By Eric Johnson
Published Aug 26, 2024

The Memorial Rose Garden at McKinley Park in Sacramento. Built and maintained by everyday citizens as a gift to their city.

Image credit: By Eric Johnson

How Citizenship is Like Gardening

You may have noticed last week that government, and governing, seem to be suddenly cool again. Elected officials starred in a mini-series that became the hit of the season—drawing applause and even genuine, heartfelt laughs. People talking politics used the word "joy" repeatedly—and also that buzzword from a few seasons back: "hope."

We say: It's about time. For too many years, there's been a negative campaign telling a dark and cynical story about politics and politicians, and this has not been the exclusive provenance of any one political party.

Some of the consequences of this campaign became evident this week, as a number of cities throughout the state had to cancel elections and re-appoint incumbents because nobody registered to run—it's a safe bet that some folks opted out to avoid the hyper-partisan attacks that come with public service.

Here at California's pro-democracy web portal, we seek out the true stories about (as our book title has it) How California Works. In this week's episode of The Newsletter, we bring you a couple more.

Tending to our Communities

Chris Neklason has written a number of blogposts that explain how the nuts 'n' bolts (more accurately the code and information-architecture) of California Local is designed to foster democratic participation. He's at it again this week, re-branding what I once called a "civic-engagement engine" with a friendlier name. Gotta click the link to find out what that is.

And: Getitng into a different but equally important bucket of nuts 'n' bolts, he enlists the help of the "Internet dynamo" Anil Dash to explain how boards of directors of nonprofits and other organizations endeavor to make the world a little bit better.

Cultivating Civic Engagement

Things bloom best when people get their hands dirty.

Anil Dash Explains: What Does a Board of Directors Do?

Board of directors come in all shapes and sizes, but by and large, the job is the same.

The writer and Internet dynamo shares his experience and reveals what happens in the board room.

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 Summer! cookbook.

A treasured salad from Bulgaria with love

Shopska salad is a celebration of summer.

New! Shopska salad makes most of ripe tomatoes, crunchy cucumber

Get to Know a Group

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.”

→ Learn more

From Our Media Allies

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	Gonzales Unified School District Parts Ways With Superintendent Matilde Zamora.
	After leading Gonzales Unified School District for two-plus years, former superintendent Martinez Zamora has left her post after a mutual agreement with the district's board of trustees a year before her contract was up.

	Artistic After-School Programs Return to Alisal Union School District.
	Students from Alisal Union School District welcomed the 2024-2025 school year with the news that after-school artistic programs are back after they were abruptly cancelled before the end of the previous school year.

	Snowy Plovers Saved From Precarious Cliff Near the Salinas River Released Back Into the Wild.
	Six endangered snowy plovers were released back into the wild on Aug. 9, more than a month after their eggs were rescued from the edge of a cliff.

	Monterey County’s High Hospital Costs Spurs State Officials to Come Visit and Learn More.
	For over a year at monthly meetings in Sacramento, members of the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability Board have been hearing stories from Monterey County residents about the high cost of hospitals.

	P.G. Senior Living Seeks to Evict a 96-Year-Old Tenant, Despite Her Lifetime Contract.
	Jean Jacques, 96, heard a knock on her apartment door inside Pacific Grove Senior Living on Friday, Aug. 16. It was the manager, delivering a “nasty letter,” Jacques says, a three-day “pay or quit” eviction notice from the owner, Pacifica …

	The Groundwork Is Being Laid for a Northern Expansion in Seaside.
	As Seaside development expands further north with the nascent Campus Town project, which seeks to build up to nearly 1,500 residential units on dilapidated property between Gigling Road and Lightfighter Drive, a second fire station for Seaside has long been …

	Renovations and Rent Increases in a Soledad Apartment Building Leave Tenants in Limbo.
	Tenants at 150 Encinal St. in Soledad received three letters dated Aug. 1. In one, they were notified they have a new landlord, Mi Tierra Linda, LLC. The second alerted them to “extensive renovations,” and noted the new rental rates, …

	Businesses Partner to Provide Haircuts, Backpacks and Treats to Soledad Students
	Last Sunday, Aug. 11, two groups from Soledad and one from Salinas organized a Back to School Giveaway in downtown Soledad.

	Massive Sea Lion Haul-Out Prompts Beach Closures in Monterey.
	It is a sight—and a smell, and a sound—to behold. Hundreds of sea lions have gathered in Monterey Bay, and when they're not swimming and hunting for fish, are resting on small beaches in the city of Monterey.

	Prefab Temporary Housing Might Soon Shelter Unhoused Californians
	Small, less-expensive readymade homes could buy time as the state continues to struggle with homelessness and high building costs.

	Hartnell College Awarded $2M as Part of NOAA Climate Resilience Project
	SALINAS — Hartnell College was awarded a $2 million subaward, part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s $71 million Climate Resilience Regional Challenge to advance climate change resilience around the Monterey Bay area through the Monterey Bay Climate Action …

	King City Sales Tax Increase to Be Measure T on November Ballot
	Monterey County Elections Department has assigned the letter “T” to the measure on the November ballot requesting a half-cent increase in the King City sales tax.

Recent Local News

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● Monterey Airport Terminal Design Presented

In their August 21 meeting, the updated terminal design was presented to the Monterey Peninsula Airport District Board of Directors.

(08/23/2024) Monterey Herald

● CalAm Buyout Advances

An August 23 tentative ruling by a Monterey County Superior Court has advanced the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District effort to take over distribution of water from the California American Water Company.

(08/23/2024) Monterey Herald

● Monterey-Salinas Transit Responds to Coastal Commission Staff Report

Monterey-Salinas Transit responded to a Coastal Commission staff report recommending denial of permits to advance the proposed SURF! Busway.

(08/22/2024) Monterey Herald

● Del Rey Oaks Segment of FORTAG Construction Begins

Construction of the 1.5 mile Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway has begun.

(08/21/2024) Monterey Herald

● New Homeless Program Launches in Salinas

A new housing resource hub offering navigation services and financial assistance opened at 212 North Main Street in Salinas.

(08/19/2024) Monterey Herald

● Highway 1 Regent’s Slide Work Delayed

Continued shifting of the Regent's Slide on Highway 1 has caused work to be delayed as CalTrans engineers access the situation.

(08/19/2024) Monterey Herald

Recent Statewide News

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● These Middlemen Say They Keep Drug Prices Low. California Lawmakers Don’t Buy It

Pharmacy benefit managers attempt to negotiate cost savings for insurers. California is considering new rules that would require them to pass their discounts on to consumers.

(08/27/2024) CalMatters

● Lawmakers Say Newsom Staff ‘Inflated’ Cost of Failed Health Care Bills

A trio of California Democratic lawmakers say they’re frustrated by high cost estimates that helped kill their health care legislation. Did the Newsom administration inflate the numbers to quietly kill the bills?

(08/26/2024) CalMatters

● Millions of Californians Have Medical Debt. It Wouldn’t Hurt Your Credit Under Proposed Rules

About 4 in 10 Californians are carrying medical debt. Lawmakers are advancing a bill that would prevent that debt from affecting credit scores.

(08/26/2024) CalMatters

● They Delivered 5,600 Babies. They Blame California Rules for Putting Them Out of Business

Birth centers are popular options for families who want to deliver a baby outside of a hospital. Nineteen of them closed in California in the past decade, deepening the state’s maternity care crisis.

(08/25/2024) CalMatters

● Newsom’s Hands-on Approach to Crime in California Cities Gains Critics in Oakland

Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken to using state resources to fight crime on a local level. Not everyone in the cities he’s taken an interest in is thrilled with the results.

(08/25/2024) CalMatters

● When Should Police Be Involved at School? A California Bill Would Let Teachers Make the Call

In the final week of session, legislators are debating whether to give more leeway to public school teachers when to report students to law enforcement. Supporters say disabled and students of color are unfairly disciplined, but opponents say school safety is at risk.

(08/25/2024) CalMatters

● Proposition 6 Explainer

The Sacramento Bee explains Proposition 6, the initiative to ban involuntary servitude.

(08/21/2024) The Sacramento Bee

● Taxpayers Cover Tuition at California’s for-Profit Schools. The Results? Low-Wage, High-Turnover Jobs

California officials have warned students for years that for-profit schools may make misleading career claims — leaving them with “a mountain of debt” but no job. Still, many for-profit schools remain on the state’s list of recommended job training programs.

(08/20/2024) CalMatters

● More California Schools Are Banning Smartphones, but Kids Keep Bringing Them

Schools that banned phones a few years ago have advice for other districts as the governor calls for a crackdown.

(08/19/2024) CalMatters

Government Announcements

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	FSIS Issues Public Health Alert For Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported From the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were... United States (08/16/2024)

	Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated... United States (08/16/2024)

	FSIS Issues Public Health Alert for Ineligible Meat and Poultry Products Illegally Imported from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) is issuing a public health alert for various meat and poultry products that were... United States (08/16/2024)

	Perdue Foods LLC, Recalls Frozen, Ready-To-Eat Chicken Breast Nugget and Tender Products Due to Possible Foreign Matter Contamination
WASHINGTON, Aug. 16, 2024 - Perdue Foods LLC, a Perry, Ga. establishment, is recalling approximately 167,171 pounds of frozen, ready-to-eat chicken breast nugget and tender products that may be contaminated... United States (08/16/2024)

	Metro Produce Distributors Inc. Recalls Fresh Guacamole Because of Possible Health Risk
Metro Produce Distributors Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, is voluntarily recalling all Lunds & Byerlys fresh guacamole products with a use-by date of August 2, 2024, because they have the potential to be contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes, an organism which can cause serious and sometimes fat United States (08/01/2024)

	Colonna Brothers, Inc. Issues an Updated Voluntary Recall for "1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon" Because of Possible Health Risk Due to Elevated Lead Levels
Colonna Brothers of North Bergen, NJ is voluntarily recalling its 1.5oz Marcum Ground Cinnamon & 2.25oz Supreme Tradition Ground Cinnamon because of a possible health risk due to elevated lead levels. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that in United States (07/30/2024)

	Boar's Head Provisions Co. Expands Recall for Ready-To-Eat Meat and Poultry Products Due to Possible Listeria Contamination
WASHINGTON, July 30, 2024 - Boar's Head Provisions Co., Inc., a Jarratt, Va., establishment, is expanding its July 26, 2024, recall of deli meat products that may be adulterated with... United States (07/30/2024)

	Van Leeuwen Ice Cream Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Peanuts in Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Non-Dairy Frozen Dessert
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream of Brooklyn, NY is voluntarily recalling its Vegan Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Lot 24V094 pints sold at the 81 Bergen Street Brooklyn, NY location. These pints contain an undeclared allergen, peanuts. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to peanuts run the risk of serious United States (07/29/2024)

	Advance Food International Inc. Recalls Shahzada Brand Cinnamon Powder 7oz Because of Possible Health Risk
Advance Food International, Inc. of Maspeth, NY is recalling Shahzada brand Cinnamon Powder in 7oz packing, because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that increased blood l United States (07/29/2024)

	American Spices LLC. Recalls Spice Class Ground Cinnamon Because of Possible Health Risk
American Spices, LLC. of Ozone Park, NY is recalling Spice Class brand Ground Cinnamon, because it has the potential to be contaminated with elevated levels of lead. Short term exposures to very low levels of lead may not elicit any symptoms. It is possible that increased blood lead levels may be th United States (07/29/2024)