SUPPORT LOCAL INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM I read a quip from a satirist the other day that made me laugh. She wrote that she wanted to cancel her threemonth trial subscription to 2026: “Whatever the hell this is, this thing you’re selling as 2026, no thank you. Please cancel.” It was funny in a haha way, but also funny in a bewildering, headshaking way. We’re not even 90 days into the year and the news on the national and international level is dumbfounding. Here at Monterey County Weekly and Monterey County Now (our digital platforms) we don’t cover national and international news much, but the sheer volume and force of events since the start of the year is inescapable even here at the local level. It is said that journalism is the first draft of history, and the national media’s coverage of these historic first weeks of the year—even while it feels suffocating at times—has been invaluable. In our pages you’ll find different information and context, not so much about missile attacks and the latest Trump meanderings, but equally vital to our understanding of this time and place. The flow of information is a bonding agent for civil societies. Without it, people’s engagement with those who wield power—and engagement with each other—is diminished. I predict that local news, much like national reporting, will be seen in the years to come as a bulwark protecting the rights and freedoms of everyday Americans. From our headquarters in Seaside, the Weekly’s reporters and editors are covering how immigration policies are affecting local people and the major local industries of agriculture and hospitality; how education and health care will be impacted by cuts to funding and policy changes decided in Washington, D.C.; and how potentially groundbreaking technology is being launched and advanced in the region. In addition, we let our readers in on some excellent options for what to do each weekend. In this week’s cover story (see p. 18), senior staff writer Pam Marino walks us through the 250th anniversary of the Anza expedition, the first overland colonizing expedition of California, which had a transformative stop in Monterey. It is a nuanced and thoughtful look at a major international event. As regular readers of the paper and Monterey County Now, many of you Become a Monterey County Weekly Insider: insider.montereycountynow.com MARCH 27-APRIL 2, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT LEGAL DRAMA FOR CALI ROOTS 8 | SPENDING SCHOOL BONDS 11 | TARIFFS HIT WINE AND BEER 42 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • BATTERY STORAGE IS PART OF THE RENEWABLE ENERGY FUTURE. WHAT SAFETY LESSONS CAN WE TAKE FROM A CATASTROPHIC FIRE IN MOSS LANDING? P. 16 By David Schmalz POWER DOWN JANUARY 15-21, 2026 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT A FUTURE FOR BIG SUR BAKERY? 10 | P.G. OPENS FOR CANNABUSINESSES 11 | FOOD MEETS ART 34 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • NEW GROUPS ARE BRINGING FRESH IDEAS TO TRY TO SOLVE THE LONGSTANDING HOUSING SHORTAGE. P. 16 By Pam Marino JANUARY 8-14, 2026 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT SONGS OF TRANSITION 5 | HOSTEL TAKEOVER 6 | ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM 23 | INTO THE FRYER 30 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • As Julie Packard prepares to retire from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, she reflects on the state of ocean science. p. 14 By Katie Rodriguez UNCHARTED WATERS SEPTEMBER 4-10, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT MAKE YOUR OWN CLASS 8 | END OF AN INSTITUTE 17 | CUP COMES AROUND 32 | GO CAMBODIAN 38 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • JOBY IS SCALING UP ITS MARINA FACILITY AND HITTING MILESTONES WITH ITS FUTURE AIR TAXIS. WILL IT BE COMMERCIALLY SUCCESSFUL? p. 20 By Erik Chalhoub SUPER FLY 28 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 12-18, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com From the Publisher
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