Monterey County Local News

Sara Rubin here, taking a look back at the week gone by. We reserve these Saturday newsletters for a bit of reflection; it’s similar to something our editorial team does when we convene for a weekly meeting on Wednesday mornings.

Host Janet Quinn will be talking with Brian Sweeney, the Director of Operations for the Homeless Garden Project and Loren Schneider, the Social Enterprise and Value Added Retail manager.
You’ll hear about their Winter program which creates artisan crafts and organic products grown from the garden. Their retail sales provide ongoing financial support.
Learn about their upcoming “Holiday Celebration” which includes the film “Food Inc 2” with award winning writer and film producer, Eric Schlosser
Links:
https://homelessgardenproject.org/
https://shop.homelessgardenproject.org/
https://homelessgardenproject.org/stores/
Social media links:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homelessgardenproject_store/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HomelessGardenProject/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/1222623/admin/feed/posts/
X: https://twitter.com/HomelessGrdnPrj
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@homelessgardenproj_store?lang=en

City of Soledad and the Arts Council for Monterey County hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony for three new murals in downtown Soledad last Saturday.

David Schmalz here, excited to share an outstanding short film about the Western Flyer, the famed boat John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts, along with a crew and Steinbeck’s wife, took from Monterey to the Sea of Cortez in 1940 to…

MONTEREY COUNTY — As many gather for Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends, Vitalant urges eligible donors to give thanks by giving blood. 

MONTEREY COUNTY — As many gather for Thanksgiving celebrations with family and friends, Vitalant urges eligible donors to give thanks by giving blood. 

A&D Narigi Consulting has had a successful five-year run at Laguna Seca. It will not see a sixth.

SALINAS VALLEY — High school distance aces Giovanni Ochoa of Gonzales and Fabian Serrano of Greenfield placed fourth and ninth, respectively, at the Central Coast Section (CCS) cross country championships to qualify for the State Meet.

SALINAS VALLEY — High school distance aces Giovanni Ochoa of Gonzales and Fabian Serrano of Greenfield placed fourth and ninth, respectively, at the Central Coast Section (CCS) cross country championships to qualify for the State Meet.

Deep in numb confusion that dulls the senses and creates quivers of fear for the sanity of the world and the civilized folk out in it, and during another white night of incredulity, with curdled brain, I toss and turn from hot to cool pillow to hot again. As I travel away from my country of choice and return to my original homeland, I have been receiving condolences from my nearest and dearest in the motherland, as if I had suffered a death in the family, which of course many feel like we have.

Deep in numb confusion that dulls the senses and creates quivers of fear for the sanity of the world and the civilized folk out in it, and during another white night of incredulity, with curdled brain, I toss and turn from hot to cool pillow to hot again. As I travel away from my country of choice and return to my original homeland, I have been receiving condolences from my nearest and dearest in the motherland, as if I had suffered a death in the family, which of course many feel like we have.

Regulars of LouLou’s Griddle in the Middle in Monterey on Friday morning were greeted with locked doors and a sign in the window directing them to check Instagram for information.

On November 21st, 2024, Congress passed the Stop Terror-Financing and Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act, aka HR 9495. If signed into law, the bill would hand huge powers to the Trump administration to declare any nonprofit they dislike to be a "terrorist-supporting" organization and strip them of their nonprofit status without having to share the evidence as to why this designation was given in the first place.
Democrats, including Monterey Bay area Congressional Representative Jimmy Panetta, voted for it against stiff opposition from local nonprofit leaders and activists who lobbied hard and whittled down the number of Democratic votes from 72 on a previous vote to 15.
In this interview, we hear from local activist, Rick Longinotti, Lead Counsel for the ACLU, Kia Hamadanchy, and Eric Gorovitz, attorney at Adler and Colvin law firm in San Francisco, and author of the blog, A&C Nonprofit News.
Slate Article
Jimmy Panetta's Letter Explaining his VoteCongressman Panetta Response

Erik Chalhoub here. I’ve got to be short today. Shoot, I’ve already taken up too many words.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Thursday, Nov. 21 to pass a controversial bill with provisions empowering the U.S. Treasury Secretary to take action to revoke the tax-exempt status of nonprofits that are believed to be providing material support…

After Michael "Max" Schell was elected to the Soledad Community Health Care District Board of Directors two years ago, he soon became the firebrand of the board. A stickler for rules and government transparency, he pressed the board and SCHCD CEO Ida Chan with questions about finances and procedures.

Rain is a-coming to the Central Coast tomorrow and through the weekend, with varying rainfall totals throughout Monterey County from 1 to 3 inches.

A Just Transition for All:
Workers and Communities for a Carbon-Free Future
with Dr. J. Mijin Cha

 Sustainability Now! Sunday, November 24, 2024, 5-6 PM
 
To avert the worst impacts of climate change, a transition away from fossil fuels is necessary. However, what this transition looks like and what would make a transition “just,” remain open questions. What workers are missing from “green” economy discussions? What role do workers play in the fight for a future without fossil fuels? How can workers and communities ensure the transition is “just”?
Join host Ronnie Lipschutz for a conversation with UCSC Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies J. Mijin Cha, whose new book, A Just Transition for All, will be published by MIT Press in December. Her research examines the intersection of inequality and the climate crisis in which the energy transition is leveraged to advance a more just future.
That’s on Sustainability Now!, Sunday, November 24, 2024, from 5-6 PM right here on community radio for the Monterey Bay Region, KSQD 90.7 FM, KSQT 87.9 FM, K207FE (FX) 89.5 and KSQD.org, streaming on the internet.

Students at Fairview Middle School in Gonzales hosted a Veterans Day assembly on Nov. 6 to honor local veterans, marking the return of an annual tradition for the Gonzales Unified School District.