This Week on the Central Coast…
Otter 841 has a pup, The First Theater is ready for showing, a local chef challenged Bobby Flay, UCSC introduced a new major, new murals in Alisal, and plenty of events on the Old Fisherman’s Wharf.
Monterey
Peace of Mind Dog Rescue was a part of Saving Senior Dogs Week
Last week was Saving Senior Dogs Week, “a week-long national social media campaign that brings awareness of the struggles of homeless senior dogs all over the country and the joys of adopting them.” Participating shelters post success stories of senior dogs that were adopted into happy homes. These dogs are named “ambassadogs”. In the last decade, the amount of homes with dogs older than 7 years has increased from forty-two percent to fifty-two percent.
Seventy-five percent of funds donated to the program are distributed among participating shelters. The remaining twenty-five percent are placed into a grant fund to help with medical costs for rescued dogs. More information can be found at the campaign’s website, as well as information for adopting senior dogs and donating.
Chalone Taking Over the Hahn Tasting Room
Hahn’s Carmel Plaza tasting room poured its last tasting on Friday due to the company’s acquisition by Gallo. Gallo purchased the Hahn brands and remaining inventory, so all of the remaining Hahn wines will be sold under the Gallo label.
A new tasting room, Chalone Vineyards, will be taking over in Hahn’s place. The tasting room will remain mostly unchanged. Chalone complimented Hahn on the design and said they will likely keep everything as-is. Only the name and signage will change.
Taking over in place of Hahn is a bit of a full-circle journey for Chalone’s winemaker. Greg Freeman was assistant winemaker to Paul Clifton of Hahn for several years. Freeman left to venture out on his own, eventually making his way back to the area and taking over as Chalone’s winemaker in 2021. Throughout the pandemic lockdowns, you might have seen Freeman playing the bagpipes on Carmel Beach.
Edible Monterey Bay wrote a great bio of Freeman, which you can read in the original article.
Otter 841 has been creating havoc for local wildlife control as she became known for stealing surfboards and evading capture. Authorities tried everything to apprehend her, even going as far as using a decoy surfboard, but nothing worked. A public announcement declaring her as dangerous was released, urging people to not approach or feed her.
Now a new twist in her escapade has changed the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s approach. “Hormonal surges related to pregnancy have been known to cause aggressive behavior in female southern sea otters”. The service will continue to monitor her behavior, but capturing her and the pup don’t seem to be a priority anymore.
Mark Woodward, a photographer who runs the Instagram account called Native Santa Cruz, has been tracking Otter 841 since she began stealing surfboards. He reported seeing the pup for the first time earlier last week. Follow him to see continual updates of the infamous otter and her baby, as well as other breathtaking photos of wildlife in the Monterey Bay.
Monterey Ready to Show Off The First Theater
It’s been more than twenty years since California’s First Theater closed. Then, about ten years later, it had to be completely closed off to visitors due to mold growth making the air inside unsafe to breathe. Now, after several rounds of fundraising, grants, and loans, the theater is ready to reopen, but only to show off the progress that has been made. The Historic Park Association says there is still work to do, but they want to celebrate the milestones they’ve achieved thus far.
Tickets for An Evening at California’s First Theater can be purchased online for $50. The tour will take place on November 2 at 5pm. “This event is a unique opportunity to experience the cultural and historic significance of this venue and we hope you can be part of this remarkable occasion after a hiatus of over two decades”
Crab Fishing Delayed for Whale Protection
Crab fishing, which normally begins November 4, will be delayed in order to protect humpback whales in the area that may become tangled in the trapping gear. Dungeness Crab can still be taken by other means, such as by hoop nets and snares, but all other types of traps are restricted until further notice.
The California Department of Fish and Wildlife will reassess the situation on November 17.
Santa Cruz
Local Chef Challenges Bobby Flay
Last week, a local Felton chef cooked against Bobby Flay in a competition on Food Network. Jessica Yarr, head chef of The Grove, chose pierogi as the item of the competition. Despite her loss, the competitor showed her incredible range of cooking skill. It wasn’t just Chef Yarr’s cooking talent that got her on the show, but also her fun and charismatic personality that made for perfect TV.
Chef Yarr’s entire philosophy on cooking is summed up best by a single quote: “If you’re not having fun, what are you doing?” she says. “You might as well be doing something else, because you’re not really making any money making food.” Her menu reflects her personality, having fun with familiar dishes. A smoked-beet Reuben, burrata with passion fruit and prosciutto, and brioche donuts are just a few unique dishes offered for dinner.
UCSC Introduces a Unique New Major
UCSC is introducing a new major called Creative Technologies that will be offered completely online, a first-of-its-kind for the UC system. The program will teach students how to use technology in an artistic way in hopes that it can further their careers.
The fully-online major is a unique opportunity for many students, such as those who had to cut their university experience short due to the pandemic, or students who have existing careers or families that make it difficult to attend in-person.
Teachers are equally excited about the new major. They love the ease of bringing in unique guest speakers from other countries without having to worry about plane tickets. One animation teacher pointed out that it’s easier for students to follow along on their own screen rather than having to watch the demonstration on a projector.
The courses will be available in Fall of 2024.
Salinas
Hijos Del Sol Will Paint a New Mural in Alisal
Hijos Del Sol, a non-profit that funds art projects and instruction for underserved youth, many of whom are homeless or fostered, received a $50,000 grant, which it will use to create a new memorial mural. The painting is planned to go in a high-traffic area in Alisal between April and June of next year.
The work will be a 1,000 square foot piece dedicated to Azahel Cruz, who was struck by a stray bullet in Salinas in 2010. At the time, Hijos Del Sol didn’t have the funding to create the mural, but with the grant, they can finally honor him. The interim executive director of the organization said the mural is not only in honor of Cruz, but also to remind others “to hopefully not carry out an act of violence fueled by anger. So, it's not just remember those in the past, but ideally to shift the behavior of someone in the future”.
Old Fisherman’s Wharf Events
Halloween on the Wharf
Old Fisherman’s Wharf is holding its 5th annual Halloween on the Wharf celebration. The free event will take place on Halloween (Tuesday, October 31) from 4pm to 7pm and will feature a number of events, including trick-or-treating for those in costume, photo ops with creepy characters (including a witch at Candy World), and a Halloween DJ playing spooky music all night.
However, the main attraction of the evening is a Halloween Costume Contest starting at 5pm. There are cash prizes for each of the four age categories.
Wharf Walks Walking Tour at the Wharf
Monterey’s Fisherman’s Wharf Association announced that it will be hosting historical walks, beginning and ending at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf. The tours will be lead by notable Monterey historian Tim Thomas and will be about two hours long.
The next wharf walk will be Saturday, November 4 and will feature the theme “Focus on Monterey’s Legendary Sardine Industry”. The tour will begin at 9:30am and end at 11am in order to fit it in before the Western Flyer celebration (normally, the event is held on every first Saturday of the month and starts at 10am until noon).
The walks are free of charge and are available to people aged ten and older, up to fifteen people per tour. To reserve your spot, call Tim Thomas at (831)521-3304, or contact via email at timsardine@yahoo.com
Western Flyer Welcome Home Celebration
The historic Western Flyer sardine boat will return after being away for more than 75 years. The event will include live music, science and art activities, prize drawings, photo ops, and merchandise booths all at the Old Fisherman’s Wharf from 11am to 4pm. The celebration is free and open to the public.