4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH In a time of uncertainty when immigrants, undocumented or not, need to be up to date about local news, Spanish TV news station Telemundo 23 recently went dark for 10 days. Anchor and reporter Sandy Santos was a one-woman-band, reporting and producing the show by herself for several months. Santos was on medical leave in early February, and since there wasn’t another in-house Spanish-speaking reporter, the station opted to broadcast national news instead. (Jose Romo joined the Spanish newscast recently). Over the past decade, Spanish news across the country, including Monterey County, has drastically reduced its staffing among various media, in addition to outlets being shut down altogether. Locally, in 2023, Gannett shut down El Sol, a weekly Spanish publication that had translated articles from The Salinas Californian. Univision reduced its local team and moved production to San Diego. In 2020, Univision reduced its local presence even further from two to one local reporter, but in 2023, it hired a local news producer. Good: On Feb. 18, Monterey City Council formally accepted a $240,000 grant from Monterey Bay Air Resources District to put toward the electrification of the city’s fleet of vehicles. Those funds will be divided into two parts: $40,000 will go to help subsidize the purchase of two electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickups, and $200,000 toward the installation of an eight-vehicle charging station at the city’s corporation yard in Ryan Ranch. Ted Terrasas, the city’s sustainability manager, says the city plans to send out a request for proposals in the coming months in order to get the project done by late this year. The city is also requesting an additional $150,000 from Central Coast Community Energy, aka 3CE, which it expects to receive (3CE and a consultant have already planned the project), thereby not impacting the city’s general fund. Either way, Terrasas says, the project is moving forward. GREAT: Alisal Union School District broke ground on a new kindergarten building at César E. Chávez Elementary in Salinas on Feb. 21, increasing its capacity to teach its youngest students. The school currently has two kindergarten classrooms, and once the new building is completed (scheduled to be by the end of 2025), it will add an additional classroom as well as bathrooms for staff and students. According to the district, the expansion will allow it to grow its Transitional Kinder program, open to children who are 4 years old by the beginning of the school year in September. Earlier this month, the district celebrated the grand opening of the Buckhorn Early Learning Center, which has room for 90 students. “We want to make sure children in East Salinas start on the right path of education, and providing them with the best facilities is the best way to achieve that goal,” Superintendent Jim Koenig said. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how much the total crime rate declined in Seaside in the five-year period between 2020-2024, with the largest driver being larceny (theft, i.e. shoplifting), which declined 42 percent. Source: Seaside Police Department 33% QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We look forward to the day we can welcome you back with open arms.” -The Haute Enchilada owner Kim Solano, in a letter announcing the popular Moss Landing restaurant is temporarily closing (see story, montereycountynow.com). * Borrowers must be members of Bay Federal Credit Union and your business be eligible for Bay Federal membership. Qualification of membership is defined as the business headquarters is located within Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Benito Counties. Must meet membership and account criteria, all loans subject to approval. Only commercial properties located within the state of California are eligible for financing. Rates and terms will vary based on collateral and credit. Programs, rates, terms, conditions, and services are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender Now Offering Commercial Real Estate Loans No pre-payment penalties Purchase or refinance Multi-family units, farm & agriculture, office space, warehouses and other properties Visit a branch today!
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