The Buzz 08.03.17

WHO'S IN TOWN?

Writers have long been called by the siren song of the Monterey Peninsula’s ethereal beauty. This week writers from all over the world are continuing the tradition by gathering at the fourth annualCatamaran Writing Conference, sponsored by the Catamaran Literary Reader, based in Santa Cruz. Poets Dorianne Laux and Joseph Miller are each teaching workshops. Elizabeth McKenzie (The Portable Veblen) is teaching a fiction workshop, and Pam Houston (Cowboys Are My Weakness) is teaching a nonfiction class. There are daily talks on topics related to the craft of creative writing, evening lectures and readings, and local tours highlighting the works of Robinson Jeffers, John Steinbeck and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Sun-Thur Aug. 6-10. Robert Louis Stevenson School, 3152 Forest Lake Road, Pebble Beach. $1,250. editor@catamaranliteraryreader.com.

FREE SPEECH

The Association for Alternative Newsmedia, of which the Weekly is a member, met last week in Washington, D.C. for an annual convention. There was a lot of discussion about how to protect freedom of the press and access to public information, but one panel discussion on threats to the press helped put the domestic situation in perspective: Margaux Ewen, spokesperson for the North America’s Reporters Without Borders, spoke about Mexico’s failure to investigate crimes against reporters – especially those investigating organized crime or politics. She also referenced Canada’s surprising lack of laws protecting free speech, as well as investigations into numerous journalists in an effort to identify internal leaks. “These are supposed to be democratic societies,” Ewen said. “By attacking the press, they’re not doing enough to protect their democracies.” Margaret Talev, the White House correspondent for Bloomberg, was interrupted mid-panel by breaking news out of the White House about former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus’ ouster and replacement with John Kelly.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

Good:

It’s a great week for art, artists and Northridge Mall shoppers. Five gifted artists from Salinas nonprofit Hijos del Sol, including Director Jose Ortiz, have completed a fun mural in the walkway that links the mall’s wings while construction happens inside. HdS has proven adept at combining underserved and overlooked kids, youth and adults with high-profile projects all over Monterey County, including a 19-panel, 2,400-square-foot mural in Pajaro. The original Northridge idea was to use the theme of rebirth and transformation with butterflies, but the mural has morphed, so to speak, to include other winged animals like owls, hummingbirds and bats. The mural runs some 175 feet long.

Bad:

It’s a bad week for smokers, who are already accustomed to finding fewer public places they’re allowed to light up. The Monterey County Parks Commission is set to consider new smoking rules for public spaces at an Aug. 3 meeting. What’s proposed: zero designated smoking areas on the county’s portions of Fort Ord, Manzanita Park and Jacks Peak Park. There would be designated smoking areas, such as parking lots, at Toro Park, Royal Oaks Park, Laguna Seca Recreation Area and lakes San Antonio and Nacimiento. (While it’s bad news for smokers, these restrictions are good for public health: “There is no safe level of exposure to secondhand smoke,” staff wrote in a memo to the Parks Commission. “The public’s health is being compromised by secondhand smoke.”)