Hello from California’s high desert. We still have one day left of February, thanks to the leap year.
In case you missed it: I wrote something of a love letter to the desert, and what it’s like to live somewhere most people only visit. You can read it here.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
The San Bernardino County Registrar of Voters’ BallotMobile will stop in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms tomorrow, February 29, as part of a county-wide voter education initiative ahead of Tuesday’s primary election as well as November’s general election.
Online voter registration is now closed, but all California residents are able to register to vote in-person on election day and vote conditionally immediately after. Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Tuesday, March 5, or dropped at a designated polling place to be counted.
Speaking of Tuesday’s election, here is a great explainer on the timeline of events surrounding Measure W from Z107.7.
You will also be voting on:
A U.S. Representative (District 23)
A state senator (District 19)
A state assembly member (District 34 or District 47)
A superior court judge
A county board of supervisors member (District 3)
One state ballot measure that would authorize $6.38 billion in bonds to build residential mental illness treatment facilities
Presidential candidate of your registered party affiliation (i.e. you would only vote for Republican candidates if you are a registered Republican, and vice versa. If you don’t have a registered preference you can request a cross-over ballot by March 5 to vote in the Democratic primary.)
Ofland, the resort developers formerly known as Yonder, is hosting a second community meeting tonight, February 28, from 5:30 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Elks Lodge in Twentynine Palms.
The meeting is geared towards residents near the group’s proposed resort on Twentynine Palms Highway near Lear Avenue, many of whom have been resistant to yet another resort proposal in the area.
The 29 Palms Art Gallery is hosting a gala fundraiser next Friday, March 8, featuring food, live music, auctions, and live entertainment.
The event will be hosted at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center starting at 5 p.m. Tickets are available to purchase here, and start at $75 each.
The Flying Doctors, a group of volunteer medical professionals, will be offering free dental and vision care at the Bell Center at Copper Mountain College on Saturday, March 9.
Appointments are strongly encouraged and can be made by calling 760-820-2614. Appointments include dental cleaning, vision exams and replacement glasses if needed, and fillings and extractions.
Local non-profit groups are encouraged to apply for funding through Yucca Valley’s Measure Y initiative. Groups must be working to improve life in Yucca Valley, and can apply for funds through April 15 via in-person application.
Methods + Rituals Spa is hosting a cacao ceremony and sound bath on Thursday, March 21, from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at Sacred Sands in Joshua Tree.
Registration for the event costs $44 per person, and can be done online here.
Mas o Menos is hosting drag bingo on Thursday, February 29, as part of its Cheers to Queers Studio 29 Leap Year Party. Bingo begins at 6 p.m. and the prizes are looking great!
In state news:
Another major storm is forecast to hit Northern California this week, with parts of the Sierra Nevada near Tahoe told to expect nearly 12 feet of snow within a few days.
Fremont, a city in the Bay Area, was named the nation’s happiest city in a recent survey. The survey looked at income, divorce and marriage rates, and mental health, among other factors.
A group called Rescue California has launched yet another recall effort targeting Governor Gavin Newsom. This is Newsom’s fifth time facing a recall attempt, though the group has not yet achieved the milestones needed to qualify for the ballot.
In other news:
An ongoing lawsuit from songwriter Don Henley has the Eagles’ megahit Hotel California front and center.
Macy's plans to close 150 stores by the end of 2026, or roughly more than 30% of its locations.
Fast food chain Wendy’s rolled back its plan to test “surge pricing” at a select group of restaurants next year after major customer pushback. The test would have allowed the restaurant to increase prices of certain menu items during times of peak demand.
Pupdate of the week: I was visiting a friend in Nebraska most of last week, so Oliver has been very sweetly clingy since I got back on Sunday. Alice nearly bowled me over when I walked in the door, too, so I guess she might have missed me almost as much as Oliver did.
Trail tip of the week: I’ve seen a lot of folks recommending different types of footwear lately, so I wanted to throw my own two cents in. Generally, I will go with traditional hiking boots if the trail is rocky, uneven, or I’m carrying a heavy load. I like the extra stability that comes with the higher boot in those instances, and don’t mind the small bit of extra weight. I’ll go with approach shoes if I’m doing a lot of scrambling around on rocks since the rubber has a lot of extra grip, though they are generally a little less supportive and therefore less comfortable on longer trips. I will take my trail runners on, you guessed it, trail runs, as well as more moderate hikes that have minimal gain or are in sandy washes, as I like the lightness of the runners in those circumstances.
Read of the week: This is a good time of year to read Fire Weather by John Vaillant because fire season still seems far enough away that the book is only mildly apocalyptic, but in a good way. Vaillant illustrates how the energy industry has helped contribute to climate change, and how climate change has thus influenced the types of wildfires we see now, through the story of the Fort McMurray Fire in Alberta back in 2016. The town was a massive energy industry hub in the middle of the forest before a generation-defining fire tore through it and left it a shell of its former self. Though not exactly a light read, Vaillant does a great job of making sure we know that hope is not lost, and there is still lots we can do to stop these fires from becoming an annual event across the globe.
Watch of the week: If you want a good cry, may I suggest this clip from Jon Stewart’s Monday episode of The Daily Show? Warning, you will want to smother your pets before, during, and after watching this. Have the tissues handy.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a wonderful weekend with lots of time outside.
- Megan