Dignitaries of the 87th annual Pioneer Days were announced over the weekend, including Grand Marshall, Judge and Sheriff, and Old Timer of the Year.
At the 87th annual Pioneer Days kickoff last Saturday, dignitaries were announced, and the pioneering Smith Family of Twentynine Palms was named Grand Marshall. Homesteader Bill Smith established Smith’s Ranch in 1923 and along, with his wife, Thelma, raised six kids while creating an entertainment and social hub for the burgeoning community of Twentynine Palms. Still bearing the family name, the city’s Smith’s Ranch Drive-In is one of just 177 drive-in theaters left in the country.
Jeff and Laura Grabow were named Judge and Sheriff of Pioneer Days. Jeff is a retired Master Gunnery Sergeant in the US Marine Corps, retired from teaching in the Morongo Unified School District, and the Corporate Board Chair of the Los Medicos Voladores Flying Doctors. Laura was a Career Technical Education instructor in for the Morongo Unified School District for 30 years, training scores of future dentists and hygienists.
Les Snodgrass was named Old Timer of the year. Arriving in Twentynine Palms as a Marine in 1977, he chose to stay after his retirement in 1989. Snodgrass served as president of the Twentynine Palms Historical Society for 13 years, overseeing many crucial changes in the organization, including the creation of the Hastie bus barn and the dedication of Founders Hall.
