FREE SPEECH
The pandemic has receded, but remote work remains part of our lives. What that means for public meetings in California remains an open question. Public officials who serve on local and state bodies grew accustomed to calling in remotely, and three separate bills would create even more flexibility for that practice to continue: Senate Bill 544, authored by State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz; SB 411, by State Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-San Fernando Valley; and SB 537, by State Sen. Josh Becker, D-San Mateo. While many open government groups support the continued ability of members of the public to call in remotely to participate, they oppose the ability of public officials to continue to call in remotely. Brittney Barsotti, general counsel to the California News Publishers Association (of which the Weekly is a member) lays out some concerns in a letter co-signed by organizations including the First Amendment Coalition, Society of Professional Journalists, ACLU and Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association. “SB 544 would permit government officials doing consequential work on state boards and commissions to conduct public business virtually, without ever again being present at a physical location where the public and press can directly engage them,” Barsotti wrote.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“It kind of all hinged on that chance.” - Monterey Bay F.C. coach Frank Yallop speaking about a missed goal in a July 15 game that ended with a 3-1 loss to Oakland Roots SC. It was the pro soccer team’s first nationally televised game, broadcast on ESPN2 (see story, mcweekly.com)
GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK
GOOD:
Good news for small business owners in Soledad. The city will receive $750,000 in federal funds from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s community block grant program. The funds will be used to support small businesses that are still recovering from Covid-19 shutdowns and have not fully regained their footing. “The program’s goal is to stimulate economic growth and create jobs that will improve the living conditions of residents in the City of Soledad,” said Tencia Vargas, the city’s economic development and housing program coordinator. The Community and Economic Development Department is fine-tuning the eligibility criteria and will open up an application process soon.
GREAT:
Congratulations to the local burlesque dance troupe The Carmel Delights, who are headed out on an international tour. They have been invited back to the Best of Burlesque Festival at Edinburgh Fringe this August (and an image of these local dancers is featured on the poster for the internationally renowned art festival). From there, they’ll head to Spain where they have been selected to headline the Ibiza Burlesque Festival; their members will also be choreographing opening and closing numbers there. To kick off their travel stint, they perform at a local event (doubling as a fundraiser) at 7pm on Friday, July 21 at the Moose Lodge in Del Rey Oaks ($20). Expect live music, a dance party and performances, of course featuring the art of burlesque.
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