12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 9-15, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com With big smiles and cheers, about 20 people showed up at Soledad City Hall on Monday, Oct. 30 to deliver a petition with 1,405 signatures. Their goal is to get a referendum on the ballot, giving Soledad voters a chance to reverse City Council’s approval of the city’s first district-based map for elections, which is set to take effect next year. Until now, councilmembers have been elected at large. City Council’s vote on how to proceed with district lines followed consistently political alignments: Mayor Anna Velazquez and ally Councilmember Fernando Cabrera voted in favor of a plan that would keep the mayor’s position at-large, with four districts. The other three councilmembers—Ben Jimenez Jr., Maria Corralejo and Alejandro Chavez, who just resigned due to a move— voted for a plan favored by former mayor Fred Ledesma that creates five districts, with a rotating mayor. In the plan adopted on Oct. 4 by a 3-2 vote, Velazquez is unable to run for council in 2024, and is in the same district at Cabrera, who will be midterm. Organizers say their goal isn’t to protect Velazquez’s seat, but the opportunity to select an at-large mayor: “We just want that ability to vote,” says Fernando Alsaldo-Sánchez, who was a member of the city’s advisory committee for the districting process. Calls for a referendum began in council chambers during the public conversation the night of the vote, and led to the group’s effort to gather 1,405 signatures in less than a month. If they have enough—841, or 10 percent of the number of registered voters in Soledad (8,401)—the referendum will move forward. Monterey County Elections officials are in the process of verifying the signatures to see if they are from registered Soledad voters, and that there are no duplicates. “We really want to bring meaningful change to Soledad and the way we elect our representatives,” says Monica Andrade, a spokesperson for the Soledad Committee for Voting Rights, and also Cabrera’s wife. “I think the residents of Soledad are disenfranchised by the City Council,” says Lyndon Tarver, president of the local chapter of the NAACP, which supports the referendum. “Since 1909 we’ve been fighting for civil rights, social justice and voting rights—and this is one of them.” Monterey County Elections officials began the process of verifying signatures on Friday, Nov. 3. Five years ago, hopes ran high when CSU Monterey Bay launched a Master of Science Physician Assistant program to much fanfare. It was the first of its kind in the California State University system and held the promise of filling the gaps of a primary care physician shortage, since PAs are able to perform some of the same tasks as doctors. It was that promise that spurred Central California Alliance for Health and Montage Health to donate a combined $1.35 million for the degree’s creation. On Monday, Nov. 6, current and future students were informed the program is losing its accreditation, effective May 2024, from the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, called ARC-PA—a Georgiabased organization that sets standards for PA education and evaluates programs against those standards. CSUMB’s program, accredited for up to 33 students per class since 2018, had been on probation since September 2021, when ARC-PA evaluators found it was failing to meet 15 standards. Some were related to paperwork, but others cited a lack of evidence that students were receiving instruction in some areas, including patient safety. CSUMB did not appeal the probation decision; a follow-up visit was scheduled for spring 2023. In an email to the CSUMB community, President Vanya Quiñones said ARC-PA withdrew the probationary accreditation after that site visit, and CSUMB was forced to close the program. An email was sent to students already accepted to begin in January 2024, stating CSUMB is no longer able to provide admissions and deposits would be refunded. The program graduated 84 students since 2019, with a “high success rate” in graduates completing certifying exams, according to a statement from CSUMB Vice President for Academic Affairs Andrew Lawson. He added that administrators would be “re-evaluating how we can move forward with a successful program in the future if we determine that is the best for the university and the community.” Line Drawn Soledad organizers gather signatures seeking to overturn district lines. By Celia Jiménez news City Growth The city of Carmel, like all California jurisdictions, has prepared a housing element laying out plans for where new residential units could be built in the next eight-year period. The Housing Ad Hoc Committee hosts a special meeting on the state’s response to the city’s proposed housing element. 4pm Monday, Nov. 13. City Hall, Monte Verde between Ocean and 7th, Carmel, or via Zoom at bit.ly/carmelhouse2023, meeting ID 85011621646 and passcode 895504. Free. 6202010, planning@ci.carmel.ca.us, HOMECarmelbythesea.com. Showing Support The Maui Hawaiian Concert and Festival features 13 performances of music and dance. The event includes raffles, a silent auction, and food and crafts available for purchase. Proceeds go to support families in Maui as they recover from a devastating wildfire. Noon-8pm Saturday, Nov. 11. Northminster Presbyterian Church, 315 E. Alvin Dr., Salinas. Free admission; donations accepted via Salinas Valley Rotary. carpentertv@gmail.com. Honoring Veterans For Veterans Day, American Legion Post 591, CalVet, the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Foundation and the City of Seaside host a ceremony to pay respect to those who have served in the U.S. military. 10:30am Saturday, Nov. 11. California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Road, Seaside. Free. Refreshments provided after the ceremony at VFW Post 8679 in Seaside, with a free lunch for veterans. 5211076. Cop Watch The county Sheriff’s Oversight Ad Hoc Committee provides updates on a potential sheriff’s oversight board, including results from a survey on the potential for creating such an oversight body. 5:30-7:30pm Monday, Nov. 13. County Government Center (second floor), 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas or via Zoom at bit. ly/3SObmcH, passcode 722699. Free. co.monterey.ca.us. History Speaks San Antonio Valley Historical Association hosts its fall lecture and annual meeting. The focus is on siblings Daniel, Marlene and Marvin Daniels and their work on “Pearl’s Diary,” transcribing 45 years of their mom Pearl Daniels’ observations about life as a ranch wife in South Monterey County. 1pm lunch, 2pm lecture Saturday, Nov. 18; last day to RSVP is Nov. 15. St. Mark’s Church, 301 Bassett St., King City. $15/SAVHA members; $20/nonmembers. 385-0323, savha4@gmail. com, savha.org. Lost Cause A CSUMB program, designed to alleviate the region’s physician shortage, loses accreditation. By Pam Marino Monica Andrade, spokesperson for the Soledad Committee for Voting Rights (in blue), delivers the signatures for the referendum to City Manager Megan Hunter (right). e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “We just want that ability to vote.” Celia Jiménez
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