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

Morongo Valley Community Services District recall effort raises $4000 at spaghetti fundraiser

The opposition to three Morongo Valley Community Services District board members continues with official recall efforts, organizing and fundraising to see them removed from the board. Assignment reporter Gabriel Hart spoke to Shawna Johnson, president of the Morongo Valley Recall Committee and former vice president of the MVCSD, yesterday morning after a successful Spaghetti Dinner fundraiser for the cause. On Wednesday, April 12th, around 150 community members attended the Morongo Valley Recall…

Zine Release Party Tonight at Space Cowboy Books

Local artist Zara Kand celebrates the release of her Dada-inspired new magazine ADAD Zine this Saturday, April 8th, at Space Cowboy Books in Joshua Tree, as part of Sun Alley Shops Second Saturday Artwalk. This Saturday April 8th, a release party for the inaugural issue of Adad Zine will take place as part of the second Saturday Artwalk in Joshua Tree at Space Cowboy Books. Adad Zine is a new mini magazine that pays homage to the Dadaist movement and features an assortment of absurdist art and…

Morongo Valley Fire Dept. donates truck to Covington Park

 After months of back and forth with the Morongo Valley Community Services District crunching numbers to acquire a new maintenance vehicle, The Morongo Valley Fire Department has agreed to donate a vehicle to Covington Park Maintenance. Announced at the MVCSD meeting on Thursday, March 16th, Fire Chief James Brakebill offered to donate an obsolete yet still fully functional fire truck to Covington Park maintenance, saving the CSD thousands of dollars in their budget as well as minutes on future…

Final Week for HOWL Literary and Arts submissions at CMC

The Copper Mountain Foundation’s Literary and Arts Review, HOWL, is accepting submissions of poems, prose, art and photography until April 7th. All students and community are encouraged to submit their work to this High Desert literary tradition, founded by CMC professor emeritus Greg Gilbert in 1996. Email submissions and any questions to current editor Renee Gurley at [email protected] To kick off their 2023 season, Copper Mountain College’s Literary and Arts Review, HOWL, will be hosting free…

Morongo Valley CSD Board Director declares resignation, once conditions are met

In response to accusations from enraged community members, many of whom are organizing recall efforts on grounds of Board members acquiring new legal counsel without consulting the community, Morongo Valley Community Services District Board Director Michael Emory has agreed to resign in 12 months under three proactive conditions. Addressing the ongoing contention between the Morongo Valley Community Services District Board and community members attempting recalls for three Board members, Board…

Local author Ruth Nolan hold free writing class for CMC’s ‘HOWL’ workshop Friday, Mar. 24

The Copper Mountain College HOWL writing workshop continues this Friday, March 24th with local author Ruth Nolan facilitating the class. Local author Ruth Nolan will be leading the HOWL writing workshop this Friday on the CMC campus in room 101 from 2 to 4pm. Ruth Nolan is a professor of English and creative writing at College of the Desert and has been named Mojave Desert Literary Laureate. She’s the author of poetry book After the Dome Fire, editor of No Place for a Puritan: The Literature of…

Standing room only at Morongo Valley CSD meeting, calls for resignations continue

The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board held its regular meeting at Covington Park’s multi-purpose room last night (3/16) at 6pm. Covington Park’s multi-purpose room overflowed to standing room only last night, with over 100 Morongo Valley residents in attendance; a large contingent wearing t-shirts with the phrase “Resign Now” directed at the newest three board members who have sparked distrust, making recent meetings particularly embattled. For full transparency, Board members…

Local Author Michael G. Vail facilitates free writing class for CMC’s “Howl” Workshop Friday, Mar. 17

Michael G. Vail Local author Michael G. Vail will be leading the HOWL writing workshop this Friday on the CMC campus in room 101 from 2 to 4 pm. Vail is the author of The Salvation of San Juan Cajon, a novel about the desperate struggle to construct a new high school in a poverty-stricken urban community, and High Desert Elegy, a collection of stories and poems. His writing has appeared in several literary anthologies, including Cholla Needles and HOWL. Vail’s workshop’s purpose is threefold: to…

Miss Yucca Valley and her ‘Court’ grace MUSD meeting

The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees held their regular meeting at Joshua Tree Elementary on March 14 at at 5pm to accommodate a work study session to review the Second Term Financial Report, followed by closed session. Reconvening for open session at 6pm, Miss Yucca Valley Ruth Kanuch of Yucca Valley High introduced herself and her “court;” 1st Princess Peyton Chandler, 2nd Princess Samantha Garcia, and 3rd Princess Mariam Hussain, before they led the meeting’s Pledge of…

Morongo Valley Community Services District Board meeting agenda for Mar. 15

The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board will be holding their regular meeting tonight, March 15, in Covington Park’s multi-purpose room, as well as online on Zoom, at 6pm. Tonight, the MVCSD Board will discuss and approve presenting Fire Chief Brakebill with a proclamation recognizing his accomplishments related to his duties as Fire Chief. Other action items include: discussing past legal expenses incurred by the MVCSD; a public review of engagement letter for BB&K, who members…