The Buzz 03.13.25

FREE SPEECH

In early 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic set in, everyone in the local press corps wanted to talk to County Health Officer Edward Moreno basically all the time, so County officials started hosting regular news briefings via Zoom. The County of Monterey communications team has continued providing weekly news briefings every Wednesday since, and the tradition is here to stay for the foreseeable future. “It will go on as long as it’s useful,” says County spokesperson Maia Carroll. What is new is a definition of who qualifies as press and may log into the Zoom. The County’s definition is quite general, requiring that the attendee is representing an organization that “broadcasts or publishes news and information locally, regionally or nationally,” and that adheres to a code of ethics. Carroll says the definition was introduced after several people who are not in the press corps got the Zoom link. Members of the public are able to stream the briefings on Facebook or YouTube (live or on demand). “I can’t facilitate a webinar for hundreds of people each week,” Carroll says. “We let our media corps ask the questions on behalf of the public – that’s part of their job.” For those who wish to make comments or ask questions, she suggests attending regular public meetings.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“What this presidency demonstrates is that people still hate women.” -Monterey County Supervisor Kate Daniels, who attended a March 8 protest against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk in Monterey for International Women's Day (see story, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

At 3pm on March 16, the Western Flyer, the now-restored fishing boat made famous by John Steinbeck and Ed Ricketts’ historic expedition in 1940 to the Sea of Cortés, aka Gulf of California, is being given a celebratory sendoff on Fisherman’s Wharf as the boat departs for its first trip back to the gulf in 85 years. The sendoff will come after festivities starting at 11am – including open house tours of the Flyer until 2pm – and is a milestone years in the making. It took quite some doing to restore an old, twice-sunk fishing boat. Over the next three months, the Flyer will be retracing the path it took on its 1940 voyage, making stops along the way in Baja and California as part of the Western Flyer Foundation’s vision to make the trip a mix of public events, education and scientific research, “sparking curiosity and inspiring the next generation of ocean stewards.”

GREAT:

The growing Salinas Regional Soccer Complex kicked off its season on March 9 with a full day of matches. Earlier this year, the soccer complex celebrated its expansion, which added two artificial turf fields, stadium lights, parking spaces and other amenities, setting the stage for year-round and evening use. On opening day, teams played for the first time on these new fields, in addition to the original grass fields. “Our goal is to provide a high-quality sports environment that promotes teamwork, wellness, and community spirit,” General Manager Jonathan De Anda said in a press release. The expanded facilities will allow for more leagues and tournaments to take place this season. But the buildout is not complete: planning is underway for further expansion that includes additional soccer fields, multi-purpose athletic areas, improved spectator seating and more.