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YOUR BEST CHOICE FOR PALM SPRINGS REAL ESTATE - RESORT PROPERTIES - DESERT HOMES What's New in Palm Desert ?
Art, food, wine fest to return to Palm Desert By K Kaufmann • Palm Desert Sun • December 27, 2007 Figures on this year's Art of Food and Wine Festival in Palm Desert won't be made public until January, but the city's Marketing Committee voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend the city continue funding for the event. It's a good fit for the city," said committee member Michael Shimer, general manager of Tommy Bahama on El Paseo. Assistant City Manager Sheila Gilligan said final figures on the event will be made public at the City Council's Jan. 10 meeting, when the council could be expected to vote on funding for 2008. The second annual gourmet showcase, which took place Nov. 8-11, is Palm Desert's bid to create a signature event that will draw an annual crowd of upscale tourists to the city's hotels and shops. The city's cost for this year's festival was $500,000, and city officials said it was a good investment for media exposure alone. "It opened up a whole new world we might not have found," said marketing manager Kristy Kneiding. Started in 2006, the event lost about $100,000 in its first year. For 2007, the city contracted with Kemper Sports Management to organize and run the event. The committee's vote also included a recommendation that the contract with Kemper be continued, with the city paying the Chicago-based firm $285,000, the same amount it paid this year. Those figures and the lack of solid numbers on ticket sales more than a month after the event did raise some concerns. "I saw a lot of free passes given out," Shimer said, referring to the El Paseo event on Nov. 9. "I don't know how the recommendation can come forward without figures showing whether it met the targets touted to the council a year ago," said Councilman Jim Ferguson, who was not at the meeting. Committee member Lee Morcas, founder of the Kaiser Restaurant Group, said the valley chain is a "staunch supporter of the event." "We want to make sure it continues to grow and thrive," he said.
Living Desert calms qualms after tiger attack .San Francisco incident raises safety concerns Angela Franzer • The Desert Sun • December 27, 2007 The Christmas Day tiger attack at the San Francisco Zoo may have some Coachella Valley residents worried about safety at The Living Desert, but officials at the local zoo said Wednesday such concerns are unfounded "Safety is a prime concern at our facility," said Terrie Correll, during a news conference at the Palm Desert Zoo. "We review animal containment daily, and, like all members of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, we regularly have safety training sessions and emergency drills with our staff." Correll, a spokeswoman for The Living Desert, said the zoo strictly adheres to the mandatory standards of safety and emergency protocols set by the association, which goes beyond federal, state and local requirements. "Our hearts go out to the family of the man who lost his life, and we extend our best wishes for a speedy recovery to the the two injured guests," Correll said of the San Francisco attack. "We also extend our condolences to the staff at the San Francisco Zoo. This is an extremely difficult time for them." Tuesday's attack was the first visitor fatality connected to an animal escape at an Association of Zoos and Aquariums-accredited facility, officials said. The Christmas Day attack, in which a Siberian tiger escaped from an enclosure, left one man dead and two others critically injured. Experts speculated Wednesday that the trio may have somehow taunted the animal or helped it escape, but the incident remains under investigation. In the past, The Living Desert has experienced animal escapes due to handler error, but all of those animals have been non-dangerous, Correll said. In the event that a dangerous animal escaped, Correll added, officials wouldn't hesitate to protect the public. "Should the need arise we would use force and kill an animal if it requires it," she said
Staff and wire reports • November 19, 2007 Marcel Honore • The Desert Sun • November 18, 2007 Council expected to vote on firm's suggestions Pam Leonard was admiring the starry desert sky from her La Quinta Fairways home late Tuesday night when suddenly she heard two loud booming noises. She looked out her back window - a car had smashed through her neighbor's brick wall on Park Avenue. The car had veered onto the sidewalk where Calle Tampico ends and turns sharply into Park. It left dirt gravel splayed across the sidewalk. Tire tracks indicate the driver tried to correct the car's path but lost control, crossed the street and hit the wall. Leonard said she frequently hears cars screeching around the corner and that there have been several accidents, despite a yellow 10 mph warning sign at the Park/Tampico turn. "I just brace myself and hold my breath expecting to hear another crash," she said. La Quinta police are still investigating but say the car appeared to have experienced "mechanical failure." A recent citywide speed study by engineering firm Willdan Group recommended the city raise the speed limit on Tampico approaching the crash site from 30 mph to 35 mph. It also recommended raising the limit from 30 mph to 40 mph approaching Park. This Tuesday, the City Council is expected to reconsider approving the Willdan study, after rejecting it in September. The study recommended raising the speed limit at 22 La Quinta street segments out of 56 surveyed. It proposed lowering the limit at only one segment. California cities must certify an independent speed study every five years so police can legally enforce the tickets they issue. Vanessa Mu?? a Willdan supervising engineer, said speed limits are rising across Southern California cities. La Quinta's improved roads and growing population particularly add to its rising speeds, she said. The proposed speed hikes worry some council members, however. They asked Willdan to resurvey several segments, hoping for different results. Willdan should present those findings at the council meeting Tuesday. It's unclear if the results are different than before. Lows headed for 40s, 30s over Thanksgiving, have guests bring a sweater Kakie Urch • The Desert Sun • November 19, 2007 If you're hosting people from out of town for Thanksgiving, be sure to let them know they might need a sweater or jacket for the evenings, as predicted temperatures at night are expected to drop to the 40s and high 30s. According to the National Weather Service, highs this week will top out at 78 degrees, with night lows hitting 42-52 on Thanksgiving and expected to go as low as 39 to 49 degrees on Saturday. Temperatures today will be in the 80s, but the cooler weather is expected to begin on Wednesday. COD embarks on a bigger future Mandy Zatynski • The Desert Sun • August 26, 2007 Massive expansion adds upto a 'better quality of life'Hype begins for Art of Food and Wine fest Second annual event will feature celebrity chefsK Kaufmann • The Desert Sun • August 15, 2007 The Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday got a tantalizing preview of the city's second annual Art of Food and Wine showcase set for Nov. 8-11. Speaking at the chamber's monthly breakfast meeting at Desert Willow Golf Resort, event organizer Amy Harris of Kemper Sports likened the Palm Desert event to high-profile food and wine festivals in Aspen, Colo., and South Beach, Fla. "Let's bring world-class events here and keep them here," Harris said, appealing to area businesses to buy into the festival as sponsors or exhibitors. Marquee events will include two days of tastings and food demonstrations at the Marriott, with appearances by celebrity chefs such as Lidia Bastianich, author of "Lidia's Family Table," top chocolatier Elaine Gonzalez and popular Thai chef Tommy Tang. "An event like this was long overdue. I'm thrilled it's happening in the Coachella Valley," said Ray Rodriguez, manager of Casuelas Cafe on Highway 111 and the new Cork Tree on Country Club Drive. Casuelas Cafe was one of the area restaurants that participated in last year's event, but Rodriguez said he will be sitting out this year, mostly due to the cost of opening the Cork Tree. He said he expects to take part in 2008. The first Art of Food and Wine last November got mixed reviews, with losses of about $100,000. "We didn't think we'd be a success the first year," said assistant city manager Sheila Gilligan. "It needs a second year to have that opportunity to grow." *************** Charter school continues to flourish Christine Mahr • Special to The Desert Sun • August 9, 2007 Chandler Weeks and 100 or so other valley students who graduated from high school in June shared an educational experience that set them apart from their fellow seniors. Nearly 13 years ago, they made up the kindergarten class at Washington Charter School, which had just become the Coachella Valley's first charter school. Although those elementary years seem like a long time ago, Weeks, a Palm Desert High School graduate headed for the University of Redlands, remembers them well and believes they provided her with a strong foundation for her future educational experiences. "I think we were ahead of the game when we went to middle school," Weeks says, adding, "Everyone (at Washington) always stressed being a good student and getting good grades. They definitely gave you a good education and prepared you for middle and high school." Becoming a charter school was a long and arduous process for the Washington parents, teachers and administrators. But they persevered and were granted a charter by the Desert Sands Unified School District. Once a school achieves charter status, there's no guarantee it will retain that status. While an increasing number of California's public schools have petitioned successfully to be charter schools, some ultimately have their charters revoked or simply close their doors. "They fail for a number of reasons," says Gary Page, an education consultant with the California Department of Education's charter school division. He cited schools' inability to attract enough students, fiscal mismanagement and lack of academic progress as some of those reasons. The state currently has 621 charter schools, according to the education department's Web site. Washington is one of the charter school success stories. Not only has Desert Sands renewed its charter every five years, but the district also financially supported the reconstruction of Washington, which was built in 1949. Completed last year, the reconstruction cost $19.4 million and was paid for with state money, proceeds from a Desert Sands' voter-approved bond measure and Palm Desert Redevelopment Agency funds. Academically, Washington is one of the premiere public schools in the valley. Its state test scores in English language arts in 2006 were higher than those of all other valley elementary schools and its math scores were among the highest. The school also boasts a score of 874 (on a scale of 200 to 1,000) - the highest in the valley - on the Academic Performance Index (API), the state's measure of academic progress. Other indicators of Washington's success are the waiting lists. Washington's enrollment includes primarily children who live in the school's attendance area but also those who live elsewhere in Desert Sands, in neighboring districts and communities such as Banning, Beaumont and the high desert. "I wanted desperately for my child to attend (Washington), so I got on the waiting list," says parent Carrie Wysard who lives in Palm Desert, but not in the school's attendance area. "I was one of the lucky ones - I didn't have to wait that long." Her son will be a third-grader at Washington in the fall. Her other son, who will start kindergarten in the fall, also will attend Washington. Teachers, too, are trying to get into the school. "Every year, we get more applicants than we have available teaching positions," says Principal Allan Lehmann. Desert Sands Board President Amy Ammons attributed Washington's success to the school's parent involvement, the financial expertise of its business manager and the leadership of the school's principals. Carole Horlock served as principal before, during and after the chartering period, and Lehmann has been principal for the past nine years. "(Washington) has had two exceptional principals completely dedicated to the school's success," Ammons says. Designing excellence Washington parents and staff who worked to create a charter school wanted more control over such things as curriculum and programs, class size and the length of the school day. Becoming a charter school allowed them to modify the curriculum, add a full-time music teacher, physical education teacher, technology specialist and counselor to the staff, along with offering enrichment programs and lengthening the school day four days a week while setting aside some time the fifth day for teachers to collaborate on curriculum and share ideas. "(Collaborating) gives us more ideas and makes us stronger teachers," says fifth-grade teacher LuAnn Rose who has taught at Washington for about 15 years and helped write the school's charter. "We're always changing to meet students' needs and make the school better," says second-grade teacher Martha Haven who also was one of the charter authors. Lehmann says the school's teaching philosophy emphasizes a balanced educational program for each student. "We tailor instruction to California's (curriculum) standards but we infuse or layer into that the importance of other things because we believe balance is critical." Washington maintains a culture of high expectations that includes providing a rigorous curriculum and preparing students for college, Lehmann says. "We want the best educational program possible for each student," he says, adding that the school aims to make students strong, critical thinkers. "We challenge our students but in a loving and nurturing environment," Lehmann says. How it works Washington's enrollment is 704 and won't grow because class sizes are capped so that there are no more than 28 students in kindergarten; 20 in first, second and third grades; and 29 in fourth and fifth grades. Washington has its own 15-member governing board. Twelve voting members include five teachers, one support staff member and five parents all elected by their respective constituencies - Lehmann sits on the board but only votes if there's a tie. Three non-voting members - the assistant principal/business director, school counselor and a community member - serve in an advisory capacity. Like other public schools, Washington relies primarily on state funding for its daily operations. It spends about $5,900 per student annually at the kindergarten through third-grade level and $5,975 per student at the fourth- and fifth-grade levels. That includes state-base revenue, categorical block grant and lottery money. But thanks to additional money from grants, foundations, donations and the school's Parent Club Foundation, Washington is able to fund its specialized programs. "Our biggest benefactor is the Parent Club Foundation," Lehmann says. "We couldn't do what we do without their support." The foundation provides over $80,000 a year in direct support to the school. It gets support from the city of Palm Desert through matching grants. Parents, teachers and Lehmann credit much of the school's success to teamwork and commitment on everyone's part. "Students, parents and staff all work together," Lehmann says. Part of that commitment stems from a shared support agreement that spells out the responsibilities of staff, parents and students. If students or their parents fail to follow the terms of the agreement they risk not being re-enrolled. The agreement includes the requirement that parents participate in a minimum of six school activities, which range from attending parent meetings and other school events to volunteering in the classroom and helping with fundraisers. "Parents love the hands-on involvement in their child's education," says parent Cheryl Lutzke. She and Wysard served as parent club co-presidents last year and had little difficulty getting other parents involved in fundraising activities. Wysard and Lutzke say money raised by the parent club all goes for programs that benefit students and might not be possible without that additional financial support. The money has paid for such things as new computers, a reading resource specialist and helped fund the music and physical education programs. Commission decides pool not a good idea Competition-only amenity would operate in deficit K. KaufmanThe Desert Sun April 4, 2007 The The commission voted unanimously Tuesday to oppose a City Council directive for the competition-only pool instead of a two-pool aquatic center with added recreation facilities, including water slides, a kiddy pool, and "lazy river" and "flowrider" features for floating and wave riding. The council had voted down the two-pool center, to be located at College of the Desert, in February. It directed the commission to come back with a plan for a competition-only pool. But the commission instead backed a city staff recommendation to either build no pool at all or incorporate a competition pool into a city fitness center. The city has no plans to build such a center at present, but a recent survey on recreation needs had listed it as a future priority. The commission's recommendation is expected to go the City Council on April 26. The commission based its vote on a city staff report that shows a competition-only pool likely would get less use and recoup less of its yearly operating costs. A competition pool would cost about $6.5 million to build and would run a yearly deficit of more than $360,000, the report said. Cost for the two-pool center would be $8.5 million, with a yearly deficit around $206,000. Builder raises bar on energy savings K. Kaufman Rilington Communities has become the first large-scale developer in the Coachella Valley to commit to building houses that are more energy-efficient than state standards. The Cathedral City developer has signed on as the area's first certified green builder, using guidelines developed by the Building Industry Association, said vice president Wes Ahlgren. Houses built under the guidelines are 15 percent more energy efficient than state requirements, and also use less wood and water, and create less construction waste. Palazzo, a Rilington project in Indio, will be the company's first to go green, Ahlgren said, speaking at an association-sponsored lunch Friday at Indian Palms Country Club in Indio. Two other Rilington projects - Prado in Coachella and Dolce in Palm Desert - also will eventually use the guidelines, he said. The lunch, and Ahlgren's announcement, were aimed at gaining support for the association's Green Builder program and incentives the Imperial Irrigation District is offering to developers with projects in the company's east valley service area. The district is backing the program with $500,000 in incentives. Builders whose projects qualify may get between $1,200 to $1,700 per house from the district to offset the extra cost of energy-efficient construction. Ahlgren estimated Rilington's costs at about $2,000 per house. Scott Smith, owner of Cabildo Development in Palm Springs, sees green building as "the way of the future" and intends to sign up for the incentives for his next project, still in the works. Would he build green without the cash offsets? "We'll have to weigh the cost benefit," Smith said. "Is a person willing to pay for this (energy efficiency)? We'll find out." The Desert Sun Palm Desert High School ranks among the nation's best, according to a list maintained by Newsweek and the Washington Post. The news publications updated its annual list of the Nation's Best Schools last week and with it, added Palm Desert High. Ranked No. 501 of 1,250 schools, Palm Desert High beats five other Riverside County schools on the list. California contributes 156 schools in all. "It's nice to be recognized and for our staff and students to be recognized for being successful," said Principal Pat Walsh. He said he contacted the Post this summer after they released the 2006 list to see if Palm Desert High qualified. "It's important that teachers get credit for good work they're doing," he said. The news publications rank schools based on the number of Advanced Placement or other college-level exams administered each year. They divide that number by the total number of graduates to determine a school's spot on the list. Jan Hawkins, a member of the Palm Desert High School Foundation and mother of two Palm Desert High graduates, said she credits Walsh for the school's honor. When he arrived in the 1998-99 school year, "We were all very frustrated" with the school's performance, Hawkins said. "We needed to take the school to another level and that's exactly what Pat (Walsh), the staff and the families have taken it to - a new level of success." Desert Sands Unified School District Superintendent Doris Wilson said she was pleased to hear the news last week. "They've dramatically increased the number of tests being given, so they're increasing the opportunity for students to excel," she said. Developer sees light, keeps cool The Desert Sun A developer is changing the way desert homes are built: keeping heat out and tapping into the valley's almost constant sunlight. So energy-efficient, when the models are shut down for the weekend, the meter actually goes backwards, said Marie Sanchez, director of operations for the builder, Desert Pacific Homes. "It just makes sense," developer Larry Hughes said. "It's what you should be doing in the desert." The 16 Portola Pointe homes - with solar electric power, reflecting windows and extra insulation - exceed the stricter energy-saving standards the City Council is considering. They also exceed California's energy code for builders - Title 24 - by 29 percent, Hughes said. Palm Desert's energy plan, on which the City Council decided last week to delay voting until Dec. 14, would require homes to be 10 percent above Title 24 compliance. The energy-saving elements in the homes, on Portola Avenue between Gerald Ford and Frank Sinatra drives, will cut residents' monthly utility bills about in half, according to a study by E3 Energy Inc., an independent energy analyst company out of Arizona. The study found that the average monthly utility bill for a 3,338-square-foot home in Portola Pointe would be $236. "I wish more of the houses out here were concentrating on being energy efficient," said Carol Cantilena, who came to a Portola Pointe open house Saturday. She said her family is planning on moving to the Coachella Valley from Redlands. Her husband, Dr. Chris Cantilena, said the energy efficiency was the main reason they looked at Portola Pointe, but he also liked the homes' other standard features. "With the energy savings, if the numbers I'm hearing are accurate, I can certainly afford a lot more house," he said. The energy-saving features add about $10,000 to the initial cost of a Portola Pointe house, Hughes said. He said that cost would be much higher without the tax incentives builders receive from the state and federal government for installing solar and other energy-saving devices. Hughes said without those rebates, the high cost of these features would make the housing project unfeasible. The homes start at $699,000, and the first will be ready in about a month.
Palm Desert mayor, industry oppose energy plan The Desert Sun A $70 million Palm Desert plan to reduce citywide energy use by as much 30 percent is on the City Council agenda today, but building industry advocates and the mayor say it would be a mistake to approve it right away. Building Industry Association, Desert Chapter Executive Officer Fred Bell said his organization wasn't contacted about the plan until it was nine months into development. He said he's interested in working with the city to develop a more cost-efficient plan. That's because the plan, he said, could increase the cost of a new residence by as much as $4,000 a unit "We believe that if we had proper input on the ordinance, we could help the city meet their goal without going above current 2005 standards," Bell said. He thinks people involved in his field have expertise in energy conservation that could have been used toward the plan he said was developed by the city. Bell is interested in working with the city on a plan, but he said city leaders need to be flexible in looking at alternatives and working with the association and its representatives. "I'd like to believe that we can hammer (an early plan) out by the end of the year," Bell said. Bell will attend tonight's meeting, and he said he hopes the vote will be continued to the next one. He's in favor of "a plan that allows (the city) to create the energy conservation goals that they laid out but is cost-effective to end users." Palm Desert Mayor Jim Ferguson said city staffers have recommended discussion be continued to the Dec. 14 meeting but that today's actions will be up to the city leaders. Ferguson thinks it would be a good idea to look it over and get a full consensus from everyone involved and that he's open to working with Bell's group. "It's a great plan, (but) it will only work if everyone is on board," he said. The plan, similar to some already in place in Marin/Mill Valley in Northern California and in Santa Monica, suffered something of a funding setback in a ruling at the hands of a Public Utilities Commission administrative law judge in Sacramento. The judge's order, approving the Southern California Edison petition with modifications, was issued Tuesday. The plan, which Southern California Edison had hoped to subsidize with as much as $70 million input to the city - some of it of uncommitted energy efficiency funding - over several years, was limited in the judge's order to only $14 million for two years, with a possibility of an additional $7 million for a third year, bringing the total to $21 million for three years. So while a step forward, the judge's approval of the plan does set in motion the $70 million program the city and SoCal Edison heralded last fall. Bell pointed out that California already has the strictest building codes in the country - Title 24 - which are set to be revised and made even more rigorous in 2008. But some are already moving on the energy efficiency plan. Developer Larry Hughes, who is building energy-efficient houses at Portola Pointe, is having an opening on Saturday with finished model houses ready to view. The houses are "super energy-efficient." That's important in a city where the heat makes summer peak residential usage more than 267 percent of off-peak usage, compared with the SoCal Edison systemwide average of 147 percent of off-peak residential usage. The energy usage in Palm Desert in the single-family home and mobile-home segments, according to the judge's ruling, is nearly double the SoCal Edison system average, in part due to larger than average home sizes and higher air conditioner usage. COD launches $12 million fundraising drive Staff reports It wasn't long ago that 160 acres of date trees and open desert played host to some people with hope about education in the Coachella Valley. Monday night, that same hope came back - 48 years later, millions of dollars and thousands of academic degrees strong - as the College of the Desert kicked off its largest capital campaign ever and honored desert residents who have supported the community college. "They had a vision, a dream, for the valley's future. Their dream was to build a community college. And this is the site they chose," said COD President Maria Sheehan, addressing the group. At a cocktail party in a tent at the Velma Dawson House on the campus, the $12 million "Securing the Future" campaign was unveiled. The effort will provide "naming opportunities" for the new buildings on the campus made possible by Measure B bond funds. And four of the biggest names in the desert for philanthropy and support of education are already in the game. Peggy and Donald Cravens, who donated $3.5 million to support the Peggy and Donald Cravens Student Services Center, and Coeta and Donald Barker, whose foundation donated $2 million for the Coeta and Donald Barker Nursing Complex, were honored. In fact, the Cravens have been recognized as "Donors of the Year" by the Network of California Community College Foundations (NCCCF), the statewide association of foundations for 72 community college districts. Sam Hook, executive director of the COD Foundation, presented the award, according to Tom Wixon, public relations director. "All of us who gather here today are visionaries. We have a dream, as well. Ours too is of a college on this site. Not a new college. But the one they envisioned back in 1958, when College of the Desert began with a vacant lot and a dream," Sheehan said, in her speech to the crowd Registration begins for valley colleges; deadlines vary
Fall registration has already begun for the three local college and university campuses in the Coachella Valley. College of the Desert; the Palm Desert Campus of California State University, San Bernardino; and the University of California, Riverside's Palm Desert campus are enrolling students for the upcoming semester. Classes begin Aug. 28 at COD, and students may add classes through Sept. 5. The college's nursing program is adhering to the same fall schedule. Students interested in attending COD but who have not yet applied may still be able to make the fall roster. Applications are still being accepted and may be completed online until the first day of classes, Aug. 28. Information is available by calling the counseling center at 773-2522. CSUSB Palm Desert Campus will begin fall classes Sept. 21. The university, which runs on a semester-based academic calendar, will run late registration through Sept. 27. Students can find information online at www.pdc.csusb.edu or by calling an academic adviser at 341-2883. The UCR Palm Desert will begin its fall courses Sept. 28. The campus, which houses two graduate-level programs, in business administration and fine arts, has an ongoing registration process for students who have been accepted to either of the two master's programs. . Answers are sought for thefts in Palm Desert K Kaufmann But by how much and what to do about it were points in dispute at a public safety forum this week that drew about 35 residents. While overall numbers are up, the Coachella Valley has "one of the lowest crime rates" based on FBI statistics, said Lt. Steve Thetford, assistant chief of the Palm Desert Police Department. Still, the department logged 38,610 calls for service in 2005 and is well on its way to topping that number in 2006, he said. "We're going to have a higher theft rate than anyone in the Coachella Valley (because there's) more business here," Thetford said Thursday, referring to Palm Desert's reputation as the valley's retail hub. Theft rates in the city rose 30 percent - from about 1,400 in 2003 to more than 1,800 in 2004, the last year for which figures are available. Judith Bruno said those numbers should translate into more feet on the street. Bruno lives on Candlewood Street - an area that has seen a rash of home break-ins this year. "I want to see something happen, more visibility," Bruno said. "I want to see more patrols." Palm Desert City Council added more than $1.7 million to its 2006-07 budget for the department to hire six new deputies to its current staff of 78 officers. But Sabby Jonathan, who is running for City Council in November's election, said city officials could be in denial about the increasing crime problem. "Individual (officers) are of the highest caliber and greatest dedication," said Jonathan, a former member of the Planning Commission. "(But) I think they are facing a greater challenge than they want to admit." Thetford agreed that just putting more officers on the street won't solve the problem. "It's not a deep enough strategy," he said, pointing to the department's undercover work, bike patrols and neighborhood watch programs. Councilwoman Jean Benson also defended the city's record on crime response and prevention. "We have a very substantial police force. It's a huge part of our budget," she said. Almost 44 percent of the city's $56 million budget for the coming year will go to public safety, funding both the police and fire departments. Like Thetford, Benson called for more community involvement in crime prevention efforts, like neighborhood watch groups. But some residents were skeptical. "I don't buy citizens' groups," said Katharine A. Russell, who lives on Pinyon Street. "I work hard. You work hard, and when we come home at night I don't think we want to walk the neighborhood," Russell said. "I think it's a job for professionals."
Housing development harnessing the sun K Kaufmann July 22, 2006 They're good business, good for the environment and good for homeowners sweating out their summer utility bills. That's the line on solar panels and other energy-saving construction features from contractor Larry Hughes. And he's counting on that added energy efficiency to sell the 16 high-end homes he is building on Portola Pointe Lane in Palm Desert. The project is the city's first to offer solar panels as a standard feature, said Patrick Conlon, Palm Desert's director of energy management and its five-year plan to cut energy use by 30 percent. "These houses will (save) $200 to $225 per month in gas and electric," said Hughes, standing in one of the unfinished Portola Pointe homes he hopes to sell for between $750,000 and $825,000. "We're exceeding (state energy) standards by 20 percent." The list of energy-saving features starts with 12 solar panels on each house plus tankless water heaters, extra wall and duct insulation, Energy Star appliances, and heat-reflecting windows and roof linings. Landscaping will use water-efficient desert plants, as well. "It's hard to say you wouldn't be interested (in energy-efficient houses)," said John Urrutia, who bought a 50-year-old home in Palm Desert from his grandmother. Urrutia has updated his appliances and added insulation to help shave his energy bills. "You have to weigh up-front costs against savings in the end," he said. At Portola Pointe, the energy-efficient features account for about $10,000 of each house's cost, Hughes said, but will lower homeowners' utility bills by about $2,400 to $2,500 per year. In other words, homeowners will start saving on their investment in about four years, he said. The other payoff, Hughes said, is a quieter, more comfortable home. "You won't even know the (air conditioning system) is on," he said. Ditto for the tankless hot water system, which at Portola Pointe will be installed in the ceiling close to sinks and showers, he said. "It's a smart move because he is competing against developers in La Quinta and Indio being served by the (Imperial Irrigation District), and they're going to have lesser energy costs," said Conlon. IID rates are lower than Southern California Edison's, which supplies electricity for most of Palm Desert. Palm Desert's five-year drive to cut energy use, plus what he saw as a good niche-marketing opportunity were the prime reasons in Hughes' decision to go all out on energy-efficient construction for Portola Pointe. "When the (housing) market flats out like it has now, the average consumer starts getting more selective," said Hughes, who built homes in Nebraska before coming to the Coachella Valley. "You need something better than the other guy." Energy efficiency also carries a major feel-good factor for home buyers, said Greg Berkemer, executive vice president of the California Desert Association of Realtors. "People want to feel they can make an individual contribution to the environment," Berkemer said. "Most things that help the environment are huge things we don't have an individual stake in." Plus, he said, it can only add to a home's resale value. So why aren't more builders jumping on the solar bandwagon? Hughes says the industry is traditionally bottom-line oriented. "No contractor really wants to spend a lot of money," he said. Fred Bell, executive director of the Building Industry Association Desert Chapter, said his organization supports energy-efficient construction and has a handbook on energy-saving options for builders. But, he said, "builders have to look at what the cost-benefit tradeoff is. Depending on region, each builder needs to make a decision on what the best application is (for a project)." Hughes sees no tradeoff involved. "I want to make a decent living," he said. "But I think doing this stuff is cool." Would you spend more for an energy-efficient home for the long-term savings Developer drive for drive-through defeated again Palm Desert, 2. Coffee shops with drive-through windows, 0. That's the score for developers trying to wrest a little flexibility out of Palm Desert's longstanding ban on drive-through restaurants. The latest strikeout occurred at the city Planning Commission meeting Tuesday when developer Wayne Guralnick withdrew a proposal for a commercial center with a drive-through cafe near the Interstate 10 interchange at Cook Street. The city allows drive-throughs in carefully defined zones near the I-10 interchanges at Cook, Monterey Avenue and Washington Street, but Guralnick's 99,000-square-foot project falls just outside the zone. Prospective tenants for the project included three coffee-house businesses, all of which said drive-through windows would be a "must have" for the I-10 location. But after a less-than-encouraging meeting with city staffers, Guralnick asked for a continuance until the commission's Aug. 1 meeting. "We decided to (take) the path of least resistance, to remove the drive-through and revise the site plan," said Guralnick. "We'll seek out alternate tenants." Guralnick joins developer Rick Evans, whose bid to bring a drive-through Bad Ass Coffee to the Cook Street area - also just outside the drive-through zone - was approved by the Planning Commission in May but voted down by the City Council in June. "I think there needs to be some flexibility where appropriate," said Jim Lopez, chairman of the Planning Commission, who voted for the Bad Ass project. "I think that location was appropriate (for a drive through)." The city's stand on drive-throughs is also a puzzlement to residents like Ben Wagar, who works at the Westfield Palm Desert shopping center. "What purpose does that law serve?" Wagar said, sitting at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf cafe on El Paseo on Tuesday. "It makes things inconvenient." In fact, the city allows drive-throughs at banks and pharmacies but not fast-food or coffee shops. The law goes back to the 1970s and was aimed at reducing litter and pollution associated with fast-food chains, said Councilwoman Jean Benson, who has been on the council since 1984. "It was just the aesthetic value of keeping the city clean," Benson said. The city passed the special zones near the freeway in the 1990s as a compromise, when drive-throughs started opening up just over the city line on the north side of I-10. But no matter how well-designed or tasteful the project, the city is not likely to change its stand or zone boundaries anytime soon, said Benson. COD Street Fair down, but not out K Kaufmann It's never summer at the College of the Desert Street Fair; it's just off-season. That's the spin from Gene Marchu, executive director of the COD Alumni Association, which sponsors the popular outdoor shopping bazaar year-round at the school's Palm Desert campus. June through September, the number of vendors and shoppers takes a dip, Marchu said, but the fair is open for business, 7 a.m. to noon, Saturdays and Sundays. "We don't say (the decrease) is due to the heat," Marchu said in a phone interview Monday. "But in June we had 120 vendors, and that compares to 340 vendors in May. July, we have 90." Jeff Thornberry, owner of Gadgets and Neat Stuff, an admitted snowbird, closed up shop at COD in May and is taking his personal products business - described as a "mom-and-pop Sharper Image" - to county fairs, mostly on the coast. "We are a mobile merchant; we travel to meet our customers," Thornberry said. "The (county) fair season and street fair season mesh almost perfectly."
Prince said he wants 'good' relationship with daughter Keith Matheny
The ruling prince of Monaco said he wants "relations to be as good as they can be" with two children he's admitted fathering out of wedlock - including a Palm Desert teenager. Prince Albert II last month acknowledged he is the father of Jazmin Grace Grimaldi, 14, who recently finished the eighth grade as a student at St. Margaret's Episcopal School in the desert city. Jazmin's mother, Palm Desert resident and former waitress Tamara Jean Rotolo, had claimed for years that Albert fathered Jazmin during a brief affair Rotolo had with the prince while vacationing near Monaco in July 1991. In an interview published Monday on the newspaper The Australian's Web site, Albert said he would try to see "as much as possible" of Jazmin and another child he's admitted fathering, 3-year-old Alexandre, the son of a Togolese former flight attendant. "That will depend on the relations I have with their mothers," the prince said, as reported Monday on thedesertsun.com. Because both Jazmin and Alexandre were born out of wedlock, they are ineligible to take the throne of Monaco, a tiny principality bordering France and the Mediterranean Sea. Many in Monaco wonder when the single Albert will take a bride and produce legitimate heirs to his throne, with speculation centering on his girlfriend, former South African swimming champion Charlene Whitsock. In his interview in The Australian, Albert would say only that he does not expect to be alone "too much longer" and that he certainly plans to have more children one day.
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