XPosted 4/6/2008 10:15 AM PDT on MyDesert.com
Yesterday, Democrats of the Desert had its annual awards banquet to honor Life-Time Achievement Awardee Sonja Marchand and Activist of the Year Rosalie Zwain at the Rancho Las Palmas Resort in Rancho Mirage. Speakers included Stephanie Miller and Jim Ward, “Stars of Progressive Talk Radio” at AirAmerica.
Democratic officeholders in attendance included Greg Pettis, Mayor Pro-tem of Cathedral City and Candidate for the 80th Assembly District, Paul Marchand, Cathedral City City Councilman, Pat Hammers, Cathedral City Clerk, Ron Oden, former-Mayor of Palm Springs, Rick Hutcheson, Palm Springs City Council, Shari Stewart, Board President, and Justin Blake Board Member of the Palm Springs Unified School District, and Rob Simmons, Palm Springs Airport Commission.
Attending Democratic candidates included Julie Bornstein, Candidate for the 45th Congressional District, Pettis, Candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, Rick Gonzalez, Candidate for the CA 80th Assembly District, Paul Marchand, Candidate for Mayor of Cathedral City, Greg Rodriguez, Candidate for the Board of the Palm Springs Unified School District, and Kira Klatchko, former-candidate for the Palm Springs Unified School District. Amalia Deaztlan, campaign manager for the Victor Manuel Perez for the 80th Assembly, also attended.
Union activists in attendance that I recognized included Chuck McDaniel, IBEW Local 440, Juan Carlos Sanchez, SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, and others.
Many Coachella Valley Democratic Party activists were also in attendance, including Elle Kurpiewski, Chair, Beth Caskie, Vice President Programs and reknowned blogger, and Carole Sumner Krechman, Vice President & Chair Fund Raising, Chris Escobedo, Vice President – Political Action, each of the Democrats of the Desert, Chuck McDaniel, Co-Chair of the Desert Hot Springs Democrats, George Zander, Chair and blogger, Bob Silverman, Treasurer, James Reynolds, Esq., Secretary of the Desert Stonewall Democrats, Desert Stonewall Democrats Steering Committee members Donald W. Grimm, Ph.D., Richard Oberhaus, and Simmons, Sandy Eldridge and David Pye, Co-Chairs of the Palm Springs Democratic Club, and Jackie Atwood, President, Betty McMillan, 1st Vice President, Robert Atwood, Treasurer, each of the Pass Democratic Club.
Sonja Marchand was accompanied by her husband, Robert, and her son, Paul. She rendered a stirring speech about Democratic activism, the failures of the Bush Administration over the past seven years including the ‘massive mess in Mesopotamia,’ and the need for Democratic Party unity this coming November (sorry for mangling the alliteration, but that was what I could recall early this a.m.).
Of local mydesert.com readership interest, it seems that the identity of the people behind the Pettis files will soon be known. The blogger and/or his financial backing had taken out advertisements in the media which require campaign finance reporting. As a result, the identities should be known shortly. The noose tightens and scandal is abrewing!