First Meeting of the South Palm Springs Improvement Group

That’s not the official name of the group.

As a matter of fact, the group doesn’t officially have
a name, yet.
Maybe that should be the first order of business for
the next meeting?

These “thoughts” are not minutes of the meeting, just

a reconstruction from what my memory provides.

This first meeting took place at the Downtown Starbucks

at 101 S. Palm Canyon Dr.  The consensus was that the
next one should be in South Palm Springs area.
Ristretto in the 500 building on E. Ramon was suggested.
My wife and I went through the 500 Building parking lot
after the meeting, about 4:30, and the Ristretto patio was
empty.
Looks like a good choice.  I’m sure the other patrons at
Starbucks wouldn’t mind.

There were 17 people, representing several neighborhoods

in South Palm Springs; Parkview, Tahquitz River Estates,
Canyon Corridor, Warm Sands, and more.

Thank you David Feltman for chairing the meeting.  I was

prepared to take on that responsibility, if necessary,
but I’m glad you “took up the flag”.

We discussed the Magruder building, the Rock Garden, and

the empty lots that create campgrounds for the homeless.
Thomas Evanson talked about finding used syringes, torn
clothing, and other debris in his back yard, which faces
W. Mesquite.  It was suggested he take pictures as evidence
before cleaning it up.

Chris Luhr and Dr. Jonathan Freeman have contacted Palm

Springs City Manager Dr. David Ready about the current status
of the old Magruder building.  Apparently Dr. Ready
responded that a letter has been sent to the Bureau of Indian
Affairs offering to raze the building and dispose of the debris
at the city’s expense.  As of this date, there has not been a
response from B.I.A.
It was recommended that more people write letters and call
the City Managers office to express concern about the issues
we discussed.  It was further agreed that we need to, if
possible, put pressure on the property owners.

Palm Springs City Council candidate Geoff Kors attended to

get a feel for our concerns and to offer support from within the
government.  To learn more about Geoff, go to:
http://www.geoffkors.com/
He’s supporting us in our early stages of development . . .
we need to support him in his bid for City Council.

Thoughts for the next meeting:

     1.   Bring 2 or 3 friends, if possible.
     2.   Name the group.
     3.   Get an e-mail box for the group to use?
     4.   Set up a web presence?
     5.   Invite local businesses to attend and participate.

Once again I would like to thank the following people

who attended the meeting:

Bill Post
Bonnie Findley
Brigett & Tony Z
Chris Luhrs
Danuta Ballinger
David Feltman
Dawn Bern
Gary Johns
Geoff Kors
Jim Forneris
Jon A. Pierson
Dr. Jonathan Freeman
Lyn Tessler
Thomas Evanson

If I miss-spelled your name, please let me know

so I can correct it.

Thanks to Dr. Freeman for compiling the sign-in list

and sending it to me.

Review: Maracas in Palm Springs

This Mexican food restaurant is in the front of the

Downtown Plaza, where Falls and Matchbox are
located, at 155 S. Palm Canyon Drive.

They have indoor seating, side patio seating, and outside

seating in the front.  We took a table in the front this time
so we could watch the tourists.
A couple years ago WE were the tourists.

The house margarita comes in a large(schooner size)

or small(regular size) margarita glass.  The margarita
is very tasty and slightly sweet compared to others
I’ve had.  For this reason, I would definitely opt for salt.
They also have a full-service bar.  Since it was still
afternoon and I had to drive home, we each had a
small margarita.

They immediately bring chips and a bowl of spicy salsa.

This time, my wife had the shrimp enchilada.  She said

it was stuffed with good size shrimp, not just “flavored.”
I had the two-item combo of beef soft taco and chicken
enchilada.  They definitely don’t skimp on the meat.
I could barely finish it and I’m a hearty eater.

Both meals come with rice and refried beans.

The sauces are tasty without the over powering “heat” you
get some places.  If you want it spicier just put on some
of the salsa that comes with the chips.

In the past we have gone there earlier in the day and, if

it’s early enough, I have the machaca.  It’s made with
nicely seasoned shredded beef, unlike some restaurants
that use ground beef.  This comes with rice, beans, and
tortillas.

The service is timely, friendly, and attentive.

The noise level depends on the seating area, but it’s
never been so loud as to be intrusive.

Two regular size margaritas and our meals came to

about $34 (+tip).  Very reasonable.

I would give them 4½ stars.  Only because my

5-star ratings are very few and far between.

Coming soon

Review:  Jake’s (Easter Brunch this year)