

May 1 – Cellar Fest 2010. 2 p.m. to Midnight. $20. All-day music

event, 10 bands for 10 hours. Food & wine specials, raffle prizes.
78015 Main St., Suite 109, La Quinta. (760)771-8950.
May 1 – Celebrating Earth Day in the HD (High Desert). 8 a.m.-
noon. Free. Give-aways, learn recycling & composting, farmer’s
market. Materials Recovery Facility, 17000 Abbey Lane, Victorville.
(760)241-1284.
May 1 – Salton Sea History Museum Grand Opening. 10 a.m.-1
p.m. Re-opening of architect Albert Frey’s impressive North Shore
Beach & Yacht Club as a museum, community center, & visitors
Serving the Desert Communities center. 99-155 Sea View Dr., North Shore. (760)393-1312, www.
saltonseamuseum.org.
Since 1983 May 2-3 – Cinco De Mayo. Live entertainment, dancing, craft ven-
dors, authentic food, & kids activities. Noble Creek Regional Park, 650
W. Oak Valley Pkwy., Beaumont. (951)845-9555. www.bcvparks.com.
May 4 – Super Ruby Tuesday Open Mic with Ted Quinn. Tuesdays,
8 p.m. 21+. Joshua Tree Saloon, 61835 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree.
(760)366-2250.
wSupplements wGroceries-Bulk, Packaged May 6 – “Concert of Prayer.” 7 p.m. SW Performing Arts Theatre,
w Bulk Herbs wRefrigerated & Frozen 2001 Ocotillo Dr., El Centro. (760)353-1395, www.elcentrochamber.
org.
wAromatherapy wOrganic Produce May 7 – Borrego Springs First Friday Artwalk. 5-8 p.m. Down-
wBody Care wBooks & Gifts town Borrego Springs. (800)559-5524 or (760)767-5555, www.
borregospringschamber.com.
760-365-1158 May 8 – San Gorgonio Pass Poets Society Meeting. 2:30-3:30 p.m.
Meets 2nd Sat. each month. All welcome. Beaumont Library 125 E.
56840 29 Palms Hwy • Yucca Valley
Mon-Sat 9am-6:30pm • sueshealthfood@adelphia.net 8th St., Beaumont. (951)849-1022.
May 8 – Finding the (San Andreas) Fault in DHS, the Sequel.
5-6:30 p.m. Free. Shows where residents can find the fault. The Carl
May Center, 11711 W. Drive, Desert Hot Springs. (760)660-3678.
www.deserthotsprings.com.
May 8-9 – Bluegrass in the Spring Festival at Calico. $5/day. 2-day
bluegrass festival with Ricky Nelson Remembered (Ricky’s sons),
The Mill Creek Boys. Calico Ghost Town, Yermo. (800)TO-CALICO.
www.calicotown.com.
May 9 – Mother’s Day Tea with Armen Ksajkian & Judith Farmer.
2 p.m. $15. Hi-Desert Cultural Center, 661231 Hwy. 62, Joshua Tree.
(760)366-3777, www.hidesertculturalcenter.com.
May 11 – 15 – 19th Annual Mariachi Festival Sin Fronteras. Week-
long festivities: Mariachi Idol Competition, arts & crafts sale featuring
artisans from Mexico & Mariachia Divas—Grammy winning female
group. Calexico. (760)357-1166, www.calexicochamber.net/mariachi.
May 14 – Citizen Band. 7:30 p.m. Featuring Jeff Berkley from Berk-
ley/Hart. Reservations encouraged. Pappy & Harriet’s Pioneertown
Palace, 53688 Pioneertown Rd., Pioneertown. (760)365-5956, www.
pappyandharriets.com.
May 14-16 – 8th Annual Joshua Tree Music Festival. Three days
of great music, art, & fun. 9 a.m. Friday-? Sunday. $50-100. Stanton
Warriors, Mexcan Institute of Sound, Gaudi, The Mast Featuring
Haale, Wally Ingram & Jerry Joseph, much more. Joshua Tree Lake
Campground, 2601 Sunfair Rd., Joshua Tree. (877)327-6265. www.
joshuatreemusicfestival.com.
May 15 – Harvey House Market Day. 9 a.m.-3 p.m. 3rd Saturdays,
March to August. Historical Casa del Desierto Harvey House, 681
N. Fist Ave., Barstow. (760)256-8617, www.barstowchamber.com

For the most comprehensive event listings for the

California deserts, please visit the
California Deserts Visitors Association Calendar
produced by The Sun Runner Magazine,
at www.thesunrunner.com.
54 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
 The Last Word

F
or years, communities in the California desert have had
little connection with each other. Nobody knows what
goes on anywhere else. No one knows the history, culture,
or the hidden secrets, lost over the years.
Most folks don’t have any idea of what other areas of the
desert are like, and few communities work together. There is no
desert-wide source they can turn to in order to learn about other
parts of the desert, and there is no desert-wide media that people
outside the desert can turn to in order to learn about the region.
But doesn’t the California desert region deserve its own
publication? Don’t the people from Needles to Calexico, from
Palm Springs to Randsburg, and all dusty towns in between,
deserve to have their events and communities promoted, their
stories shared? Doesn’t the desert deserve its own independent
media source that speaks with a desert voice-and a desert soul?
I think it does.
That’s where The Sun Runner comes in. For fifteen and
a half years, this magazine has evolved to tell the story of the
California desert, and we’ve got at least 100 years worth of more
great stories just begging to be told (with more added to the list
daily). We’re in constant evolution as we expand, include more
communities, reach more readers, and share more stories. We
aren’t owned by any big corporation, like most "desert" media,
and we don’t intend to compromise our independent voice.
We’re not a bunch of "Insiders," but we know quite a bit about
the desert, and are always driven to learn more. We’re not an
exclusive club, we want to include everyone. We don’t draw
borders between us, or build walls around us. If you live here,
love the desert, or are simply drawn to it, you’re in our club.
The Sun Runner is starting our Desert Readers Advisory
Group (DRAG), to connect more with the communities we
serve and the people who enjoy the magazine. I invite you to
come to our initial DRAG meeting this May to share your views
about what a desert-wide regional magazine should include,
what you’d personally like to see, how we can better support
the communities we serve, and what desert issues you’d like
to see more of in the magazine.
If you’re interested in participating, then send me a note at
publisher@thesunrunner.com. We’ll be having our first meeting
in mid-May. It’ll be low key and casual, and hopefully lots of
fun, along with being insightful. If you’re reading this before
mid-May, then please send your ideas and suggestions to me
and we’ll compile them for discussion at the meeting. If you’re
reading this after mid-May, send me your suggestions anyway.
It’s always good to hear from our readers.
About six years ago, Vickie Waite convinced me to buy
the magazine and continue its growth. She had taken it a long
way in her nine and a half years as founder of The Sun Runner.
Now, the magazine reaches over 300,000 readers a year, from
Tecopa to Lone Pine, from Barstow to Oceanside and Newport
Beach. We have subscribers all around the country, more com-
ing through Magazines.com, the largest online subscription
service in the country, and thousands of readers online through
our digital editions. The Sun Runner is handed out at events
ranging from job recruitment fairs to travel shows, on three
military bases, at hundreds of locations frequented by tourists
and locals alike. With print and online advertising packages
as low as $1 per day, it makes sense to see your business or
organization represented in the magazine. Not only do you get
the best print and online advertising value in the desert, but you
also get to participate in building the desert’s own independent
voice, a connecting link between communities, and a way to
share with folks who have an interest in the desert.
Please join us on this adventure—as a reader, subscriber,
advertiser, DRAG member, and/or a contributor. – Steve Brown
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 55
 29 Palms Inn
Fine food & lodging since 1928. Lunch, dinner,
continental breakfast, Sunday brunch. Art-filled
dining room, bar. Heated pool, poolside patio,
adobe bungalows. “Oasis of Mara” and trails,
near JT National Park headquarters and visitor
center.
Paul & Jane Smith, Innkeepers.
73950 Inn Ave., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-3505
www.29palmsinn.com

Holiday Inn Express

Hotel & Suites
Free Smart Start breakfast, free local calls,
fast DSL Internet access, heated pool & spa,
fitness center, business center.
Andy Patel, General Manager.
71809 29 Palms Hwy., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)361-4009 • 1-800-HOLIDAY
www.hiexpress.com/twentynineca

Sunset Motel
At the foot of Joshua Tree National Park in down-
town 29 Palms. Pool, direct phones, TV, HBO,
refrigerators, complimentary coffee, full kitchens
available. A/C. microwave oven. Friendly,
European-style hospitality.
Owner: Jan.
73842 29 Palms Hwy., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-3484
totteknutzen@hotmail.com

High Desert Pioneertown Extra!

Motel The historic
pioneertown motel,
just off mane street,
has re-opened!

Once again
In the heart of Joshua Tree, a modern motel you can stay
with spacious rooms, HBO/Cable TV, A/C,
in-room phones, in-room coffee, laundry, where the
swimming pool, picnic facilities, BBQ areas. movie Cowboys
Reasonable rates. Near west entrance to JT
National Park and local rock climbing schools. stayed!
Your host, Vijay Hira.
61310 29 Palms Hwy., Joshua Tree, CA
(760)366-1978 • Toll Free 888-367-3898
56 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010

Circle C Lodge
Private oasis offers 12 spacious guest rooms
nestled in a lush garden courtyard with heated
pool, spa, BBQ pit. Full kitchen,
A/C, HBO, phones, continental breakfast.
AAA, extended stay available.
6340 El Rey Ave., 29 Palms, CA
(760)367-7615 • 800-545-9696
www.circleclodge.com
Country Inn
Complimentary Continental Breakfast. Pillow
top matresses. Business Center with fast DSL
Internet Access, Data Port/Fast DSL Access
in all rooms. FREE local calls. Outdoor pool,
some Jacuzzi Rooms, Kitchenette Rooms. TV
w/remote, iron, coffee maker, hair dryer, clock
radio. Friendly, professional staff.
71829 29 Palms Hwy., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-0070 • (760)367-9806 Fax
EL RANCHO DOLORES MOTEL
A respite for desert travelers since 1940, down-
town 29 Palms. Swimming pool, courtyard,
A/C, direct phones, satellite
TV/HBO. Refrigerators/microwaves, kitchen-
ettes available. Ken Patel, Manager.
73352 29 Palms Hwy., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-3528
virtual29.com/a-z/dolores
SUNNYVALE GARDEN SUITES
Condo-like suites with a touch of the “old west.”
Junior, 1 & 2 bedroom suites, full kitchens, living
rooms, dining rooms, private patios w/barbecues,
Cable TV, DVD, patio area, playground, spa and
fitness center.
Tony & Cora Naraval, owners.
73843 Sunnyvale Dr., 29 Palms, CA 92277
(760)361-3939
www.sunnyvalesuites.com
April/May 2010 – The Sun Runner 57
 Amargosa Opera House
& Hotel
Historic Spanish Colonial style adobe hotel with
Marta Becket murals, gift shop, AC. Reserva-
tions recommended.
(760) 852-4441
www.amargosa-opera-house.com
Joshua Tree National Park
74485 National Park Drive (at Utah Trail)
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
Park Info: (760)367-5500
www.nps.gov/jotr
Joshua Tree National Park Association
www.joshuatree.org
Death Valley National Park
Beatty Information Center, Beatty, NV
(775)553-2200
Furnace Creek Visitor Center & Museum
(760)786-3200, www.nps.gov.deva
Death Valley Chamber of Commerce
www.deathvalleychamber.com
Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
www.parks.ca.gov
Anza-Borrego Foundation
www.theabf.org
Anza-Borrego Desert
Natural History Association
www.abdnha.org
California Deserts Visitors Association
www.californiadeserts.org
58 The Sun Runner – April/May 2010
Mojave National Preserve
www.nps.gov/moja
29 Palms Chamber of Commerce
73660 Civic Center, Suite D
Twentynine Palms, CA 92277
(760)367-3445
www.29chamber.org
www.visit29.com
Barstow Chamber of Commerce
www.barstowchamber.com/visitors
Ridgecrest Area
Convention & Visitors Bureau
1-800-847-4830
www.visitdeserts.com
Ridgecrest Chamber of Commerce
www.ridgecrestchamber.com
Palm Springs Bureau of Tourism
www.visitpalmsprings.com
Palm Springs Desert Resorts
Convention & Visitors Authority
www.palmspringsusa.com
The Sun Runner Magazine
www.thesunrunner.com
www.desertfuncoupons.com
 Fine Food and Lodging
at the Historic Oasis of Mara

Family Owned and Operated since 1928

• Lunch, Dinner, Cocktails, Sunday Brunch

• Charming Adobe Bungalows with Fireplaces
• Heated Swimming Pool
• Entertainment Friday and Saturday Nights
• Available for Special Events
GEOFFREY PRESTON PHOTOGRAPHY

• Tour our extensive fruit and vegetable garden and grape arbor.
• See California Fan Palms, Oasis Lagoon, Barn Owls, Roadrunners,
Gambel’s Quail, Bunnies and Jackrabbits and other delightful things!
73950 Inn Avenue, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277 • 760-367-3505
www.29palmsinn.com

The Sun Runner PRSRT STD

U.S. POSTAGE
PAID
29 Palms, CA 92277
PERMIT NO.105