WhaleFest returns to Monterey
MONTEREY — The eighth annual Whalefest Monterey will be held Saturday and Sunday at Old Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey.
The interactive family event celebrates the migration of the gray whales and more. The event also benefits many local and national marine organizations that educate the public to protect the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
Among the highlights of the event will be a symposium with lectures and documentaries related to ocean and marine life conservation presented at the Wharf Theatre.
For information, www.montereywharf.com/event/whalefest-monterey.html.
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Castro Adobe hosting open house
WATSONVILLE — Castro Adobe State Historic Park will hold its first public open house of 2018 on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
The event will focus on the early period of the Adobe and the Castro family’s prominent role in local and California history. Visitors can enjoy homemade nopales and fresh tortilla-making while getting the chance to share stories of their own family’s beginnings in California.
Guided tours will be offered at 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. A short presentation on the Castro family’s participation in the historic De Anza Expedition will start at 2:15 p.m.
The event is free. The Castro Adobe is at 184 Old Adobe Road in Watsonville. Parking is limited. Leashed dogs are allowed only in the parking area.
For information, visit www.thatsmypark.org.
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Mount Madonna School presents ‘Urinetown’
WATSONVILLE — “Urinetown, The Musical” will make a splash at Mount Madonna School with three performances.
The musical is set in a dystopian “near future,” where decades of drought have led to water shortages and private toilets are outlawed. The Urine Good Company has taken control and charges people big fees to use public latrines.
On Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., high school students will take the stage for performances at the school’s Hawks’ Nest Theater, 491 Summit Road in Watsonville.
“From a production level, the chorus is active, the music intriguing, and the dancing selective and dynamic,” said Director Sampad Kachuck. “While the subject matter engenders healthy discussion, the style asks performers to inhabit their characters boldly but to play the comedy seriously. As our country debates nationalized health care versus privatization, struggles with the economy, confronts the reality of our decreasing resources, as well as evaluating ethically whether the end justifies the means, this play’s subject material is timely.”
Tickets are available at mmsurinetown.bpt.me. Adults are $16; 18 and under are $11. All seats are reserved.
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Event highlights how to become a green business
WATSONVILLE — On Feb. 1, the Monterey Bay Green Business Program will be hosting a free lunch event for any businesses in the Watsonville area to come learn about the environmental, cost-saving and marketing benefits of becoming a Certified Green Business.
Nearly 440 businesses have already become Green Business Certified in the Monterey Bay Area.
A global survey in 2014 indicated that 55 percent of consumers are willing to pay higher prices for goods and services from companies that have environmentally-friendly business practices.
The event is free to attend and will be hosted by TOTLCOM Voice & Data at 65 Hangar Way in Watsonville. Attendees are encouraged to bring a “brown bag” lunch. Beverages and desserts will be provided.
To RSVP, visit montereybaygreenbusiness.org.
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Moreland Notre Dame hosting open house
WATSONVILLE — Moreland Notre Dame, a Transitional Kindergarten through eighth grade Catholic school in Watsonville, invites interested families to attend its annual open house on Feb. 1 from 5:30-7 p.m.
Teachers, staff, and current students and parents will be available to answer questions about the school, located at 133 Brennan St. in Watsonville.
Call 728-2051 to schedule an appointment for a school tour.
Applications are being accepted for the 2018-2019 school year, with limited availability in kindergarten, third and fourth grades.
For information, visit www.mndschool.org.
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Shadowbrook supporting Hospice
CAPITOLA — Hospice of Santa Cruz County will benefit from Shadowbrook Restaurant’s Community Tuesday event on Jan. 30 from 5-8:30 p.m.
Shadowbrook Restaurant, 1750 Wharf Road in Capitola, will donate a third of all sales, including cocktails and appetizers from the Rockroom Lounge.
When making reservations, let the server know you are dining for Hospice of Santa Cruz County.
To make reservations, call 475-1511.
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March set in opposition to proposed oil drilling
SANTA CRUZ — Numerous California environmental groups have come together and chosen Feb. 3 to be the day to stage protests throughout California in a show of public outrage toward the Trump administration’s proposal regarding oil drilling.
Save our Shores will be leading the charge for the Monterey Bay area.
The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The march will begin at Lighthouse/Surf Museum on the west side of Santa Cruz. It starts at 10 a.m. It will travel along West Cliff Drive, south to Cowell’s Beach. There, a rally will be staged starting at 10:45 a.m. with guest speakers starting up around 11 a.m.
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Awards aid homeless agencies
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — CARE Awards were recently announced under the Santa Cruz County Homeless Action Partnership.
Announced Jan. 11, the $2,624,602 in awards went to 16 agencies around the county, ranging from $15,645 to $542,418 — which went to the House Authority Shelter Plus Care.
Among the agencies receiving awards, Families in Transition First Step Expansion got $192,343 while Community Technology Alliance was awarded $91,699.
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Designs for Monterey County flag sought
MONTEREY COUNTY — Monterey County is looking to create its first-ever official county flag and local artists are invited to submit designs.
Only 24 of 58 California counties, including Santa Cruz, San Benito and Santa Clara, have adopted an official flag.
Art designs for the flag emblem are needed. They should embody the history of Monterey County, consider color schemes and elements from various parts of the county such as historical landmarks and local wildlife, agriculture, coastline and rivers, and mountain ranges.
Artists submitting a design must live in Monterey County.
The deadline to submit designs is Jan. 30.
For information, visit www.co.monterey.ca.us/countyflag or call 755-5840.
