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Friday, Sept. 11 | ☀️ 102°/80°
Welcome to Friday, where we are holding space in our hearts for all of those impacted by the terror attacks on this day 25 years ago. We haven't heard of a Sept. 11 memorial planned here in town, but the valley has no shortage of ways to pause and remember today, with ceremonies in Cathedral City, Indio and Palm Springs, a candlelight vigil in La Quinta and a stair climb at Morongo Resort. However you mark the day, we hope you'll take a moment to honor the heroes and all those whose lives were changed by Sept. 11, 2001.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Tuesday Morning" by Melissa Etheridge
Leading Off
Shutterstock file photo
Palm Desert delays SCE outage resolution, pushes for tougher terms
The Palm Desert City Council voted 5-0 Thursday to table a resolution urging Southern California Edison to limit planned power outages during peak summer heat, sending staff back to draft a tougher version for the November meeting.
Driving the news: The original resolution asked SCE to avoid routine, non-emergency maintenance outages during June through early September when feasible, and to give the city earlier notice and coordinated support for affected customers.
Assistant City Manager Richard Cannone said about 55 of 62 days in July and August from 2022 through this year hit 105 degrees or higher, with roughly 40% reaching 113 degrees or higher.
By the numbers: A planned outage affecting about 878 Palm Desert customers, originally set for July 28, was rescheduled to Aug. 9-10 over heat concerns, with additional planned outages overnight Aug. 8-9 and 9-10.
What they're saying: Resident Donald Ziegler pushed the council to also address unplanned outages, citing a May 24 outage that shut down businesses on El Paseo, a car crash that knocked out power, and an Indian Wells outage. He said SCE data show the average customer lost power for nearly two hours at least once last year, up 50% from 2023.
Councilmember Jan Harnik questioned whether SCE's 105-degree threshold for limiting outages was too high, warning it could endanger frail residents. Councilmember Karina Moreno agreed, calling the stakes "life and death."
What's next: Mayor Pro Tem Joe Pradetto said the revised resolution should push SCE toward infrastructure investment, not just better communication. Cannone said staff will work with SCE before November and share the adopted resolution with the California Public Utilities Commission.
Briefly
Plein Air artists took to multiple locations throughout the Coachella Valley to paint outside during the a recent California Desert Plein Air Festival. (Photo: City of Palm Desert)
🎨 City committee approves continued Plein Air Festival funding
The Palm Desert Cultural Arts Committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend continuing the city's $25,000 sponsorship of the California Desert Plein Air Festival, matching 2025 and 2026 funding levels, and selected "Through the Magical Door" as the theme for its 40th annual student art and essay contest.
The festival brings artists to paint and exhibit around the Coachella Valley. The sponsorship funds a $15,000 Best in Show award and includes advertising, VIP tickets and email list access. Members asked staff to get more detailed 2027 reporting, including attendance and economic impact data.
Details: The 2027 art and essay contest will be open to Palm Desert students in kindergarten through 12th grade, with entries due in February and an awards ceremony set for March 9. Staff will explore moving the exhibition from UCR Palm Desert Center to the Palm Desert Library, while keeping the awards ceremony at UCR.
A MESSAGE FROM
MORNING BREW
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📅 Featured Events
TODAY
Guided Stargazing at the Observatory at 8:30 p.m.
SATURDAY
Community Block Party at McCallum Theatre at 5:30 p.m.
Star Party in the Mountains at Sawmill Parking Lot at 7:30 p.m.
Ozomatli at McCallum Theatre at 8 p.m. (from $50)
TUESDAY
Chamber of Commerce Ambassador Meeting at 72559 Hwy 111 at 3 p.m.
Palm Desert Planning Commission at City Hall at 6 p.m.
WEDNESDAY
Gatherings: Things You Hold with Judy Nemer Sklar at 72567 Hwy 111 at 10 a.m. ($26+)
Line Dancing at Civic Center Park at 6:30 p.m. ($17+)
La Santa Cecilia at McCallum Theatre at 7 p.m. (from $50)
THURSDAY
El Paseo Parking and Business Improvement District Board at City Hall at 8 a.m.
Chamber Chat at 72559 Hwy 111 at 9:30 a.m.
Board Game Night at The Dragon Den at 5 p.m. ($10–$20)
BROUGHT TO YOU BY
✨ And Finally …
A look back at what one city welcome sign looked like when it was constructed. (Photos: Palm Springs Preservation Foundation)
Palm Desert is moving ahead with plans to study bringing back a historic city entry sign designed by noted desert architect William F. Cody, after the City Council voted four-to-one Thursday to accept up to $30,000 in grant funding from the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation.
Driving the news: Staff will now begin hiring a consultant to research the original sign and develop conceptual plans for a recreation. Cody designed the sign in 1968 for a site at Highway 111 and Painter's Path; it was removed for commercial development and gone by January 1981.
"It's a pretty great sign… I think it proclaims that Palm Desert has some interesting architecture going on here," Ron Marshall of the Palm Springs Preservation Foundation told the council.
What's next: The consultant will evaluate as many as three potential locations and estimate what rebuilding the sign would cost, though no site has been chosen. Thursday's vote doesn't commit the city to construction — that would require another council vote, environmental review and additional funding.
The price tag: The full project, including design, fabrication and installation, could reach approximately $330,000, with Palm Desert's share as much as $300,000, though staff expect the actual cost to come in lower. Any funding decision would be weighed as part of the fiscal year 2027-28 budget.
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