Jan. 30 Daily Briefing: Addressing broadband issues, county declaration, students honored, and more

Welcome to Thursday, everyone, where we’re here to remind you that Modernism Week is just around the corner (Feb. 13 through 23). As you prepare to peruse the events, you might be interested in a deeper look into the popular celebration of midcentury architecture, design and culture. For that, we point you to 20 questions that Palm Springs Life asked its CEO, Lisa Vossler Smith. Ready to secure your tickets? Just head here.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Lasso” by Phoenix

LEADING OFF

Study could help address lack of competition for broadband suppliers

Broadband service in Palm Springs is much like the Charles Dudley Warner quote about the weather: Everybody talks about it, but nobody does anything about it. That could change, but first, elected leaders would be required to champion the cause.

Driving the news: The latest public meeting on the subject, held Wednesday evening at City Hall, drew a handful of residents eager to voice familiar concerns: there are limited service provider choices, they said, as well as reliability issues.

• City staff and a consultant have been gathering feedback since last year as they work to produce a feasibility study that assesses the city’s internet infrastructure and explores options for improving connectivity and increasing the number of providers.

At issue: For years, residents have reported frequent Internet service disruptions and a lack of provider choice, with some neighborhoods limited to a single option for cable service. 

Zoom in: The Palm Springs Internet market is 100% market-driven, meeting participants were told. That has allowed it to become dominated by two companies. 

• Thanks to a series of mergers, Spectrum controls most of the cable market. Frontier has the most fiber optic lines and is the primary DSL provider. 
• Some local wireless Internet service providers are emerging, but the cost of building infrastructure often hinders their efforts.

What they’re saying: “I was in Orange County for 27 years. I had two providers,” said Bruce Juenger, who lives in the Miralon development. “One got too high, so I canceled and went with the other one. We don’t have that choice here. We’re a captured market, and nobody wants that.”

Possible solutions: The city could explore multiple approaches to increase competition, Information Technology Director Larry Klingaman explained. Those might include public-private partnerships, municipal broadband initiatives, and requiring developers to install broadband infrastructure when they build.

• Regional collaboration across the Coachella Valley could also help create a high-quality network that serves the entire area, the audience was told.

What’s next: Klingaman expects to present the study’s findings to the Palm Springs City Council in the first half of this year. Ultimately, addressing the issue would be up to those elected leaders.

• “I am not the one that is going to make any of these decisions,” Klingaman stressed. “… We will give that data to council to make a policy decision of how they want us to proceed with this.”

Dive deeper with our complete story

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BRIEFLY

🏛️ County leaders expand resources for undocumented residents

The Riverside County Board of Supervisors voted 4-0 Tuesday to declare the county a “safe place for all residents, irrespective of immigration status,” initiating plans to expand resources and potential financial assistance for undocumented immigrants facing deportation under renewed federal enforcement.

• The measure, proposed by Supervisors V. Manuel Perez and Yxstian Gutierrez, directs county staff to create a web portal for legal aid information, explore funding options for undocumented residents, and draft a formal resolution on the county’s position regarding non-citizens.
  
• The decision followed a three-hour public hearing where community members voiced both support and opposition. Supporters emphasized the contributions of immigrants to the local community, while critics argued against providing services to those in the country illegally.
  
• Bottom line: The action comes as federal immigration enforcement intensifies. County records show Riverside received between 120 to 200 border crossers daily during the previous administration, with California currently hosting approximately 360,000 individuals awaiting immigration hearings statewide.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Pet Vaccine Clinic
9:30 a.m. | Palm Springs Animal Shelter
The Palm Springs Animal Shelter invites you to bring in your pet for low-cost vaccines, including vaccines for rabies and canine influenza. They are also offering microchip implantation and registration. ($15-$25)

Art Museum Free Admission
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Art Museum 
From 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., enjoy free admission to galleries and exhibitions, and explore the collection at your own pace.

Coachella Rising Showcase
5:30 p.m. | Cultural Center
Catch fresh local talent at the Coachella Rising showcase. Each week, two artists will perform 45-minute sets, hosted by Dede Ondishko & Jason Powell. ($20)

VillageFest
6 p.m. | Downtown Palm Springs  
The street fair features art, entertainment, shopping, and food. 

Sharon Sills
6:30 p.m. | The Purple Room
Sharon (VaVaVoom) Sills has been performing in southern California and throughout the world for more than three decades. She has an extensive and diverse repertoire that covers the spectrum from standards and golden oldies through blues, country, rock ‘n’ roll, disco and show tunes.

“The Light in the Piazza”
7 p.m. | Coachella Valley Repertory
Winner of six Tony Awards “The Light in the Piazza” takes us to the Tuscan countryside where a young woman meets a handsome young Florentine man by chance. Running through Feb. 9. ($90)

View all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• Black History Committee Awards Gala at the Hilton Palm Springs on Saturday. ($100)
  
• Our Voices Our Stories: Celebrating Black Authors at the Mizell Center on Saturday.
  
• Boston Brass Live in concert on Feb. 4 at PSHS. ($15-$25)
  
• Black History Month Kick-Off at the Palm Springs Art Museum on Feb. 6.
  
• “Racist Trees” film screening at the Cultural Center on Feb. 16. ($28)
  
• Black History Month Adult Basketball Tournament at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center on Feb. 17.
  
• 38th Annual Black History Parade & Town Fair on Palm Canyon Drive on Feb. 22.
  
• Desert Pet Walk at the Palm Springs Animal Shelter on Feb. 22.

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AND FINALLY …

Seven Palm Springs students received recognition for their remarkable achievements Wednesday evening at Richards Center for the Arts at Palm Springs High School. 

Driving the news: The students were honored at the “Every Student Succeeding” ceremony, put on annually by The Palm Springs Leadership Association. Each was recognized for facing significant challenges — including one battling leukemia, one mastering a new language, and others overcoming behavioral and academic challenges. 

• Students from each Palm Springs Unified School District school were nominated for the award by their principals.

Palm Springs students who were honored include:

• Krisangel Lopreto Chama from Cahuilla Elementary, who learned English after moving from Guatemala
  
• Daniel Munoz of Cielo Vista Charter School, who transformed his behavior and academics
  
• Zoey Carbajal Flores from Desert Learning Academy, who continues studies while battling leukemia
  
• Sunny Nguyen of Katherine Finchy Elementary, who successfully transitioned to full-time general education
  
• Juandiego Garcia Olague from Vista del Monte Elementary, recognized for his kindness and perseverance
  
• Denay Gallegos of Raymond Cree Middle School, who excels in academics and community service
  
• Natalie Jenkins from Palm Springs High School, who manages mental health challenges while achieving academic success

Read our complete story online