Dispatch: Week of October 9
Ballots begin arriving for registered CA voters, plus MPM's Night of the Living Dead
Hello from California’s high desert. Hopefully autumn is on its way.
In case you missed it: I was a bit overwhelmed by my to-do list and my calendar and a host of other things this weekend, so I tried to give you a glimpse into how my brain functions when that is the case. You can read it here.
Programming note: I am heading to Chicago this week to run my first marathon, a task that is equally terrifying and exhilarating. I’m sure I will have a lot to say about the experience after the fact, but this week is all about being in the present moment. Because of that, there will be no essay this weekend and next week’s news round-up will also be taking a hiatus. I will be back in your inboxes with an essay on October 19, with the news summary resuming the following Wednesday, October 23.
Now for this week’s news:
In local news:
Registered voters in San Bernardino County will begin receiving their mail-in ballots for the November general election this week. All registered voters in California will receive a mail-in ballot, which can be mailed or dropped off at any polling place on election day.
All voters are also able to vote in-person on election day at their assigned polling place if they have not already sent in their mail-in ballot.
Election day is Tuesday, November 5.
The Town of Yucca Valley is hosting a lunch and learn series for registered voters to discuss Measure Y and Measure Z, two tax measures on the ballot again in November.
Both measures were approved by voters in 2016 and expire in 2026. This year’s election will seek to extend both Measure Y and Measure Z until 2036.
The first session was held today, but town officials are hosting another session on October 16 and October 30 in the Cholla Room at the Yucca Valley Community Center at 12:30 p.m. One evening session is scheduling for Tuesday, October 22, at 5:30 p.m.
The Loma Linda VA Hospital is seeking volunteers able to drive veterans to and from their appointments during the week with a government-issued van. If you are interested in volunteering, please call Stephanie Munoz at 909-583-6011.
Friends of Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is currently seeking applicants for those interested in serving on its board of directors. All candidates must be current donors or willing to become a donor and have the ability to serve for two consecutive years. More information about the position and application requirements can be found here.
Mon Petit Mojave, a local arts and entertainment non-profit organization, is hosting its first drive-in movie night on October 27 to help fundraise for the organization’s free community drive-in concerts. There is a $10 suggested donation to attend.
RSVPs are required and can be made here. The evening is themed Night of the Living Dead.
RSVPs are also open for MPM’s annual Dia de los Muertos concert on November 1. If you haven’t yet been, I highly recommend it!
The Joshua Tree Music Festival kicks off Thursday, October 10, and runs through Sunday, October 13. The full line-up is available here, and tickets are still available for purchase here.
Mojave Desert Land Trust’s annual plant sale is Saturday, October 26, from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. Members of MDLT receive a discount on all plant purchases, and attendees are able to become a member the day of the sale. Be sure to get there early as the sales are notorious for selling out fast!
The National Park Service is seeking volunteers for Joshua tree planting at Cima Dome in Mojave National Preserve starting Friday, October 25. Planting efforts run through Tuesday, November 5.
Volunteers must be able to hike between three and five miles, carry up to 30 pounds, use GPS and mobile mapping apps, and have experience hiking in the desert. You can sign up here.
Palms-N-Paws Animal Shelter and VCA Animal Hospital are hosting a rabies clinic on Saturday, October 12, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m. at 7086 Bullion Avenue in Twentynine Palms. Vaccines are $8 each and city licenses will also be available for purchase. The event is cash-only.
In state news:
The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to hear challenges to California’s labor law that classifies independent contractors as employees. Lyft and Uber brought the lawsuits to the highest court in the land, and have remained opponents of the law since before it was enacted.
It’s not just you — cities across the state are setting one record after another for high temperatures never seen so late in the year.
These before and after photos of the Klamath dam removal in Northern California are a must-see.
Here’s a handy guide to all the statewide initiatives on the ballot this November.
In other news:
Just two weeks after Hurricane Helene decimated much of the southeast, Gulf communities in Florida are bracing for Hurricane Milton, which rapidly intensified into a major hurricane is just several hours. Airports in Orlando, Fort Meyers, and other at-risk communities have preemptively shut and many cities have been evacuated.
Two American scientists — Victor Ambros and Gary Ruvkun — won the Nobel Peace Prize on Monday for advances in physiology or medicine. The pair is credited with the discovery of microRNAs, tiny molecules that have been tied to heart disease, several types of cancer, and multiple viral diseases.
Pupdate of the week: Oliver knows something is up and won’t let me out of his sight. He hasn’t even seen a suitcase, but maybe my manic cleaning has something to do with it. Alice is, as usual, clueless, but will likely get the hint once we pull into the parking lot of her boarding facility.
Trail tip of the week: Sometimes those energy bars, carbohydrate gels, and caffeinated jelly beans just don’t cut it while you’re out on the trail. As someone recently pointed out to me, most types of regular candy have about the same nutritional profile as the gels and jelly beans, so why not mix it up to keep things interesting while you’re on the trail? Sure, the others are convenient and lighter, but there’s something about a good old Jolly Rancher that almost always hits the spot.
Read of the week: To be completely honest, most of my reading of late has comprised mainly of course maps, fueling strategies, hydration tips, and anything else you can think of that would come in handy for running a marathon. My mind is simply not able to keep anything else in at the moment, but I vow to come back with plenty of book recommendations that I am sure I will get through during my race recovery!
Watch of the week: My “to-watch” list is growing exponentially as I try to keep up with the onslaught of new movies and shows after several months without anything new to latch on to. Next up on my list is Netflix’s Derry Girls on several recommendations. I know this one isn’t entirely new, but I am a sucker for a comedy based in dark, dry humor and I’ve heard Derry Girls is among the best in that genre. If you’ve seen it, let me know what you think!
That’s it for this week, and for next week as well! I hope you have a lovely few days, and maybe autumn will decide to join us while The Dispatch is away.
- Megan
Derry Girls is one of my favourite ever shows, and my Northern Irish husband is a huge fan, finding it wincingly accurate at times. I would recommend having the subtitles on if you're not used to an NI accent!