Consider Dining Out Tonight, Please; Local Supermarkets Could Soon Change Hands–Coachella Valley Independent’s Indy Digest: April 25, 2024

Indy Digest: April 25, 2024

If 1) you’re reading this on Thursday, 2) you can afford the time and money to go out to dinner this evening, and 3) you’re not planning on going out to a restaurant participating in Dining Out for Life tonight … may I ask you to reconsider?

If you’re unfamiliar with Dining Out for Life, here’s a quick primer: DOFL takes place every year in about 50 cities across the United States and Canada. On the designated day (usually the last Thursday in April), restaurants in those cities agree to give a portion of their sales to the local HIV/AIDS service organization. Here in the Coachella Valley, that HIV service organization is DAP Health.

So, to recap: In order to participate … you go out to eat. And that’s it. Period. Volunteers are stationed at most participating places to explain the event, and they have envelopes you can use to donate extra if you’d like—but you don’t have to do so. Again, you simply go out, eat and drink, and pay your check like normal.

Dining Out for Life takes place in a lot of cities, many of which are larger than the Coachella Valley. However, because so many local restaurants participate in big ways, and because so many people dine out at those local participating restaurants, only a couple of those big cities raise more money for their HIV service organizations than Coachella Valley does for DAP Health. Last year, about $270,000 went to DAP Health thanks to Dining Out for Life.

I always make it a point to participate in DOFL. Several years ago, I managed to make it to 13 (!) participating bars and restaurants for Dining Out for Life. I am full and tired just thinking about that day.

Today, because my schedule is pretty intense, I’ll likely make it to “only” three places. I had a lovely breakfast at Sonny’s Bar and Grill with my friends John Taylor and Brad Fuhr. (Thanks again for breakfast, Brad!) For “lunch,” I went to Carousel Bakery, where my friend Brett Klein was volunteering—although I was still full from breakfast, so I got desserts to-go instead. I’ll be joining a group of friends at Eight4Nine Restaurant and Lounge for dinner. Afterward, I’m not ruling out a bonus fourth stop, for an after-dinner drink, dessert or both. (Yeah, yeah, I know I already got dessert—but it’s for a good cause, so no judging!).

Learn more at www.diningoutforlife.com/city/palmsprings.

—Jimmy Boegle

More News

• The University of Southern California has cancelled its graduation ceremony in the midst of the anti-war protests taking place on campuses around the country. The Associated Press says: “College officials across the U.S. are worried the ongoing protests could disrupt plans for commencement ceremonies next month. Some universities called in police to break up the demonstrations, resulting in ugly scuffles and arrests nationwide, while others appeared content to wait out student protests as the final days of the semester ticked down. Schools such as Columbia University continued to negotiate with protesters, while others are rewriting their rules to ban encampments and moving final exams to new locations. … Students protesting the war are demanding schools cut financial ties to Israel and divest from companies enabling the conflict. Some Jewish students say the protests have veered into antisemitism and made them afraid to set foot on campus. USC announced the cancellation of the May 10 graduation ceremony a day after more than 90 protesters were arrested on campus. The university said it will still host dozens of commencement events, including all the traditional individual school commencement ceremonies.”

• In an effort to convince the feds to approve their proposed merger, Albertsons and Kroger have announced plans to sell more stores. Reuters says: “Kroger and Albertsons Cos are expanding their planned sale of grocery stores, offloading 166 more locations than previously agreed upon to C&S Wholesale Grocers as they work to get regulatory approval for their proposed $25 billion merger, the companies said on Monday. … Under the new agreement, C&S will pay Kroger about $2.9 billion in cash for the stores, up from the previous payout of $1.9 billion. With the additional 166 stores, the companies are now selling 579 stores to C&S, as well as giving it access to Albertsons Signature and O Organics private label brands.” Since the Coachella Valley is a market where both companies currently have stores (Kroger owns Ralph’s), it’s quite likely local stores will be included in that sales tally, presuming the whole thing gets federal approval.

• Today’s recall news involves … prosciutto! The Daily Mail reports: “Nearly 86,000 pounds of sliced ham has been recalled in eight states, health officials announced. The Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an arm of the USDA, said Wednesday that New Jersey-based ConSup North America Inc is recalling its ready-to-eat Stockmeyer sliced proscuitto, which was produced in Germany. The affected products were shipped to retail stores in California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. The products were made from September 25, 2023, through March 6, 2024.”

• The Biden administration just banned noncompete clauses. Corporations are unhappy about this. NBC News reports: “‘Noncompete clauses keep wages low, suppress new ideas, and rob the American economy of dynamism,’ said FTC chair Lina M. Khan in a statement. ‘The FTC’s final rule to ban noncompetes will ensure Americans have the freedom to pursue a new job, start a new business, or bring a new idea to market.’ The FTC estimates nearly one in five Americans are subject to noncompetes. They have grown increasingly common in lower wage or hourly work industries like fast food franchises, restaurants, and security firms, where some employers have sought to limit the ability of workers to effectively raise their pay by looking for work at competing establishments. … But business groups are already hitting out at the ban, saying noncompetes are essential to protecting trade secrets and proprietary information. … The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the country’s largest business lobby, said it plans to sue the FTC over the ruling. In a statement, it called the ban an ‘unlawful power grab.'”

• The Boeing mess is being cited as the cause as yet another airline announces service cuts/growth slowdowns. CBS News says: “Southwest Airlines is suspending service at some airports across the U.S. as it slows its growth, in part because of Boeing aircraft delivery delays. The airline is set to receive just 20 of the 46 Boeing 737 Max 8 planes it was expecting in 2024, Southwest said Thursday. … Southwest will end service at the following airports on August 4: George Bush International Airport in Houston; Bellingham International Airport in Bellingham, Washington; Syracuse Hancock International Airport in Syracuse, New York; (and) Cozumel International Airport on Cozumel island, Mexico. The carrier will also make significant changes to its operations in other markets, including cutting the number of flights at both Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Chicago O’Hare International Airport.”

• And finally … if you’re planning a summer trip to Yosemite, we have good news: The government just made some major upgrades. KTVU reports: “Yosemite National Park is gearing up for its busy summer tourist season, highlighting $32 million dollars in renovations and improvements aimed at improving the visitor experience. The most notable upgrade has been to the iconic Bridalveil Fall area, the iconic ‘first grand waterfall’ that welcomes visitors entering the Yosemite Valley. After a nearly five-year closure, the main viewing location at the base of the fall has reopened, offering a front row view of the majestic 620-foot cascade. Construction for the Bridalveil Fall Rehabilitation Project began in 2019 and included new, well-designated viewing spots designed to be safer and less crowded. … There have also been upgrades to the bathrooms in the area, with the archaic non-flushing vault toilets being replaced with modern flushing ones. The $19 million project also led to the reconfiguration of the parking lot to help ease vehicle congestion.” Cool!

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