A $17,000 Smart & Final bill and the global supply chain
Vote-by-mail becomes permanent, County Sheriff investigates use of force, and Comedy Chuckwagon is back from vacation
Hello from California’s high desert, where yet another layer of smoke has settled in and made everything smell like one continuous campfire. During the blue-sky breaks, I’ve been cherishing the late afternoon walks with the dogs since it has finally cooled down enough to let them out while the sun is still up. This is by far my favorite time of year, minus the smoke.
Earlier this week, I saw a report in The Desert Sun about how supply chain issues have forced some schools in the Coachella Valley to order food for students’ lunches from the local Smart & Final grocery store.
The article, which is worth reading in full, outlines several different issues with the school district’s supply chain that led to a $17,000 order of taco shells at the Gene Autry Smart & Final. At first glance, it looks like just another casualty of pandemic-induced shortages: not enough truck drivers to haul fruit from Midwest warehouses to the Valley, not enough cheaply available fresh produce due to drought and wildfires, more students than ever eating at school skyrockets demand.
But if you’ve tried to purchase just about anything in the last 12 months, you’ve likely also run into this problem. At first, shortages were pretty limited to household items like toilet paper and cleaning supplies due to the lockdown orders and emerging information we had about how to keep safe from the coronavirus.
But then, the supply chain collapsed. Lumber prices soared. Finding dog toys at Petco became nearly impossible. Even now, shelves are regularly picked over at every grocery or convenience store in town. There aren’t new lockdown orders to blame this time, it’s just that the increasingly complex system of how goods like fresh produce, taco shells, and dog collars go from factory or farm to your home has been completely upended without much direction on when it will get back to normal.
There are several articles outlining in painful detail all the ways in which the global shipping, logistics, and supply industries have all been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. First, factories in major manufacturing hubs like Indonesia, China, and Vietnam shuttered completely in early 2020 which rippled out through the global economy via higher prices and longer wait times for goods. But then, once they opened back up, the backlog of things needing shipping caused essentially one giant traffic jam in the Pacific Ocean. Some shipping barges are waiting weeks outside the Port of Long Beach just to unload their cargo, and that’s before you even start to think about the lack of people available to unload those barges, get them on trucks, and drive those trucks away to an Amazon warehouse. (I particularly enjoyed this story in Time Magazine in which the author follows the months-long journey of a stuffed giraffe she ordered for her son for the holidays.)
Many experts are already starting to sound the alarm for the coming holiday season, and at least two items I’ve had on my to-buy list are back-ordered until early November. But really, the disruptions are already here and stand to get a little, or a lot, worse in the coming weeks.
So here’s a short-term solution I hope we can get behind:
First, be kind to store clerks, stockists, delivery drivers, and customer service people. They are not responsible for the once-in-a-lifetime collapse of a major global economic force that happened to delay your order or cost a few extra dollars for your Sunday breakfast.
Second, work with what we have. We have an incredible farmer’s market in Joshua Tree every Saturday with access to some of the best, freshest produce and food items around from local farms and vendors. The Saturday farmer’s market in Twentynine Palms accepts EBT. It takes a little extra planning for the week, but it also helps alleviate some of the stresses on grocery stores while putting money directly into our community. That’s a win-win.
Third, if you haven’t already started thinking about the holidays, unfortunately, now is the time. Toys, books, and home items are all forecast to sell out quite early due to the current situation. But I would argue that an even better solution is to get creative. Visit local book shops, antique stores, or craft fairs for an idea of what could work for your loved ones this year. I like to bake, so most of my local friends get a selection of Italian cookies every year, but I’ve known others that offer their own crafting skills as gifts during the holidays, too. One year, a friend of mine offered to help design and create holiday cards for all her loved ones.
At first, a short story on the global supply chain seems dull. But like most modern conveniences, it only becomes noticeable once something has gone very, very wrong. And now, it is up to us to make do in the interim, or get used to a new normal where we wait more than two days for something to arrive at our doorstep. That is plenty fine with me.
And now, onto this week’s news:
California makes voting by mail for all residents permanent for all future elections
During the COVID-19 pandemic, California mailed ballots to all registered voters for primary, national, and statewide elections.
On Monday, Governor Gavin Newsom signed AB 37, a bill that would make this practice permanent after state elected officials approved it. It takes effect in January, just in time for the 2022 election season.
California is now the eighth state in the US that mails all registered voters a ballot ahead of all elections.
The new law is part of an effort to provide voters more options for when and where to cast their ballots as fewer voters opt for voting in person on the day of the election. The goal is to increase participation in all elections and allow more flexibility for voters that cannot afford time off during the week.
“Data shows that sending everyone a ballot in the mail provides voters access. And when voters get ballots in the mail, they vote,” bill author Assemblyman Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto) said in a Senate committee hearing in July.
The San Bernardino County Sheriff is investigating one of its deputy’s use of force after a man was violently arrested at Yucca Bowl on Friday.
According to a KESQ report, law enforcement was called to the bowling alley Friday night for a suspect believed to be intoxicated that had been involved in a crash in the parking lot and was challenging people to fight.
The suspect, whose name has not been made public, was uncooperative with authorities after fleeing inside the bowling alley from the parking lot upon their arrival.
He was treated for minor injuries at the hospital resulting from the arrest and was booked into jail where he faces charges of driving under the influence, driving under the influence with a blood alcohol of .08 percent, and obstructing a peace officer with force or violence.
The KESQ report includes a witness video of the arrest from inside the bowling alley. Viewer discretion is advised, and the video does not autoplay when you open the webpage.
The Pioneertown Comedy Chuckwagon returns with family-friendly stand-up comedy, music, and food on October 5
It is officially fall! The Pioneertown Comedy Chuckwagon is back from summer vacation next Tuesday for an evening full of music, comedy, and food for the whole family.
As always, the event is first-come-first-serve haybale seating or you can bring your own chairs. It is a family-friendly event catered by Mine Train Smokery.
Tumbleweed Timemachine is playing from 6 p.m. until 7:15 p.m., followed by Pioneertown Trivia and raffle. The live comedy performance by Andy Woodhull and Paul Morrissey will run from 8 p.m. until 9 p.m.
Entry is $10 per person and all meals are $15. You are not required to purchase a meal to attend the event. You can buy tickets and learn more about the event at https://visitpioneertown.com/comedy
The event will be held at The Wild West Theater, 53722 Pioneertown Rd, across from Pappy + Harriet’s.
Pupdate of the week: Both dogs absolutely love our new after-dinner walk routine now that it's finally cool enough to get out relatively early. They also still run around in the backyard once the hangries set in around 4 p.m., so we’re all getting our steps in.
Trail tip of the week: Now is the time to get in and enjoy all those trails you’ve been meaning to check out before the tourist season really kicks into high gear! It is still advisable to head out early or in the evenings since the sun is quite strong even if the temperatures feel nicer, and always make sure you have plenty of water on hand. It’s much easier to become dehydrated when it’s cooler out since you aren’t always thinking about how thirsty you are.
Book of the week: I am currently reading and thoroughly enjoying Fuzz: When Nature Breaks the Law by Mary Roach. It is laugh-out-loud hilarious, which isn’t exactly common for science-based writing, and asks some really interesting questions about how humans and nature will continue to coexist in a changing world where wild animal habitats overlap more and more with human development. Chapters are akin to short stories on different examples of humans trying to get nature to adhere to human laws, like charging a tree with trespassing or birds with theft, with some great narration from Roach on her travels and personal encounters with her subjects.
Show of the week: There is a new season of The Great British Baking Show up on Netflix and I could not be more delighted. I find the show so soothing that I could watch it endlessly throughout the day, which I may or may not have done with all the earlier seasons. Netflix is releasing episodes weekly on Fridays, which feels like a personal attack, but I guess it gives me something to look forward to at the end of every week.
Small business of the week
We’ve got another new business on the block! Mojave Flea Yucca Valley opens on Friday, October 1. The shop currently has a location in Palm Springs where it showcases local artists, antique sellers, homewares makers, and organic goods from tens of vendors in a “Trading Post” layout. It will have a similar setup in Yucca Valley with more than 50 vendors already signed up to sell at its new location, which boasts over 10,000 square feet.
Mojave Flea Yucca Valley opens at 11 a.m. on Friday, October 1. After that, it will be open daily from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. Its new location is at 55727 Twentynine Palms Highway (next to Nitty Gritty Antiques). You can check out their Instagram page for regular updates: @mojaveflea.yuccavalley or @mojaveflea
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend, and that you are able to get outside!
- Megan
The 29 Palms Farmers Market is (also) on Saturday, not Sunday.