Daily Briefing: Cannabis cancelation, special designation for airport, and more

? It’s Tuesday, 5/24.

?  Today’s weather: Sunny and 102 degrees.

? Setting the mood: “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction” by Cat Power.

? Situational awareness: Customers of T-Mobile in the city reported outages yesterday, and they weren’t alone. According to reports, an upgrade is taking place on the network and it may take 72 hours to complete.

• ? Our take: Maybe it’s time to write that letter instead of just texting.

This newsletter is a 4-minute read. Ready, set, go  …

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Leading off: Appeal dropped, license revoked

A prominent business owner who had her cannabis license revoked by the city last year has dropped an expected appeal just days before it had been scheduled. City officials say her license revocation is now permanent.

Driving the news: Joy Brown Meredith, who until last October operated both the Joy of Life Wellness retail cannabis shop on West Oasis Road and a nearby grow operation, confirmed Monday the appeal was dropped. The city also confirmed the news, adding that, “The suspension was only pending the appeal. The appeal was withdrawn and the revocation is permanent.”

• The appeal was originally scheduled before the Palm Springs City Council last December but was removed after the city cancelled the revocation. The city quickly reissued the revocation after reworking language to describe the full scope of the allegations more adequately.
   
• The appeal was expected to be on the Council agenda this Thursday, but never made it.

At issue: In ordering the revocation, the city alleged authorities inspecting Meredith’s West San Rafael Drive grow operation discovered evidence of marijuana cultivation in Unit 7 of the building. Meredith’s license covered only the adjacent Unit 6.

• In total, the city was alleging two dozen violations of city and state laws governing cannabis activity.

What’s next: Meredith was one of the original cannabis license holders in the city, but without a license to operate here her days in that industry appear over. It was not immediately clear whether she would take the matter to court. Calls to her attorney Monday afternoon and evening were not returned.

• She continues to operate Crystal Fantasy on North Palm Canyon Drive. She also continues to serve as president of the Main Street Palm Springs business owners’ group, a position she has held for decades.

By the numbers: As We were the first to do the math a year ago, showing that the city is awash in pot shops. With 30 active dispensary licenses, Palm Springs has roughly one per every 1,600 residents. That’s a higher density than just about any place on the planet.

• Los Angeles, for example, placed a cap on the number of retail cannabis licenses it allows, limiting them to one per every 50,000 residents.

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In brief: Historic designation lands at PSP

Fans of Modernism flying into the Palm Springs airport won’t have to go far to see a landmark of modernist architecture.

Historic terminal: The Palm Springs Airport Terminal is now officially added to the National Register of Historic Places.

• That designation is considered “the most prestigious honor the federal government can bestow on America’s cultural treasures”.

Why it’s special: The terminal was designed by influential architect Donald Wexler in 1966.

• Wexler designed schools, hotels, banks, and dozens of homes during his nearly six decades of work in Palm Springs.

How it happened: Peter Moruzzi, founding president of the Palm Springs Modern Committee, authored the successful nomination. 

• Moruzzi, Mayor Lisa Middleton, and members of Wexler’s family attended the unveiling of the plaque last week.

? Our take: The airport already tops the lists of best small airports and most “stress-free” airports. This new designation is just another feather in its cap.

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? AM Roundup: Grab a cup & catch up

? Riverside County’s jobless rate fell below 4% last month. (CNS/NBC Palm Springs)

? Meet the candidates running for Riverside County district attorney. (CV Independent)

⛳️ Keep an eye out for golf cart thieves. (NBC Palm Springs)

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? On tap

The Palm Springs Unified School District’s Board of Education meets tonight with a full agenda.

Students speak: Students who attended the trip to Washington, D.C. to tour monuments, museums, and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) will give a presentation to the board.

• First time for everything: This was the first HBCU tour ever held in the district, and it was organized by the African American Parent Advisory Council (AAPAC).

More than a college tour: We talked to organizers behind the trip before they left, and they emphasized that while the college tour was one aspect of the trip, they also wanted to the students to learn more about their history.

• “We discovered some of the students never got Black history. We asked them, ‘Do you know five African-American heroes aside from Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr.?’ Some of them couldn’t give us any other African-American heroes at all.” – Charlie Ervin, president of AAPAC

Teacher shortage: The board is also set to approve a “Declaration of Need for Fully Qualified Educators” for next school year.

• What this means: Once approved, the District will be able to request emergency permits for certain qualifying teachers. Based on the application, it appears dozens of teachers are needed to fill positions in multiple different subjects.

Find meeting details here.

? Also today:

• Palm Springs District 2 residents are invited to a community meeting hosted by City Council candidate Jeffrey Bernstein tonight at 5:30 p.m. on Zoom.

• Jazz on the 2nd Floor runs from 5 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the Palm Springs Cultural Center.
  
  
• Toastmasters starts at 6 p.m. online. Check here for information, including a special offer for subscribers to The Post.

? Looking ahead:

• The Caravanserai Project holds its pitch competition and graduation ceremony Thursday evening at the Palm Springs Art Museum.
  
  
• The Palm Springs Planning Commission meets Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. online.
  
  
• Spend Memorial Day at the Palm Springs American Legion Post 519 starting at 1 p.m. on Monday, May 30th.

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And finally …

With summer break right around the corner, parents are facing months of long, hot days and bored kids. Let the library take some of the pressure off!

Driving the news: The Palm Springs Public Library is hosting summer reading programs for kids and teens.

For the little ones: Grades PreK-5 will meet Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m. June 8-July 20. 

• That’s seven weeks of storytelling, reading challenges, crafts, and free books.

For teens: Grades 6-12 will meet Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. June 9-July 20.

• In addition to reading challenges, students will learn about outdoor adventure fundamentals, and even get to taste test emergency food.

More info: Find out more about both programs and sign up here.

? Our take: You probably have never heard of the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb (2007), but their theme song put it best: “There’s 104 days of summer vacation, then school comes along just to end it. So the annual problem for our generation is finding a good way to spend it!”

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? Kendall’s perfume collection has officially gotten out of hand.

? Mark wants a misting system on his patio that emits Raid instead of water. Don’t judge!

? Miss a day? Read past newsletters here.

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