Finding Fulgurites

After going on the last fulgurite hunt, last April, I saw them everywhere and started a good-sized collection.

So we're doing it again!

Darlene Parris, one of the sisters who writes the Wonder Valley column in the Desert Trail, will show us fulgurites that she has collected and tell us all about them.

Meet at the Gazebo in the Wonder Valley Park, at the corner of Amboy and Blower Roads, next to the Old Fire Station, at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, November 7, 2018. There is a $2 suggested donation.

A fulgurite is formed when lightning hits wet sand. The sand melts and turns into a melded conglomeration of tiny rocks and sand. The average temperature at creation is 10,000 degrees. 

Then Darlene will take us walking in the nearby desert behind the park and show us how to FIND fulgurites. We won't be walking far -- maybe 20 feet, or so. Everyone will go home with at least one fulgurite.

You can't miss the 80' tall cell tower palm tree.

Bring a hat and water, a collection bag, a small digging implement (like a garden trowel), and anything else you need to be comfortable (folding chair, gloves, sunscreen, snack).

This event is produced and sponsored by Friends of Wonder Valley. A $2 suggested donation helps us continue creating these kinds of events, but no one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Local Authors Event : The Feminine Revolution

Come meet local author, and Wonder Valley resident, Catherine Connors, who will be reading from her book 'The Feminine Revolution: 21 Ways to Ignite the Power of Your Femininity for a Brighter Life and a Better World.’ She will also be signing books.

‘The Feminine Revolution’ leads to an understanding of the stereotypes behind ideas of femininity, how rethinking those stereotypes can have practical benefits - for women and for men, and new ways of thinking about how we characterize women's - and men's - behaviors.

The reading will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, November 17, 2018, at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526-½ Amboy Road, in Wonder Valley.

A suggested donation of $2.00 insures we’re able to continue programming events like this. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.

Catherine Connors is the co-founder and CCO of Maverick, a social network for girls and young women. She's the former Editor in Chief of Babble and head of content for Disney Interactive's Women and Family portfolio. She has been featured in media like The New York Times, CNN, NPR, and Good Morning America. She lives in Los Angeles (and Wonder Valley!)

"Nothing could be a more critical conversation than the one women are engaged in now, trying to connect our femininity with our power in a way that delivers us to our highest selves. Kudos to Amy Stanton and Catherine Connors for exploring issues--often hidden, sometimes painful--that pave the way to genuine deliverance from the forces that hold us back."
--Marianne Williamson

This event is sponsored by Friends of Wonder Valley. Please visit us at FriendsOfWonderValley.org.

Please welcome the new coordinator at the WVCC!

Artist's depiction

Hey, everybody! We have a brand, spanking new temporary coordinator at the Wonder Valley Community Center! Drum roll, please...

Karen Meyers!

She and her sister, Darlene Parris, write the local Wonder Valley column in the Desert Trail.

The new hours for the WVCC are:
Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The WVCC is not an official cooling center, but these hours allow for people to escape the heat in the hottest part of the day. We'll be posting a calendar of events on the door of the Center along with agenda for community meetings (see under Events Calendar in the left menu, here).

Stop by the Center - there's a FREE book and video lending program - check out as many as you want - no late fees ever. Stop by and say hello to Karen.

Many, many thanks to Starlene Javier, a true community treasure, who resigned from the position earlier in the year for personal reasons. Star has served this community faithfully for decades and continues serving as a volunteer.

Also, there is a job opening for a permanent Community Center Coordinator in Wonder Valley. Go to:

http://cms.sbcounty.gov/hr/EmploymentClassification/CurrentJobOpenings.aspx

Go all the way to the bottom of the page, where all the checkboxes are, and in the search field under the check boxes, type in Wonder Valley. The job description will then appear at the bottom of the page.

Changes at the Wonder Valley Community Center

County Fire replaced the old blinds with new metal mini-blinds. What an improvement! Many thanks, Tom Marshall!

That palm tree to the right looks like it needs some help, though.

On March 26 Special Districts replaced the old drip system with a new irrigation system better suited to our desert climate. The plants are greening up nicely! Many thanks to John Bradford and Reese Troublefield, who saw this project through.

At today's monthly meeting the community approved a new neon sign. Brad Dunning will oversee the project at no cost to the community though people are welcome to contribute. The community also approved sharing our kitchen with the local group Food for Life. Wally Currie gave an informative presentation.

Thanks everyone for attending and participating!

It's really great to see the Wonder Valley Community Center being spruced up. We have a wonderful community and the Community Center is reflecting it.

We're on YELP!

A Wonder Valley community booster started a Yelp! page for the Wonder Valley Community Center. If you've been to a meeting or event, please leave a review. If you haven't been, we're planning some fun events in the coming months, so you might want to wait until you've had a chance to participate.

I'm going to wait a bit, as the Community Center means a lot to me and I want to write something good.

Check it out at:
http://www.yelp.com/biz/wonder-valley-community-center-twentynine-palms

Also, we've been added to Desert Communities on Third District Supervisor James Ramos' website:
http://www.sbcounty.gov/bosd3/district/communities

Click on Morongo Basin Communities and we're there and linked to THIS site!!

Desert Trail Column, November 5, 2015

The Wonder Valley Community Center will be closed for the months of November and December, with the exceptions of the community meetings on November 9 and December 14, and the USDA Food Distributions on November 16 and December 21. The community center will again be open every Monday from 9 to noon beginning in January, 2016. The Wonder Valley Book Program will also be closed until January, with the above exceptions.

The Glass Outhouse Art Gallery invites everyone to an Artists Reception on Saturday, November 7 from 5 to 9 pm. Featured artists are Perry Hoffman, David Greene and Michael Carballes, and music will be provided by Leslie Mariah Andrews. The gallery is located at 77575 29 Palms Highway at Thunder Road. For more information, call 760-367-3807.

A community meeting will take place at our community center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road, on November 9 at 9 am. Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate. Veterans Administration Benefits Advisor Stewart West from the Marine Base will be present to talk to veterans one-on-one about their benefits and eligibility issues following the meeting. Service-connected disabilities can be applied for at any time in life. For further information, call our Basinwide Municipal Advisory Council Representative Teresa Sitz at 760-865-9550.

The Basinwide MAC meeting will be held on Monday, November 9 at the community center at Sunburst Park in Joshua Tree from 6:30 to 8:30 pm. All are welcome to attend.

On a sad note,  Wonder Valley resident Joseph Henry Evans, 72, has passed away. We send our condolences to his wife Lisa K. Evans; son Robert Evans; daughters Teresa Evans and Tammy Caroll; sister Sara Evans; brother Edward Evans; five grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren. A memorial service is being planned.

Karen’s Commentary: Oh, my! Those little annoying Christmas elves that whisper in my ears this time of year have upped their volume considerably as of November 1. They’re saying if I’d listened to them in October, I’d already be done with my Christmas shopping.

Darlene’s Commentary: Here comes the Weed Show! Grab your friends, bring the kids and come to the Old Schoolhouse Museum on November 6 and 7. Hours – Saturday noon to 4, Sunday 10 to 4. Check it out! Admission is free. I love the Weed Show!

Handy Hint: Revive stale bread or rolls by sprinkling them lightly with water, putting them in aluminum foil and warming them in a 375-degree oven for about 5 minutes for rolls or 10-15 minutes for bread.

Thought for Today: When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills. – Chinese Proverb

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

Monthly Monday Meeting - November 9, 2015

The Community of Wonder Valley will meet

Monday, November 9, 2015 at 9:00 a.m.. at

Wonder Valley Community Center

80526 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277
to discuss various community issues.

Stewart West, Veterans Administration Benefits Advisor, Twentynine Palms Marine Base, will be present to talk to veterans about their benefits and eligibility issues, like service connected disabilities which can be applied for at any time in life. He will be able to speak with veterans one on one after the meeting. Veterans, especially, are invited to attend and meet with Stewart West.

The agenda will be posted by the first week of November.

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

Community Meeting AGENDA - August 10, 2015

WONDER VALLEY MONTHLY MONDAY MEETING

Second Monday of the month, August 10, 2015, 9:00 a.m.

Wonder Valley Community Center

80526 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, CA 92277

Wonder Valley MAC Delegate and Meeting Chair: Teresa Sitz

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

A G E N D A

http://bit.ly/wv08102015

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; 

indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." - Margaret Mead

1. Call to order
2. Introductions
3. Community comment on items not on the agenda
   The community is also invited to comment after the reports and during the discussions below.
4. Reports and Presentations
   a. San Bernardino County Code Enforcement, Ignacio Nunez, Code Enforcement Supervisor
   b. San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department
   c. Discussion and possible action: Shall the community endorse the delegate’s MAC Report to be read at the MAC meeting tonight?
5. Ongoing Business
   "Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” – Vincent Van Gogh
   a. Neighborhood Watch and NextDoor
   b. Illegal Dumping and Adopt-a-Road Program
   c. Discussion and/or possible action: Shall the Community enlist a group to form a “Friends of Wonder Valley” group to raise funds for various community needs, like Neighborhood Watch signs and Adopt-a-Road programs?
   d. Discussion and/or possible action: Shall the Community schedule a community potluck for sometime in October?
6. Agenda planning
   The community is invited to suggest items to place on the next meeting agenda.
7. Announcements 
8. Adjournment 

August 10, 2015, MAC Report: Wonder Valley
by Teresa Sitz, Wonder Valley Delegate

Our NextDoor network has increased to 39 members. A lot of useful conversations are taking place and there’s a good degree of enthusiasm building.

We had a community meeting this morning with ___ in attendance. We were very happy to welcome Ignacio Nunez, Code Enforcement Supervisor, to present. Also on the agenda was the creation of a Friends of Wonder Valley group to address community needs and provide community support.

On July 25 we had a very exciting event at the Palms. High Desert Test Sites sponsored Austrian artist Gerhard Treml who, with his partner Edith Edith Schwarzl, screened nine short films created around stories of people who live in the Morongo Basin, including Darlene Parris, our columnist at the Desert Trail. About 100 people were present and it was a beautiful night for films on the patio.

Neighbors continue to meet nearly every Sunday for community breakfast at the Palms between 9 am and noon. There’s a big community table in the back and breakfasts start at $3.50. There’s also been a gospel/folk sing along at a time determined by our pianist Miss Ida Lane. People come from all over and everyone is welcome so don’t stay away just because you don’t live in Wonder Valley.

There’s a Goodbye Summer party at the Palms on September 5th at 7. The Adobe Collective and the Sibleys will be playing. Admission is free.

The Wonder Valley artist Perry Hoffman is having a mail art show at the Glass Outhouse and needs people to send him postcards. Contact me if you’d like more information.

On a personal note, we bought our house in Wonder Valley last August so have now officially been here one year. It’s true we weren’t born here but we got here as fast as we could.
Thank you.

Monthly Monday Meeting - August 10, 2015

Join your neighbors for the Monthly Monday Meeting at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 Amboy Road, August 10, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. to discuss various community issues.

I'm pleased to announce that Ignacio Nunez, Code Enforcement Supervisor, will be present to talk about Code Enforcement and to answer questions.

We will also be looking at the County's Adopt-a-Road program.

The agenda will be posted shortly.

Everyone (whether or not you're lucky enough to live in Wonder Valley) is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

Crime Statistics for Wonder Valley

Crime Statistics for Wonder Valley

When my  husband, my neighbor, and I met with Sargent Rick Millard and Specialist Robert Anderson at the San Bernardino Sheriff's Department a couple of weeks ago I was given recent crime statistics for Wonder Valley.

              JAN    FEB     MAR    APR

Calls      62      59      78     51  = 250

Reports    15       7       7      4  =  33    

Arrests     1       1       1      0  =   3

There has been a rash of robberies in the area, through the entire Morongo Basin, actually. At the last MAC meeting Captain Mondary gave us a list of things that would help protect our properties. I'm going to post these and elaborate on a few of them

1. Lock everything up all the time.
You may feel that you don't need to do this, but please remember, any time anyone gets robbed it makes it more dangerous for the rest of us - so please, lock your gates, your houses, your windows, and your cars. This is the first step in "target hardening," making your place more difficult for thieves to hit.

If you leave your windows open at night or when you're away for your swamp cooler, cut dowels or buy some window locks that let you leave the windows open a bit. Dowels are cheap and easy to cut.

2. Leave your lights on at night or use motion detectors.
People are very fond of their dark skies out here so if your neighborhood doesn't support flood lights, install motion detector lights. Lights going on can be unsettling to thieves.

3. Know your neighbors. Watch out for each other.
You may have neighbors you are not particularly fond of, or have never met, but anyone getting robbed is bad for everyone so please keep an eye out for all your neighbors. Take down notes - time of day, make, model and color of any vehicles, license numbers if possible, descriptions of the suspects. Call 911.

4. Start a Neighborhood Watch.
We're starting a Neighborhood Watch in Wonder Valley and window signs are available at the monthly Monday meeting. The next one is Monday, July 13, at 9:00 a.m. at the WV Community Center, 80526 Amboy Rd, Wonder Valley, CA 92277. The only rule is that you have to be watching someone else's house and someone has to be watching yours.

Wonder Valley Neighborhood Watch window sign.

Technically, Wonder Valley already has a successful Neighborhood Watch as everyone tells me they're already watching out for their neighbors. Making it official will give us a few tools that will help us enhance what we're already doing!

5. Keep detailed notes on anything suspicious – day, time, descriptions,etc.
Again, keep detailed notes on anything you see. Keep a little notebook, or use the camera on your cellphone. Do not approach people and do not put yourself in harm's way. Call the Sheriff's Department directly, and bring your notes to the monthly Monday meeting, too.

6. Invest in an alarm and/or a security system.
The price of security systems has dropped. Nowadays they have fancy wireless ones. If you have WIFI, just stick up the cameras and other security devices, read the QR code with your smart phone (if you have one) and your phone will ring if anything is tripped. You can check your house through the cameras on your phone and call the Sheriff - even if you're AWAY from your property.

These tips are mine.

7. Be careful about the workmen you hire.
You may be inviting someone unscrupulous to case your property or your that of your neighbor's. Don't tell them your schedule. Don't give them information about your neighbors.

8. Don't announce trips or vacations on social media.
Post the pictures after the fact, but don't let people know when you won't be home.

9. Don't leave scrap or free materials out for anyone to pick up.
Don't train people to come to your property and your neighborhood and take anything that isn't nailed down.

10. REPORT ALL CRIMES (this should be #1)
Some of you have told me this hasn't been a fruitful effort for you in the past. That might be true, but it's also very true that the squeaky wheel gets the grease. If we don't report crime the SBSD can't do anything but assume that we have very little crime out here. If you report a crime, feel free to send me a note at teresa.sitz@gmail.com telling me what you reported and if you received a response. I'm your MAC delegate and the MAC meets with the Sheriff's Department every month.

Meet and Greet - Monday, June 8 at the Community Center

You are cordially invited to attend a

Meet and Greet

Monday, June 8, 2015

9:00 - 11:00 a.m. at the

Wonder Valley Community Center

80526 Amboy Road, Twentynine Palms, CA 92277

Light refreshments will be served. The building is ADA accessible.
Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate.

There is no agenda at this meeting. This is an opportunity for you to meet your neighbors, your MAC delegate,* Teresa Sitz, and discuss issues of concern in the community. If you'd like to bring up an issue privately, please email Teresa at teresa.sitz@gmail.com.

Teresa will bring a digital scanner, so if you have historical photographs or letters you'd like to scan and submit to a community photo album, please bring them along.

* MAC - The Morongo Basin Municipal Advisory Council consists of 9 county appointees who represent 9 unincorporated communities in the Morongo Basin.

Desert Trail Column, May 21, 2015

Have you noticed our beautiful “new” grader going up and down the roads? It had only 2,000 hours on it, which makes it practically brand new! Tim has been lowering berms and crowning the roads where he can. We really appreciate all his efforts, and look forward to when the big-time road repairs can begin.

Miss Ida Lane plays some genuine honky-tonk piano at The Palms most Sundays. Stop in to listen and sing along while she plays such songs as “Yellow Rose of Texas,” “Waltzing Matilda,” “Angel Band” and “Uncloudy Sky.”

Pastor Max Rossi passed along some good news recently. The Road Extension Plans were finally approved by San Bernardino County, so the new church building should be up and fully operational on Godwin Road by the end of this year. Max wants to thank everyone for their prayers.

A WEMO Presentation for Wonder Valley will be held on Saturday, May 23 at our Wonder Valley Community Center at 11 am. WEMO stands for the BLM’s WEst MOjave Plan. They are working to designate 5,000 additional miles of off-road vehicle routes, and Pat Flanagan will talk about how this may affect Wonder Valley.

We send out Rainbows-of-Emeralds-and-Lilies-of-the-Valley to Barbara Finnegan who celebrates her special day this week. Happy birthday, Barbara!

Karen’s Commentary:  Ted and I had two firefighters over for a turkey dinner last week – old friend Jay Dimoff and his partner Aaron who lives in Azusa and is normally stationed in Needles! Wow, what a commute! Azusa was my teenage stompin’ grounds, we raised our family in neighboring Glendora and Jay lived in neighboring Covina when he was a kid, so there was a good deal of “old neighborhood” talk. What a fun evening.

Darlene’s Commentary:  Of all the good bands I have seen at The Palms in Wonder Valley, and there have been a lot, my favorite is the Blackwater Juke Box Band. The bandleader, Geordie McElroy, plays electric banjo like I’ve never seen – the whole band is on fire! Their music and lyrics are so unique and fresh. Blackwater Juke Box totally ROCKS!



The Wonder Valley Book Program is open on Mondays and Wednesdays from 9 to noon at the community center. Books and movies can be checked out free. Come on in and look around.

Handy Hint:  Prevent soil from escaping through the holes in the base of flowerpots by lining with large coffee filters.

Thought for Today:  “We’re behind you all the way” is the motto of the Procrastinator’s Club of America. They have 14,000 members, and probably millions more who just haven’t gotten around to joining.

[ photo coming soon ]

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

Desert Trail Column, May14, 2015

The USDA Food Distribution will take place on Monday, May 18 at the Wonder Valley Community Center, 80526 ½ Amboy Road, from 11 to noon. The He Provides Ministry will also be there with free clothing and household items for anyone who can use them.

We send out Rainbows-of-Emeralds-and-Lilies-of-the-Valley to Curtis Johnson who celebrates his special day this week. Happy birthday, Curtis!

Darlene’s Commentary: Our father, Jerry Borquez, worked in aerospace and in 1958, our whole family moved to Cape Canaveral, Florida where his expertise was needed. Two years later, when I was eight years old, we returned to California by car. I remember stopping at a fruit inspection station, and as Daddy drove up to the window, he turned to me and my little sister Donna and said, “Now, don’t say anything about the oranges in the ice chest.” We got out of the car to stretch our legs (and, I am sure, to keep our mouths shut) and I remember we walked over to a tall wooden sign that read “Welcome to California” and “Wonder Valley.” Little did I know that I would move to this area 29 years later, and end up living across the road from that very sign!  I love Wonder Valley.

Karen’s Commentary: Our big bullfrog is croaking again! He had quit croaking for about a week when we put three new tadpoles in the pond, but he is now back in fine form. We haven’t named him yet, but are thinking of calling him Damian after Damian McGinty who is a very young and handsome member of Celtic Thunder with a baby face and a surprisingly deep voice. Years ago, we named our first frog Jeremiah. After Jeremiah went to that great fishpond in the sky, we got three frogs that we promptly named Bud, Weis and Er! It’ll be pretty hard to come up with better names than those.

Our community center is open every Monday and Wednesday from 9 to noon, and Star Javier is there to answer any questions or discuss issues about our park and/or roads. On the Mondays when the USDA Food Distribution takes place, the community center opens at 8 am.

Handy Hint: Hang a shoe organizer bag in your garage. The clear plastic pouches make it easy to both store and locate spray paints, lubricants, gardening tools and other items.

Thought for Today: Gene Simmons was a sixth grade teacher in Harlem; Sting taught English, music and soccer at a Catholic girls school in England; and Stephen King was a high school English teacher in Maine. Kind of scary.

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

Upcoming Community Events

Upcoming Events

Monday, May 11, 9:00 - 11:00 a.m.
Meet and Greet with MAC Delegate Teresa Sitz
Wonder Valley Community Center
80526 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, 92277

Saturday, May 23, 11:00 a.m.
WEMO (WEst MOjave) Plan
a presentation with MAC delegate Pat Flanagan
Questions and answers to follow.
Wonder Valley Community Center
80526 Amboy Road, Wonder Valley, 92277

Please see:
BLM West Mojave Plan - IMPORTANT, please review
http://wondervalleycsa.blogspot.com/2015/04/blm-west-mojave-plan-important-please.html

New OHV Routes in Wonder Valley - ADJACENT to Private Land
http://wondervalleycsa.blogspot.com/2015/04/new-ohv-routes-in-wonder-valley.html

Everyone is invited and welcome to attend and participate in these events.

I'm still working with the Sheriff's Department to arrange a meeting to discuss the formation of a Neighborhood Watch and other issues.