The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute found a mammoth tusk about 185 miles offshore in 2019. This last July, the team recovered the tusk from a depth of over 10,000 feet deep. After testing, they were able to confirm that the tusk was from a Columbian Mammoth and could possibly be the oldest ever found in this part of North America. Columbian mammoths went extinct over 11,000 years ago. The freezing temperatures and high pressure of the bay were able to preserve the tusk, which is about one meter long, and allowed the researchers to be able to fully study it. “Scientists from University of California, Santa Cruz and University of Michigan are now studying the tusk for more information about the animal’s history.”
Project Homekey in Salinas has housed more than sixty people since they converted the Good Nite Inn last year. Their goal is to make it easier for people experiencing homelessness, and therefore more at-risk to COVID-19, to get into permanent housing Now, the organization will be able to improve that number and help accomplish their goal.. Salinas City Council approved funding the group $4.5 million to acquire two more buildings, as well as $600 thousand to help operate them. The sites that Project Homekey aims to acquire are the Sandborn Inn and the Salinas Inn. Most people living in the building earn 0% to 30% of the area’s median income.
Project Homekey is a government program and an expansion to what was originally called Project Roomkey. Roomkey was created as a response to the pandemic in March 2020. It provided shelter for the homeless and let people quarantine outside of hospitals by finding emergency housing.
Homekey expands on Roomkey by giving grants to public entities that can support those in need, effectively outsourcing the projects to the local level. The grants will continue to be offered until May 2, 2022, or until all funds have been distributed.
Cruz Foam is a local company located on Mission Street in Santa Cruz. The company aims to replace Styrofoam and other bad-for-the-environment packaging with their certified compostable foam. Cruz Foam is made from chitin, which is a substance found in shellfish shells. After making headlines earlier this year, the company says it is targeting electronics and appliances, products which typically rely on Styrofoam to protect them.
Eco-friendly packaging is becoming more highly sought after the EPA recently unveiled its new recycling strategy, Safer Choice, which encourages companies to reduce their carbon footprint. Cruz Foam seeks to be a sustainable, and cheaper, alternative to current common packaging. Some recent investors will help make that possible, including financing (in the amount of $2.5 million) from Sony Innovation Fund.
I reached out to Cruz Foam asking if the packaging could possibly cause allergic reactions in people with shellfish allergies. I’ve received no response yet, but will update this article if I do. I did find a study that explained how, even though chitin does not cause severe allergies in many people, it could cause an increase in sensitivity through more frequent contact.
Sam Buttrey, an associate professor of operations research at the Naval Postgraduate School, and his wife have tried to get on the Jeopardy for years with no luck. Finally, he was selected for the 2021 Professors Tournament. This will be the first ever Professors Tournament, however, the popular trivia show has always had Teachers Tournaments. Buttrey commented that the buzzer was actually the biggest challenge during his time on the show. He said most players knew all the answers and it just came down to who could answer first. When asked about how he prepared to be on the show, Buttrey said “my training is in statistics. My wife helps me to train with ballet, arts, and opera. I’m more of a science guy.”
The Professors Tournament airs Saturday, December 6.
If you decide to read the original article, be warned there is a slight spoiler which reveals how far Buttrey gets in the tournament.
The Shelf-to-Shore program was created for families who normally wouldn’t be able to afford tickets. It gives aquarium passes to local libraries where families can pick up the passes and use them for the day.
Salinas families with a public library card and who qualify for WIC, SNAP or other similar benefits are eligible for a pass. Simply bring your library card to one of Salinas’ public libraries and request the aquarium pass form the desk. Each pass is for up to 6 family members. When you get to the aquarium, you need to bring the passes, the library card, photo ID, and proof of vaccination or a negative test.
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