This Week on the Central Coast…
California Marine Sanctuary Foundation gets a grant, Brewjee opens a storefront, Santa Cruz County is happy, and Capitola plans a mall redesign.
Monterey
How the Marine Sanctuary Foundation Plans to Use Grant Money
The California Marine Sanctuary Foundation (CMSF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to increasing awareness and proper use of ocean resources. Their efforts focus on topics such as water quality, marine resource protection, ocean education, climate change mitigation, and community science.
Last week, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration granted the CMSF $17 million as part of its Climate Resiliance Regional Challenge Program. The program is meant to help coastal communities become more resilient to the effects of climate change, such as sea level rise, storm surges, and wildfires. Additionally, the funding will be used to increase educational efforts about climate change across the Monterey Bay Region as well as help the CMSF collaborate with other partners to ensure an even approach.
Salinas
Brewjee Coffee Company Opens First Storefront
Brewjee Coffee Co. started out as a mobile coffee truck run by husband and wife duo Dean Miskell and Amanda Contreras. They both had experience in the coffee industry and when they found a coffee truck for sale, the pair decided to take their shot. Their small business became popular fast thanks to frequent pop-ups at Monterey Bay Football Club games, catering events, and farmers markets. Their new storefront in Downtown Salinas will be another new venture for the couple.
Brewjee offers all the usual coffee fare, as well as hot tea and local pastries.
Santa Cruz
Capitola City Council Plans Mall Redevelopment
Capitola is planning to redevelop the Capitola Mall to better integrate it into the community. Proposed changes include a slew of financial assistance in the form of tax breaks and fee waivers. The city council hopes these offerings will make it easier to attract developers to the project.
Bonds are also being proposed for more infrastructure improvements to the surrounding area in the form of public parking lots. Mixed-use commercial spaces would integrate public housing alongside stores in the redevelopment. The housing in particular is important to Capitola as the state is mandating the city create over 1,000 new housing units by 2031. This and the fact that retail activity in the area is declining are the factors fueling the redesign.
Despite the city’s efforts with funding, the Capitola Mall redevelopment project will still carry a high cost and the construction could cause a lot of disruption to residents. However, the city stresses that it will all be worth it once there is more housing, more jobs, and an attractive, modernized shopping area.
Santa Cruz County Ranks 6th Happiest in California
California State Assembly's Committee on Accountability and Administrative Review has named Santa Cruz the 6th Happiest County in California.
Typically, counties that are most happiest score highest in several factors, such as economic stability, access to healthcare and education, environmental quality, safety, and a strong sense of community. Overall, this designation means Santa Cruzans enjoy a high quality of life.
Monterey County was also ranked high at 14th happiest. The tiny Alpine County (population under 1,500) ranked number one. Marin County, much more comparable to Santa Cruz and Monterey populations, ranked number two.
Gayle’s Bakery Co-Owner Hosting Writing Masterclass
Joe Ortiz and his wife Gayle are co-owners of the legendary Gayle’s Bakery & Rosticceria in Capitola. While the two of them do their fair share of running the business, Joe is a man of many artful talents.
In the ‘70s, his artistic journey began with a country band, which soon led to him writing and making music for theater. In addition to songwriting and directing, he’s also a painter, poet, and published author. Ortiz decided to hold the masterclass to share his experiences and insights into songwriting. His lessons will demonstrate how to compose songs, rhythmic patterns, and complete song lyrics. A special guest piano player, Glen Rose, will assist.
The writing masterclass will be on Tuesday, October 22 at 7pm at the Kuumbwa Jazz Center. The class is free and open to all ages. If you can’t make it in person, Ortiz will also offer the class virtually. You can sign up on the Kuumbwa Jazz website.