This Week on the Central Coast…
A baby orca was spotted, Monterey shows support for Japanese counterpart, a Ukrainian immigrant is making waves in Santa Cruz, and both counties showed off their local talent.
Monterey
Monterey High School Softball Player Ranked Top 20 in the Nation
Monterey High School’s Ella Myers was ranked as one of the top softball players in the nation by USA Softball’s High Performance Program. Athletes from all across the country participate in regional events. From there, the top athletes are invited to the National Selection Event. “Myers was among the 18 Top Performers from the under-16 age group.”
Myers is a talented pitcher for the Toreadors, leading the team to two deep playoff runs and two championship appearances. “Myers has earned all-league and all-county honors in back-to-back seasons. She was named the Monterey County Player of the Year by the Monterey County Herald in 2023.” Myers has committed to UC Santa Barbara once she graduates.
Monterey Begins Fundraising for Sister City in Japan
A 7.6 magnitude earthquake struck western Japan this week. Monterey’s sister city Nanao is located near the epicenter. “Temples dating back to the 1600s are in shambles and major highways have cracks in them and endured structural damage.” Airports and hotels have also been shut down for repairs. Over 30,000 people in the area have been displaced.
The article stated that they could help with anyone interested in donating to the recovery efforts. I reached out to them to see how and will update this article on the website once I get a response.
Baby Killer Whale Spotted Playing Off the Coast
Monterey Bay Whale Watch spotted a baby orca within a pod just before New Year’s Day. “It was so adorable and did a few spy hops and tail slaps during the encounter,” said the whale watching group. The pod is different from another group of orcas making headlines in Southern California. These are Biggs Orcas, which roam the coast looking for food.
The pod was last spotted off the Southern California coast a couple days before. Monterey Bay Whale Watch says it is probably the fourth offspring of a killer whale named Louise.
Santa Cruz
Building Kidz of Scott’s Valley to Put On “Frozen”
Building Kidz of Scott’s Valley is a preschool company with the simple vision of providing world-class care that results in kids that love to learn. A major part of the company’s program is their summer Broadway musicals and winter Frozen performance.
The entire performance is played by the preschoolers, some as young as two years old. “Anisha (owner of the Scott’s Valley branch) said performances like this are an incredibly positive force in kids’ lives. Even if they end up crying or just manage to get into a costume but don’t make it on-stage, it represents helpful steps in early-childhood development.”
“You can really be on the stage, to start, at any age,” she said. “It builds confidence.”
“Building Kidz Worldwide, the Franchisor, dedicates 25% of its profits to helping underprivileged children right here at home and around the world.”
Ukrainian Refugee Paints Landscapes of Santa Cruz
Natalia Aandewiel fled Ukraine in 2022 and settled into Santa Cruz. In that time, she had found a place for herself within the artist community.
Natalia had come to California before, in 2018, and made money by painting murals. During that time, she felt connected to the artists before who painted classic California art. “Her paintings, mostly in oil, are currently on exhibit at Miritz Real Estate in Santa Cruz and at Enterprise Sports Club in Scotts Valley.”
Before coming to Santa Cruz, Natalia studied at the “Florence Classical Arts Academy in Italy then completed her master of fine arts degree at the Ukrainian National Academy of Fine Arts.” She says her teachers followed traditional Russian art style, which taught that art should be as realistic as possible in order to tell the truth of its subject. However, her art follows a different path. Natalia allows her emotions, and even other stimuli, like music, to influence her paintings. Though she doesn’t experience synesthesia, she relates to the phenomenon.
The article goes into much more detail about Natalia’s life and artistic perspective. If you have the time, I highly recommend reading it. It’s a fantastic biographical article.