Amy Blaisdell Communications Director City of Palm Springs (760) 323-8250
City Council Approves July 1 return of Palm Springs VillageFest! One-time Mini-Village Fest set for Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate “Palm Springs Back in Business” and the re-opening of California!
May 28, 2021
Palm Springs VillageFest, the City’s wildly popular street fair which prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, was held every Thursday night in downtown, will return on Thursday, July 1.
With COVID-19 cases significantly down, the City Council approved re-opening VillageFest at last night’s meeting, with a smaller footprint and safety protocols in place. The street fair is expected to expand to its original length in the coming months. During the summer, VillageFest hours of operation will be 7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Starting July 1, Palm Canyon Drive from Amado Road to Tahquitz Canyon Way will be closed for VillageFest. Additionally, Museum Way between Palm Canyon Drive and Belardo Road, and Belardo Road between Andreas Road and Tahquitz Canyon will be closed. Tahquitz Canyon Way will remain open to east and west traffic.
And there’s more good news! The Council additionally approved a one-time mini- Village Fest on Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon and Indian Canyon from 5 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Tuesday, June 15 to celebrate “Palm Springs Back in Business” and the re-opening of California. Join NBC Palm Springs as they go live in the heart of downtown during their 5 and 6 p.m. newscasts.
Starting at 3 p.m. on June 15, Tahquitz Canyon Way between Palm Canyon Drive and Indian Canyon Drive will be closed until 9 p.m.
Consistently voted the best weekly street fair in the Coachella Valley, over the last 30 years VillageFest has attracted thousands of visitors from all over the world with vendor booths featuring eclectic art, handcrafted items and unique food. Shops, restaurants and galleries stay open late.
Stay tuned for more details as VillageFest expands in the coming months.
MAYOR LONDON BREED ANNOUNCES PLAN TO SUPPORT THE RETURN OF CONVENTIONS TO SAN FRANCISCO
Mayor Breed proposes $4.6 million over two years to reduce the cost of rental rates for conventions in the Moscone Center
San Francisco, CA — Mayor London N. Breed and City Administrator Carmen Chu today announced a plan to invest $4.6 million to support the return of conventions to San Francisco. These funds will be used to reduce the cost of renting space at Moscone Center, San Francisco’s convention center, and are intended to attract conventions, conferences, trade shows, and other large events back to San Francisco. This funding is part of Mayor Breed’s efforts to support San Francisco’s downtown and economic recovery, including community ambassadors and activations in the area.
Conventions and the business travelers that they bring to the city are a key part of San Francisco’s $10 billion tourism industry. During the COVID-19 pandemic, non-essential travel and large gatherings were suspended. With the reopening of businesses and activities, this investment demonstrates San Francisco’s commitment to welcoming and supporting the return of conventions to the city. The City’s commitment to regaining its convention industry comes as Salesforce today announced that Dreamforce, its annual convention and the world’s largest software event, is returning to San Francisco in September 2021.
“Conventions and conferences help support our downtown’s economy and tourism industry, and we’re so excited to welcome these events and their attendees back to our city,” said Mayor Breed. “Tourism and convention dollars help pay for important City services and allow us to take care of our most vulnerable residents. We’re making it even easier for organizers to host their next event in San Francisco, because bringing these activities will bring life and energy back to our downtown area and help our entire city recover.”
Mayor Breed plans to reduce the cost of rental rates for conventions at the Moscone Center with funding in her proposed City Budget, which will be introduced on June 1, 2021. The Mayor is proposing to dedicate $2.6 million in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021-22 and $2 million in FY 2022-23. If approved in the budget, these funds will be available in late summer.
This support for conventions at the Moscone Center comes at a pivotal time, when the convention market is in flux as a result of COVID-19. As San Francisco focuses on confirming conventions that were postponed due to COVID-19 and reestablishing itself as a destination for conventions, it must compete with other cities that are working to attract convention business. This funding provides San Francisco with another tool to ensure this aspect of the city’s economy is supported and will help to confirm several pending conventions that are considering San Francisco and attract other conventions to the city.
“San Francisco is a dynamic and remarkable City to visit and a strong convention lineup helps anchor our tourism industry, supporting local businesses, hospitality and the entertainment industry,” said City Administrator Carmen Chu, who also served as co-chair for the City’s Economic Recovery Task Force. “Our center is ready to welcome visitors back with enhanced operating protocols and this funding only strengthens our position in the competitive national market for convention business.”
San Francisco remains a competitive destination for conventions. San Francisco has been a national leader its response to COVID-19 and has one of the highest vaccination rates in the world, demonstrating the City’s commitment to doing everything possible to protect the safety of its residents and anyone who want to visit. The City’s location as the “Gateway to the West,” its world class airport with global connectivity, and robust hospitality infrastructure, combined with its world-renowned restaurants and cultural institutions, and access to nature and global regional destinations such as Napa Valley and Big Sur, make it highly desirable as a location.
“Group convention business at Moscone Center fuels our economy, provides much needed tax revenues to the city and good jobs,” said Joe D’Alessandro, President and CEO of the San Francisco Travel Association. “The convention market is highly competitive, and this Moscone Convention funding is essential in helping us attract group business and remain relevant in the aggressive convention market.”
San Francisco hosted more than 1,600 conventions and meetings in 2019, but that number dropped to a total of 29 conventions since April 2020. By drawing conventions back to San Francisco, the City is investing in the recovery of jobs and small businesses in its hospitality and entertainment industries, which bore the brunt of the economic impacts of COVID-19. Increased convention traffic brings hotel reservations, patrons to restaurants and bars and arts venues, and business to local shops and entertainment establishments. Based on the number of conventions currently considering San Francisco as a destination, the City expects the Moscone Convention funding will return approximately 140,000 to 150,000 room nights for San Francisco. This would generate almost $173 million in direct convention spending and almost $5 million in Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT). The TOT tax, generated from each room night booked at a San Francisco hotel, goes into the City’s General Fund to provide essential City services.
“Bringing back conventions, meetings and hotel room nights are critical to our economic health and future sustainability and viability,” said Kevin Carroll, President & CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “Full hotels mean full restaurants and mean a full recovery for San Francisco. Full hotels mean more work not only for hospitality employees but for the tens of thousands of jobs and small businesses they support.”
The Moscone Convention Recovery Fund complements other recovery initiatives such as “SFWednesdays,” a series of activations in public space throughout downtown, the Downtown Community Ambassadors, and the Mid-Market Vibrancy and Safety Plan, all of which are aimed at increasing the return of San Francisco residents, commuters, and visitors to the downtown core of the City. A key aspect of the city’s economic recovery strategy prioritizes the return of San Francisco’s business and tourism industries – two industries that drive the city’s economy and create significant support for small businesses throughout the downtown and the city’s neighborhoods. Conventions support both these industries and advance broader economic vitality.
14 Maggio 2021 – Fresno, CA: Per prima volta autore, David Eugene Perry ha portato a casa l’ambita medaglia d’argento nella categoria LGBT ieri sera, guadagnando il trentatreesimo annuale Premio Benjamin Franklin, dall’Associazione Editori Libri Indipendenti, per il suo acclamato romanzo giallo “Upon This Rock”, Edizioni Pace.
“Ben Franklin e’ sempre stato il mio patriota preferito, dunque questo premio mi emoziona”, ha confessato Perry, di anni 59. “In un anno nel quale il COVID ha invitato tutti a rivolgerci maggiormente verso i libri, la IBPA ha ricevuto il più alto numero di richieste di ogni tempo dal 2008. Sono immensamente onorato di esser stato scelto tra molti autori eccellenti e di aver ricevuto questo premio, e sono molto grato alla casa editrice Pace”.
Il premio IBPA Benjamin Franklin, che riconosce il prestigio nell’editoria e nel design, e’ considerato uno dei più grandi onori per gli autori indipendenti.
“Questo e’ un privilegio ben meritato per un romanzo eccezionale”, ha detto Kent Sorsky, editore di Pace Press/Linden Edizioni. “Upon This Rock” e’ un romanzo thriller deliziosamente intricato che i lettori hanno amato. Non abbiamo mai ricevuto una tale risposta per un nuovo romanziere”.
Upon This Rock e’ un “elegante giallo intricato” (Armistead Maupin, autore del successo internazionale Tales of the City1 e “la versione gay di DaVinciCode2,ma una migliore” (Fenton Johnson, Guggenheim
1Racconti di Citta’. 2Il Codice da Vinci.
Fellow, autore di The Man who Loved Birds3; Upon This Rock e’ “per quei lettori che amano l’Italia e la narrativa poliziesca (Lucinda Hawksley, pro-pro-pro nipote di Charles Dickens, autrice di Dicken’s Artistic Daughter, Katey4); “Il romanzo di Perry brilla per una vivacità accentuata, ma e’ scritto con toni seri che ti tengono incollato alla lettura. E, ovviamente, visto che si tratta di un giallo, c’e’ un assassino a sorpresa alla fine! Fate spazio, Sam Spade e Nick e Nora Charles. Benvenuti alle nuove voci, Lee e Adriano.” (Will Snyder, Bay Area Reporter); Upon This Rock e’ “la lettura perfetta per chiunque ami la narrativa del giallo, del mistero e quella storica, come i libri di John Grisham e Dan Brown.” (Ankita Dasgupta, The Bookworm Resort); “Questa e’ una lettura sfrenata. L’abilita’ di Perry di costruire la suspence e’ impressionante e l’epilogo di questa storia non solo vi sorprenderà, ma anche letteralmente vi scioccherà. ” (Erika Atkinson, autrice di Ode to the Castro5).
“Non troverete un romanzo più squisito, accattivante, ben scritto che questo primo composto da David Eugene Perry, Upon This Rock. Sono stata letteralmente catturata fin dal primo capitolo. Ambientato nella città di Orvieto in Italia, Perry ci trasporta in un alti-bassi di avventure, che iniziano con il papato di Clemente VII de Medici nel secolo XVI, per poi velocemente precipitare fino ai giorni nostri. Una storia fantastica, additiva e avvincente con personaggi brillanti e un finale che vi inviterà a controllare attentamente nella vostra libreria preferita per cecare il seguente nuovo romanzo d Perry (Dennis Koller, autore di The Rhythm of Evil6). “Non risusciterete a metter giù questo libro. Ti fa voltare pagina dalla sua prima frase, fino all’inatteso e contorto finale.” (Lynn Ruth Miller, autrice di Getting the Last Laugh). In breve, Upon This Rock di David Eugene Perry e’ un “giallo attraente con una suspence da mangiarsi le unghie” (LewJ. Whittington, New York Journal of Books); un giallo sexy e storico (Julissa James, NobHillsGazette); “una lettera d’amore per Orvieto, come i Tales of the City lo sono per San Francisco (Eric Jansen, SF Bay Times & Out in theBay).
3 L’Uomo che amava gli uccelli. 4Katey, la figlia artistica di Dickens. 5 Ode ai Castro. 6Il ritmo del diavolo.
Forse il giornalista vincitore dell’Emmy Award, famoso reporter hollywoodiano Jan Wahl, lo ha descritto al meglio: “Upon this Rock e’ favoloso. Questo romanzo giallo e’ una versione sexy del Da Vinci Code.Non vedo l’ora del film”.
UponThis Rock, di David Eugene Perry/ 360 pagine/ $18.95 Quilldriver Books, Fresno, CA.
THE PALACE HOTEL IN SAN FRANCISCO REOPENS FOR THE THIRD TIME IN HISTORY THURSDAY, MAY 27TH
GOLD BALLOON RELEASE TRADITION CELEBRATES THE HOTEL’S LEGACY
San Francisco, CA – The historic Palace Hotel reopens on Thursday, May 27th at 12:00PM after being shuttered for 14 months due to the global pandemic.
As was done for the 1909 reopening and the 2009 100 Year Anniversary, the Palace will release a gold balloon to celebrate this 2021 moment in history. Accompanying the 36” gold balloon will be two 20” balloons in royal purple – the official color of hospitality, bearing the Palace message HERE TO STAY. THE LEGACY CONTINUES. In keeping with the Palace Hotel’s commitment to preserving the environment, the latex balloons and messages are 100% biodegradable and disintegrate at the same rate as an oak leaf.
The opening team of associates will gather on the Palace rooftop at 10:00AM for the balloon release celebration before the grand dame opens her doors to welcome guests at 12:00PM. First guests include a couple from Washington DC who will be traveling to San Francisco for the first time to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary at the Palace Hotel.
This momentous date marks the third time the grand dame hotel has reopened her doors since the hotel was established in 1875. In 1909, a new Palace was unveiled after being completely rebuilt following the devastation of the 1906 earthquake. In 1991, the hotel celebrated a long awaited reopening after undergoing a three year, 170 million dollar restoration. Now in 2021, the hotel makes history once again, proving the Palace is here to stay as its legacy continues.
WE WELCOME PRESS INTERESTED IN ATTENDING
THE MAY 27TH 10:00AM CELEBRATION & THE 12:00PM GUEST ARRIVAL
LIVES OF THE LINERS:CRUISING, CRUISE SHIPS & THE COVID PANDEMIC – APRIL 25, 2021
From Bill Miller May 2021
Mon May 17th P&O Cruises The new 5,200 guest Iona sailed into Southampton on Sunday ahead of her naming ceremony. The $1 billion ship was completed a year ago, but has yet to see any commercial service.
Costa: The Costa Luminosa is back in service as the ship sailed on Sunday from Trieste, becoming the company’s second ship to resume operations in 2021 after the Costa Smeraldare-entered service earlier this month from Savona. The 2,800-bed Luminosa will offer Adriatic Sea itineraries and also call in Greece as part of Costa’s four-ship sailing plan for summer 2021, all operating under the company’s Costa Safety Protocol.
Above: Crystal Symphony & Oosterdam at Turks & Caicos
Fresh Face! When Carnival Cruise Line’s newest ship, the Mardi Gras, arrives to her new home in Port Canaveral, Fla. on Jun 4th, she will be flying the Bahamian flag to designate the new ship registry for the first Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) ship to operate in North America. The Mardi Gras has been the most highly anticipated new ship in the cruise industry for more than a year, with her arrival and inaugural impacted by the extended pause in cruise operations from U.S. ports. But with more and more hopeful signs of a return to guest operations and constructive discussions between the industry and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Carnival is moving the ship to Port Canaveral to get her ready for sailing. The ship will depart from Barcelona on May 21st to start her transatlantic voyage and eventual arrival.
Crystal Cruises announced yesterday: “This is a bittersweet moment as we say goodbye to Crystal@Home, our virtual connection for the last year, and say hello to our return to cruising this July. Indeed, from our early-on yoga sessions to our weekly Wednesday travel stories and Thirsty Thursday concoctions, we learned to balance our wellness and our wanderlust during an extraordinary time.”
Above: P&O’s Iberia at Fiji (1966)
Another Naming Ceremony: Viking Cruises’ newest ship, the Viking Venus, will set sail from Portsmouth today (Mon) on its maiden voyage and naming ceremony. The ship will be christened by journalist and broadcaster Anne Diamond as godmother. The first passenger sailings will start on May 22 as Portsmouth becomes the homeport for Viking Venus’ initial five UK sailings.
Resumptions! Seven cruise line brands from Carnival Corporation, the world’s largest cruise company, have announced plans to resume guest cruise operations this summer, with AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn and P&O Cruises (UK) sailing from global ports in Europe and the Caribbean
Tue May 18th Alaska! The U.S. Senate unanimously passed a bill last Thursday that could allow cruise ships to return to Alaska ports this summer. The Alaska Tourism Recovery Act would temporarily suspend the requirement for cruise ships stop in Canada. Canada is closed to cruise traffic through Feb 2022, making a stop there impossible.
Pulling Up the Anchor! All far too long to list here, almost all cruise lines are now posting re-start dates – from Southampton to Singapore, from Antigua to Auckland.
Carnival Cruise Line intends to restart service in the United States without requiring passengers to have the COVID-19 vaccine, according to President Christine Duffy, in an interview on NBC Nightly News on Monday. “There is no mandate for any other business to have that requirement. We wouldn’t be able to have kids under 12 onboard,” said Duffy, standing at Port Canaveral near the Carnival Liberty. Duffy said they are working to restarting in July as the brand is currently continuing its discussions with the CDC.
Above: The Carmania at Port Everglades (Jan 1966)
Thu May 20th Princess Cruises, Holland America Line & Carnival Cruise Line expect to resume US cruising in July with Alaska sailings from Seattle. The news immediately follows Congress’s passage of a cruise ship cabotage temporary waiver for Alaska operations which is on its way to President Biden to sign into law. Plans for the lines’ itineraries to fulfill obligations under the Passenger Vessel Services Act waiver are expected to be approved.
Fri May 21st Alaska: Following passage of the Alaska Tourism Restoration Act, work with Alaska government officials, and recent guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Holland America Line is announcing plans to restart cruising to Alaska in July roundtrip from Seattle, Washington, aboard Nieuw Amsterdam. Bookings are open for the 11 Saturday departures that will operate from July 24 through Oct. 2. The seven-day “Alaskan Explorer” itinerary calls at Juneau, Icy Strait Point, Sitka and Ketchikan. Scenic cruising in Alaska’s iconic locales includes Glacier Bay and Stephens Passage.
MSC Cruises: Cruising from the UK is back after a 14-month hiatus as the MSC Virtuosa is set to cast off from the port of Southampton for a four-night sailing on Thursday. Gianni Onorato, CEO, MSC Cruises, said: “We are very proud that MSC Virtuosa’s first ever sailing marks the resumption of cruising from British ports after an enforced break of more than a year and effectively heralds the next phase of restart for our industry.
Southampton: Dave Smith reported: “Yesterday (Thursday) we had Ventura docked at QE2 Terminal 38th berth & around 5pm yesterday we had the first cruise ship sailing from Southampton for over 14 months. The ship was the MSC Virtuosa. She is 1,087 feet long, launched in 2019, has a capacity of 4,842 (double occupancy) or 6,334 maximum capacity, and her gross tonnage is 181,541. The ship is only carrying 1,000 guests, however, and is on a 4-night cruise along the South Coast of England, then more 3 & 4 day cruises to follow. Cunard’s Queen Elizabeth & the P & O Iona will shortly set sail on cruises around the coast of the British Isles, getting back to normal we hope!”
More News from the UK: Alan Moorhouse reports: “In Southampton yesterday, it was a new day, a new page and a new start of the post pandemic era. Hopefully! The new Iona had just been named. The new MSC Virtuosa left on the first ‘seacation’ out of the UK. Britannia led a P&O ‘hornfest’ as she passed Iona and Ventura. Meanwhile, the new, recently named Viking Venus was nearby in Portsmouth and which will soon host the almost new Scarlet Lady.”
Sun May 23rd Turkey: Justin Zizes has shared a recent view (below) of 4 large cruise liners being scrapped at Aliaga.
Tue May 25th Update from California: Long Beach bought the Queen Mary in 1967 for $3.45 million, and for decades the city has leased the ship to a string of operators who have failed to make a profit. The ship’s latest operator, Eagle Hospitality Trust, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in January and the city is now battling with the leaseholder in bankruptcy court over the Queen Mary’s future. A city-commissioned inspection report released in court documents last week says the historic vessel is in worse condition than previously thought and will need an additional $23 million in urgent safety repairs to keep it viable in the next two years. The ship could be in danger of flooding or even capsizing if the repairs aren’t addressed, according to court documents. The Queen Mary in the meantime remains closed until further notice.
Barbados & Beyond: The Caribbean may be the cruise market coming back in the strongest and quickest manner, backed up by the North American source market wanting to stay close to home. The Caribbean commanded an average of 38.9 percent of the global deployment of the cruise industry prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, and that number is expected to grow in the future as the industry returns to sailing. Cruise guests from North America will want to stay closer to home, with homeports in Florida, Texas and Louisiana driving the majority of deployment to the Caribbean on big ships.
Above: Carnival Splendor at Cabo San Lucas
Wed May 25th Viking will expand its Mediterranean presence this summer by adding a third ship for round-trip cruises from Malta. The Viking Star will now join sister ships Viking Venus and Viking Seathere and will sail a new 11-day itinerary, Malta & the Western Mediterranean.
Another One Gone! Formerly with the Fred Olsen Line, the 48-year-oldBoudicca (below) was last serving as an accommodation vessel at Pendik, near the Tuzla Shipyard in Turkey. She was built in 1973 by WärtsiläHelsinki Shipyard, Finland as Royal Viking Sky. But earlier this month, the 21,500-ton the ship was beached for scrapping at nearby Aliağa.
The ship certainly had a diverse history. In 1991–1992, she began sailing for Norwegian Cruise Lines as the Sunward – and then alternating, in summers, as the Baltic-based Birka Queen. Between 1993 and 1997, she sailed for Princess Cruises as their Golden Princess. Then, it was to Hong Kong-based Star Cruises in 1997–1998 as the SuperStar Capricorn followed by a charter 1998–2001 as the South Korean-operated Hyundai Keumgang. She went back to Star Cruises in 2001–2004, again as the SuperStar Capricorn, before going on charter in 2004–2005 as Grand Latino for Spain’s Ibero Cruises. She joined Fred Olsen in 2005, becoming the Boudicca.
Above: Victoria & United States at New York (1965)
Out of the old shoebox:
Above: The classic Michelangelo seen at Genoa – with Lauro Lines’ Roma & the Rumanian Transylvania also in port.
Below: A splendid painting of the outbound Aquitania
Thank you to all our readers, correspondents, those “agents” in faraway places!
