Thursday, January 28, 2021
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Volume 67 | Number 22
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THE DESERT MOBILE HOME NEWS CELEBRATING THE DESERT COMMUNITIES FOR 65 YEARS
Modernism Week Redefines Experience
In This Issue
Beware of Covid-19 Scam....................2 Hungarian Chicken Goulash.................3 Contactless Pick-Up at PS Library........5 Virtual Stage Reading...........................8
Virtual talks, tours and film will celebrate modern living By Alison Elsner
G
oing virtual means that what was once confined geographically is now opened up for the world to embrace. This year, Modernism Week has redefined its programs which will be offered through the entire month of February, allowing attendees to cover more midcentury modern ground than ever before. More than 25 newly created programs will be featured, available for on-demand streaming and viewing. There will also be an online auction featuring unique specialty items. Video programs include guided tours, presentations similar to events that would usually be available during in-person Modernism Week. Feature tours cover Signature Home Tour Video Series, Episodes 1 and 2, which will profile five significant residences in Palm Springs neighborhoods. Episode 2 highlights five new houses, including The Morse Residence (by Hal Levitt, 1961), The Cahuilla Hills House by O’Donnell + Escalante (by Lance O’Donnell, 2009), The Southridge Glass House (by William Cody, 1963), Trina Turk’s Ship of the Desert (by Erle Webster and Adrian Wilson, 1936), and
• The human brain would be able to perform 38 quadrillion (38 thousand trillion) operations per second if it were a computer. • Neptune was the first planet to be found through mathematical predictions rather than telescopic location.
1. GEOGRAPHY: The United States shares a land border with how many countries? 2. HISTORY: When did the Great Fire of London take place? 3. MEASUREMENTS: What does a sphygmomanometer measure?
Martyn Lawrence Bullard’s Villa Grigio (by James McNaughton, 1963). Episode 1 is an encore performance showing five different houses from October. There’s also an architectural driving tour of Palm Springs conducted from a 1966 convertible Mustang, incorporating the talents of one of the top tour guides from the Premier Double-Decker Architectural Tour bus. Viewers can also enjoy films such as “The Desert Modernists Video Series with Alan Hess,” “The 1931 Aluminaire House Comes to Palm Springs,” “Neutra - Survival Through Design,” “Moshe Safdie and Frank Lloyd Wright at Crystal Bridges Museum” and others. Talks will include “Charles Phoenix Retro Disneyland,” “Mod with a Twist,” “Broken Glass –
Edith Farnsworth and Mies van der Rohe” and numerous others. The Modernism Show & Sale at the Palm Springs Convention Center will be offered April 8-11, 2021 with tickets currently on sale at modernismweek.com in conjunction with an in-person Modernism Week celebration April 8-18. The February online programs will encourage education, preservation and sustainable modern living as represented in the greater Palm Springs area through a love of midcentury modern design and architecture.
• Lisa Jakub, who played teenager Lydia Hilliard in “Mrs. Doubtfire,” was kicked out of her Toronto school for taking the five-month-long film gig. When co-star Robin Williams found out, he wrote a letter to the school asking them to reconsider. School officials framed his letter, but didn’t change their mind about Jakub.
• Many companies try to be as ethical and environmentally friendly as possible, but Stella McCartney bags took that initiative a step further by making some of the accessories out of corn.
• In Ghana, people like to be buried in something that represents their lives. These include coffins shaped like planes for pilots and fish for fishermen.
Modernism Week Online Experience takes place February 1-28. Films, events and tours $10 and up (one household/viewing device). For more info, visit modernismweek.com.
• As part of standard convention, pilots and co-pilots do not eat the same food before a flight in case of food poisoning (or worse). If one of the pilots is incapacitated (in other words, unable to leave the bathroom), the other pilot can take over. (c) 2020 King Features Synd., Inc.
4. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of food has varieties called castelvetrano, manzanilla and nyon? 5. TELEVISION: What was the name of the Coneheads’ home planet (“Saturday Night Live”)? 6. MOVIES: How many versions of “A Star Is Born” have been made? 7. LITERATURE: The title of William Faulkner’s novel “The Sound and the Fury” is taken from which of Shakespeare’s plays? 8. SCIENCE: What does the acronym DNA stand for? 9. MUSIC: What is a diggeridoo? 10. CURRENCY: Whose likeness is depicted on the U.S. $50 bill? © 2021 King Features Synd., Inc. ANSWER TO TRIVIA ON PAGE 6
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WORD SEARCH On Medicare? Beware of COVID Card Scam
ANSWER TO WORD SEARCH ON PAGE 6
ADJUST
GARNISH
PLANNING
BREAKFAST
HOLIDAY
POT
CHOPPED
INGREDIENTS
PRESENTATION
COOKING
KITCHEN
RECIPE
CULINARY
LUNCH
SEASONINGS
DESSERT
MEALS
SLOW
DINNER
MEASURE
SNACK
FOOD
MIXING
TASTE
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Staff Cindy Melland Publisher Kimberly Brucks Advertising Manager KBrucks@desertentertainer.com
Jose De La Cruz Senior Graphic Designer news@desertmobilehomenews.com
Serving 110 Mobile Manufactured Home and RV Parks in the Coachella, Morongo and Yucca Valley for 65 years. The Mobile Home News is a household tradition for the 55+ manufactured home park and RV Park population. Available at clubhouses and racks in manufactured home parks. Also available in many area businesses and senior centers. Businesses or private parties interested in advertising to the 55+ community please call 760-365-3315. Published Thursdays by Hi-Desert Publishing Company. News, photos or editorial submissions or story ideas should be sent to news@desertmobilehomenews.com All delivery issues should be directed to Ahkto Distribution at distribution@ahkto.com or call 760-459-4204
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Have you received a phone call asking if you’ve received your new “special” Medicare COVID card? Beware: There is no such thing. It’s a scam. I did receive such a call. The person on the other end asked if I’d received my new card, which I’d heard nothing about, and proceeded to try to ask me a number of questions. She claimed there are a lot of fancy benefits that come with the COVID card. In the name of research for this column, I did not hang up immediately as I usually do. Instead, I went along with the caller, listening but not providing any information. I asked where they’d gotten my name and was told they were accessing the Medicare database. I was quickly convinced it was a scam. I hung up and called the Medicare fraud line to report it. The fraud people were very glad I did. Other forms of COVID scams include offering fast eligibility for the vaccine, fake vaccine sign-up web-
sites, fake testing and wellness kits, and fake contact tracers who want to know your Medicare card number. Fact: There is no new Medicare card for COVID. Fact: Medicare isn’t going to call you about anything unless you have called or written to them and asked them to contact you by phone. If you receive a call such as the one I got, hang up immediately and then call to report it. Call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-6334227), or HHS at 1-800-447-8477. As for the fancy benefits the caller promised me, check your Medicare Summary Notice or Explanation of Benefits to be sure there are no errors for items and services that you do not get. This might be the newest scam against seniors, so spread the word among your friends. There is no “special” Medicare card for COVID. (c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc
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• Sugar substitute to equal 1 tablespoon sugar, suitable for cooking • 1 tablespoon paprika • 2 cups hot, cooked noodles, rinsed and drained • 1 1/2 cups diced, cooked chicken breast
Hungarian Chicken Goulash Goulash and Hungary are truly synonymous in the cooking world. Our version offers a new twist on an old favorite by simply substituting cooked chicken (or turkey, if you prefer) for the traditional beef. Enjoy! • 1/2 cup finely chopped onion • 1 cup frozen cut green beans, thawed • 1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained • 1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
ANSWER ON PAGE 6
1. In a large skillet sprayed with butter-flavored cooking spray, saute onion and green beans for 5 minutes. Stir in undrained tomatoes, tomato sauce, sugar substitute and paprika. Add noodles and chicken. Mix well to combine. 2. Lower heat and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Makes 4 (1 1/2 cups each) servings. Each serving equals: About 259 calories, 3g fat, 24g protein, 34g carb., 735mg sodium, 4g fiber; Diabetic Exchanges: 2 Meat, 2 Vegetable, 1 1/2 Starch. (c) 2021 King Features Syndicate, Inc.
• Use nail polish in bright colors to mark the settings on your washer. The nail polish doesn’t wear off like a marker might.
• If you have a steel or metal door, stick a few magnets on the inside for a handy spot to attach reminders and other notes. If your door is wood, just attach a piece of corkboard to a strip of the door. With pushpins, it works the same way. • “If you find a pretty bottle of lotion, you can refill it when it runs out. I add a little bit of essential oils to my store-brand lotion.” — G.E. in California • Remove white rings on wood tables with mayo! Slather a spoonful of mayonnaise on the spot and let it stand for an hour or so. Wipe clean. Repeat as necessary.
• Got unmatched socks? Save them for the grandkids to use for hand puppets. You can help them sew buttons on, and use yarn for hair. A barrette can be glued or sewn on for a nose. • “Here’s a DIY softener sheet for the dryer. Just cut up an old shirt into small squares about the size of your hand. Use a sealable jar and add liquid fabric softener and water in equal parts, and then add all the squares to the liquid. When you move clothes from the washer into the dryer, take a piece, squeeze it out and toss in the dryer. They are reusable -- afterward, just put it back in the jar!” — D.R. in Florida (c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
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CROSSWORD
ACROSS 1. Composed 5. Lesotho currency 9. Ethnic group associated with Hungarians 11. Gains knowledge of 13. Gradual destruction 15. Purchase 16. Pharaoh of lower Egypt 17. Where you’re going 19. The 6th letter of the Greek alphabet 21. Fishing net 22. Midway between south & southeast 23. A way to sort
ANSWER TO PUZZLE ON PAGE 6 25. C C C 53. Unwinds 26. Popular sports 54. Traveling by sea podcast (abbr.) 56. Outdoor 27. Discount entertaining areas 29. Consumes 57. Stringed tobacco instruments 31. A way to run 33. Popular musical 58. __ Redgrave, actress awards show 59. Moves earth 34. Pertains to the male sexual organ DOWN 36. Supplements with difficulty 1. Progressive decay 38. Green veggie of a bone or tooth 39. Deep-bodied 2. Burrowing freshwater fish rodents 41. Holy fire 43. Usually has a lid 3. French/Belgian river 44. Being of use 4. A professional or service cleaner 46. Have a yen for 48. Unknowingness 5. A Russian river 6. Kiln 52. Dry white wine drink 7. True statements
8. Most private 9. French city 10. Masses of fish eggs 11. Apart from others 12. Monetary unit of Samoa 14. Nanosecond 15. Film 18. Men’s fashion accessories 20. Flowering shrub 24. North Carolina university 26. Former monetary unit of Spain 28. Foodies 30. New Zealand parrot 32. Makes very happy 34. A payment required for not fulfilling a contract 35. Emerald Isle 37. The act of terminating someone’s employment 38. Gland in some mammals 40. Commoner 42. Large animals 43. Belch 45. Employee stock ownership plan 47. Work units 49. Wagon 50. Nerve fiber 51. Proclaimed 55. Japanese delicacy
SUDOKU
painter, shot at Jackson, but his gun misfired. A furious 67-yearold Jackson confronted his attacker, clubbing Lawrence several times with his walking cane. On Jan. 28, 1855, the Panama Railway, which carried thousands of unruly gold miners to California via the dense jungles of Central America, dispatches its first train across the Isthmus of Panama. The Panama Canal would parallel the railway 50 years later.
On Jan. 31, 1944, D-Day is postponed until June when several key leaders agreed that there would not be enough ships available by May. D-Day would later be postponed once more, by a single day due to high winds. Finally, on the morning of June 6, the long-awaited invasion of France began.
On Jan. 28, 1855, the Panama Railway, which carried thousands of unruly gold miners to California via the dense jungles of Central America, dispatches its first train across the Isthmus of Panama. The Panama Canal would parallel the railway 50 years later.
On Feb. 1, 1790, the Supreme Court of the United States meets in New York City for the first time, with Chief Justice John Jay presiding. The U.S. Supreme Court was established by Article Three of the U.S. Constitution, which took effect in March 1789.
On Jan. 29, 1845, Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven,” beginning “Once upon a midnight dreary,” is published in the New York Evening Mirror. On Jan. 30, 1835, Andrew Jackson becomes the first American president to experience an assassination attempt. Richard Lawrence, an unemployed house
On Feb. 2, 1980, details of ABSCAM, an FBI sting operation to uncover political corruption in the government, are released to the public. Thirty-one public officials were targeted. In the operation, FBI agents posed as representatives of a fictional Arab business, offering money in exchange for special favors. (c) 2021 Hearst Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Breaking up is hard to do, as they say It appears that the European Union is more than upset over Great Britain’s exit. The Association of Mature American Citizens reports that as of the new year English tourists arriving in Holland by ferry have had their lunches confiscated. The British Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs warns travelers headed for the Netherlands
that “From 1 January 2021 you will not be able to bring POAO (products of an animal origin) such as those containing meat or dairy (for example, a ham and cheese sandwich) into the EU.” The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.
ANSWER TO SUDOKU ON PAGE6
Brain Teaser
You see a boat filled with people. It has not sunk, but when you look again you don’t see a single person on the boat. Why? SEE ANSWER ON PAGE 6
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No cost COVID-19 testing at UCR Palm Desert The City of Palm Desert, in partnership with the University of California, Riverside’s Palm Desert campus, is offering no cost, drive-up COVID-19 testing by appointment. Appointments can be made at curative.com. Conveniently located near Interstate 10 at the UCR Palm Desert Campus, the open air Curative test site offers appointments Monday through Saturday between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. Appointments are required for the tests, which are self-adminis-
tered oral swabs rather than the more invasive nasal swab tests. Curative’s self-collected oral fluid swab COVID-19 PCR test offers a painless, simple option with quick, 24 to 48-hour results after receipt at the lab delivered directly and at no cost to patients. The testing site is operated by Curative and can only be accessed from Frank Sinatra Drive via Berger Drive South. To schedule an appointment, please visit curative.com.
Palm Springs Public Library resumes contactless pick-up service The Palm Springs Public Library will once again offer its popular “Library-A-Go-Go” contactless pickup service. Patrons can request up to 15 items at a time, including books, DVDs, music CDs, and audio books, through the library catalog by visiting pslibrary.org. Craft kit pickup and mobile printing is available as well. To make a reservation, call 760-322-7323. ANSWER ON PAGE 6
Hours of operation are: Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday – Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. As always, there is free Wi-Fi in designated areas of the Library parking lot and downloadable eBooks and streaming service are available 24/7. The Palm Springs Public Library is located at 300 S. Sunrise Way. For more information, visit pslibrary.org.
Easy come, easy go There are fortunes to be made online via cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. One Bitcoin, which is the brand name of an anonymous computer-generated form of real money, is said to be worth about $35,000; it’s worth fluctuates just like a stock decreases and increases in value, allowing “investors” to buy and sell it in a worldwide virtual marketplace. It’s been around since 2009 and investors such as Stefan Thomas of San Francisco have made millions of dollars over the years. To be precise, Thomas is worth some $220
million in Bitcoin currency. The problem is that he can’t remember his Bitcoin password and after ten tries his fortune will be forever lost in cyberspace, so he stopped trying after his eighth attempt. He says he has gone public with his dilemma in order to show the world how important it is in this day and age to keep your passwords in a safe and accessible place, Bitcoin or no Bitcoin. The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.
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WordSearch Answer
CryptoQuote Answer
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Crossword Answer
If you keep driving even though your gas tank is nearly empty, I’d sau that’s a fuelish mistake.
Stickelers Answer 1. Angel Falls in Canaima National Park, Venezuela, is 3,212 feet high. 2. Lake Baikal, in Siberia, Russia, is 5.387 feet deep. 3. Nile; Mediterranean. 4. Located in California’s Redwood National Park, the tree known as Hyperion is 379.3 feet tall.
Inspirational Quote “There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle.”
Sudoku Answer
Albert Einstein
Go Figure Answer
Trivia Answers 1. Two, Mexico and Canada 2. 1666 3. Blood pressure 4. Olives 5. Remulak 6. Four
7. Macbeth” 8. Deoxyribonucleic Acid 9. An Australian wind instrument 10. Ulysses Grant
Hitori Answer
(c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
Brain Teaser Answer All the people were married.
VA Is Rolling Out the COVID Vaccine As of this writing, the Department of Veterans Affairs has given more COVID vaccine shots than multiple U.S. states added together. The VA started with 37 vaccination sites, quickly expanded to an additional 128 sites, and at this point has grown to 195 sites. It followed a COVID Vaccine Distribution Plan first conceived in September and firmed up in early December. In other words, they were ready the minute the vaccine was.
But the states are struggling with their logistics. How and why this is, no one seems to be explaining. The VA plan followed three basic steps: Lower the risk of infection and spread, make staff and veterans the highest priority, and ensure distribution is fair, transparent and aimed at maximizing the benefits of the vaccine. The detailed plan included lists of what needs to be done and who’s doing it. What’s so hard about that? You have to do your part, though. Yes, the initial doses are being given to medical staff and patients in VA hospitals. But I’ve already heard of vaccines being offered to veterans in general who are not hospitalized. To do that the VA will need to contact you. Call your health care team and be sure they have your current contact information. Also, if you have not yet taken the flu
shot, ask if there is a required time delay between a flu shot and the COVID vaccine. What we don’t want to hear about the COVID vaccine is this: Even after getting the vaccine (and the second dose), you’ll still need to beware. Wear your mask, scrub your hands (for one full minute, please) and stay out of risky situations. This will likely go on until a large percentage of the population has received the vaccine. For updates, check this website: www.va.gov/health-care/covid19-vaccine. (c) 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.
Magic Maze Answer
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‘The Clean House’ a virtual stage reading at CVRep Whittier Trust presents a staged reading of “The Clean House” on Thursday, January 28, at 7 p.m. “The Clean House” is whimsical, touching, and hilarious. The staged readingtakes place in what author, Sarah Ruhl describes as “metaphysical Conneticut,” in the home of a married couple who are both doctors. They have hired a Brazilian housekeeper named Matilde, an aspiring comedian who’s more interested in coming up with the perfect joke than in house-cleaning. Lane, the lady of the house, has a peculiar sister named Virginia who greatly loves house-cleaning. She and Matilde quickly become close friends, and Virginia takes over the cleaning while Matilde works on her jokes. Trouble arises when Charles, Lane’s husband reveals his love
for his cancer patient named Anna. Ruhl’s enchanting play reminds us that there is laughter to be found in life’s messes. Five actors have been assembled to perform this enchanting play including: Liana Arauz (Good Sex, Good Day, Better Half, Stealth) as Matilde; Elizabeth Swain (Charley’s Aunt, Sherlock Holmes, Macbeth) as Ana; Valerie Stanford (Boeing, The Full Monty, Wonder of the World) as Lane; Christopher Shaw (Fugue, Annabelle, Blackbird) as Charles; and Debra Cardona (Cat Call, Rent: Live, Crazy Ex-Girlfriend) as Virginia. Returning to CVRep’s virtual stage to direct this virtual performance is Joanne Gordon, who has directed various plays at CVRep. For more information visit, cvrep.org
Bary Freet elected 2021 chairperson of Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority Bary Freet, retired Palm Springs fire chief, has been elected 2021 chairman of the Mount San Jacinto Winter Park Authority (MSJWPA), governing body of the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway. Freet was appointed to the Authority by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors in 2012, and reappointed by Supervisor Manuel Perez and the Board of Supervisors in 2020. Freet began his long career in public service in 1969, serving in multiple positions in administration and natural resources management with the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management. He joined the Palm Springs Fire Department in 1986 and rose through the administrative ranks, being named fire chief in 1994, a position he held until his retirement in 2004. He next served as executive director of the Weil Institute of Critical Care Medicine for approximately two years, and has served on numer-
ous civic and charitable boards. According to Freet, “The past year has been a challenging one for the Tram, as it has for so many businesses due to the pandemic. We look forward to welcoming our guests back soon and the long-awaited completion of our Mountain Station renovation. It is an honor to serve as the 2021 chair.” Freet succeeds 2020 Chair Brian Nestande, a 2015 Riverside County MSJWPA appointee and deputy Riverside County executive officer. Other officers elected for 2021 are Vice Chair Jerry Ogburn, Secretary Brian Conley and Treasurer Jeff Ohlfs. The current Authority members are: Jerry Ogburn and Nancy Stuart appointed by the Palm Springs City Council; Bary Freet and Brian Nestande appointed by the Riverside County Board of Supervisors; and Brian Conley, Sandra Magana-Cuellar and Jeff Ohlfs appointed by the Governor.
The good thief A Beaverton, OR, mom left her car running as she stepped into a local store and, sure enough, a car thief drove off with her vehicle. Unbeknownst to him, there was a four-year-old child in the back seat, says the Association of Mature American Citizens. But, apparently, he was a good thief, so he turned around, drove back to the scene of the crime, found the kid’s mother, returned her
child and proceeded to give her a tongue lashing for being so careless before stealing her automobile for a second time. The police found the car some 18 miles away in Portland but not the culprit. The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.
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Bigfoot hunting licenses? Just about every state requires hunters to purchase licenses before they can stalk their prey; they have seasons, as well. And now, the state of Oklahoma may become the first to establish a season for licensed hunters out on the hunt for Bigfoot. If State Representative Justin Humphrey has his way, reports the Association of Mature American Citizens. The legislation he introduced in the Oklahoma House of Representatives calls on the state’s Wildlife Conservation Commission to “promulgate rules establishing
a Bigfoot hunting season. The Commission shall set annual season dates and create any necessary specific hunting licenses and fees.” Humphrey says his Bigfoot license would only allow hunters to trap the creature. There have been numerous sightings of Bigfoot in Oklahoma, so many that the state sponsors an annual Bigfoot Festival. The Association of Mature American Citizens [www.amac.us] provides the Filler Files as a service on issues of concern to Americans over 50.