For California Local members who are tired of the state's endless housing crisis, this week's edition of The Newsletter brings good news. And as always there's somethiing for everyone who would like to know what's up in their own neighborhood just below, in our carefully curated News Digest. And yes: A featured local nonprofit, and a recipe!
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By Eric Johnson
Published May 20, 2024
Construction of multifamily housing developments is set to skyrocket in the next half decade.
Image credit: Sundry Photography, Shutterstock
Here Comes the California Housing Boom
What You Should Know About the State's Ambitious Housing Plans, and How to Get Involved
Here at California Local we see what’s coming out of most of the newsrooms in ten Northern California counties and select important stories to include in our News Digest (see below). In doing so over the past couple of months, our friend and colleague Chris Neklason noticed two phrases appearing everywhere, as cities and counties raced to complete the “housing element” of their “general plans.”
We understand that not all of you are familiar with those two terms, and may not yet be aware that California is already experiencing the start of a housing boom. Folks in Santa Cruz, where Chris lives, are well aware of this fact, as downtown is in the midst of a dramatic transformation, and the same thing is happening here in Midtown Sacramento. In these two articles, Chris explains how this works, and how you can help shape the way it will all play out on the ground.
How California Manages Housing as a Public Resource
Like the 33 million acres of forest in California, the nearly 15 million units of housing in the state are tended and managed with future generations in mind. Meet the California Department of Housing and Community Development.
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Monterey County's Homepage |
| Direct your browser to https://monterey.californialocal.com/ to catch up on the latest news in California and Monterey County. Bookmark the link and visit often, there's a lot happening in your community! | |
Recipe of the Week
Our friends at Sacramento Digs Gardening publish a recipe from their gardens every Sunday, which we feature here so you can start your week with some yum.
See more recipes in their Taste Spring! cookbook.
Savory cherry sauce perfect for grilling season
New! Savory cherry sauce with sweet onions goes great with pork, chicken
Get to Know a Group
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Community Emergency Response Volunteers |
Community Emergency Response Volunteers of the Monterey Peninsula's mission is “to support local CERT programs, build public awareness about emergency preparedness, and promote the community's capacity to respond to natural disasters and man-made emergencies.”
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From Our Media Allies |
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California State Parks Foundation Calls on the Legislature to Restore Library Parks Pass Funding |
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California State Parks Foundation responded to Governor Newsom's revised 2024-2025 budget and raised concern about the elimination of funding for a popular state park access program, the California State Library Parks Pass. |
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MST Donates Vehicle to City of Greenfield, Bolstering Community Programs |
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Greenfield Community Science Workshop’s Omar Vigil and Jose Sanchez recently met with Pat Lewis, fleet maintenance superintendent at Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST), to receive a vehicle that MST donated to their organization and the Greenfield Recreation Department. |
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King City Community Power Customers to Receive Rebate Gift Cards |
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The majority of King City Community Power residential customers will receive a gift card from KCCP within the next few days. |
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City of Gonzales Receives Award for Its Leadership in Housing Development |
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City of Gonzales was honored by the Monterey County Business Council at the 28th Annual Gala and Community Builder Awards on April 26 at The Inn at Spanish Bay in Pebble Beach. |
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Rep. Lofgren, Local Leaders Celebrate $1.1M in Federal Funding for King City |
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Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren recently presented checks appropriated by Congress for two community projects totaling $1.1 million that will help create an electric vehicle charging station and Family Justice Center in King City. |
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Community Foundation for Monterey County Grants $41M in 2023 |
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Community Foundation for Monterey County has announced a record year of impact in 2023. |
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Big Sur Library Will Re-Open This Friday, Resuming Regular Hours on Saturday. |
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Suffer no more, Big Sur readers. With the ahead-of-schedule reopening of Highway 1, the Big Sur Branch Library at Ripplewood Resort will open on Friday, May 17, resuming normal hours the following day. |
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Amazon Confirms It Is Revisiting Salinas Plans After a Developer Buys Property. |
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Two years after Amazon backed out of a massive warehouse project in Salinas, the online retail and web services giant confirmed it is revisiting its plans to build in Monterey County’s largest city. |
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Over $2.9 Million in Opioid Settlement Funds Awarded to Monterey County Have Yet to Be Used. |
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Six years ago, the County of Monterey signed on as a lead plaintiff in a landmark class action lawsuit brought by the State of California against major pharmaceutical companies. |
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Limited Access on Highway 1 Creates Hardship, but Also Some Magic, in Big Sur. |
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The paved, two-lane portion of Highway 1 through Big Sur is an attraction unto itself. It’s also the artery that residents, employees, emergency responders and tourists use to get to and from the remote community. |
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Monterey County Schools Receive Nearly $40 Million to Implement Community Schools. |
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For the past couple of years, the state has pushed to transition K-12 campuses into community schools, designed to serve not only as a space to learn but a hub where parents and students can get support for needs like … |
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A Comprehensive Study of Unsustainable Groundwater Pumping in the County Is Cause for Alarm. |
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On May 9, staff from the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency presented its board a long-awaited study about the so-called Deep Aquifers, which have been increasingly mined in recent years as seawater intrusion marches inland. |
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Tri-County Collaborative Awarded Fentanyl Overdose Prevention Grant to Tackle Rising Overdose Rates |
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The Tri-County Collaborative has been awarded a California Department of Public Health Fentanyl Overdose Prevention Grant. |
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Monterey County Community Action Partnership Celebrates 60 Years of Service |
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Monterey County Community Action Partnership is celebrating a milestone with its partner organizations across the county this month: 60 years of improving communities, fighting the impacts of poverty, inspiring a spirit of hope and creating opportunities for residents to be … |
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Monterey County Health Department Offers Safety Tips for Bicyclists, Drivers |
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May is National Bicycle Safety Month, and Monterey County Health Department is encouraging everyone to get active and safely take bike rides, while at the same time reminding drivers to be on the lookout for more people biking and walking. |
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Tri-County Collaborative Receives Grant |
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The $1.28 million will be used for education programs, data surveillance and services aimed at preventing fentanyl overdoses. |
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Recent Local News |
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• Researchers to Study Spring Bay Orcas
Researchers from the California Killer Whale Project and Vancouver-based Ocean Wise will be utilizing an innovative technique to study the local orca population.
(05/18/2024) → Monterey Herald• Phil Opens Castroville Fishmarket
Phil DiGirolamo has finally opened the fish market part of his eponymous Phil's Fish Market and Eatery in Castroville.
(05/17/2024) → Monterey Herald|
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Recent Statewide News |
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• Why UC Grad Students Are Going Out on Strike
The job action starting today at UC Santa Cruz isn’t about pay, but instead is in response to how UC deployed police to clear pro-Palestinian encampments on campuses.
(05/19/2024) → CalMatters• These California Schools Connect Kids to Community Services. Will They Survive Budget Cuts?
Gov. Gavin Newsom launched the community school initiative with $4.1 billion in grants to connect students and their families to medical care, counseling and other services.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• Should California Doctors Report Domestic Abuse to Police? Here’s How Physician Lawmakers Voted
Pending legislation would lift requirements for California’s doctors to report all domestic abuse cases to police. The Assembly’s three physicians had different opinions.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• California’s Lagging Economy Hinders Efforts to Close State Budget Deficit
As Gov. Gavin Newsom and state legislators spend the next few weeks fashioning a state budget that’s plagued by a multibillion-dollar deficit, they can’t count on a booming economy to make their task easier.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• California’s Staggering Budget Deficit Squashes Hundreds of Bills
The state’s multibillion-dollar shortfall shapes which spending bills survived the ‘suspense file’ hearings by the Assembly and Senate appropriations committees.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters• $20 Billion: The Delta Tunnel’s New Price Tag
The centerpiece of California’s water wars pits Gov. Newsom against local communities and environmentalists. A new report says the benefits of the tunnel exceed the cost since other water supplies would cost more.
(05/16/2024) → CalMatters|
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Government Announcements |
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United States (05/17/2024) Reser's Fine Foods Announces Voluntary Recall of Single Batch of Aldi Macaroni 32 oz Salad with Use By Date of Jun/03/24 Due to Unlabeled Wheat Allergen |
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Reser's Fine Foods is voluntarily recalling a single item with a specific use by date, produced at a regional facility and distributed to ALDI. The product is the Aldi Deli Macaroni Salad 32 oz, with a Use By Date of Jun/03/24 due to an incorrect label. The incorrect label does not include an all
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United States (05/17/2024) United Supermarkets Advises Guests in New Mexico and Texas of Palmer Candy's Voluntary Recall of White Coated Confectionary Items Due to Possible Salmonella Contamination |
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United Supermarkets is advising guests about a recall by its supplier Palmer Candy of its white coated confectionary items due to possible Salmonella contamination. Palmer Candy was notified by its liquid coating supplier that there was a potential for contamination with Salmonella from an ingredie
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United States (05/17/2024) Irvington Seafood Recalls "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw Meat" Because of Possible Health Risk |
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Irvington Seafood of Irvington, AL, is recalling its 1 lb. packages of "Crabmeat: Jumbo, Lump, Finger, and Claw meat" because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly
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City of Marina (05/17/2024) 2024 Pride Flag Raising |
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Join us on Saturday, June 1, 2024 to celebrate the commencement of Pride Month!
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City of Monterey (05/17/2024) Suspected Overdose Deaths |
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United States (05/16/2024) Mars Petcare US, Inc. Voluntarily Recalls 315 Bags of PEDIGREE® Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food, 44 lb. Bag Size |
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Mars Petcare US is voluntarily recalling 315 bags of PEDIGREE Adult Complete Nutrition Grilled Steak & Vegetable Flavor Dry Dog Food in the 44 lb. bag size only, due to the potential presence of loose metal pieces in the bag. The affected products have a Best By Date of March 4, 2025 and Lot Code 4
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United States (05/16/2024) Update to Palmer Candy Company Recall of White Confectionary Products Because of Possible Health Risk |
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The recalled confectionary items were distributed nationwide in Walmart, HyVee, Target, Dollar General, and to distributors in Alabama, California, Florida, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Texas, Virginia, Wisconsin and Wy
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United States (05/16/2024) Sun Noodle Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Egg in S&S Frozen Cup Saimin |
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Sun Noodle is recalling approximately 37,158 cases of S&S CUP SAIMIN manufactured from May 9, 2023 - May 8, 2024, because they may contain undeclared egg white powder. Any product produced prior to May 9th, 2023 should have already been discarded due to expiration dates. People who have an allergy o
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City of Monterey (05/16/2024) City of Monterey Responds to 2024 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury Report on the Monterey Fire Department |
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City of Seaside (05/15/2024) City of Seaside's Climate Action & Adaptation Plan |
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The City of Seaside is developing their first Climate Action and Adaptation Plan. The next step in this process is collecting and compiling resident input in order to develop the best plan for the Citys future.
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