turning heads

Diagnosed with cancer for the third time, Ja-net Patterson is familiar with the side effects ofchemotherapy, so she shaved her head oncebrown tufts began to fall out. Her diagnosis wasone of the rarest formsof non-Hodgkin’s lympho-ma — mantle cell lymphoma — and she’s hopingthat after completing six chemotherapy treat-ments this fall, she’ll be a candidate for stem celltransplantation.

About once aweek, Patterson andher husbandmake the drive from their home in Quartzsite,

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94° 64°RAID ON TERRORU.S. military and intelligenceraids in Libya and Somalia high-light the way terrorists exploitweak or unstable governments inthe region to gather strength. A3

FLOOD FIXESThe Coachella City Council isexpected to approve two emer-gency construction contracts forrepairing damage at Shady Laneand Avenue 52 caused by flood-waters unleashed by thunder-storms in August. B1

CERTIFIEDThe desert’s outdoor farmersmarket season returned with thearrival of field-fresh produce inPalm Springs and Old Town LaQuinta, with Palm Desert joiningin this week. B1

With the first ballots of theNovember election reachingmailboxes this week, candi-dates are revving up their ef-forts in hopes of swaying thefirst votes of the Novemberelection.

Nearly 58 percent of the

223,000 Riverside County vot-ers registered for this electionprefer to vote by mail, accord-ing to the registrar’s office.

Their ballots will be mailedout starting Monday.

With the majority of votersable to cast a ballot before Nov.5, several of the council andwa-ter board candidates are start-ing an early and aggressive

mail and outreach campaign toensure their messages are outthere.

In Desert Hot Springs alone,all three council incumbentsandat least twochallengerswillhave mailers that coincide withthe arrival of vote-by-mail bal-lots.

“A lot of times, by the timepeople get their ballot, they’ve

made their decision,” saidMarkAnderson, president of thePalm Springs marketing firmBuzzFactory.

All four of his clients—Des-ert Hot Springs Mayor YvonneParks, Mayor Pro Tem ScottMatas, Councilwoman Jan Pyeand Desert Water Agency’sJames Cioffi—will send voterscampaign mail this week.

“Because absentee (voting)has changed the game somuch,committees have to start much

earlier and have to sustain amessage for a six-week periodinstead of a two-week period,”Anderson said.

The number of RiversideCounty voters making theirelection decisions by mail hasbeen on the rise since 2007,when state officials decertifiedthe county’s electronic votingmachines.

The 2012 presidential vote

Mail-in voters can expect ad blitzFirst ballots going out today to early decision-makers

Please see BALLOTS, A9

By Erica FelciThe Desert Sun

Palm Springsshow celebratescompetitive cats

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Dodger bats hammerBraves to take game 3■ SPORTS

Chargers’ late surge not enough to defeat Raiders in Oakland ■ SPORTS

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CAMP PENDLETON — Crewsbuilt containment lines Sundayaround a wind-driven wildfirethat scorched more than 2square miles of dry brush andforced people to evacuate partof a Southern California mili-tary base.

The blaze at the MarineCorps’ Camp Pendleton was 15percent contained and fire-fighters were trying to halt itsmovement toward the north-east, said Sgt. ChristopherDun-can, a press officer for the Ma-rines.

The fire broke out Saturdayamid hot, dry and windy condi-tions throughout the region.

It quickly prompted theevacuation of 230 residentsfrom a housing unit near LakeO’Neill and caused minor dam-age to four buildings, base offi-cials said. Photos posted onCamp Pendleton’s Facebookpage showed a few charred ve-hicles.

The evacuees spent thenightelsewhere on the 195-square-mile coastal base in northernSan Diego County and were al-lowed to return home Sundayevening.

Naval Hospital Camp Pen-dleton was not threatened bythe fire, but a power outageprompted officials to evacuateabout 30 patients to other hospi-tals in the area and stop accept-ing new patients.

Service at the hospital wasrestored by late Saturday, butthe transferred patients re-mained at the new locations.

More than 200 firefighterswere at the scene. The fire’scause was under investigation.

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Wildfireon baseforces230 outEvacuees let back inat Camp PendletonAssociated Press

Please see WILDFIRE, A2

WASHINGTON — HouseSpeaker John Boehner saidSunday he sees no way out ofthe government shutdown un-less President Barack Obamais willing to engage in negotia-tions with Republicans.

But Treasury Secretary Ja-cob Lew rejected that ap-proach, saying Congress needsto quickly pass legislation re-opening the government andalso ameasure boosting the na-tion’s $16.7 trillion debt limit.Lew said Obama has notchanged his opposition to tyingthese measures to Republicandemands on health care and

spending cuts.“What we’ve seen is … ‘Un-

less I get my way, you know,that we’ll bring these terribleconsequences of shutdown ordefault,’ ” Lew said Sunday onCBS. “Those kinds of threatshave to stop.”

Boehner and Lew in sepa-rate television interviews gaveno hint of any compromise to

end a budget impasse that hasshut down part of the govern-ment since Tuesday and is run-ning the risk of a first defaulton the government’s debt un-less the current debt ceiling israised by an Oct. 17 deadline.

Asked how the standoffmight end, Boehner said Sun-

Weekend yields little for government shutdownBy Stephen Ohlemacherand Charles BabingtonAssociated Press

Please see SHUTDOWN, A9

Janet Patterson, center, reacts after seeing herself in the mirror for the first time after getting a makeover by makeup artist Olga Morales,right, and before a photo shoot through the Turning Heads nonprofit, whose co-founder Debbie Green is at left. CRYSTAL CHATHAM/THE DESERT SUN

MODELPATIENT

By Beth Roessner | The Desert Sun

Please see STUDIO, A8Studio gives glam to those fighting cancer

MOREONLINEVisit mydesert.comto see aphotogallery ofJanetPatterson’sTurningHeadssession

A8 | THE DESERT SUN | MONDAY, OCTOBER 7, 2013 FROM PAGE 1

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Ariz. to Southern California for treat-ments. But a recent tripwas a littlemorespecial.

When Pattersonwalked into the Turn-ingHeadsphotostudio inRanchoMirageon a sunny Sunday afternoon wearing aflowing periwinkle sundress, accompa-niedbyherhusband,Rick, andminiaturedachshund, she forgot about her illnessand the rough road ahead. For threehours, the focus was on her and herbright smile.

“Nobody wants to go bald,” said Pat-terson,54. “I just try tomake itpartof theprocess. If I make it part of the process,the going bald, then it’s not as bad... Itmakes you stronger.”

The co-founders of Turning Heads,Stacy JacobandDebbieGreen, hope thatmore patients adopt Patterson’s attitudetoward hair loss, but understand the roll-ercoasterofemotions that comewith the

territory. With their not-for-profit or-ganization, thepairencouragecancerpa-tients to fully embrace their beauty andlearn just how truly empowering beingbald can be.

For them, bald is the new black.“They’reout in theworld, fighting this

incredible battle,” Green said, “and thelast thing they need is to worry abouttheir hair.”

A cancer patient is welcomed intotheir photo studio for a free portrait ses-sion, pampered and given the star treat-ment.

Located across from The River, thestudio is stocked with costume jewelry,bright scarves, an array of brightly col-ored fur pillows, silk daisies and otherprops. There are closets full of fun fash-ions fromGreen’s closet, or second-handfinds from Jacob, including a lacy wed-ding dress and orange muumuu.

Jacob,whobecameafull-timephotog-rapher as part of this journey, fluttersaround the studio snapping pictures, andGreen acts as the stylist, helpingmodelsin and out of clothes, working on poses

and finding the right prop for a portrait.Before the studio, they welcomed

models into their own homes, using oldblack felt as a backdrop and cheap lightsthat would overheat.

And, no model can go to a shoot with-out makeup. Olga Morales of Palm Des-ert volunteersher timeandbrushes todocosmetics.The retiredmakeupartist hasbeautified talk show hosts, politiciansand celebrities, but she finds these mod-els have a unique zest for life.

“These people are grateful and appre-ciative,” said Morales. “I’ve met somewonderful people but this is very relax-ing, very laid-back. This is a way I cangive back.”

Models can bring their own props,family, friends, pets and ideas. Each ses-sion is as individual as the model. Thebiggest requirement of a Turning HeadsShoot is that they must be bald.

“(Hair) is the first thing we identifywith,” Jacob said. “Hair loss is the out-wardmanifestationofwhat’s goingon in-side.”

Green, who is also a theatrical pro-ducer, knows what it’s like to lose thispart of her character. Shewas diagnosedwith lymphoma in 2010 and couldn’tbring herself to shaving her head com-pletely, settling instead for a short buzzcut. She knew, however, that the hairwould have to go.

“Especially for women, hair is such abig part of their identity,” explainedGreen, a Palm Desert resident. “Youmight be able to hide that you have can-cer from somebody else or from your-self, when you look into the mirror andyou have no hair, you know you’re sick.”

It was Green’s doctor who instilledsome faith and confidence by giving her“Turning Heads: Portraits of Grace, In-spiration and Possibilities,” written bycancer survivor JacksonHunsicker. Thecoffee-table book has 50 images of wom-en fighting cancer, all of whom are bald.Green wanted that experience.

Jacobwaswith Green throughout hercancer experience and had recently in-vested in a DSLR camera and some sec-ond-hand lighting equipment. Althoughshe lacked photography experience, shewanted to shoot Green’s portraits. Excit-ed,Greenpurchasednewclothesandhada glam session at a department store’smakeup counter.

Thefriendssnappedphotosall aroundJacob’s Rancho Mirage home and itproved therapeutic for both. Jacob ar-ranged the photos in an album and filledthe pages with inspiring quotes. Afterthat first shoot, they were inspired to

share the experience with others.“When (Jacob) gave me that book, it

totally changed my perception of what Iwasgoing throughandwhat itwas like tobeout in theworldbald,”Greensaid,whois currently three years post-treatment.“I never put on a wig again after that.”

Turning Heads is an expansion ofHunsicker’s original idea. They startedthe project in October 2011, earned theirnonprofit status in March 2012 andmoved into their studio. Pamphlets forthe shoots have been left at cancer clin-ics, and nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals are helping get theword out. They’re timid about the influxof potential models, but they’re also ex-cited about the growth. The duo hopes toexpand their organization to other cities.They know this level of expansion willtake a network of volunteers and re-sources and they’re optimistic.

There have been 25 models so far, in-cluding one male, said Green. Modelsleave the shoot with a renewed sense ofconfidence and are given some prints ofthe collection, access to the digital im-ages andahard-boundphoto albumto re-member the experience.

“They leave feeling sexy, feeling em-powered, feeling amazing,” Jacob said.

Modelsalso leavefeeling loved.Thereare howls of laughter, jokes and chatter.Even a few tears are shedwith the swap-ping of stories. The atmosphere is com-fortable, invitingandsafe. It’s likespend-ing the afternoon with friends.

“Theybecomepart of us,” saidGreen.“We go from an initial phone call or anemail, to several conversations on thephone, to the actual day when they’rehere.”

“My thoughts are on the camaraderiewith the girls and not cancer could killyou,” Patterson said with a smile.

Walkingup to the studio, Patterson as-cended the stairs for the first time inmonths.Beforeher cancerdiagnosis andchemotherapy, doctors in her small townwere stumped about her illness. Mantlecell lymphoma is unlike other cancersand cannot be diagnosed from looking atblood samples. Tumors were growing in-side her body, pushing on vital organs.The pain was intense for years, andforcedher to use amotorizedwheelchairto get around. Once specialists realizedshehadcancerandstartedheronchemo-therapy, by the second treatment, shewas mobile again.

Near the end of the shoot, Pattersonwasasked toscribbledownonewordonachalkboard that represents her emo-tions. In pink chalk, she wrote “blessed.”

When she left the studio after her ses-sion, her smile was from ear to ear andshe was filled with appreciation. Herfifth chemotherapy treatment was thefollowing day, but her spirits were high.

“Cancer or no cancer, every girlshould experience this,” said Patterson.

After getting her makeup done by a professional makeup artist, Janet Patterson poses forphotographer Stacy Jacob at Turning Heads on Sept. 29. CRYSTAL CHATHAM/THE DESERT SUN

Janet Patterson, husband Rick Patterson and service dog Jazzi pose for a studio portrait atthe Turning Heads nonprofit studio. CRYSTAL CHATHAM/THE DESERT SUN

StudioContinued from A1

PORTRAITS OFEMPOWERMENTTo learn more about Turning Heads or make adonation, visit www.turningheadsproject.org