This Week on the Central Coast
Parents want schools to open, PG caps delivery fees, and Paris Bakery and Albatross Ridge help PacRep Theatre
Paris Bakery and Albatross Ridge partner up for Valentine’s Day event.
The two companies are coming together to host a virtual cookie-decorating and sparkling wine fundraiser for PacRep Theatre. For $35, you get a decorating set with six Paris Bakery cookies, icing, and sprinkles, as well as access to the online event. For $45, you can choose to either get the same package but with a dozen cookies, or access to the event and a bottle of Albatross Ridge Sparkling Rosé. Follow the link to choose a Valentine’s Day package. (Here) is more information on PacRep Theatre.
Pacific Grove caps delivery fees at 15%.
The city of Pacific Grove passed an ordinance that caps delivery fees at 15% of a menu item’s price. This directly affects meal delivery services, such as DoorDash and UberEats, which normally charge restaurants about 30% per delivery. The chief executive of the Monterey Chamber of Commerce stated that the ordinance is necessary right now, while the county’s restaurants are already struggling amid the pandemic. The ordinance is in effect now until it “sunsets” 60 days after indoor dining has returned. Naturally, delivery services do not agree with the move and argue that the county will not honor the “sunset clause”.
Carmel parents discuss bringing kids back to school.
The subject of bringing students and teachers back to school has been one of the most polarizing in our local community. Many parents argue that it is too difficult to either homeschool or zoom-school their children while also working from home. Other parents agree that it is still too risky to send kids back to school, especially when parents and teachers may be in high-risk categories. This is an interesting topic with pros and cons on both sides and needs to be discussed more by the county.
Here is a searchable list of Monterey County food service businesses who have submitted a COVID compliance form.
One thing to note about this list, however, is that it seems many corporate locations have not submitted a form. Also, some of the restaurants that have not submitted a form no longer exist, which may mean that city’s records haven’t been updated in a while.
This past week, our COVID positivity reached 24% with 9 more deaths. Remember to shelter in place and wear a mask when you must go out.
For more information on Monterey County’s COVID-19 numbers, check out this Reddit user’s graphs on Imgur. They update every week and cover a variety of statistics, including case counts by city. Here is the original Reddit post, which gives greater detail of their sources, including the state of California and CHOMP.