Dispatch: Week of November 29
Natural Sisters Café closes, plus cantaloupe recall
Hello from California’s high desert, and welcome back to the Dispatch. I hope you had a restful and filling holiday, both in food and in gratitude. I was lucky enough to host friends and family over the last several days, and we got to experience so much of what the desert has to offer. I’m very grateful, as always, to live here in the Basin and share it with you all.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Natural Sisters Café, a mainstay in downtown Joshua Tree, closed last week. The Café had been operating for nearly 15 years, and one of the operators told Z107.7 that the owners were unable to agree on new lease terms with the building owner.
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve appointed Tom Scanlan and De Karlan to its board of directors.
Officials confirmed that the remains found in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park belong to Morongo Valley resident John Fitzpatrick. Fitzpatrick went missing in July while hosting Jin Fang, a Chinese resident. Fang’s remains were found and identified in October.
Santa’s elves are currently hanging around Yucca Valley! They are collecting letters to Santa up until December 2. There is a dropbox for letters at the Yucca Valley Community Center, or you can mail your letter to the following address:
c/o Town of Yucca Valley 57090 29 Palms Highway Yucca Valley, CA 92284
The CDC is advising everyone to throw out whole or pre-sliced cantaloupe purchased from Aldi and other grocery retailers due to a nationwide salmonella outbreak. The advisory includes the Aldi location in Yucca Valley.
The Trading Post in Joshua Tree is seeking vendors for its Holiday Brunch Bazaar, which runs Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. until 6 p.m. now until December 24.
Desert Bingo surpassed its $25,000 annual fundraising goal on Monday. With two more Bingo events to go before the end of the year, the organization is upping its goal to $28,000. The next Desert Bingo will be Monday, December 4, at Belfield Hall in Landers.
Snakebite Roadhouse in Yucca Valley is now serving brunch on weekends starting at 10 a.m.
In state news:
Rain is forecast in parts of California beginning today through the end of the week. Coastal southern California can expect light rain, while the Sierra Nevada region is bracing for major snow accumulation.
A Santa Barbara public library is allowing members to rent electric bikes via a free week-long pass to the city’s bikeshare program.
In other news:
Spotify users were greeted with the streaming service’s annual “Wrapped” report this morning, which shows top songs and artists you’ve listened to throughout the year. If listening on your phone, you can access the Wrapped report on the top menu bar.
Unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift was named the Global Artist of the Year on Spotify and Apple Music.
Mortgage rates were 7.3% in the last month, down from 8% the month prior.
Online shoppers spent a record $9.8 billion on Black Friday deals, but the rise comes alongside the best month ever for buy now, pay later apps.
Pupdate of the week: Alice and Oliver made friends with my friend’s dog Ella over Thanksgiving in what became the cutest muttley crew of the week.
Trail tip of the week: Consider this your annual reminder that you still need sun protection, lip balm, and water on our local hikes even though the weather has cooled down a bit!
Read of the week: I’m currently working my way through Kelly Cordes’ The Tower, which is a beautifully illustrated and photographed history of climbing on Patagonia’s Cerro Torre. The book alone is gorgeous, even for those not as familiar with climbing.
Watch of the week: I am going to Disneyland for the first time next week, so my homework is to get familiar with the Indiana Jones movies before I go. So this week, I am asking you for your recommendations! Which should I start with, which am I able to skip?
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great weekend with plenty of chances to get outside.
- Megan
Oh I hope someone or a consortium purchases the Cafe and keeps it going!