MONTHLY MEETING
KING CITY — Southern Monterey County Republican Women Federated will host its monthly meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 11:30 a.m. at Cork & Plough Restaurant, 200 Broadway, in King City. The guest speaker will be Cindy Wittstrom, author of the book “When The Brakes Fail.” She will discuss recognizing and finding help for mental health issues. Everyone is welcome to attend the meeting. For reservations and further information, call 831-385-1333 or email ka************@gm***.com.
SOLAR ENERGY
SALINAS — The Sam Farr Crop Research Center, owned and operated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service (ARS), will receive $200,000 from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to design a solar energy system. “As the threat of climate change becomes more dangerous, it is more important than ever to fund innovative and environmentally-friendly solutions. This solar energy project will help the Sam Farr Crop Research Center meet its energy needs and continue to conduct ag research that matters in our communities and our country,” said Rep. Zoe Lofgren. “I will continue to support smart, green investments like this that boost the ag economy.” This grant funding comes from the DOE’s Assisting Federal Facilities with Energy Conservation Technologies (AFFECT) program, which supports clean energy projects at federal facilities across the country. The DOE funding was provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.
AIRSHOW AWARDED
SALINAS — California International Airshow Salinas received two prestigious awards at the ICAS International Council of Airshows convention in Las Vegas. The Salinas Airshow was recognized and presented the “Best Overall Marketing Program for 2024.” There are over 450 air shows in North America, and the Salinas show was No. 1 in the entire industry for Marketing effectiveness, creativity, sponsorship, media partner relationships, website and social media marketing as well as television, radio and newspaper advertising. Director of Marketing Esmeralda Owen and Executive Director Harry Wardwell proudly accepted the award at the awards luncheon in Las Vegas on Dec. 11. In addition, the Salinas Airshow was recognized with a “Gold Pinnacle award” for an outstanding program for improving the experience for volunteers. Director of Volunteers Tara Baker was recognized along with the Airshow Board for their creativity and successful program to recognize and honor the dedicated volunteers of the California International Airshow Salinas. The Salinas Airshow will celebrate its 44th anniversary in 2025.
BONUS BRIEF: CSUMB RANKING
SEASIDE — Cal State Monterey Bay is No. 23 among the nation’s top 500 colleges in terms of social mobility, according to the annual Wall Street Journal/College Pulse 2025 Best Colleges in the U.S. Rankings. The social mobility metric in the Journal’s evaluation “rewards universities that take in the highest proportion of students coming from lower-income families, while maintaining high graduation rates and having a positive impact on graduate salaries and minimizing the costs of attending the college.” CSUMB was nationally ranked 158th overall out of the top 500, ahead of such schools as San Diego State and UCs Santa Barbara and Santa Cruz, in the WSJ/College Pulse 2025 rankings, released on Sept. 5. Colleges are scored on a 100-point scale for a number of criteria, including salary impact, learning opportunities and character development. CSUMB’s highest metrics came in the areas of its graduation rate, 83, and diversity, 81. In terms of state rankings, CSUMB was No. 21 overall among public universities.
