This Week on the Central Coast...
Carmel-by-the-Sea and Monterey Public Library planned upgrades, local community colleges offer help to undocumented students, Santa Cruz's Farmers' Market looks for a permanent location, and more!
Monterey
Carmel looking into adding street addresses - with numbers
Carmel has always made decisions with “city character” in mind. This has lead to over a century of number-less houses and businesses, sidewalk-free residential streets, and a lack of street lights. These unique quirks are what has made Carmel stand out, but the absence of easy, accurate street addresses is finally getting old.
Community members, as well as council members, pointed out the many problems associated with the lack of numbers: emergency personnel responding to the wrong house, opening financial accounts without a valid proof of address (which usually requires a number), activating utilities, such as internet, and, of course, package delivery.
The council agreed to look into the idea and come back with an answer. They mostly agree on adding street numbers, however, the council resists allowing “at-home paper mail delivery”. They believe the post office is a central hub of the city where locals can all see each other and make small talk to catch up. If the USPS requires mail delivery to homes with street addresses, the council will reject the proposal.
Monterey’s new Library and Museum Director talked about upgrades
Brian Edwards was chosen by The Monterey Public LIbrary board to be the new Library and Museum DIrector. “Edwards, 41, holds a master’s degree in library science from the University of North Texas. He also earned a master’s of Public Administration in Management and Policy Analysis and a bachelor’s in Studio Art from CSU East Bay.”
He talked about his plans to improve the library, such as digitizing many historical collections of the area. He talked about how many of them are “hidden behind walls” and how people often miss them. Edwards plans to continue using the bookmobile in order to bring books to people who may not otherwise have a way of getting to the library. He also wants to restore the library’s staffing to pre-pandemic levels, which would allow them to open for longer hours and more days per week.
Community Colleges offer help to undocumented students
Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College are planning events “to give support to undocumented students where students can feel welcomed on campus and to connect them with the latest resources.” The events will also show students ways to get free legal advice, help them renew their DACA, and show them how to use their free immigration legal services tool, FindYourAlly.com.
MPC starts its week on October 17 and Hartnell will start on October 18.
Salinas
New mural unveiled at the Monterey County Government Center
“Destination Salinas” was unveiled at the Government Center in Salinas. The mural graces the wall of a stairway, making use of the mix of natural and artificial light. Local artist and executive director of Hijos Del Sol Arts Productions, Jose Ortiz, orchestrated the mural. Monterey County’s Supervisor hopes to continue collaborating with the company to “make our public spaces more inviting and welcoming to those we serve.”
“To view the mural, stop by the Monterey County Government Center in Salinas during regular business hours, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday.”
Santa Cruz
Cabrillo College presents Romeo and Julieta
Romeo and Julieta will be Cabrillo College’s fall production this year. Director Abel Cornejo adapted the classic play to create something fresh that celebrates Hispanic culture. The play is “set in 1910 in Mexico City, on the eve of Día de los Muertos. The story is told through narration by José Guadalupe Posada—a real life, highly acclaimed Mexican illustrator.”
After casting the play, Cornejo encouraged the actors to provide their own input on the script, allowing them to connect with their characters on a deeper level.
Cornejo had planned on the show being bilingual, but had originally written most of it in English. The cast encouraged him to use more Spanish lines, pointing out that a lot of the audience would be primarily Spanish speaking. The result is a unique take on a classic play that will prove to be a fun experience.
The play will show on most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through November 13. Tickets and more information can be found through Cabrillo College’s website.
Santa Cruz Farmers’ Market approved for a permanent location
The City of Santa Cruz and the Santa Cruz Community Farmers Market agreed to find a permanent home for the weekly market in downtown. The city is providing over $1.7 million to fund a year-round structure. The goal is to find a place that allows the market to succeed no matter the weather. It would also provide restrooms and picnic tables for customers and hook-ups for vendors. The market currently uses a city-owned lot as a parking structure and will consider it for a final location. The City Manager says he looks forward to working with the market to also consider viable locations in downtown.