Dispatch: Week of September 20
TBID reversal, plus Mon Petit Mojave's fall concert series returns
Hello from California’s high desert, where we’ve hopefully seen the last of triple-digit temperatures for the year.
Onto this week’s news:
In local news:
Officials are seeking the public’s help in locating Kianna Sernka, a 16-year-old Yucca Valley resident last seen on Sunday.
Sernka has blonde hair, is 5-foot-6-inches tall, and approximately 120 pounds. She may have left the house in dark sweats, or light blue/gray jeans. She may be with another individual in a blue 2017 Subaru Forester, which was reported stolen in July.
If you think you have seen Sernka, please contact the San Bernardino Sheriff’s department at 760-956-5001.
The HWY 62 Open Studio Art Tours kicks off its 22nd year on October 7. You can download this year’s catalogue and map here.
The Town of Yucca Valley put out a call for artists for a three-day pop-up art installation during this year’s Yucca Valley Film Festival.
The festival will be held November 10 through November 12. Individuals and teams in the 7th grade or older are invited to apply. The chosen artist will receive a $500 stipend and up to $1,500 in reimbursements
You can apply in person at the Yucca Valley Community Center from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m. or online at www.yucca-valley.org. Applications are due no later than 5 p.m. on Monday, October 2, and must be emailed to publicart@yucca-valley.org.
Twentynine Palms City Council reversed its recent defunding of the Tourism Business Improvement District in a special meeting called by the mayor last week.
The resolution was approved 5-0 confirming the 1.5% levy of assessments to fund the TBID, which the council had voted against on September 12.
Our very own Mon Petit Mojave is back in action with its fall concert series. RSVPs are currently open for three free shows in October and November. To RSVP for any of the below shows, visit monpetitmojave.com/rsvp.
Just a Little Swing is on October 15 and begins at sunset.
Dia de los Muertos with Mariachi Quinto Sol is on November 2 at sunset.
MPM’s first crack at Shakespeare theater will be held On Sunday, November 5, in the afternoon.
All that rain has brought out long-dormant fairy shrimp in Joshua Tree National Park’s Barker Dam. Fairy shrimp eggs can lie dormant for years in the soil, waiting for the perfect conditions and ample water to hatch.
Joshua Tree National Park received $920,000 in funding from California State Parks’ Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Division for a suite of restoration projects aimed at illegal OHV use within park boundaries.
The Route 62 restoration project east of Twentynine Palms is expected to conclude this week. No other closures or projects are currently scheduled.
Our neighbors to the south are hosting an annual Celebration of Life at Salvation Mountain on October 28. The clean-up event begins at 9:30 a.m. and is dedicated to Salvation Mountain creator Leonard’s life in the desert.
Grnd Sqrl in Twentynine Palms is kicking off its Oktoberfest celebration this week with a selection of Southern California festbiers and bratwurst and currywurst on the menu. The menu will also include pork schnitzel on Friday while supplies last.
Pappy and Harriet’s is adding breakfast to its weekend menu. The Pioneertown saloon will open at 10 a.m. and serve breakfast until 12 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
In state news:
California filed a massive climate lawsuit against oil giants Exxon Mobil, Shell, BP, ConocoPhillips, and Chevron, as well as the domestic oil industry's biggest lobby, the American Petroleum Institute.
The lawsuit claims the companies misled the public for decades about climate change and the dangers of fossil fuels, and demands the companies help fund recovery efforts related to California's extreme weather events.
The state also ruled against Nestlé, the parent company that makes Arrowhead bottled water, cutting how much water it can pull from the watershed in San Bernardino National Forest to make bottled water.
In other news:
The U.S. Marines Corps suspended all aircraft flights for two days earlier this week after losing a fighter jet in South Carolina. The pilot was ejected from the missing jet without major injuries while the jet was on autopilot. Officials believe they have located a debris field that may be tied to the $80 million F-35.
Microsoft accidentally leaked years’ worth of video game business strategy, upcoming Xbox titles, and a new Xbox design as part of its ongoing trail with the FTC.
University of Colorado, Boulder, has taken over as one of the most exciting college football teams of the season thanks to its new coach, Deion Sanders. Colorado won against rival Colorado State in overtime on Saturday.
Pupdate of the week: Alice has been delighting in chasing lizards around the yard, but come to find out she is extremely allergic to pollen from all the plants that have sprouted in the last month or so, so she’s on a regular schedule of baths and anti-itch meds until we have time to yank those pesky weeds out.
Trail tip of the week: I’ve been seeing a lot of wildlife on my hikes recently (a tarantula, a tortoise, so many lizards), so consider this your reminder to slow down and keep your eyes peeled while you are out hiking! A little extra attention can go a long way.
Read of the week: I loved Majka Burhardt’s new memoir, More: Life on the Edge of Adventure and Motherhood, so much that I finished it in just a few days. The ice climber’s memoir begins when she finds out she is pregnant, and then finds out she is actually pregnant with twins. Her life as an athlete, a partner, and the founder of a major international non-profit has to shift, a struggle she catalogues through her kids’ first years through a series of letters and audio notes. The style of the book allows for some intense reflection and vulnerable candor, a rarity even in memoirs!
Watch of the week: Per the other news note above, this week’s headliner will likely be the Colorado vs. Oregon football game this Saturday at 12:30 p.m. I will be in the middle of a bucket list hike at that time, but I trust you will all root for Coach Prime while I’m away.
That’s it for this week! I hope you have a great rest of your week and are able to get outside this weekend.
- Megan
Very informative