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Monterey County Parks & Recreation Articles



Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Sen. Caballero secures $1.4M in state funding for Greenfield, Soledad improvements

SALINAS VALLEY — Sen. Anna Caballero stopped by Greenfield and Soledad last Monday to present checks for $1 million and $400,000 in state funding, respectively, to the City of Greenfield for radio transmission and reception upgrades and to the Soledad-Mission …

Image caption: Conservation director Bryan Largay helps the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County choose its priorities.
A Conversation with California Conservationist Bryan Largay

The conservation director of Land Trust of Santa Cruz talks about the highlights of his work, and some of the issues he sees in maintaining California’s parks.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
After a pilot program, Salinas agrees to a one-year private security contract at Closter Park.

Going for a walk, spending a day in the grass and playing basketball are part of the routine for people who live near Closter Park, the most-visited park in Salinas.

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
King City launches weekly community walk on Wednesdays

KING CITY — In conjunction with Blue Zones Project Monterey County, the City of King is launching a new weekly walk/bike/run event, which kicks off Wednesday evening and continues through October. The Blue Zones Project is a community well-being initiative …

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
160 acres protected in Ventana Wilderness west of Salinas Valley

CENTRAL COAST — Located in California’s Central Coast, the 160-acre Church Creek property overlooks the wild, sharp-crested ridges and steep valleys of the interior coastal range. The private property is in the heart of the Ventana Wilderness, west of the …

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
New Soledad park welcomes all to enjoy

SOLEDAD — A beautiful warm morning welcomed the South Monterey County community to the grand opening of Soledad’s Orchard Lane Park on Saturday. The 3.5-acre park was filled with excited children, happy parents and of course the Soledad City Council …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Big Sur Land Trust seeks state funds for a 5,105-acre acquisition near Arroyo Seco.

It’s a scenic area in the rolling foothills of the Santa Lucia Mountains, one mile north of Carmel Valley Road near where it hits Arroyo Seco Road. There are grasslands, oak woodlands with at least six species of oak trees,…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Soledad is getting ready to open the first inclusive park in South County.

After a year of construction, a new park with a goal of serving children of all abilities is getting ready to open in Soledad. That year followed four years of members of the community actively participating in meetings, surveys and…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Agencies managing Laguna Grande Park finally approve a plan aiming to resolve challenges.

Laguna Grande Regional Park is jointly managed and owned by the cities of Monterey and Seaside, and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. For the past decade, managing the park has been a subject of controversy.

Image caption: The California Constitution was written, in English and Spanish, at Colton Hall, at the time the largest municipal building west of the Rockies.
Hidden History in the Birthplace of California

Pam Marino of Monterey County Weekly reports that the city government there is grappling with a unique problem: How to provide access to the places that make Monterey “the most historic city in California.”

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
Gonzales City Council awards contract for community center

GONZALES — Gonzales City Council awarded the design-build contract for the Dennis and Janice Caprara Community Center to the Otto Construction/WRNS Studio team on June 6. The community center will be constructed on a city-owned parcel at Gabilan Court and …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Monterey rolls out the first phase of an accessible walkway on Del Monte Beach.

On June 16, 2022, representatives of the Monterey Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program convened to vote on ranking 154 possible projects that had been proposed by their members. (The NCIP program, created in 1985, uses revenue from transient occupancy taxes…

King City Rustler logo LOCAL NEWS
Renovation to temporarily close King City Pools

KING CITY — The dive pool at the King City Pool Facility will be undergoing a major renovation that will impact the 2023 King City Pools summer season. Over the past several years, the dive pool has experienced de-lamination of …

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pacific Grove City Council votes 5-2 to stop the current effort to bring a skatepark to town.

A young boy in a baseball jersey named Milo stole the show briefly at the Pacific Grove City Council meeting on Wednesday, April 5, as he asked the council to support building a skatepark.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Pacific Grove Recreation Board deletes controversial alternative for skatepark location.

One after another, neighbors of George Washington Park in Pacific Grove beseeched the P.G. Recreation Board on Thursday, Feb. 23 to remove it from a list of possible locations for a proposed skatepark.

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Big Sur’s Sykes Hot Springs – which are illegal – have again become a destination.

As social media platforms exploded over the last 15 years, so did the exposure of picture-perfect destinations in Big Sur, which seem to have become a bucket list for many out-of-town travelers. It’s why traffic on Highway 1 often snarls…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
Del Rey Oaks officials revisit the rules around a central park amid neighbor complaints.

Del Rey Park is one of two parks owned by Del Rey Oaks, and sits just behind City Hall, in the canyon long ago carved out by Arroyo del Rey. It’s home to a dog park, a baseball diamond, a…

Monterey County Weekly logo LOCAL NEWS
The cross-country course at Palo Corona has the Regional Park District in the hot seat.

The controversy over the cross-country track at Palo Corona Regional Park does not appear to be going away anytime soon.

Image caption: The newly opened Presidio Tunnel Tops provides free entertainment in pricy San Francisco.
Cheaper Thrills

California has some top-notch tourist attractions—with top-shelf prices. Here are some that won’t break the bank.

Salinas Valley Tribune logo LOCAL NEWS
City of Greenfield receives nearly $700K for recreational activities

GREENFIELD — City of Greenfield has been awarded a nearly $700,000 grant from California State Parks to create and expand access to outdoor experiences for local youth and families.  The application, funded by State Parks, was shaped by Greenfield residents …

Featured

There are more than 300 community service districts in California.
Community Services Districts, Explained
Areas that the county overlooks can form their own local governments.
The Baldwin Hills area in South Los Angeles is one region where a state conservancy would keep open land accessible to the public.
California’s 10 State Conservancies: How They Protect Parks and Open Land
Starting in 1976, the legislature began creating agencies to buy up open land, and keep it open.
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