This Week on the Central Coast
A biography of Salinas, MPUSD will start converting some schools to Community Schools, and Santa Cruz celebrated Pride Month
A local historian wrote a biography of Salinas
Carol Lynn McKibben has written a thorough history of Salinas with the help of the City Manager, Ray Corpuz. McKibben was given special access to archival materials to help with the book.
Salinas: A History of Race and Resilience in an Agricultural City covers the history of race in Salinas throughout the years, ranging from the boom in the ‘20s and ‘40s, to the farm worker movements in the ‘70s. She emphasizes how the dividing factors of race and class sparked change in the area. Those divisions were a necessary evil as the positive movements that came from it still persist today in our local politicians.
“To an outsider, any given ethnic community in Salinas can appear a monolith, but in reality, each comes with diversity that makes Salinas nothing if not a mosaic.”
You can find Salinas at Downtown Book & Sound at 213 Main Street in Salinas.
You can also purchase the book directly from Carol Lynn McKibben’s website, along with her other books, such as Beyond Cannery Row.
MPUSD received a grant to turn some schools into Community Schools
The California Department of Education granted MPUSD $200,000 to transform some schools into Community Schools. The district says it will spend the first year of the grant identifying which schools will qualify fo the change. California Community Schools offer “‘wraparound services’ such as health care, family support,counseling and housing assistance.”
The grants were given to districts in low-income areas to support school-parents relationships. Studies have shown that community schools lead to better work habits and fewer discipline problems, which both lead to better graduation rates. The hope is to help struggling students succeed and improve opportunities for everyone in our communities.
Santa Cruz celebrated Pride Month
This weekend, Santa Cruz celebrated Pride Month with two full days of activities, including parades, dances, festivals, and a pool party. The celebrations will continue throughout the month at some locations, such as Pride Pint Nights every weekend from 7 P.M. to close at Greater Purpose Brewing Company. Other fun events are listed in the article.