The Desert Sun from Palm Springs, California • Page B1

Valley LOCALEDITOR LORRAINEWHETSTONE SECTION THEDESERTSUN Breakingnewsonyourcellphone Text DSNEWS to 44636 (4INFO) (800)834-6052 ORGOTO WWW.MYDESERT.COM/CS INSIDEVALLEY OFFICIALDIES diedMondayatEisenhowerMedical Center.MollerservedontheCity Councilformorethansixyears, beginninghissecondfulltermon thecouncilearlierthisyear. B3 Comics B8 Entertainment B6 Lottery B4 Newsfromeverycity B2 Obituaries B4 Opinion B5 PublicSafetyBriefs B2 Weather B10 CORRECTIONS Wecorrecterrorsoffactpromptly andcourteously.Ifyouhavea contactProductionEditorBarbara Lowellat(760)778-4544orat barbara.lowell@ thedesertsun.com. AnincorrectNewYorkTimescross- wordpuzzleranSundayonPage E7.Thecorrectpuzzlewillrunthis Sunday. DURANTRIALAGAINDELAYED Ajudgeordersa10thtrialdelayinthemurder setforFebruary. B2 Anewhotelprojectplanned fortheUptownDesignDistrict onPalmCanyonDrivewasre- peatedlydescribedbythePalm SpringsArchitecturalAdvisory Committeeastoolargeandout ofcontextwithitsneighbors.

likeitbelongsinaparkinglotin PalmDesertsurroundedby memberofthearchitecturalad- visorycommitteeinhiscom- mentsaboutthehotelproject describedastheAlcazarLofts Expansionplannedfor750N. PalmCanyonDrivebyPacifica ColonyPalmsLLC.Thepro- nectedwiththenearbyAlcazar hotel.Theproposed1.13-acre projectiscurrentlyhometothe long-emptySecurityPacific Bankbuilding. Thehotelwouldbedevel- buildingwithfeatureslikea mingpoolsand47units.A2,700- square-foot48thunitissetaside tobeusedaspossiblymeeting buildingAACmembersde- scribedas poseduponastreetwithmostly low-scalebuildings. Gasparduringthemeeting Monday.Sincetheprojectwas comingbeforetheAACasa teetooknoactionandwascare- fultoonlyofferfeedbackand adviceinawaynottosuggest howthecommitteemightactu- allyvoteatafuturetime.Which iswhycriticismsweresome- whatcouchedas Atanearlierpre-application reviewbythePalmSpringsHis- toricSitePreservationBoard theAlcazarLoftsprojectwas ingarchitectureandoverall height.Thatboardpointedout numerousarchitecturaland preservationguidelinesthat theprovisionthatbuildingsnot blockviewsoftheSanJacinto Mountainstothewest.Those concernsandguidelineswere notlostonthearchitecturalad- visorycommittee. Iwouldreallyhopetosee committeememberSusanSe- coyJensensaidofthedesign guidelinesthepreservation boardpointedout.

pre-applicationhearingwith thePalmSpringsPlanning CommissiononWednesday. Panelists: Proposed hotelout ofplace BySkipDescant TheDesertSun Afireearly SundayatPalmSpringsCity rewardhasbeenofferedinthe nouncedMonday. Crewscalledtothenorth Sundayfoundabnormalitiesat PalmSpringsFireDepart- ment.Anewsreleasefromthe departmentdidnotsayexactly whatabnormalitiesledinvesti- gatorstodeterminethefire hadbeensetintentionally. chairsthePalmSpringsInter- ingtothecity. Onbehalfofthecitizensof Haroldforhisconcernandas- sistanceregardingthisinvesti- saidinastatement.

Iencourageanyonewith informationregardingthisfire hesaid. Thecityaskedanyonewith informationontheblazetocall DeputyFireMarshalRonBev- orpoliceDetectiveMarcus Litchat(760)323-8140. ningdepartmentsMonday. RewardofferedinCityHallarsonprobe DesertSunstaffreports AfireintheengineeringdepartmentatPalmSpringsCityHall Monday. Police agenciesfromacrosstheCoa- largestpoliceunionjoined forcesMondaytochallengeDr.

RaulRuiztoexplainhowhehas supportedlawenforcementin lightofremarksheoncemade aboutmenconvictedofmur- deringofficers. Rep.MaryBonoMack’spo- liticalcampaignflewinare- kenvigorouslyagainstthecon- victedLeonardPeltierfor paidforhisovernightstayaf- terhespokeatanewsconfer- encewiththeofficers. officersplayedrecentlyun- coveredaudiofroma1999rally inwhichthen-Harvardmedi- calstudentRuizgaveaspeech ataNationalDayofMourning rallyhonoringPeltierandMu- victedofkillinglawenforce- mentofficers. OfficersfromacrossSouth- ernCalifornia havegrownin- remarksandwhatthespeech AssociationpresidentSgt.Wil- liamHutchinsonsaid. Hehelpedcoordinatethe cludingsomefromeachofthe fourvalleypoliceassociations SpringsPoliceDepartment.

Thenewsconferencealso includedrepresentativesfrom RiversideCountyPeaceOffi- PeaceOfficersResearchAsso- PoliceofficialscriticizeRuiz ByKateMcGinty TheDesertSun ELECTION 2012 Volunteers werejuststartingouttheirweekofser- viceatCommunityUnitedMethodist ChurchonMondaymorningwhencityof- ficialsaskedthemtoleave. inrecreationalvehiclestorepair churchesandcampgrounds. ThegrouparrivedattheMethodist churchonPiersonBoulevardwithplans ingroomsthroughFriday. Butcodeenforcementshowedupand askedthe15volunteerstomovetheirRVs fromthevacantsandlotnexttothe churchwithinthreehours. notbestationedonanunpavedsurface, saidCityManagerRickDaniels.Itkicks upenvironmentallyunhealthyamounts ofdust.

campingisnotpermittedthere. Thecityhasordinancesthatprohibit campinganywhereotherthandesignat- ed.EveryothercityintheCoachellaVal- Wehavenoproblemswiththetravel- Thoughthegroupwillcontinueits workatthechurchfortheremainderof forallofthempernight. lettingthemstayatadiscountedprice. terisapersonalone. Itreallysetmeoffbecausemygrand- fatherhelpedgetthechurchconstructed Hisfuneral Membersofthegroupweretaken tostayallwinter.We’rejustheretovolun- inMissionhasworkedon224projects throughoutCaliforniabuthasencoun- thevolunteerssaid.

DESERTHOTSPRINGS Gooddeedsnotunpunished ByTatianaSanchez TheDesertSun thegrouptomovetherecreationalvehiclesbecausetheywerenotparkedonapavedsurface. ChurchinDesertHotSprings.Thegrouptravelstohelpneighborhoodchurchescomplete repairsandmaintenancework. Officialsaskvolunteersto moveRVsfromchurchlot.