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December B 2007
Denys Arcuri, legislative assistant to Riverside County Supervisor Roy Wilson, surprised Thousand Palms Community Council members and attendees with the announcement that the Riverside County 4th District administration is talking about reducing the size of Thousand Palms.

The announcement came after Dick Oliphant came before the Thousand Palms Community Council on November 29 to seek approval for his Aventerra project, formerly known as North Star. The project includes a five-star hotel, office buildings and residential units designed to surround the prestigious Bob Hope-Chrysler “Classic Club” which is currently using a Thousand Palms address. Questions from the audience regarding whether Aventerra would use Palm Desert or Thousand Palms as its address led to the admission by Oliphant that although Aventerra is in Thousand Palm, as mapped out on the new Thousand Palms section of the Riverside County Web site, he thinks of it as being in Palm Desert and will use that address. (Palm Desert has voted not to annex any land north of Interstate 10, so the Palm Desert address is strictly a postal service designation created to take the burden off the small Thousand Palms Post Office.)

Oliphant’s admission became part of the discussion on a later agenda item asking Arcuri for news on the moving of the “Welcome to Thousand Palms” sign to Washington Street at Thousand Palms’ eastern boundary. Risking the dismay of residents who call Thousand Palms home and who hope to see it improved through the increased prestige and tax base engendered by projects like Aventerra, Arcuri smiled and said that Thousand Palms boundaries are just lines drawn by the Board of Supervisors and that the Community Council was appointed to serve at Wilson’s pleasure. He said that because Thousand Palms is not incorporated the Supervisors could change the boundaries at any time. After all, he said, “What’s in a name?”

In other news, Atef Jaber, the owner of Jerry’s Market on Ramon Road in Thousand Palms, wants to give his store a facelift. The store, also nicknamed the “Blue Market,” used to be strictly a liquor store, but it now features a mix of groceries and other typical food-store items as well. The “A” rating card by the front door is a little subterfuge to let people know how tidy the store really is inside despite its present run-down exterior.

On October 25th, the Thousand Palms Community Council gave its unanimous blessing to Jaber’s remodeling plans that include the addition of a mansard roof with blue Spanish tiles and columns across the front. Now it’s up to the Riverside County Planning Department to complete the approval and Jaber has his fingers crossed.

Thousand Palms is also getting a new three-bay fire station. The architecture will resemble the La Quinta fire station on Adams Street, but it will also feature a one-acre training center with four-story tower. The Thousand Palms Fire Station, which is currently a part of the California Forestry Department, will be working with College of the Desert to develop the training facility as a complement to the new C.O.D. Fire Sciences Building. This will mean that students will no longer have to drive to San Bernardino to be trained. The new station will be run by several chiefs and more staff as well as volunteers. It will also get an additional fire truck with an extra long ladder and breathing support to deal with any potential emergencies at the new 14-story Agua Caliente Hotel & Casino. The new station will take about 18 months to complete with fire station personnel hoping it will get underway in one or two months.

The good neighbor policy of the Thousand Palms branch of Rabobank is making an impact. Fred Pinney, bank manager, was sworn in on October 25th to fill a vacancy on the Thousand Palms Community Council. On November 29, he agreed to serve as Chairman of the Council. Fred Vickers, assistant bank manager, is serving as a Thousand Palms Chamber of Commerce board member. Vickers even manned the drink table at the recent Thousand Palms Halloween Carnival, personally doling out sodas to all the trick-or-treaters.

Thousand Palms Community Councilman Roy Nokes has agreed to serve on the Coachella Valley Recreation and Park District’s Advisory Committee. The Thousand Palms Community Park is under the supervision of the CVRPD. Nokes was one of those instrumental in establishing the Park and he’s currently working on ideas for improving Park services and creating new youth and senior centers.

Thousand Palms Chamber of Commerce Christmas Party

To be held at 5:30 PM at Rabobank in Thousand Palms. It is free and open to the public.

Thousand Palms Community Council Meeting

The next meeting will be held at 6:15 PM on the last Thursday of January at the Art Samson Community Center. No meeting will be held in December.