This Week on the Central Coast…
Assistance for low-income families, eco-friendly transportation, robots, and a reopen date for the Capitola Wharf.
Monterey
Monterey Bay Aquarium to Participate in Museums for All Program
Starting May 27th, the Monterey Bay Aquarium will begin offering free admission to those who use a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) card. The program is made possible thanks to an organization called Museums for All. The organization was formed in 2014 with the goal of giving all kids, regardless of financial and social background, the opportunity to visit museums. Their studies show that early access to educational experiences outside of school boosts their academic performance and may inspire a lifelong career choice in a new field.
Twenty-five percent of the museums participating in the program report no negative financial or visitation impact and have even seen a small increase in the number of memberships purchased. Participation in the program improves the museum’s perception among the public and many institutions have reported shifts in visitor demographics.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium is a leader in ocean science education and big voice for conservation. Participating in this program will only help them spread that knowledge to more minds.
CSUMB Received a Grant to Help Farmworker Families
California State University Monterey Bay was granted $475k to support students from migrant and seasonal farmworker families. “This grant funding was provided by the United States Department of Education's College Assistance Migrant Program (CAMP) and was secured by U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta.“
The grant will allow CSUMB to provide counseling, tutoring, workshops, health services, and other assistance to qualifying students.
Summer Trolly Service Secured for the Next Ten Years
The Summer Trolley service in Monterey will continue for the next ten years, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) said this week. The goal of the trolley is to reduce congestion within the city during busy months by offering a free means of transportation for both locals and visitors.
“The trolley operates daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. starting on Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day” and “departs from the downtown parking garages at Tyler Street and Del Monte Avenue every 10 to 15 minutes.”
Salinas
Salinas City Elementary School District Announces Full Electric Bus Fleet
Last Wednesday, Salinas City Elementary School District premiered ten new fully-electric school buses. The buses will be used primarily for students with special needs, providing them with a quieter ride to school. The district hopes this change will have a lasting impact on their overall success in the classroom.
The Salinas City Elementary School District includes fifteen different schools, including Boronda Meadows, El Gabilan, Lincoln, Loma Vista, Monterey Park, Natividad, Salinas City, and others.
Santa Cruz
High School Robotics Team Going to World Championships
A student team from Santa Cruz County is headed to the Marine Advanced Technology Education - Remotely Operated Vehicle (MATE ROV) World Championship in Kingsport, Tennessee. The Hephaestus Robotics Team finished third in a regional competition, qualifying them for the championship along with two other teams.
The Santa Cruz County superintendent thanked the local group that put together the teams, the X Academy. “By working together to build underwater robots, students are able to develop a range of STEAM skills while fostering teamwork and critical thinking”.
The competition will be held in Kingsport, Tennessee on June 20-22.. You can also watch it live on Twitch (previous years’ competitions are also on the Twitch Channel).
Santa Cruz’ Second Annual March to End Homelessness
Local non-profit, Housing Matters states “We believe homelessness should be rare, brief, and non-recurring.” The March to End Homelessness is meant to address this issue publicly. Last year, the March to End Homelessness was a huge success, gathering over 400 supporters marching side by side through downtown Santa Cruz. This year’s march happened on Saturday and began at City Hall.
Organizers admit that the march itself isn’t meant to directly address the issue, but is designed to bring participants face-to-face with the many organizations working to remedy homelessness in Santa Cruz County. The interaction and teamwork involved in preparing for and attending the march is meant to help forge new bonds between attendees.
Anyone who would like to continue the conversation should look into attending the Neighbors for Neighbors event at the end of the month, which will feature panelists and a discussion on housing solutions. Neighbors for Neighbors will be held on May 28, from 6-8pm, at the Capitola Public Library.
In January 2023, the Capitola Wharf was demolished during a “bomb cyclone” storm. Now, the reconstruction project is nearly complete, expected to open in August of this year.
“Crews have widened the wharf from 20 feet to 36 feet wide, on the half nearest to the shore that is particularly vulnerable to big waves.“. The number of wooden pilings helping to hold the wharf up have been increased and wrapped in protective composite sleeves and the base of the structure, which was a 40-foot-wide chasm as a result of the storm, was repaired.
In addition to the structural modifications, a “new ornate entrance gate, interpretive panels, trash cans and other features will be installed. There will be a new boat launch area, new restrooms, free mounted binocular stations, and signs about Monterey Bay, its wildlife and history.“
Though, even with all the new improvements, locals know the wharf won’t last forever. “There’s been a long history of construction and destruction at the Capitola Wharf,” said Gary Griggs, a professor of Earth sciences at UC Santa Cruz. “It’s sort of like the Big Sur Highway.”
Both the Wharf House restaurant and the Boat and Bait boat rental shop are missing from the reconstruction. The two buildings were so badly damaged that they had to be demolished. The rental shop is expected to reopen at some point, but only as a temporary unit. Long term plans are still discussing whether to build more amenities.