This Week on the Central Coast

Highway 1 makes progress, Drive-in Movies are back, and a whole lot of ways to donate to our community!

Highway 1 repairs make progress.

After a rainstorm washed away a portion of the road, Highway 1 is set to open further. Caltrans said that thanks to steady progress, the road has been reopened to “Post Mile 32.6, just south of Esalen Institute”. If repairs continue smoothly, they expect to open a turnaround at Big Creek Vista Point. This will allow access to the last group of businesses before the slide area at the Rat Creek area.

Meanwhile, local business owners are hoping crews can find ways to allow travel to continue. The president of the Cambria Chamber of Commerce has suggested building a one-way gravel road around the slide area to allow travelers to through.

Crews are working on the site seven days per week and have advised tourists to be cautious and expect delays.

Monterey County Fair will continue its drive-in movie nights.

Starting Friday, February 26, the Monterey County Fair will have two showings every Friday and Saturday at 5 PM and 8 PM. Gates will open an hour before showtime. Matinees will cost $20 and late screenings will be $30. Concessions will be available and strict masking rules will apply. The first movie being shown is Black Panther on the 26th, followed by The Princess and the Frog on the 27th. You can purchase tickets (here).

Monterey Public Library will launch a public fundraising campaign.

The fundraiser is aimed at raising money for upgrades to allow the library to run on a leaner staff. Due to the pandemic, the library has had about 65% of its funding cut, which resulted in fewer staff members and put their book-buying on hold. They have also parked the book-mobile for now until they have the funding to operate it once again. The library explained that the book-mobile is an essential tool used to bring books to lower-income families and older citizens who may not be able to get to the library to check out books.

Any money made from the fundraiser will be used to upgrade the library with technology that will make checking out and returning books easier, such as RFID scanners which would automatically read a signal on a book and update the computer system accordingly.

If you would like to donate to the library or donate books to someone in need, you can do so (here).

Salinas students have created a website that helps you find ways to volunteer virtually.

The website is called Connect4Good, created by Salinas High School students who wanted to help people find ways to volunteer during a time where social distancing is necessary. The students said they wanted to help the community, but couldn’t easily find that information online. This lead to the creation of their website in hopes of helping others to easily donate their time and talents.

The site features a collection of charity websites, such as Dorothy’s Place and the SPCA. Each organization has provided a list of ways you can help from home, such as crocheting teddy bears for kids, making dog toys for pets, or decorating lunch bags for homeless shelters. Most ideas have a project pattern or YouTube instructional video to help you create your gift. This is such an amazing way to donate when times are tough for everyone.

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Where do you Cali?

Shop for quality California clothing and give back to the local community! Each purchase made at California Classics gives back to the locations they were inspired by. In Monterey County, their partners include the Ventana Wilderness Alliance and the Big Sur Land Trust. Support a local business and the beautiful area we live in.

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