Two crosses for Joshua have been erected right off highway 62 near Avalon Ave. Friends, family and community members gathered around the memorial last night, holding candles, and sharing stories and photos of Joshua Barreras. He was only 16 years old when he was struck and killed by a motorist on the night of January 26th.
This weekend’s wild winds calmed a bit around 6pm last night as mourners gathered around the memorials. Joshua’s family thanked the growing crowd for the support and for sharing stories about Joshua.. Just a kid growing up here in the desert, surrounded by friends who remember fun nights together and raised by a family now dealing with the unimaginable grief of losing someone just coming into their own – a 16 year-old with a full life ahead of him, taken too soon.
The memorial is located right off Hwy 62 in Yucca Valley. If you’d like to pay your respects or just help maintain the memorial, you can turn onto Avalon from the highway and park on Paxton to safely get to the site. A memorial service for friends and family will be held next weekend, and family members I spoke to last night said that they appreciate the community’s show of support for Joshua.
Roads will be closed in Twentynine Palms this week as the City’s Public Works Department will be paving roads throughout town.
Tomorrow (March 5) and Wednesday (March 6) expect a closure on Indian Trail from Mesquite Springs Road to Adobe Road. The closures will occur from 6:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For further information, please call the City of Twentynine Palms Public Works Department at (760) 367-ROAD.
At a time when the city is experiencing a creative renaissance, there is room for one more voice on the Twentynine Palms Public Arts Advisory Committee with applications are now being accepted.
Applications are now being accepted to fill a single vacancy on the Twentynine Palms Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC). Back in 2004, the city established
Art in Public Places as part of its Public Arts Program which is administered by the PAAC. The city is looking for creative residents who can advise the council toward artistic objectives, namely:
To enrich the public environment for both residents and visitors
To nurture, enhance, and encourage the community’s participation in arts
To enable Twentynine Palms to enhance its identity as an arts community
To increase public access to promote an understanding and awareness of the art
Applicants must reside within city limits and be registered to vote. Applicants must submit an application and resume to Community Development Director Keith Gardner, [email protected]
Resumes and applications must be received by 6:00 p.m. on March 13. The city council will review all applicants and make the final decision. For more info, call 760/367-6799.
The Twentynine Palms Wildcats Track and Field team traveled to Indio High School on Thursday (February 29) for their first meet of the season.
The girls team won by a score of 64-22. The boys team suffered a loss, with a final score of 49-57.
The girls’ top scorer was Jayde James with 16.5 points. She earned 4 first places in the long jump, high jump, triple jump, and 4×4 relay.
The boys’ top scorer was Ayden O’Gilvie who scored 13.5 points with second place in the 300m hurdles, and firsts in the long jump, 100m, and 4×1 relay.
This week, the Wildcats will host Banning High School.
Marini answers questions on the Hidden Valley Loop trail.
More than 3.27 million people entered the gates of Joshua Tree National Park last year and predictably, not all are prepared for the harsh desert climate. The park’s Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) program aims to help visitors on the trail before they need rescuing. Reporter and avid hiker Heather Clisby met with JTNP Park Ranger and PSAR Coordinator Anna Marini to learn more …
With clicker in hand to count bodies, Preventative Search and Rescue (PSAR) Volunteer Ann Murdy is on the Hidden Valley trail loop, greeting hikers with a friendly opener.
I am tagging along with Murdy and JTNP Park Ranger and PSAR Coordinator Anna Marini to learn more about the PSAR program and how it works. The covid era brought a flood of first-timers to our national park who are not used to being in a place so wild that there is no cell service, no water, and no electricity.
JTNP Ranger and PSAR Coordinator Anna Marini with PSAR Volunteer Ann Murdy. Murdy carries a clicker to keep track of visitors. PSAR Volunteer Ann Murdy engages with JTNP visitors on the trail.
“We don’t have resources in the park. You can’t just go to a concession stand and buy what you need to buy. You have to be prepared before you enter Joshua Tree, That was I think, a big deal for a lot of people. It’s a wake-up call of, ‘Wow, nature is scary.’” said Marini. “So I think a lot of people, unfortunately, had a hard time during that. Maybe they went on one bad hike and are struggling to come back out of that but I think we’re always trying to encourage people to plan ahead and prepare as much as possible and we really learned what that meant during that covid era.”
Marini joined the JTNP team in late 2020 as a ranger and noted a need for more safety-based messaging. And while different versions of preventative efforts were around, she developed the full-time PSAR program in 2021. Marini works with each of the 30 volunteers and their schedules to try to have at least one PSAR volunteer on the trail or at a trailhead every day of the week with more volunteers around on busy weekends. The volunteers greet visitors, answer questions, make sure they have water, provide maps, and offer suggestions about where to go next. Volunteer shifts can be anywhere from 3-8 hours, usually a morning or an afternoon although some volunteers enjoy two shifts a day. At maximum, PSAR has all popular trails covered with five volunteers out.
Once they reach cell service at the conclusion of a shift, each volunteer fills out a patrol log using their phone and a QR code. They track how long they were on the trail, which trail they were on, the number of people they talked to and the number of ‘preventative actions.’
“The preventative actions number is a big number. That is when – you don’t necessarily have to see a change in behavior in somebody, but you definitely want to write down that number of people that you gave preventative language to, you suggested a different trail, you suggested water, things like that. So, along with that, we’re counting dogs, and drones, all those kinds of things that we might see,” said Marini.
The PSAR volunteers are also doing a bit of trail maintenance as well – setting up rock liners in confusing spots or trimming back those sharp, grabby branches of the Catclaw acacia.
In meeting the JTNP visitors, the PSAR volunteers get an understanding of where they are coming from. Ever since covid brought all the coast-dwellers to the desert, there has been an increase in those from San Diego, Los Angeles and the lower desert. On that day in mid-February, we came across a steady stream of Canadians – all in shorts. And come summer, we can certainly expect the usual crowd of Germans who seem to love our dry heat.
Beyond visitors from Palms Springs or Phoenix, most visitors have very limited grasp of what they need to not get lost or sick while out exploring in the desert. This is where the PSAR volunteers ever-so-elegantly get involved.
Marini answers questions on the Hidden Valley Loop trail.
“What’s a benefit of having somebody out at the trailhead before somebody starts their hike is encouraging them to go back to their car and repack their bag, grabbing some salty snacks, grabbing some water, maybe an extra layer, or a headlamp. So we catch people a lot of times. And then sometimes we do find people – like say, we’re on the Split Rock Trail – it’s a little bit longer than that Hidden Valley one-mile loop and they really could use some water. But it’s also, when they do run out of water, and they’re not too far away from their vehicle, it’s kind of a good lesson. And that sounds maybe a little harsh, but people then understand why they need to be more prepared. You know, they don’t want to be thirsty out on that trail next time, so they’ll learn from that.”
And while the Hidden Valley Nature Trail is an easy one-mile loop, I noted that the great majority of hikers did not bring any water at all.
Still, not everyone is open to chatting with a stranger-ranger. Marini advises her volunteers to be open and receptive but also realize that not everyone will meet the gaze and want to talk.
“I usually try to approach it as a conversation instead of ‘You should do this!’ or ‘Don’t do this!’ because no one is receptive to that kind of language. So I try to encourage a conversation and say, ‘Hey, what’s your plan for the day?’ I think a lot of people get confused and see that the backpack that I am currently wearing looks like I will be out here for many days, but that’s because I have rescue stuff in here. But not everybody has to look like me, but just carrying something is usually helpful.”
Marini helping out on the trail.
Another aspect of the volunteer gig is being the eyes and ears for the rangers, who are notoriously short-staffed in the park. (The rise in visitors, sadly, did not spark an increase in staff or budget.) Murdy explains:
“I know that a few times there’s been a few issues here and I reported that to Anna and it was taken care of right away. This had developed into a big ditch and I had watched a lady fall, or I came up and she had fallen and hurt herself. In the middle of all that, taking care of her, I turned around and another person fell so, you know, they filled it in right away so they took care of that so that was good. And some of us will actually come out and sweep the steps a bit but, that’s endless!”
Reporting from the Hidden Valley Trail for Z107.7, I’m Heather Clisby.
Morongo Valley’s Big Morongo Canyon Preserve will be hosting a new series of guided nature walks for bird enthusiasts starting this Saturday, March 2nd.
Big Morongo Canyon Preserve is an internationally recognized birding site, a regular nesting area for several rare or unusual species and many other species abundant during the spring and fall migration seasons. The Preserve has been designated as one of the United States’ Important Bird Areas by the American Bird Conservancy, the American Birding Association, and Watchable Wildlife National Program, and is featured in the National Geographic Guide to Birdwatching Sites.
Expanding on their long-standing Wednesday morning bird watching gatherings, Ranger Kaeliegh and volunteer Kathy Snyder will begin a new series of Saturday nature walks, “Birding for Fun”, beginning this Saturday, March 2, at 8 am. The walks will generally cover 2-4 miles, so please wear comfortable walking shoes, and bring drinking water. Children are welcomed but must be accompanied by an adult. If you don’t have binoculars, the guides will have loaners to lend.
Workshop 29 is hosting a two-part paper-making and sculpture workshop beginning tomorrow afternoon (March 3).
The workshops, led by local artist Jai Knight, will teach people to use recycled paper in the creation of vessels that symbolize the body’s’ experience of trauma.
Participants will be working to transform literal and metaphorical “waste” by forming a relationship with it, showcasing how people are shaped by their lives and have the ability to grow and transform. Knight will be assisted by Workshop29’s creative leadership mentees Brandon Bolds and Quisha Danae.
Participants are encouraged to bring their own scrap paper, but due to the programs focus on transforming trauma, it is recommended that participating children be at least 11 years-old and accompanied by a parent or guardian.
This free art program and workshop is hosted by Workshop29 and funded in part by the California Arts Council, and is sponsored by 29 Palms Public Arts Advisory Committee (PAAC).
The workshop begins at 2 p.m. tomorrow at Freedom Plaza Gym in Twentynine Palms. You can register at a link in this story at z1077fm.com, and registration is open until the workshop begins.
The organizers strongly encourage participants to attend both tomorrow’s workshop, and the follow up workshop scheduled for the following Sunday, March 10. Sign up here: tinyurl.com/paac29palms
The proposed Chuckwalla National Monument is approximately 660,000 acres of California desert situated between the southern border of Joshua Tree National Park and north of the deliciously named chocolate mountains. While the Morongo Basin sits securely within the warm borders of the Mojave desert – anyone that’s driven south through the national park toward the cottonwood entrance has experienced the gradual change the landscape takes on as the Colorado desert meets the Mojave – creating two unique ecosystems worth exploring for anyone interested in the biodiversity that they provide.
If you’ve never explored that area on foot, you’ll have a great opportunity in couple weeks to explore the proposed monument on a sunset hike put on by the Council of Mexican Federations in North America, the CactusToCloud Institute and the Mojave Desert Land Trust.
The fun and easy hike will follow a trail along the desert wash through the slabs of Box Canyon. While spring isn’t officially here yet, wildflowers are popping up and there is a chance to see the unique flora and fauna of the surrounding Mecca hills.
The hike is taking place on Saturday, March 16th from 6 to 8:30PM. Water, headlamps and blacklights will be provided, and the organizers are asking folks to sign up early.
The proposed monument area is also home to the First-Class Miners – a non-profit mining group based out of Yucca Valley. Reporter Heather Clisby did a report on the legacy organization and some of the concerns that they hold about the proposed Chuckwalla Monument and the impact it could have on their small-scale mining claims.
If you use Burrtec’s curbside trash services you’ve probably received your green waste bin intended for yard waste and food scraps. The idea is that all that kind of natural waste breaks down naturally in the environment – and mixing it in with regular trash means it will take a lot longer to become useful to the ecosystem.
However – food scraps can get nasty quick just sitting around your kitchen, especially with warmer spring weather ahead. The Town of Yucca Valley is partnering with Burrtec to provide a handy complimentary food scraps bucket that you can keep on your kitchen countertop to store and transfer your organic waste to the big bucket outside – keeping it less stinky and easier to use overall.
To get a complimentary pail, simply contact Burrtec Customer Service at (760) 365-2015 or [email protected] with your request. They say you’ll receive a pail on your next service day.
“Man of La Mancha” begins its run on March 1st at Theatre 29.
“Man of La Mancha”, one of the world’s most popular musicals, is now playing at Theatre 29 weekends through March 17. Set in Spain in 1597, “Man of La Mancha” follows the story of Miguel de Cervantes, the author of Don Quixote, a prisoner awaiting trial by the infamous Spanish Inquisition. During his imprisonment, Cervantes and his fellow prisoners act out the story he has written about elderly Alonso Quijana, who renames himself “Don Quixote” and goes on a quest to right all wrongs in the world. This Tony Award-Winning musical features classic numbers like “The Impossible Dream,” “I, Don Quixote,” “Little Bird,” and many others. The original 1965 production won five Tony Awards, including Best Musical, and has been revived on Broadway 4 times.
The Theatre 29 production of “Man of La Mancha” features a stunning set designed by architect Andrea Keller, special effects by Clark Hunter and the artistry of Kevin Maddrey. It is helmed by veteran director Gary Daigneault, with music direction by Bianca Stoker and choreography by Lisa Hodgson.
Tickets for “Man of La Mancha” are available now at www.theatre29.org or by calling the Theatre 29 Box Office at 760-361-4151. Early reservations are encouraged as demand is expected to be high.
The opening night gala is hosted by the 29 Palms Rotary club. After opening night, Tickets are $15.00 for Regular admission, $12.50 for seniors or military, and $10.00 for students with ID (a service fee will be charged). The show contains adult content and is not suitable for children under 13.
A younger Joshua Barreras in a photo shared by his Grandmother Sherry Moreno
A candlelight vigil for Joshua Barreras is planned for this Sunday at 6PM in Yucca Valley, according to friends and family members. Josh was 16 years old when he was struck by a vehicle on the night of Friday January 26th. The driver fled the scene, leaving the teenage victim in the middle of Twentynine Palms Highway near Avalon Ave. Joshua Barreras died later that night at the hospital.
The driver suspected of hitting and leaving the teen for dead is Troy Reynolds, a 57 year old Yucca Valley resident. Reynolds “turned himself in” at an arraignment on Tuesday, February 27th – a full month after the victim was found in the road. His attorney entered a “not guilty” plea and asked for the suspect to be released on his own recognizance without bail, a request that was denied by presiding Judge Sara Oliver.
Judge Oliver also denied the recommended bail of $75,000, citing the suspect’s lack of action in taking potential life-saving measures by stopping and checking on the child after he was allegedly struck by Reynolds’ truck, alongside suspected efforts by Reynolds to conceal his involvement in the hit and run by taking his truck to a body shop outside the county. Bail was set at $500,000 which was met later that evening on Reynolds’ release.
If you’d like to participate in the candlelight vigil for the Yucca Valley teenager, a memorial cross has been erected near the site where Joshua was struck. Organizers of the vigil say to turn north onto Avalon Ave. off Highway 62 and then onto Paxton near the dirt lot and behind Josh’s cross.
Sherry Moreno holds a photo of her Grandson Joshua BarrerasFriends and family gathered outside the courthouse on Tuesday, Feb. 27 2024
The Way Station Annual Easter Food Giveaway – 3/29 at 8 AM
Come for Hams, turkeys, fresh produce, canned goods, Easter baskets for the kids.
No ID or proof of residency needed.
Continental breakfast served!
Hours of Operation Tuesday-Friday 9:00-12:00pm
The Way Station PO Box 613 Joshua Tree, CA 9252 (760) 366-8088
The Joshua Tree Community Center is holding its 55th Annual Egg Hunt & 60th Anniversary Spring Celebration on Saturday, March 30th starting PROMPTLY at 9 AM.
The egg hunt is held in Sunburst Park in 6 age-appropriate zones. Each age category will have PRIZE EGGS with the opportunity to exchange them for a variety of indoor and outdoor games or toys, generously provided by the local Sportsman’s Club.
Alongside the egg-hunt is pictures with the Easter Bunny and an indoor carnival with Jr. Rangers activities from the National Park, Animal Action League will have their pet-tag engraving machine on site there will be a live mural painting and dino dig, talent show, and a square dance.
Grab your basket and join us for a festive egg hunt! The Easter Bunny will be dropping by to share the fun!
9:30 A.M. March 30th – Ages 10 & Under
At the Yucca Valley Community Center Soccer Field
Breakfast with the Easter Bunny on Saturday, March 30th from 9AM to 11AM at the Yucca Valley Elks Lodge
Come join the Easter Bunny for breakfast and color and egg to take home! Bring your camera!
Ages 11 and under $5.00 – Bunny pancake, scrambled egg, sausage, and juice Ages 12 and up $12.00 – Two pancakes, two scrambled eggs and two sausages
For more information, contact Lozetta at 530-718-6240 or email [email protected]
Twentynine Palms
An Easter Sunrise Service will be held on Sunday, March 31 at 6 a.m. at Freedom Plaza (Stage Area) located at 6547 Freedom Way, Twentynine Palms.
The city of Twentynine Palms celebrates 89 years in observing the Easter Sunrise Service which began on April 21, 1935 at Trigg Hill. Ministers participating in this year’s service are: Pastor McArthur Wright, President of the 29 Palms Ministerial Association, Youth Leader Kole Green from First Assembly of God Church; Deacon Nathan Foley from Set Free Church – Wonder Valley and Pastor Jauron James from The Sanctuary Church. Worship will be provided by the First Baptist Church Praise Team. Light refreshments will be served and the offering recipient will be local non-profit Set Free Ranch.
Both services are open to the public. For more information, email: [email protected].
A Twentynine Palms man was sentenced to three years in prison for an incident in which he strangled his wife with a belt.
Yesterday (February 29), Michael Champagne, a 33 year-old resident of Twentynine Palms, was sentenced in San Bernardino County’s Joshua Tree Court to three years in state prison, with consideration of 212 days already served in the sentence. A jury found Champagne guilty on 5 felony counts, including false imprisonment, three charges related to violent assault, and making criminal threats.
Champagne’s charges were related to a November 16 arrest for suspected attempted murder. At the time Sheriff’s deputies said they responded to the 6500 block of Mariposa Avenue in Twentynine Palms, and said he had strangled the victim with a belt until she was unconscious.
The Tourism Business Improvement District discusses application presentations.
Listen here:
If you were wondering what there is to do in Twentynine Palms this spring, stand by! Presenting before the Tourism Business Improvement District (TBID), five teams pitched five wildly different visions to win their slice of Event Grant Funds at last night’s four-hour meeting.
The Twentynine Palms Historical Society pitched a return of the Desert Rat Convention, initially held in 1940. Steve Reyes, vice president of the group, explained that the original event celebrated “the pioneers and ‘Desert Rats’ who fell in love with the desert” and was held for ten years before it became overshadowed by Pioneer Days. They are aiming for May 4 event, noon-7:00 p.m., that includes historical presentations, a BBQ dinner, and live entertainment. Funding was approved for $3K.
Mike Usher, owner of Grnd Sqrl and a leader of Rediscover 29, pitches an idea for a mural festival, Area 29 Art Invasion. Councilmember Octavious Scott took a turn on the other side of the dais at the TBID meeting.
Grnd Sqrl owner Mike Usher, representing Rediscover 29, pitched Art Invasion, an interactive mural event for April 12-14. Held mostly at Freedom Plaza, the weekend would feature real-time mural paintings, mural tours, live music, food trucks, DJs, pop-up vendors, and late-night events. Funding was approved for $15K.
Karyl “Kaz” Newman pitched Conjuring Cathy Allen, a multi-week event honoring her friend who passed in 2022. Allen was an assemblage artist who worked alongside the late creator Noah Purifoy. Planned for May 10-June 2, attendees would experience her photographs from her Dwellings exhibit (Twentynine Palms), a tour of her studio (Wonder Valley), a tour of her surviving Non-Urban Renewal Projects installations (Wonder Valley), and a personalized audio account and tour of the Noah Purifoy Outdoor Museum (Joshua Tree) in Allen’s own words. Funding was approved for $15K.
Standing in for Emmy-award winning choreographer and Indian Cove resident Ryan Heffington, a man named Zach pitched the Sand to Sky Series, a multi-weekend event in May. Location will be Desertrade, a former ranch currently being transformed to host events such as this. Sand to Sky will include crafting, dance, art, live music, film screenings, workshops, lectures, nature talks and sound baths. Funding was approved for $15K.
Matt Kirshen, Caitlin Gill and Andy Wood pitch “To 29 and Beyond” – a comedy/science event.
And then, three comedians walked up to the podium and pitched “To 29 and Beyond”, a unique event that mixes comedy and science. Astronomy guide Caitlin Gill and her buddies, Andy Wood and Matt Kirshen, plan to host the event at White Label Vinyl on May 4. (Wood and Kirshen co-host a podcast with the same theme, “It Could Only Happen Here.”) The event will feature four telescopes and two astronomy guides, plus beer. Funding was approved ($9,100) with the agreement that the event should be moved to possibly May or June.
But the best quote of the evening came from local hotelier, Veno Nethraj, an outspoken critic of the TBID. “Previously, I was the most upset guy in the room, but not tonight,” he said. “Tonight, I’ve been offered hope.”
Joshua Corrado, a senior at Twenty-Nine Palms High School has earned the highest composite ACT score of 36.
The ACT is a curriculum-based achievement exam that measures what students have learned in school. Regarding Corrado’s high score, ACT CEO Janet Godwin said, “Earning a top scoreon the ACT is a remarkable achievement. A student’s exceptional score of 36 will provide any college or university withample evidenceof their readiness for the academic rigors that lie ahead.
For perspective, only about one-quarter of 1% of students who take the ACT earn the top score. In all the U.S. High School graduating class of 2022, only 3376 of the 1.34 million students earned Corrado’s score.
The Twentynine Palms animal shelter is offering a special “29” themed dog adoption event. Any dog who has been in the shelter for more than 29 days can be adopted for the discounted fee of $29.
All month long, the city-run Palms ‘n Paws Animal Shelter will be offering this promotion, in the spirit of finding every single dog a home. The shelter hopes that this reduced fee will make adoption more accessible to community members while also giving so man deserving pets a second chance at finding a loving companion or family.
Visit Palms ‘n Paws Animal Shelter today to meet your new best friend!
For more information, please call Palms n Paws Animal Shelter at (760) 367-6799 ext. #3.
Blood supplies are low in the Morongo Basin, and lifestream will be holding a blood drive tomorrow (March 2) from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Vons in Yucca Valley, located at 57590 Twentynine Palms Highway.
Healthy individuals at least 15 years of age may donate blood. (Everyone under 17 years of age must provide LifeStream with written parental consent.)
Donors receive a free mini-physical (including readings for blood pressure, pulse, cholesterol levels, iron level and temperature with results being posted on the donor’s private online portal.) Please set an appointment by calling LifeStream at 800-879-4484 or visiting LStream.org.
The Twentynine Palms High School Boys Varsity Wildcats Tennis Team traveled to Indio High School to face the Rajahs on Tuesday (February 27). The Wildcats lost 3 to 15. In singles action, Jeremy Burks won two sets.
In doubles action, the team of Brayden Chambers/Luke Bowers won one set. The Wildcats are 2-2.
The Wildcats travel to Cathedral City on Tuesday and Banning on Thursday.
A hi-desert man was arrested on suspicion of multiple charges of burglary and indecent exposure in several cities, dating back to April.
On Monday (February 26), Anthony Grigley, 66, was contacted by Sheriff’s Deputies assigned to the Morongo Basin Station near Border Ave. and Golden St. in Joshua Tree. The Sheriff’s office declined to specify the nature of the contact, but Grigley was arrested at around 9:30 p.m.
Grigley was arrested on suspicion of several counts of burglary, car theft, vandalism, trespassing, shoplifting, being under the influence of a controlled substance and indecent exposure. Court documents show that many of the criminal acts are alleged to have occurred on April 19th and 20th of 2023 in Yucca Valley, leading to three charges of burglary, three charges of vandalism, and one charge of indecent exposure all stemming from that two-day period.
Grigley is currently being held at the West Valley Detention Center on $120,000 bail.
In 2018, Grigley was arrested for investigation into a burglary at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center’s bookstore.
