Follow The Leaders In Cathedral City

For those of you who love the hurly burly of local politics, we have a burgeoning one starting o brew in Cathedral City Council Election. The city will  have a vote by mail election with ballots going out at the end of the month. It pits newcomer Rita Lamb against former Councilmember Shelley Kaplan vying to fill a vacated seat in District 1.

In the interest of full disclosure, I know both candidates. I have known Rita Lamb for over 25 years and gave her a radio show where I work at KCOD. I have interviewed Mr. Kaplan several times. I find them personally to be very nice, capable people.

The drama in this election is being fueled by social media. That is interesting because neither candidate has said one negative word about their  opponent. Which I think in this day and age is refreshing. However, if you read any of the local politics pages in Cathedral City, one would think the battle for the fate of Western Civilization is upon us. Just a few items that have everyone contracting the vapors.

Mr. Kaplan is posting signs calling for his re-election to the council. While it may seem strange because he is not on the council currently, it has been done before. Both former RC Sheriff Stan Sniff and Supervisor Manny Perez did the same thing in elections.

Mrs. Lamb has been attacked for not participating in a proposed forum. Shockingly enough, she doesn't have to. I  have conducted political forums in the Valley for almost 20 years and I have had politicians turn me down, despite my good looks and charm, I have even had candidates refuse to speak to me. (Right Gary Jeandron?) I am told she is campaigning door-to-door in the time she has left. Seems like a logical explanation.

Both Mr. Kaplan and Ms. Lamb have set a high tone but not attacking each other personally. It would be great if all others in Cathedral City could follow their example and dial back the drama.

Steve Kelly works as a broadcasting consultant for College Of The Desert. His radio show The Coachella Valley Report can be heard Saturdays at 1p on 1450 AM and 99.9 FM. He can be reached at skellykcod@gmail.com

Local Leaders Need To Speak Up On Loco Sheriff Sniff

It is High Noon at the OK Corral. It is time for Coachella Valley leaders to call out one of our own. That being Indio native and son of the late La Quinta Councilman Stan Sniff, Riverside County Sheriff Stan Sniff Jr. He has gone plum loco.

Sniff Jr assumed office in a messy 2007 appointment by the Board Of Supervisors has been re-elected o the post twice and is up for election in 2018. Sniff was also a Colonel in the Army Reserves. Now it is time for him to go.

A quick perusal of his social media shows a man who has acquired a strange fascination with firearms. His recent postings include pictures of him at an NRA event wearing an NRA hat. He also proudly posted a picture of him with Wayne Lapierre, NRA head who is a foe of any sensible gun legislation.

.Sniff has opposed any piece of gun control legislation that makes its way in the State Assembly. He has referred to AR-15 Assault Rifle as new "American Musket." He allows the NRA usage of the county gun range to put on gun safety courses while spouting propaganda.

The fascination with firearms spills over into his personal life as he is a member of the Cowboy Action Shooting group. Picture an armed Star Trek convention. These folks go around dressed up as Annie Oakley and Billy the Kid and fire off guns. (They are a sensitive lot too because the last time I mentioned Stan Sniff and his guns, his cowboy pals sent me all sorts of vulgar emails. And since none of them lived here in the Valley, I do suspect the Sheriff was involved in getting them out of the old bunkhouse.)

Now some locals like Dori Smith of Moms Demand Action have spoken out about this, But none of the so-called progressive leaders in the Valley have said a word. (Sniff is also the head of the County Coroner's office and as such, he is involved in Valley cities. Including those who do not contract out for police services.)

The fact that someone such as Sniff holds such radical views, well outside the mainstream of American political thought should be a concern to us all. And especially if he is a senior person in law enforcement. Time to speak up.

Steve Kelly can be reached at svericker12@gmail.com

Colorful Candidates Used To Be The Rule In Palm Springs

As I sit back and watch the 2017 Palm Springs Election, I can't help but smile as I think of candidates and elections from past years. This year there has been dramatic charges of misogyny, Trumpism and the trampling of First Amendment rights. Hyperbole seems to be the norm in this election which features 2 establishment candidates vs. 4 others. The sun will rise after election day but in order to provide the reader with a smile, here are some of the funnier election moments and candiates in recent Palm Springs history.

The Cat Burglar And Campaign Signs

Back in 1995, Will Kleindienst was the frontrunner and would soon be elected Mayor. However, a Planning Commissioner did not like him. At the same time, a cat burglar was operating in Palm Springs. The police set up a stakeout. Imagine their surprise when they caught this middle aged woman tearing down signs at 1 in the morning. She was promptly arrested. (Protecting her name as she is still around.)

Airport Expansion

All the powers that be got behind a Palm Springs Airport expansion referendum.. The stated reason was to allow non-stop fights from Europe in the summer. Really. They plastered the entire town with Yes On Airport Expansion signs. Opponents went out. measured the Yes word, ordered a couple hundred No signs the same size and over night, the town was now plastered with No On Airport Expansion signs. The next morning was pretty funny. (By the way the airport expansion was approved and turned out to be needed for Canadian tourists who saved the Valley in the Great Recession. Right outcome, wrong reason.)

Kitty "Cole" Bang

This towering drag queen ran for Mayor in 1995. After the election, it turned out Kitty had a credit score of minus 400 and she disappeared.

Fred "The Hat" Ebeling

A wealthy eccentric Fred ran for Mayor in the 90s while driving a hearse!! He later filled up a hot air balloon and floated it over downtown.

George Margolis

By my count George ran for Mayor in Palm Springs twice and Desert Hot Springs once. Only problem, he lived in Rancho Mirage!! George would drive to Village Fest, set up a lawn chair and campaign without a permit.

Wayne Boyd

Wayne Boyd ran as a write-in candidate for mayor in 2003. When I asked him why he didn't gather enough signatures to get on the ballot, he told me he forgot there was an election. He got 12 votes.

Measure J Signs

The Yes on J Campaign had every city big shot and interest group behind it. To be against it one risked being branded a troublemaker. Soon Yes On J signs sprouted up all over town. There was one slight problem. They violated the campaign sign ordinance. They were too big!!! Thousands of dollars from the best and brightest in Palm Springs and that was the end result!!

There are a few more but my point is, a few moments of comedy in a municipal election is never a bad thing.

Steve Kelly hosts the Coachella Valley Report on 1450 KCOD at noon on Saturday.

New Downtown Park Should Bear Richard Milanovich’s Name

As the growth and expansion continue in downtown Palm Springs, things are finally beginning to take shape. The recent announcement by the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians of a new Cultural Center in the heart of Palm Strings will only add to the luster.

One of the accouterments is a new downtown park. Locals are excited as this can be an oasis away from the hustle and bustle. Community gatherings and concerts can be held there. The only thing lacking right now is a name.

While some would like to see the park named after pioneer Nellie Coffman, I would like to see consideration given to naming it after long-time Chairman of the Agua Caliente Band Of Cahuilla Indians  Richard Milanovich.

For over 3 decades, Mr. Milanovich chaired the Tribe. Through the tumultuous times of the introduction of Indian Gaming, He was at the forefront of helping to bring Native people in California out of the crushing poverty he had himself had grown u in.

Besides all that, he just was a generally great man. I interviewed him on many occasions and with deeply impressed with his generosity of spirit. He truly loved Palm Springs. Under his tutelage, the Tribe gave away vast amounts of money to help local agencies and charities. None of which they were obligated to do.

One of my favorite interactions with him involved baseball. We were planning on trying to get Palm Springs to name a baseball field after Johnny Tortes, a member of the Agua Nation, who played in the major leagues in the early 20^th century. Richard took ill and then passed away in 2012 before we could finish the project.

Naming the new park after Mr. Milanovich would go a long way to helping heal some recent rifts between some local residents and the Tribe. It would serve also as a reminder to recent arrivals that Palm Springs is also part of an Indian Reservation and the Agua Caliente people have both a spiritual and historical connection to the land.

And finally, naming the park after Richard is simply the right thing to do. He loved Palm Springs and helped so many people. In life, he never sought the limelight. Let’s do something to change that.

Steve Kelly is a longtime Coachella Broadcaster who currently serves as a broadcast consultant at College Of The Desert. He can be reached at skellykcod@gmail.com

Conventionality Big Winner In 2017 Palm Springs Council Race

Palm Springs prides itself on being on the cutting edge. Its leaders constantly tout it as a world-class getaway and an "International Brand". So why is it having such a humdrum city council election? Without disparaging any of the candidates, I think I can provide the answer.

Years ago, council candidates either came up from the commission system or were picked by the "Good Old Boys Network." (This network consisted of people such as the late Milt Jones and Joe Garcia. They were longtime business and civic leaders.) Now candidates still come from the commission systems but in Palm Springs, local and state LGTBQ organizations are filling the role of the "Good Old Boys"

Looking at the field this year, there can be no doubt that both Lisa Middleton and Christy Gilbert Holstege are the establishment candidates. The 4 others, known in the community by varying degrees have an uphill fight. The smart money at this point has to be on Middleton and Holstege who will strong organizational effort behind them.

Now this being Palm Springs, there has to be a certain amount of drama and well, just plain silliness in a council election. Charges of misogyny, Trumpism and even Neo-Nazism have flown on social media. It is both complementary and horrifying at the same time that citizens can get so passionate about a local council election.

As someone who has interviewed candidates, moderated forums and covered these elections since 2000, I can honestly say that this is a rather tame affair. There are no drag queens, frauds or candidates driving campaign hearses this time. The color of this election is beige rather than paisley. And maybe a little conventionality is a good thing.

Steve Kelly hosts The Coachella Valley Report Saturday at noon on 1450 KCOD. He can be reached at sverickr@yahoo.com

9-11-01 In The Coachella vally

It is hard to believe that 16 years have passed since that horrible day. Like millions of Americans, I will never forget what happened that day and where I was.

I was working at the old KPSI Newstalk 920 as the producer of the Morning Show with Stan Layne and also hosting my own show. I was on the phone with an old friend when the first plane hit. Ironically enough, she and I had gone to eat at Windows On The World, the restaurant at the World Trade Center.

By the time the second plane had hit, I was at the station and we switched to the network feed. For the next 16 hours, I and the team at Newstalk 920 worked hard to keep the Valley informed of many surreal moments including interviewing Pulitzer Prize winning journalist Dave Anderson of the New York Times. I also interviewed a former grammar school classmate of mine who was watching the fires from New York. The late Pat Mullaney, a local Valley official was fantastic as an analyst based on his experience with the FBI as a counter terrorism chief.

We were also giving out information for donations and the local blood banks and charities. It was completely off the cuff and when you are reporting on a story like that, one has to remember that to try and not get emotional. That is very hard to do. I grew up about 20 miles from where the carnage took place.

It has been said America changed forever that day after 9-11. I know I did.


Steve Kelly is the broadcast consultant for College Of The Desert and KCOD AM.

Socially Inept

As is my nightly custom, I decided to check my social media account. Imagine my surprise when I looked in messenger to receive a notification from someone I didn't know. I decided to read it and to my chagrin, it was full of personal attacks on me and foul language. I was perplexed because as I have noted, it was from a local who I didn't know and have never met.

I replied to the message, more curious than angry. The response back was again full of personal invective and also I think alcohol fueled. I did a little quick research on the sender's  profile and of course, blocked them. What piqued my curiosity is that with the exception of this foul-mouthed bombast, the individual seems fully respectable. I wonder if someone got access to their account and did this. 

I have been in the media for a while and am not really surprised that someone would find disagreement with me. I am perplexed though when pure hatred comes through. I guess I shouldn't be but I still wonder what causes it. 

I guess hatred has always been there but it has gone digital in this day and age. People think they know who you are and what you are about based on the illusion of an online posting or postings. Plus given the fact that they will never meet you appears to encourage behavior that they normally would not engage in. Part of modern times. One we would like to perhaps change.

Steve Kelly can be reached at svericker12@gmail.com or followed on Twitter @skellynj