The public is invited to gather tonight at 6:30 PM to honor the life of George Floyd during a vigil at a mural depicting him at 311 N. Indian Canyon Drive.
Floyd, who was black, died last year in Minneapolis after a white police officer knelt on his neck and back for 9 minutes and 29 seconds. That officer, Derek Chauvin, was convicted of murdering Floyd Tuesday.
Members of the Palm Springs Black History Committee posted word of the vigil on social media Tuesday evening following Chauvin’s conviction. They encourage the public to spread the word and show up to the event with flowers and candles.
Floyd’s death in May 2020 sparked global outrage, leading to not only protest marches, but increased calls for police reform and other measures to combat systemic racism in the United States. In Palm Springs, roughly 1,000 people gathered in Ruth Hardy Park on June 6 to call for action to prevent further deaths like Floyd’s. The following week, artist MisterAlek completed the mural.
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BRIEFLY
POSITIONS OPEN: The Palm Springs City Council is seeking applicants to fill spots on several boards and commissions, including the following:
- Administrative Appeals Board
- Airport Commission
- Architectural Advisory Commission
- Historic Site Preservation Board
- Library Board of Trustees
- Measure J Commission
- Parks and Recreation Commission
- Planning Commission
- Public Arts Commission
- Sustainability Commission
- VillageFest Board
Deadline to apply for any of the positions is Monday, May 10. Applicants, including those under 18, must either live, work, or go to school within the city limits. Those interested can find more information here.
PHONES DOWN: Phones at City Hall and the non-emergency lines for the Palm Springs Police Department were down for several hours Tuesday. The outage was first reported around 12 PM, with service returned to normal around 2 PM.
EVENTS
TODAY
- Book club: The library’s Afternoon Coffee Book Club (formerly the Morning Coffee Book Club), meets at 2 PM on Zoom. To receive meeting information and join the email list for the book club, you can email Scott Biegen in advance of the meeting at [email protected].
- Airport noise: The Airport Commission Noise Committee meets at 4 PM. The meeting agenda and Zoom information can be found here.
- Airport Commission: The city’s Airport Commission meets at 5:30 PM. The meeting agenda and Zoom information can be found here.
ALL WEEK
- Outdoor art: Desert X art installations are on display throughout the Coachella Valley, including several within the Palm Springs city limits. The free event runs through May 16. A map of the installations can be found here. Some require reservations to view.
- Vaccines: Anyone 16 and older now qualifies for a vaccine in Riverside County. If you qualify, you can get one at the Palm Springs Convention Center, 277 North Avenida Caballeros, from 8 AM-5 PM today, and all week through Friday. Appointments can be reserved online at www.rivcoph.org/COVID-19-Vaccine. No luck at the convention center? Find a list of community providers such as pharmacies here.
