The Buzz 07.13.23

FREE SPEECH

One of the world’s oldest national newspapers, the Austrian Wiener Zeitung, has printed its final edition after nearly 320 years. The Vienna-based daily was first published in 1703 and has seen and reported on a whole lot of history since then – including a 1768 story on a concert featuring an “especially talented” 12-year-old named Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. The paper’s demise comes after the Austrian government passed a law in April that ended a legal requirement for companies to pay to publish public announcements in the print edition of the newspaper. That change means the paper is no longer profitable as a print product – and has cut 63 jobs. The company will continue to publish news online. There’s some debate over the title of world’s oldest newspaper – Italy’s Gazzetta di Mantova, a local newspaper, was published in 1664; the London Gazette, an official government gazette that does not publish news, first went to print in 1665. With the end of print circulation for Wiener Zeitung, the German Hildesheimer Allgemeine Zeitung (1705) is believed to be the oldest national newspaper still in print.

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“We haven’t solved the problem, but we certainly saw a reduction in fireworks.” - Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges speaking about at least 49 citations that were issued on the Fourth of July (see story, mcweekly.com)

GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK

GOOD:

In 2014, a fire destroyed Borjon Auto Center in King City, the only new car dealership and service center between Salinas and Paso Robles. What followed for dealership owner Mark Borjon was nearly a decade-long legal battle against his insurance company, culminating in a decision from the Sixth District Court of Appeal in Borjon’s favor. Sentry Select Insurance argued that because Borjon was a tenant, and not the owner of the building, the company was not obligated to cover losses. Borjon sued in 2015. In 2019, a jury in Monterey County Superior Court ruled in Borjon’s favor that Sentry would pay over $6 million in damages. Sentry appealed; in a decision signed on May 31, the Court of Appeal upheld the jury’s decision. While Borjon was forced to abandon his Chrysler and GM dealerships, this ruling closes a chapter and provides compensation for his losses.

GREAT:

Even as recovery continues in Pajaro, there is great news for residents who are still in need of resources. Two regional nonprofits – Community Bridges and Catholic Charities for the Diocese of Monterey – have opened a temporary resource center in Pajaro to help families that were affected and displaced during the January and March storms. It offers assistance to apply (or appeal) for federal, state and local programs including Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) aid, California Storm Assistance for Immigrants – specifically for undocumented immigrants – and Monterey County Storm Relief Support 2023. The center is open Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9am-4:30pm. “The goal is to ensure that there are as few barriers as possible in front of Pajaro residents who face a significant road to recovery,” says Tony Nunez of Community Bridges.