Jan. 13 Daily Briefing: VillageFest safety, 911 outages, honoring first fallen officer, and more

Welcome to Monday, everyone. As the devastating news and imagery continues to come from Los Angeles, our city has launched an online resource page for those affected by the fires and those who wish to help them. In addition to lodging assistance, there’s information on how to financially assist the victims, what help the Palm Springs Animal Shelter is offering evacuees, how to receive emergency updates, and much more. We encourage you to bookmark and share this link to the resources with all who may need assistance or want to aid them. 

🎶 Setting the mood:  “Best To You” by Blood Orange

LEADING OFF

City weighs stronger security for popular street fair after New Orleans attack

Palm Springs officials are considering what enhanced security measures can be rolled out for the city’s weekly VillageFest following a deadly attack in New Orleans.

Driving the news: Downtown business owners and others heard Tuesday about recent efforts to increase security at the event. The popular Thursday night street fair currently relies on water-filled barricades and police vehicles, but officials are constantly evaluating what enhanced safety measures can be put into place.

Zoom in: Already, police and city road crews have increased the number of vehicles blocking intersections. More could be done, however, including the use of bollards — sturdy posts that can be raised and lowered — to control vehicle access and improve safety at the event.

• The city has some hydraulic bollards built into downtown streets already, and portable ones are in storage. However, they are currently non-functional due to technical issues, and the company that could retrofit them has yet to commit to a fix.

Why it matters: The discussion comes in the wake of a tragedy in New Orleans, where a driver navigated a truck down Bourbon Street, killing 14 people.

Zoom in: City officials in New Orleans were advised in 2017 to install bollards to protect pedestrians from such an attack, which they did. But the bollards installed in 2017 were undergoing replacement ahead of the Super Bowl, which New Orleans will host on Feb. 9.

The big picture: Without functioning bollards, city staff have begun parking trucks at key intersections during VillageFest to enhance security.

But wait: Another idea that has been floated is to relocate VillageFest to a more secure area near the Palm Springs Art Museum.

• That idea, however, faces opposition from Palm Canyon Drive business owners who benefit from the event’s current location.

Dive deeper with our complete story

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BRIEFLY

🚨 Officials demand action after latest 911 outage

Palm Springs experienced its fifth 911 system failure since August 2023 last week, leaving residents unable to reach emergency services and prompting city officials to call for immediate solutions during a City Council meeting.

• Police Chief Andy Mills, a 44-year law enforcement veteran, expressed frustration with telecom providers Frontier and AT&T, stating he had never seen such frequent 911 system failures. The companies have provided various explanations for the outages but continue to “point fingers at each other,” according to Mills.
  
  
• The city implemented emergency measures during the outage, including increased police presence on streets, stationing fire personnel outside stations, and providing alternate emergency contact numbers through social media and local news outlets.
  
  
• Bottom line: City officials are now exploring legal options while pushing for state-level intervention to build redundancy into the 911 system. The outage affected neighboring cities including Cathedral City and Indio, with causes ranging from possible sabotage and vandalism to environmental factors.

Read the complete story here 

🏙️ New general plan preserves parcels of interest

The Palm Springs City Council approved an updated General Plan last week that will guide the city’s growth through 2040 and beyond, with a focus on sustainability, economic diversification, and housing opportunities.

• In a victory for conservationists, the council voted to designate the Boulders and Crescendo properties as open space, a move that was pushed for by Councilmember Jeffrey Bernstein and neighboring residents.
  
  
• To comply with California’s Housing Element requirements, the city designated another parcel on Gene Autry Trail as high-density residential to absorb the density that would have been on the Boulders and Crescendo sites.
  
  
• Driving the news: Planning Director Chris Hadwin presented the revised plan, which includes updates to the land use, circulation, and safety elements, following months of work and community input.

Read the complete story here

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Alzheimer’s/Dementia Caregiver Support Group
2:30 p.m. | Mizell Senior Center
This weekly support group offers a safe, confidential, supportive environment for individuals caring for a loved one with Alzheimer’s Disease or Dementia.

CalComMen’s Monday Coffee
5 p.m. | Play Lounge & Café
Join the group for coffee, chat, and chew! No RSVPs necessary.

Mon Petit Salon
5 p.m. | Palm Springs Cultural Center
Enjoy an evening of live music from the award-winning team from the high desert: Mon Petit Mojave ($22)

Adult Tap Dance Class
6:30 p.m. | Leisure Center Dance Studio
Adult intermediate tap starts at 6:30 p.m., and “absolute beginners” adult tap is at 7:30 p.m. (“Two left feet are optional.”) ($20)

Fabulous Bingo
7 p.m. | Kings Highway at Ace Hotel
Join Bella Da Ball for a night of fabulous bingo. (Must spend $30 at Kings Highway to participate.)

SAVE THE DATE

• Coachella Valley Media Hall of Fame luncheon on Tuesday.
  
  
• Tramview Heights Specific Plan Update at James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center on Wednesday.
  
  
• “A Very Sordid Wedding” at Palm Canyon Theatre starting Friday. ($32)
  
  
• “The Light in the Piazza”at Coachella Valley repertory starting Jan. 22. ($90)
  
  
• An Evening with figure skater Randy Gardner at the Cultural Center on Jan. 23. ($27)
  
  
• Desert Open Studios 2025 starting Jan. 24.
  
  
• Community Clean-Up event at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center on Jan. 25.
  
  
• Palm Springs Health Run & Wellness Festival on Jan. 25.

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AND FINALLY …

When Palm Springs Police Officer Gale Eldridge became the first city officer killed in the line of duty on Jan. 18, 1961, it sparked a wave of community support. That support continued Sunday, thanks to members of a community organization who recently discovered the Eldridge family resided in their neighborhood.

Driving the news: The Little Beverly Hills Neighborhood Organization donated $2,500 to the Palm Springs Police Officer’s Association in memory of Officer Eldridge Sunday, presenting the check to Police Chief Andy Mills at an event held at Canopy Wine Lounge. 

• The city of Palm Springs also issued a proclamation honoring Eldridge. The effort was driven by residents David Hyams and Brian Ramos, who discovered Eldridge was a neighborhood resident.
• Mayor Pro Tem Naomi Soto, who helped shepherd the proclamation through, was on hand Sunday to present it.

Looking back: During a confrontation with a suspected robber, Eldridge was shot in the abdomen by the suspect, who then accidentally fatally shot himself in the head. Eldridge collapsed in his patrol car while attempting to radio for help. He had served less than two years before his death at age 32.

• Eldridge, his wife Emelina, and their three children resided at 634 Bedford Drive, in what is now the Little Beverly Hills neighborhood.

Why it matters: Eldridge’s sacrifice galvanized the community, resulting in a fundraising effort that collected over $10,000 ($105,000 in today’s dollars) from approximately 350 contributors for his family.

His legacy lives on through four generations, including 16 great-grandchildren and four great-great-grandchildren.