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Monday Shout Outs

 Hello, Everyone, and Happy Monday

The long holiday weekend is just about over and the valley was bustling.  For many, it began Thursday night, when the Statue of Marilyn Monroe was unveiled in downtown Palm Springs. We took pictures of the event and they are in the CV Fun Foto Album.  Saturday night, I did one of my favorite things: headed downtown for a walk around. I was amazed at how many people were enjoying Palm Springs and I was also amazed at  the huge crowd gathered around  the salute to the starlet who were enjoying her larger-than-life presence and having their photo taken.

Earlier today, we were at the Memorial Day event at the Palm Springs Air Museum to focus on what today is really about.  You can see pictures from the airfield right now in the Foto Album.

I went to The Mary Pickford Theatre twice for shows.  I saw the film that knocked “The Avengers” out of the top slot, “Men in Black 3,” which was very good. My review is online. I also checked out “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” This film is a treasure, especially for those of us with a few miles under our belt. It is the first film since Oscar time to get my top rating: a perfect 4 out of Fordyce.

Coming up this week, the ump will cry “Play Ball” Friday as the first pitch is thrown for another season of summer baseball from Palm Springs Power. Also on Friday, restaurant week will begin in the valley, and the Palm Springs Police Officers Association Fund Raiser will take place  Saturday night.  All the details, and some great interviews with the people involved in bringing these events to you, can be found right now on the website.

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Here at Fordyce Media, we are excited to launch a companion website to this one: CoachellaValleyBusiness.com. It will cover business news for the valley the same way CoachellaValleyFun.com covers arts, leisure, and entertainment news. It will launch on Tuesday, June 5, with news, opinion and a weekly online radio show where we will talk about  the people who work hard to run establishments in and around the valley we all love. Feel free to take a sneak peak, although we are still putting the finishing touches on it. If you want to get in on the ground floor, we will give you advertising on both CVF and CVB for the price of one.  Call 760.980.1300 for all the details. 

Palm Springs Power ready for opening day this week

NOTE: This story contains a Coachella Valley Fun Radio Interview! 
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Coming off the most successful season in team history and their third Southern California Collegiate Baseball League title in five years, the Palm Springs Power are back and poised to make another run at the crown.

With a schedule full of summer fun and a team loaded with talent, the 2012 Power season is sure to be the best yet!

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Get ready for a week of Fine Dining!

Coachella Valley’s fifth annual Restaurant is June 1-10, 2012

NOTE: This story contains a Coachella Valley Fun Radio Interview! 
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Palm Springs Desert Resorts Restaurant Week, taking place June 1-10, 2012, throughout the Coachella Valley.  Featuring dining deals, exclusive hotel packages, and special rates at area attractions, the Restaurant Week’s signature “Eat. See. Stay.” experience provides guests with a unique opportunity to explore Palm Springs and its neighboring communities. 

Throughout the 10-day event, diners can choose from three-course, prix fixe menus, available for $24 or $36 per person, at over 65 participating restaurants in Indio, La Quinta, Palm Springs, Indian Wells, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, and Cathedral City. These value-driven

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Palm Springs Police Officers Assoc. Holding Fund Raiser

Marilyn Statue gets official welcome

For pictures of this event: Go to the CV Fun Foto Album

The giant statue of Marilyn Monroe, which had had many a valley resident following her trip from Chicago and her assembly here, has been officially welcomed.

Thousands watched as “Forever Marilyn,” The 26-foot-tall sculpture of the legendary actress will was  unveiled at the corner of Palm Canyon Drive and Tahquitz Canyon Road at 6 p.m. Thursday, May 24, during Village Fest.

Monroe is part of Palm Springs legend.  Show biz history says that, at age 22, Marilyn Monroe  was “discovered” in 1949 at Charlie Farrell's Racquet Club by a William Morris talent . She became a part-time resident of the valley until her passing in 1962.

"Marigold" is a wonderful stay at a Great Hotel

Rating: 4 out of Fordyce (PERFECT)

I admit it, I love Judy Dench. So going to see "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" was on my "must see" list. It is the story of a group of British retirees who believe their pensions will go farther in India. They all meet when they move to a residential hotel. They find it less luxurious than the advertisements suggest, but The Marigold Hotel and the ambitious young man who runs it exude many charms in unusual ways. Joining Dench in this wonderful cast is Tom Wilkinson, Bill Nighy, Penelope Wilson, Maggie Smith and Dev Patel.

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"Men in Black 3" a well done, fun sequel

Rating: 3 out of Fordyce

NOW PLAYING AT MARY PICKFORD IN CATHEDERAL CITY....CLICK FOR SHOWTIMES

I am not a big fan of sequels, I saw the original "Men in Black," but skipped number 2. I did go to see "Men in Black 3," however, and I am glad I did.

Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith are back as the super secret agents keeping the alien visitors on Earth in line. In this script, something happens in the past that comes back to haunt Smith's Agent J.  J  must go back in time to 1969 to save his partner, Agent K, played by Jones in the present and Josh Brolin in the past.

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Memorial Day Flower Drop at Palm Springs Air Museum

This story contains a CVF Radio interview.
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The 14^thAnnual Memorial Day Flower Drop is scheduled for Monday, May 28, 2012 at the Palm Springs Air Museum, located at 745 N. Gene Autry Trail, Palm Springs.  This year’s Flower Drop will again feature the Missing Man Formation by T-34s and the Heat Wave Jazz Band. Forest Lawn Memorial Park returns as the Sponsor of the 3,000 carnations that will drop from a vintage World War II era aircraft. Palm Springs Air Museum’s

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PS Tramway ready for Memorial Day Visitors

On Memorial Day, May 28^th, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway will observe holiday hours with the first Tram up at 8am.

Guided Nature Walks will be offered by volunteers for the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area Saturdays and Sundays through September 2. Nature Walks will feature a choice of two easy trails – the Desert View Trail, a 1½-mile loop beginning at 11 am or the Long Valley Nature Trail, a ¾-mile loop beginning at 1:30pm. Those interested should meet at the bottom of the cement walkway located just outside the Mountain Station. 

Family Days will offer activities for kids on the following Saturdays:  May 28, July 7, and September 3 from 10am to 2pm presented by the Natural History Association. Activities

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Monday Shout Outs

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Happy Monday, Everyone.

“The Red Hot Ballroom” Dance competition has wrapped up and I have posted the results and while you are here online, we have posted links to our sister website, AmericanEntertainmentReport.com, to remember two musical legends who passed recently: Donna Summer and Barry Gibb.

Friday night I attended “The 9^th Tango.” If you were there you know why the Saturday performances were canceled. Some things just don’t work out. If you had tickets for the canceled shows, contact the McCallum Theatre.  May I add, the staff at the McCallum handled things well and are to be commended.  Enough said.

While “Avengers” was number one at the box office, I went to The Mary Pickford Theatre twice for shows. As always, Wally, Ted, Jim at the door, and the rest of the great staff gave me a warm welcome. (Oh, I am not that special, they do it for everyone, which is why I highly recommend the Pickford and Ultra Star Cinemas.)

I saw “The Dictator” and “Battleship.”  “Dictator” was the better of the two, but that is not saying much.  If you haven’t seen “The Avengers” it is still my top pick.  You also might want to give “Dark Shadows” a try. It is quirky and fun.

Coming up this week, we will officially welcome “Marilyn Monroe” to the valley. A ceremony to light up the statue (with solar lighting) takes place as part of Village Fest in Palm Springs at 6 pm Thursday.

You can also read about Memorial Activities planned, including things to do at mountain station, and find out about the upcoming Palm Springs Police Officers Association Fund Raiser.

Speaking of future events:

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Solarthon helps families in San Jacinto

UPDATE:

We dropped by for this great event!
Check out the pictures in the Fun Foto album!
And to learn more listen to the interview below

NOTE: This story contains a Coachella Valley Fun Radio Interview!
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GRID Alternatives- Inland Empire is hosting it’s inaugural  community solar installation and annual fundraising event on May 19, 2012 in San Jacinto. 

A block party style event, Solarthon will bring together over 200 volunteers from the Greater Inland 

Empire to the community of  to work alongside teams from Wells Fargo and other corporate 

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Red Hot Ballroom Results

By Arnold Choy (special to CVF)

To see pictures of the winners, go to the CV Fun Foto Album

The heat is on in the desert. The Coachella Valley Unified School District’s (CVUSD) 2nd Annual Ballroom Dance Finals for 4th through 6th grade students was held at Desert Mirage High School in Thermal on a hot, hot, hot May 12, 2012.  The gymnasium was filled to the rafters with over 100 student dancers from 9 schools on one side and their families and avid supporters on the opposite side. When their numbers were called the young dancers walked onto the dance floor hand in hand with their partners and with big smiles on their pretty faces. There were also quite a few all girl pairs dancing together. But everyone looked absolutely

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“The Avengers” sink the “Battleship”

It seems The Avengers just keep taking on the competition. For the third week in a row, the Marvel Comics action flick with the all-star, all-superhero cast was number one at the box office. It took in just over $55 million this weekend, bringing its domestic total alone to $457,000,000.00 That’s a lot of zeros, but not enough, because when you add in the worldwide totals, “The Avengers” has put about  a billion dollars in the box office bank. Not bad for a movie that cost an estimated $220 million to make. I was among the many who liked this

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"The Dictator" is more of the same from Cohen

Rating: 2 out of Fordyce

NOW PLAYING AT MARY PICKFORD IN CATHEDERAL CITY....CLICK FOR SHOWTIMES

"The Dictator" opened early to avoid the Friday rush. I guess Sacha Baron Cohen and his crew thought people would see this movie first. There were 10 people in the theatre I was in, so that theory didn't work.

This film stars Cohen as the dictator of a fictional African country. He is summoned to the United Nations to explain his human rights violations and walks right into a plot to overthrow him and bring democracy to his land.  The problem with this movie is that--whether he is the Dictator, Borat, or Bruno--Cohen recycles many of his jokes. In this case, the

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Battleship: Pick your bad movie cliche from the list below

Rating: One out of Fordyce (poor)

NOW PLAYING AT MARY PICKFORD IN CATHEDERAL CITY....
CLICK FOR SHOWTIMES

I was trying to avoid the clichés: Battleship sinks--Battleship capsizes, Battleship springs a leak, throw Battleship a life preserver--but I won't stoop to that level (yeah, right). The only good thing I can say about the movie is it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be.  

This film, based on the board game by the same name, is a retread of every "aliens invade the earth" film ever made, and in this case they added elements that are so unbelievably stupid and silly that people were laughing in the theater, and not at the lines and situations that were

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BREAKING NEWS: Robin Gibb dead at 62

Robin Gibb in 1991(From: The Rolling Stone May 20, 2012 6:35 PM ET) Robin Gibb, one-third of the Bee Gees, died Sunday after a long battle with cancer, his spokesperson has confirmed via a statement. Gibb was 62 years old.

"The family of Robin Gibb, of the Bee Gees, announce with great sadness that Robin passed away today following his long battle with cancer and intestinal surgery," reads the statement. "The family have asked that their privacy is respected at this very difficult time."

Two years ago, Gibb battled colon and liver cancer, but despite making what he called a "spectacular recovery," a secondary tumor recently developed, complicated by a case of pneumonia.  

For more on the death of Robin Gibb, visit our sister site AmericanEntertainmentReport.com

"Jazz that Eclipses the Sun" Concert Sunday, May 20th

Pete Carlson Pete Carlson extends his American’s Jazz Institute’s. “Jazz For Jazz Lovers” Concerts with a unique "Jazz that Eclipses the Sun" Concert on Sunday, May 20th at 6:00pm at the estate of Philanthropists Gino & Linda Biggi in Palm Desert. Advance tickets are available at Pete Carlson's Golf & Tennis or can be purchased at the door at the Biggi home at 73-179 Joshua Tree in Palm Desert.

Seating is limited. Desert jazz fans and animal lovers should arrive early. Admission is $20 and students are free. “I’m happy to be able to hold this jazz concert in such a unique venue and support two important organizations that benefit our community,” says Pete Carlson. Directions to the Biggi Estate from Highway 111 in Palm Desert take San Luis Rey

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Ninth Tango in the Desert

NOTE: THE SATURDAY PERFORMANCES OF THIS  EVENT HAVE BEEN CANCELED.
CONTACT THE MCCALLUM THEATRE FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL 760-340-ARTS

The 9th Tango, A Stage Dance Drama is coming to the Coachella Valley.
This stunning dance sensation will be at The McCallum Theatre in
Palm Desert May 18-19, 2012 for 3 shows only.

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