6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 20-26, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH The pandemic has receded, but remote work remains part of our lives. What that means for public meetings in California remains an open question. Legislators grew accustomed to calling in remotely, and three separate bills would enable that practice to continue: Senate Bill 544, authored by State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz; SB 411, by State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-San Fernando Valley; and SB 537, by State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo. While many open government groups support the continued ability of members of the public to call in remotely to participate, they oppose the ability of lawmakers to continue to call in remotely. Brittney Barsotti, general counsel to the California News Publishers Association (of which the Weekly is a member) lays out some concerns in a letter co-signed by organizations including the First Amendment Coalition, Society of Professional Journalists, ACLU and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “SB 544 would permit government officials doing consequential work on state boards and commissions to conduct public business virtually, without ever again being present at a physical location where the public and press can directly engage them,” Barsotti wrote. Good: Good news for small business owners in Soledad. The city will receive $750,000 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s community block grant program. The funds will be used to support small businesses that are still recovering from Covid-19 shutdowns and have not fully regained their footing. “The program’s goal is to stimulate economic growth and create jobs that will improve the living conditions of residents in the City of Soledad,” said Tencia Vargas, the city’s economic development and housing program coordinator. The Community and Economic Development Department is fine-tuning the eligibility criteria and will open up an application process soon. GREAT: Congratulations to the local burlesque dance troupe The Carmel Delights, who are headed out on an international tour. They have been invited back to the Best of Burlesque Festival at Edinburgh Fringe this August (and an image of these local dancers is featured on the poster for the internationally renowned art festival). From there, they’ll head to Spain where they have been selected to headline the Ibiza Burlesque Festival; their members will also be choreographing opening and closing numbers there. To kick off their travel stint, they perform at a local event (doubling as a fundraiser) at 7pm on Friday, July 21 at the Moose Lodge in Del Rey Oaks ($20). Expect live music, a dance party and performances, of course featuring the art of burlesque. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Salary increase each year for two years for members of the Monterey Police Association in a contract approved on July 18 by Monterey City Council. The increase will cost the city $7.8 million in year one and $8.2 million in year two. Source: Report from HR Director Brette Neal to Monterey City Council 4% QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It kind of all hinged on that chance.” -Monterey Bay F.C. coach Frank Yallop speaking about a missed goal in a July 15 game that ended with a 3-1 loss to Oakland Roots SC. It was the pro soccer team’s first nationally televised game, broadcast on ESPN2 (see story, mcweekly.com). Celebrate Latino Conservation Week July 15-23, 2023 From backyards to beaches, Latino Conservation Week is about connecting comunidad with conservation organizations and creating opportunities for adults and youth to experience the outdoors in new ways. Learn from local leaders how you can help protect our tierra, agua, y aire. Discover Latino Conservation Week events in Monterey County and learn how you can be a future leader en la comunidad. Celebrate cultura outside Wetlands ecological boat tour Sunday, July 23rd, 2:30p. m. to 4:30 p.m. Monterey Bay Eco Tours 10932 Clam Wy, Moss Landing MILPA community hike Thursday, July 20th, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23th, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 315 Main St. Suite 206 Watsonville Safe Ag Safe Schools environmental chat and clean up Thursday, July 20th, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday, July 23rd, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. 315 Main St. Suite 206 Watsonville Salinas Pride art & nature meet up Saturday, July 22nd, 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. El Dorado Park 1655 El Dorado Dr, Salinas Scan the QR Code or visit MontereyBayAquarium.org/ LatinoConservationWeek
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