Dispatch: Week of May 4
A statewide renewable energy milestone, COVID testing site updates, and a new art exhibit opens in Yucca Valley
Hello from California’s high desert, and May the Fourth be with you.
Look, I’m not going to pretend this has been an easy week, and while I respect that there are a range of opinions out there on the topic, today is not the day. This week is not the week. Anne Helen Petersen put it better than I could in her weekly discussion thread on Tuesday, and I am sharing that here because not only do I agree, I admire the respect with which she has asserted her boundary on the topic with those that disagree:
You may not believe in the right to abortion. That is your opinion. But this is not the space, today, to share that opinion — it is a space to talk about why abortion matters, not to debate whether or not it matters.
The thread has hundreds of replies from women all over the country, all providing moving and eloquent examples of why autonomy over one’s body is an essential human right. And that there is no true equality, really, without it. Couldn’t have said it better myself.
With that, on to this week’s news:
In COVID-19 news:
California has seen a roughly 30% increase in COVID-19 cases in the last week. That is not including results from rapid at-home tests, which are not recorded or tracked by the state.
Yes, you still have to test negative to come back to the U.S. from an international trip. Here’s a good breakdown of what you need to know about the process and what happens if you test positive away from home.
Amazon is cutting its paid leave for infected frontline workers.
In local news:
San Bernardino County’s COVID testing bus is on-site at Yucca Valley's Community Center this week and next from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m.
Tests are free for county residents. The last day for tests is April 13.
Also, the San Bernardino County COVID-19 vaccine and testing site at the Joshua Tree Community Center (formerly known as the Sportsman’s Club) will close after May 4.
Residents can access testing at Rite Aid in Yucca Valley, Walgreens Drive Thru in Yucca Valley, and Rite Aid in Twentynine Palms.
Residents can access vaccinations at Walgreens in Yucca Valley, Walmart in Yucca Valley, High Desert Medical Center in Joshua Tree, Morongo Basin Community Health Center in Yucca Valley, Vons in Yucca Valley, and Rite Aid in Twentynine Palms.
The Joshua Tree National Park Art Gallery opened new art exhibition by local Wonder Valley artist Stacy Byrd called “ReUsed!” on Monday.
The exhibition will run from May 2 through July 2 at the Black Rock Art Gallery at 9800 Black Rock Canyon Road in Yucca Valley.
The Luckie Park Pool in Twentynine Palms will be closed this summer for construction, Z107.7 reports. It is scheduled to reopen March 2023.
The City is using federal funds to construct a new pool with a slide, diving board, shallow water entry and cool deck. The project also includes ADA accessible restrooms and showers.
The Parks and Recreation Department will host water play days throughout the summer at Knott’s Sky and Luckie Parks. You can find additional information regarding the events at 29palms.org starting Monday, June 6.
Soldiers Organized Services is seeking volunteers to provide airport transportation for active-duty Marines, their immediate families and sweethearts between the USMC base in Twentynine Palms and Palm Springs and Ontario international airports.
Volunteers must have a reliable vehicle that can accommodate two or more passengers plus luggage, have a good driving record, and be flexible with days and hours of service. Fuel expenses are reimbursed.
For more information, call Founding Director Erica Stone at (760) 799-5488 or visit sosride.org.
In state news:
California state officials recently launched Forgivable Equity Builder Loan, which lets first-time homebuyers borrow a down payment with a 0% interest rate and provides forgivable loans for up to 10% of the home’s purchase price.
A pair of captive condors were released in the state's far northern coastal redwood forests for the first time in more than a century.
A sports betting measure qualified to get on the statewide ballot for November, but major sports betting companies are fighting the states’ tribes for ownership of the massive market.
On Saturday, April 30, California was powered by 100% renewable energy like solar and wind.
In other news:
The Met Gala was Monday evening and the theme was The Gilded Age, a bit on the nose for an event for the ultra-wealthy. Anyway, here are some of the outfits from the red carpet.
Apparently Guy Fieri wanted to upstage Stagecoach . His nonprofit, the Guy Fieri Foundation, partnered with students in the culinary program at La Quinta High School to serve hundreds of BBQ meals Thursday to active duty military members, veterans, first responders and their families at Aziz Farms.
Pupdate of the week: The dogs are home from boarding and utterly exhausted. They haven’t been this quiet in ages and we’re actually getting some work done throughout the day.
Trail tip of the week: We’re in for a bit of a heat wave later this week, so I’ll take the chance to remind everyone about staying properly hydrated. My rule of thumb is taking a drink of water every 15 minutes while I’m outside regardless of whether I am actually thirsty. Plus, I sometimes add hydration packs like Liquid IV to speed up the process, but it helps keep dehydration from sneaking up on me.
Show of the week: Russian Doll on Netflix might be one of the weirdest, trippiest shows out right now and yet I couldn’t stop watching it. Maybe that’s why. It’s Natasha Lyonne’s co-creating, executive producing, writing, and directorial debut (she also stars in the show) and it is an oddly mystifying look at what it means to be human in the 21st Century. Either way, the second season just came out and though it’s different than the first, equally as good in its own weird way.
That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend and are able to enjoy some time outside.
- Megan