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Friday, Nov. 6 | ☀️ 83°/60°
TGIF everyone! Fire Station 102, the city’s fourth fire station and the new North Sphere station, is officially open, and Division Chief Cody Wright says the crew ran its first call Monday evening. The 11,400-square-foot station is meant to speed up response times and address growth and safety needs in North Palm Desert. To mark the occasion, the public is invited to its grand opening on Dec. 7 from 9 a.m. to noon, so stop by and take a look!
🎶 Setting the mood: "People Have The Power" by Patti Smith
Leading Off
Palm Desert Council Chambers and candidates for City Council seats.
Trubee, Greenwood lead council races by sizeable margins
Palm Desert Mayor Evan Trubee and candidate John Greenwood hold substantial leads in City Council races as Riverside County continues counting ballots from Tuesday’s election. Two tax measures that would affect the area are also ahead.
Driving the news: As of Thursday evening, Trubee led challenger Jonathon Polly 57% to 43% in District 4, or 1,497 votes to 1,120. In District 5, Greenwood led Ralph Perry 60% to 40%, or 2,111 votes to 1,397.
Ballot measures: Desert Recreation District’s Measure P, a five-cent-per-building-square-foot tax that would provide $11.3 million for park repairs and programming, led 61% to 39%.
Riverside County’s Measure A, which would continue an existing half-cent sales tax for traffic relief and road repair, led 70% to 30%.
Desert Healthcare District: Three seats on the board of directors are up for election.
Candidate David “Jax” Kelly led in Zone 1 with 49%, incumbent Anyse Smith led in Zone 5 with 62%, and Sarah Fry led in Zone 2 with 58%.
What’s next: A full tally often takes weeks. The county has 30 days to certify results and must send one complete copy of the returns to the California Secretary of State in early December.
The next updated results are expected by 6 p.m. tonight. Track races countywide here.
Briefly
Renderings of what updated wayfinding signs could look like in the city were provided in documents reviewed by the City Council recently.
🪧 Council weighs sign costs, necessity
The Palm Desert City Council asked staff last month to return with separate costs for replacing wayfinding signs and installing entry monuments instead of approving a nearly $3 million proposal.
The proposal called for a $2.43 million design-build contract with Best Signs Inc., plus a $500,000 contingency, to replace 78 wayfinding signs with 58 and install three new entry monuments. Mayor Evan Trubee said he would be fine to “let the wayfinding sign program die its own death.” Councilmember Karina Moreno called the monument signs “non-negotiable” but suggested keeping essential signs, such as those pointing to the library or a hospital.
Bottom line: Staff will return with estimates for the full program, a scaled-back version and the monuments. The money would come from former redevelopment agency bond proceeds, which could also fund other eligible projects, including a park.
📚 City hosting storytime in the park event
The City of Palm Desert and Palm Desert Library will hold Storytime in the Park from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday at the Civic Center Park Playground. The event is free.
The program includes a 30-minute storytime with autumn-themed books and a seasonal sing-along. Families also can take part in hands-on crafts and interactive activities, and free books will be given away while supplies last.
Details: The Civic Center Park Playground is at 43-900 San Pablo Ave.
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📅 Featured Events
MULTIPLE DAYS
Waiting for Lefty at College of the Desert
TODAY
Ribbon Cutting - Desert Payroll at 74967 Sheryl Ave at 10 a.m.
El Paseo Cruise Night at Palm Desert Chamber of Commerce at 2 p.m.
First Friday Food Trucks at the COD Amphitheater from 4-6 p.m.
Hercules vs. Vampires at McCallum Theatre at 8 p.m. ($43)
SATURDAY
College of the Desert Street Fair at 8 a.m.
Kitchen 86 Yappy Hour at 9 a.m.
Fabric Maché Vessels with Judy Paolini at Artists Center at the Galen at 10:30 a.m. ($81–$177)
Coachella Valley Card Show at Omni Rancho Las Palmas Resort at 11 a.m.
A Conversation With Chef Tanya Petrovna - “Eat Yoga-Food & Ahimsa!” at Iyengar Yoga at 3:30 p.m. at 3:30 p.m.
Observatory Public Exploration Night at 6 p.m.
Opera Under the Stars at The River at Rancho Mirage at 7 p.m. ($30)
Indigo Girls With Symphony at McCallum Theatre at 8 p.m. ($99)
SUNDAY
MindTravel November Live-to-Headphones Silent Piano Concert at Civic Center Park at 4 p.m. ($54)
Cheyenne Jackson at McCallum Theatre at 6 p.m. ($50)
TUESDAY
Palm Desert Architectural Review Commission (ARC) at City Hall at 12:30 p.m.
Ribbon Cutting at Trusts & Estates of the Desert at 41750 Rancho las Palmas Dr at 3 p.m.
VETERANS ROCK: A Veterans Day Eve Celebration at McCallum Theatre at 5 p.m. ($15)
WEDNESDAY
Palm Desert Cultural Arts Committee at City Hall at 9 a.m.
Gatherings: A Grounding Rock with Judy Nemer Sklar at Artists Center at the Galen at 10 a.m. ($26–$60)
Straight No Chaser at McCallum Theatre at 7 p.m. ($70)
THURSDAY
Palm Desert City Council at City Hall at 4 p.m.
Board Game Night at The Dragon Den at 5 p.m. ($10–$20)
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
Autumn flights are here
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✨ And Finally …
Keith Dudum of Dudum Financial presents the championship trophy to Stanford at Acrisure Arena after the Cardinal’s 78-77 title-game win over Saint Louis on Nov. 28, 2025. (Photo: Dudum Financial )
Twenty-six Division I men’s basketball programs will play 26 games over six days at Acrisure Arena from Saturday, Nov. 21 through Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, when the Acrisure Series returns to the Coachella Valley. Consider it a full-court press against a quiet holiday week.
Driving the news: Organizers bill the event as the nation’s premier Thanksgiving week college basketball event. This year’s field includes Power 4 programs Arizona State, Colorado, LSU, SMU, South Carolina, Stanford and USC.
Defending champion Stanford is back for a third straight year after edging Saint Louis 78-77 in last November’s title game, when Benny Gealer hit a 3-pointer with 0.8 seconds left.
Stanford’s path: The Cardinal open their four-team pod against Colorado on Tuesday, Nov. 24 at 9 p.m., then meet either Grand Canyon or Saint Louis on Wednesday, Nov. 25. That sets up a possible rematch of last year’s championship game.
The entire pod will air on CBS Sports Network.
Thanksgiving Day: The final day closes with three high-major matchups: South Carolina vs. Arizona State, Utah State vs. USC, and SMU vs. LSU.
What they’re saying: “We believe this year’s field is the strongest we’ve assembled,” said Dan Shell, president of Total Sports Consulting and co-tournament director.
Tickets: Prices start at $25 plus fees and are available here at Ticketmaster.com and the Ticketmaster Box Office at Acrisure Arena.
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