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Welcome to Friday! It’s the most wonderful time of the year for many — prime pickleball season — and this weekend the Desert Recreation District is hosting the 2026 Palm Desert Pickleball Tournament, where you can play up to six events for just $75. With everything from singles and doubles to rotating partners and senior events, there's something for players of all ages and skill levels — so grab your paddle and get ready to dink, drive, and have a ball by phoning 760-568-9697 or completing the online registration form here.
🎶 Setting the mood: "Follow The Sun" by Xavier Rudd
Leading Off
Holocaust survivor Henry Friedman speaks as Palm Desert Mayor Evan Trubee (far right) and others listen during a ceremony recognizing this week’s Holocaust Remembrance Day.
Holocaust survivors warn of rising antisemitism at remembrance event
Holocaust survivors and their descendants delivered urgent warnings about contemporary antisemitism Wednesday during Palm Desert's 16th Annual International Holocaust Remembrance Day program. The ceremony at Civic Center Park Amphitheater honored the 6 million Jewish victims killed by the Nazi regime.
Driving the news: Survivor Henry Friedman told attendees that witnessing "unrelenting search of antisemitism here and around the world is frightening" after working to rebuild lives in America following the Holocaust.
What they're saying: Friedman emphasized education as the solution, quoting Nobel Peace Prize winner Elie Wiesel about teaching students that "the Holocaust is a triumph of the human spirit."
"If we are to live together in peace, then we have to learn about and accept each other differences," he said, calling for tolerance education starting at an early age.
The personal toll: Rabbi Boz Werdiger of Chabad of Palm Springs shared how his grandfather Nathan Werdiger—who survived multiple labor camps, Auschwitz and Buchenwald—urged him to hide visible signs of Jewish identity in Australia.
Recent antisemitic attacks, including the Bondi Beach incident during Hanukkah that killed more than a dozen people, made Werdiger understand his grandfather's fears.
Why it matters: Mayor Evan Trubee reminded attendees that behind Holocaust statistics "was a person, someone with a name, a family, a daily life."
Briefly
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💰 City investments outpace Treasury bonds despite cooling rates
Palm Desert earned about 4% on its investments for the three months ending in December, outperforming standard five-year U.S. Treasury investments during the same period, city finance staff reported to the Finance Committee on Tuesday.
To maintain strong earnings as interest rates decline, staff recently moved about $65.5 million between two large government investment pools, shifting funds to whichever option offered better returns. The city can invest up to $75 million in the state-run Local Agency Investment Fund, with most investments kept in low-risk accounts designed for public agencies.
Bottom line: Year-to-date revenue is running ahead of last year, though interest earnings are expected to gradually decline as rates continue to soften. Staff described the city's financial position as solid, though not as strong as it was a few months ago.
🏡 Palm Desert leads valley in home sales, inventory
Palm Desert led the Coachella Valley in home sales last month with a three-month average of 124 homes sold, up from 113 during the same period last year, while the median price for detached homes was $728,000 in December, down less than 1% from a year earlier.
The city also had the largest inventory at the end of December with 663 homes for sale, compared with 582 a year earlier, and homes took an average of 48 days to sell last month, up from 37 days during the same period last year.
Bottom line: Across the valley, the median price of a detached home was $660,000, down less than 1% year over year, while overall sales remain about 24% below pre-pandemic levels.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH
Join us Friday Feb 20th 5 - 8pm at the iconic SHAG House for Wag & Shag, a chic fundraiser for the Palm Springs Animal Shelter. Enjoy cocktails, bites, a live auction, and exclusive experiences — all in true Palm Springs style — while supporting lifesaving care and adoptions.
📅 Featured Weekend Events
Ed Hastey Garden Walk
Today | 10 a.m. | Santa Rosa & San Jacinto Mountains Visitor Center
Enjoy strolling the Ed Hastey Garden Walk led by Friends’ volunteer docent. It is a great introduction to learn about native plants and animals that inhabit our desert.
The Myx
Today | 6:30 p.m. | Casuelas Cafe
A Casuelas Cafe family favorite playing all the fun tunes that make you dance in English AND Espanol!
Live Well As You Age
Saturday | 10 a.m. | The Leaf El Paseo
Mama Sue will share her wisdom on aging gracefully and living your best life. This event is perfect for anyone looking to embrace the golden years with vitality and joy.
An Afternoon of Chamber Music
Sunday | 3 p.m. | Hope Lutheran Church
Enjoy the beauty of live chamber music as The Lyric Chamber Ensemble presents a free community concert.
📌 Save The Date
Musical Storytime in celebration of Black History Month at the Palm Desert Library on Tuesday, Feb. 3 at 10:30 a.m.
Coffee With the Mayor at Cravens Student Services Center on the College of the Desert campus on Wednesday, Feb. 4 at 8:30 a.m.
Women in STEAM Career Day at The Living Desert on Feb. 7 at 10 a.m.
📣 And Finally …
A bench dedication and cleanup is planned for Sunday at Homme-Adams Park. (File photo)
If you've ever wanted to celebrate public lands while getting your hands a little dirty in the desert sunshine, here's your chance. The City of Palm Desert and Friends of the Desert Mountains are hosting a National Public Lands Day cleanup event that promises conservation work, community connection, and a free lunch to top it off.
Driving the news: Volunteers will gather at Homme-Adams Park on Sunday (Feb. 1) starting at 8 a.m. with a bench dedication honoring Buford Crites before tackling cleanup activities throughout the morning.
In addition to being a Palm Desert City Council member, Crites was also a founder and board member of Friends of the Desert Mountains.
The work: Volunteers will remove dead plants, trim bushes and trees, haul away concrete and tiles, and perform light grading to beautify the park.
A complimentary lunch will be provided following the morning's work.
Why it matters: National Public Lands Day, which started in 1994, has become the nation's largest single-day volunteer event celebrating public lands, typically drawing tens of thousands of volunteers across all 50 states each year.
While traditionally held in September, this desert edition takes advantage of winter's perfect weather conditions.
How to join: Those interested can sign up at the Friends of the Desert Mountains website.
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