Jan. 29 Daily Briefing: No homeless count on city streets this year, pop-up art project criticized, Peggy Lee getting a star, and more

Welcome to Monday! Over the weekend, we noted that gas prices, while still painful to absorb, have noticeably decreased recently. That’s nice to see, but it got us wondering why California was so late to the game of seeing a gallon go for under $4. According to the experts, our gas prices are the highest in the country due to a combination of factors, including taxes, special fuel blend requirements, limited refining capacity, environmental regulations, and potential market manipulation. A quick check this morning shows a few places under $4 a gallon in the city, but you’re probably better off fueling up at Costco or a tribal fuel station if you’re headed out of town.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Good Vibrations” by The Beach Boys

LEADING OFF

📋 Full Point-In-Time count will next take place in 2025

Riverside County has conducted a “sheltered only” homeless survey this year, with results expected in April, marking a shift from the comprehensive Point-In-Time surveys that saw volunteers fan out annually to count unhoused individuals.

• The county’s Board of Supervisors decided last May to switch to biennial Point-In-Time surveys, which canvas all potential locations where homeless individuals may reside, both outdoors and indoors. The next comprehensive count is scheduled for January 2025. 
  
  
• In 2023, 12% more unhoused residents were counted countywide when compared to 2022 during a survey conducted on a single day in January. In Palm Springs, 239 people were found to be living on the streets that day — an 8% increase over the 2022 number.
  
  
• Bottom line: The data collected are used by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to determine how to distribute federal homeless relief funding. Final results of the “sheltered only” survey are expected to be processed and published by the end of April.

🌟 Peggy Lee will be honored with star in March

Entertainer and songwriter Peggy Lee will be commemorated with the 467th star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars, the Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce recently announced. 

• Lee, often referred to as “the female Frank Sinatra,” was a pioneering singer-songwriter in American popular music, with over 270 songs, 1,100 masters, and 100 chart hits to her name. Her career began in Palm Springs in 1941 at The Doll House, where she developed her signature singing style.
   
• Details: The star will be unveiled on March 8 at 2 p.m. at 100 S. Palm Canyon Dr. A special performance by the Palm Springs Gay Men’s Chorus will be part of the event. 

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IN OTHER NEWS

🚨 South Palm Canyon Drive was closed between Camino Parocela and Sunny Dune Sunday night after a pedestrian died after being hit by a car shortly before 7 p.m.

🤝 A Palm Springs transplant tells how she and her husband, both in their 50s, set out to make new friends after moving here.

⚖️ A man who pleaded guilty on Friday to a fatal hit-and-run in Palm Springs received a sentence of 90 days in jail plus two years of probation.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

PSIPC’s Annual Benefit
5 p.m. | The Club at Morningside
The Palm Springs International Piano Competition hosts an event featuring two of music’s fastest rising stars and many others. Proceeds benefit the organization’s education, outreach and 2025 Competition. ($600)

Monday Men’s Coffee
6 p.m. | Gre Coffeehouse
This event is back in session following a holiday break. Come have coffee and chat with other men about issues that are on your mind. No RSVP required — just drop in!

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

• Palm Springs Readers’ Festival from Feb. 2 through 4.
  
  
• PS Woman’s Club Annual Patio Sale on Feb. 3.*
  
  
• Black History Committee 14th Annual Awards Gala on Feb. 3.
  
  
• “An Article of Hope” movie showing with guest speaker on Feb. 4.^*
  
  
• Palm Springs International Jazz Festival on Feb. 24 and 25.
  
  
• Palm Springs Woman’s Club Scholarship Luncheon at the Hilton on March 27.^*

* Sponsored placement

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AND FINALLY …

The effort to paint over existing artwork in the Downtown Palm Springs graffiti park, which appears to be aimed at marketing an eatery, is drawing mixed reviews.

Driving the news: Over the weekend, each concrete pillar in the park was painted white, and then “paw prints of kitties and bunnies” were added to create a piece titled “Solstice.”

• According to its creators, the project represents “the impact that humans have on nature in an effort to raise awareness about the human impact on the ecosystem. “

What they’re saying: In emails to The Post over the weekend, community members had mixed reactions, with one saying it’s a nice change from previous graffiti art. Still, another commented that, “I’m so enraged that they defiled all those artists’ works for a sloppy PR stunt.”

Bottom line: The people behind the project emphasized that “Solstice” is not meant to be permanent and that they hope the piece will “slowly be consumed by other artists utilizing the original concept of the graffiti yard as a communal space.”

• By Sunday afternoon, that was the case. Artists and those passing by the pillars had grabbed available spray paint cans and were well on their way to covering the concrete with their creations.