Dispatch: Week of April 27
Book release party this weekend, construction on Route 62 continues, and COVID-19 cases rise across the county
Hello from California’s high desert. The haze that’s been hanging around the last few days is smoke blowing west from wildfires burning in Arizona and New Mexico. I guess last week’s wind was really doing us a favor by keeping it out.
And now, onto this week’s news:
In COVID-19 news:
The US Food and Drug Administration approved remdesivir to treat COVID-19 patients as young as 28 days and weighing at least 7 pounds.
This is the first COVID-19 treatment approved for children younger than 12, and will go to children that are hospitalized or at risk of hospitalization.
Still no word on vaccine approvals for children younger than 5 years old.
San Bernardino County's COVID cases are up 39% from the week before, and cases are surging across the state.
The Biden administration wants to increase the availability of Paxlovid, Pfizer's antiviral COVID-19 pill, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha announced on Twitter Monday.
In local news:
Cliffhanger Guides, Athena Rock Climbing, and Friends of Joshua Tree are hosting a book release party for ‘Valley of Giants: Stories from Women at the Heart of Yosemite,” edited by Lauren DeLaunay Miller.
The event is at 63676 Belmont Street in Joshua Tree and special guests include Mari Gingery, Miranda Oakley, Josie McKee, Heidi Wirtz, Kelly Fields, and Lynn Hill.
DJ Alkimmy will host a dance party after the discussion, and dinner will be served with BYOB. Tickets are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Purchase advance tickets: https://tinyurl.com/2p82nakt.
Coachella is officially behind us for another year, but this weekend is Stagecoach so we aren’t completely out of the woods yet.
Construction on Route 62 continues with lane closures from 2 a.m. until 3 p.m. this week on westbound lanes, so plan for delays when returning to the Basin from I-10 or North Indian Canyon.
Cholla Needles literary magazine is hosting an open poetry reading this Sunday, May 1, from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at The Retreat Center Bookstore Stage in the Joshua Tree Retreat Center.
The readings will be entirely outdoors and attendees are recommended to bring a lawn chair or mask for comfort. You can reach out to Rich with any questions at editor@chollaneedles.com .
Rumor has it the bar by the Yucca Valley airport is gearing up for opening.
The Copper Room is a historic lounge, bar, and restaurant that has been quite active on Instagram in the last few weeks.
Joshua Tree got a new experimental tea elixir bar and store in Brewja Elixir Lounge, which celebrated its grand opening last weekend.
The lounge and store is located at 61607 Twentynine Palms Highway, Unit H, in the building that used to house Untamed Yoga (between the Rock Shop and laundromat).
In state news:
A new state bill would outlaw the use of “squaw” in location names around California.
The racist term is often a derogatory reference to Native people, particularly women.
Palisades Tahoe was renamed from Squaw Valley in 2021, and other landmarks are undergoing similar voluntary review.
Marymount California University, a half-century-old private Catholic institution near Palos Verdes, will close this summer.
The liberal arts school has been struggling in recent years due to declining enrollment, rising costs and the coronavirus pandemic.
Parts of Southern California will be under water restrictions starting June 1 due to the ongoing drought.
The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California implemented an “Emergency Water Conservation Program,” restricting outdoor watering to one day a week in parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.
In other news:
Twitter approved Elon Musk’s $44 billion offer to buy the company on Monday. I would say that this weird saga has finally come to an end, but nothing is ever a given when Elon’s involved.
The NFL Draft starts tomorrow night and runs through Saturday in Las Vegas. Part of the Strip will be closed for the event starting today in preparation.
A new study from Nature found that one-fifth of all crocodiles, snakes, and other reptiles are threatened with extinction.
Pupdate of the week: Oliver got some alone time this weekend while Alice was at boarding. He caught up on some sleep, got to indulge in some toys all to himself, and lounged around the best he could while everything was quiet. Which is great because he went to boarding yesterday, and I’m pretty sure he doesn’t sleep a wink while he’s there.
Trail tip of the week: Hiking in the Basin in spring means lots and lots of layers. Layers of breathable but protective clothing. Layers of sun protection, including sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. Layers of foot protection, especially gaiters if you are prone to getting all that sand in your shoe plus closed toe shoes for all our prickly plants.
Read of the week: If you haven’t already checked out this feature of P-22, Los Angeles’ famous mountain lion bachelor, in the Los Angeles Times I highly recommend you make some time to sit down and enjoy it. I also think it was a fascinating case study in writing about a subject that won’t — or can’t — answer any of your questions.
Show of the week: We’ve got a trio of new seasons out this week that are worth mentioning. First is the new season of guilty-pleasure favorite real estate reality show Selling Sunset on Netflix. Next is the thriller turned mysterious comedy The Flight Attendant on HBO Max. Last is the weird, genre-agnostic comedy/drama/crime show Barry on HBO. All of these are running in my household as I try to keep up after each show’s long hiatus!
That’s it for this week! I hope you had a great weekend and have a chance to get outside.
- Megan