Dispatch: Week of February 21
Free tax prep and filing for SB County residents, plus Route 66 closure
Hello from California’s high desert. We’re only a few weeks out from Daylight Savings Time, so our 7 p.m. sunsets are nearly here.
In case you missed it: Last Sunday, I wrote about my relationship with corporate work, and how I’m starting to think about reincorporating a “career” into my life without having it take over everything else. You can read it here.
And now, onto this week’s news:
In local news:
The San Bernardino County Transitional Assistance Department is partnering with the IRS to provide free tax preparation and filing services for county residents who made $64,000 or less in 2023.
You can make an appointment here.
A portion of National Trails Highway (Route 66) east of Amboy is closed for repairs to the bridge following storm damage earlier this month. The closure is in addition to the Cadiz closure that has been in place for several years on the same road.
Westbound traffic is not affected at this time. The County has published detour information on Instagram.
Big Read Morongo Basin kicks off on March 2, and will focus on Sitting Pretty: The View from My Ordinary Resilient Disabled Body by Rebekah Taussig. The full schedule of events for March can be found here.
Black Cactus Co-Working is hosting the Adobe Mara Arts Walk on Friday, February 23, from 6 p.m. until 10 p.m. at its location in Twentynine Palms and at Jeanine Beauty Supply.
The event is a Black History Month celebration and will feature live music, panel discussions, and other programming throughout the evening.
The 12th Annual Joshua Tree National Park Art Expo has opened its call for art for the November show. Entries cost $35 per artist, and each artist can submit up to three pieces in the 2D, 3D, or photography categories. Submissions are due by September 15.
The Town of Yucca Valley Youth Commission is hosting a Senior Prom for the area’s senior residents on Saturday, March 2, from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Yucca Valley Senior Center.
The event is free to attend for guests over 55, and $10 for those under 55. The event will feature a catered dinner and dancing.
San Bernardino County Sheriffs Deputies are searching for a murder suspect following the shooting death of Morongo Valley resident Richard Andrade, 52, last week in Joshua Tree.
The City of Twentynine Palms Visitor Center is currently displaying solar print artwork from the Joshua Tree Residential Education Experience students from Oasis Elementary. The exhibit will be on display through March.
Brewja Elixir is hosting a Wisdom of the Crone Women’s Circle on aging gracefully on Thursday, February 22, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in Joshua Tree.
The local tea shop is also hosting an album listening party for DJ Lizzy Jeff on Friday from 4 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. You can purchase tickets for the listening party here.
Hi-Desert Comedy is hosting an evening with comedian Dulce Sloan on March 21 at Kitchen in the Desert. Sloan is an Emmy-award winning comedian and is currently on The Daily Show. You can reserve your table through Kitchen in the Desert and purchase a ticket to the show here.
Mas o Menos in Joshua Tree is currently offering to-go food only (to enjoy on-the-go or in the shop) after San Bernardino County required them to obtain a new permit to host food vendor pop ups.
In state news:
Those green bins may have been too little too late! California is on track to miss its green waste removal goal after delays affected the roll-out of green waste programs across the state.
Parts of the state — parts of Central Valley and the Bay Area — were under rare tornado watches this week amid the severe storms that swept the state. Coastal areas are still dealing with widespread flooding and landslides.
Mark your calendars! The California primary election is Tuesday, March 5. You can check your voter registration and find your polling place here.
In other news:
A group of climbers made the first free ascent of Riders of the Storm on Torre Central in Chilean Patagonia. This is fun for a lot of reasons, one of which being that they were on the wall while I was watching from the ground during my trip.
The NBA All-Star game broke all kinds of scoring records, including the highest score recorded. The game ended 211-186, with the Eastern Conference taking the win over the Western Conference.
Have you listened to Beyoncé’s two new singles? No? Consider that your homework for this week. You’re welcome.
Pupdate of the week: Both dogs enjoyed the sunshine and warm temperatures this weekend, so they weren’t too bummed about being inside while it rained earlier this week.
Trail tip of the week: Last weekend we tried to hike in the Pioneertown Mountains Preserve, but most of the trails are still closed due to damage from last August. I am counting that as my reminder this week to check trail closures ahead of time, and respect them once you arrive. They are closed for a reason — for you or for the environment — so it’s best to steer clear.
Read of the week: Fight No More by Lydia Millet is a fast read, but it kept me hooked the entire time. I brought it hiking and still found myself completely immersed in the web of stories Millet binds together through her main character, a real estate agent in Los Angeles, that tells the story from an entirely different perspective each chapter. Millet is an incredible writer, blending the surreal into the real in a way that makes you look twice.
Watch of the week: Love is in the air, and Love is Blind is back for its sixth season on Netflix. This season features couples based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that want to see if they can fall in love with someone without ever seeing them. The reality show is very messy, which makes for great television, and episodes are released every few weeks.
That’s it for this week! I hope you are enjoying the sunshine after our storms, and are able to get outside.
- Megan