First things first: Valley derby team on a roll

After nearly dissolving during the pandemic, the Coachella Valley Derby Girls are back from the brink and onto the rink. They're also on the hunt for new members.

Driving the news: Anyone interested in skating or filling in a support role to test their skills during an eight-week training camp starting this weekend.

• You have to be 18 to participate, and it helps to have basic skating skills.

Background: “Our inspiration comes from the desire to form a team that represents our home, the Coachella Valley,” said team member Victoria Villarreal, whose roller derby nickname is Westside Vikxen. “I enjoy being a part of this group because it allows women of various athletic backgrounds and strengths to work together in search of victory as a team.”

Worth noting: The group is also involved in community outreach, doing a lot of work with children in need.

• The team gathers donations and assembles gift packs to give to underprivileged children and their families. 

Looking ahead: On April 15, the team will have its first home bout in more than seven years. 

• The team’s ultimate goal is to form a junior league and register at least 15 skaters to make a complete roster.

Dive deeper with Crystal Harrell's complete story

In brief: Housing market continues shift

Prices for homes in the Coachella Valley are dropping, as are sales, according to the latest reports.

Driving the news: The most recent housing report issued by Greater Palm Springs Realtors shows the median price for a detached home in the Coachella Valley fell $26,000 between October and November, standing at $649,000 as 2022 came to a close.

• Palm Springs and Palm Desert had the smallest price increase year over year. Coachella had a year-over-year gain of above 20%.

• “Every city has lower sales now compared to a year ago,” read the report. The largest percentage of sales declines are in the cities of La Quinta, Cathedral City, and Rancho Mirage, while Indio had the smallest sales decline. Sales in Palm Springs have dropped by 43% compared to last year.

• “This monthly increase is again opposite to most other California regions, where inventory generally declined in November,” said the report. 

Gone are the days of homes selling within a week or two. The average selling time — or “days in market” — has rapidly increased over the past few months. The latest figures show the average time to sell was 35 days, nine more days than one year earlier.

In Other News

🫶🏽 As we enter 2023, we're taking one last look back at 2022. Legendary entertainment writer Bruce Fessier compiled his list of at local luminaries we lost last year.

🍼 The Coachella Valley's first baby of 2023 couldn't wait to arrive. Baby Mikayla was born in the car just after midnight on Jan. 1 to proud parents Brenda Benitez and Miguel Mendoza, who were on their way to the hospital in Palm Springs from their home in Indio.

🏗️ Want to know what the priorities will be for each of the valley's nine cities? Check out this report from KESQ's Jeff Stahl. 

🎪 A circus that features acts not suitable for children continues its run in Indio this week. 

Events

Budding Bookworms Storytime
Today| 3 p.m. | Desert Hot Springs Library
Enjoy singing, reading, crafting and dancing at this fun-filled storytime for children. 

First Friday Art Walk
Friday | 5 p.m. | 68895 Perez Rd., Cathedral City
In this event hosted by the Perez Art District, attendees can meander down the street, visiting artists in their studios to not only see where the art is created, but also to buy art directly from the artists.  

La Hora del Cuento
Saturday | Noon | Desert Hot Springs Library 
This children's program will include a bilingual story with crafts and play.

Palm Desert Cer­ti­fied Farm­ers’ Mar­ket
Sunday | 8 a.m. | Henderson Community Building
The Palm Desert farmers mar­ket is a com­mu­nity gath­er­ing place where local farm­ers and ven­dors offer fresh agri­cul­tural and related products. 

Tech Hour
Jan. 9 | 1 p.m. | Desert Hot Springs Library
Join this program for adults to learn basic computer tasks, which include using the internet and the library's electronic resources.

Second-Generation Inspirational Story with Lucy Port
Jan. 9 | 6 p.m. | Virtual
The Tolerance Education Center will virtually host Lucy Port, a second-generation Holocaust speaker. Lucy will share the experiences of her father, Bernard Zelinger, which include perseverance, resistance and survival during years of Nazi occupation, life in a forced labor camp, and a heroic escape.

Yoga at the Amphitheater
Jan. 10 | Cathedral City Community Amphitheater
These free yoga classes, which continue through March, will be taught by professional yoga instructors Patti Wexler and Nicole Cuhney. No reservations required. 

District Spelling Bee
Jan. 11 | 5:30 p.m. | Indio High School
Join Indio High school next week for the district's spelling bee. 

And finally...

This weekend, the Coachella Valley will be inundated with thousands of dogs, their owners, and breeders.

Driving the news: All weekend, the Kennel Club of Palm Springs is hosting its dog show featuring more than 3,400 entries. Clubs from across Southern California will be in attendance for the five group shows with more than 35 breed specialties. 

Background: The Kennel Club was first organized in 1978 to host competitions and educate members and the public about purebred dogs.

• Since then, the club’s shows have grown and are now listed among the four largest in the country by the AKC and the largest show west of the Mississippi. This weekend's show is considered the opening event of the dog show year on the West Coast.

Details: The dog show is held outside at the Empire Polo Club in Indio. There are a few events on Thursday, Friday, and Sunday, but the main show is on Saturday. The show is open from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day, and the public is welcome to attend and bring their own chairs to watch.

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