June 21 Daily Briefing: Cat cafe expansion plans, next steps for statue, a Section 14 play, and more

TGIF, folks! As we approach the Independence Day holiday, officials at local animal shelters note that the volume of strays they intake typically increases. In fact, during all summer months, the number of daily impounds jumps from 100 to 150, and the number of animals being adopted or returned to their families doesn’t keep pace with the impounds. Through Saturday, county shelters are holding “IndePETdence Days,” offering free adoptions to help free up kennel space as July 4 approaches. Check here for hours and locations (the closest county shelter to us is in Thousand Palms).

🎶 Setting the mood: “Doin’ Time” by Lana Del Rey

LEADING OFF

Cafe plans expansion, nonprofit effort to benefit both community and cats

After 18 months operating the Coachella Valley’s first-and-only cat cafe, Claire Rogers is discovering that her business is not just about felines, it’s about the community. Now, she aims to expand the business to further serve that community.

Driving the news: Rogers’ expansion involves adding 1,500 square feet to the Frisky Business Cat Cafe in Rimrock Plaza off East Palm Canyon Drive. The new space will include coffee and food sales, merchandise, therapy room rentals, private event rentals, cat boarding, and private coaching services. 

Zoom in: The nonprofit, named Frisky Business Cares, aims to facilitate cat and kitten adoptions while also hosting educational workshops on feline behavior and care, empowering cat lovers to become advocates for the animals’ welfare. 

• It will also support marginalized youth and foster children through community programs.

Why it matters: Rogers said she is confident that by uniting these efforts, Frisky Business is poised to make a significant impact, providing love and care to cats while fostering a nurturing and inclusive environment for people.  

Up next: Rogers is currently awaiting IRS approval for the nonprofit, but has already started applying for grants to further support the initiative.

• The expansion is set to begin as soon as possible, with Rogers committed to enhancing her business’s impact on the community. 

What they’re saying: “The overarching goal is to help more kitty cats and help more people, and I think this is the best way I can,” Rogers said.  

Dive deeper with Henry Braun’s complete story here.

BRIEFLY

🚧 Planning Commission to consider vacating section of road where controversial sculpture stands

During its next meeting on June 26, the Palm Springs Planning Commission is scheduled to consider a request to vacate a portion of Museum Way where the controversial “Forever Marilyn” statue has stood since 2021 – a key step toward allowing the towering sculpture to remain in its current location long-term.

• PS Resorts, the owner of the 26-foot-tall sculpture, has applied to permanently close off public vehicular access on Museum Way between Belardo Road and Museum Drive. 
  
  
• The Forever Marilyn statue, which depicts the Hollywood icon in her famous billowing white dress pose from the 1955 film “The Seven Year Itch,” has drawn both praise and criticism since its unveiling. Proponents say it celebrates Palm Springs’ Hollywood ties and is a tourist draw, while detractors argue it is sexist and inappropriate.
  
  
• The closure of Museum Way has been a point of contention and a lawsuit, with critics arguing it was done without authority and cuts off a key pedestrian and vehicle route through downtown. But in late 2023, the City Council amended the Downtown Specific Plan, setting the stage for PS Resorts’ request.

Bottom line: If the commission finds that the statue is consistent with the city’s General Plan, the request moves forward to the City Council for final approval, bringing the statue one step closer to remaining in place.

🚨 Police seek possible victims of registered sex offender

The Palm Springs Police Department is asking for the community’s help in identifying additional victims of Regaberto Lopez, a registered sex offender they said Thursday is allegedly operating under the alias “Manny Sierra.”

• Lopez is accused of inappropriate and sexually aggressive behavior towards a 19-year-old female during a massage and chakra healing session on May 20.
  
  
• A police investigation revealed that he is a registered sex offender with previous convictions for sexual battery, and has been working as a massage therapist for over a decade using the alias “Manny Sierra.”
  
  
• He was was arrested on June 11 and is charged with multiple felonies, including sexual battery, sexual penetration by force, and failure to register as a sex offender.

Bottom line: Anyone with information or who believes they may have been a victim is urged to contact Detective Delgado at 760-323-8145.

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YOUR WEEKEND

ALL WEEKEND

• Palm Springs International ShortFest all weekend.
  
  
• Straight to the Heart all weekend at Dezart Performs.
  
  
• Palm Springs Power Baseball today and Saturday at Palm Springs Stadium.
  
  
• Gameacon on Saturday and Sunday at the Palm Springs Convention Center.
  
  
• “Displacement, Stories from Section 14” on Saturday and Sunday at United Methodist Church.

TODAY

• Summer Movie Series: “How to Train Your Dragon” at Mary Pickford Theatre at 11 a.m.
  
  
• Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Club at the Palm Springs Library at 2 p.m.
  
  
• “An American in Paris” screening at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 7 p.m.
  
  
• Full Moon Drum Circle at the Ace Hotel & Swim Club at 7 p.m.
  
  
• Country Western Dancing at Dance Ranch Palm Springs at 7:30 p.m.

SATURDAY

• Indoor Farmers’ Market at the Palm Springs Pavilion at 8 a.m.
  
  
• Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Sale in the JC Frey Building at the Palm Springs Library at 10 a.m.
  
  
• Dusty Strings Collective performance and open mic at the Palm Springs Cultural Center at 5:30 p.m.
  
  
• Bingo with the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence at one eleven bar at 6 p.m.
  
  
• Coachella Valley Derby Girls at the Palm Springs Air Museum at 7:30 p.m.

SUNDAY

• Sunday Jams at Melvyn’s at 3:30 p.m.
  
  
• Vanity’s Drag Star Showcase: Season 4 at one eleven bar at 8 p.m.

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AND FINALLY …

A local theater company is staging a reading to bring the stories and history of Section 14 to life. 

Driving the news: “Displacement: Stories from Section 14,” a fictionalized staged reading by the Green Room Theatre Company Coachella Valley, showcases the events surrounding the forced eviction of 200 Black, Latino, and Filipino families from Palm Springs’ Agua Caliente tribal land in 1965.

• The cast includes Alvin Taylor, who lived in Section 14 at that time.

How we got here: A Green Room Theatre Company representative said a team of designers, actors, playwrights, and directors has worked tirelessly for a year to put together the new piece.

Context: Discussions are still ongoing between the Palm Springs City Council and Section 14 survivors and descendants about reparations.

• Areva Martin, an attorney who represents the Section 14 Survivors organization, not only rejected the city’s offer of $4.3 million in cash payments, but claimed her clients should be paid nearly $105 million.

What happens next: The Green Room Theatre Company intends to further develop the play after this month’s performances, delving deeper into the complex history of Section 14. 

Details: The readings are scheduled across two venues, with performances at the United Methodist Church this weekend on Saturday and Sunday and the Coachella Community Room next weekend. 

• Tickets are available on a pay-what-you-can basis from $15 to $40. Free tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Get tickets here.