Feb. 6 Daily Briefing: More solutions possible for Indian Canyon woes, community to hear about mural restoration plan, and more

Welcome to a soggy Tuesday, everyone. As the rain clouds continue to unleash their contents on California, the postponements, cancellations, and closed road notices continue to pour into our tiny newsroom. Hopefully you’re subscribed to the notifications the city sends out about road closures (If you’re not, sign up here). As for postponements, we’re trying our best to keep up with them and adjust our calendar, but there’s one particularly popular event we know for sure has moved from this Wednesday (Feb. 7) to next (Feb. 14): The free concert in Downtown Park featuring tributes to Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Colors” by Black Puma

LEADING OFF

🚧 County seeks input for another transportation grant

In the wake of another round of road closures thanks to the weather, the Coachella Valley Association of Governments (CVAG) is once again asking for resident input on a grant that could get more money flowing into an important project.

• Just a few months ago, a California commission approved a $50 million grant to help cover some of the cost of prefabricated bridges along Indian Canyon Drive at the wash.
  
  
• Recognizing the importance of the bridges, the project is one of only two projects statewide that received the highest priority ranking from the state.
  
  
• Now, CVAG is applying for another state grant that would be used to complete the development of a bridge at each end of the route, complete with arch culverts and walking and bike paths. 
  
  
• Details: Fill out the survey via this link to let the county know how often you use Indian Canyon, how often it’s closed, and plenty more.

🗳️ Ballots on their way to mailboxes

The Primary Election is just around the corner, and with less than a month left, the Riverside County Registrar of Voters has already sent out 1.3 million ballots to registered voters.

• On Monday, the county invited interested residents to observe state-mandated testing of the voting system. Hoping to ward off election conspiracy theories, a county representative assured attendees that the computers are self-isolated and have never been on the internet. 
  
  
• To encourage transparency, the public is invited to tour the Registrar’s office and see exactly how ballots are processed on Feb. 15. 
  
  
• Details: Completed ballots must be postmarked on or before March 5 and received no later than March 12. Be sure to register to vote before Feb. 20. But even if you don’t get registered, you can still conditionally register and vote at the county elections office.
  
  
• But wait: Check out the county registrar’s new website to learn your voter status and read more about the candidates.

IN OTHER NEWS

🌧️ Although significant rain totals will continue to accumulate to our West, the Coachella Valley will experience only on-and-off showers through tonight. [KESQ]

🪨 A rare pair of rock homes in Palm Springs have recently had a significant price drop in hopes of attracting more would-be buyers. [realtor.com]

💃🏾 Long-running San Francisco nightclub AsiaSF, which tried to make a go of it in Palm Springs just as the pandemic hit, has announced it will close its San Francisco location on March 31. [San Francisco Standard]

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Historic Site Preservation Board
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
According to the agenda, board members will discuss approving a minor alteration of a Class 3 site on Linda Vista Road.

Palm Springs Toastmasters
6 p.m. | Palm Springs Toastmasters Club
Learn to speak with confidence with the Palm Springs Toastmasters and practice with friends. Guests always welcome.

Trivia Tuesdays
6 p.m. | Play Lounge & Cafe
Join friends and neighbors for a battle of wits during Trivia Night. There will be food, drink and cash prizes.

Author Talk: Christina Clancy
6 p.m. | Palm Springs Public Library
Get a sneak peek at Christina Clancy’s latest book set in Palm Springs, “Snowbirds,” due to be released early next year. The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs will have a selection of her books available for purchase and to be autographed.

SAVE THE DATE

• Agua Caliente Lecture Series Wednesday at the Agua Caliente Cultural Center.
  
  
• Tour de Palm Springs on Feb. 10 in starting and ending Downtown Palm Springs.
  
  
• Rock the Park: Cash, Killer, and The King Feb. 14 at Downtown Park.
  
  
• Palm Springs Modernism Week from Feb. 15 – Feb. 25.
  
  
• Palm Springs International Jazz Festival on Feb. 24 and 25.
  
  
• An evening with PSIPC and Friends on Feb. 29.
  
  
• Palm Springs Woman’s Club Scholarship Luncheon at the Hilton on March 27.*

*Sponsored placement

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AND FINALLY …

When the Desert Highland Gateway Estates Community Action Association gathers for its monthly meeting tonight, members of the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission plan to join to discuss the effort to restore a significant mural.

First things first: The large mural painted by Richard Wyatt Jr. in 1997 is on an exterior wall of the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center. In the 25 years since it was painted, the mural has faded from the sun and been damaged by water sprayed on the wall during irrigation of a nearby lawn.  

Driving the news: Efforts to restore the mural have stalled since Dec. 2022, when the original artist informed the Public Arts Commission that he could neither participate in its restoration nor supervise other muralists.

One idea: At the most recent Public Arts Commission meeting, Commissioner Carlos Silveira shared an idea to digitally restore the mural using a computer scan, and then recreate the mural using weather and fade-proof tile.

At issue: Commissioner Shawnda Thomas Faveau has told the commission that the community is adamant that the original mural be preserved, and if not, “It really boils down to getting Richard Wyatt to sign off and put his signature on it.” 

Why it matters: When it was first painted over 25 years ago, students from the neighborhood lent Wyatt a hand. Those children are now adults, but they still fondly remember the time spent creating the mural.

What they’re saying: Laymond Gray, a neighborhood resident who helped with the mural when he was younger, recalled in a 2021 interview with The Post, “I had friends who have passed on whose names are up there. So it’s a little nostalgic.”

Dive deeper with our complete story on the mural.