Raven Magpie Rivera is from the Cheyenne and Sioux Nations. Her father George Magpie is a member of the Southern Cheyenne of Oklahoma. Her mother, Rachel Strange Owl Magpie, is a member of the Northern Cheyenne of Lame Deer, Montana, and is a fluent speaker of the Cheyenne language. Among their many honors, Raven’s family is Keeper of the Cheyenne Buffalo Medicine Hat. Raven is a creative jewelry maker and is particularly noted for her beadwork.

John Rivera is a descendant of the Chiricahua Apache, Jicarilla Apache, Pueblo, and Navajo. In addition to his jewelry, he makes his own regalia. He is a Vietnam Veteran and works for the United States Forest Service in Angeles National Forest.

Museum admission is $3 for adults (cash only). Kids age 12 and under are free. The museum exhibits over 4,000 objects created by the American Indian peoples of southern California, Arizona, and New Mexico. Visitors also enjoy the nature trail, gift shop, and picnic area.

The museum is located at 15701 East Avenue M, in Lake Los Angeles, east of Lancaster, California. From the 14 Freeway in Lancaster, go east on Avenue K to 150^th Street East. Turn right and go south for two miles to Avenue M. Turn left and go east on Avenue M for 1 mile to the museum. For more information, phone the museum at (661) 946-3055 (711 TTY relay service), or visit our website at www.avim.parks.ca.gov.

15 years of photographing the Mojave Desert — by Walter Feller

Eclipse Gallery – February 4, through February 25, 2012

Artist’s Reception – February 4, at 7pm – 10pm

The Artist Speaks – February 25 at 7pm – 9pm

]]> http://desertgazette.com/blog/2012/01/solo-show/feed/ 0 http://desertgazette.com/blog/2011/12/first-day-hikes/ http://desertgazette.com/blog/2011/12/first-day-hikes/#comments Wed, 28 Dec 2011 11:12:18 +0000 admin http://desertgazette.com/blog/?p=313 Continue reading →]]> California State Parks Celebrates the New Year with First Day Hikes at Saddleback Butte State Park and Red Rock Canyon State Park Rejuvenate by taking a family friendly trek through a state park close to home California State Parks will sponsor free, guided hikes at Saddleback Butte State Park on New Year’s Day as part of America's State Parks First Day Hikes initiative in all 50 states. America’s State Parks First Day Hikes offer individuals and families an opportunity to begin the New Year rejuvenating and connecting with the outdoors by taking a healthy hike on January 1, 2012 at a state park close to home. First Day Hikes offer a great way to get outside, exercise, enjoy nature and welcome the New Year with friends and family. “We are excited to host First Day Hikes as part of this national effort to get people outdoors and into our parks. First Day Hikes are a great way to cure cabin fever and burn off those extra holiday calories by starting off the New Year with an invigorating walk or hike in one of our beautiful state parks,” said California State Parks Director Ruth Coleman. “What better way to kick off the New Year than with a hike at a state park?” said Coleman, who is also President of the National Association of State Park Directors (NASPD). “Think of it as the start of a new and healthy lifestyle for the whole family. Whether you’re staying close to home or traveling, join us at one of America’s State Parks on New Year’s Day.” America’s State Parks boast a variety of beautiful settings for year-round outdoor recreation, and each First Day Hike will offer an opportunity to explore the unique natural and cultural treasures close to home. From California to Maine, hikers can climb hills and mountain tops, walk along ponds and beaches, and traverse trails through forests, fields and prairies. Visitors can listen to birds, breathe in the fresh air, discover wildlife tracks, feel the wind and the warmth of the sun or the coldness of the snow. Visitors can expect to be surrounded by the quiet beauty of nature in winter, experience spectacular views and vistas and benefit from the company of a knowledgeable state park guide. “Studies have proven that getting outdoors is one good way to relax and recharge the body, mind and spirit.” stated Phil McNelly, NASPD’s Executive Director. “We hope that hiking along a trail in a state park will become part of an individual’s or family’s regular exercise routine.” First Day Hikes originated over 20 years ago at the Blue Hills Reservation, a state park in Milton, Massachusetts. The program was launched to promote both healthy lifestyles throughout the year and year-round recreation at state parks. Many other states have offered outdoor recreation programs on New Year’s Day, however, this is the first time all 50 state park systems have joined together to sponsor First Day Hikes. Saddleback Butte State Park, created to preserve the Butte and surrounding Joshua Tree habitat, is slated for closure on July 1 as part of the State-wide budget cuts. The Save Saddleback Committee has been organized in an effort to find ways to keep the park open, and will be leading three hikes in conjunction with California State Parks staff to raise the public’s awareness and appreciation of the park. All hikes leave from the picnic area, at the corner of 170th St E and East Avenue J (19 miles east of Hwy 14, near Lake Los Angeles). Address: 17102 East Avenue J, Lancaster. Day Use fees are waived for event participants, and kids are welcome! Bring a lunch to eat in the park’s Picnic Area when we return from the hikes. Detailed information about Saddleback Butte State Park can be found at www.parks.ca.gov<http://www.parks.ca.gov/>. 10 a.m. – Hike to top of Saddleback Butte Moderately strenuous. Five miles roundtrip, 1000 ft of elevation gain. Meet at the picnic area at 9:45. Bring water for the hike and wear good hiking shoes and layered clothing – it can be quite windy at the top. Participants will be required to sign a Sierra Club liability waver. 11 a.m. - Dowen Nature Trail Easy. Ranger-lead, interpretive tour along the nature trail. Learn about the unique natural and cultural history of the local area. Paved, wheel chair/stroller accessible. 1/2 mile loop with little elevation gain. 12 p.m. - Hike to the south end of the park Easy to moderate. 4 1/2 miles, little elevation gain, should take about 1½ hours. Dress for the weather; bring water and hat, and walking sticks optional. You will enjoy the beautiful high desert views of our Antelope Valley. A great winter’s hike. A hike will also be led at Red Rock Canyon State Park, 22 miles north of Mojave on Highway 14. 9 a.m. - Hagen Canyon Trailhead, off Abbot Rd. This is a 9 mile, all day hike in Nightmare Gulch and participants will be back by approximately 4pm. The hike begins with a strenuous stretch of three ridges with an elevation gain/loss of approximately 1100’ . The hike then evens out and is easy to moderate. This hike is for those in good physical condition, ages 12 and up. Dogs are not recommended but may be brought on leash. Wear layered clothing and bring water and lunch. Hikers are responsible for their own health and safety. Visit www.redrockrrcia.org<http://www.redrockrrcia.org/> for more information. Nation-wide First Day Hike locations are listed on the America’s State Parks website at www.americasstateparks.org<http://www.americasstateparks.org/>. America's State Parks is committed to promoting outdoor recreation in state parks as a way to address obesity, especially among children. Getting kids outside and unplugged from video games and other electronic media creates a unique connection with nature that promotes physical and mental well-being and encourages creativity and stewardship of our shared resources. ]]> http://desertgazette.com/blog/2011/12/first-day-hikes/feed/ 0 http://desertgazette.com/blog/2011/12/blight/ http://desertgazette.com/blog/2011/12/blight/#comments Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:52:38 +0000 admin http://desertgazette.com/blog/?p=309 Continue reading →]]> Please forward this e-mail to your US Representative sent by Jim Harvey. The purpose is to stop wasting massive taxpayer dollars and stop this senseless blight of our beautiful Mojave Desert. Bill Lembright ----- Original Message ----- From: Jim Harvey AREP To: Bill Lembright ; Chuck Bell ; Linda Gommel ; Richard Selby Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 7:26 PM Subject: Fw: Fwd: Please forward: Letter to Congress regarding 1603 From: Nettie Pena Sent: Monday, December 12, 2011 6:36 PM To: jim harvey Subject: Fwd: Please forward: Letter to Congress regarding 1603 Hello All, I am forwarding a letter on behalf of Lisa Linowes, Executive Director of the Industrial Wind Action Group in New Hampshire (see http://www.windaction.org/). IWA is working on a multi-state campaign that involves sending letters to Congressional House members asking that they not permit Section 1603 grants to be extended past December 31, 2011 --- including generous taxpayer subsidies to multibillion-dollar energy corporations for utility-scale wind projects. According to IWA, eighty-percent of the $9.8 billion in Section 1603 cash grants went to wind energy developers (see: http://www.windaction.org/faqs/33759 and http://www.treasury.gov/initiatives/recovery/Documents/Status%20overview.pdf). Lisa is asking for a minimum of twenty endorsements from California residents to send a letter representing the State of California to Congress. Please contact me if you are interested in signing the letter (be sure to include your name and address). Thanks, Helen Rep. --------------------------------- US House of Representatives Washington, DC 20515 Dear Representative ---------------------------------, As residents of California we urge you to vote NO on any further extensions of Section 1603 grants due to expire this year. While the goal of Section 1603 is to increase the use of renewable energy, including utility-scale wind, the high costs and limitations of this program cannot be ignored. High Cost: Eighty-percent of the $9.8 billion in Section 1603 cash grants went to wind energy developers. This represents a more than 10-fold increase in federal subsidies to the industry over what it received prior to the program's adoption. As an open-ended subsidy there are insufficient safeguards for taxpayers. Since the grants are not made public until projects are placed in service, taxpayers will not know the true cost of 1603 until 2013 or later. Total outlays for wind alone could reach nearly $20 billion with no extension.

Exaggerated Job Claims: It takes only 0.1 jobs per megawatt to operate a wind
facility Of the 12.3 gigawatts installed with 1603 funds, only about 1200
permanent jobs were created. Most of the 75,000 jobs claimed by the industry are
temporary construction positions. Many of the manufacturing plants/jobs cited by
wind industry proponents build components for industrial uses and are not
wind-specific.

  No production accountability: The Treasury assumes that 1603-funded wind projects
operate with a 30% capacity factor (that is, produce 30% of the projects’
potential production levels) but many projects do not meet this assumption. Five
wind facilities in New York, for example, received $300 million in grants and
operated 25% BELOW this level in 2010. Section 1603 imposes no performance
criteria, and imposes no penalty for projects that under-perform or do not meet
developers' claims. This lack of accountability shifts performance risks to
taxpayers

  Inflated Turbine Pricing: Upfront cash grants provide minimal incentive to
negotiate lower prices with suppliers. In fact, the higher the capital costs the
greater the 1603 grants. With turbines representing 55+% of project costs,
manufacturers are encouraged to keep prices high.

  There are cheaper, more effective opportunities for achieving clean energy goals
that will also help the economy. Direct cash outlays go in the wrong direction by
rewarding higher construction costs, higher energy pricing, and marginal to poor
performance. It's time for Section 1603 grants to expire.

  Respectfully,

  cc:

Visit the Antelope Valley Indian Museum on Saturday, December 17th from 4 p.m.-8
p.m. for a country-style holiday fundraiser. The museum, which was built as a
homestead in the 1930's, will feature a chili cook-off, country craft boutique,
homestead-era holiday décor, and cowboy singer Michael Tcherkassky performing around
a blazing bonfire! Explore the unique museum and soft, warm lighting of the
whimsical historic grounds, with the winter night sky sparkling over the desert.

Artist and professional set designer Howard Arden Edwards built the Indian Museum to
house his collection of Indian artifacts, and decorated the Swiss chalet-style
building with colorful representations of Indian culture and creative hand-made
furniture. His wife Rose was known for her tasty chili and cornbread feasts at their
1930's holiday celebrations.  Their talents are being recognized with a chili
cook-off, and a craft boutique of country style items- a great opportunity for
holiday shopping. Participants are still being sought for the chili cook-off and
craft booths; contact Jean Rhyne at (661) 946-6900 or jrhyne@parks.ca.gov for an
application.

Michael Tcherkassky, also known as "The Saddle Serenader", has performed cowboy
songs at the Santa Clarita Cowboy Festival and other events around the country for
many years. Traditional cowboy songs are tales of life on the range that were
composed by cattlemen during their journeys across the old west, passed on at the
end of their long workdays around the campfire. Michael brings the romantic imagery
of this folk music to life under the stars!

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for ages 6-16, and ages 5 and under are free.
Proceeds go to the non-profit organization Friends of the Antelope Indian Museum, to
help keep the park open through the upcoming State Park closure period. Only cash or
checks will be accepted for event admission and boutique purchases. Please come out
for this special holiday event, rain or shine, and support the museum!

When: Saturday, December 17, 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Where: Antelope Valley Indian Museum, 15701 East Avenue M, Lancaster
From Hwy 14, take Avenue K east, turn right on 150th Street East, and left on East
Avenue M. The museum is on the left.

Admission: $10 adults, $5 ages 6-16, ages 5 and under free.

There are 4 seasons in the Mojave Desert: There is Winter. During the short, hard winter it can be brutally cold and windy. Next is Summer; long hot, dry, windy- very windy in fact. After summer is a season all of its own called Wind. Of course it is windy. After Wind, there is another season, the season known as More Wind, and it too is windy. So there you have it.

“Out here there are no hearthstones,
Hot grains, simply. It is dry, dry.
And the air dangerous. Noonday acts queerly
On the mind’s eye erecting a line
Of poplars in the middle distance, the only
Object beside the mad, straight road
…”

- Sylvia Plath

The 85-year-old museum houses artifacts from the American Indian cultures of the Great Basin, Southwest and California regions; some items were carefully made thousands of years ago. The Swiss-chalet style building was built into the butte behind it and integrates the granite boulders into the 1930s-era decor. The State Historic Park is currently on the closure list due to state-wide budget cuts, but funding is being raised to remain open for the 3-year closure period.

The museum’s history comes alive through knowledgeable volunteers that staff each room. Night hikes will also be offered to search for wildlife coming out for the evening.

Entrance fee is $10 for adults and $5 for ages 6-16, ages 5 and under are free.

Where: Antelope Valley Indian Museum, 15701 East Avenue M, Lancaster (near Lake Los Angeles).

Directions: Go east on Avenue K, right at 150th Street East, left on East Avenue M. When: Fridays October 14 and 28, 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Cost: Adults: $10, Children 6-16 $5, Children 5 and under free.

Entering the Palm Springs library, a very nice building in fact, there was a poster in a case that everyone had to walk around. I’ve never been on a poster before. After the talk and when the library had closed, they gave me the poster. I’m going to frame it and an accompanying brochure and hang it like I’m a rock star. It should impress the heck out of the grandkids. 

About two dozen people made it. They were all watching me and shifted their heads in unision when I picked up the camera while I was getting ready.

It was like startling a flock of birds. The talk went well. Only one person left early. It did take me awhile to loosen up. With every laugh I got, things became easier.

Here I am at about the point where we were all having fun. It went on for another 40 minutes. One guy in the audience kept yawning. I had to skip about one third of my stories. I talk too much. I designed the talk to skip what I had to though. My last joke, which ran throughout the talk, I ended by displaying a toothpick. That was the biggest laugh of the night. About 6 or so folks came up after the talk with questions and to thank me. My mission was to try to interest people in exploring their local desert verbal and casual histories. a couple of older couples thought it was great that I had ‘seasoned’ my grandchildren by telling them some of these very same stories. At the end of the 90 mile drive home we stopped at a Denny’s for coffee and a light dinner. A very casual and enjoyable evening. -