Dispatch: Week of October 23
Joshua Tree National Park road closures, plus where to vote early
Hello from California’s high desert, and welcome back to the Dispatch. We’re rounding the corner on October, and it finally feels like fall.
In case you missed it: I wrote up a summary of my first marathon, which didn’t go quite as expected. But it’s okay because at least I tried. You can read it here.
And now, onto this week’s news:
In local news:
All registered voters in the state of California began receiving mail-in ballots earlier this month. Voters are able to mail back completed ballots for free by dropping them off at any Post Office or at their assigned polling location on Election Day. Election Day is Tuesday, November 5.
Here is a handy list of early voting sites across San Bernardino County, the closest of which is the Joshua Tree Community Center at 6171 Sunburst Street in Joshua Tree. It will open on October 29, and will be open daily until November 4 from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. except for Sunday, November 3.
Paved roads inside Joshua Tree National Park will be intermittently closed starting Monday, October 28, for construction. The schedule for closures has not been publicly released, but Park officials stated that access to campgrounds, trailheads, and other points of interest will likely be affected by closures, some of which may persist for up to a day.
The construction project, which includes repaving and sealing of paved roads, will continue through November 11, officials said.
Joshua Tree National Park officials are investigating construction at a Covington Flats inholding — a privately owned plot of land within the national park boundary — over concerns that it will be used for tourist housing or a short-term rental. All construction is currently halted while the investigation proceeds.
An unnamed investor from Pennsylvania purchased Yucca Valley’s Quick Quack Car Wash for just over $2 million.
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is turning 60! The conservation area is holding two family-friendly hikes to celebrate on Saturday, November 2 at 10 a.m. and 12 p.m.
The Yucca Valley Planning Commission approved changes to the design and layout of a proposed apartment complex on Palo Alto Avenue. The amended design includes less shared community space to allow for additional units.
Other planning commission approvals include:
Tiny Pony Tavern’s expanded back patio and additional parking.
Joshua Tree Calvary Chapel’s conditional use permit for a gymnasium.
The Hi-Desert Nature Museum and Yucca Valley Recreation Department are jointly hosting a Halloween Spooktacular on Saturday, October 26, beginning at 12 p.m. at the Hi-Desert Nature Museum.
The event includes trick-or-treating, a costume contest, face painting, crafts, and games.
The Community Action Partnership is holding a food giveaway featuring a whole turkey and all the fixings for Thanksgiving. If you’re interested in receiving a box, sign ups are required and currently open. The food donations will be distributed on November 18 in Joshua Tree from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m.
Caltrans is expected to close lanes on Twentynine Palms Highway this week for an overlay project. The main thoroughfare will go down to a single lane with police escort at times between Gopher Grover Road and Gold Crown Road from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m.
Pioneertown is seeking candy and decoration donations for the Pioneertown Halloween Parade on Saturday, October 26. Donations can be dropped off at the Mercantile on Mane Street.
The parade begins at 4 p.m. on Mane Street and also includes a costume contest for kids, face painting, and trick-or-treating.
The folks at Salvation Mountain are hosting a celebration of life for founder Leonard Knight on Saturday, October 26, at Salvation Mountain.
In state news:
I found this breakdown of the different statewide ballot initiatives helpful when filling out my own ballot this weekend. There are fewer initiatives to vote on than some years, but they’re all still confusingly written, as always.
The EPA settled with Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal, an energy company in Imperial County that was pumping and dredging materials that harmed the wetlands around Salton Sea. The settlement requires Hell’s Kitchen Geothermal to restore the damaged wetlands, but other conditions or fines were not disclosed.
California has more women legislators with young kids than any other state in the country, a new report found.
In other news:
The National Park Service ticketed ultra runner Michelino Sunseri for cutting the switchbacks on a trail he was using for his attempt to set the record for the fastest known time on the Grand Teton. Sunseri may also face charges for damage to the ecosystem.
Turns out, sports betting is still gambling, and people are losing hundreds of thousands of dollars to app-based betting in states that have legalized the practice.
It is a cross-country World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers facing the New York Yankees starting Friday around 6 p.m. The two franchises have the highest paid players in the league, and fans themselves are shelling out a record amount of cash to attend any game in the best-of-seven series.
Pupdate of the week: Oliver was thrilled to have new humans to boss around while we were visiting family in Colorado, and Alice is officially the certified queen of her daycare facility. They’re both thrilled, and a bit sleepy, for everyone to be home.
Trail tip of the week: I did a bit of hiking in Colorado on my most recent trip, and was quickly reminded that hiking at altitude is an entirely different beast than hiking in the desert, even if we aren’t anywhere near sea-level. A good tip to better acclimatize to the altitude is to sleep at a lower elevation than you plan on hiking at, and as always, drink plenty of water and don’t forget your sunscreen!
Read of the week: I must admit that I tore through The Night She Disappeared by Lisa Jewell in less than 24 hours. My bookclub decided to go with a thriller for October in celebration of the spooky season, and though the novel didn’t feature anything supernatural it was again proof that the scariest creatures around are other people. It is delightfully written and was the perfect post-race book when I was recovering.
Watch of the week: The guilty pleasure show Love is Blind is back once again and weirder than ever. To be honest, I am not sure why I continue to watch this show, but once I tune in it’s impossible to look away. This season features single people from the Washington, D.C., area, who commit to getting engaged before ever setting sights on one another. I do feel that this show would cease to exist if all these folks opted instead for therapy, but in the meantime I will continue to tune in and cringe every Wednesday.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a lovely weekend with plenty of time outside.
- Megan