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The theme for the 2004 Twentynine Palms Historical Society’s “Weed Show” was “Our Desert Heritage,” celebrating the passing of the Desert Protection Act in
1994.
It struck me how quickly time flies. The Act changed the status of Death Valley and Joshua Tree from National Monument to National Park and the East Mojave became a National Preserve. Many first-time visitors, mostly from the Southern California area, came to tour the “new” park, ignorant of the fact that the same area had been open to the public since 1936.
In 1992 the three-roomed Twentynine Palms schoolhouse, which had served the community since 1927, was moved, all in one piece, nearly two miles to start a
new career as the permanent home of the Historical Society museum.
After much hard work by paid workers and volunteers alike, the museum was finally open to the public for the first time with a “Weed Show.” That was ten years ago, too.
1994 was also the year that Dan Swatzky and his family from Chemainus, British Columbia, came to town to paint our very first mural honoring the William F.
Keys family, who had homesteaded Desert Queen Ranch in what was now our National Park.
The finished 80-foot mural was hidden by sheets suspended by ropes from the top of the building. At the official opening, the hardy fellows called “roof dogs” released the ropes and the huge artwork was duly unveiled amid cheers, music, and fireworks. Mother Nature joined in the festivities by turning the evening freezing cold and windy. This did not cool the warm and fuzzy feeling those of us in attendance experienced. As time went on and more murals graced the walls in town, Mother Nature continued to attend each unveiling with high wind or rain, extreme heat or cold. This phenomenon was later referred to as “typical mural weather.”
Ten years ago plans were afoot to revitalize Twentynine Palms. “Catch the Spirit” was the watchword. Blowing trash was raked and bagged, buildings got new
coats of paint, and metal artwork by the late Terry Waite popped up in and on buildings. Vickie conceived the idea of starting a magazine to promote Twentynine Palms.
I have never had the discipline to keep a diary or journal, but perusing back issues of The Sun Runner, I realize this magazine has
accomplished it for me. I also realize that this magazine has archived our local history. If anyone says to you that nothing ever happens or that there is nothing to do around here, let them read copies of The Sun Runner.
Going through the pages of past years, I was reminded of so many “happenings.”
Kenney’s Drug Store with its soda fountain, one of very few left in the country, closed its doors. My beloved Benton Bros. department store closed. Benton’s
was a place you could get EVERYTHING —pins, needles and yardage, shoes and clothing, paint and appliances. My motto was — if they didn’t have it, I didn’t really need it. The building later received a make-over and
became Desert Ranch Market.
The Bookworm, as its name implies, a bookstore, moved from the Plaza to the highway, was sold, had a name change, then closed.
Thankfully, Raven’s Books in Indian Cove, purveyor of thousands of previously read volumes, remained
open. During that time, thanks in part to the Friends of the Library, our local branch was able to open
six days a week instead of the four imposed by County budget cuts. Just this year our library was remodeled, enlarged, and made handicap accessible.
Businesses opened, closed, and changed addresses. One issue of The Sun Runner contained a map denoting the past and present locations of various businesses, for the benefit of the confused. I was reminded of eating places that are no more, like the Big Foot Lake Café. This was located by a man-made lake stocked with fish. It was a beautiful setting to enjoy good food, reasonably priced, while watching the wildlife at this mini-oasis. Big Foot Lake also hosted wonderful evenings of music, poetry, and ballet. Yes, I did say ballet. Twenty dancers from the Glendale Repertory Dance Theatre enchanted us one spring evening, and all for a donation of $1.00, but we did have to bring our own lawn chairs.
The Casa de Java was the spot for tea, coffee, and muffins, and where I tasted my first smoothie.
The Finicky Coyote had good food and, unfortunately for me, several varieties of decadent fudge which I could not resist. The praises of that delicacy were featured prominently in the pages of The Sun Runner,
not just by me. Jeff and Kim Bowers sold the business to Karon and John Masterson, who renamed it The Wonder Garden Café.
Although the food is of equally high standard, the fudge department was replaced by a health food store. Thus I was led down the path of better nutrition and looser clothing. There was also the Bella Rouge with continental cuisine, fresh baked bread, and delectable goodies. We now have Chinese, Japanese, and Mexican fare and a host of cholesterol inducing fast-food joints. Through it all the 29 Palms Inn, established in 1928, stands firm.
Gustatory events have taken place quite frequently over the past 10 years, ranging from a formal attire dinner under the stars, to luaus, to a variety of
fund raisers which included good eats. We had the International Festival 29 with food from around the globe as well as a chili cook-off. At a Bluegrass Music Festival, apart from the many bands taking
part, a group of local ladies revived the pioneer spirit by serving sourdough breads and a variety of delicious stews cooked in cast iron Dutch ovens over hot coals. We have never—if you’ll pardon the pun—been
starved for food or entertainment.
More and more artists have come to live in the area, and whether this has been because of the Park, the murals, the scenery, word of mouth, The Sun Runner or all of the above, I don’t know. More art galleries have opened. A 24-hour photographing event and an annual art festival have taken place within the Park boundaries. For the past three years a two-weekend open studio tour has taken place, showcasing some of the diverse artistic disciplines in the Morongo Basin. Yes, The Sun Runner has expanded its horizon to cover not just Twentynine Palms but to encompass Morongo Valley, Yucca Valley, Pioneertown, Joshua Tree, and the far flung corners of Wonder Valley.
One event that began as something silly to do was the Twentynine Palms Winter Light Parade. It was such a success that it became an annual event. The
Sun Runner has published foolish things to tide us over the hot months of summer such as the “Swimsuit” editions. The male models were “real men” of the community. Their six-packs reflected not the amount of sit-ups performed at the gym but rather the number of six-packs ingested. My favorite ideas for “summer diversions” were the brainchildren of C.I. Grit (aka Greg Mendoza). They appeared in the June 1998 issue. Some suggested events were too vulgar for this prude to mention, but also included were: “shadow casting contest” and “car hood egg frying and biscuit baking contest.” My favorite was a “5K barefoot fun run and steeple chase through the Cholla Gardens in the Park.” Alas, none of these events came to fruition; I often wonder why.
Ten years of The Sun Runner, how quickly go the years. Now that it is a regional publication covering the entire Morongo Basin, I pray it will never lose that touch of
whimsy. Of course, some things never change.
At the ten-year anniversary celebration of the National Park where another fabulous mural was unveiled, this one honoring Minerva Hoyt, “Apostle of the Cacti,” Mother Nature gave us “typical mural weather.” We sat there in a under partially cloudy skies in a cutting north wind. When we got home to thaw out, there was a message on the answering machine from a certain editor demanding a column for The Sun
Runner, just like a decade ago. -
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