Dec. 3 Daily Briefing: New role for Kors, pedestrian dies, Kendall returns, and more

Welcome to Tuesday, everyone, where there’s more to celebrate than just tacos, because … Kendall is back! She’s got more to say about that down below, so we’ll use this space to give a special shoutout to one community member who stepped up in her absence. Since Kendall is our resident DJ (picking the songs that set the mood each day) and Mark has no taste in music, we turned to local historian, author, columnist, and jazz enthusiast Tracy Conrad for many of our tunes these past few months. She absolutely knocked it out of the park and we cannot thank her enough! And now, back to your regularly scheduled programming … 

🎶 Setting the mood: “Without Me” by Eminem (Guess who’s back…)

LEADING OFF

Kors tapped to lead health initiative in city

Former Palm Springs mayor and city councilmember Geoff Kors has been appointed as the executive director of the Palm Springs branch of the Blue Zones project, an initiative aimed at improving the long-term health of city residents.

Driving the news: The city announced on Tuesday that it will join three other Riverside County cities in the initiative that will focus on reimagining the “Life Radius” – the spaces where people spend 90% of their time, including homes, workplaces, schools, and community areas, to address health concerns in the city.

Looking back: In 2022, city leaders approved $85,000 for an assessment of the community’s health needs and whether it should seek designation as an official Blue Zone Community. The city eventually decided against seeking the designation.

Yes, but: Now, with the majority of the project’s millions of dollars in funding coming from multiple sources including the Inland Empire Health Plan (IEHP) Foundation, Eisenhower Health, Kaiser Permanente, Molina Healthcare, Riverside University Health System-Public Health (RUHS-PH), and Riverside County, the city has decided to move forward.

The Challenge: Despite Palm Springs’ healthy image, Kors said Monday that the city faces several challenges. Among them are high rates of obesity, social isolation among seniors and busy working families, limited access to fresh and affordable healthy food, inadequate infrastructure for safe walking and biking, and food deserts, particularly in the northern section of the city.

• The initiative could help the city improve bike lanes, enhance walking paths, increase access to healthy food options, and work with local organizations, employers, and schools to promote healthier choices.

What’s next: The project is currently in its discovery phase, with community input events planned for January to determine priorities for the next three years. The rollout of the plans could begin next May.

• Multiple positions also need to be filled. You can find more information about the jobs, and how to apply, by going here.

Bottom line: “I think a lot of people right now are just sort of in a bit of a funk,” Kors said. “This is something that can be really uplifting and help connect people with organizations and with each other.”

Dive deeper with our complete story

---

BRIEFLY

🏛️ Clifton named Murrieta city manager

The Murrieta City Council announced last month that former Palm Springs city manager and current Murrieta Assistant City Manager Justin Clifton will succeed Kim Summers as the city manager following her upcoming retirement. 

• Clifton, who joined Murrieta’s administration earlier this year, brings over 15 years of experience as a city manager to his new role, including 17 months in Palm Springs.
  
  
• Clifton announced his resignation in Palm Springs in July 2022. He was eventually replaced by current City Manager Scott Stiles.
  
  
• Bottom line: Murrieta Mayor Lori Stone praised Clifton as a “phenomenal choice” to lead the city forward, highlighting his recent move to the city and his extensive experience in city management.

Dive deeper with the complete story in The Riverside Record

🚨 Pedestrian killed in Palm Springs

A 72-year-old man died after being hit by a vehicle near the intersection of East Vista Chino and Volturno Road in Palm Springs on Sunday night around 8:10 p.m.

• The identity of the man is being withheld pending notification of next of kin by the Riverside County Coroner’s Office.
  
  
• Details: The driver of the vehicle stayed at the scene and cooperated with the police investigation. Police do not believe drugs or alcohol played a role in the incident.

---

TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Knit Together
1:30 p.m. | The Center
Come enjoy the social and fun space open to all levels of fiber enthusiasts. Do note, the group is a social club and not a class. Register online to participate.

Melba Miller’s Jazz Oasis
5:30 p.m. | Cultural Center
Join songstress Melba Miller and special guests for an evening dedicated to serious listeners and lovers of Jazz. ($22)

Historic Site Preservation Board
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
Board members will meet to go over applications for alterations to historically significant properties or nominations for new historic properties.

Queer Colon Care Collective
6 p.m. | Virtual
This support group is open to LGBTQ+ colorectal cancer patients, survivors, or caregivers. Organizers will offer resources and a sense of community in a safe place to share experiences.

SAVE THE DATE

• Community meeting on post-election safety concerns on Wednesday.
  
  
• Palm Springs holiday tree lighting on Friday.
  
  
• Santa Paws 5K on Saturday.
  
  
• Desert Film Society Screenings on Saturday (Dec. 7) and on Dec. 21.
  
  
• The Leslies’ 36th Annual Toy Drive & Fundraiser on Saturday.
  
  
• Breakfast with Santa at the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway on Saturday.
  
  
• 32nd Annual Palm Springs Festival of Lights Parade on Saturday.
  
  
• PS Concerts: Svetlana Smolina on Sunday.
  
  
• Joint Holiday Preview Concert with Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus and Modern Men on Sunday.
  
  
• Grand Opening PROULX galleries | studios on Dec. 10

---

AND FINALLY …

Hi, it’s Kendall, the other half of The Palm Springs Post!

You may (or may not) have noticed my absence over the past three months when I was recovering from a life-saving kidney transplant, but I’m happy to announce that I am back in the saddle! Mark forwarded me so many of the kind emails and I will try and respond to as many as I can. Some of you even sent handwritten cards and gifts!! 

The outpouring of love and healing thoughts and prayers from you all made me realize what an amazing community we’ve built here, and that relationship goes beyond passive consumption of news and makes me feel so much closer to every single one of you.

Here’s why: In 2018, I was diagnosed with FSGS, scarring of the kidneys possibly from a prior infection. There is no way to reverse the scarring, all I could do was delay the decline. In 2022, I had declined to the point where I could be listed on the transplant wait list and was approaching the point where I would need dialysis to survive.

What happened: On Aug. 17 I received a kidney from a deceased donor and I spent the next three months recovering from the surgery and adjusting to the immunosuppressant medications I will be on for the rest of my life.

Why it matters: More than 100,000 people in the country are waiting for an organ. Please consider signing up to be an organ donor if you haven’t already.