The housing crunch doesn't have to define the Basin's future
Controversy around Indian Cove concert series grows, burn ban goes into effect, and Joshua Tree Water Play is reopening
Hello from California’s high desert. Did you catch the Super Blood Moon eclipse last night? I was out with Alice and it was too cloudy for us to make out anything beyond a dim red glow, unfortunately. Maybe we’ll catch the next one!
Two more houses went up for sale on my block this week, and that’s on top of the tens of houses that have sold in the last 6 months. Each house is going for more money than the last, and the realtor barely gets the sign up before it gets snatched up.
The housing crunch is everywhere, but it feels especially acute here in the Morongo Basin. I’ve talked with friends all over the country who have had an incredibly difficult time buying a home, sometimes offers more than $100,000 over asking and still getting passed over. When we were house hunting in the area a while back, it was incredibly frustrating, but I don’t even dare imagine what it would be like now.
What is especially wild is that this data was not captured in the Census, which represents data through 2019. Prior to our current situation, just 51% of owners lived in their homes as primary residences in Joshua Tree. If I had to guess, that percentage has only decreased in the two years since.
At the risk of sounding like an old man who yells at clouds, it pains me to see how much the Basin has changed in such a short period of time. While it’s great that others have discovered and felt at home in the desert just as I have, I’m struggling to come to terms with what that means for our future. Which small businesses will stick around, and which will fall victim to a changing neighborhood with rising rents? Which roads will become under construction in perpetuity just to accommodate more vehicles? Which neighbors will still hang out and chitchat with me at the dog park every morning, and which are just passing through?
Places, like people, aren’t static. I understand that. But I can’t help but feel nostalgic each time something shifts. Looking backward, though, as easy as it is, doesn’t help. We can always create a community we want to live in and be proud of. That’s the cool thing about the future, right? It hasn’t been determined yet. We get to do that, and we should do that if we are willing and able to stick around.
Now, onto this week’s news:
The Desert Sun had a great overview of the controversy surrounding the upcoming concert series planned for Indian Cove Campground in Joshua Tree National Park.
The concert series’ organizers created the events as a benefit to the Joshua Tree National Park Association in conjunction with its Desert Institute, which typically holds educational events in the campground’s amphitheater.
The concert series will run over two weekends. The first will be on June 18 with high-desert bands Mojave Lords, eARTHLINGS?, and singer-songwriter Alain Johannes. The second concert is planned for July 17 and will feature Yawning Man, spoken word by Throw Rag frontman Sean Wheeler, and a screening of the short film "Known Unknowns."
Many residents, however, are concerned about the concerts’ impact on desert wildlife and increasing tourism congestion in the area, which just weathered an incredibly busy tourist season.
Capacity for the concerts, which are permitted by the Park Service, will be limited to 100 people. Tickets are $100 each.
The San Bernardino County Fire Protection District declared a ban on all open fires starting at 6 a.m. Monday. The ban will run “until safer conditions resume,” the proclamation said.
The ban includes all open flames, such as outdoor bonfires, campfires, and fireworks. Gas fire pits and contained flames such as those used for grilling may be used with supervision.
The open fire ban includes District 4, which includes unincorporated areas in the Morongo Basin, as well as Yucca Valley, Twentynine Palms, and Needles. Morongo Valley is not covered in the ban.
The ongoing dry winds and low humidity contributed to the County’s decision to enact the ban, Z107.7 reported.
Special events can apply for use permits with the County for things like event fireworks. A reminder that a new County ordinance holds the landowner responsible for any illegal firework activity even if they are not present.
Joshua Tree Water Play is opening just in time for the holiday weekend
Joshua Tree Water Play, the water play park in Joshua Tree’s Sunburst Park, will reopen on Friday just in time for the long Memorial Day Weekend.
The park will be open from 9 a.m. until 7 p.m. Friday through Monday. Going forward, it will be open during those hours from Thursday until Monday through Labor Day Weekend.
Masking and social distancing will be required as long as the state reinforces the mandate. State officials previously said they would lift the mask mandate, which requires a mask in most outdoor settings for vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, on June 15.
Reservations are not required. If you have questions about safety measures or other topics, please contact the Park and Rec office at 760-366-8415.
Pupdate of the week: Things were quiet this week, which is a welcome change of pace. Alice and Oliver both got to lay outside and enjoy the sunshine with some visitors this weekend and took full advantage of getting the newbies’ attention.
Trail tip of the week: I saw a lot of folks out and about this weekend without proper footwear, so that’s my inspiration for this week. Wear shoes with real traction if you plan on scrambling around some boulders (Nikes do not count). If you really enjoy exfoliating your feet, Tevas or Chacos are one option, but I personally prefer to protect my toes from the desert.
Book of the week: When No One is Watching by Alyssa Cole was a great pop literature read that covers a gentrifying neighborhood in Brooklyn through one of its oldest and newest residents. It’s a quick-moving thriller that reminded me of a Jordan Peele horror movie.
Show of the week: The Last Blockbuster on Netflix was a huge hit in my house. The documentary looks at the rise and fall of the movie rental giant, which currently has just one location in Bend, Oregon. The doc features several comedians and has a definite “Drunk History” vibe to it. Come prepared with Red Vines and nostalgia.
Small business of the week
As I mentioned above, we had visitors this weekend so we got to cruise around our favorite spots to show off, and Frontier Café is always on the itinerary. It has options for all kinds of eaters — one of our group is vegetarian and another was gluten-free — for breakfast and lunch. There’s always a bit of a wait on the weekends, but I’ve managed to sneak in for lunch a few times during the week as a little treat.
Frontier Café is open every day from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. It is currently doing take-out only and offers online ordering if you don’t have time to wait. The café is in Old Yucca at 55844 Twentynine Palms Highway.
That’s it for this week! Have a great weekend and get outside!
- Megan