On Wednesday, May 15, the Town of Yucca Valley invites the community to a second special meeting on the Community Center Master Plan. Town Staff made adjustments to the original plans for the pickleball courts, basketball courts, and skate park following a meeting last month. Residents can enjoy free pizza while reviewing the updated plans; the meeting is an opportunity to gather public input so that the Town can ensure the new facilities align with the community’s vision.
The meeting will be held Wednesday, May 15 at 6 p.m. at the Yucca Valley Community Center.
For more information, get in touch with the Town of Yucca Valley at (760) 369-7211.
The Morongo Valley Community Services District Board of Directors will hold their regular 6 PM meeting tonight in Covington Park’s multipurpose room.
For the meeting’s agenda, the Board will review, discuss, and approve the update of the Schedule of Fees, as well as an update to the Memorandum of Understanding negotiation team. The Board will review and discuss Resolution 24-03, which approves the assessment fee and orders the levy and collection of annual assessments within the Morongo Valley Fire Suppression Assessment service area for fiscal year 2024/2025.
Lastly, the Board is set to approve the 2024-25 Preliminary Budget.
Directors at the Joshua Basin Water District will meet in special session at 3 p.m. this afternoon that’s in place of the regular 5:30 meeting. Yucca Valley’s Hi-Desert Water District meets in regular session at 4 o’clock today (May 15, 2024).
At the Joshua Basin Water District directors will hold the second budget workshop where they’ll look at the 23/24 revised capital budget and the 24/25 proposed capital budget. The meeting is at the District Office on Chollita Road in Joshua Tree.
At the Hi-Desert Water District directors will hear a special presentation from Marina West, Bighorn Desert View Water Agency General Manager, on the status of water availability in Morongo Basin. Also on the agenda is a report on the five-year strategic plan, customer bill payment fees, the Groundwater Reuse and Replenishment Project, and more.
Today’s meeting takes place at the district office on the highway at Inca Trail.
From left, Rotarian John Cole joins Twentynine Palms High School Principal Mike Ruggerio and “Teacher of the Year” recipient Robert Conway at a recent meeting. (Rotary Photo)
A Counselor/Teacher at Twentynine Palms High School received high honors last Wednesday at the local Rotary Club honored his selection as “Teacher of the Year.”
In the wake of Twentynine Palms High School’s recent six-year accreditation from the WASC, Twentynine Palms High School Principal Mike Ruggiero selected Robert Conway as Teacher of the Year due to his extraordinary efforts in coordinating the recent school accreditation effort.
Ruggiero said Conway’s leadership and management skills resulted in Twentynine Palms High School being given a full six-year accreditation at the highest level possible.
Conway was presented with a recognition award and a gift certificate at The Rotary Club of Twentynine Palms, part of Rotary International, whose stated human rights purpose is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.
A person was detained last weekend after attempting to access the Marine Base in Twentynine Palms, and then transferred to agents with Customs and Border Patrol.
On May 5, at around 11:15 a.m., officials with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center said that an unauthorized person attempted to access the base via the Condor Gate, and was detained. Officials with the base said that the person did not have valid identification, and that they were transferred to Customs and Border Patrol.
Z107.7 has reached out to CBP for further information, though they broadly decline to comment on specific cases.
A social media account associated with US Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Gregory K. Bovino describes the person as a female from the Czech Republic, who was in the United States on an expired visa.
This is the second time this year a non-citizen has been detained while attempting to enter the base without authorization. A man believed to be from China was detained by base personnel and transferred to CBP in March.
On the morning of Sunday, May 12th at around 9:30 deputies from the Morongo Basin Sheriff’s Station received reports of a disturbance at a home in the 6400 block of Valley View St. in Joshua Tree. According to the Sheriff’s press release, deputies discovered an elderly victim inside her home with significant injuries to her face and right eye, leaving her unable to see and immobilized from her injuries.
The Sheriff’s Department says that through further investigation they determined the elderly victim was attacked by 35 year-old Scott Grogins, reportedly punching her several times on the right side of the head and fleeing the house before law enforcement arrived.
The victim’s injuries required transport to a local hospital, and the Sheriff’s department says that as a result of Grogins’ attack, the victim sustained multiple orbital fractures and contusions.
Later that day just after 3 p.m. deputies did an area check in the 61000 block of Twentynine Palms Highway and located Grogins on Valley View St. near the intersection of Petunia Dr.
Scott Grogins, 35, was arrested for Attempted Murder and is being held at the West Valley Detention Center on $500,000 bail.
A Yucca Valley man is suspected of causing two separate collisions, the second of which sent a pregnant woman to the hospital and resulted in the suspect’s car rolling multiple times.
According to the Sheriff’s press release, the incidents took place on Monday, May 13th in Yucca Valley. Deputies say that 34 year-old Wayne Major was traveling westbound on Twentynine Palms Hwy. when he failed to stop at the intersection at Sage Ave., colliding with a stopped vehicle. Major then fled the scene in his black 2003 Saturn Vue “at a high rate of speed with disregard for other motorists” according to the Sheriff’s report.
Major again failed to stop at the intersection of Aster Ave. and Onaga Trl. when he collided with a car traveling through the intersection. The driver of that car is in her late term pregnancy and was transported to the local hospital by ambulance.
Major’s vehicle rolled several times and came to rest in the yard of a nearby home. The female passenger of the car sustained traumatic injuries and was transported to a local hospital for life-saving treatment. Wayne Major also sustained injuries and was transported to Desert Regional Medical Center.
Deputies believe Major was driving under the influence of drugs during the collisions, and he was found to be in possession of suspected fentanyl.
Wayne Allen Major, 34, was released from the hospital and arrested for suspected DUI causing Bodily Injury and Possession of Unlawful Paraphernalia, and is being held at the Morongo Basin Station on $260,000 bail.
Tonight’s Twentynine Palms City Council meeting will kick off with a public hearing on various changes to the ‘Dedications and Improvements’ aspect of the Development Code, which sets standards for street dedications, infrastructure improvements for development projects, and Development Impact Fees.
As required annually by state law, the council will then review the status of the General Plan. Ultimately, the report will be submitted to the State Office of Planning Research and the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
Council will then discuss the possible relocation of 29! sign from its’ current location at Donnell Hill to Freedom Plaza area. The sign, created by local artist Chuck Caplinger, also requires $4,000 in repairs.
Once again, council will consider a possible update to the current fee waiver policy dated September of 1989, which allows for unlimited free city-owned facility rentals to qualified organizations.
Next, the council will appoint Xarene Eskander to the Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC). Eskander has a background in live audio-visuals and photography.
Finally, the council will round out the meeting with a review and possible guidance on the preliminary FY 2024-25 budget revisions for the General Fund.
The meeting takes place on Tuesday, May 14, at 6:00 p.m. at City Hall, 6136 Adobe Road. It can be livestreamed or viewed on-demand via the city’s website, www.29palms.org.
Following discussions about the improvement of Highway 62, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission will consider outdoor sidewalk displays at tonight’s meeting.
Such displays are commonly found at secondhand stores throughout the town; Yucca Valley does not currently have any regulations for businesses to abide by.
Town Staff will provide a report on regulations found in neighboring jurisdictions, as well as a list of potential recommendations for displays as discussed at a past meeting in November. The Planning Commission will review these options and discuss appropriate standards for Yucca Valley.
The Planning Commission will also receive the Land Development Update.
Tonight’s meeting is open to the public and begins at 6 p.m. at the Yucca Valley Community Center.
The Morongo Unified School District Board of Trustees will hold their regular 6 PM meeting tonight at Joshua Tree Elementary. For the meeting’s agenda, Desiree Hernandez and Brenda Barker Andrews will be presented with School Lunch HERO awards by No Kid Hungry Representative Robin Hernandez, and Assistant Superintendent of Instructional Services Amy Woods will recognize Twentynine Palms senior Hannah Grabow, who placed 6th in the Health Occupation Students of America competition.
There will be various policy updates, including one for districts participating in the National School Lunch and Breakfast Program that, in their bids and contracts, must specify where agricultural food products are grown, packed, and processed, including whether the quality and price of the domestic product versus non-domestic sources; another policy update to caution districts charging religious groups direct costs for use of district facilities when those costs are not charged to other groups due to the potential conflict between a U.S. Supreme Court decision and state law. Lastly, there will be policy update requiring the ballot label of a school district measure on a county ballot to offer more transparency with their associations.
The Board will vote on a Twentynine Palms High School field trip for an “Every 15 Minutes” event June 24th to raise awareness for juniors and seniors about the dangers of drinking and driving.
Action items include bylaw updates for district legal representation, adoption of ordering a School Bond Election, and revisions to the Management Salary schedule.
The Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency provides piped water for businesses and residents of Landers and Flamingo Heights. The agency’s board of directors meets at 6 p.m. tonight (May 14, 2024).
Directors at Bighorn-Desert View Water Agency are expected to approve the district’s employee handbook with human resources-related updates.
That resolution is in addition to routine reports and items on the consent agenda. The public is invited to attend in person at the agency’s board meeting office under the old water tower on Cherokee Trail in Landers. Remote participation is also an option. See this story at Z1077fm.com for instructions and links (https://bdvwa.org/board-and-governance/agendas-and-packets/).
The City of Twentynine Palms Parks & Recreation Department has announced the opening day for the pool as well as the full summer pool schedule.
After opening on Memorial Day weekend the pool will be open for public swim afternoons most every weekend from through September from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., and weekdays 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. from June 8 through August 11.
There will be adult and senior sessions on weekdays starting June 8.
Public Swim 1 p.m.- 5 p.m.:
May 25-27
June 1 – 2
June 8 – August 11
August 17-18
August 24-25
August 31 – September 2
Adult Lap Swim Weekdays 10 a.m.-11 a.m.:
June 10 – August 9
Senior Swim Weekdays 11a.m.-12 p.m.:
June 10-August 9
As a cash-only facility, the Luckie Park Pool will maintain its affordable entry fees.
Children (aged 2-17) and adults will be charged $4.50 per visit, while seniors (aged 55 and above) can enjoy a discounted rate of $2.75.
For regular visitors, a 20 Entry Punch Pass will be available for purchase at $40.25. This pass is exclusively valid for public swim sessions and will be punched per person upon entry. Additionally, an Adult Lap Swim and Adult Swim Session Pass can be acquired for $34.50 each.
For additional information, please contact the City of Twentynine Palms Parks & Recreation Department at (760) 367-7562.
The Twentynine Palms High School Music Boosters invite everyone to a special extended concert in honor of Music Director Michael Mayes, who has dedicated over two decades of service to the TPHS Music Department.
The concert will take place on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. in the Richard Casey Memorial Gymnasium at Twentynine Palms High School. With Michael Mayes taking his final bow, this event features performances by students of the TPHS Music Department.
All former TPHS Music Department students, TPHS staff, and the community are invited to this special final concert under Mayes’ direction. Doors will open at 6:15 p.m., and admission to the concert is $7.
All proceeds will benefit the TPHS Music Department, supporting future generations of musicians.
The Northern Lights phenomenon appeared in the Morongo Basin this weekend, and though the solar storm continues this week, visibility of the phenomenon in our area is expected to diminish.
The effects of what meteorologists are calling the largest geomagnetic solar storm in twenty years are creating the phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis in areas where they are not usually present, including here in southern California.
In our area, the unusual lights were brightest on Friday night, bringing hues of lavender and violet to the desert night sky in the late hours of the night. The lights were visible to the naked eye at the further edges of our desert community, where there is less light pollution, and cameras were able to photograph the lights when they were invisible.
Traffic throughout the hi-desert was heavier than average over the weekend, as people from all over California came to Joshua Tree National Park and the surrounding community to escape light pollution.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Space Weather forecast says that the solar storm is expected to gradually wane today through Tuesday, so as the sun sets and the coyotes start calling keep your eyes on the skies for what may be one last glimpse of the aurora borealis.
The Morongo Basin Healthcare District announced the resignation of Debra Savitt from its Board of Directors, leaving a vacant seat on the board to be filled by appointment until the November election.
The appointment will be made at a special board meeting scheduled for Saturday, June 15 at 10:00 a.m.The appointed board member will remain on the board through the end of the year, at which time the person elected in November will begin their term.
If you’re interested in serving on the board and live in the Morongo Basin Healthcare District’s voting zone 3, which encompasses northern parts of Yucca Valely, Joshua Tree and Twentynine Palms, you can can learn more and apply at MorongoBasinHealth.org.
On Saturday, May 11, the Hi-Desert Nature Museum hosted a lecture by Katie Shaw, Conservation Social Scientist at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, titled “Time to Talk Trash.” The lecture focused on the dwindling number of desert tortoises due in part to the population growth of ravens. Ravens are known to eat juvenile tortoises before their shells have a chance to fully harden.
Our desert landscape faces an increasing raven population, encouraged by additional roosting places like public signage and food access from trash dumpsters. Conservationists from the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens encourages the public and businesses to mitigate these impacts.
This educational campaign, launched in 2019, involved surveying and monitoring waste management practices at 30 restaurants in Yucca Valley and Twentynine Palms. Restaurants were divided into control and treatment groups, with the latter receiving guidance on securing dumpsters to reduce raven access to food waste. Results showed significant improvement in waste management practices in the control group.
It was interesting that Joshua Tree had a much higher awareness level than the other two communities. Shaw said the conservation group conducting the studies wasn’t sure if it was because Joshua Tree is a smaller, tighter community with prominent social norms or because it’s right at the park’s entrance and dependent on ecotourism.
Based on the surveys and studies, the conservation group developed a Gold Star Award packet, including display materials like window stickers and table toppers for businesses, keeping dumpsters closed 80% of the time.
As a final comment, Shaw encouraged the audience to mention the awards to the business and encourage them to continue the effort. Awareness encourages behavioral change, and we can all play a part.
Road closures are happening in Yucca Valley this week as the town conducts its annual street maintenance.
The Town-Wide Crack, Slurry and Cape Seal Project begins today (May 13) and while the project continues throughout the next several weeks, and road closures for this week have been announced.
During construction operations, detours will be provided for alternative routes. Residents and businesses who may be affected by the work will be notified in advance.
Monday, May 13, 2024
Carmelita Ave from Nelson Ave to end of street
Nelson Ave from 120’ east of Carmelita to Indio Ave
Indio Ave from Nelson Ave to Barren Rd
David Ave from Indio Ave to east end
Paxton Outer Hwy from Del Monte Ave to Indio Ave
Hermosa Ave from Paxton Outer Hwy to 150’ north
Goleta Ave from Paxton Outer Hwy to 150’ north
Fortuna Ave from Paxton Outer Hwy to 150’ north
Tuesday, May 14, 2024
Diadem Rd from Balsa Ave to Prescott Ave
Indio from Hwy 62 to 170’ north
Richard Dr from Hwy 62 to 170’ north
Linda Lee Dr from Hwy 62 to 170’ north
Ronald Dr from Hwy 62 to 170’ north
Outer Hwy 62 North from Balsa Ave to Hanford Ave
Hanford Ave from Hwy 62 to Diadem Dr
Indio Ave from Business Center Dr to north end
Outer Hwy 62 South from Hwy 62 to Prescott Ave
Richard Dr from David Ave to 170’ north of Hwy 62
Ronald Dr from David Ave to 170’ north of Hwy 62
Indio Ave from David Ave to 170’ north of Hwy 62
Wednesday, May 15, 2024
Prescott Ave from Hwy 62 to Palisade Dr
Natoma Tr from Chippewa Tr to end
Pueblo Tr from Chippewa Tr to end
Hermosa Ave from Delano Tr to end
Arcadia Tr from Rubidoux Ave to Avalon Ave
Mountain View Tr from Balsa Ave to Hanford Ave
Thursday, May 16, 2024
Balsa Ave from Hanford Ave to Yucca Tr
La Habra Ave from Sunnyslope Dr to Alta Mesa Dr
Taos Tr from Balsa Ave to Hanford Ave
Taos Ct from Taos Tr to end
Megan Ct from Taos Tr to end
Alaba Ave from Pueblo Tr to Onaga Tr
Frontera Ave from Pueblo Tr to Yucca Tr
Friday, May 17, 2024
Goleta Ave from Hermosa Ave to Delano Tr
La Mirada Tr from Goleta Ave to end
Arcadia Tr from Goleta Ave to end
Camarilla Ave from Yucca Tr to end
Balsa Ave from Onaga Tr to end
Delano Tr from Balsa Ave to Palomar Ave
Emerson Ave from Yucca Tr to Arcadia Tr
La Habra Ave from Yucca Tr to Arcadia Tr
Avalon Ave from Yucca Tr to Arcadia Tr
Lane closures are scheduled for the week of May 13th–May 17th.
During construction operations, traffic will be allowed in one direction at a time and will be performed by the contractor with flaggers for the following streets:
Twentynine Palms High School has been granted a six-year accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges.
WASC accreditation is a voluntary process that institutions undergo to demonstrate they meet certain standards of quality and integrity in education. This accreditation is highly respected and can affect things like the transferability of credits, eligibility for federal financial aid and more.
This six-year accreditation awarded to Twentynine Palms High after a rigorous evaluation process is the highest accreditation status granted by WASC, reaffirming TPHS’s dedication to providing high-quality education and fostering student success.
TPHS principal Mike Ruggiero said, “This is the first time in my career TPHS has received the highest level of accreditation which goes out to less than 10 percent of the schools in California. We are thrilled to receive this accreditation, which reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire school community.”
The WASC accreditation process involves a comprehensive self-study, peer review and evaluation by a team of experienced educators. It assesses various aspects of the school, including curriculum, instruction, student support services, leadership and school culture.
Dedicated to acquiring, preserving, and protecting sacred Native land, the Native American Land Conservancy recently celebrated their twenty-five-year anniversary. In the wake of acquiring their most recent land back—a shaded creek deep in Morongo Valley— I volunteered to tend to their land last Friday and while on a break, chatted with NALC Education and Stewardship Program Manager Liz Paige.
There is an unexpected soothing creek running through the former Sherman Shady Springs, a private property hidden deep in Morongo Valley, whose previous owner reached out to the NALC to sell the land once he learned it was sacred tribal territory.
Elizabeth Paige, NALC’s Education and Stewardship Programs Manager, Photo by C. Pino
“This is a Serrano area. Each of these locations where you have a lot of water, good coverage, and resources, are areas where any Native indigenous group—Serrano, Cahuilla, Chemehuevi—would be traveling through this shared traditional territory. These places are identified in songs and stories over generations,” said Paige.
Originally from the Coachella Valley where her Cahuilla roots run deep, Paige got involved with the NALC after years of leading guided hikes to educate people on ancestral lands, which led her to volunteering with Friends of Desert Mountains, Whitewater Preserve, and the MDLT—the latter which got her more comfortable working in the high desert, leading her to her current position as NALC’s Education and Stewardship Program Manager, currently focusing on the future of the Morongo Valley shaded creek bed. When asked what the objective for the land is, Paige replied:
“Making it more productive for our food and medicine. There’s mesquite, a lot of different medicines available here. We want it to be a gathering area for not only Native folks, but an educational area. The cabin you see here is going to be an educational center where we’ll host workshops, lecture series, events. But this will come with a couple years of work rehabilitating the area… I’m a basket weaver, so I want to have a resource here to bring my fellow weavers here for weaving circles. Everybody is really excited. My community just got a little preview of the area, and they were really taken aback how beautiful it is.”
Paige reminds us of the importance of planting native species, as part of the work in the spring will remove the non-native orchards planted by the previous owner.
“These non-native species drink a lot of water, and native plants don’t—they just take what they need. We’ll be removing all the irrigation lines too.”
The NALC have been taking volunteers at the spring every other Friday, the next dates being May 17th and May 31st from 10 AM to 3 PM and will continue into the summer at a possibly earlier time on Saturdays to beat the heat. To RSVP to volunteer contact the NALC through their Instagram at @nalcorg or email: [email protected].
The Northern Lights made an appearance in the hi-desert last night (May 10), and if you used a camera, you could snap a photograph of the dark desert sky shimmering with shades of fuschia and violet.
The effects of what meteorologists are calling the largest geomagnetic solar storm in twenty years are creating the phenomenon known as Aurora Borealis in areas where they are not usually present, including here in California.
Throughout the hi-desert and most of southern California, the storm isn’t quite visible to the naked eye, but cameras are able to pick up on the electromagnetic energy that is filling the sky.
The storm continues throughout today until 2 a.m., so as the sun sets, keep your eyes open and your cameras pointed to the sky.
