August 27 Daily Briefing: Marilyn moving, stadium update, major speaker announcement, and more

Happy Tuesday, everyone. Last week, we told you that the stadium and track at Palm Springs High School were closed due to a water main break and that PSHS football games might be impacted. The situation is a bit more serious than we thought. The Desert Sun’s Shad Powers reported yesterday that a sinkhole that’s 17 feet down, 18 feet long, and approximately 40 feet wide formed under the northwest corner of the main bleachers and that “around 20 dump trucks full of mud had to be removed from the field.” The school district hopes to have repairs made by mid-September. In the meantime, home football games will be played at stadiums elsewhere in the valley (which are yet to be determined).

🎶 Setting the mood: “I’m Lazy, That’s All” by Catherine Russell

LEADING OFF

New location for statue announced. It isn’t going far

Years after controversy erupted and a lawsuit was filed over the location of a 26-foot-tall statue resembling the late actress Marilyn Monroe, it was announced Monday that the artwork would be moving from its current location on Museum Way. It’s headed roughly 16 feet to the north.

Driving the news: A city spokesperson said Monday afternoon that The Committee to Relocate Marilyn (CReMa) and PS Resorts, owners of the ‘Forever Marilyn’ statue, have agreed on a settlement to a lawsuit filed over the current location of the 26-foot-tall artwork that will see it moved into Downtown Park.

• A map that accompanied the announcement shows an area roughly 16 feet to the north, just inside the southeast entrance to the park, where it is believed to be headed. The area currently contains palm trees and other landscaping.

What they’re saying: “P.S. Resorts and the Committee to Relocate Marilyn have identified a highly visible and safe location in the Downtown Park that satisfies all parties involved,” said Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein. “The move is anticipated to occur no later than March 1 of 2025.”

Looking back: CReMa had sued the city over the statue’s current location in the middle of Museum Way, claiming the city did not go through the proper process to vacate the street before installing the statue there in 2021. 

• The city appeared unwilling to budge on the location of the statue, but recently began talks with all parties on a compromise.

At issue: The statue has been a divisive issue in Palm Springs since its installation. Proponents argue that it celebrates the city’s Hollywood ties and serves as a tourist attraction. Detractors, however, contend that the statue is sexist and inappropriate, and that its placement on Museum Way interferes with the Palm Springs Art Museum. 

Dive deeper with our complete story

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IN OTHER NEWS

🎤 The Bureau of Land Management is planning an in-person public meeting in Palm Springs next month to receive input on the planned Easley Solar project in Riverside County. [Sierra Sun Times]

🎶 Desert Air, an electronic music festival created by Goldenvoice and Splash House organizers in 2021, is set to return Nov. 15-17 at the Palm Springs Air Museum and Palm Springs Surf Club. [Desert Sun]

🌵 Cactus to Clouds is the latest in a series of new concessions to open at Palm Springs International Airport. KESQ’s Jennifer Franco went to check it out. [KESQ]

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Airport Job Fair
10 a.m. until 3 p.m. | Convention Center
PSP and its partner organizations are hiring for about 200 open positions ahead of the Coachella Valley’s busy tourism season. Bring copies of your resume!

Leads Lunch
12 p.m. | Sonny’s Bar & Grill
Leads Lunch is free to attend for all Palm Springs Chamber Members. The only cost is the price of your lunch.

PSUSD Board of Education
6 p.m. | District Headquarters
The Palm Springs unified School District Board of education meets every second and fourth Tuesday at district headquarters. The meetings are streamed live on YouTube in both English and Spanish.

Toastmasters
6 p.m. | The Center
Weekly club meetings are held on Tuesdays and run by club officers and members. Members at the meetings are usually working their way through the Toastmasters’ training system called Pathways.

Coachella Valley Barbershop Chorus
6:30 p.m. | Xavier Prep School
This valley-wide chorus rehearses every Tuesday in the student lounge on the second floor of the Berger Athletic Center Gymnasium.

PS Gay Men’s Chorus Auditions
7 p.m.  | Mizell Center
The Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus holds an open rehearsal from 7 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at Mizell Center, 480 South Sunrise Way, followed by auditions. An application and audition requirements can be found here. 

SAVE THE DATE

• Friends of the Palm Springs Library Book Sale at the Palm Springs Public Library JC Frey Building on Saturday.
  
  
• PSUSD Diversity & Racial Equity Conference at the Palm Springs Convention Center on Sept. 7.
  
  
• Palm Springs Genealogical Society meets on Sept. 7 and monthly after then.
  
  
• Audition for the Modern Men Chorus on Sept. 9 and Sept. 14 at United Methodist Church of Palm Springs.
  
  
• Business Expo & Taste of Palm Springs at Indian Canyons Golf Resort on Sept. 18.
  
  
• Healthy Desert, Healthy You summit on Sept. 20 and 21.
  
  
• Evening Under The Stars benefit for AAP – Food Samaritans on Oct. 13.
  
  
• Palm Springs Speaks first speaker appears in town on Oct. 22.

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AND FINALLY …

Political heavyweight Donna Brazile is set to address Palm Springs residents on Oct. 22, just two weeks before the 2024 presidential election. The event, part of the Palm Springs Speaks series, will take place at the Richards Center for the Arts.

Zoom in: Brazile, a bestselling author and Emmy and Peabody Award-winning media contributor, will be the inaugural speaker for Season Six of Palm Springs Speaks.

• Brazile currently serves as an ABC News Contributor and has twice held the position of interim Chair of the Democratic National Committee.
  
  
• The event is organized by the Friends of the Palm Springs Library as a fundraiser for the Palm Springs Public Library.

Details: Tickets for the event range from $35 to $55, with a new “Co-Host” opportunity available for a $500 partially tax-deductible contribution.

Explore all ticket options by visiting palmspringsspeaks.org.