4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 19-25, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH A little over a year after it began publication, the Pacific Grove Press has been sold by owner Gary Baley to the publisher of the Seaside Post, Alade Djehuti-Mes, under his company Empower Local Media LLC. Baley announced last fall that he would cease publication in December unless he could find a buyer for the biweekly newspaper. On Dec. 16, the front page of the Press featured a photo of Baley and Djehuti-Mes smiling and shaking hands, announcing the sale. “I didn’t want a local paper to die,” Djehuti-Mes says of why he made the purchase. The Press took a short break before resuming publication Jan. 11, with Baley as a guest columnist and providing numerous photos. Djehuti-Mes, a native of Seaside, purchased the 76-year-old Post two-and-a-half years ago but has not put out any new editions since 2020. He says he will be starting up the Post again in February. “We look forward to providing quality news to the people,” Djhuti-Mes says. Good: Exactly 150 years ago on Jan. 4, the Southern Pacific Freight Depot opened as Salinas’ first train station, planting the seed that grew into the Salinas Valley becoming known as the “Salad Bowl of the World.” The depot, located in what is now the Salinas Intermodal Transportation Center in downtown Salinas, began transporting passengers and freight in 1873; at one point the freight depot was shipping out about 50 percent of the valley’s produce, according to the California Welcome Center Salinas. The board-and-batten building consisted of a waiting room, baggage room, ticket office and freight bay. A separate station for passengers was built next door in 1905. The freight depot now serves as the Welcome Center’s home, featuring displays from the region’s rich history. “We are proud to be the stewards of this important piece of California history,” the center announced on the building’s 150th birthday. GREAT: A new group of aspiring local filmmakers have received scholarships from the Monterey County Film Commission. The winners are David Orta of Greenfield, a film student at Hartnell College (awarded with $1,500); Laska Stanford of Marina, a student in the Cinematic Arts and Technology Department at CSU Monterey Bay ($1,500); and Diego Garcia of Lemoore, also a CSUMB film student ($500). “In a time of financial strain and economic disparity, this award is a glimmer of hope for artists like myself and the creative people I collaborate with,” Orta said in an announcement. “I feel very grateful for the creative freedom receiving this scholarship affords me,” Stanford added. The Director Emeritus Richard Tyler Film Student Scholarship Award program was created in 2008; the film commission itself was created in 1967. This year marks an expanded scholarship program; in 2021, Eliette Singleton of CSUMB was the sole winner of $2,000. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Estimated minimum cost to repair damage to public county infrastructure from the series of recent storms. This includes roads, bridges, parks, debris removal and more. Source: Monterey County Office of Emergency Services report to the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services $30 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Water is going into areas it hasn’t been in a decade or more.” -Anthony Guerriero, a supervisory hydrologic technician with the U.S. Geological Survey, explaining how drought makes modeling potential flooding on the Salinas River extra challenging (see story, posted Jan. 12 at mcweekly.com). million BUILD A BUSINESS IN 3 DAYS! Organized by Cal State Monterey Bay College of Business RSVP at startupfactorymb.eventbrite.com FEBRUARY 3-5, 2023 CAL STATE MONTEREY BAY •Get hands-on experience with the process of starting a business •Learn how to develop your idea and explain it to people •Meet coaches who will help move your business ideas forward STARTUP FACTORY MONTEREY BAY
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