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By Eric Johnson
Published Jan 20, 2025

Edgar McGregor picking up trash on March 18, 2024 in Eaton Canyon. Ten months later, McGregor’s posts on Facebook saved a lot of lives as the Eaton Fire blazed through Altadena.
Edgar McGregor picking up trash on March 18, 2024 in Eaton Canyon. Ten months later, McGregor’s posts on Facebook saved a lot of lives as the Eaton Fire blazed through Altadena.

People Have the Power

Recognizing that today is both MLK Day and Inauguration Day, a fact that provides obvious opportunities to draw contrasts between Martin Luther King and Donald J. Trump, we choose instead to keep The Newsletter on message, which is to say local, and focused on solutions.  

Today we recognize two instances of people-power being exerted by a couple of ordinary heroes. The first you may have heard about—a young Altadena weather-watcher who mounted an effort on social media that saved a lot of people from possible fiery death. (As it happens, we know this guy.)

The second story is less-obviously heroic, but in this era of mass misinformation, the effort of another young man to counteract a campaign that could cripple smart development in the little city of Hollister is worth noting.

And in celebration of this issue's theme, dig this tune for our times from Patti Smith, singing one of the greatest small-d democratic anthems ever written— her own (you guessed it) “People Have the Power. This might be just the thing you need today.


Saving Lives and Fighting Lies

In LA County, a young meteorologist started a Facebook page to help his neighbors keep track of the weather. In San Benitio County, a student of land-use planning started a website to counteract misinformation (and incivility) on NextDoor. Sometimes, as they say, what happens online is happening In Real Life.  


Life and Death and Weather and Planning

Satellite image of Altadena before and after the Eaton Fire.
Raymond Martinez and Edgar McGregor are practitioners of the art of digital citizenship. As allies in this endeavor, we commend their righteous efforts.


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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 Winter! cookbook.


Serve season's oranges dressed for dinner -- or breakfast

Blood oranges deliver the eye-catching color in this plate of seasonal citrus. The lavender-lemon syrup, at upper right, is pretty, too.
Blood oranges and navels with a lavender-lemon syrup


Get to Know a Group

Community Emergency Response Volunteers logo 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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The Pajaronian logo A Message of Peace—hundreds Attend MLK March

Hundreds of people came to Santa Cruz Monday to honor Martin Luther King Jr., many waving signs, chanting and singing as they made their way down Pacific Avenue. Their message was one of community, activism and support.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo Soledad Completes Critical Levee Repairs to Safeguard Water Reclamation Facility

City of Soledad recently announced that levee repairs have been completed in order to protect its Water Reclamation Facility from flood inundation from the Salinas River.

KSQD logo New Leader at the MAH

The McPherson Art and History Museum has a new director, Ginger Shulick Porcella. She comes with experience at museums big and small, from Arizona to Minnesota, and has big ideas as the MAH approaches its 30th anniversary next year.

Monterey County Weekly logo Fire at Vistra Battery Plant Is Contained; Highway 1 in Moss Landing Reopens.

Three days after a battery fire broke out at the Moss Landing Power Plant, owner/operator Vistra reports the fire is contained and just smoldering with no new flames.

Monterey County Weekly logo Another Disaster Has Struck Monterey County. It’s Exhausting.

Erik Chalhoub here. As I was driving home from Seaside to Royal Oaks last evening, I could see a fireball in the distance lighting up the night sky around the Moss Landing Power Plant.

The Pajaronian logo New Disc Golf Course Opens in Monterey County

A new disc golf course has opened in Royal Oaks Park, a project by the Monterey Parks and Lakes Department.

Monterey County Weekly logo How to Stay Safe in a Fire Emergency? It All Comes Down to Preparation.

The disaster of a major fire has hit close to home this week, now that the lithium ion battery plant owned by Vistra Energy is burning, with no timeline as of Friday, Jan. 17 as to when it will be …

Benito Link logo Cal Fire Warns About Scam Donation Requests

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire) is alerting the public about fraudulent social media accounts impersonating Cal Fire and soliciting donations. Cal Fire does not solicit donations from the public, either in person or online.Additionally, all …

Local News Matters Stockton logo Where Are All the Eggs? Bird Flu’s Spread Not the Only Culprit in Crisis of Global Proportions

IF YOU HAVE tried to bake a cake recently, you might have had a hard time finding eggs. The empty shelves are a sign of the devastating impact of avian influenza, H5N1 or HPAI, on commercial poultry flocks in California.

The Pajaronian logo Moss Landing Fire Update: Battling Battery Fires Difficult

Monterey County officials say that the fire that erupted at the Moss Landing Power Plant Thursday night was difficult to fight because it was centered on a bank of Tesla batteries.

The Pajaronian logo Massive Blaze Erupts at Moss Landing Power Plant

A huge fire broke out inside a building at the Moss Landing Power Plant Thursday, forcing emergency crews to evacuate areas around Moss Landing and close the heavily traveled Highway 1 in both directions for hours.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo Greenfield Youth Receive Free Bikes for Dia De Los Reyes

Greenfield Community Science Workshop, in partnership with the Transportation Agency for Monterey County and the City of Greenfield, hosted the Dia de los Reyes (Three Kings Day) Bike Giveaway on Jan. 4.

Monterey County Weekly logo Pacific Grove City Council Chooses a Former Councilmember to Fill Two-Year Term.

There was one point all six members of the Pacific Grove City Council could agree on as they deliberated who to fill the vacancy left by former councilmember Debby Beck, who resigned in November.

King City Rustler logo SPCA Monterey County Rescues Pets From Los Angeles Shelters Amid Ongoing Wildfires

A team from SPCA Monterey County traveled to the Los Angeles area Saturday to take in cats and dogs from animal shelters to help provide room for more fire evacuees.

Monterey County Weekly logo Come to Monterey Museum of Art to Admire Its New Treasures.

Monterey Museum of Art presents its new acquisitions to its vast permanent collection.

Monterey County Weekly logo Monterey County Firefighters Support Los Angeles Firefight, Plus Ways You Can Help.

As massive wildfires devastate entire neighborhoods in and around Los Angeles, local agencies from Monterey County have joined in the firefight.

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Recent Local News

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Repairs in the Pipeline: Pajaro Gets $4.1M for Permanent Fix to Flood-Damaged Sewer Pipe

Emergency infrastructure repairs are slowly transitioning into permanent upgrades in the unincorporated Monterey County community of Pajaro, where two years ago a series of torrential storms caused a pipe to fail and a road to collapse.

(01/21/2025) Local News Matters
Moss Landing Fire Evacuations Lifted, County Offers Hotline

The most recent outlook is “cautiously optimistic” for the ending of the fire at the battery storage facility at the Moss Landing power plant, and Monterey County is offering a hotline for people with questions about air quality or other related issues.

(01/19/2025) Monterey Herald
Watch Duty Official Moss Landing Fire Incident Report

This is a page with frequently updated information about the fire at the battery storage facility located at the Moss Landing power plant.

(01/17/2025) https://app.watchduty.org/i/40849
Moss Landing Fire Investigation Demanded

Elected officials representing Monterey County are demanding an independent investigation into the cause of the battery storage fire at the Moss Landing power plant and that it remain offline until there are answers. Read on to learn more.

(01/17/2025) Monterey Herald
Moss Landing Battery Plant Fire Report

Read on to learn more about the fire which broke out on January 16 at a battery storage plant located on the grounds of the Moss Landing power station.

(01/16/2025) Monterey Herald
Monterey Airport New Terminal Construction Advances

Read on to learn about recent progress in the development of a new terminal and the Monterey Regional Airport.

(01/16/2025) Monterey Herald
Moss Landing Fire Coming Under Control

An update on the progress of battling the battery storage facility fire at Moss Landing.

(01/16/2025) Lookout Local
Pico Blanco Property Conveyed to Esselen Tribe of Monterey County

Read on to learn more about the 327-acre Pico Blanco property on the Little Sur River and the agreement by which the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County is to conserve and steward it moving forward.

(01/15/2025) Monterey Herald
Monterey Bay Aquarium Executive Director Steps Down

Founding Executive Director Julie Packard announced she was transitioning into a leadership role on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Board of Trustees. Read on to learn more about next steps.

(01/15/2025) Monterey Herald
Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers Begin Push To Unionize

On January 14, a group of employees of the Monterey Bay Aquarium announced plans to begin a campaign to unionize staff. Read on to learn what's behind the effort and next steps.

(01/14/2025) Monterey Herald
SURF! Busway Receives Federal Funding

Read on to learn more about the over $22 million in federal funds awarded to Monterey-Salinas Transit for construction of the SURF! Busway connecting Marina and Sand City.

(01/14/2025) Monterey Herald
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Recent Statewide News

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Will New Bond Funds Be Enough to Rebuild LA Schools — And All of California’s Other Crumbling Schools?

Some schools destroyed years ago in the Sonoma and Butte fires are just now reopening. The long, expensive process of rebuilding in LA may eat up much of the money voters approved in November for school repairs statewide.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Trump Takes Step to Overhaul Delta Water Deliveries to Farms, Cities

Trump apparently wants to override new Biden-Newsom rules that have widespread support among Southern California cities and some Central Valley farmers.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Resistance State: Tracking California’s Lawsuits Against the New Trump Administration

California’s Democratic leaders set aside tens of millions of dollars to challenge President Donald Trump’s executive orders and policies.

(01/21/2025) CalMatters
Trump’s New Executive Orders Target Policies Dear to CA

With assurances that “sunlight is pouring over the entire world,” President Donald Trump was sworn into office Monday for his second term. He wasted no time taking potshots at California.

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
Fact Check: Did Gavin Newsom Really Help Create 625,000 New Job Opportunities in California?

In 2018, Newsom promised to add 500,000 new apprenticeships in the decade after taking office. The state is making progress, but how much depends on the definition of “apprenticeship.”

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
As President Trump Declares a Border Emergency on Day 1, California’s Targeted Immigrants Lie Low

Along the California-Mexico border, immigrants at risk of deportation are seeking to live undetected through an unprecedented crackdown.

(01/20/2025) CalMatters
An oasis of peace survives Palisades wildfire

Sacramento's 'rose man' shares how Lake Shrine and its World Peace Rose Garden made it through the firestorm

(01/19/2025) Sacramento Digs Gardening
PG&E Receives $15 Billion Federal Loan

Read on to learn more about the $15 billion loan guarantee to PG&E granted in the final hours of the Biden Administration.

(01/18/2025) The Mercury News
California Lags in Making Homes Fire Resistant

As wildfires ravage southern California, state mandated defensible space requirements legislated in 2020 haven't been encoded into enforceable regulations. Read on to learn why.

(01/17/2025) CapPublicRadio
More Funding Allocated to Raise San Luis Reservoir Dam

Read on for the latest progress in the B.F. Sisk Dam Raise and Reservoir Expansion Project to raise the dam at the San Luis Reservoir to add storage capacity.

(01/17/2025) San Joaquin Valley Sun
LA Fires Bring Scrutiny to Worker Safety, Private Firefighting

Describing the active wildfires in Southern California as a “catastrophe at an unprecedented scale,” Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas of Salinas gathered with dozens of Assemblymembers on Thursday in Los Angeles to introduce new bills that seek to quicken rebuilding efforts and lift development restrictions.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
LA Will Need Workers to Clean Up After Fires. It Can Be a Dangerous Job

The LA fires have left domestic workers and day laborers jobless. They may soon be hired for wildfire cleanup work, where they can be exposed to ash and other toxins.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
As LA Fires Destroy Homes, California’s Housing Crisis Is About to Get Worse

The wildfires sweeping through Los Angeles County communities have destroyed at least 10,000 homes so far and more are in the path of still-uncontrolled flames.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
Private Firefighters Are Increasingly Popular With Insurers. But Do They Pose a Risk?

Robert MacKenzie is an assistant fire chief — but not the kind who works for your local fire department. As the Palisades Fire bore down on Southern California last week, the private fire crew he oversees headed out to help defend homes for their customers: insurance companies that offer wildfire protection to wealthy homeowners and others with the coverage built into their policies.

(01/16/2025) CalMatters
LA Wildfires Could Clobber California Economy as State Recovers From a Pandemic Recession

Three days after immensely destructive and deadly wildfires broke out in and around Los Angeles, Gov. Gavin Newsom proposed a $322.3 billion state budget with a positive revenue forecast “based on an assumption of continued but slowing economic growth.”

(01/15/2025) CalMatters
Hardening Your Home Against Wildfires - Wildfire Proven

Read on to learn about the measures taken to harden and protect the lone remaining house of the neighborhoodfrom the Pacific Palisades fire in Southern California.

(01/14/2025) The Sacramento Bee
CA Abandons Clean-Air Rules on Diesel Trucks

In a striking setback to reduce California’s air pollution but a win for trucking companies, state regulators have walked away from their ambitious plan to phase out diesel trucks less than a week before President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
‘Literally Off the Charts’: LA’s Critically Dry Conditions Stun Scientists as Fires Rage

Key moisture measurements are only 2% to 5% of average, leaving dusty soils. And the recent swing from wet to dry is among the most extreme on record. This combination of climatic conditions crossed into a danger zone, priming much of Southern California for wind-whipped fires.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
How the LA Fires Could Exacerbate California’s Homelessness Crisis

Jennielynn Holmes stood in the middle of a make-shift evacuation center when the scope of the crisis hit her.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
Newsom Committed California to Making Its Own Insulin. It’s at Least a Year Behind His Schedule

Gov. Gavin Newsom’s ambitious plan to produce a cheap, generic insulin for the 3.2 million Californians with diabetes is behind the schedule he announced and unlikely to make it to market for several years, industry experts say.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
New California Bill Would Block Trans Females From Playing in Girls’ Sports

A new bill would remove the right of California’s female transgender athletes in to participate in high school sports teams that match their gender identity.

(01/14/2025) CalMatters
Presumptive Bird Flu Case Identified in San Francisco Child Who Has Since Recovered

A presumptive case of H5N1 bird flu has been identified in a child who resides in San Francisco, the city’s Department of Public Health announced.The child had a fever and conjunctivitis but did not need to be hospitalized and has since made a full recovery, public health officials said Friday.

(01/13/2025) Local News Matters
Small California Schools Brace for Layoffs as Congress Slashes Funding for Rural Education

Federal funding for rural schools goes to 39 California counties. School districts in those communities consider the money a lifeline.

(01/13/2025) CalMatters
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Government Announcements

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Image of City of Monterey seal. City of Monterey Accepting Special Event Support Program Grant Applications for FY 2025-2026
City of Monterey   (01/21/2025)
Image of United States seal. D. Coluccio & Sons, Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Almonds in "Colussi Cantuccini Chocolate Drops" Cookies
D. COLUCCIO & SONS, in is recalling its 300 gram packages of "Colussi Cantuccini Chocolate Drops" chocolate chip cookies because they may contain undeclared almonds.
United States   (01/20/2025)
Image of United States seal. Monkey Spit, LLC Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk/Wheat/Soy in Monkey Spit BBQ Sauces
People who have allergies to milk/wheat/soy run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reaction if they consume these products. The three recalled "Monkey Spit BBQ Sauces" were distributed locally in retail stores on the central coast of California and through mail orders on our website:
United States   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Greenfield seal. 2020 Urban Water Management Plan - DRAFT
City of Greenfield   (01/17/2025)
Image of United States seal. Wismettac Asian Foods Issues Allergy Alert on Undeclared Milk in Curvee Puffs Corn Puff Snack Curry Flavor
Wismettac Asian Foods, Inc., Santa Fe Springs, CA is recalling 2.46 oz packages of Shirakiku brand Curvee Puffs Corn Puff Snack Curry Flavor. The product contains the undeclared milk. People who have an allergy or severe sensitivity to milk run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reacti
United States   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Del Rey Oaks seal. FORTAG Construction Update - Week of January 27, 2025
Please find below links to weekly updates to construction activities for the TAMC Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway Project (FORTAG).For more information on this project, click HERE.
City of Del Rey Oaks   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Del Rey Oaks seal. FORTAG Construction Update - Week of January 20, 2025
Please find below links to weekly updates to construction activities for the TAMC Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway Project (FORTAG).For more information on this project, click HERE.
City of Del Rey Oaks   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Del Rey Oaks seal. Work at Airport 12:00 am - 5:00 am Jan 20th - Jan 24th, 2025
Please be advised that the Monterey Regiional Airport will be conducting maintenance work between midnight and 5:00 am from January 20, 2025 through January 24, 2025. Please find further details in the letter lined below.
City of Del Rey Oaks   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Pacific Grove seal. Wildfire Prevention Town Hall Meeting Date Announced Soon
City of Pacific Grove   (01/17/2025)
Image of City of Monterey seal. In Response to the L.A. Fires, the City of Monterey Addresses Community Concerns About Wildfire Prevention and Response. Wildfire Prevention Town Hall Meeting Date To Be Announced Soon
City of Monterey   (01/16/2025)
Pay to Park (funds stay local) ad from Friends of Santa Cruz State Parks.