4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 30-NOVEMBER 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Shasta County’s top elections official is under fire after he removed a nonprofit news organization from a press release distribution list, citing its “political lean” and tax filing status as his reasons. Registrar of Voters Clint Curtis claimed Shasta Scout’s coverage was “election interference,” but when pressed for specific examples, he told the outlet he didn’t need to do so. The First Amendment Coalition sent a letter to Curtis on Oct. 9, stating his decision to remove the Scout from the press release list “violates the First Amendment” and opens up the county to litigation. Soon after, the Shasta County Board of Supervisors issued a statement condemning Curtis’ actions. With pressure mounting, Curtis said he would post press releases on the county’s election website. “Elected officials, particularly election officials, should understand that any nonprofit news organizations have a mission to report the news and there is nothing, absolutely nothing, that would prevent any nonprofit news organization from covering the issues that affect a community,” David Bralow, director of the Press Freedom Defense Fund, told the Scout. Good: Santa Rita Elementary School has a new mascot thanks to the thoughtful work of the school’s students. It isn’t typical in the sense of a mighty animal, although they could have gone that route. Once known as the “Indians,” the school’s mascot is now officially the hummingbird by a vote of the Santa Rita Union School District Board of Trustees on Oct. 8. Students agreed the tiny bird represents “resilience, adaptability, love and strength in even the smallest of beings,” according to a press release. They spent months researching qualities of different animals to find those that reflect the spirit of their school and community, as well as how they connect to the indigenous people of Mexico. The change comes after the passage last year of California Assembly Bill 3074, which expanded the Racial Mascot Act to include the use of Native Americans. GREAT: Getting young people into nature is critical for them to gain an appreciation for the outdoors. Five local organizations got a boost in their efforts to inspire the next generation of environmental stewards with nearly $1 million in grants. The state’s Natural Resources Agency recently split $900,182 across the Ventana Wildlife Society, FoodWhat Incorporated, Save Our Shores, Wonder Wood Ranch and Ventana Wilderness Alliance. The Ventana Wildlife Society received the largest chunk of the funds with $292,011, which will go toward providing outdoor experiences for young people including kayaking, whale watching and park visits. “The Central Coast is home to awe-inspiring outdoor spaces, and every kid deserves a chance to visit our parks and explore, learn and grow,” said Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, who announced the grants. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how many seats are in a 737 MAX 8 plane, which United Airlines will fly between Monterey Regional Airport and Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport on Saturdays from May 23-Aug. 15, 2026. The new route was announced on Oct. 23. Source: United Airlines 160 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Please take advantage of this. I don’t want to see you in here again.” -Sheriff Tina Nieto, speaking to a group of inmates about the Sheriff’s Office’s new Re-Entry Resource Center (see story, montereycountynow.com). THAT I DON’T HAVE TO COOK Order your Thanksgiving Dinner from Elroy’s grateful thankful & blessed OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST Seasoned with orange, black pepper & cinnamon (GF, DF) ROASTED TURKEY GRAVY (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) APPLE SAGE STUFFING (NOT VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS: GLUTEN, EGGS, BUTTER) STRING BEAN CASSEROLE With shiitake miso cream sauce and crispy shallots (GF, VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS: SOY) GINGERED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) RAW CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH (GF, VEGAN) BUTTERMILK WHIPPED POTATOES (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) DINNER ROLLS Served with sorghum pumpkin butter (CONTAINS: DAIRY, GLUTEN) @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 To place your order visit www.elroysfinefoods.com or scan this QR CODE! Quantities are limited, so order soon! Order Deadline: Thurs, 11/20 Pick Up Dates: Tues, 11/25 & Weds, 11/26 $150 per order (feeds 2 people)
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