Oct 22, 2018
Originally from Buffalo,
NY, Denise made her first trip to the desert in 1979, driving her
Chevy Nova from Camp Lejune, in North Carolina, where her husband
had previously been stationed. Denise arrived to 29Palms in the
middle of the night and was pretty surprised by what she saw the
next morning.
Denise describes these as the
days when the military would say, "If we wanted you to have a wife,
we would have issued you one." These days, the military is much
more aware of the important role spouses and families play in the
lives of our service men and have a number of programs, like the
one Denise worked in called FRO - Family Residence Officer, serving
as a liaison between families and their enlisted family members
during active duty.
Being the spouse of a
serviceman requires travel to many places and Denise cultivated an
attitude of optimism and openness about those changes, never
expecting or anticipating what a place might be like, but just
accepting it for what is was and embracing it. This is her third
time in 29Palms.
Denise is also a business
owner, running B29, formerly known as Bistro 29 - she and her
husband became full owners of the restaurant in January 2018 and
have made some changes to the branding and the menu, continuing to
offer reasonably priced fare in a lovely atmosphere with some
southern flair. They're now offering ribs, which have been a big
hit, as well as po' boys, soup/salad/sandwich combos for lunch and
an all-you-can-eat salad bar for dinner. And, as Denise says, no
southern breakfast is complete without grits, which they serve with
breakfast on Saturday during the 29 Palms Farmer's
market.
Denise is involved in her
community, serving on the Chamber of Commerce as Secretary and now
Vice President and is currently a candidate for 29 Palms City
Council. Becoming a candidate was not without it's 'hitches and
glitches' as Denise describes in this
episode. She hopes to address some issues around the
city's infrastructure as well as simplifying the process for new
business owners to get up and running to fill the empty
storefronts.
About the desert, Denise says,
"It's a place of peace and tranquility - it helps you get in touch
with who you are."
If you'd like to learn more
about Denise, learn about her platform or donate to her campaign
click here: