WHEREAS, DOROTHY DALE KLOSS was born October 27, 1923, in Chicago, Illinois, and began dancing when she was just three. As a precocious Chicago teenager, she taught a young Bob Fosse how to tap dance, won a tap contest herself at the renowned Miss Abbott's Dance School and catapulted to stardom at the age of 15 with her own act in the Empire Room of the Palmer House Hotel; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy enjoyed an illustrious career touring the world with the famed Eddie Duchin Orchestra, then performed with the biggest stars of the day in major nightclubs throughout the U.S. and Latin America. She also regularly performed in hospitals and on military bases for the USO during WWII; and

WHEREAS, Dorothy has always strived towards the highest levels of personal and professional accomplishment; and

WHEREAS, 14 years ago, Dorothy joined the cast of The Fabulous Palm Springs Follies and, while many turned 85 this year, there is no one else this age performing nine three-hour shows per week; and

WHEREAS, her commitment to the Follies has added significantly to the prominence the show brings to the City of Palm Springs; and

WHEREAS, we pay special tribute to Dorothy for her inclusion in the 2009 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records as the "Oldest 'Still Performing' Showgirl" in the world; and

WHEREAS, our citizens are richer because of Dorothy's devotion to entertainment and her loving spirit. She has given us all a dynamic and inspiring image of what aging should be; and

WHEREAS, her most enduring contribution is vividly demonstrating that there continues to be life even after youth has fled to the nearly two million lives she's touched who have seen her perform in the Follies.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Stephen P. Pougnet, on behalf of the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, take pride in honoring Dorothy Dale Kloss, and share in the celebration of her long and meaningful life. Thank you, Dorothy, for making visitors feel welcome, and for your important contributions to our community. By the power vested in me, I do hereby proclaim January 15, 2009, to be:

DOROTHY DALE KLOSS DAY