Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Community Meeting: Legal Access to Medical Marijuana for Seniors


Everyone is invited and welcome to
attend and participate in a special community meeting, on

Legal Access to Medical Marijuana for Seniors
With guest speaker Lanny Swerdlow, R.N.

Saturday, March 25, 10:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the
Wonder Valley Community Center
80526½ Amboy Road, Wonder Valley CA 92277

Learn how medical marijuana may provide safe, effective therapeutic relief for pain, insomnia, and depression, and why it is tailor-made for the ailments of advancing years.

Information will be provided on:

  • the current legal status of marijuana
  • how to become a medical marijuana patient
  • where to obtain medical marijuana, and
  • how to grow your own

There will be a Q&A after the presentation.

Lanny Swerdlow, RN LNC, has advocated for the health and medical uses of marijuana since 1995. He founded the Inland Empire’s first medical marijuana doctor’s office and one of the first medical marijuana dispensaries. He has played a major role in advancing access to marijuana in the IE including working on Prop. 64.

This meeting was the result of a discussion regarding medical marijuana at the January 2017 Wonder Valley Community meeting. The Community wanted to hear more about the subject

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/257298518056430/

Monday, February 27, 2017

Upcoming road closures

MARCH CLOSURES PLANNED FOR “BACK ROAD TO VEGAS”
By Z107.7 News, on February 21st, 2017
Travelers who plan to take “the back roads” to Las Vegas in March, take note: several roads will be closed to all traffic between noon and 10 p.m. between March 2 and March 18 while Union Pacific upgrades the railroad tracks. The Kelbaker Road crossing at Kelso will be closed March 2, 3, and 4. Drivers should use I-15 or US Route 95 instead. The Cima Road crossing at Cima will be closed March 6, 7 and 8; use Kelbaker Road to drive between I-40 and I-15. And the Ivanpah Road crossing, nine miles south of Nipton Road, will be closed March 17 and 18.

http://z1077fm.com/march-closures-planned-for-back-road-to-vegas/

Thursday, February 23, 2017

Glass Outhouse Gallery Opening | March 4, 1-5 p.m.


Glass Outhouse Gallery Opening
March 4, 1 - 5 p.m.

Artists
Olive Toscani
Robert Kinnard
Mike Faitl
With guest, Adrian Field

Live music with The Luminators

Always free.

Wonder Valley Community Meeting, March 11, 2017


Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate in the 
Wonder Valley Community Meeting
Saturday, March 11, 2017
10:00 a.m. - Noon

At the
Wonder Valley Community Center
80526½ Amboy Road
Wonder Valley, CA 90026

WV neighbor Rick Hamburg will present on the chronic problem of illegal firearms shooting in Wonder Valley. He will share some of his recent experiences in trying to get the problem under control and discuss what is legal and what is not.

Other items on the agenda include: illegal dumping, specifically about whether or not we could get a pass or credits for neighborhood cleanups; the illegal dumping of animals and unwanted pets; and Fire Department connections to private water tanks.

The community edits and approves the MAC report, and decides which items should be placed on the next agenda.

AGENDA
(posted February 28, 2017, 9 a.m.)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/lhlz78ui39kbljt/03112017_wv_meeting.pdf?dl=0
(Revised March 2, 2017, 14:17)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/xa2v163jpfv6rsg/03112017_wv_meeting_2.pdf?dl=0
(Revised March 7, 2017, 16:15 p.m.)
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wulnxyexks3rbq8/03112017_wv_meeting_3.pdf?dl=0
NOTES
https://www.dropbox.com/s/yyuqb245psqpeqz/03112017_wv_meeting_NOTES.pdf?dl=0

There will be Cuban pastries and French Roast coffee.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Teresa Sitz at teresa.sitz@gmail.com.

Desert Trail column for February 22, 2017

We send out Rainbows-of-Amethysts-and-Violets to Susie Sesma who celebrates her special day this week. Happy birthday, Susie!

Karen’s Commentary: I discussed our phone bill charges a few weeks ago, but how about those Edison bills? Wow! To say they just keep going up and up is an understatement! It seems like every other month there’s a paper included with the bill saying in legal terms and lawyer-speak that our rates will be going up again. We’ve been told by an SCE representative that pumps of any kind are some of the biggest culprits when it comes to electricity usage. This is not good news to us since we have a pond pump, a fresh water pump and a well pump that are all used year around at our house. And I would really gripe and moan and groan about it more except for one thing – I know how lucky I am to at least HAVE a well, a fresh water tank and a pond, or even just electricity. So, when I look at it that way, the irritation of paying so much comes down a few notches on the intensity scale.

Darlene’s Commentary: I want to tell you about this amazing little device that has helped my broken foot to heal better and faster. It is called the Exogen Ultrasound Bone Healing System, and I use it at home once a day for 20 minutes. The ultrasound waves go right through the skin and soft tissue to reach the fracture, and you don’t feel anything except a little tingle. The Exogen device has an internal patient usage monitor that records the date, time and duration of each treatment – amazing! I started the treatments six weeks ago, and at that time my foot was in major pain. At this time my foot has no pain at all. Now if I can just remove the “moon boot” (with my doctor’s permission of course), I will be a very happy camper, walking on two feet! I must rephrase that – I’ll be a very happy camper, walking on two feet VERY CAREFULLY.

The Food for Life Ministry cooks and serves delicious hot meals every Saturday at the Church of the Nazarene, 72603 Juanita, from 3 to 5 p.m. The meals are free, and if you have a problem getting to the church, Reach Out Morongo Basin will deliver them to your home at no charge. Call 760-361-1410 for further information.

Handy Hint: Bounce dryer sheets repel mosquitoes.

Thought for Today: When I was a child, I thought nap time was punishment. Now it’s like a mini vacation.

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.


Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Bill and Bob in Joshua Tree on March 9

Musical duo Bill and Bob will perform for patrons of the

Joshua Tree Saloon
61835 29 Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, CA 92252
8:00 - 10:00 p.m., Thursday, March 9


The Saloon serves burgers, tacos and other victuals plus a selection of beers and cocktails. Enjoy Bill and Bob’s re-arranged and original blues-infused exploration of American culture.

Bill Winter and Robert Rowell - Bill and Bob - have been performing together for about a year at The 29 Palms Inn, art exhibition receptions, and at private events. Bill plays guitar, composes, and sings. Bob plays the harmonica and the trombone.

Contact Bill and Bob at:
760-902-9492
rowell_robert@yahoo.com

Follow Bill and Bob at:
https://www.facebook.com/BillAndBobMusic/

If you're ON Facebook you can enter a raffle to get Bill and Bob to play at your next soiree for free.

Wonder Valley Experimental Festival #9

Wonder Valley Experimental Festival #9
Starts at 5:00 p.m. sharp!
FREE
April 1, 2017
Palms Restaurant, 83131 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley CA 92277
(Art by Rik Verlin Livingston)

Performing:
  • Xome
  • Burtal Poodle
  • Igor Amokian
  • Nature’s Miracle
  • Skunk Puppet
  • Justin Scheid, Brian Akenoh
  • Medicine Cabinet (Tracy, CA)
  • J3M5
  • X-Eyes
  • Unmove
  • Third Ear Disappearing
  • Divine Brick
  • Hongo Killer
  • phog macheeen

Mosaics at The Tile House


Mosaic Workshop at The Tile House 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. on April 1, 2017 10 a.m. - noon on April 2, 2017 $185 per person or $325 per couple. A vegetarian lunch is served on Saturday. Contact magentaraven@gmail.com to RSVP

Amplified Presence at SCRANCH


AMPLIFIED PRESENCE
Location:
Wonder Valley, CA (There is no address for either location.)
THE SCRANCH CABIN - 34.184162, -115.955895
THE MOUND - 34.102993, -115.919074
(copy/paste GPS coordinates into Google maps, view as satellite
OPENING DATE:
Saturday, March 4, 2 - 8 p.m.

ARTISTS:
Jennifer Rochlin
Laura Plansker
Alice Wheeler
Marcello Dolce
Gary Smith
Mike Mollett
Jessica Dillon
Jennifer King
Peter West
John Goodfellow
Brian Goldstein
Chris Hanke
Brenda Hurst
Caitlin Ducey
The L.A. Mudpeople
Jeff Iorillo
Elizabeth Saveri
Haena Yoo
Roel Hinojosa


Saturday, February 18, 2017

Nikos. Remembered by his friends.


NIKOS.William Hillyard

Physics says all possibilities exist at once, that anything that can happen, does happen in an infinite array of parallel realities. What we feel and see and remember is but one iteration of what is, of what was, of what can be, could have been, always was. If that’s true, Nikos Lukaris didn’t just die on Amboy last Thursday. In a parallel reality, he arrived safely at The Palms and had a beer to cap off a great day riding. And that F350 he hit in our reality passed him cleanly in another. And Nikos kept off Amboy in yet another reality, stuck to the dirt, rode the bike with the headlight making that night a night no different from any other night. Physics says these realities transpired we just didn’t get to live them. We live the one where Nikos smacked a truck head-on on Amboy Road.

I imagine he died how he would have wanted to go, however--perhaps with fire, though, and an explosion, parts scattered even further, fifty more yards at least. Still, he wouldn’t have been disappointed. What would have disappointed him was the pain his death caused those he left behind, the guys in that F350, Rosie and Nick and Warbird and James, as well as the hole he left in our souls as we mourn our loss. For that’s what it is, we cry for ourselves, our sadness is our selfishness. We weep for our future without him.

Questions rattle around in my head: Who’s going to take me out riding now? Who will keep the bikes in repair? Who will keep us curious, keep alight that fire of wonder without Nikos at the bellows?

“He’s not finished with you yet,” Warbird said to me last night. Already he is deified, from a man to a god. That seems right, because I feel him like a holy spirit, a ghost haunting me in the best possible way, his vital essence seeping in from those parallel realities. That seems right too, because no reality could ever be big enough to contain him.


NIKOS LUKARIS. Nick Harmon

If a library burns when someone dies, the Smithsonian was firebombed on February 9, 2017, with the loss of Nikos Lukaris. He was the real most interesting man in the world. An invincible combination of the Dali Lama, Kit Carson, Dr. Doolittle, MacGyver, Beowulf, and a raw block of iron. A Greek warrior genius king of the desert, sky and sea. With Nikos, nothing was impossible. I once told him we needed to start hunting for meteorites. He replied, "Why don't we just make them?" He killed a Mohave Green rattlesnake by throwing a knife while riding a motorcycle. He opened bottles of beer with his teeth. He started campfires by disconnecting the spark plug wire and arcing a spark to the engine block. He was raised in a zoo. He tracked desert tortoises. He reengineered a snowmobile so he could ride it in the sand. He built a boat by hand, in a week. If you were with him, approximately every twenty minutes, he'd shake your hand. He rode his motorcycle one-handed on trails I wreck on. He once drove from coast to coast, naked, in a vehicle that had no doors. He had nicknames for nearly everyone and everything, so sometimes it felt like he was talking in code. Sometimes he actually talked in code. He emitted so much love, just being around him made you feel like nothing bad could ever happen. He was envied by everyone he met for his limitless passion for life. You wanted to be like him. The notion he could ever die was absurd. He lived every second tiptoeing the edge of the abyss. He was Icarus, constantly flying too close to the sun. He went in the only way possible to kill him: blown into a trillion sparkles of stardust, returned to whatever alien planet sent him, on a mission to force us to discover the best versions of ourselves.

Posted and printed with the permission of William Hillyard and Nick Harmon.
Wonder Valley Sand Paper, Vol. 2, No. 36
https://www.dropbox.com/s/un7a8i8icqmmvzr/02192017_36.pdf?dl=0

Friday, February 10, 2017

WV ORV Rider Killed

DIRT BIKE RIDER KILLED IN HEAD-ON CRASH ON AMBOY ROAD
By Z107.7 News, on February 10th, 2017

A dirt-bike rider was killed in a head-on collision east of Twentynine Palms last night. According to County Fire Battalion Chief Scott Tuttle, a full-size pick-up truck was traveling eastbound on Amboy Road about 6:15 when the driver went to pass a slower-moving vehicle, just east of Chadwick Road. As the truck passed the vehicle, it crashed head-on into a dirt bike traveling westbound on the highway. The male rider—who was not wearing a helmet—was pronounced deceased at the scene. The county coroner has not released his name yet, as the rider did not have any identification on him, but he is estimated to be in his late 30s.

Thursday, February 9, 2017

Desert Trail Column, February 9, 2017

The special meeting organized by Teresa Sitz to discuss In-home Supportive Services (IHSS) and other services available in our community was very interesting and informative. Meghan Cosgriff and Linda Connor from the Department of Aging and Adult Services gave a presentation that also included information on the Family Caregiver Support Program, elder and dependent adult abuse, senior nutrition programs, the Kinship Caregiver Support Group, long-term care, health insurance counseling, the Senior Community Services Employment Program, legal services and many other issues and problems that their department can help with. Call 760-228-5219 to find out about all the assistance and referrals they can provide. The Department of Aging and Adult Services office is located behind the movie theater in Yucca Valley.

The Wonder Valley Community meeting, also organized by Teresa, will take place at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road at Blower Road, on Saturday, February 11 at 10 a.m. Everyone is invited to attend. Call 760-865-9550 or go to teresa.stewart@gmail.com for further information.

[ Teresa has the flu - there will be no February meeting. ]

Ric Figueroa, WVCC and
Suzanne from the He
Provides Ministry.
The USDA Food Distribution will be held on Monday, February 13 from 10:30 to noon at our community center. Also, the He Provides Ministry is scheduled to return this month at 9:30 a.m. with free blankets, clothing and household items for anyone needing them.

The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council will meet at the Joshua Tree Community Center at 6171 Sunburst on Monday, February 13 at 6:30 p.m. Councilmember Teresa Sitz will be there representing Wonder Valley, but everyone is invited to attend and contribute at these meetings. If you are unable to attend, please contact Teresa to let her know your concerns so she can try to get answers and/or information.

We send out Rainbows-of-Amethysts-and-Violets to Mary Lindsley who celebrates her special day this week. Happy birthday, Mary!

The Wonder Valley Thrift Store located on Godwin Road just north of 29 Palms Highway has bargains galore. Stop in and browse, or ask Olympia about any specific items you are looking for. She’ll be glad to help. The thrift store is open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 9 to noon, and all money collected goes to the building fund for the Godwin Christian Fellowship Church. Call 831-227-1948 for further information.

Handy Hint: WD-40 removes and prevents rust on anything made of metal. It also removes rust stains in your tub or shower. Another use for WD-40 is to coat oxidized terra cotta pots so they look like new!

Thought for Today: “If you don’t know history, then you don’t know anything. You are a leaf that doesn’t know it is part of a tree.” – Michael Crichton

Until next time . . . remember to take time to enjoy the WONDERs all around us.

Moon over Wonder Valley.

Wednesday, February 8, 2017

No February Community Meeting

Hi All,

I'm down with the flu, and couldn't get a speaker for the February meeting, so did not plan a meeting for this month.

There is NO community meeting for this Saturday, Feb. 11.

Thanks,

Teresa Sitz
Delegate, Wonder Valley
Municipal Advisory Council