On her final day of her three-day trip to the West Coast to visit military bases, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visits the Marine Corps Air-Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms today. Biden is on a listening tour, hearing the concerns of military families, as part of her re-launch of the Joining Forces program, which she established with First Lady Michelle Obama in 2011. The program encourages the public to find ways to support service members, veterans, and their families, and is focused on education, employment, and wellness. Monday, Biden visited Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Washington, where she visited a children’s museum. Tuesday, she went to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington and got an up-close look at a Navy EA-18G Growler electronic attack jet and talked with spouses. Biden is expected to meet and talk with Marine spouses in Twentynine Palms. Z107.7 will have an account of her visit here tomorrow.
Mayor Daniel Mintz presided over the council meeting.
Heather Clisby photo
Last night’s Twentynine Palms City Council meeting was a continuance of the discussion on the pros and cons of vacation home rentals (VHR) and if the current city ordinance is effective.
But first, Dr. James Danoff-Burg, director of conservation at The Living Desert, gave a presentation on the explosion of the raven population, how they are threatening our desert tortoises, and what locals can do to deter them.
The Living Desert’s Director of Conservation Dr. James Danoff-Burg presented on how the explosion of the raven population is threatening the desert tortoise.
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PALM DESERT, CA Spring is near, according to The Living Desert s Mojave Maxine.
The 43-year-old desert tortoise is the ultimate season predictor. She emerged from brumation (reptilian hibernation) at 10:23 a.m. Monday, and it was a clear sign, zoo officials said, that spring is just around the corner. The temperatures this January have been extremely warm in the upper 80s, so it s not surprising that Maxine predicts an early spring, said Dr. James Danoff-Burg, Director of Conservation Engagement. Interestingly, this marks the 8th year in a row that she has debuted several days earlier than the previous year. This continuing trend seems to reflect a warming climate.