Gabriel Hart is a journalist and author from Morongo Valley, CA.

2nd Annual Morongo Valley Dog Mayor election makes room for Goats

The race for the Morongo Valley Dog Mayor is under way for its second year in a row, the first time with the inclusion of goats in the election. Roxy, current Mayor of Morongo Valley Last year, when it was strictly canines for the inaugural race, local favorite shop dog Roxy at All American Gas became Morongo Valley’s first dog mayor. Donned in a red, white, and blue top hat and commemorative blue ribbon, Roxy was then sworn in by Fire Chief Brakebill followed by a round of applause by local…

Banned books event this Sunday (10/1) at Space Cowboy Books

Our local Desert Split Open reading series will hold their annual celebration for Banned Books Week from 5-7PM this Sunday (October 1st) at Joshua Tree’s Space Cowboy Books. While some may presume book banning to be an antiquated infringement from America’s past, The American Library’s Association Office for Intellectual Freedom documented 1,269 demands to censor library books and resources in 2022, the highest number of attempted book bans since ALA began compiling data more than twenty years…

Giant Rock clean-up effort “largest one yet”

In continued honor of National Public Lands Day, Positional Projects held their 8th annual clean-up of Giant Rock, the popular historic rock formation in Landers last Saturday. In collaboration with Bighorn Desert View Water Agency, Blightsites, Desert Cleanse Project, Element Society, High Desert Keepers, The Landers Community Association, Mojave Desert Land Trust, and ReFuel Your Fun, Positional Projects founder Karyl “Kaz” Newman told Z1077 this year’s effort was the largest one yet. With…

Save the Date: MDLT’s Fall Native Plant Sale is coming

 The Mojave Desert Land Trust is encouraging community members to save the date for their seasonal native plant sale on Saturday, October 7th. Landscaping with native plants improves our surrounding habitat while supporting native biodiversity. In addition to their beauty, native plants are well-adapted to our local climate and soil, making them a low-maintenance way to enrich your outdoor spaces. For their upcoming native plant sale, the MDLT will be sharing their available inventory one week…

MVCSD passes preliminary budget for public review with only $104 under

The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors held their regular 6pm meeting last night in Covington Park’s multipurpose room. In the General Manager / Fire Chief report, Chief Brakebill announced various storm damage at the softball field’ and Covington Park’s tennis courts have been repaired and has asked Third District Supervisor Dawn Rowe for additional disaster relief funds. Brakebill’s Fire Department has also worked a deal with Morongo Basin Ambulance for medication…

8th annual Giant Rock cleanup to be held this Saturday in Landers

In honor of National Public Lands Day, Positional Projects is holding their 8th annual Giant Rock Clean-Up effort this Saturday, September 23rd at Giant Rock in Landers. In collaboration with Bighorn Desert View Water Agency, Blightsites, Desert Cleanse Project, Element Society, High Desert Keepers, the Landers Community Association, Mojave Desert Land Trust and ReFuel Your Fun, Positional Projects is gearing up for an even bigger clean-up even than last year, including their…

MVCSD continue preliminary budget, update job description for new GM at tonight’s meeting

The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors will hold their regular 6pm meeting tonight at Covington Park’s multipurpose room. For the meeting’s agenda, board members will approve the minutes of the last four meetings dating back to August 16th, a majority of them special meetings. Board members will continue discussing their preliminary budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year in a workshop ongoing for the last three meetings in hopes to curb last year’s $58,303 overage. Also…

Ed Kabotie and tha Yoties coming to CMC on Wednesday (9/20)

Copper Mountain College is pleased to host Ed Kabotie and Tha Yoties as part of their Native Voices of the Grand Canyon Tour next Wednesday, September 20th for a free event. The first event at the Christine Proudfoot Student Activity Center at 2:30pm will be a presentation and performance by Ed Kabotie on “Alter-Native” History,” including visual art, Kabotie’s music, and education on the history and issues related to the Indigenous people and lands of the Southwest. Following at 5pm, the Copper…

The Desert Split Open Mic returns to Beatnik Lounge tonight (9/17)

The Desert Split Open Mic, featuring local feminist, queer, or otherwise radical writers, will resume its place at the Beatnik Lounge this Sunday, September 17th from 6-8pm. September is a month for fresh starts: blank notebooks, sharpened pencils, bigger goals. Join the Desert Split Open for their re-visioned, revised return. Everyone is invited to read their poetry or prose, any genre/form/style, for up to 6 minutes. As always, their goal is to encourage and amplify literary work that is…

Big Morongo Canyon Preserve now open after storm cleanup

With 400 hours of volunteer clean-up in the last twenty days from damage accrued from two major storms, the Big Morongo Preserve in Morongo Valley will re-open this Friday, September 15th with limited trail access. Assignment reporter Gabriel Hart spoke to Kevin Wong - the Preserve’s executive director - on what this means for visitors enthused to get back on those trails. After evaluation visits from Bureau of Land Management and San Bernardino County of Regional Parks, these partners of Big…