Regular readers of this newsletter may have observed California Local’s tendency to either wonk out on policy issues or hone in on existential threats to California in particular, or humankind in general. This week we’re taking a break for some less weighty fare. You’ll find that we’re fully focused on the people and places that make the Golden State shine a little brighter.
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By Sharan Street
Published Sep 11, 2023
The Sacramento region may be the center of state politics, but it’s also a world-class destination for serious athletes. Find out more in our guide to running in the Capital region.
Image credit: James Pintar
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The Lighter Side of … California Local
On Your Marks…
Yesterday, Sac Running Week got off the starting block. This weeklong event culminates on 9/16 with a celebration of the 916 running community at Bike Dog Brewing in West Sacramento. But no worries if you don’t have time to unleash your inner sprinter right away. California Local’s Tamara Warta has a rundown of events, clubs, trails and specialty stores of interest to runners in the Capital region, stretching from the Yolo Bypass to Lake Tahoe.
To further inspire feats of athletic prowess, check out Graham Womack’s list of ten top California athletes. Because even if you don’t include legends like Willie Mays or Magic Johnson, who were born elsewhere but became stars here, many of the greats grew up in our state.
Running Around California’s Capital Region
From marathoners to casual joggers, enthusiasts can take advantage of the Sacramento region’s diverse trails, terrain, and competitive events.
Make ’Em Laugh
California breeds superstars in many fields of human endeavor, including, of course, show business. Writer Libby Molyneaux takes a closer look at one specific corner of the entertainment industry and finds that California isn’t just the state that launched a thousand quips. We also nurture our own home-grown comedians, from San Francisco’s Margaret Cho to San Diego’s Gabriel Iglesias.
Plenty of East Coast comedians make California the butt of their jokes. Here are some locals who’ve earned the right to make fun of this place.
Anatomy of an Arts Enclave
In addition to writing about our state’s cultural strengths, we also celebrate the accomplishments of local communities. In a recent piece, writer Richard von Busack compiled a short but wide-ranging list of arts institutions in Monterey County. It’s a history that goes back decades, nurtured by natural beauty. “The visual drama of this peninsula, on the brink of the vast blue depths of the bay, has attracted the artist and the artsy alike,” he writes.
Performing arts centers, galleries, theater troupes, music festivals—here are 20 reasons why the Monterey Bay is a haven for arts lovers.
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Central Coast Community Energy |
Central Coast Community Energy is a Community Choice Energy Agency established to source clean and renewable electricity for Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties and parts of San Luis Obispo and Santa Barbara counties while retaining local utility providers’ traditional role delivering power and maintaining electric infrastructure as well as billing.
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From Our Media Allies |
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Monterey City Council Approves Rental Registry 4-1 |
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The landlords, property managers and real estate industry representatives came out in force to vociferously voice their objections. |
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King City FFA Starts New School Year |
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For King City Future Farmers of America, it’s a brand-new school year with new goals, new officers and new ideas. |
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Soledad City Council Moves Forward With Five-District Map, Prompting Community Outcry |
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Among local cities that have recently transitioned to district elections, Soledad will be the only one with a rotating mayor. |
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Monterey Jazz Festival Picks Darin Atwater as Next Artistic Director |
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Composer and musician Darin Atwater will succeed Tim Jackson, who announced in January that this fall’s festival will be his last. |
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MPUSD Launches Website to Demonstrate How to Support Homeless Students |
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Schools are increasingly seen not just as places for learning, but hubs for needed resources. |
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King City Launches Weekly Community Walk on Wednesdays |
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In conjunction with Blue Zones Project Monterey County, the city is launching a new weekly walk/bike/run event that will continue through October. |
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2023 Wine Grape Harvest Begins in Monterey County |
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Cool weather delayed the start of the harvest, while winter rains provided relief for the vines, which indicates a “positive outlook on the quality and quantity of grapes.” |
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Monterey County Supervisors to Honor Original Bracero Workers |
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Luis Alejo and Chris Lopez will salute living Bracero workers who reside locally as part of Monterey County’s first-ever “Bracero History Recognition Week.” |
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Monterey Council Signals It Favors Affordable Apartments behind City Hall |
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A 100-percent affordable project by nonprofit developer MidPen Housing that would bring 42 units downtown is another step closer to reality. |
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Former County Supervisor Lou Calcagno Dies at 87 |
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Lou Calcagno was first and foremost a dairyman, raising cows in Moss Landing. He was born on the family dairy along Elkhorn Slough, and he died there on Aug. 31. |
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SPCA Rescues a Badger Out of a Soledad Garage |
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What do you do when you discover a small wild animal hiding in your garage? |
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Recent News |
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• No Classes? No Lectures? Still Get Your Degree? Yes, Under an Experimental New System at California Community Colleges
Eight community colleges in California are testing out a new education model, one that defines success by the skills a student learns, not the time they spend in a classroom. But changing the traditional education system isn’t easy.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters• New Bill Comes to Rescue When California Public Records Requests Are Denied
A bipartisan bill would create a state ombudsperson to intervene when public records requests are denied. But an advocacy group is concerned that it will encourage state agencies to go to court.
(09/11/2023) → CalMatters• Sign? Or Veto? What Will Gov. Newsom do With These Controversial Bills?
The Legislature is approving lots of significant bills in the final days of the session. But the final call is up to the governor, and he isn’t shy about using his veto pen.
(09/10/2023) → CalMatters• A Conversation With MPC’s New Leader
Marshall T. Fulbright III, Monterey Peninsula College’s 12th superintendent/president, has jumped head-first into his new responsibilities.
(09/09/2023) → Monterey Herald• MBARI App Gets Gamers to Help Explore the Ocean
As players classify animals, they’re actually training machine-learning algorithms that eventually will help scientists sort through the massive backlogs of aquatic visual data.
(09/09/2023) → Monterey Herald• Monterey Conference Center Sees Uptick in Group Business
The Monterey Conference Center in downtown Monterey is seeing a resurgence of business stronger than pre-pandemic levels at the 40,000-square-foot facility.
(09/08/2023) → Monterey Herald• Why Aren’t Kids Going to School? After Pandemic, Chronic Absenteeism Hitting Crisis Levels
Nearly a third of K-12 students statewide were chronically absent in 2020-21, more than three times the pre-pandemic rate. Some school officials fear that pattern is becoming the new normal.
(09/06/2023) → CalMatters• Call of the Wild
Daniel Laggner, founder of Santa Cruz-based Wildstag Provisions, is on a mission to protect American wildlife by selling free range game meat.
(09/05/2023) → Edible Monterey Bay• Short Road, Long Journey to a Michelin Star
This summer’s Michelin star recognition for Chez Noir in Carmel, granted within 10 months of its opening, might seem sudden. It’s not.
(09/05/2023) → Edible Monterey Bay• Feds Searching for Person Who Shot an Endangered California Condor
Less than 400 of the majestic birds live and fly in the wild.
(09/05/2023) → Monterey Herald|
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Upcoming Government Meetings |
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