Ellen Alperstein, Author at Palm Springs Life https://www.palmspringslife.com/author/ellenalperstein/ Your Guide to Greater Palm Springs Sat, 17 May 2025 20:04:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://www.palmspringslife.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/cropped-favicon-5121-32x32.png Ellen Alperstein, Author at Palm Springs Life https://www.palmspringslife.com/author/ellenalperstein/ 32 32 The Sentimental, Strange, and Sometimes Scandalous World of Estate Sales https://www.palmspringslife.com/home-design/real-estate/the-sentimental-strange-and-sometimes-scandalous-world-of-estate-sales/ Wed, 30 Apr 2025 22:17:09 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=766112 We’ll all  her Icandy. The widow, in her 90s, recently had moved from her home in Desert Hot Springs into assisted living. Ted and Eric Zepeda were preparing the home’s contents for the estate sale they would conduct before the house was sold. As owners of Retro Etcetera, a local estate liquidation company, they had seen some unusual items in their line of  work, but Icandy’s collection was a first.

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]]> Inside the Sustainability Efforts of Coachella Festival and Stagecoach https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/inside-the-sustainability-efforts-of-coachella-festival-and-stagecoach/ Fri, 28 Mar 2025 15:45:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=757399 T.S. Eliot was dead wrong. April is the coolest month. That’s certainly true in the East Valley where, over three long weekends, people flock to eat, drink, and be music merry at the Empire Polo Club, host of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Stagecoach.

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]]> How a Chicken Sandwich Became a BNP Paribas Open Tradition https://www.palmspringslife.com/restaurants/how-a-chicken-sandwich-became-a-bnp-paribas-open-tradition/ Thu, 27 Feb 2025 14:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=755370 It all started with a chicken sandwich.
In the late 1990s, Raymond Moore often ate lunch at John’s, a modest hash house in Palm Desert. He and Charlie Pasarell, founders of a modest tennis tournament that had steadily outgrown its 1976 origins at Mission Hills Country Club and several other Coachella Valley locations, were on the brink of opening a huge tournament venue after 13 years of residency at what is now the Grand Hyatt Indian Wells Resort & Villas.

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]]> Why Do Cicadas Buzz? Find Out as They Hit the Coachella Valley https://www.palmspringslife.com/outdoors/environment/why-do-cicadas-buzz-find-out-as-they-hit-the-coachella-valley/ Mon, 24 Jun 2024 13:00:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=748711 With rising temperatures comes a familiar seasonal soundtrack. Here, experts explain why cicadas make so much noise every summer.

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]]> BNP Paribas Open Highlights Included Bees, Rain, Incognito Players https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/sports/bnp-paribas-open-highlights-included-bees-rain-incognito-players/ Tue, 26 Mar 2024 22:56:00 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=728258 Almost half a million people (including Zendaya) came to the Indian Wells Tennis Garden this month to watch the BNP Paribas Open. We look back at some of the standout moments.

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]]> Making the BNP Paribas Open: Workers Share Tennis Stories https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/things-to-do/bnp-paribas-open-workers-share-tennis-stories/ Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:00:40 +0000 https://www.palmspringslife.com/?p=727425 How an army of ushers, EMTs, security officers, ball kids, and ambassadors makes the tennis tournament tick.

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]]> Wimbledon Champ, Palm Desert Native Desirae Krawczyk Returns to Indian Wells https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/sports/wimbledon-champ-palm-desert-native-desirae-krawczyk-returns-to-indian-wells/ Wed, 01 Mar 2023 00:33:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=714606 The Palm Desert High School grad enters the BNP Paribas Open with doubles partner Demi Schuurs this month as one of the world’s top-ranked duos.

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]]> Doubles Tennis Gets the Love It Deserves in Indian Wells https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/sports/doubles-tennis-gets-the-love-it-deserves-in-indian-wells/ Tue, 28 Feb 2023 16:00:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=714578 Fast, exciting doubles play scores with fans at the BNP Paribas Open tennis tournament in Indian Wells.

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]]> Open Season https://www.palmspringslife.com/outdoors/tennis-palm-springs/peggy-michel/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 02:51:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=693821 How the former tennis champion Peggy Michel landed BNP Paribas as title sponsor of the Coachella Valley’s signature sporting event.

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]]> Dance With Me https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/dance-with-me/ Fri, 31 Mar 2017 16:27:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=339106 Instructor Isa Lapaj has an abiding grace, a worldly outlook, and a formidable intellect, and he brings it all to the dance lesson.

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]]> Special Delivery https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/special-delivery/ Thu, 01 Dec 2016 16:46:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=267628 For Salvador Camarena, 
wrapping a gift is a work of art.

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]]> Paul McCartney Plans Pappy & Harriet’s Stop Tonight https://www.palmspringslife.com/arts-culture/mccartney-plans-pappy-harriets-stop-tonight/ Thu, 13 Oct 2016 19:27:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=242155 Desert Trip duo kick Trump off the lead news report.

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]]> The Plant Manager https://www.palmspringslife.com/restaurants/the-plant-manager/ Sat, 01 Oct 2016 13:56:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=226075 The desert is too dry, too hot, 
too rocky to grow food naturally. Isn’t it?

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]]> Bighorn Boosters https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-guide/things-to-do/bighorn-boosters/ Thu, 01 Sep 2016 22:21:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=217487 You can participate in the Bighorn Institite helicopter census of sheep this fall.

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]]> The Hills Are Alive https://www.palmspringslife.com/the-hills-are-alive/ Thu, 01 Sep 2016 16:01:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=217061 Peninsular bighorn sheep are superbly adapted to their mountainous desert home. Bighorn Institute is finding success helping humans become better neighbors.

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]]> Cold Gold https://www.palmspringslife.com/restaurants/cold-gold/ Thu, 28 Jul 2016 21:35:00 +0000 https://palmspringslife.com/?p=214503 The noble Hawaiian heritage of Lappert’s Ice Cream gives its desert provider leverage to expand his fun food fortune.

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]]> Coachella Valley Serves Up 4 Foodie Faves https://www.palmspringslife.com/restaurants/coachella-valley-serves-up-4-foodie-faves/ Mon, 02 May 2016 19:13:00 +0000 https://live-palmspringslife.pantheon.io/?p=165199 Culinary stars we found in unexpected places throughout the valley

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]]> Bird Is the Word https://www.palmspringslife.com/outdoors/golf/bird-is-the-word/ Sun, 01 May 2016 07:08:00 +0000 https://live-palmspringslife.pantheon.io/import/bird-is-the-word/ Are pigeons desecrating the vintage Brown Jordan outdoor furniture? Are angry geese chasing you down the golfcart path? Prey for a solution.

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]]> Spring Forward https://www.palmspringslife.com/outdoors/hiking-palm-springs/spring-forward/ Fri, 18 Mar 2016 08:00:00 +0000 https://live-palmspringslife.pantheon.io/import/spring-forward/ Head for the hills, washes, palm oases …
and see the desert in bloom

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