4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 26-OCTOBER 2, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Monterey County native and national leader Ben Jealous—formerly president and CEO of the national NAACP and currently executive director of the Sierra Club—was set to speak to his home NAACP branch at the 52nd Annual Life Membership Banquet on Saturday, Sept. 21. Then came a request by NAACP of Monterey County leadership to stay silent on topics they worried could make the dinner’s sponsor, Chevron, “uncomfortable” during the event. Jealous refused. On Sept. 19, he wrote a letter to the board, calling Chevron’s donation “blood money,” and urging them to return Chevron’s check. “The real danger in the precedent being set by the [branch’s] actions is demonstrated by what the fossil fuel industry has done to Black communities across the country,” Jealous said. “Big Oil appears not only to be trying to use a relationship with the NAACP to publicly absolve itself of this history, but to enlist an ally in their agenda.” In a statement, NAACP said: “We will continue to evaluate this sponsorship with an open mind.” Good: Construction recently began on River Road in Salinas on a new behavioral health center that will provide the first beds for children and teens in crisis who are Medi-Cal members. The Seneca Family of Agencies in partnership with Monterey County Behavioral Health are embarking on a renovation of Seneca’s existing 27,500-square-foot center (formerly known as the Kinship Center) that will add a four-bed crisis stabilization unit and a four-bed children’s crisis residential program for children ages 6 to 17. “This facility will provide a safe and nurturing environment for children and youth in crisis, offering them the essential stabilization and therapeutic support they need within their own community,” says Dawn Henson, regional executive director for Seneca Central Coast. The project is being financed through a variety of state and federal funding sources totaling $5.5 million. Programming is anticipated to begin in spring of next year. GREAT: The digital divide narrowed this week with the launch of broadband services in San Lucas. Internet provider Spectrum announced service is now available to nearly 100 homes and businesses in the South County community, and to mark the occasion, held a celebration on Sept. 23 with information on how to sign up. The news follows a similar project by Spectrum earlier this year that connected more than 170 homes and businesses in the neighboring community of San Ardo. In September 2021, the Board of Supervisors approved $1.935 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds to expand broadband in areas of the county with limited or no internet access, partially funding the South County projects. “The Board of Supervisors are making equitable and meaningful investments of ARPA dollars to expand true broadband access in the often-forgotten stretches of Monterey County,” Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez said. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how much grant funding CSU Monterey Bay’s teacher training program received from the U.S. Department of Education. The Residents Offering Outstanding Teaching for Students (ROOTS) program trains teachers for local TK-12 schools. Source: CSU Monterey Bay $5.8 million QUOTE OF THE WEEK “[He] did not demonstrate true remorse.” -Statement from Monterey County District Attorney’s Office on the Sept. 18 parole release of David Leonardo, who was convicted of second-degree murder of a toddler in 2011 (see story, montereycountynow.com).
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