SOLEDAD — Colby Pereira, chief operating officer of Braga Fresh in Soledad, has received the Grower-Shipper Foundation’s 2024 Agricultural Woman of the Year award. The award honors unique leadership qualities held by women working within the agricultural industry in Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties. The winner of the award demonstrates a significant contribution to agriculture, is a leader in the community and is an “Ag-Vocate” for agriculture, according to the organization. Ag Against Hunger, a program of the Grower-Shipper Foundation, honored Pereira at its annual Agricultural W ..read more

MONTEREY COUNTY — After a competitive selection process, the Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) has announced Maram Haddad as the 2024-25 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate (YPL). Starting in May, Haddad will serve a one-year term where she will participate in various county events promoting poetry and literacy and receive an honorarium of $1,000. She is currently a junior at Pacific Grove High School. The Youth Poet Laureate program asked applicants to submit a resume, a statement of civic engagement, a statement of social justice and five original poems. A panel of judges evaluated ..read more

GREENFIELD — Arroyo Seco Road has reopened to the public after major stabilization work, and motorists will see additional repairs occurring over the next month. The County of Monterey Public Works and its contractor Graniterock were able to clear and stabilize the road after damages from winter storms, and more recently, crews have been able to work in the area to put in some additional safeguards. Crews have installed protective barriers to an area of the road under a hillside, which had a visible landslide last year, allowing the opening of the road to all traffic. The landslide area is ro ..read more

GONZALES — A home loss to Oakwood cost the Gonzales High boys’ tennis team a shot at an outright division championship last Tuesday. The 4-3 setback against the Oaks gave Gonzales one last chance to win a Mission Division co-championship, which they locked up the following day with a nail-biting 4-3 win over host Hollister. In the loss to Oakwood, the Oaks won all four singles matches to become the league’s co-champs, while the Spartans won the three doubles matches. Against the Hollister Haybalers, Zander Melgoza won in singles for Gonzales, and the Spartans once again swept the doubles matc ..read more

MONTEREY COUNTY — During the week of April 21-27, crime victims, survivors and those who serve them will join together across the United States to promote victims’ rights and services, and educate communities on the devastating impact crime has on victims, neighborhoods, schools and the nation as a whole. Since 1978, the County of Monterey, District Attorney’s Office, Victims of Crime Unit, has worked diligently with victims of crime to uphold their rights and to ensure they are aware of victim assistance and compensation programs that can help them cope with the aftermath of a crime. In 2023 ..read more

GONZALES — Cars, bikes and motorcycles were on display Saturday in downtown Gonzales for this year’s Car Show. Raul Hernandez of Salinas was a triple award winner at the April 20 event on Fourth Street, winning plaques for Best Paint Job, Best Car in Show and Kids Choice for his 1963 Chevy Impala. Val Varela won the Judges Choice Award and the Mayor’s Award, and Isaac Robledo won the Best Classic Car Award. Henry Ventura II of Soledad won the Best Stock Original for a 1963 Impala Super Sport and Judges Choice Award for his 1947 Stylemaster. Other car award winners included: Jesse Gonzales, Be ..read more

SOLEDAD — Last Thursday, April 18, at North Salinas High School in Salinas, the Soledad High girls’ 4×100 relay team established a new school record in the track event with a time of 53.44. Members of the Aztecs relay team were: juniors Chikamso Elelleh and Giselle Zepeda and freshmen Justina Botello and Chidalu Elelleh. The previous record was held by the team of Mariela Lopez, Alejandra Rodriguez, Lissette Villegas and Denise Virgen, who set the mark of 53.83 in 2016. “These young women of excellence, who all have a 4.0 GPA, are flying with excellence on and off the field with extracurricul ..read more

SOLEDAD — Pinnacles National Park will break ground on a park-wide paving project beginning at the end of April, resulting in some closures for visitors during the late spring and early summer period. The massive project will address necessary repairs to every road and paved surface in the park, improving the condition of the road for cars and bicyclists. According to Chris Symons, the park’s west lead ranger, the project will extend the lifetime of the pavement by an estimated 10 years. “However, it will also result in some disruptions to the visitor experience during the late ..read more

I am grateful for Mee Memorial Healthcare System, I really am. In the past decade I have had more contact with the folks there than I wanted to, but as one ages one must face the realities of natural physical deterioration or, as in my case, the recklessness of past activities, such as auto wrecks or work/play related injuries. For the most part, with one exception I can think of, I have received very good care. That said, I am dismayed with the situation of professional care for which one must travel out of South Valley to get treatment. I don’t know the number of residents from Gonzales to ..read more

SCHOOL CARNIVAL SOLEDAD — The annual Soledad Education Foundation Carnival is scheduled for April 25-28 at Frank Ledesma School, 973 Vista De Soledad. Ride tickets can be bought in advance at the following school sites: Frank Ledesma, Gabilan, Main Street, Soledad High and CEC. Last day for ticket sales is Thursday morning, April 25. Proceeds benefit teachers and schools. MOTHER’S DAY CARDS SALINAS — Alliance on Aging needs volunteers to help create Mother’s Day cards for its “I Remember Mama” campaign. The cards should have fun, loving and hopeful messages, and will be delivered to the facil ..read more