WVCC Artist of the Month | Suzanne Ross

Desert Find, by Suzanne Ross *

Wonder Valley artist Suzanne Ross is the first local artist to be shown in the new WVCC Artist of the Month program. Her piece, Desert Find, is featured at the WVCC through the month of April. The piece is made of fiber, paint, pastel, dye, and found objects. It was first made in the 1980's, and recently revised.

A native of New York State, Suzanne Ross attended the Empire State College and University of Buffalo and holds a Bachelor's Degree in the Visual Arts. While living in New York City for six years she studied at Pratt Graphic Arts Center, The New School, The School of Visual Arts and the Art Students League.     

In 2000, Ms. Ross moved to Wonder Valley, California, where she presently maintains her studio.

The mission of the Artist of the Month Program, at the Wonder Valley Community Center, is to:

• Promote the WVCC as a gathering place that engages and empowers community members
• Provide a place for local artists, and those inspired by the Mojave Desert, to show their work
• Encourage the creation of art within the Community
• Acquaint the residents of Wonder Valley with artists in our Community, and 
• Promote our artists as a source of civic pride. 

If you are interested in applying to be an Artist of the Month, please email Teresa Sitz at teresa.sitz@gmail.com, and you will be sent an application, or stop in at the WVCC and pick one up. The WVCC is open Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 9 a.m. until 2 p.m.

* Please forgive the horrible photography.

Open Mic, March 30, 2018

Jesse Fink

The open mic at the Palms last night was wonderful as usual. I especially loved Jesse Fink's poem about Wonder Valley.

I found the wonder
in Wonder Valley.
No longer to wander
The desert has captured me.

The stars 'n' warm sunshine
No hassles strife or strain
And the people here genuine
Here to forever remain.

Wonder Valley has captured my heart
My mind body 'n' soul
Should have been here from the start
Now I am completely whole.

A treasure we found in Wonder Valley
Like a captured bird finally set free
No other place I'd want to be
But right here right now forever in
Wonder Valley.

Jesse Fink, 3-30-2018

I know there are some people who are stranded in Wonder Valley and want to get out. I've met one. But for the most part, the one thing people here have in common with each other is that they really want to be here. A few weeks ago another woman, Donna, read a poem at open mic about meeting the love of her life here and her love for the area. I've lived in a few places -- big and small -- and have never heard so many odes to place. It's not for everyone, but as Jesse writes, "Wonder Valley has captured my heart."

Thanks, Jesse, for reading. Thanks, Grey for hosting Open Mic. And thanks to the Sibleys and Kevin Bone for giving Open Mic a home.

Wonder Valley opens in Joshua Tree

Wonder Valley is now more than a lifestyle brand, it's a brick and mortar boutique/cafe in..., wait for it:

JOSHUA TREE!

Don't miss the grand opening!

Wonder Valley OIL SHOP at The Station

opening Saturday, April 7th 10 a.m.

shop hours Thursday - Sunday 

by luck or by appointment

61943 Twentynine Palms Hwy

Joshua Tree, California 92252

Wonder Valley OIL SHOP at The Station

On Saturday April 7th, we will open the doors to our new storefront: Wonder Valley OIL SHOP. The shop will be located in The Station, an iconic 1940's former gas station in downtown Joshua Tree, California, that will be opening as a separate cafe/retail space. Out front is a 21 foot tall cowboy, Big Josh, you can't miss us! The Wonder Valley OIL SHOP will have new and classic W.V. products as well as shop exclusives and artist collaborations. Hope to see you soon!

If you want to be able to tell your friends that you've been to Wonder Valley, but you're a little too sceered to come here, you now have an option, and you don't have to venture beyond the hip, warm safety of Joshua Tree.

If, on the other hand, you prefer your Wonder Valley straight or on the rocks, an Open Mic at the Palms every Friday night at 7 p.m., 83131 Amboy Road in the genuine WONDER VALLEY, CA. Additional events are listed on the event calendar to your right.

If you actually live in WONDER VALLEY, CA, put on some shoes and run a comb through your hair, and check out the grand opening in Joshua Tree.

Just doesn't have the same ring to it

     Pat Rimmington, a volunteer at the Twentynine Palms Historical Society, came to nearby Wonder Valley today to kick off the community's Legacy Program. The Legacy Program is an attempt to encourage community members to preserve Wonder Valley's history and culture by scanning to an online photo album, and by donating original historic materials to the Twentynine Palms Historical Society.

     Pat told the small group of attendees the story of how Wonder Valley got its name. Residents then, as now, were given to naming their properties. One property that sat where the fire station now sits was named "Wonder Valley." That name stuck.
     A nearby property was name Calloused Palms and that very well could have become our name it cooler heads had not prevailed.
     Just think of it -- Calloused Palms Olive Oil -- nope, it just doesn't have the same ring to it.

The little town that might

By User:High Plains Drifter - Own work, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=27717806

Life can be difficult when you're living in a tiny rural town with few people and even fewer resources. Think Nipton, California, in the Mojave Desert of San Bernardino County.

Last summer American Green Corporation bought Nipton for $5 million. AGC builds vending machines for cannabis, but their plans for the tiny town include something unexpected: they want Nipton to become one of the first zero-waste towns in the country. To do this AGC will use trash to make concrete, hoping to make Nipton environmentally self-sufficient.

Read the article. I'm not sure how it will turn out in the long run, but it seems like AGC might be crafting a promising future for Nipton, and it's not all based on cannabis.

Phoenix cannabis company uses Super Bowl trash to make concrete in struggling California town it owns
https://cronkitenews.azpbs.org/2018/03/23/recycle-super-bowl-trash-to-make-concrete/

Want to be a POLL WORKER?

Poll Workers are an essential part of the successful creation of a positive experience for voters. Consider serving your community by becoming a poll worker for the 2018 Statewide Primary Election to be held on June 5th.

The successful completion of a two-hour training class is required to work on Election Day.  If you are interested in working, please sign up for a training class by following the steps below:

Step 1:
Download and complete a Poll Worker Application from our website at:
http://www.sbcountyelections.com/Portals/9/ElectionWorkers/PollWorkerApplication.pdf?_=1477006978890

Step 2:
Review the Poll Worker Training Class Schedule below and select a class that best fits your schedule.

Step 3:
Reply to this email with the class you have selected. You will receive a confirmation email for your scheduled training class within two business days.

Step 4:
Once you receive your confirmation email, review the date, time and location of your scheduled class and let us know if you need to reschedule.

Additional information including potential Election Day assignments and compensation is located on our website. If you have any questions, please contact the Election Worker Department by email at pollworkers@sbcountyelections.com, or by phone at (909) 387-8300.

Thank you for your willingness to serve.  We look forward to working with you.

Sincerely,

Election Worker Department
San Bernardino County Elections Office
777 E. Rialto Avenue
San Bernardino, CA 92415
(909) 387-8300

Wonder Valley Legacy Day

Bring a brown bag lunch and your stories and photos of Wonder Valley next Saturday, March 24, from 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.

Pat Rimmington, from the Twentynine Palms Historical Society, will come and tell us about best practices for preserving our history.

There will be a show and tell. Pat will tell us the best ways to preserve and share the historical assets that we have, and what might be best kept in the WV folder at the Twentynine Palms Historical Society.

We’ll also preview a Wonder Valley slide show that Teresa compiled. These can be made quite easily and played on the WVCC TV at any time.

Everyone is welcome to come, and share your treasures with us.

Understanding Chronic Pain

Why don’t those medicines work? Understanding Chronic Pain
with Andrea Rubinstein, MD, chief, department of Pain Medicine, Kaiser Permanente, Santa Rosa

Chronic pain is common and millions of people suffer from it. But chronic pain is not just pain that lasts a long time. For a long time we treated chronic pain with the same drugs we used to treat all other pain and yet patients did not get the relief they sought. Far too many people were given drugs such as opioids that actually make pain worse over time. This talk will focus on why chronic pain is different and the risks of treating it like acute pain primarily with opioids. We will also discuss what does work and how to get better.

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

11 a.m. - 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Wednesday, April 4, 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.
Wonder Valley Community Center
80526-½ Amboy Road
Wonder Valley CA 92277
Call (760) 367-9880 for more information

Solar | Can you be energy independent?

Free Clean Photonics generation vs Utility Scale Dirty Expensive generation
a presentation with Buck Buckley, Licensed General, Solar, and Plumbing and Electrical contractor

2:00 - 4:00 p.m., Saturday, March 31, 2018

Wonder Valley Community Center
80526-½ Amboy Road
Wonder Valley CA 92277
Call (760) 367-9880 for more information

You will learn why you might want solar, how much your system should cost, if you can do it yourself, what it will save you, and if you can be energy independent.

Bring in your electric bills for estimating. This is not a sales pitch!

Buck is an inventor, naturalist, low-tech builder, now retired contractor with 30 years experience, creating working models for others to capitalize on.

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate!

First Quarter 2018 Water Notification

From the Special District Department, Water and Sanitation Division
Important information about your drinking water
Este informe contiene informatión muy importante sobre su agua potable.
Tradúzcalo o hable con alguien que lo entienda bien.

County Service Area Wonder Valley has Levels of Fluoride above the Drinking Water StandardRead more...
https://drive.google.com/file/d/19Bh_kEvh6r9w66RYLQlZ0jRlsfM7FMg2/view

Crime Stats February 2018

In February 2018 we had 56 calls, 7 reports, and 1 arrest for dangerous drugs.

There were 2 petty thefts, 1 theft, 1 burglary of a vehicle, and 1 burglar alarm.

The data from 2015 and 2016 were provided by the Sheriff's Department. They provided no data for February of 2017. The data from 2018 was gleaned from Sheriff's Department Media Reports and so may not be as accurate as that provided by the Sheriff's Department.

Not everyone reports crimes when they happen, though accurate data about crimes occurring in Wonder Valley is very useful. I encourage people to report crimes when they happen, and to ALWAYS ask for an INCIDENT NUMBER.

Stay safe. Keep an eye out for each other.

Desert Trail Column, March 1, 2018

Lift Transportation is a service of the Morongo Basin Healthcare District. With three wheelchair-friendly vans, they provide free transportation from your home to medical appointments anywhere in the Morongo Basin, then return you to your home. And, yes, they do travel on dirt roads! Their drivers provide “door-through-door” service and cater to seniors and the disabled. Contact Lift at 760-366-5438 or transportation@MBHDistrict.org.

The Glass Outhouse Art Gallery, 77575 Highway 62, will host an artists reception on Saturday, March 3 from 1 to 5 p.m. Featured artists will be Cathren Barhsdale and Tom Corvellas. Meet the artists and enjoy refreshments, plus music by Hunter and the Wicked. This show runs through March 25. For information, call Laurel at 760-367-3807.

Since the birthstone for March is the aquamarine and the flower is the jonquil, we send out Rainbows-of-Aquamarines-and-Jonquils to Sandy Mitchell and Tonya Briggs who celebrate their special days this week. Happy birthday, Tonya and Sandy!

Johhny Cash eating his birthday cake.

Karen’s Commentary: Giving my space to the bird!

Darlene’s Commentary:  My daughter Julie and I were leaving my house when we saw a beautiful hawk standing on the dirt berm with an injured wing. Julie caught him fairly easily and wrapped him in a soft sweatshirt while I got numbers from Karen for injured wildlife. After frantically dialing several numbers, I received a call back directing us to the Joshua Tree National Park Visitor Center where Wildlife Bio-technician Kristin Lalumiere was waiting for us. When we arrived, several park rangers and a small crowd of people gathered around Julie’s truck to see the hawk and listen to Kristin’s assessment. She said that the broken wing was quite serious, but because he’s only about a year old, he has a chance for recovery, and she offered to take him to The Living Desert for medical care. Also, he’s not a hawk, he’s a prairie falcon! I wish to thank Kristin, the rangers and others who were willing to stop what they were doing on a moment’s notice to help a beautiful injured bird.

Reach Out Morongo Basin offers free rides to and from the Twentynine Palms Nutrition Site for lunch on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Pick up/drop off is at The Palms at 10 a.m./2 p.m. If you have a problem getting to The Palms, ROMB will come to your residence. Call 760-361-1410 for further information.

Handy Hint: An orchid plant can go as long as 18 months without blooming. As long as the leaves are firm and uniformly green, it should produce flowers again.

Today’s Thought: Just as humans have distinctive fingerprints, dogs have nose prints – no two are the same.

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.

View of the salt mines from the east.