June 10 Daily Briefing: Museum expansion, city’s July 4th plans, reading program starts, and more

Welcome to Monday, everyone! Over the weekend, hundreds of city resident reportedly lost power due to high winds. Power is now restored, but there will no doubt be outages in the future. That’s why we advise bookmarking this website. The Southern California Edison Outage Status tool is pretty handy — it not only tells you where outages are (both planned and unplanned), but also how many customers are impacted and, best yet, it provides the repair status. That’s powerful information to have at your fingertips!

🎶 Setting the mood: “Diamonds On The Soles Of Her Shoes” by Paul Simon

LEADING OFF

Air Museum breaks ground on significant expansion project

The Palm Springs Air Museum recently broke ground on a significant expansion and renovation, aiming to transform it into a premier destination for aviation enthusiasts and history buffs.

Driving the news: The 9,200-square-foot expansion, which museum officials hope to complete within 24 months, includes enlarged areas for queuing and ticketing, a new facade inspired by wind turbines and Palm Springs’ iconic Midcentury Modern architecture, and the Ronald M. Auen Learning Center, which will enable the museum to host a variety of educational programs.

At issue: A spokesperson for the companies involved in the expansion—national architecture firm HED and Cioffi Architect — said the goal of the expansion is not just modernization but also preserving the Palm Springs Air Museum’s historical significance.

What they’re saying: “We are thrilled to see this project come to life,” said Fred Bell, vice chairman at the museum. “Our collaboration with HED and Cioffi Architect has resulted in a design that respects the museum’s historical significance while enhancing our educational facilities and providing modern amenities for future generations to enjoy.”

What to expect: Aside from the learning center, there will also be a new multi-purpose room and a gift shop with corporate offices. Enlarged areas for queuing and ticketing to facilitate better pedestrian flow are also planned. The new facade will help protect the museum’s historical archives.

Zoom in: The 25-year-old museum contains more than 70 vintage flying and static airframes from World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and Operation Desert Storm, displayed throughout the 91,000 square feet of open hangars and on the tarmac.

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BRIEFLY

🎇 Palm Springs celebrates July 4th with week of festivities

Palm Springs is gearing up for a week of free, fun, and patriotic events as the Parks and Recreation Department unveils its “All American Fourth of July Celebration Week” from July 3 through 7.

• The festivities kick off with a free KidsFest and celebration of newly installed playground equipment from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m. on July 3 in Victoria Park.
  
  
• The week continues with a series of free movies and concerts, a cool pool party, and the city’s All American Fourth of July Fireworks Spectacular on July 4 at Palm Springs Stadium. The fireworks display starts at 9:15 p.m. sharp.
  
  
• The fun continues on July 5 with a family-friendly Dive in Movie Night featuring “KungFu Panda 4” at the Palm Springs Swim Center. On July 6, a concert featuring the K-Tell All-Stars takes place at Downtown Park.
  
  
• The celebration week concludes on July 7 with a family-friendly movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” in Ruth Hardy Park.

Details: For more information, including times and places, visit this website or call Palm Springs Parks and Recreation at 760-323-8272.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Palm Springs District 2 Community Meeting
5:30 p.m. | Vista del Monte Elementary School
Register online to reserve your seat for a conversation between the residents of Palm Springs District 2 its representative Mayor Jeffrey Bernstein. Register here. Figure out what city district you live in here.

Human Rights Commission Meeting
5:30 p.m. | City Hall
The Human Rights commissioners gather for their regular meeting tonight at city hall and online via Zoom.

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

• Juneteenth Celebration at the James O. Jessie Desert Highland Unity Center on June 15.
  
  
• Palm Springs International ShortFest from June 18 -24.
  
  
• Rock the City free concert at the Downtown Park on June 19.
  
  
• Palm Springs Equality Wine & Food Fest at Margaritaville Resort on June 29.
  
  
• Palm Springs All American 4th of July at Sunrise Park on July 4.
  
  
• ONE-PS Lip-Sync Battle at the Palm Springs Cultural Center on July 7.

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AND FINALLY …

The Palm Springs Public Library is gearing up to keep local bookworms busy with its 2024 Summer Reading program, set to begin today.

Driving the news: The six-week program offers a variety of activities for children, teens, and adults, focusing on sustainability, recycling, and being good stewards of resources under the theme “Read, Renew, Repeat!”

• In addition to the themed programs, the library will continue to offer its weekly Preschool and Baby Story Times and Youth D-I-Y crafts.

The perks: Participants can enjoy free new books each week, courtesy of the Friends of the Palm Springs Library. Children and teens can receive a voucher to select a free new book of their choice, while adults can receive a voucher for a free gently used book from the Friends of the Palm Springs Library bookstore.

• Door prizes donated by local merchants and organizations will be up for grabs at each of the weekly in-person events. Grand prizes include bikes and helmets, video gaming consoles, and more.

Why it matters: Library Director Jeannie Kays emphasizes that summer reading helps combat reading loss experienced over the summer, noting that students who read recreationally outperform those who do not.

How to participate: Online registration for the Summer Reading program begins today. Find all the details here.