This Week on the Central Coast…
CHOMP secures a couple of grants to help it expand, PG library begins to offer more than just books, and local communities come together to help Pajaro get back to normal after the floods
Monterey
CHOMP debuted the Center for Physician Excellence
Thanks to a couple hefty grants, the Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula is creating a new center designed to support ongoing educational opportunities for physicians by providing a variety of resources. Among the offered services are continuing education, advancement opportunities, financial health programs, help with paying off student loans, volunteer opportunities, and social events to help connect with other doctors.
Like many other communities, Monterey has faced a shortage of physicians after the lockdowns of the pandemic as well as rising costs of living. The center is meant to encourage physicians to stay in the area while drawing in new ones.
PG Public Library expanded its collection to include kitchen tools
As Pacific Grove Public Library Director Diana Godwin told Chappellet-Lanier, “The idea of a library of things has certainly gone on for some time.”Libraries have had to keep up with the times, expanding into movies and audiobooks in an effort to offer digital learning tools. Now, the Pacific Grove Library is expanding again in order to offer a practical collection as well.
The library now offers a selection of kitchen tools for borrowing, featuring useful gadgets such as waffle irons and cake pans. The new items have been a popular addition and, hopefully, will lead to more libraries following suit.
Santa Cruz
Prom attire donated to victims of the Pajaro floods
In response to the floods that ravaged Pajaro, community members banded together to provide free prom attire for students affected by the storms. Included were “dresses, accessories, suits and ties, shoes and even gift cards for hair, makeup and nails. The whole package for a perfect experience.”
Organizers pointed out how important it is to provide the little things that give the students happiness and lasting memories. They feel that students shouldn’t be robbed of the things that would happen during a normal school year due to the intense weather.
Cleaning teams leave Pajaro looking better than it did before the flood
Last week, Kevin Cox, a part of Hope Crisis Response Network, organized teams of volunteers to power wash mud and other debris from buildings across Pajaro.
The team’s base of operations was at Pajaro Middle school where they planned to split up and wash from opposite sides of the city, eventually meeting in the middle.
The work is especially necessary as mud or sitting water can lead to harmful mold growth underneath residential buildings. Teams disinfected underneath homes to help ensure no harmful bacteria could hide.
“We’re just trying to put the community back to before the flood, as best we can," said Cox.