Nov. 17 Daily Briefing: AIDS Memorial change, PSHS football advances, next city star, and more

Welcome to what definitely feels like a Monday, especially since we’ve got a clarification to make. On Friday, we incorrectly inferred in this newsletter that members of the City Council supported moving the Bogert statue to Village Green. In our more thorough version of the story online, however, it was 100% clear that they only supported asking the Public Arts Commission to consider an offer to place it there and did not want the issue coming before them. Since you may not have read the online version (do that here if it interests you), we thought it was important you knew that.

🎶 Setting the mood: “Come Clean” by Hilary Duff

LEADING OFF

Palm Springs AIDS Memorial switching to aluminum for durability

Artist Philip K. Smith presented material changes to the city’s AIDS Memorial at the Nov. 6 Public Arts Commission meeting. The vertical oval “pools of tears” elements will now be made from mirror-polished aluminum instead of glass.

Driving the news: Testing revealed the aluminum proved superior to glass in both visual quality and durability, with Smith calling the polished surface “absolutely jaw dropping beautiful.”

• Glass samples lost their reflective quality at a distance and appeared “muddled,” while the aluminum “is really showing the true colors of the desert,” Smith said.

Why it matters: The change addresses practical concerns beyond aesthetics — each aluminum oval will weigh 300 pounds instead of 5,000 pounds, eliminating the need for stainless steel frames and making the memorial more resistant to vandalism.

• “I don’t know about all of you, but as we get deeper and deeper into the current political vibe, I started to get more and more nervous about the glass,” Smith said. “It just takes one guy and a hammer.”

By the numbers: Heat testing showed the aluminum remained touchable during summer conditions while glass became too hot to touch.

The big picture: Commission Chair Gary Armstrong emphasized the material change doesn’t alter the memorial’s design, meaning or intended audience. “What’s evolved are the subtleties, the way the work will live in the world,” Armstrong said.

What’s next: A ceremonial groundbreaking is scheduled for Dec. 1 at 11 a.m. at the Downtown Park Amphitheater, coinciding with World AIDS Day. Installation is anticipated for spring 2026.

• The project remains short of its fundraising goal. Donations are accepted at psaidsmemorial.org.

Read our full story online

BRIEFLY

🌧️ Atmospheric river dumps record rain

• Palm Springs broke a decades-old precipitation record Saturday when an atmospheric river delivered more than an inch of rain to the area, causing flooding, road closures, power outages and at least one water rescue by the Palm Springs Fire Department. 
  
• The 1.08 inches measured at Palm Springs International Airport on Saturday shattered the previous Nov. 15 mark of 0.39 inches from 2023, while elsewhere in the valley Indio’s 0.69 inches more than doubled its 1965 record of 0.28 inches.
  
• Bottom line: The storm forced numerous road closures Saturday, though most had reopened by Sunday morning. Forecasters say another system arriving today could add roughly a tenth of an inch more precipitation. Clear skies return Wednesday.

🏈 Palm Springs wins playoff thriller on two-point conversion

• Palm Springs scored a touchdown with 28 seconds remaining and converted a two-point play to defeat Hart High School 22-21 in the second round of the CIF-SS Division 7 playoffs Friday night at Ralph Watt Stadium.
  
• The back-and-forth final period featured Palm Springs losing possession twice deep in Hart territory before mounting the winning drive that started with 2:50 left in the game.
  
• Next up: The win advances Palm Springs (11-1) to the Division 7 semifinals against Barstow in a road game that starts at 7 p.m. Friday.

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TODAY’S FEATURED EVENTS

Mid-Century Magic
10 a.m. | Rubine Red Gallery
Master realist painter Geoffrey Gersten mounts his first solo show at Rubine Red Gallery with his very own “Mid-Century Magic”.

California Community of Men’s Monday Coffee
4:30 p.m. | Social Cafe & Play Lounge
Join the group for coffee, chat, and chew! No RSVPs necessary.

Monday Night Dance Party with Leanna and Miguel
5 p.m.| V Wine Lounge and Martini Bar
Join Leanna and Miguel for a night of dancing to jazz, Latin, pop, disco, and more. ($5)

Water Aerobics
10 a.m. | Palm Springs Swim Center
Get some low-impact exercise at the swim center every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday with instructor Donna Newton! ($5)

FIND Food Bank Distribution
5 p.m. | COD Palm Springs Campus
In partnership with FIND Food Bank, College of the Desert will be hosting a number of food distribution events across its campuses. 

RENT The Musical
7 p.m. | Revolution Stage Company
Jonathan Larson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning masterpiece RENT reimagines Puccini’s classic opera La Bohème for a modern age, transporting its timeless themes of love, poverty, and artistic passion to New York City’s East Village in the late 1980s. ($33)

See all events here

SAVE THE DATE

• McCormick’s 79th Auto Auction starts Friday at Palm Springs Convention Center.
  
• Coachella Valley Filipino Festival on Saturday.
  
• Plaza Theatre Community Open House and Block Party on Saturday.
  
• For the Heroic, Bright and Beautiful Desert Winds Freedom Band concert at Jewish Community Center on Saturday and Sunday.
  
• AIDS Memorial ceremonial groundbreaking on Dec. 1 at Downtown Park.

Submit your event here

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AND FINALLY …

There’s a good chance you’ve seen him in “Mean Girls,” watched him judge elaborate Halloween creations on Food Network, or caught one of his many Hallmark holiday movies, and now Jonathan Bennett is getting his own star on the Palm Springs Walk of the Stars.

Driving the news: The Palm Springs Chamber of Commerce will unveil the 483rd star on the walk during a public ceremony on Thursday at 11 a.m. at 100 South Palm Canyon Drive.

Why it matters: Bennett, who lives in Palm Springs with his husband Jaymes Vaughan, has become a prominent advocate for LGBTQ+ representation in entertainment, creating and producing content including Hallmark’s first gay-led holiday rom-com.

Locally: The actor recently received the Human Rights Campaign’s Visibility Award and continues to use his platform to champion the LGBTQ+ community.