This Week on the Central Coast
Master Gardeners, a new Meals on Wheels program for seniors, support for local filmmakers, the Marina Promenade, and a night market in Sand City
New development will help amateur gardeners learn from the Masters
Recently, the director of Monterey County UC Cooperative Extension and the County Agricultural Commissioner planned to take over a vacant plot of land near the county agriculture office. Volunteer Gardeners, who are trained by Master Gardeners, plan on turning it into an ADA-compliant space where anyone can come and learn. The Volunteers plan to provide instruction in both English and Spanish to further expand their services. Currently, the closest demo garden is in Watsonville, which can be a long trek for some in Monterey County.
Master Gardeners are trained through the UC Master Gardener Program. Volunteer Gardens are trained by the Masters in order to provide free advice and instruction to home gardeners or those with little-to-no experience. They can offer any type of gardening advice, ranging from something as simple as how to keep a tomato plant alive or controlling pests, to something as complicated as landscaping sustainably. There are about 60 Volunteer Gardeners in Monterey County. Additionally, the Monterey Bay Master Gardeners are always available to give advice and can be reached on their page of the University of California Agriculture and Natural Resources website.
South County Seniors Social is a success for South County
Meals on Wheels has started a new program called South County Seniors Social in Monterey County. The program is currently only offered in Soledad and Gonzales, though with its success, Meals on Wheels is considering expanding the program into North County as well.
The program was started in September and was a response to the isolation that many seniors had to endure while living through the COVID pandemic shutdowns. The Social allows them to meet new people while also enjoying great local food and music. Representatives from other helpful organizations, such as the Blue Zones Project and the Alliance on Aging, are also available at the Socials to answer any questions or provide information. Meals on Wheels said that it has been happy to be able to expand its services to include social support while also expanding the organization itself into South County.
“Meals on Wheels of the Salinas Valley encourages anyone interested to register in advance by calling 831-223-5250 for Soledad social hours and 831-675-2579 or 831-809-8216 for Gonzales social hours.”
The next Socials will be:
December 14, 11AM to 1PM at the Soledad Community Center at 550 Walker Dr. (Soledad). This Social will feature a live mariachi and a wreath-making activity.
December 16, 11AM to 1PM at St. Theodore’s Church Parish Hall at 116 S. Belden St. (Gonzales). This event will feature a visit from Santa Claus.
Cine Se Puede fellowship launches in Watsonville
The Watsonville Film Festival is celebrating its 10th anniversary by launching the “Cine Se Puede” fellowship to support Latinx filmmakers in Santa Cruz County. Five local amateur filmmakers will be selected to receive grants of up to $1000 each to help fund their projects. The fellowship will also provide mentorship and pitch sessions with other filmmakers in the business, as well as on-the-job training programs (making and pitching film proposals, marketing, budgeting, etc.). The nonprofit is funded by Rise Together, which is an initiative of the Community Foundation of Santa Cruz County, which works to improve racial equality in the area. The goal of Cine Se Puede is to give amateur filmmakers better access to support and industry connections, which are two facets of the business that can be hard to come by, especially for Latinx creators.
Applicants must currently be working on a short film, either in production or post-production. They must also have at least one credit as a director, producer, writer, or cinematographer in a film festival or broadcast production.
More information about the film festival, as well as links to apply for the fellowship or to register for an informational webinar, visit the Watsonville Film Festival website.
The planned Promenade in Marina gets an update.
The Promenade, a large development planned for Marina in the empty space near the Century Theater at the Dunes, recently updated its plans. The original plans featured townhouses, condos, and commercial space. The updates added affordable housing, park improvements, and a hotel. Those involved with the project hope that The Promenade could become another visitor hot-spot for the area, similar to Cannery Row.
831 Night Market is a success in Sand City
This week marked the second open-air street market in Sand City, called 831 Night Market. Amy Sheehan, who is in charge of the project, says she was inspired by the street bazaars of Hong Kong, Bangkok, and Beijing. The market features a variety of local food vendors, live music, products from local creators, and activities, such as painting classes. The market is open from 5PM to 9PM and the project organizers say they are committed to following Sand City’s 9PM curfew.
Each 831 Night Market happens on the first Friday of each month. The next one will be on January 7, from 5PM to 9PM. More information can be found on the Market’s Facebook page.
