NEWS
Local news, updates, and stories from Borrego Springs and the surrounding desert community.
American Legion Post 853 leads a day of remembrance and tribute
Community theater production seeks actors and singers ages 16 and up for 2026 musical season
Free summer program for kids ages 3–11, with youth volunteer opportunities
Borrego Ministers Association prepares to help residents stay safe
Two Young Ravens Capture Local Attention
Borrego Springs Golf Course Featured Among San Diego’s Best
County Funding Shapes Fire Protection, Roads, Libraries, and Emergency Services in Borrego Springs
Former San Diego City Manager and Casa del Zorro partner weighs in on county charter reforms that could reach voters this November.
Source: PBS SoCal
Source: San Diego History Center
By Dennis Mammana Week of May 24-30, 2026 When you hear the phrase "once in a blue moon," what do you think? If you're like most people, you think of something that doesn't happen often. So what exactly is a blue moon, and why is it so rare? First off, a blue moon isn't all that rare. It occurs on average about once every 2.72 years. Secondly, the moon doesn't appear blue at all; it's just a regular ol' full moon that happens to be the second one in any particular month. You know this phenomenon if you receive a paycheck every two weeks. You'll usually get two checks a month, but occasionally you'll receive a third. It's not that uncommon, and neither is a blue moon, despite the popular meaning of the term. A second full moon in a month occurs occasionally because our calendar isn't synced with the lunar phases, even though the word "month" derives from the word "moon". What we call a month — approximately one-twelfth of a year — is longer than the moon's "synodic" period — the average time between one full moon and the next (29.53059 days). So every once in a while — every blue moon, one might say — two full moons will occur during the same calendar month. We'll see the next one on Saturday night, May 30. Be sure to watch as the moon rises in the southeast just after sunset that night. Chances are that it will first appear rather orange or red because its light must pass through a long column of air on its way to our eyes, and normal particulate matter suspended in the air scatters the moon's light and colors it orange. Some have defined the blue moon differently. Most seasons of the year will experience three full moons, but occasionally a fourth will sneak in. In that case, the fourth of the season would be known as a "blue moon." This seasonal definition may have originated from a 1943 question-and-answer column in Sky and Telescope magazine in which Laurence J. Lafleur traced the term to a 1937 "Maine Farmers' Almanac." Three years later, it seems, folklorist Philip Hiscock wrote in the same magazine an article that gave birth to the "second full moon in a month" idea. Neither of these situations is particularly unusual, so where did the rarity idea originate? Occasionally, especially thick smoke or volcanic ash particles suspended in our atmosphere can remove enough red moonlight to make the moon appear bluish. It is said that, after the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883, the moon appeared blue for more than a year. As you might imagine, this is extremely rare. In fact, one might say that it happens ... only once in a blue moon! Now there's one more thing about the full moon that we'll see this coming weekend. It reaches its orbital "apogee" at 4:45 a.m. EDT / 1:45 a.m. PDT, its farthest point from the Earth (about 250,517 miles away). This means that it will appear as the smallest full moon of this year. You might hear it called a blue "mini moon," though most stargazers won't be able to see much difference from a normal full moon. Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. Learn More About Borrego Springs
San Diego Public Media is on KRAM 90.5 FM Borrego Springs
The desert nation built on joy and imagination.
Borrego Bob’s weather station data has helped track conditions in Borrego Springs for years through BoblandUSA.com.
New sign by artist John Richen is planned for installation before Borrego Days weekend
Borrego Springs, CA, May 2nd, 2026 by Jim Dion The Borrego Springs High School Interpretation Course and Internship Program is an innovative Career Technical Education (CTE) initiative that prepares students for careers in hospitality, public service, and environmental interpretation. Launched in the 2019–2020 school year, the program integrates classroom instruction, industry-recognized certification, and hands-on internships. It is implemented through the Borrego Springs Unified School District and aligned with its Hospitality CTE pathway. Students in isolated communities such as ours often face limited access to career exploration opportunities, professional certifications, and paid work-based learning experiences. This program addresses those gaps by providing structured pathways into local and regional employment sectors, particularly within public lands management, tourism, and community-based organizations. The program is a two-year sequence: Year 1: Certification and Coursework Students complete an in-class, for-credit course culminating in interpretive guide and host certification through the National Association for Interpretation. Participants also earn Emergency First Aid and CPR certification through American CPR Training. Year 2: Paid Internship Experience Students who successfully complete Year 1 transition into internships conducted in partnership with Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. Interns rotate through operational units, gaining exposure to park management, visitor services, and interpretive programming. Additional placements include the Borrego Water District, Anza-Borrego Foundation, and Borrego Art Institute. Goals and Objectives of the Program Provide students with industry-recognized certifications and workforce-ready skills Expand access to paid, career-aligned internship opportunities Increase awareness of careers in public lands, hospitality, and local government Strengthen partnerships between schools, public agencies, and community organizations Outcomes and Impact By the end of the 2025–2026 school year, 75 students will have completed the certification and internship program Students gain hands-on experience, professional mentorship, and exposure to career pathways The program has demonstrated sustained student interest and strong community support Funding and Sustainability The Borrego Village Association recently secured a grant from Parks California, securing funding through the 2028 school year. This funding enables the program to provide paid internship opportunities, ensuring equitable access for all students. Additional support is, and has been since 2018, provided by the San Diego County Board of Supervisors, Borrego Springs Rotary Foundation, Borrego Springs Education Foundation, and the Borrego Valley Endowment Fund. Program Leadership and Partnerships The program is led by local educator Stacy Valdez and supported by district leadership and community partners, including California State Parks. We greatly appreciate California State Parks - Colorado Desert District Supervisor, Ray Lennox for his dedication to making this program a success and making available his staff and resources, to support the youth of our community. These collaborations ensure high-quality instruction, mentorship, and real-world learning experiences. An Opportunity for Students! Due to demonstrated success, the program will continue into the 2026–2027 academic year, expanding to serve new cohorts of sophomores, juniors, and seniors. If you are a student at Borrego Springs High School that is interested in participating in this two year CTE, for credit course elective, please contact Borrego Springs Hogh School Principal Victoria Baay.
May 17, 2026 (Mount Laguna) — Star parties are back at Mount Laguna with the return of the Summer Visitors Program at the Mount Laguna Observatory. The public programs will be held on Saturday nights from 8 to 11 p.m., May 23 through August 15, with a special bonus mid-week viewing scheduled for Wednesday, August 12. Operated by the San Diego State University Department of Astronomy in partnership with the United States Forest Service, the outreach initiative has been connecting the public with the cosmos in various forms since the observatory’s dedication in 1968. According to Dr. Robert Quimby, MLO Director and Professor in the SDSU Department of Astronomy, each event will feature a public lecture at the Harrington Visitors Center. If weather permits, the lecture will be followed by direct stargazing through the observatory’s 0.5-meter (21-inch) Reginald Buller telescope. While MLO boasts larger instruments for deep-space science, the Buller telescope is specifically dedicated to instructional use and public outreach. Nestled in the Cleveland National Forest roughly 45 miles east of downtown San Diego, MLO sits at an elevation of 6,100 feet. The site is highly regarded by astronomers for its pristine dark skies, exceptional atmospheric conditions, and vital distance from city light pollution. Beyond its public outreach, MLO is a premier research and training facility. The mountain hosts an impressive array of cutting-edge technology, including the 1.25-meter Phillips Claud Telescope, which is used alongside the observatory’s 1.0-meter and 0.6-meter Clifford Smith telescopes to collect critical data on the age of and distance to star clusters. MLO also houses one of only two EvryScopes in the world. This specialized multi-camera array monitors the entire accessible sky simultaneously, making it an exceptional tool for detecting stellar activity and eclipsing binaries (co-orbiting star systems). Because the observatory is a functioning research station located in a rugged forest environment, organizers emphasize that safety and preparation are paramount for attendees. Visitors are advised to bring a small flashlight and park at the lower visitors parking lot located on Morris Ranch Road, follow the short trail from the parking lot to Observatory Road, and from there, look for the white dashes painted on the ground and follow them for a quarter-mile uphill to the Harrington Visitors Center. Note that visitors must remain on the designated road at all times. Morris Ranch Road is located off Sunrise Highway (S1) between mile markers 21.5 and 22, directly across from the Wooded Hill Campground sign. All stargazing events are weather-permitting. For daily operational updates, weather delays, or cancellations, visitors should call the observatory hotline at (619) 594-1415 before making the drive up the mountain.
A Fun Find in the Old Borrego Sun Boxes
More than $135 million is available countywide to support students
FAQs
Got a question? We’re here to help. Contact us!
Learn More About Borrego Springs
By Dennis Mammana Week of May 24-30, 2026 When you hear the phrase "once in a blue moon," what do you think? If you're like most people, you think of something that doesn't happen often. So what exactly is a blue moon, and why is it so rare? First off, a blue moon isn't all that rare. It occurs on average about once every 2.72 years. Secondly, the moon doesn't appear blue at all; it's just a regular ol' full moon that happens to be the second one in any particular month. You know this phenomenon if you receive a paycheck every two weeks. You'll usually get two checks a month, but occasionally you'll receive a third. It's not that uncommon, and neither is a blue moon, despite the popular meaning of the term. A second full moon in a month occurs occasionally because our calendar isn't synced with the lunar phases, even though the word "month" derives from the word "moon". What we call a month — approximately one-twelfth of a year — is longer than the moon's "synodic" period — the average time between one full moon and the next (29.53059 days). So every once in a while — every blue moon, one might say — two full moons will occur during the same calendar month. We'll see the next one on Saturday night, May 30. Be sure to watch as the moon rises in the southeast just after sunset that night. Chances are that it will first appear rather orange or red because its light must pass through a long column of air on its way to our eyes, and normal particulate matter suspended in the air scatters the moon's light and colors it orange. Some have defined the blue moon differently. Most seasons of the year will experience three full moons, but occasionally a fourth will sneak in. In that case, the fourth of the season would be known as a "blue moon." This seasonal definition may have originated from a 1943 question-and-answer column in Sky and Telescope magazine in which Laurence J. Lafleur traced the term to a 1937 "Maine Farmers' Almanac." Three years later, it seems, folklorist Philip Hiscock wrote in the same magazine an article that gave birth to the "second full moon in a month" idea. Neither of these situations is particularly unusual, so where did the rarity idea originate? Occasionally, especially thick smoke or volcanic ash particles suspended in our atmosphere can remove enough red moonlight to make the moon appear bluish. It is said that, after the Krakatoa volcanic eruption in 1883, the moon appeared blue for more than a year. As you might imagine, this is extremely rare. In fact, one might say that it happens ... only once in a blue moon! Now there's one more thing about the full moon that we'll see this coming weekend. It reaches its orbital "apogee" at 4:45 a.m. EDT / 1:45 a.m. PDT, its farthest point from the Earth (about 250,517 miles away). This means that it will appear as the smallest full moon of this year. You might hear it called a blue "mini moon," though most stargazers won't be able to see much difference from a normal full moon. Visit Dennis Mammana at dennismammana.com. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com. Learn More About Borrego Springs
Experience the Walk of the Cosmos in Borrego Springs—a journey through the solar system in a beautiful desert park with playgrounds, sports courts, and stargazing opportunities.
A desert sanctuary for women’s wellness, healing, connection, and personal renewal. More than a wellness center or spa where women can go for temporary self-care, Yellow Woman Ranch (YWR) is a sanctuary where women can get in touch with who they truly are and heal from anything that’s come before as they look to reach their full potential--at whatever age. Our focus is on holistic wellness. To that end, we offer a wide range of practices, classes, and events that help integrate body, mind, and spirit. Our menu of offerings is varied and always growing: meditation, tai chi, sound healing, biofield tuning, acupuncture, Tui Na massage, reiki, and kundalini yoga, to name a few. We also partner with medical professionals who are available for consultations, specifically in naturopathic medicine and pelvic, digestive, and women’s health. YWR is a magical place to just come and be, to quiet the mind, to find solace, to connect with nature, with yourself and others and we love to share it with couples, groups, or anyone looking to rent it for a special occasion: a retreat, corporate event or team building, birthday party, wedding–you name it. It is an enchanted space that lends itself to countless options and comes with several unique lodging selections, as well. Most recently we launched Experiences – a custom combination of wellness practices, outdoor activities, and specialty social events that can be tailored to meet the needs of a single couple or a large group. For more information, please email rossy@yellowwomanranch.com or call/text 760-399-7159.
