4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 31-AUGUST 6, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH In February, President Donald Trump barred Associated Press reporters from covering White House events in retaliation for the news organization’s refusal to rename the Gulf of Mexico in its reporting. Since then, the AP’s photographers have been permitted back, but its reporters only occasionally. On July 22, the U.S. Court of Appeals denied the AP’s request for a hearing to restore full access to presidential events. In June, a three-judge panel voted to continue allowing Trump to exclude the AP until the news organization’s lawsuit against the administration was considered in the fall. “We are disappointed by today’s procedural decision but remain focused on the strong district court opinion in support of free speech as we have our case heard,” AP spokesperson Patrick Maks said. “The press and the public have a fundamental right to speak freely without government retaliation.” On July 21, the White House prohibited a Wall Street Journal reporter from flying on Air Force One to cover Trump’s weekend getaway to Scotland because of the outlet’s coverage of Trump and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Good: Live theater is not only a visual spectacle, but an auditory treat. However, for those who are deaf or hard of hearing, they miss out on the story and may have a difficult time following along. An effort by Pacific Repertory Theatre aims to make theater more inclusive to all audiences. On July 25, PacRep held an American Sign Language-interpreted performance of Waitress. Interpreters were positioned in front of the stage in the house right section, translating dialogue and lyrics live. Scott Harrison of PacRep says audience turnout was strong. The plan is to find a sponsor to cover the cost of the two interpreters so PacRep can have at least one ASL-interpreted performance for each show in the season. “At the end of the night, the cast included the interpreters in the bows and the audience cheered loudly,” he says. “It was a high point of the run.” GREAT: Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula is eyeing the former site of Monterey Peninsula Power Sports at 1020 Auto Center Parkway in Seaside as the location for its second production kitchen and distribution center. At a County Board of Supervisors meeting on July 8, CEO Christine Winge said, “We expect to wrap up the purchase at the end of the month, and our capital campaign and buildout will begin soon after that.” On July 9, the Seaside Planning Commission unanimously approved the organization’s proposal for a use permit at the property. The new kitchen will help meet the rising demand for food—last year, Meals on Wheels produced 5,000 meals a day and delivered 132,000 meals in Seaside alone. “Thirty-four percent of the county is food insecure, and food costs have risen 27 percent,” Winge said at the planning commission meeting. “We want to meet that need.” GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The number of patents awarded to Naval Postgraduate School professors, researchers and students between 1973 and 2025. All the patents are available for licensing by companies and investors. (See story, page 11.) Source: NPS 192 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “That’s an animal, and I shouldn’t just mow it down.” -Amanda Preece of the Monterey Audubon Society, speaking on the number of fledgling seagulls that are on the roadways during this time of year, advising drivers to slow down and avoid hitting the birds (see story, montereycountynow.com). No tests. No grades. No papers. Stay curious. Find out more at: csumb.edu/OLLI Just the joy of learning for those 50 and better. Join us for the Grand Opening of the Neighborhood Park at Ensen Community Park! ¡Únete a nosotros para la Gran Inauguración del parque del vecindario en Ensen Community Park! 99 La Posada Drive, Salinas, CA 93906 Sunday, August 17 | Domingo, 17 de agosto 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM © Learn more | Aprender más bit.ly/EnsenGrandOpening
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