Garden Brings Community Together

July 20, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Coachella, coachella valley housing coalition, community gardens, cvhc, Eastern Coachella Valley, joe mota, Johnny Flores, josseth mota, las casas apartments, nadia villagran

  By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated Coachella, Calif. – When Hilda Hinojosa’s baby has colic, all she has to do is walk across the parking lot and pick some manzanilla from among the various vegetables, fruits and herbs at Las Casas Apartments Community Garden.

City Offers Free Movies Every Friday Through August 17

June 29, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Coachella, Dateland Park, fantastic 4, happy feet, hop, Johnny Flores, Mayor Eduardo Garcia, movies at the park, mr popper's penguins, puss in boots, smurfs, toy story, transformers, zookeeper

  By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated Coachella, Calif. — Every Friday through August 17, Eastern Coachella Valley residents will gather at Dateland Park at dusk to watch movies as part of the new Movies at the Park program.

New Coachella Budget Increases Public Safety Funds

June 12, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: 2012-13 budget, Coachella, Coachella CIty Council, Coachella Police Department, Irma Martinez, Johnny Flores, Mayor Eduardo Garcia, public safety

By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated Coachella, Calif. — The city of Coachella has approved its 2012-13 fiscal year budget, which will increase funding for public safety without incurring any lay-offs.

Community Invited to “Talk Trash” at Mecca Forum June 7

June 6, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Boys and Girls Club, California Rural Legal Assistance, CRLA, Eastern Coachella Valley, Eduardo Guevara, Johnny Flores, KPCC, Lawson Dump, Mecca, Pasadena, Promotores Comunitarios del Desierto, Ruxandra Guidi, Southern California Public Radio, Talking Trash, Western Environmental

  By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated  Mecca, Calif. — Residents of the Eastern Coachella Valley will make their voices heard about trash and how it affects their community at a community forum tomorrow.

New Highway Interchange May Curb Traffic Accidents

June 5, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Airport Boulevard, Cal Trans, Coachella, Coachella Valley Association of Governments, Eduardo Garcia, Highway 86, Isaac Rosales, Johnny Flores, State Assemblyman V. Manuel Perez, thermal, Thermal Community Council, Torres Martinez Desert Cahuilla Indians

By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated    Thermal, Calif. – After years of planning, months of building and a rough cost of $8 million, the new interchange on Highway 86 and Airport Boulevard is officially open to drivers in the Eastern Coachella Valley.

Coachella Mural Celebrates Community Wellness

May 31, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: AmeriCorps, Andrea Lara-Jara, Bagdouma Park, Building Healthy Communities, Coachella, Eastern Coachella Valley, First 5 Riverside, First Five Riverside, Johnny Flores, wellness

  By Johnny Flores, Coachella Unincorporated   Coachella, Calif. — After weeks of hard work, a mural at Bagdouma Park was unveiled earlier this month by First Five Riverside and AmeriCorps volunteers.

Coachella Unincorporated Reporters Reflect on Gay Marriage

May 17, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Alejandra Alarcon, aurora saldivar, gay marriage, ivan delgado, Johnny Flores, lgbt issues, marriage equality, president obama, raymond bondad, santos reyes

Coachella Unincorporated reporters share their reflections on President Barack Obama’s recent announcement in support of gay marriage.

Local Woman Puts Kids on Stage and Field

May 9, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: Coachella Valley Art Center, Eastern Coachella Valley, Johnny Flores, performing arts, Rosie Welmas, Rosie's Kids, sports

By Johnny Flores, Jr. Coachella Unincorporated   After school activities, such as dance class or organized sports, are out of reach for many children in the Eastern Coachella Valley, where more than one in ten families live below the federal poverty level.

“Everything is Possible through Education”

April 24, 2012 / By Coachella Unincorporated
Tags: 36th congressional district, Coachella, congress, Dr. Raul Ruiz, Harvard, Johnny Flores, UCLA, xavier college prep

By Johnny Flores Coachella Unincorporated PALM DESERT, Calif. — The son of migrant farm workers, Raul Ruiz grew up in a trailer in Coachella dreaming of becoming a doctor and returning to his impoverished community to make difference.