La Quinta Cove

The Library is sponsoring classes for English as a Second Language (ESL) beginning on Monday the 23rd at 5:30 p.m.  Call 771-0395 for more information.

Travel via bus to cool Carlsbad for its annual Street Fair on May 6 for just $34.  Leave the driving to them, and enjoy shopping, and food, and a quick walk to the beach!  Call 777-7050 or visit the City website to get the details and/or sign up!

Or, sign up for the baseball specials on May 19 and July 14.  $60 each or two for $100!  Padres and Dodgers.  Such a deal!

Of course, it’s Hwy 111 and Washington, and a tricky signal to hit just right as you’re breezing up (or down) Washington.  Here are some of the finer points of this major crossroads, as related by Mr. Traffic himself, Nazir Lalani, contract traffic engineer for the City of La Quinta.  Two parts to this lesson:

.http://youtu.be/gJ6kT1FZxp4

 http://youtu.be/ZG3mt4ArXh8

An update on the timeline for the project to add lanes at this intersection:  Due to CVAG funding requirements, the construction must be underway by June of 2013.  Good news!

Sign up for the 30 Anniversary golf tournament to be held on Monday, April 30 at the Arnold Palmer course.  $80 gets you golf, BBQ lunch, tee gift bag plus other prizes.  Call 777-8884 for more details.

Also, there’s currently a special rate for guests of LQ residents.  Your valid Resident Card authorizes up to three guests for $99 per player.  You (LQ resident) must accompany these guests.

And don’t miss the Happy Hour at the SilverRock Grille and Patio from 3:00 to closing.

Yes, we are blessed with TWO great weekends of “The Coachella” just over the border into Indio.  Plus the “Stagecoach” on the third weekend.  So, traffic alerts for the weekends of the 13th, 29th and 27th.  This month’s GEM has a detailed outline of all the expected delays and closures.  The Desert Sun will also have maps and updates.  The bottom line is, avoid Jefferson, 50th and 52nd, in the areas to our north and east.   Picking up or dropping off your kids?  That’s located at Madison and 52nd this year.  Pretty handy…..  Be sure your kids and guests observe all the do’s and don’ts set forth by the Coachella management.  Pretty strict and complicated.

Also, if you or your neighbors are renting out your house or rooms, be sure and check with the City about transient occupancy tax of 10% added to the fee you charge.  Go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwqW7TOqZ0Y for more info, or call the Finance Department at 777-7150.

Ted Herman and his band provided an upbeat finale for this season’s First Friday offerings at the Museum.  Here are a couple of clips:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOsc8alFz78&feature=youtu.be

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwqW7TOqZ0Y

The community thanks the City of La Quinta, the Museum staff, especially, Eddie Gilreath, La Quinta’s own impresario.  Great job this season, Eddie.

SEE YOU IN THE FALL….. In the meantime, the Gold Rush exhibit ends on Saturday (14th), so don’t miss the last chance to check out this exciting display. However, the California Pioneers exhibit is staying on through the summer.  Stay tuned for details on the new exhibit, coming SOON.

“April showers bring May flowers”, and ……weeds.

 And yes, weeds are a code violation. The municipal code states it clearly and tells us why it is in our own self interest to remove weeds from our property…….

 LQ Municipal Code 11.72.030   Public nuisances declared. ….Allowing the following to exist on property:….Dead, decayed, diseased or hazardous trees, hedges, weeds, shrubs and overgrown vegetation likely to harbor rats or vermin or constitute an unsightly appearance or fire hazard…

 To summarize, weeds are:

• Unsightly in appearance
• Likely to harbor rats and/or vermin
• A fire hazard
• PLUS, we would like to add that they also indicate a neglected and/or abandoned property that attracts vandals and the criminal element.

Also, please look out for the Sahara mustard weed.

This weed is very aggressive and overpowers wildflowers. Over-watering into empty lots has contributed to the spread of this weed.   Three things you can do to help stop the spread:

• Pull it
• Bag it and place bags in your BROWN trash bin to prevent seeds from spreading
• Avoid over-watering onto vacant lots where no one is likely to watch for them

 If you need help controlling over-watering, you can call 1-888-398-5008)

Kris Gunterson from LQ Public Works forwarded these additional photos:

Kris installing the City Hall antenna

The installed antenna

The antenna at Eisenhower and Avenue 50

Wireless signal sync comes to La Quinta, as these two antennae communicate….

Just in time for Easter!  The very first TWO ducklings appeared in Civic Center Park on April, but by April 4, there was only one. There will be MANY more before the spring hatching is finished.

http://youtu.be/XyZHlE983Mc

Back again with a look at the Sahara mustard attempting to snuff out our precious wildflowers:

First photo, is that a popcorn plant struggling to stay alive under the mustard?

And there’s our lovely desert verbena with the Sahara menace in the background.