Hello from California’s high desert, and welcome to spring! The spring equinox occurred last night, so we are in that wonderful time of year where the days are getting longer and the nights shorter. I, for one, couldn’t be happier.
In case you missed it: I went with a little spice for last week’s essay, which focused on how changes can destabilize a community, and how we can show up for the ones we want to nourish. You can read it here.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Douglas Black, a Joshua Tree resident and musician, has been missing since February 28, per his family. He was last seen driving a 2011 white Dodge Charger in Pomona.
If you have any information regarding Black’s whereabouts, do not attempt to approach him and call the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station at 760-366-4175
Measure W, which would have repealed a tax benefitting fire fighting operations, has officially fallen. The tax will remain in place.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife is hosting a virtual forum on Thursday, April 4, from 10 a.m. until 12 p.m. about the development of a western Joshua tree conservation plan.
You can register to attend the virtual meeting here.
The new owners of the old Travelodge location in Yucca Valley are hoping to reopen as Field Station Joshua Tree in early May.
There are currently no plans to reopen the free-standing restaurant, which was previously a sushi restaurant. The new owners are the same group that owns Autocamp, an Airstream glamping park, in Joshua Tree.
La Copine got another incredibly well-deserved review in the Los Angeles Times this week. It’s worth a read, and, as always, a visit if you’re able to snag a reservation!
The Twentynine Palms Rotary Club Carnival kicks off on Thursday, March 21. The free-to-enter event runs through the weekend, though there is a cost to ride the carnival rides. Z107.7fm has more information, and the carnival schedule, here.
Heart to Heart Organization is holding its 16th Annual Military Appreciation Luncheon this Saturday, March 23, from 11:30 a.m. through 3:00 p.m. in Cathedral City. The luncheon celebrates women in military and military spouses.
Folks interested in the luncheon can sign up at the YMCA at the Twentynine Palms Marine Corp Base. Childcare is available courtesy of The Little Schoolhouse of the Desert.
The Joshua Basin Water District and Joshua Tree National Park spring native plant sale is Sunday, March 24, from 1 p.m. through 3 p.m. at the water district office on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree.
All proceeds benefit the native plant education program. The event is cash or check only.
The Joshua Tree No-Kill Shelter’s 10th annual “Woof Walk” fundraiser in Pioneertown will be on Saturday, April 6. The fundraiser includes the walk at 10 a.m., plus raffles, auctions, and vendors.
We’ve got not one but two races this weekend in the Morongo Basin!
The Town of Yucca Valley’s 32nd Annual Healthy Hearts 5K Run and 2K Walk is happening on Saturday, March 23, at 9 a.m. at Essig Park. Registration is open for both events, and day-of registration is available.
The John Wayne Grit Series Half Marathon and 10K Race is also on Saturday, March 23, starting at 8:30 a.m. Registration for both events is still open, but race packets must be picked up at the event in Pioneertown on Friday, March 22, or on Saturday, March 23, from 6 a.m. until 8 a.m. The John Wayne Grit Series raises money to benefit cancer research.
In state news:
Southern California residents were in for a treat Monday night as SpaceX launched a rocket right around sunset, creating some stunning photos.
Unfortunately, California residents will not have a great chance of seeing the total solar eclipse on April 8, but we still might get a decent show.
It is officially super bloom season state-wide!
In other news:
ESPN retained the TV broadcast rights for the expanded College Football Playoffs starting next year. The broadcast deal was heavily contested by multiple streaming services.
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill last week that sought to force Chinese company ByteDance to divest of popular app TikTok. If the company doesn’t comply, the app would be banned in the U.S. The bill’s success is unclear as it moves to the U.S. Senate.
Pupdate of the week: I traveled a bit last week and, due to Oliver’s health, decided to try out TrustedHousesitters.com to find a house/dog sitter instead of sending him to boarding. It’s a bit of a different set-up than Rover or the other gig companies, and I really loved our sitter! I’m hoping to give it a shot again for my next trip. Alice still gets to go to boarding because it is by far her favorite place in the world.
Trail tip of the week: Technology isn’t always the solution, but the ability to download maps remains one of the best options for hikers unfamiliar with an area, as the two rescued hikers from Pioneertown Mountains Preserve learned last weekend. They had gotten off trail, a familiar situation many of us can relate to, but instead of trying to navigate back to the trail itself, they called for a rescue. We do not rescue shame folks here at the Dispatch, but we do advocate for being as prepared as possible on all outings to avoid rescues as much as possible. So, download those maps, people! I like AllTrails, but Garmin and Gaia are both great options as well.
Read of the week: I’ve been sitting on a copy of Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi since 2020 and only just now got around to reading it, and boy was I missing out. It’s an incredibly touching novel about a daughter of immigrants who is working in a research lab at Stanford while trying to reconcile her mother’s mental illness and her brother’s overdose. It’s a beautifully written homage to immigrant families, what is lost when one leaves their homeland, and what opportunities cost to those that pursue them. It was one of the more poignant books I’ve read this year.
Watch of the week: NCAA’s March Madness officially starts tomorrow and, though I’m not an avid basketball fan, I absolutely love the tournament. It is as marketed, with underdogs unseating favorites and wall-to-wall programming for the rest of the month. A bonus for this year is that my alma mater is playing and might not actually lose in the first round. Fingers crossed!
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a fabulous weekend with lots of time outside, whether you are running, cheering, or hiking.
- Megan