Dispatch: Week of May 10
Missing person in Joshua Tree National Park and County, Town Commission updates
Hello from California’s high desert, unless the wind has blown you all the way to Oz by now.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Trammell Evans, 25, is missing in Joshua Tree National Park. The Los Angeles man was dropped off at Black Rock Campground on April 30 and was supposed to be picked up on May 5. He is 6 feet 3 inches tall, weighs 190 pounds, has brown eyes and brown/red hair and facial hair, including a mustache.
Anyone who may have seen or talked to Evans is asked to call or text the NPS-wide Tip Line 888-653-0009 or call 909-383-5652.
Tips can also be submitted at go.nps.gov/SubmitATip or via email at nps_isb@nps.gov.
The Bureau of Land Management is seeking public input for a management plan for the approximately 1.6 million acres comprising Mojave Trails National Monument in San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
The BLM will hold one virtual meeting and three in-person meetings to provide information and answer questions on the planning effort; written comments will be accepted at the meetings and via mail. The review period closes on June 20.
Substantive written comments may also be submitted anytime through June 20, via mail at ATTN: Mojave Trails National Monument Manager Noelle Glines-Bovio, 1303 US-95, Needles, CA 92363.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved a $2 million grant for the Desert View Conservation Area Recreational Trails in Joshua Tree Tuesday.
The Joshua Basin Water District will have two desert tortoise hatchlings at their Joshua Tree Farmer’s Market booth every Saturday in May.
The Marine Air Ground Task Force Training Command and Environmental Director Captain Searcy are seeking public comment on an environmental review for their ongoing and future operations.
The review focuses on the Marine’s training at the Marine Air Ground Combat Center and surrounding areas. The issues that the report considers are biological resources, with a focus on desert tortoises, climate change, noise, the use of herbicides, and more.
The comment period is open until May 31. Electronic copies are available for review at https://www.29palms.marines.mil/Staff-offices/Environmental-Affairs/ (under “Environmental Assessments”) or obtained at local library branches in Twentynine Palms, Joshua Tree, Yucca Valley, and Barstow.
Apple TV is set to debut High Desert, a TV show set in Yucca Valley but shot at various locations around the Inland Empire as well as the Basin, that follows Patricia Arquette in the lead role as a detective who returns to town following the death of her mother.
The Yucca Valley pedestrian improvement projects on Onaga Trail and Little League Drive are complete. The project included installing new sidewalks, ramps, and gutters to both heavily-trafficked streets.
Daniel Lindell, a 51 year-old resident of Chehalis, Washington, was found dead in his RV last week at the Sunfair Dry Lake Bed. Lindell’s family reported him missing in April, and he reportedly suffered from health issues.
The 21st annual spring Joshua Tree Music Festival kicks off Thursday, May 18, at the Joshua Tree Lake Campground and runs all weekend.
You can view the full line-up here.
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission approved the exterior appearances and signage for the proposed Chipotle location at 57552 Twentynine Palms Highway in a meeting Tuesday.
In state news:
The California Department of Developmental Services has agreed to improve care it provides to deaf people with intellectual and developmental disabilities as part of a new legal settlement in federal court, per the Los Angeles Times.
Homeowners in Southern California can apply for Earthquake Soft-Story (ESS) program grants to strengthen homes against earthquake damage. The grant application is open until May 31.
Another silver lining of this year’s monster snowpack: lots of available hydropower for cheap electricity.
In other news:
Former President Trump was found liable for sexual abuse and defamation in a case brought by E. Jean Carroll. He was ordered to pay $5 million.
MTV News joined the parade of media companies shutting down over the last few weeks. Its parent company, Paramount Media Network, blamed budget cuts.
The Golden State Warriors have one last chance to fend of the Los Angeles Lakers tonight in the best-of-seven series. The Lakers are up 3-1, and tonight’s game tips off at 4 p.m. PT.
Pupdate of the week: We took the dogs up to Tahoe this week and they are in heaven. Oliver is basking in the sun between snow flurries (yep, even in May) and Alice is skeptical of how real grass feels on her feet. She’s a desert dog through and through, but she loves the lower temperatures.
Trail tip of the week: If you, like me, happen to be hiking around snow recently, remember to pack those microspikes or other traction devices to avoid slipping and sliding. I saw lots of folks out in sneakers this week, and they did not look like they were having a great time.
Read of the week: Nicole Chung’s newest memoir A Living Remedy explores her relationship with her parents before, during, and after their early deaths. It’s a captivating memorial to her parents and her love for them, and is one of the best articulated looks at how people handle and journey through grief that I’ve ever read.
Watch of the week: If you enjoy improv, I have to recommend Jury Duty on Amazon Prime or Freevee. It’s a bit of a “Truman Show” concept where one person in the cast doesn’t know the rest of the folks are actors, all of which have been selected for jury duty in a fake trial that is shot for a documentary. It’s different than any other comedy out right now, and I’ve been enjoying the bits of dark humor they pepper in throughout.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend and get a chance to get outside.
- Megan