Redistricting deadline looms
Thanksgiving prep is underway in the Morongo Basin and the Capitol's Christmas tree makes a pit stop in Joshua Tree
Hello from California’s high desert, and happy almost Veteran’s Day (tomorrow). We are entertaining some visitors this weekend, so please send any recommendations you’ve got so we can show them all the great things our community has to offer.
Remember how excited I was about the Census results a few months ago? One of the reasons, beyond just the geekiness of learning new things about our community, was the longer-term implications of our new demographics. That includes redistricting, which refers to the very long and mostly boring process of redrawing state district lines to ensure each district has roughly the same amount of people and representation at the state and national levels.
This process happens after every Census, so once every 10 years, and affects who we send to Congress and the State Assembly during that time. Right now, the Morongo Basin is largely part of District 8 which covers most of rural San Bernardino County up to the Arizona border and up through parts of eastern Inyo County. Most of Riverside County is in its own district, District 36, but also creeps up the grade just above the actual county line.
That could very easily change by Monday, November 15, if state lawmakers move forward with the most recent version of the redrawn map. Monday is the deadline for the state’s commission to release the agreed upon maps for public comment. The goal is to finalize the maps by December so that they are in use by the 2022 elections.
A preliminary map draft suggested that the redistricting may include bigger changes than the last several redraws. According to the draft released November 1, Palm Springs and the Coachella Valley would create a new district that also includes Yucca Valley, Morongo Valley, Joshua Tree, and Twentynine Palms. It would follow the I-10 west until Beaumont and roughly follow the National Park borders on the eastern edge.
The committee has suggested that new maps will be available later today, although it seems that it is unlikely to include additional changes to the proposals for our area (some of the areas in Northern California are more controversial and have received pushback from residents).
If you are curious about what happens from now until the maps are finalized in December, I highly recommend Cal Matters’ library of extremely useful and easy-to-understand information about the entire process, what’s at stake, and how to participate in the public hearings later this month.
And now, onto this week’s news:
Joshua Tree Restaurant and Bar in the Oasis Hotel announced it will be hosting a Thanksgiving dinner for servicemembers and their families on November 25
Joshua Tree Restaurant and Bar in the Oasis Hotel in Twentynine Palms will host a Thanksgiving dinner for servicemembers and their families on Thursday, November 25.
Spouses, partners, and children are all welcome, even if the service member is unable to attend the dinner.
Erick Lundrigan is hosting and is actively looking for volunteers to help staff the meal prep and serving. He asks that you reach out to him directly via Facebook if you are interested.
Lundrigan also asked that anyone interested in attending also reach out so he has an accurate headcount as early as possible.
Joshua Tree Sportsman’s Club is hosting its annual drive-through turkey giveaway on Saturday, November 11, for San Bernardino residents
This Saturday, November 11, Joshua Tree Sportsman’s Club will host its annual drive-through turkey giveaway in preparation for Thanksgiving.
Turkeys are limited to one per household and are distributed on a first-come-first-served basis. There are enough food boxes and turkeys for up to 500 families, according to the event.
The event begins at 10 a.m. and runs until 1 p.m. or until they are out of food. The event is hosted in partnership with Community Action Partnership and Kaiser Permanente.
Joshua Tree Sportsman’s Club is located at 6225 Sunburst Stree in Joshua Tree. For more information, call (909) 723-1581.
The Capitol Christmas tree stopped in Joshua Tree on Monday and Tuesday — did you see it?
This year’s Christmas tree for the US Capitol in Washington, D.C., drove through Joshua Tree Monday and Tuesday on its way from Northern California to the East coast.
The 84-foot tall white fir was strapped in on a large flatbed truck and had a large police escort for its journey. It came from Six Rivers National Forest in far northwestern California near Eureka.
The tree, which is nicknamed “Sugarbear,” stopped in town overnight so residents could get pictures with it before it departed.
It will be decorated with more than 15,000 ornaments made by California schoolchildren and adult volunteers once it arrives in Washington.
Pupdate of the week: Well, my predictions last week about how the time change would affect the pups were unfortunately accurate. They are up before the sun and get very hangry before 4 p.m. Hopefully a few more weeks and we’ll be used to this new routine! I’d love to hear any tips on how to communicate the concept of time to dogs, if you’ve got them.
Trail tip of the week: It’s been a warmer than average autumn so far this year, and that means many of the resident reptiles haven’t quite hunkered down for winter yet. Make sure to keep an eye out for young rattlesnakes in particular, as these little ones don’t always know their bite power and can often be more dangerous than the adults. These critters will likely be sunbathing along paths and on boulders to get the most out of our unseasonably warm temps.
Book of the week: If you’ve ever been fascinated by the tech industry in Silicon Valley, I highly recommend checking out Anna Weiner’s Uncanny Valley. The memoir almost feels like satire until you realize it’s entirely based on Weiner’s experience joining a handful of startups during the hey-days of technological absurdity in San Francisco. Her writing style is fantastic — Weiner is a staff writer at The New Yorker and has a unique style that induces laughs on one page and cringes on the next. It’s a little too close to home for anyone that has worked in the tech industry, but the counter to that is it is a great explanation for outsiders of the way this industry has totally warped our brains.
Show of the week: The Alpinist is now available on Apple TV and Prime Video. The full-length film comes from our friends at ReelRock, the film studio that produces movies and short films primarily about rock climbing. The Alpinist is an incredible feat of film-making and is gorgeous to boot. It follows Marc-André Leclerc, a soloist that doesn’t quite get the same attention as climbers like Alex Honnold. The project he embarks on is awe-inspiring and terrifying in that he really pushes the boundaries of what the human body is capable of.
Small business of the week
Many of you are familiar with the crew at Black Luck Vintage, an awesomely curated vintage store off Route 62 in Yucca Valley. For those that maybe haven’t popped into the shop in a while, it saddens me to tell you that they’ve closed down after some disagreements between the shop owners and the landlord that owned the building. However, the shop owner is still selling some really rad inventory on her Instagram page — check it out here — that I recommend taking a look through. The shop always had some really great finds, and I’m sure there are even more hidden gems awaiting you there! She offers shipping or local pick-up and delivery.
One of the shop’s only employees is also offering photography sessions now that he is no longer working at the shop. He has a great editing style and a great eye. Check out his past work and send an inquiry for a holiday shoot or just-because nice photos on his website here.
That’s it for this week. I hope you have a great weekend and are able to enjoy the sunshine outside this weekend!
- Megan