The Desert Trumpet
The Desert Trumpet is a community newsletter that I founded in April 2022. It’s published on Substack by 29 Palms Neighbors, which I co-founded with fellow Indian Cove residents Teeney Hood and Heidi Heard in June 2021. The group was initially focused on the transformation of 29 Palms neighborhoods by the influx of short term vacation rentals, but has since expanded its scope to address issues of transparency and accountability in local City government.
29 Palms has long been well served by one local newspaper, The Desert Trail, which publishes on Wednesdays, with a supplemental weekend edition. We recognized the need for a second publication able to ask questions of our city government and report in greater depth on a range of topics affecting residents.
The Desert Trumpet, named for the idiosyncratic plant native to the Mojave Desert, publishes a newsletter twice monthly and special features as needed. The focus is on getting 29 Palms residents the information they need to be active engaged citizens.
My work on Desert Trumpet had evolved from earlier activist projects such as United Faculty of Art Center (union movement, 2015-2016), MOCA Mobilization (2008-2013) and the Coalition for Freedom of Expression (1989-1990).
Recent writing for The Desert Trumpet:
WHY ATTENDING THE 9/29 SOCIAL JUSTICE AND EQUITY WORKSHOP IS SO IMPORTANT,,
A rare opportunity for more than three minutes of input on important issues, September 18, 2022
AN “ARTS” CITY WHICH DOESN’T FUND THE ARTS,
Just $21,250 was allocated to Arts and Culture funding by Twentynine Palms in 2021-2022, almost as paltry as the number of women represented in the City’s list of public artworks, August 28, 2022
29 PALMS RESIDENTS DESERVE AN ACCESSIBLE CITY COUNCIL
And we’re willing to pay for it, August 27, 2022
ON THE AGENDA: CITY COUNCIL AUGUST 23 MEETING,
Homelessness, Housing, Social Media, Geological Survey, Tourism, City Manager Pay, and VHRs round out a 17 item agenda, August 21, 2022
“SPECIAL” JULY 20TH CITY COUNCIL MEETING TACKLES THE USUAL WASTEWATER AND MORE,
20 item agenda released just 2 days prior to meeting, July 18, 2022
More links to come….
