Z107.7 Fm Up Close Show Hosted By Gary Daigneault

Open Phone Topics: Downtown Joshua Tree repainting. Seems to be helping cut down on accidents. Bike lanes and diagonal parking have been created. Concert promoter claims 4 million dollars injected into Morongo Basin economy from Desert Days concert at the Joshua Tree Retreat Center. Problems will illegal fireworks in the area. Fireworks create a tremendous fire hazard in the desert areas. California marked one year since approval of California Aid in Dying Law. Pioneertown Fire Station paid call firefighter program is shutting down.

Open Phone Topics: The Morongo Basin has been the target of credit card thieves. Skimmer machines have been placed over legitimate credit card readers in order to steal sensitive credit card data. Interview with President of County Firefighter's Union. Water contamination problem at Wonder Valley Fire Station. One reason why fire station is closing. Also money issues. Downtown Joshua Tree repainting. New diagonal parking and bike lanes to reduce traffic collisions.

Open Phone Topics: British apparel marketing team reported for illegal abuse of Joshua Tree National Park. Company released apology that read more like a justification of their actions. Pedestrians crossing the highway outside of crosswalks. Downtown Joshua Tree restriping. Concerns about new parking spaces and vehicles backing out into traffic. Twentynine Palms Tourism Promotion Group. Creating more tourist dollars in the City of Twentynine Palms. National Park cannot be only attraction as it is at capacity. Joshua Tree Brewery Company in the works.

Open Phone Topics: Editorial on Yucca Valley Planning Commission working on an ordinance to ban marijuana. Measure X was voted against because it was bad legislature only allowing two medical marijuana dispensaries in Yucca Valley. Majority of votes in favor of Proposition 64 to legalize recreational marijuana. City of Twentynine Palms has to redo their downtown revitalization specific plan. Twentynine Palms needs to have quality retail to encourage visitors to the area. City is working on curbs and gutters and a sewage package plant to encourage businesses to build in the area.

Open Phone Topics: License plate reader in town of Yucca Valley. Arrest of woman for disciplining her child with a wooden spoon and leaving bruising. Town of Yucca Valley Planning Commission working on ordinance to ban recreational marijuana in the town. Losing tax revenue if consumers must buy marijuana outside of the area. Complaints over gasoline tax increase. Majority of people in Yucca Valley voted for Proposition 64 to legalize recreational marijuana.

Open Phone Topics: Town of Yucca Valley approved Automatic License Plate Readers. Scans license plates to notify Sheriff Deputies if there is a stolen car, a vehicle involved in an amber alert or other crime in the vicinity. Concerns about loss of privacy and abuse of power versus needed security and upholding the law. Discipline versus child abuse. Excessive physical punishment leaving marks and injuries is considered child abuse.

Open Phone Topics: San Bernardino County denied Desert Days concert permits at Joshua Tree Retreat Center this year. County Firefighters doing live fire training exercises in the Morongo Basin. 1100 tortoises relocated north and west of Johnson Valley. Possible alternative venues for large concerts. County system where fire departments cover each other when a particular fire department is out on a call. Local professional firefighter's union making public posts complaining about staffing issues without giving context or details. Wonder Valley Fire Department may not have staff after July 1st. Concerns about limited number of engines.

Open Phone Topics: Short term rentals in Yucca Valley. Planning commission will be discussing rules and proposed regulations in the town. May 9th regulations to prohibit marijuana in the town of Yucca Valley will be discussed. Cadiz water project is a step closer. BLM has removed objection of using railroad property for the pipeline. Report claims there is no environmental impact from hydroelectric power although there will be a massive amount of water being pumped out of aquafir.

Open Phone Topics: Our Morongo Basin is in the midst of construction - 9.8 million dollars in highway improvements from 29 Palms to Joshua Tree. Creation of left hand turn lane and highway widening to discourage head-on collisions. 29 Palms Marketing Study says there is a huge need for retail in 29 Palms in the categories of groceries, furniture and clothing. City government does not decide what retail stores come to a city. The business itself must decide. The city council may go to conventions to try to attract retailers.

Open Phone Topics: American attack on Syrian air field last night. Concerns about retaliation from attack. Strike was intended to deture Syrian military from using chemical weapons. Graffiti and vandalism problem in Joshua Tree National Park. Speculation on when Dollar General will be built in Joshua Tree. San Bernardino County laws regarding Vacation Home Rentals. Trump administration approving controversial Cadiz water project. Listeners extreme political reactions to Cadiz story. Gas tax passed yesterday to pay for California road repairs.

Open Phone Topics: Three tortoises were killed in Joshua Tree National Park. National Park is over capacity. Visitors to the Park are picking wildflowers, leaving trash everywhere, killing wildlife, and graffiti issues. Cigarette and tobacco product tax raised to over $2 per pack. Specific areas of the Park are overloaded with visitors. Caltrans installing permanent medians in Morongo Valley. Pedestrian deaths in the Morongo Basin. Aggressive driving in the Morongo Basin. Copper Mountain Mesa road assessment district fee for maintaining dirt roads in the area.

Open Phone Topics: Level of Chromium 6 in Joshua Tree water. Highway 62 made safer in Morongo Valley. Deliniators will be turned into permanent concrete median. Former City Councilman Jim Harris speaks about highway safety and contacting Caltrans. Morongo Valley Community Services District violated Brown Act requirement of notifications of meetings prior to the meeting via agenda. Air B and B Vacation Home Rentals in the Morongo Basin. Most in violation by not having permits. Temporary occupancy taxes should be paid to San Bernardino County.

Open Phone Topics: Yucca Valley Planning Commission putting up ordinance to prohibit marijuana use in the town of Yucca Valley. Missed opportunity to earn tax money from marijuana cultivation and sales. Concerns about Meals on Wheels and Health Care funding under Trump administration. Medical marijuana is not just about smoking the plant. There are canabis products without THC that help parkinsons, seizures, pain, etc.

Open Phone Topics: California law legalized recreational marijuana but individual cities and counties have the right to ban it. Federal law can still supercede state laws. Twentynine Palms Street Fair and Car Show. States rights versus Federal law. American Healthcare Act versus Affordable Care Act. Subsidizes low income people that want to get insurance. Both acts agree on children on parents insurance until age 26 and pre-existing conditions being covered. Both are tax credits calculated differently. ACA uses federal funds and is enforced by the IRS. States then distribute funds via health exchanges. Government decisions biased by political party politics.

Open Phone Topics: City of Twentynine Palms proposing to outlaw unlicensed street vendors. Vacation home rentals in Joshua Tree. County of San Bernardino requires specific taxes be paid and paperwork be done for legal vacation home rentals. Concerns over Russian involvement with President Trump. Tortoise relocation. State assembly bill to allow building on sites that need a licensed water hauler in order to bring water to the area.

Open Phone Topics: Little Church of the Desert cancelled hosting Lifetree Cafe's discussion of Police Brutality Versus Necessary Force due to angry phone calls accusing them of being anti-police. Concerns about City of Twentynine Palms Animal Control's lack of response to a listener's complaint about a neighbor's dogs. Local retail businesses charging incorrect sales tax amounts. Encouraging individuals to be open minded and be willing to listen to and respect others viewpoints. President Trump's complaints about the media. Caltrans officials attending MAC meeting for downtown Joshua Tree highway repainting and reorganizing.

Open Phone Topics: Traffic in Downtown Joshua Tree. Pedestrian traffic deaths. Issues with tourists driving in Joshua Tree. Caltrans proposed plan. Restriping to narrow lanes to better control traffic. Reconfiguring to diagonal parking instead of parallel. Adding dedicated bicycle lane. Removing left hand turn lane. Caltrans will attend MAC meeting to determine community support for the project. State of California finances California Welcome Center. Welcome Center does not tell visitors about businesses that do not pay the Welcome Center. Using corporal punishment as a parenting tool.

Open Phone Topics: State of California raising minimum wage results in the elimination of jobs. California Welcome Center not freely sharing flyers and information from local businesses. Protestors protesting things the new President has not even done yet. Protesting for women's rights issues. Anti Trump demonstrators need to wait for actual occurrances they object to in order to demonstrate. Electoral college was put into place so that larger states did not dominate the election with their popular votes. Otherwise, voters in New York and Los Angeles (the largest cities) would end up swaying the results of all elections. Not all media spins the news. The difference between a commentator giving an opinion versus a newscast based on facts.

Open Phone Topics: Department of Defense hiring freeze effecting local Marine Base. Another pedestrian killed crossing the highway. Public education is needed for visitors and residents alike on safely crossing the state highway. Tortoise Rock Casino is on sovereign land. They have their own tribal police. Local customer says the casino allows animal cruelty because security guards have been instructed not to disturb customers or call the police if their pet is left in their car. Planting a vehicle that looks like a police car to encourage better driving and safety.

Open Phone Topics: Postage stamp rate excise tax, increase, decrease, and increase once more. Project Phoenix for downtown revitalization of Twentynine Palms. Road cleanup after recent weather and heavy rainfall in the Morongo Basin. San Bernardino County roads versus California state roads. Where the responsibility lies for road repairs.