This Week on the Central Coast...
Salinas makes moves to help with housing and its nonprofits, Monterey celebrates its santuary's anniversary and the return of Monarch butterflies, and Santa Cruz shows appreciation for its local art
Salinas
Bank-turned-apartments set to open in Downtown Salinas
The six-story building that housed the former Salinas National Bank has been converted into an apartment complex with retail space on the ground floor. “The developer is really recognizing the historical elements and preserving them all along the way.” The lobby on the ground floor highlights the “Art Deco murals” on its walls, keeping its charm from its original developer in the 1930s.
The property manager is excited to be able to bring more business and attention to downtown with the introduction of the new apartments, as well as new jobs with the commercial space. The apartments will be move-in ready beginning November 1 and its first commercial tenant, Alvarado Street Brewery, will open on November 18.
United Way Monterey County opened a new Community Impact Center
United Way Monterey County (UWMC) opened a new Community Impact Center in downtown Salinas. The new, 31,000-square-foot building allows UWMC to better support local nonprofits by providing space for meetings and training. The CEO of UWMC said that the company is beginning to create new relationships and strengthen old ones in its new home. She believes “the process seems a fitting parallel for what we aspire to for all families in Monterey County: a strong sense of identity and a safe place to call home”
Monterey
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary is celebrating 30 years
The federal government first declared Monterey Bay a National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. The National Marine Sanctuary Act, which celebrates its 50th anniversary on October 23, protects portions of the ocean that are considered special and in need of protection. National Marine Sanctuaries restrict “human activities such as pollution, habitat destruction, over-harvesting and coastal development — all things that could hurt the Monterey Bay’s sea life, extensive kelp forests and large underwater canyons.”
The Monterey Bay is one of the largest sanctuaries, running 6,000 miles from the Golden Gate to south of Big Sur. The National Marine Sanctuary system is considering two new sites: Hudson Canyon, off the East Coast, and Chumash Heritage, just south of the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. If added, the Chumash Heritage site would cover the area between the southern end of Big Sur to the Channel Islands off Santa Barbara. It would also be the first tribal-nominated sanctuary.
Monarch butterfly counts record a positive trend
The first count at the Monarch Sanctuary in Pacific Grove saw 3,823 butterflies, a drastic increase from previous years. In 2020, zero butterflies were counted at the sanctuary during the entire migration. In 2021, only one butterfly was seen. The Xerces Society, which counts Monarch butterflies across California, said “We’re ecstatic with the results and hope this trend continues.”
The PG Museum offered a few ways you can help the butterfly populations:
Plant native milkweeds
Plant native nectar plants
Don’t use pesticides
Support legislation that protects habitats
Volunteer at the sanctuary
Santa Cruz
Cabrillo College unveils an engineering tree mural
A new mural at Cabrillo College was unveiled in its Engineering building. The mural consists of “hundreds of hand-crafted, glazed, and fired ceramic tiles that depict the several disciplines of Engineering in a detailed tree, with the natural landscape of the Central Coast in the background.”
The event allowed attendees to hear all about the process of creating the mural while learning about the various disciplines within the engineering field.
A new documentary shows the origins of Watsonville’s Annieglass
Annie Morhauser first opened a small glass-based art studio in Santa Cruz. Since then, she was moved to a 16,000-square-foot manufacturing warehouse in Watsonville. Her company ships pieces worldwide and, in 2006, was chosen to be part of a display at the Smithsonian Institute.
The documentary, Art of Resilience, was created in celebration of Annieglass’ 40th anniversary. The film brings attention to Morhauser’s climb to success, showing the hardships she endured from childhood through college, and eventually making it into the Smithsonian Institute.
In addition to creating amazing glassware, “The company also donates to about 365 charities, and provides scholarships to local high school students and mentoring to schools and colleges.” Morhauser was named Santa Cruz County’s Artist of the Year in March.