www.montereycountyweekly.com January 26-February 1, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Since New Year’s Eve, the Pajaro River was one of several rivers officials watched closely as the water level rose amid storms that pounded the Central Coast. The Pajaro River watershed drains 1,300 square miles across four counties. Rainfall far upriver can take days to flow to the Monterey County community of Pajaro, population 3,000. It wasn’t just the height of the river, but its levees that put officials on alert on both sides, in Monterey County (on the south bank) and Santa Cruz County (on the north). Rising water brought back memories of flooding in 1995 that devastated the Pajaro community and resulted in $95 million in damages, and a more recent flooding scare in 2017. “We are aware of the things that went wrong in ’95 and we are hoping not to repeat those,” Sheriff Tina Nieto said at a press conference in Pajaro on Jan. 8. She urged Pajaro residents to abide by evacuation orders that lasted over a week, from Jan. 9 to 17. Mark Strudley, executive director of the Pajaro Regional Flood Management Agency (PRFMA), says agency officials worked in conjunction with local agencies in monitoring forecasts and generating flood models. They used that information to reinforce weak areas along the levee. They also installed a muscle wall, a type of portable barrier. “[It was] a way of gaining a little bit of extra height and extra factor of safety against the flood flows that were forecast to come down the river, because we didn’t want the levees to overtop,” Strudley says. Crews also installed seepage berms—large rock supports— to prevent leaks. “Every measure we took wasn’t luck-based, it was based on calculated knowledge,” Strudley says. The Pajaro community didn’t flood, due to a combination of planning and luck. Forecasts showed the levees overflowing, which did not happen. “The flows that were expected were much larger than the levee system could contain, no matter what we did to it,” Strudley says. “It really could have been a lot worse, had there not been that kind of teamwork done by multiple jurisdictions,” says County Supervisor Luis Alejo, also a PRFMA board member. Other communities weren’t as lucky. On Jan. 1, Corralitos Creek overflowed, affecting a retirement community in Watsonville, as well as agricultural fields. And on Jan. 9, the Pacheco Creek Dam overflowed in Hollister. Now that the emergency is over, PRFMA will continue to remove vegetation and clean and replace damaged culverts that are underneath the levee. The levee has been on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ reconstruction list for over 50 years, and last year it got needed federal funds for a $400 million project to prevent flooding. In June 2022, property owners in PRFMA’s area voted overwhelmingly (79 percent) to pay a tax assessment to maintain and manage the levee. Corralitos Creek, where the recent flooding occurred, doesn’t have any levees. “That is the first spot we are prioritizing for new levees with the Army Corps of Engineers,” Strudley says. Construction is expected to begin in 2025. With the Flow Revisiting what happened— in flood management and in hydrological luck—that kept Pajaro from flooding. By Celia Jiménez The bridge over the Pajaro River that connects Monterey and Santa Cruz counties was closed for over a week due to risk of flooding, which never materialized. NEWS “It really could have been a lot worse.” DANIEL DREIFUSS An Open Letter of Appreciation to the Breakthrough Community. Breakthrough Men’s Community is a non-pro t organization founded in 1987 to provide men with the skills to free themselves from non-productive, painful, or unworkable aspects of their lives. is is accomplished via the Breakthrough workshop and other supporting activities of the breakthrough community. Breakthrough’s Mission Statement relates it well: Men Supporting men to uncover aliveness and build fulfilling relationships. We Share • We Listen • We learn, together. As incoming Executive Director for Breakthrough Men’s Community, I want to start the year by taking a moment to appreciate all the hard work of those who were part of this organization in 2022. First and foremost, thank you to the men who enrolled and participated in the Breakthrough workshop in 2022 for taking a stand for themselves and making an investment in their own happiness and aliveness. ank you to the workshop presenters and team members who generously volunteered their time to be with those men on their Breakthrough journey. ank you to the committee members without whose e orts much of the work behind the scenes would not have gotten done. ank you to our Board of Directors in 2022 for your time and your energy. ank you to our outgoing Executive Director Stephen Osborne, for the love commitment and wisdom you gave to Breakthrough in 2022. And very special thanks to all who donated to Breakthrough in 2022. Your generosity directly impacts the men who take the workshop, their partners, children and communities by making it possible for Breakthrough to reach more men with this powerful work. is generosity of time, love and support opens the door to transformation in the lives of the men who participate in the workshop. As men regain a loving relationship with themselves, they positively impact the lives of their families, their workplaces, their communities, and the world. 2022 saw new changes at Breakthrough. e expanded reach of our program continued with participants joining from many states across the country alongside local men from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. We reintroduced in-person live meetings as part of the workshop again, giving the participants and team members a chance to connect face-to-face and reach beyond the cameras and computer screens. We relaunched our annual summer retreat and we hosted gatherings of music and poetry beginning the process of relearning to be together “in real life” once again. Looking ahead to 2023 we plan to continue supporting our ever expanding family of alumni, adapting to the ever-evolving landscape of outbreaks, variants, and the “new normal” whatever that might be and working to make the workshop available to as many men as possible from all walks of life. We are also reaching out to new strategic partnerships to nd ways that Breakthrough’s work can support the missions of other amazing nonpro ts in our community. It is an honor to take on my new role at Breakthrough and a privilege to serve this community that has contributed so much to my life. With Gratitude, Arnold S. Westphal, Executive Director & Workshop Presenter Breakthrough Men’s Community To learn more about Breakthrough visit www.breakthroughformen.org Try Us First. We Pay The Highest! MONTEREY COIN SHOPPE Since 1970 same street for 40 years Open Mon-Thur 11am-4pm and Friday by appointment only. Call for an appointment: 831.646.9030 449 Alvarado St., Monterey www.montereycoinshoppe.com WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER, JEWELRY, COINS, DIAMONDS, WATCHES, ART & RARE ANTIQUES
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