MAY 2013
HEALTH BITS
May 17 Social dance club to meet at Shadow Hills
The Shall We Dance Club plans an evening of social dancing for couples and singles from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, May 17, at Sun City Shadow Hills’ Montecito Ballroom. Dance hosts will be available, and “Palm Springs Dancers” Steve and Barb Hansmeyer will serve as DJs. Admission is free for club members, $5 for nonmembers. All participants are asked to bring their own beverages and snacks. Shadow Hills is at 81346 Corte Compras, Indio. For more information, call Pattie Martin at (626) 523-4352.
May 21+ Weekly healthy living program begins
A multi-week Healthy Living Program for older adults will be held at Mizell Senior Center on Tuesdays from May 21 to July 2. Presented by the Riverside County Department of Public Health, the class will include lectures on healthy lifestyles, nutritious cooking demonstrations, exercise and guidance in developing a personal action plan. The program is free to Mizell members, $5 for nonmembers. Mizell Senior Center is at 480 S. Sunrise Way, Palm Springs. For more information, call (760) 323-5689.
May 31+ Sexy golf tournament at Fantasy Springs
The annual Links and Laces Golf Tour will come to Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Friday to Sunday, May 31 to June 2. The scramble-format tournament will be hosted by Brande Roderick, 2001 Playboy Playmate of the Year and star of “All-Celebrity Golf Apprentice.” Roderick will bring along 40 beautiful “Girls of Golf” to help host the event. Participants can have a little fun on select theme-holes, with games and activities that include hula hooping, a chipping contest and chair massages. The entry fee is $600 per person or $2,400 per foursome and includes a hotel room for two nights, admission to tournament parties and other activities. Fantasy Springs is at 84245 Indio Springs Pkwy., Indio. For registration and more information, call (973) 287-6288 or visit www.llgolftour.com.
June 13 CTAP provides specialized phone equipment
Representatives from the California Technology Assistance Project (CTAP) will be available at the Indio Senior Center from 10 a.m. to noon, Thursday, June 13, to explain the program’s free services for state residents who have difficulty using a standard telephone. These include people who have temporary or permanent loss of hearing, vision or speech, mobility problems or cognitive disabilities. The senior center is at 45700 Aladdin St., Indio. For more information, call (760) 391-4170.
June 13+ Free mammogram clinic
A free mammogram-screening clinic is planned for Thursday, June 13, in Coachella for uninsured and underinsured women by Desert Women for Equality. Eligible women must be 40 or older, not have implants, and not have had a mammogram for more than a year. There is no financial means test and a doctor referral is not required. For location, appointment times and more information, call (760) 325-4701. For additional monthly clinic dates and locations, visit www.desertwomenforequality.com.
EVENT BITS
May 16+ Film Noir Festival celebrates 14th year
The 14th Arthur Lyons Film Noir Festival will return to Palm Springs from Thursday, May 16, to Sunday, May 19, with a fresh line-up of classic black-and-white films laden with post-World War II cynicism, suspense, sexuality and crime. All showings will take place at the Camelot Theatres, 2300 E. Baristo Rd., Palm Springs, and many include post-screen discussions with individuals involved in the making of the films. For ticket prices, reservations and a complete festival schedule, visit www.arthurlyonsfilmnoir.com.
May 27 Memorial Flower Drop at Air Museum
The Palm Springs Air Museum will pay tribute to fallen U.S. soldiers in its annual community Memorial Day Flower Drop at 1 p.m., Monday, May 27. Following a brief memorial service, a fly-over exhibition will be presented, highlighted by the drop of more than 3,000 red and white carnations from a B-25 Mitchell bomber. Visitors are welcome to pick up a flower to take home. The museum is at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs. For more information, call (760) 778-6262.
May 31+ Restaurant Week promotes local dining
Palm Springs Desert Resorts’ annual Restaurant Week will run two-and-half weeks from Friday, May 31 to Sunday, June 16 at dining establishments throughout the city. All participating eateries will offer three-course meals from $26 to $38, promoting their specialties to new patrons. For more information, visit www.palmspringsrestaurantweek.com.
June 1 Fundraising dinner for DHS museum
“An Evening at the Pueblo,” the seventh annual fundraising dinner for Cabot’s Pueblo Museum Foundation in Desert Hot Springs, will be held from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday, June 1, at the museum. The event will celebrate the 100th anniversary of Cabot Yerxa’s arrival in the valley, where he subsequently discovered the area’s famed mineral springs and built the property that is now the museum. Proceeds from the evening will help support the facility’s art and artifacts and the preservation of Yerxa’s historic residence. The museum is at 67616 E. Desert View Ave., Desert Hot Springs. For ticket prices, reservations and more information, call (760) 329-7610 or visit www.cabotsmuseum.org.
Ongoing Annenberg’s free summer film slate returns
The Palm Springs Art Museum will once again offer free films this summer in its Annenberg Theater, at 6 p.m. every Thursday night (except July 4) from June 6 to Sept. 19. The series will begin with 10 foreign films and wrap with five classic comedies. About 111 Girls, from Iraq with English subtitles, begins the series, followed by Beijing Flickers, from China with English subtitles. The museum is at 101 Museum Dr., Palm Springs. For full information on the line-up, visit www.psmuseum.org.
MONEY/LEGAL BITS
May 23 ‘Senior Fraud Squad’ event in La Quinta
A free “Senior Fraud Squad” event, designed to educate older adults about potential risks to their financial security, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon, Thursday, May 23, at the La Quinta Senior Center. The event is sponsored by the Health Insurance Counseling Advocacy Program and the Senior Medicare Patrol. Featured speakers will include representatives from both sponsoring agencies, along with the Contractors State License Board, California Department of Corporations, Department of Consumer Affairs and Bureau of Automotive Repair. The senior center is at 78450 Avenida La Fonda, La Quinta. For more information, call (760) 564-0096.
Ongoing Summer pass on sale for PS Tramway
The Palm Springs Aerial Tramway has begun issuing its popular summer pass, which is good through Friday, August 9. At $50 for adults, the pass entitles holders to unlimited tram rides, a 10 percent discount at both tram restaurants, and other benefits. The Tramway is at 1 Tram Way, Palm Springs. Passes may be purchased in person at the station or online at www.pstramway.com. For more information, call (760) 325-1391.
Ongoing Online Social Security information
The Social Security Administration provides online tools and answers to some of the most common questions people have about their benefits. To find out how job earnings may affect Social Security income, visit www.socialsecurity.gov and search the topic “earnings test,” or download the publication How Work Affects Your Benefits at www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/10069.html. To determine full retirement age, visit www.socialsecurity.gov/pubs/ageincrease.htm.
ART BITS
May 16 Tony Bennett at Agua Caliente
Iconic crooner Tony Bennett will perform at Agua Caliente Casino in a concert at 7 p.m., Thursday, May 16. Tickets are $76 to $151. The casino is at 32250 Bob Hope Dr., Rancho Mirage. For reservations and more information, call 1-800-585-3737 or visit www.hotwatercasino.com.
May 17+ One-man autobiographical musical
Stage and film actor David Pevsner will present his one-man autobiographical show, Musical Comedy Whore, at the Commissary from Friday, May 17 to Sunday, June 16. The show is produced by the Desert Rose Playhouse, which serves the LGBT community. Tickets are $25. The Commissary is at 69620 Hwy. 111, Rancho Mirage. For reservations and more information, call (760) 202-3000 or visit www.desertroseplayhouse.org.
May 17+ ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ at Palm Canyon Theatre“Bye Bye Birdie,” the musical that pays loose tribute to the early 1960s’ Elvis Presley craze, will play Friday, May 17 to Sunday, May 26, at Palm Canyon Theatre. The show tells the tale of the MacAfee family and other residents of Sweet Apple, Ohio, who go topsy-turvy when teen idol Conrad Birdie comes to town to serenade one lucky fan before he joins the army. Show times are 8 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2 p.m. on Sundays. Tickets are $32. The theater is at 538 N. Palm Canyon Dr., Palm Springs. For reservations and more information, call (760) 323-5123 or visit www.palmcanyontheatre.org.
May 25 The Guess Who rock at Spotlight 29
The Guess Who, Canada’s first international rock superstars, perform a concert of their extensive chain of Top 40 hits at 8 p.m., Saturday, May 25, at Spotlight 29 Casino. Tickets are $25 to $45. The casino is at 46200 Harrison Pl., Coachella. For reservations and more information, call 1-866-377-6829 or visit www.spotlight29.com.
Ongoing Coachella Valley history in art exhibit
The Palm Desert Community Gallery is featuring paintings by Ron Backer in an exhibition, “Brought to Life: Historical Coachella Valley,” that runs through Friday, June 21. Backer describes his work as depicting “yesterday’s happenings with today’s imagination.” The exhibition is free and open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. The gallery is located in Palm Desert City Hall, 73510 Fred Waring Dr., Palm Desert. For more information, call (760) 346-0611, ext. 664, or visit www.palmdesertart.org.
VOLUNTEER/CAREER BITS
Ongoing Amvet needs drivers
Amvet Express Post 66 needs drivers to transport veterans from the Coachella Valley to the Veterans Affairs Hospital in Loma Linda. A clean DMV record must be submitted with the volunteer application, and a physical and tuberculosis test is provided. For more information, call (760) 323-9085.
Ongoing Be a pet’s foster parent
Animal Samaritans needs pet foster volunteers to rescue and temporarily help raise homeless kittens, puppies and older animals. Volunteers are also sought for walking dogs and socializing cats. An orientation is provided. For more information, call (760) 343-3477.
TRAVEL BITS
May 30 ‘Buzz & Fuzz’ tour visits Los Angeles
The Indio Senior Center plans a “Buzz & Fuzz” tour by motorcoach on Thursday, May 30, to give participants an inside look at two of Los Angeles’ most powerful forces: the Los Angeles Times newspaper and the L.A. Police Department. Lunch will be at the famous Phillipe restaurant, original home of the French dip sandwich. Cost is $59. Sign up at the front desk of the senior center, 45700 Aladdin St., Indio. For more information, call (760) 391-4170.
July Art tour of Denver
The Western Art Council has partnered with the Palm Springs Art Museum to offer a July 18 to 22 trip to Denver, Colo. The city tour will include the Denver Museum of Art, the Petrie Institute of Western American Art and the American Museum of Western Art, along with exclusive private collections, galleries and studios. Luxury accommodations and most meals are included. The cost of the tour, not including airfare, is $2,200 based on double occupancy, with a $345 surcharge for single occupancy. For more information, contact Alicia Gregory at the Palm Springs Art Museum at (760) 322-4888 or agregory@psmuseum.org, or visit www.psmuseum.org.
Ongoing Intergenerational trip schedule
The Indio Senior Center has planned a summer full of outings that bring together seniors and youth as part of its intergenerational programming. Upcoming tours begin Friday, June 21, with a trip to the Angels vs. Pirates baseball game in Anaheim. Following trips include a fishing outing to Lake Elsinore and visits to the California Science Center in Los Angeles and SeaWorld Adventure Park in San Diego. The senior center is at 45700 Aladdin St., Indio. For costs, reservations and more information, call (760) 391-4170.
