The Buzz 05.22.25

FREE SPEECH

We’re proud to take a moment to pat ourselves on the back for recognitions at the 2024 California Journalism Awards, announced on May 17 by the California News Publishers Association. For the second year in a row, Monterey County Weekly received the General Excellence nod in Division 4 (for large and midsized weekly newspapers). There were also a slew of awards in specific categories. Congrats to first place winners Pam Marino for healthcare reporting, David Schmalz for transportation reporting, Agata Popęda for our community calendar, Daniel Dreifuss and Karen Loutzenheiser for cover art and design and Sara Rubin for investigative reporting. Our team took home second place honors for enterprise reporting (Schmalz), photo essay (Dreifuss and Sloan Campi), columns (Rubin), coverage of business and the economy (Erik Chalhoub) and public service journalism (shared by the Weekly and Monterey County Media Literacy Coalition). Our daily email newsletter received third place for Best Newsletter, and our Family Guide magazine won third for Best Special Section – it’s all a collaborative team effort.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“This coast is everybody’s, and it belongs to everybody.” -Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez, who was appointed to serve on the California Coastal Commission (see story, montereycountynow.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

Congratulations to the 19 local artists who are recipients of 2025 individual artist grants from the Arts Council for Monterey County. These grants, funded by the County of Monterey, offer financial stipends of up to $5,000 for emerging artists and $10,000 for established artists, working in a range of media from film to dance to painting. Established artists who received the grant are Lillian Barbeito and Edgar Lorenzo. Emerging artists are Katie Raquel, Cristian Almanza, Jonathan Ordiano, Ivan Ramirez, Nada Abdelshahid, Arturo Cabrera, Miguel Garcia, Alicia Trujillo, Edward Corpus, Kee Hyon Higgins, Jess Marie Soriano, William Bell, Rudy Medina, Jackson Sherry, Rachael Short, Daniel Troia and Cambell Walker. “Our local artists inspire, challenge and connect us in ways that strengthen our community,” said Jacquie Atchison, executive director of the Arts Council.

GREAT:

When Gonzales High School seniors graduate on June 7, they’ll be the first class to celebrate commencement at their newly renovated stadium. The Gonzales Unified School District celebrated the grand opening of the Dick Force Stadium with a ribbon cutting on May 16. Work on the project began nearly a year ago, and includes a new eight-lane, all-weather track surface in a standout orange color. A new synthetic turf field and Americans with Disability Act upgrades were also part of the work. The $7.2 million project, awarded to Tombleson Incorporated of Salinas, was funded by Measure K, a 2020 voter-approved $37 million bond meant to fund improvements at Gonzales High and Adult schools. The Spartans’ football team will return to play on the field for home games in the fall. The stadium first opened in 1966, and had remained relatively untouched since then.