Yesterday, the city of Palm Springs, the Palm Springs Modern Committee, and the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation 

designated the Kaufmann House as a Class One historical site. 

The home was designed by Richard Neutrain 1946, but the home came into prominence due to the photography of Julius Shulman.

Julius Shulman is a American architectural photographer whose works captured the California mid-century modernism movement and introduced it to the world.

Starting today, the works of Julius Shulman will be on exhibition at the Palm Springs Art Museum, in conjunction with Modernism Week. 

Modernism Week is the annual collaboration between the Modernism Show, Palm Springs Preservation Foundation, Palm Springs Historical Society, Palm Springs Modern Committee, Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce and the Palm Springs Art Museum focusing on design and architecture events and programs in Palm Springs California from Thursday, February 15 through Saturday, February 24 2008.

The exhibition will consist of approximately 150 photographs, in black & white and color, of the many architectural buildings Julius Shulman photographed during his career.  Some of the architects highlighted include Richard Neutra, Donald Wexler, John Lautner, Albert Frey, Palmer & Krisel, and many others.

In addition to the photographs (some that have not been seen in years), there will be a display of the magazine covers that show Shulman’s work.

The exhibition of the works of Julius Shulman will be featured at the Palm Springs Art Museum from February 15th through May 4th 2008.

 One of the perceptions that many people have about REALTORS is that all we do is show a few homes, write an offer, then collect a big commission check.   That’s it, end of story.  For me, and my fellow REALTORS, it is so much more than that.

I have been selling real estate since 1999, and have always tried to maintain high standards  for myself and  my chosen profession of Real Estate. 

Since the beginning I have always believed in giving back to the community that has given me so much. 

This year, I joined the Special Events committee of the Palm Springs Regional Association of Realtors.  This committee plans the events for the year to raise money for the various community charities that we give to.  Our first event for the season is the Annual Valentine’s Day cake auction.

Every year, we get Realtors from the different real estate offices to bring in cakes that they made or purchased to our morning meeting to have auctioned off for charity.  Here is a small list of the charities:  Mizell Senior Center, Well in the Desert, Shoes That Fit, and several others.

This year, the committee wanted to keep things simple.  We were concerned that we would not get as much participation this year because many Realtors may have much money to contribute because of the downturn in the Palm Springs real estate market.

To my surprise, we had many donations to our event.  Not only we many homemade items, like the chocolate kahlua cupcakes, but we received many creatives entries for the auction.

I had the honor of judging the entries for best theme and most creative.  The winner for best theme was Pati Cunningham of First American Title for her entry, “Love in a Box”,  and Joe Frazier of Frazier Pest Control for the most creative entry titled “Home for Sale”.  He brought in a homemade cake in the shape of a house, including the For Sale sign.

The auction was a success, and the Palm Springs Realtors came through again for a worthy cause.  After the last cake was auctioned and the awards were handed out,  we raised over $4000  for our local charities.  Way to go!!

Our next event to raise money for our charities is the Easter Basket auction on Mar. 23rd, 2008. 

 Over 150 celebrities of classic films & TV have descended upon Palm  Springs for the 1st annual Palm Springs Classic Film Festival & StarFair.  The event is playing at the Palm Springs Convention Center in Downtown Palm Springs.

The Palm Springs Walk of Stars organization is hosting the weekend film event, and the stars will be on hand to sign autographs.  The money that you pay for the stars’ autographs & pictures will all go to charity.  The price for the event is $30 per day, or your can purchase a 3-day pass for $50.

The celebrities that are scheduled to be available for the event:  Rhonda Fleming, Jane Russell, Tony Curtis, Lindsay Wagner, Richard Anderson, Cheetah the Chimp (from the Tarzan movies), Patty McCormack (The Bad Seed), Del Shores, Tippi Hedren (The Birds) and too many more to mention.

To find out more information on this event, please go to the Palm Springs Classic Film Festival website.  The address is www.PalmSpringsWalkofStars.com

Every year, the staff of Scott Lyle Realtors always gets into the holiday spirit in anticipation of the parade.  Our office, a small Spanish hacienda, is located at 483 N. Palm Canyon Dr., right in the heart of Downtown Palm Springs.   Earlier this week, we decorated our front yard with hundreds of lights. 

This year, there were 89 entries in the parade.  Every entry, whether its a float or a marching band, has to be illuminated in Christmas lights.  The lights usually must be white. This year, multi-colored lights made their debut.

 There were many creative entries in the parade this year.  Xavier Prep School’s ”Grease” entry was a hit.  You had the T-Birds, Pink Ladies, Beauty School Dropouts and the Carnival, all on one float.   The camel riders were also popular with the kids.  The camels were rescued from a compound that was threatened by the recent California wildfires.   The crowd favorite again this year was the Tonka Toy: A giant tractor covered with thousands of white lights.   Every kid’s dream!!

 My friends & clients, Sarah and Marsha, were down from San Francisco for the weekend and had never seen anything like this parade. They both were getting into the spirit of the season.  The smiles on their faces said it all.

The parade concluded when the 89th entry came into view: Santa’s House.  The float was adorned with 2 giant nutcrakers & brightly lit house.  It was a sight to see.   I didn’t who was more excited to see Santa: the kids or Sarah & Marsha.  

The holidays are about spending time with your family, friends, and the ones you love.  Don’t get caught up in all the commercialism of the season, because that’s not what is important.  This parade for me epitomizes all that is good in the world.  Happy Holidays to one and all!!

• Dec 1- Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade- This annual holiday tradition is entering its 16th year.  For more information, go to the website:  Parades of Palm Springs.com  The parade starts at 5:45pm
• Dec 1-  An Irish Christmas- After the parade, head on over to the Annenberg Theatre to see “An Irish Christmas”.  Enjoy the brilliance of Irish dance, holiday style, with Riverdance stars Darren Maguire and Maeve Croke.    The performance starts at 8pm.  For more information, click here.
• Dec 2- Palm Springs Annual Tree Lighting Ceremony- Broadway and Film Star, Carol Channing, is this year’s celebrity tree lighter at the Annual Palm Springs Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony.  The lighting takes place at the top of Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, on Mt. San Jacinto.  The lighting will take place at 5:30pm.  For more information, click here
• Dec 2- Palm Springs Opera Guild 24th Annual Vocal Competition- Celebrating its 24th year, the Palm Springs Opera Guild holds its annual Vocal competition.  Ten opera singers selected from more than fifty competitions in California, Nevada and Arizona will debut their voices at this thrilling recital.  For more information, click here.
• Dec 6- Annual Walking Tour of Palm Springs Historic Inns-  This event gets more popular each year.  Take a elf-guided tour of Palm Springs Historic Inns, with maps handed at various tour locations including but not limited to Casa Coda, 175 S. Cahuilla Road and Palm Springs Art Museum, 101 Museum Drive. Bring a new, unwrapped toy for the Marine Corps “Toys for Tots” campaign.  For more information, call  760-320-9346  The tour goes from 5-8pm.
• Dec 6- City of Palm Springs Holiday Concert- The Marine Corps Band from Twenty Nine Palms will perform this year’s Holiday Concert at the Palm Springs Convention Center.  The event starts at 7:30pm, and admission is free.  For complete information to get your “free tickets”, click here.
• Dec 7-9 Palm Springs Classic Film Festival & Starfair- Classic Hollywood Stars and the movies they starred in can be seen at this year’s Classic Film Festival & Starfair.    Jane Russell (Gentleman Prefer Blondes), Lindsay Wagner (The Paper Chase), Patty McCormick (The Bad Seed), and many other celebrities will be on hand to sign autographs.  For more information on this event, click here.

• Dec 8-9- Desert Arts Festival- Give the gift of art for the holidays at the Desert Arts Festival.  Preview contemporary and traditonal works from various artists at Frances Stevens Park from 10am-4pm.  For more information, call (818) 709-2907.  Frances Stevens Park is located at the corner of N. Palm Cyn Dr. & Alejo Rd.
• Dec 13- John O’ Hurley Book Signing-  Seinfeld actor, John O’ Hurley, will be signing & discussing his new book “Before Your Dog Can Eat Your Homework, You Have To Do It” at the Peppertree Bookstore in Downtown Palm Springs.  The event will occur from 6:30-8:30pm.  For more information, click here.
• Dec 15- Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum Singing The Birds, Bird Song & Dance Festival- Special event from the Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum, being performed at the Palm Springs Pavillion Theatre from 11am-8pm.  For more information, call 760-778-1079

This is just a small sample of the many activities that are happening in Palm Springs during the Christmas season.  If you have a future event you would like to have published on my site, shoot me an email and I will get it posted for you.  Have a happy & safe Holiday season with your friends and family.  See you next month for the January 2008 events in Palm Springs.

Now it’s time to start going through my recipes and start planning the annual Diebley-Watts Thanksgiving bash. The Turkeys are coming!! Actually, my friend Sean and his partner Jason (Jeff’s cousin) do all the planning and cooking, we just supply the house.

Life in Palm Springs is not just about dinners and parties during the holidays,

its about getting out and participating in all the activities this town has to

offer. Here is just a sample of what’s happening in Palm Springs during the

month of November:

Nov 2^nd- Palm Springs Follies- The 17^th season of the Follies opens with “Tin Pan Alley”

For performance schedule & tickets, go to psfollies.com

3^rd & 4^th- Palm Springs Gay Pride Festival- The annual Palm Springs Gay Pride

Festival is being held at the Sunrise Park Stadium. For more information,

go to the Pride Festival website at pspride.org

4^th- Palm Springs Gay Pride Parade- The parade starts at 10am. The route starts at

Alejo Rd., and ends at Ramon Rd. For more information, go to the Pride Parade

website at pspride.org

4^th- Brian Wilson Performs at the Annenburg- The Annenburg Theatre opens its

2007/2008 season with a performance by Brian Wilson, formerly of the Beach

Boys. For more information and tickets, go the website at psmuseum.org

6^th- Palm Springs Local Elections- Go and cast your vote at the many polling

stations throughout the city. For locations of the different polling stations, go

to the Registrar of Voters website and search by zip code & street name.

8^th- Palm Springs VillageFest- Every Thursday night 6-10pm in Downtown Palm

Springs. For more information, go to the website at palmspringsvillagefest.com

10^th- Palm Springs Air Museum- Re-enactment of D-Day by 82^nd Airborne Division,

including a flight demonstration. The performance starts at 1pm. For more in-

formation, go to the website at palmspringsairmuseum.com

11^th – Annenburg Theatre- Sam Harris, the first of winner of TV’s Star Search, per-

forms his one-man show at the Annenburg Theatre starting at 8pm. For tickets

and information, go to the website at psmuseum.org

11^th- Veteran’s Day Parade- Palm Springs celebrates Veteran’s Day with a parade.

The parade starts at 3:30pm, on Palm Canyon Dr. in Downtown Palm Springs.

17^th -18th- AFI Comes to Palm Springs- The American Film Institute has their 8^th Film

Festival at the Camelot Theatres. For more info, go to camelottheatres.com

17^th- 18^th-McCormick’s Classic Car Auction- Drool over you favorite cars from the

50’s, 60’s, & 70’s. The auction is being held at the Spa Resort Hotel. For

more information, go to the website at classic-carauction.com

17^th-18^th- 20^th Annual Palm Springs Home Expo- Visit over 400 booths at this year’s

Home Expo at the Palm Springs Convention Center. For more information,

go the Home Expo website at myspace.com/showmasters

22^nd- Happy Thanksgiving!!!

22^nd-25^th- Desert Arts Festival- See over 100 artists exhibit their work at Frances Stevens

Park. The park is located at the corner of Alejo Rd. & N. Palm Canyon Dr.

The hours of the festival are 10am-4pm.

Stay tuned for the all the fun stuff in Palm Springs for the month of December.

The first parade I remember as a child was the Mother Goose Parade in El Cajon. I always remember my eyes lighting up watching the giant floats (they looked giant to me back then) and the marching bands. The sound of the trumpets and drums had me marching back & forth on the street. It was pure magic, and I didn’t want it to end.

The residents of Palm Springs came out today to view the annual Palm Springs High School Homecoming Parade in Downtown Palm Springs. Being that my office is right downtown, I had a ring-side seat to view the festivities.

This year’s parade was on Halloween, so of course there was a kaleidescope of costumes worn by everyone involved. The theme of the parade was Flashback to 60’s, 70’s & 80’s.

The Palm Springs High School Marching Band was the first entry in the parade. Band members were donning large black wigs as their costumes, while belting out the Village People’s “Macho Man”.

I was really impressed by the float that was designed by the Class of ‘09. It was a scene straight out the movie “Chicago”. The girls were dressed up as flappers and the guys looked like they were wearing zoot suits. The float was flanked by two giant saxaphones and “All That Jazz” playing in the background.

After the Homecoming Princesses, drill teams, and the mime troupe that didn’t stay quiet, the parade concluded at Ramon Rd. All and all, it was a fun parade. I can’t wait for the next one in December.

B e sure to check the Palm Springs High School football team plays their homecoming game on Friday November 02, 2007. The game will be played at the PSHS Stadium at 7pm, against Coachella Valley High. GO BIG RED!!!

Copywrite 2007 Blog of the Desert, All Rights Reserved

Same article posted on Active Rain

The community of Palm Springs came out today to support the Desert Aids Project with their participation in the 20th Anniversary Desert Aids Walk.  My partner Jeff and I, went to Francis Stevens Park to support our friends who were participating in the walk. 

When we got to the park just before 9:30am, there were about 2000 people waiting to start the walk.  There were groups from the different real estate companies, families with their kids & pets, and others from all walks of life who came out to participate in this great cause.

It was a beautiful day, despite the smoke & haze from the fires in San Diego.  Jeff and I decided at the last minute to do the Walk.  We ran into local Palm Springs City Council Candidate, Sheila Grattan, who was out in full force with her bag of T-Shirts.  She gave us a couple of shirts to advertise her campaign.

As we were walking, I looking at the all the groups, and the messages & signs they were carrying.  Although we were walking for this particular cause, everyone around, including myself , was trying to get out their own message.  Whether it was advertising for a political candidate or for another cause, to me it seemed that message of trying to combat AIDS was getting lost. 

 I started thinking about the partner and all the friends that I have lost during the last 20 years.  I wanted to cry right then and there.  Everyone was having such a good time, not a care in the world.  I wanted to yell “What are you so happy about, this in not over!!”  I hadn’t felt this way in a long time.

When we finished the walk, I came across a section in the park that had all of these pinwheels  stuck in the ground.  Being the curious person that I am, I decided to investigate.  I noticed that the pinwheels  had notes attached to them.  I kneeled down to read one of the pinwheels.  The note said “Eloy, we love and miss you”.

The note touched my very soul.  People haven’t forgotten what the Walk is all about.  It’s about fighting to put end to this insidious disease and to remember the ones we have lost.  It’s about living life to the fullest and being grateful.  Thank you everyone for reminding me.

October also signals the start of the “season” in Palm Springs. For many years, this town would be a ghost town after Memorial Day. Many businesses and restaurants would shut down for the summer because there were many people who left Palm Springs when the temperatures started to rise. Then those same people would return to the Desert, and start the whole process all over again. This year’s season in Palm Springs is starting of with a bang, and there’s a plethora of activities happening around town. Here is just a small sample:

Photos courtesy of Flickr

Oct 4^th-Oct 7^th – American Heat Palm Springs Motorcycle & Hot Rod Weekend-

Known as “Harley Weekend”, the American Heat event brings in over
10,000 people to Palm Springs to enjoy music and live events, and of
course, riding motorcycles. For more information, go to the American Heat website: http://www.road-shows.com/american_heat.php

Oct 4^th- VillageFest on Palm Canyon Dr.- VillageFest returns to Palm
Canyon Dr., 6pm every Thursday night except holidays. Go to the VillageFest website for more info: www.PalmSpringsVillageFest.com

Oct. 5^th 11^th Annual BMW Ultimate Driving Event- BMW of Palm Springs will be sponsoring the Ultimate Driving Event, which features 19 titanium silver BMW’s, specially decorated with pink modernist maps available for test drives. For every mile driven, $1 donated to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure. For more information, call 760-324-7071

Oct. 13^th- 22^nd Annual Palm Springs Tram Road Challenge-This 6k run starts at 7am, at the Tramway Rd & N. Palm Canyon Dr. This fundraiser benefits the PoliceAthletic League. Call 760-325-1391 for more information.

Oct 13^th- Dinner in the Canyons- Dinner under the stars in the Andreas Canyons. This is the annual fundraiser for the Aqua Caliente Cultural Museum. For more information, go the website: www.accmuseum.org

Oct. 19^th- Rocky Horror Picture Show- The show is being performed at the Palm Canyon Theatre until October 31^st. For tickets and information, go to the website: www.palmcanyontheatre.org

Oct 24^th & Oct 25^th- 1^st Annual Red, White, and Blue Film Festival at the Camelot Theatre. 2 films will be presented at the film festival, which is being sponsored by the Lincoln Club of Palm Springs:

“Broken Promises: The United Nations at 60”, and “Border” Ticket prices are $20 per person, per night for the reception, screening, and discussion with the filmmakers. For tickets and information, you can call the Lincoln Club of Palm Springs at 760-288-3946 or email them at TheLincolnClubPS@verizon.net

Oct. 30^th- Fabulous Palm Springs Follies Opens 17^th Season- The Follies opens its 17^th season at the Plaza Theatre in Downtown Palm Springs. For tickets and information, go to the Follies website: www.psfollies.com