This Week on the Central Coast…
A local athlete qualifies for the Olympics, nonprofit helps kids obtain school supplies, a giant rabbit was rescued from the highway, and the opera comes to local wineries.
Monterey
Carmel Local Qualifies for Olympic Swim Trials
Connor Rodgers is a Carmel native and in a few days, he will be competing at Lucas Oil Stadium for a chance to join the U.S. swim team in the Olympics. The trials will be held in Indianapolis for the first time this year. Rodgers will be competing in front of thirty thousand spectators, a far cry from his time at George Washington University.
“This year, he won the 400 and 200 individual medleys in the conference tournament and qualified for the Olympic trials in his last race of the season.“. He had been swimming in Monterey Peninsula College’s pools, swimming for the Monterey Bay Swim Club. “This has always been a goal of mine, and there's no other chance to complete it. I can say that I did that, and I would be satisfied for the rest of my life,” he said.
14th Annual “Stuff the Bus” Drive
Last Friday, volunteers Stuffed the Bus for the fourteenth year in a row to support children in homelessness or near homeless conditions. Backpacks filled with school supplies were prepared to be handed out.
According to the United Way Monterey County, homeless children are defined as those “who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime residence”, including those who live in motels, cars, campgrounds, etc. Their data indicates that over 11,000 students in Monterey County were experiencing homelessness last year.
The goal behind the effort is to provide students with all the supplies they need to get off to a good start to the school year. It allows them to begin on the same ground as all other students, even if conditions outside of school aren’t ideal.
United Way Monterey County is a local organizing that aims to improve the lives of everyone in the area. Their emphasis is on financial stability, but they also help in other ways as well, such as tax preparation services and low-cost childcare. “Many people in our community want to help. You may not be a teacher but (if) you care about education, this is a direct way to help by donating and helping us buy supplies and knowing those supplies are going to get to the kids throughout the county that need them most”, said the president of United Way.
Santa Cruz
Giant Rabbit Rescued From the Highway
Last weekend, a twenty-six pound rabbit was rescued from the highway in Santa Cruz. Construction crews found the rabbit hopping on the roadside around 2am on Highway 17 and caught it, keeping it safe in one of their vehicles until police officers could arrive. Officers dubbed the rabbit “Bugs” and transported it to Pacific and Santa Cruz Veterinary Specialists. Due to the shelter’s lack of capacity, the rabbit was transferred to another organization that specializes in rabbit care.
Bugs is suspected to be a Flemish Giant rabbit, which is not an uncommon breed for domesticated rabbits. The animal shelter was unable to confirm Bugs’ gender because they were uncomfortable being handled, but they suspect it to be female.
Santa Cruz Opera Project Brings Performances to Wineries and Breweries
The Santa Cruz Opera Project (SCOP) is a performing arts company that wants bring opera to everyone. To do this, the group is bringing their performances to wineries and breweries.
Co-founder Lori Schulman noticed that many people have a preconceived idea of opera being only for the wealthy aristocrat. She and her two colleagues want to prove that opera is not just for the upper class; it can be for everyone.
Performing in barrel room has its challenges, mostly being the limited room available for both the audience and production to reside. To fix this, SCOP’s productions are performed as “operettas”, which incorporate spoken dialogue to break up the lengthy songs. Actors also break the fourth wall and speak directly to the audience, involving often satirical and witty themes.
The next production is “Die Fledermaus”. Schulman says the operetta will feature a five-piece orchestra and a”blow-out party featuring champagne for all in the second half of the show”. Several performances are coming in the next couple weeks.
June 12 at 6pm (this day is a “Pay What You Can” performance)
June 14 at 6pm
June 16 at 1pm
June 19 at 7pm
June 23 at 5pm
For more information and to purchase tickets, visit their website here.