Nov. 14 Daily Briefing: What’s next for Agua Caliente tribe, AIDS quilt discussion, popular eatery closed, and more

Happy Tuesday! It’s been more than two months since the last time the valley saw measurable rain, and that could change this week. The chance for rain is listed as 60% on the National Weather Service, with predicted rain measuring less than a tenth of an inch. To be fair, we definitely needed a break after a pair of major storms, including a tropical storm hit the area causing flooding and road closures. 

🎶 Setting the mood: “Is It True” by Tame Impala

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LEADING OFF

Museum tells story of past while tribe looks toward the future

During a private tour of the new Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians Cultural Museum last week, Tribal Chairman Reid D. Milanovich offered an in-depth explanation of the exhibits and displays, while hinting at the tribe’s future plans.  

Zoom in: Inside the 48,000-square-foot museum, visitors can trace the history of the tribe through innovative technological displays, storytelling, and even physical artifacts unearthed during construction.

• Milanovich pointed proudly to the fact tribal members were intimately involved in recovering the artifacts, adding, ““It’s very powerful to us to have these in here.”

In context: Construction on the museum began in 2018, but for thousands of years its members have been part of Cahuilla Nation, which stretches from the San Gorgonia Pass through the Coachella Valley. 

What they’re saying: Milanovich acknowledged that “it’s very, very difficult to fit thousands of years of history into just one building,” but adds, “The whole point of all this is to educate visitors from all over the world so that they learn that this is the land of the Agua Caliente.”

Up next: Milanovich said the museum, despite being the tribe’s most significant project to date, won’t be its last significant undertaking.

• “This tribe is very forward-thinking,” he said. “By no means are we done yet.”

Go in-depth with our complete story here.

BRIEFLY

🍴 Eatery with historic ties shuts doors

Popular Palm Springs restaurant Wang’s in the Desert has permanently closed its doors. 

• Owners of the restaurant, which has been closed since Sept. 1, announced the news on Facebook. The reason for the closure was not provided.
  
  
• A previous Facebook post mentioned that the building that housed the eatery sustained damage from flash flooding and downpours in August, possibly related to Tropical Storm Hilary.
  
  
• Looking back: The building, located at 424 South Indian Canyon Dr., was first opened in the 1960s as Jilly’s. It was a popular spot for Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack.

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FEATURED EVENTS

The Roundtable: HIV/AIDS survivors
4 p.m. | Online
A weekly discussion group for long-term HIV/AIDS survivors in the Coachella Valley. 

ONE-PS Monthly Meeting
4:30 p.m. | Police Training Center
The Organized Neighborhoods of Palm Springs (ONE-PS) holds its monthly meeting today, check out the agenda here. 

Barbershop: Black Men’s Discussion Group
5:30 p.m. | Mizell Center
Register online to participate in this free discussion group centering on honest and open conversation around sexual wellness.

VillageFest Board Meeting
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
In this regular meeting of the VillageFest board, according to the agenda, members will consider several different booths ranging from arts and crafts to entertainment. They will also discuss the latest developments on sidewalk vending laws in the city.

SAVE THE DATE

• Jews do the Blues benefit concert on Wednesday.
  
  
• Palm Springs Speaks series with Temple Grandin on Friday.
  
  
• McCormick’s 75th Car Auction from Nov. 17 through 19.
  
  
• 2023 Props and Hops Craft Beer Festival on Nov. 18.
  
  
• Desert Winds Freedom Band Music in Motion Concert on Nov. 19.

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AND FINALLY …

This month’s third Wednesday speaker series at the Mizell Center presents a unique opportunity to learn about and discuss the origins of the AIDS Memorial Quilt.

Driving the news: This week, John Cunningham, CEO of the National AIDS Memorial, quilt conservator Gert McMullin, and Gil Gerald, co-founder the National Coalition of Black Lesbians and Gays, will join Jeff Taylor, executive director of the HIV+ Aging Research Project-Palm Springs for a conversation reflecting on the history of the HIV/AIDS pandemic.

Context: The discussion will also cover the origins of the quilt, its purpose as a memorial to lives lost, and its enduring symbolism in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality.

In addition: There will also be an AIDS Memorial Quilt exhibit on display, with local non-profit organizations producing their own panels. That display will happen at Mizell Center from Friday through Sunday. 

• The local panels will be added to the nearly 50,000 existing panels, weighing 54 tons, that have been continuously added since the quilt’s inception in 1985.

Details: The reception begins at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday and the program starts at 6 p.m. Admission is $10 for Mizell members and $15 for general admission. Get tickets online here.