See you in Borrego Springs!

By Dennis Mammana Week of March 22-28, 2026 Now that spring has sprung, I'm sure that those who have endured a long, cold and snowy winter are rejoicing. Anyone who knows me knows that I'm no winter person. Sure, I used to enjoy the season when I was a kid, but that's only because I could spend entire days building snow forts with my friends and making a few bucks shoveling the white stuff for neighbors. No longer. Today, warmer days of springtime can't come soon enough for me! If we had no calendar, we would still know the seasons are changing. We see it happening all around us: Temperatures are rising, the first flower buds are beginning to appear, and many birds are returning to our part of planet Earth. And, just as our daytime world gives us clues that spring is approaching, the darkness does as well. Nighttime hours are beginning to shorten, and the brilliant stars of winter are descending in the west to make way for those of springtime. And no star grouping heralds the arrival of springtime to our Northern Hemisphere more than Leo, the lion. Head outdoors during early evening hours and cast your gaze midway up in the eastern sky. There, you'll see Leo, one of the few constellations that, with some imagination, actually can be made to look like its namesake — a lion crouching in a regal pose reminiscent of the enigmatic Egyptian Sphinx. Most prominent in this constellation is the bright star Regulus, which shines brightly beneath the lion's majestic head and mane, outlined by a large sickle-shaped grouping of stars. More metropolitan stargazers may recognize this figure not as a sickle but as a backward question mark, with Regulus forming the dot at its base. The star's very name, "Regulus," comes from the Latin word "Rex," meaning "king," and, interestingly, this star was revered throughout the ancient world as a "royal" star. According to astronomy author R.A. Allen, it was known in Arabia as "Malikiyy" (the Kingly One), while the ancient Greeks knew it as "the Star of the King." At the other end of the lion, we find the bright star Denebola, whose name originates from the Arabic "Al Dhanab al Asad," meaning "The Lion's Tail." You can find Leo more easily if you use the two pointer stars of the Big Dipper, farther to the northeast. These stars point toward Polaris (the north star) if you follow them from the bottom to the top of the Dipper's bowl, but if you follow them in the opposite direction, you can find your way toward the back of the lion. If you have trouble tracing this animal's shape among the stars, don't worry. Just turn it around and you'll find it's much easier to find not the mighty king of the jungle but instead a mouse! Quite frankly, I think the figure of a mouse is much easier to trace. Here, the star Denebola forms its pointy nose, the nearby triangle forms his head, and the sickle now outlines its long, curving tail. Either way you look at it — mouse or lion — nothing in the heavens announces springtime more loudly than Leo!  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

A recent Hawk Alert shared through the Borrego hawkwatch community reports a significant number of Swainson’s hawks currently roosting in Borrego Springs. Estimates based on multiple counts suggest 200 to 300 hawks are gathered overnight. This is part of the annual spring migration, when large numbers of Swainson’s hawks pass through the Borrego Valley. The migration typically runs from mid-February through March and into April, with peak activity often occurring in mid to late March. 

Source: Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty

Easter Sunrise Service Borrego Springs The Easter Sunrise Service in Borrego Springs is an annual sunrise gathering that brings people together for a simple, meaningful start to Easter morning. This post covers the essentials—who hosts it, where it takes place, and a few practical tips so you can plan ahead each year. Since the service is timed to sunrise, the date changes with Easter, but the tradition stays the same: an early morning moment of faith, hope, and community in the desert. Date and time Sunday, April 5, 2026 6:00 AM (Sunrise) 

Fresh Coffee Inspired by the Desert

by Fr. Michael Plekon All Christians see the days before Jesus’ death, burial and being raised as a holy week. Much of the liturgy we have for it, especially the last Three Days, comes from observances in Jerusalem recorded by a Spanish nun, Egeria, in the 300s. Still today, the processions on Palm Sunday and later after Good Friday are carried out by Christians of diverse church backgrounds in the Holy City. For some, Palm Sunday’s cries of “Hosanna” float over to the “Hallelujahs” of Easter Sunday. So much is missed if one does not come to the services during the week. Indeed, it is a lot to go to church not once but three more times in a week, but those who do come away with a deepened sense of what we celebrate around Easter every year.

Vote for Anza-Borrego Desert State Park

A visitor’s look at playing Rams Hill Golf Club in Borrego Springs.

Did You Know? Rostros y Corazón Serves Salton City and Beyond

Local comedy returns to BSPAC Borrego Laughs Again returns to the Borrego Springs Performing Arts Center for three performances on March 20 and 21 at 7 p.m. and March 22 at 3 p.m., 2026. This BSPAC production features local talent, making it a fun chance to see Borrego Springs performers on stage. Events like this are part of what keeps live entertainment active in Borrego Springs and gives the community something special to support. Tickets are expected to go quickly, so it is a good idea to buy early at bspac.org.  Learn More About Borrego Springs

Free Outdoor Music in Borrego Springs

Borrego Springs local Brice Weaver is featured in SDVoyager, sharing how curiosity, adventure, and fine art photography shaped his path. Borrego Springs local Brice Weaver is featured in a recent SDVoyager story that takes a closer look at his path into photography and the experiences that shaped his work. Weaver’s journey into photography did not begin in a traditional way. He picked up his first DSLR in 2016, and what started as curiosity quickly became a serious creative pursuit. Since then, his work has taken him to places like Everest Base Camp, Guadalupe Island for great white shark photography, and remote landscapes including Anza-Borrego Desert . Today, Weaver is known for fine art and portrait photography that focuses on mood, place, and quiet storytelling. His work has also earned international recognition, including top honors in major photography competitions. For Borrego Springs, it is always meaningful to see a local creative featured for work that connects art, landscape, and personal vision. Read Brice Weaver’s Story Read the full SDVoyager feature here: sdvoyager.com/interview/check-out-brice-weavers-story

Watch the video to hear Briem Cole's story and learn about his goals.

Borrego Springs watches closely San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond has announced his campaign for Congress in California’s 48th District following Rep. Darrell Issa’s decision not to seek reelection. Issa has already endorsed Desmond, making him an early contender in what is expected to be a closely watched open-seat race. For Borrego Springs, the announcement carries local weight. The community is part of the 48th District, so the race will help decide who represents Borrego Springs in Washington. Desmond’s candidacy is more than a political development here. For many in Borrego Springs, he has been someone the community could call when county help, attention, or support was needed. Desmond told the Borrego Sun, “It’s time to restore the Californian dream.” In his campaign announcement, Desmond said families are “getting squeezed from every direction” by the cost of groceries, gas, rent, and insurance. He said he is running to lower costs, protect public safety, and help restore the American Dream for the next generation. That connection matters in Borrego Springs. Desmond has publicly stood with residents on major safety concerns, including opposition to the proposed placement of sexually violent predators in the community. He also helped launch the Borrego Springs Community Revitalization Committee, aimed at connecting Borrego Springs with county departments and public resources to address local priorities. Residents have also seen Desmond visit after local emergencies and speak about the need for strong fire and medical services in Borrego Springs. That history gives his congressional run added significance locally, as many voters already see him as familiar with the community and its concerns. Desmond’s campaign also turns attention to county leadership. With Desmond termed out, Vista Mayor John Franklin and San Marcos Mayor Rebecca Jones are running for the District 5 supervisor seat. Jones, reportedly ahead in early polling, has also been in touch with the Borrego Springs community, including business and organizational leaders. That puts Borrego Springs in focus on both the congressional and county fronts. For more information or to get involved, visit DesmondForCongress.com .

Michael and Julia Johnson take top honors in Borrego Springs Michael Johnson and Julia Johnson were named the winners of the 2026 Peg Leg Smith Liars Contest, held March 7 at American Legion Post 853 in Borrego Springs (circa 1916). Their winning performance, The Ballad of Peg Leg Smith , mixed music, costume, and tall-tale humor in a way that captured the spirit of one of Borrego Springs’ most distinctive traditions. Michael opened by noting that he had won the contest the previous two years, making this his third straight victory. This year also marked the first time he and Julia Johnson performed together. In the act, Michael sang The Ballad of Peg Leg Smith , while Julia appeared as Sister Mary Virgin Cleopatra Gamora, adding to the comic stage presence that helped set the performance apart. The performance played to the crowd with a mix of desert references, Borrego humor, and Peg Leg mythology. Johnson wove in mentions of local places, wild desert characters, and the enduring mystery of Peg Leg Smith’s lost mine, all while leaning into the exaggerated storytelling style that defines the contest. The finale brought the act back to its central idea: “We never found his mine, but we loved his mystery.”

Community recycling moves forward

Westways Weekender highlights Borrego Springs CBS Los Angeles recently spotlighted Anza-Borrego Desert State Park and Borrego Springs in its Westways Weekender segment, giving viewers a quick look at why this desert destination stands out. The feature highlights Anza-Borrego as California’s largest state park and points to Borrego Springs as a great base for exploring the area. A National Spotlight The segment showcases some of the experiences that make this area so memorable, including Ricardo Breceda’s metal sculptures, scenic hiking trails, wildflower viewing, desert canyons, palm groves, and dark sky stargazing. It also highlights Borrego Springs as the place to stay, eat, and return to after a day of exploring the park. Learn More About Borrego Springs

By Dennis Mammana Week of March 8-14, 2026 If you hear the word "superstar," what immediately comes to mind? Perhaps names like Tom Hanks, Taylor Swift or LeBron James? That's certainly understandable; they are all undisputed superstars who attract the attention of paparazzi and fans alike. If you're an astronomer, however, you may answer this question differently. For example, when I hear the word "superstar," I think of UY Scuti, WOH G64 or RSGC1-F01. Yes, these are superstars, but not quite how people may think. These are some of the largest stars known in our galaxy and, for that reason, are quite intriguing to us celestial paparazzi. Regular readers of this column know that our sun is also a star. It appears big and bright in our daytime sky because not only is it rather close (about 93 million miles away), it's also pretty large (nearly a million miles across). It sounds huge, but our star is rather small on a cosmic scale, and believe it or not, there are stars out there that would dwarf our sun and make it look tiny. These are the true superstars! Until recently, the largest star known was given the hopelessly poetic name of UY Scuti. At a distance of some 9,500 lightyears from Earth, UY Scuti is what is known as a red hypergiant star, with a diameter some 1,700 times that of the sun! All that changed recently, however, when astronomers found a gargantuan star some 2,150 times larger than our sun! It's named Stephenson 2-18, and if you'd like to get a peek at this stellar behemoth, you'll need more than your eyes. At a distance of some 18,900 lightyears, it appears 5,100 times fainter than we can see without a telescope. If you have no telescope but would still like to see a celestial superstar, you're in luck. There's one shining in our night sky right now; it's one of the brightest up there and is named Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse sparkles brightly in the northeastern corner of Orion, the hunter, and you can see its orange light midway up in the southern sky after dark this week. With about 15-20 times more mass than our sun, Betelgeuse is known as a red supergiant star for good reason. While we could align 109 Earths across the face of our sun, we would need at least 700 suns to cross the face of Betelgeuse! Indeed, this star is so immense that if it replaced our sun at the center of our planetary system, Betelgeuse would engulf the orbits of Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars, and stretch part of the way to Jupiter! Yet it appears as a simple point of light in our night sky because of its tremendous distance from us — some 3,100 trillion miles, or about 520 lightyears. Betelgeuse is easily one of the largest known stars, though its size fluctuates by as much as 60% as the star shudders and pulsates on its way to an eventual supernova explosion, thousands or millions of years from now. Or tonight. We just don't know.  I hope you'll step out under the night sky soon to meet this remarkable superstar for yourself! 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

SDG&E Planned outage has been canceled. As part of SDG&E’s reliability initiatives in Borrego Springs, two planned outages have been planned. The first outage will occur Wednesday, March 18, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Thursday, and the second outage will occur on Tuesday, March 24, 2026, from 7:30 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday for infrastructure maintenance and to make improvements to our system. “We understand these outages can be disruptive and appreciate your patience while we conduct this important work to build a more resilient electric system,” SDG&E states. Learn More About Borrego Springs

COMING SOON: The Gallery at the Palms

Artists painted live during the Plein Air Quick Draw at Rams Hill in Borrego Springs.

Photo Courtesy of Chad Foreman / Riviera Farms, Borrego Springs

Borrego Valley Endowment Fund (BVEF) Job Opening BVEF is seeking a Part-Time Property Manager & Bookkeeper to support day-to-day operations of The Center commercial property. This role includes basic bookkeeping for The Frugal Coyote and general administrative support for BVEF as needed. For the full position description and application details, email anna@bvefund.org Please share!