Dispatch: Week of May 31
Morongo Basin Historical Society's grand opening, plus a National Park job opportunity
Hello from California’s high desert, and welcome to the last day of May. I know I will regret this in a few weeks, but for now, I’m very ready for the warmer weather to make an appearance so it can really feel like summer.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Trammell Evans, a 25-year-old hiker, has been missing in Joshua Tree National Park for nearly a month.
On April 30, Evans started hiking at the Black Rock Campground, but never returned. The park started a search and rescue on May 5.
On Tuesday, park rangers said the search and rescue is now at a limited and continuous phase. They will still be doing daily searches. Park rangers are asking anyone who may have seen or talked to Evans to please contact 909-383-5652.
The Morongo Basin Historical Society’s museum is reopening on June 3 following six months of renovations.
All entry is free on opening day, and includes self-guided tours of the newly renovated Morongo Basin Historical Museum. It is located at 632 Landers Lane in Yucca Valley, and will be open from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m.
The San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors approved $600,000 in funding for water infrastructure updates in Morongo Valley at its meeting last week.
Joshua Tree National Park is hiring a paid community volunteer ambassador intern and first-round applications are due by June 5. The final deadline to apply is July 21.
The full-time position begins September 11, 2023, and runs through August 2024. Z107.7 has all the details on the position here, as well as a link to the live application.
Morongo Basin Unity Home, an organization that provides assistance to domestic abuse victims and their children, is currently seeking donations.
Unity Home is asking for journals, adult coloring books, sketchbooks, day planners, women’s deodorant, undergarments and socks, children’s clothing, beauty products, press-on nails, conditioner, storage containers, pens, and children’s toys.
You can drop off donations at 56300-b Twentynine Palms Highway in Yucca Valley between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on weekdays.
Burrtec customers in Yucca Valley will notice a slight increase in cost over the next few months as the company implements new trash collection, recycling, and organic waste disposal in accordance with a recently passed California law.
For the 2023-2024 tax year, Burrtec’s monthly billing rate for the most common 95-gallon residential service is increasing from $21.11 to $27.33.
A new hiking trail that runs from Adobe Road to Split Rock Avenue south of Twentynine Palms City Hall, is officially open for business.
The viral TikTok arm wrestling sensation E.T. has some unlikely roots in Twentynine Palms, per a recently published feature in GQ.
In state news:
State Farm, the massive national insurance company and largest insurer in the state, has decided to stop issuing new coverage in California due to increased costs associated with climate risks like wildfires and flooding.
Current policyholders are not affected by the change.
Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Lindsey Sin as the California Department of Veterans Affairs secretary.
In other news:
The NBA Finals kick off tomorrow at 5:30 p.m. with the Miami Heat facing the Denver Nuggets in a best of seven series.
The Stanley Cup Finals (hockey, for the uninitiated) kick off June 3 at 5 p.m. with the (almost) hometown Las Vegas Golden Knights facing the Florida Panthers in a best of seven series.
If you, like me, are unreasonably excited about Greta Gerwig’s Barbie (in theaters this July), I have to recommend this incredible profile of Ryan Gosling, who plays Ken in the movie.
Pupdate of the week: Oliver is on a three-times-a-morning schedule for outside time. The first is for necessity, the second is to patrol the neighborhood and make sure everyone knows he is here, and the third is a patrol of the yard complete with sunbathing time.
Trail tip of the week: This year’s snowmelt is gaining steam as the weather warms across the state, and it’s resulting in fast moving streams and rivers. Be extremely cautious when attempting to cross this waterways, as the cold water can easily cause hikers to lose balance and slip. Hiking poles are required to cross safely, and even then it is still best to avoid crossing at all if you are able.
Read of the week: I have really been enjoying novels retelling native folklore as of late, and Cherie Dimaline’s Empire of Wild is no exception. It follows a small community in southern Canada as it grapples with the disappearance — and subsequent reappearance — of the main character’s husband as they try to understand why he left and who was keeping him away. It’s part mystery novel, part folklore, and I enjoyed every second of it.
Watch of the week: The rumor is that this year’s season finale of Apple’s Ted Lasso is also the series finale, so if you’ve been waiting to binge the series now is the time. It’s one of the most heartwarming, kind shows out there, and it is one I am sad to see come to an end. It follows an eccentric American football coach who is hired to coach a soccer team in the U.K., and turns into a show where you root for every single character along the way. If you need to restore your faith in humanity a bit, there isn’t a better way to do so than a few episodes of Ted Lasso.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend, a happy kick off to Pride Month, and are able to enjoy the cooler weather while it lasts.
- Megan