Two weeks into her ownership of Mountain Pottery, Helen Hixon could not be happier or more enthusiastic. The working studio offers ceramic classes, including all materials, use of design tools and instruction, and Hixon is fully involved in the studio’s evolution. Detailed information regarding classes and studio memberships will be available on the website, although…

The Idyllwild International Festival of Cinema returns for its sixth time next month. From opening day, Tuesday, Jan. 6, through the awards ceremony, the evening of Sunday, Jan. 11, festival participants once again will be offered a panoply of dozens of films — from features through documentaries and shorts. Idyllwild 2015, now the sixth rendition…

Imagine a novel in which a major presidential candidate builds his platform on deporting 11 million undocumented immigrants and secures his party’s nomination. That is the basis for “Crossings: A Political Fable of the Near Future” by Sid Gardner, a novelist experienced in government service in the District of Columbia, and co-author Scott Robinson, an…