4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 18-24, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH It’s journalism awards season, and the Monterey County Weekly team is proud to report an impressive haul. We received first place in the General Excellence category for outlets of our size from the California Journalism Awards, sponsored by the California News Publishers Association. Other first place awards went to the whole staff for Best Newsletter, to Features Editor Dave Faries for food writing/reporting, Staff Writer Pam Marino for health care reporting and Staff Writer Agata Pope¸da for feature writing. In national awards from the Association of Alternative Newsmedia, Staff Writer David Schmalz and Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser won first place for innovation/ format buster for a cover story about the Monterey Peninsula’s water woes that included a board game called “Cease and Desist.” A team of five Weekly staffers attended CNPA’s awards gala in Los Angeles on July 13, where Editor Sara Rubin spoke about accessing records on Monterey County Jail; that coverage earned the paper second place for investigative reporting. In total, we took home 15 awards. Good: Long-awaited good news comes to those looking to access an incredible gem of a recreational destination in South County. The Arroyo Seco Recreation Area near Greenfield is again open for day-use visitors after a 16-month closure, since a slide blocked Arroyo Seco Road—the only access corridor—in March of 2023. For now the area, which offers a river beach, rocky river gorge and pavilions for cookouts, remains open only on weekends. Chevene Simmons, recreation officer for the Monterey Ranger District of Los Padres National Forest, anticipates Arroyo Seco reopening in full later this month, hopefully ahead of the Aug. 30 scheduled date for it to be lifted from the Forest Service’s closure order related to 2023 winter storm damage. “Hopefully, it will resume normal hours, every day,” Simmons says. Especially in peak summer heat, prospective visitors agree. GREAT: A source of future nurses for the county comes from Monterey Peninsula College’s Maurine Church Coburn School of Nursing thanks to a partnership with Montage Health. Recently the school learned that 100 percent of its 2023 and 2024 graduates earned licenses as registered nurses, after taking the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses. “Nurses trained at MPC are achieving great things. Not only are they well prepared for licensing exams, our alumni are highly sought after by health providers,” said MCCSN Director Lynn Kragelund. The school was also successful in gaining approval from the state’s Board of Registered Nursing to expand the number of students to 48, a 20-percent increase. The new cohort begins in August. Students can pursue an associate degree in nursing or a bachelor of science for those who co-enroll in MPC and CSU Monterey Bay. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The total number of people who turned out for the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office Clean Slate Day on June 28. The event held in Salinas, Greenfield and Monterey offered free assistance to those seeking to expunge felony and misdemeanor arrests and convictions from their records. The service helps previous offenders gain a fresh start and opportunities for future housing and employment. Source: County of Monterey 323 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “A lot of this is to make it messier… and slow things down.” —Fishery biologist Thomas Williams, speaking about how the Carmel River Floodplain Restoration Project will benefit aquatic creatures (see story, montereycountynow.com). Open Tue-Sun 11am-9pm and Mon 4-9pm Or order to-go,and take it home 2149 N. Fremont St. • Monterey • 831-642-9900 MontereyCookHouse.com What s Cooking Authentic Italian Am ican Cuisine Mundos is a registered trademark and cannot be used without expressed written permission Open Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 10-5:30, Sun 10-5 2233 Fremont St, Monterey • 831-324-0369 www.3MundosSandwichShop.com Coming Soon! MontereyLanes.com NORTH FREMONT STREET BUSINESS DISTRICT 2004 Fairgrounds Rd. Enter at Gate 5 (831) 372-0315 • www.montereycountyfair.com Admission $7.00 Wednesday – Sunday 10:00 am – Closing Over 40 televisions 12 tracks per day Full Bar – Drink & Dinner Specials Thursday – sunday $9.00 3Mundos half pound burgers Mundos is a registered trademark and cannot be used without expressed written permission NOW OFFERING the Vegan Milanese and Mundos Beyond Burger Burger and Fries $8.99 Quality • Flavor • Comfort Guaranteed OPEN Mon-Fri 8-5:30, Sat 10-5:30, Sun 10-5 2233 Fremont St, Monterey • 831-324-0369 www.3MundosSandwichShop.com Expanded private patio and contactless drive-thru window nOW OFFeRInG Vegan and Vegetarian Options Quality • Flavor • Comfort Guaranteed Expanded private patio and contactless drive-thru window
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