This Week on the Central Coast…
Car Week, New Leaf expanding, Cabrillo Music Festival, and a new Ferris wheel
Monterey
Car Week kicks off on Friday, August 11, beginning ten days of car shows. Highlights include the Porsche Monterey Classic in Seaside on Monday, August 14, The Little Car Show in downtown PG on Wednesday, August 16, and Prancing Ponies Women’s Car Show in Carmel-by-the-Sea on Thursday, August 17.
The main events begin on Saturday, August 19, with Exotics on Broadway and Concours d’Lemons, both in Seaside. Of course, the final day, Sunday, August 20, is the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
General admission tickets for Sunday begin at $575 and go up to $4,100 for VIPs.
NOAA planning a new office at CSUMB
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is an agency responsible for monitoring and studying the Earth’s oceans, atmosphere, and weather to find better ways to protect the environment and public. The agency is planning a new office space at CSUMB, but is still in the beginning phases of planning. “We are excited to become part of the CSUMB campus with the opportunities to engage more directly with students and faculty in enhancing the sanctuary’s mission in ocean conservation,”said Monterey Bay National Marine sanctuary Superintendent, Lisa Wooninck.
The NOAA plans to collaborate with students in “applied programs such as seafloor mapping, kelp forest restoration, agriculture business, and sustainable tourism.
Santa Cruz
New Leaf taking over Lucky’s place in Capitola
New Leaf is planning on moving into the building where Lucky’s used to reside in Capitola. The new location will allow the store to serve more customers, provide more Jones, and ultimately donate more to local communities.
New Leaf markets started as a small cooperative in Santa Cruz in 1985. Since then, the company expanded to six stores in the area all while staying true to their roots. New Leaf markets are heavily involved in local nonprofits, donating 10% of after-tax profits to those organizations. The stores also have a reward program called Envirotokens, which customers use to donate to one of 6 nonprofits, which are chosen by customers at the start of each summer.
The company prioritizes sustainable, hyper-local foods, sourcing most of their products within 100 miles of Santa Cruz. In addition to stocking their stores with great products, New Leaf was also California's first B-corporation grocer, giving back to the community via their donations.
Cabrillo’s “Rising Scholars” helping justice-impacted students
Rising Scholars is a program that supports “justice impacted” students and potential students who have faced criminal charges or incarceration. The program gives students the resources and guidance to enroll, pick classes, and see their way through those classes.
New students will be allowed to bring in their industry-recognized certificates they earned while incarcerated and count it towards their school credits. This gives students a direction and a kickstart towards their goals. Some schools partner with local organizations to clean up students’ records, get them financial coaching, and offer job guidance.
Students of other schools love the program and many talk about the incredible amount of support they receive from the California Community College network. In addition to the communal support, students are given hands-on experience in many different fields, including music, automotive, and solar energy, and allowed to learn at a decent pace with teachers who care.
The Rising Scholars program at Cabrillo College will begin in April of next year.
Cabrillo’s Festival of Contemporary Music has begun
The Festival of Contemporary Music started in 1963 to an audience of 300 people. It has provided an opportunity for both, experienced and up-and-coming composers, to present works which are rarely more than a couple years old. The Cabrillo Festival hopes to build “ a vibrant community, dedicated to the creation and performance of profound, relevant, and innovative music”.
The 2023 season began on July 30 and will continue through August 13. All in-person events will take place at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. All rehearsals are free and concerts (which are on the weekends) range from $40 to $80, depending on ticket choice.
Music Director and Conductor Cristian Măcelaru leads the program, which includes the works of 17 composers. Kronos Quartet, a Grammy-winning San Francisco-based group, will be featured on Sunday, August 6.
Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk hopes to bring in a new Ferris wheel
The Boardwalk is hoping to get approval to add a new Ferris wheel. The original wheel, which opened in 1959, was determined to be at the end of its life cycle in 2017. The wheel dutifully spun nearly a million riders in its lifetime before it was dismantled.
The permit for the new 68-foot wheel will be under consideration by the city’s planning commission on August 17.
Salinas
Salinas Youth Orchestra fall program now accepting applications
The Youth Orchestra of Salinas (YOSAL) is a nonprofit creative youth development program. It was founded in 2010 and was inspired by Venezuela’s El Sistema, which was a program that gave assistance to underserved youth by incorporating the arts with education. The results showed drastic improvements in both education and home life. “The skills acquired from the focused instruction students receive at YOSAL is reflected in improved math and language skills, better communication, and a higher graduation rate.“
The fall program is open to new students now. There are several different classes, based on the students’ ages and several are waitlisted. The youth symphony is by audition only. The Youth Symphony is also available to be booked for events.