Goodwill Central Coast’s Round-Up Program aids Max’s Helping Paws Foundation on Feb. 10

  Change for change: That’s the idea behind Goodwill Central Coast’s Round-Up Program, a way for shoppers already saving money to round-up purchases to the nearest dollar and donate that amount to charity. 

Salinas, CA, February 01, 2021 - Change for change: That’s the idea behind Goodwill Central Coast’s Round-Up Program, a way for shoppers already saving money to round-up purchases to the nearest dollar and donate that amount to charity. 

On Feb. 10, Goodwill shoppers can shop as usual while benefiting Max’s Helping Paw’s Foundation, a local nonprofit that believes financial circumstances should never decide a companion pet’s fate. 

This special Round-Up day will take place at all Goodwill locations on the Central Coast. Shoppers can round-up to the nearest dollar.  All of these options are displayed on the credit card terminal machine. All proceeds go directly to the foundation, whose work helps reduces economic euthanasia, surrender and suffering of severely ill or injured pets by providing pet owners assistance with the costs of urgent medical care. 

It’s a double feel-good day for shoppers, whose purchases help Goodwill train unemployed or underemployed people for career opportunities. 

About Goodwill Central Coast

Goodwill Central Coast, a private 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, began in 1928 in the city of Santa Cruz and today has expanded into three counties: Santa Cruz, Monterey, and San Luis Obispo. Goodwill Central Coast now employs more than 600 people, including employment training professionals, sales personnel, donation center attendants, warehouse and distribution workers, and administrators. Its programs strengthen communities by improving job growth, the lives of individuals and families, and the health of our environment. Each year Goodwill assists more than 9,000 job seekers get back to work and reclaim financial and personal independence. Goodwill provides a positive learning environment that creates brighter futures through connecting people to meaningful work.

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
https://www.ccgoodwill.org/

Wayland Properties Launches ‘Giving Back, Building Hope’ Program

  Company Announces Partnership with Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay 

Monterey, CA, February 1, 2021 — At Wayland Properties we are not only dedicated and working around the clock in bringing the highest quality real estate and property management services to our clients, we are committed to giving back to the community in which we live and work. 

Housing and shelter are basic human needs, and it’s not something we take for granted. We share the goals of Habitat for Humanity, which is dedicated to bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope. 

Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay is an important and much-needed community-based organization that strives to make a positive impact on as many people as possible by helping to build decent, affordable homes and provide home ownership opportunities to qualified families who live and work in Santa Cruz and Monterey counties. 

But Habitat for Humanity is not a giveaway program. Families purchase Habitat homes with a down payment, sweat equity, and an affordable mortgage. It relies on generous donations to keep the organization funded and operational. Every little bit has a real and lasting effect in the community. 

With that in mind, Wayland Properties will give 3% of each real estate sale and 3% of profits from its property management division to Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay. 

"We are thrilled that Wayland Properties recognizes the shortage of affordable housing and has created a sustainable plan of giving back to this cause," said Satish Rishi, CEO of Habitat for Humanity Monterey Bay. "We hope that other real estate brokerages follow this pioneering model and collaborate on creating more affordable housing units." 

Wayland Properties owners Ashley Wayland and her husband Nic Casas are passionate about the community and committed to social responsibility. Ashley has been part of the community since 2007, and Nic is a native, born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, so they know that a strong community with a high quality of life means safer, healthier lives for everyone. 

By supporting Habitat for Humanity, Wayland Properties can help build homes, build hope and make a positive impact in the community.

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
https://waylandproperties.co/

ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay Offering Affordable Rapid COVID-19 Tests for Large-Scale Employers

  ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay, the foremost lab in Monterey County for COVID-19 testing, offering the most comprehensive and cost-effective testing menu available in the area, is now offering rapid COVID-19 testing tailored to the needs of employers and their employees. 

Monterey, CA. January 29, 2021 — ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay, the foremost lab in Monterey County for COVID-19 testing, offering the most comprehensive and cost-effective testing menu available in the area, is now offering rapid COVID-19 testing tailored to the needs of employers and their employees. 

The service, which offers rapid antigen test results within 1 hour to employers with 20 or more employees, helps employers meet new Cal/OSHA’s COVID-19 Emergency Temporary Standards (ETS) instituted last November. With the ability to test groups at job locations, in offices or at either of ARCpoint’s locations in Monterey and Salinas, COVID-19 testing is now more practical and easily available than ever to businesses in Monterey County. 

“This is a new test that is faster, easier and more affordable, allowing employers to do large-scale testing quickly and responsibly,” Spenser Smith, Lab Manager at ARCpoint. “We can go to your place to test your employees, process the tests and have the results in less than an hour.” 

Since some employers need employees tested quickly and more often, the new tests begin at only $70 per test. Additionally, ARCpoint Labs employs backup reflex testing on sophisticated NAAT platforms to reduce the incidence of false positive and false negative results common to other rapid testing programs. Smith said his lab can handle large groups of employees. “We can go big, hundreds of employees at once, if necessary.” 

If you are an employer and need a plan for employee COVID-19 testing, call ARCpoint directly at 831-324-0772. 

ABOUT ARCPOINT LABS

ARCpoint Labs is a full-service national third-party provider and administrator of accurate, reliable, and confidential diagnostic testing for individuals, companies, and legal and healthcare professionals. ARCpoint Labs has been in the drug and alcohol testing business for over 18 years, and our staff has over 60 years of combined industry experience. ARCpoint Labs has over 100 locations across the country with an additional 18 locations slated to open within the next 12 months. For more information on ARCpoint Labs, visit www.arcpointlabs.com. 

ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay is an independently owned ARCpoint Labs business, part of a Greenville, South Carolina-based franchise. The Smith family of Monterey, brothers Spenser and Bryant and their parents Belle and Randy, established the company in 2018. 

ARCpoint Labs of Monterey Bay

24560 Silver Cloud Court, #103 Monterey, CA 93940

Phone: (831) 324-0772

Email: monterey@arcpointlabs.com 

Website: www.arcpointlabs.com

Appointments: https://www.arcpointlabs.com/monterey-bay/request-an-appointment/

 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
http://www.arcpointlabs.com

Monterey County Fair Names New President, Vice President on Board of Directors

  The Monterey County Fair has announced two officers to the Board of Directors of the 7th District Agricultural Association, Teri Short as President and Dan Presser as Vice President. 

Monterey, CA, January 28, 2021 — The Monterey County Fair has announced two officers to the Board of Directors of the 7th District Agricultural Association, Teri Short as President and Dan Presser as Vice President.  

Short, who was appointed by Gov. Jerry Brown to the Board of Directors in March 2017, is the first African-American woman to serve on the board. She previously served as Vice President. Presser is the owner of FourWinds Travel in Carmel and was appointed to the Fair Board by Gov. Brown in 2014.

Short has been a community advocate serving the cities of Monterey County for decades. Her involvement and leadership stems throughout numerous organizations advocating for social justice, income inequality, community organizing, and collaborating with stakeholders to find solutions to improve the lives of our families.  

Her career has been in the non-profit, tax, and title industries. She has also spent time as a campaign consultant. 

Short has shown a strong commitment to local schools. She served as President of North Salinas High School’s Site Council for 12 years and was a member of the LCAP Parent Advisory, SUHSD Facility Naming, and Curriculum Adoption Committees to name a few. She previously served as President of the Washington Middle School and Laurel Wood Elementary School Site Councils. Short also worked as a Community Educator for Monterey County POSTPONE (now CAPREP), a comprehensive teen sex education program. She continues to be available to work with our youth as a mentor. 

Short is the current chair of the East Garrison Community Services District Advisory Committee. She has served in this capacity since she was appointed by former Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker in 2018. 

Short has previously served her community on the City of Salinas Traffic and Transportation Commission, President of the Salinas Valley Democratic Club, and as a Vice Chair on the Monterey County Democratic Central Committee.  

Short was born and raised in Monterey County, is the mother of five children, and lives in East Garrison with her partner Michael. 

Presser moved to the Monterey Peninsula from Texas in 1989. In Texas he helped in roundups, branding, and rodeoing.

His first broadcasting job on the West Coast was to be one of the KTOM Radio Salinas Rodeo announcers. “The first half of my life I was in advertising,” he says. “Monterey is not exactly the mecca of advertising, so I moved in another direction.”

Presser holds a commercial pilot’s license and that got him interested in the travel business, which led him to FourWinds Travel, a business he loves. The agency’s specialty is African safaris and adventure travel.  

“The position is gratifying and at times overwhelming,” said Presser when first appointed to the board. “Kelly Violini, the Fair’s CEO, is fantastic and is the catalyst that really makes the fair one of the best in the country.” 

About the Monterey County Fair & Event Center

<a href='http://www.montereycountyfair.com'>The Monterey County Fair & Event Center</a> is a premier event center set on 22 oak-studded acres with ample parking. It is a state-owned multi-use facility that features four large banquet rooms, two outdoor concert venues, and a variety of outdoor and indoor cost-effective sites ideal for all types of events. It is home of the annual award-winning Monterey County Fair, host to many major and private events on the Central Coast, and the site of the Monterey Bay Race Place, a Satellite Wagering Facility. 

For more information, contact the Fair Administration Office, at 2004 Fairground Road in Monterey, by calling (831) 372-5863 or go to www.montereycountyfair.com  for more information. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
http://www.montereycountyfair.com

GBA’s February ‘Ganas’ podcast guests include CMA’s general counsel, dynamic pro-bono attorney

  Podcast Episodes Available on Apple 

Salinas, CA, January 21, 2021 - Interviewing the youngest-ever Latino General Counsel at the California Medical Association and a tireless pro-bono attorney who represents the underserved, Gil Basketball Academy offers new “Ganas — Leading from the Heart” podcasts for February. 

Designed to inspire today’s youth through unique views and perspectives on life, “Ganas” (which translates to “desire”) is recorded live from the family garage of Jose Gil and Eva Silva, co-founders of the academy that promotes the sport of basketball in East Salinas through camps, clinics, individual sessions and elite travel teams. But more than that, GBA builds confidence and character in a membership that exceeds 450 local kids ages 4 to 17. 

The “Ganas” podcast officially launched on Sept. 14, with past episodes available on Apple, or through the GBA website at www.gilbasketballacademy.com . 

On Feb. 8, Episode 13 features Francisco Silva, who grew up working in the fields in and around Salinas to become General Counsel and Senior Vice President for CMA’s Centers for Legal Affairs, Economic Services and Health Policy. Calling himself a “proud immigrant,” Silva attended Santa Clara University before graduating from the prestigious UCLA School of Law, where he served as an editor on the UCLA Chicano/a Latino/a Law Review. 

On Feb. 22, the “Ganas” team will interview Alma Silva, a pro-bono attorney in Bonita in Southern San Diego County, where she works to empower individuals in low-income and underserved communities. Over a 20-year-plus career, Silva has worked with La Raza and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, served as an associate with the law firm Connerton, Ray, and Simon, and has served two terms as an alumni representative to Stanford’s El Centro Chicano Guiding Concilio. 

The idea for a podcast grew from Gil’s growing frustration in not being able to completely connect with and inspire his GBA kids during the pandemic. 

“You have to think outside the box,” said the longtime coach and athletic director at Alisal High School. “I was used to having hundreds of kids together at one time, and now I have to figure out new ways to have an impact.” 

While the couple have little experience in media (and none in podcasting), they invested in the technology needed to turn the family garage into a functioning studio. 

“Ganas” podcasts (including video with guests appearing via Zoom) span 30 to 45 minutes, and include topics such as sports, health, fitness, leadership, community and more. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
https://gilbasketballacademy.com/

Second Homebuyers’ Investment at Cinnamon Shore Helps Transform the Texas Coast

  Rapid Growth at Cinnamon Shore Fuels Interest in Luxury Coastal Lifestyle, With Great Investment Potential as The Community Expands 

Port Aransas, Texas, January 20, 2021 — The first, New Urban neighborhood on the Texas Coast, established in 2007, has become the standard for coastal, luxury development in the Lone Star State. And 2020’s performance at Cinnamon Shore, located in Port Aransas, Texas, shows why. 

With a 54% increase in total vacation bookings and a 75% increase rental revenue in 2020 over 20219, it’s apparent that word has spread about Cinnamon Shore. Furthermore, Cinnamon Shore North and its expansion, Cinnamon Shore South, together added almost 120 new homeowning families to the neighborhood, primarily from Houston, Austin, San Antonio, and Dallas-Ft. Worth—all driving distance. 

“While 2020 was an anomaly, due to flexible work and school schedules during the pandemic, Texas vacationers and homebuyers were clearly attracted to Cinnamon Shore in record numbers, and we expect more of the same for 2021,” says Jeff Lamkin, developer of Cinnamon Shore. “We’re offering a quality, master-planned resort community that, until recently, was only available in far-away Florida.” 

With 136 total properties sold in 2020 and an 85% increase in total sales volume closed in 2020 over 2019, Cinnamon Shore Realty also had its best annual results. “People recognize the investment opportunity,” says Jodi Peters, managing broker at Cinnamon Shore Realty. “They’re investing in real estate, but also in their family legacy.” 

Great Potential for Rental Income

Homeowners at Cinnamon Shore often join the Vacation Rental pool, and they’re seeing typical rental income potential that ranges between $50,000 and 300,000 annually, depending on property type and location. “The numbers tell the story, and they can be a real incentive,” Lamkin says. 

For instance, in 2020, a three-bedroom beach home at Cinnamon Shore generated an average rental revenue of $82,000, with the top producer garnering $119,000 in rental income. A three-bedroom condo earned an average $78,000 in rental revenue. Several, upscale beach homes generated $200,000-plus in rental revenue, with the top producer exceeding $300,000. And these figures include owner usage. 

With on-site property management and an active Community Owners Association, guests and homeowners enjoy amenities such as resort-style pools,  a fitness center, family-friendly activities, and holiday events. Whether relaxing under signature, coral-and-white umbrellas or warming by beach bonfires, vacationers find the resort alluring year-round. 

The Need for Growth

With the original community fully built, Cinnamon Shore South broke ground in 2018, and it’s grown quickly, with the most recent phase selling out in almost three days last fall. With only a handful of home sites currently available at ‘South,’ a new phase will open in May. 

The developer also has announced new acquisitions on the bay side of Mustang Island, along with a new Gulf-side tract—both set to be developed over the next decade and beyond. “We’ll take our time and do it right,” Lamkin says, noting that the bay site has deep-water access and the potential for new amenities. 

Selected as the location for show homes by magazines such as Southern Living and Coastal Living and chosen by Port Aransas as the partner and as the location for the city’s new hotel and conference center, Cinnamon Shore has already made its mark on the Texas Coast. It’s set to continue raising the standard. 

About Cinnamon Shore

Cinnamon Shore is a pedestrian-friendly planned community nestled behind the protective dunes on Mustang Island along the Texas Gulf Coast. It is the first new urbanism development for Sea Oats Group, which is fulfilling its vision of a traditional seaside village with a wide array of amenities and recreational facilities intertwined with beach cottages, luxury villas and vibrant town centers. Now comprised of two communities – the original, Cinnamon Shore North, and its new, 150-acre, Gulf-side expansion, Cinnamon Shore South – every detail of the master plan for both is designed to embrace the natural ambience of Mustang Island and the slow-paced charm of a walkable neighborhood. For more information, visit http://www.CinnamonShore.com , and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter (@CinnamonShore). 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
http://www.CinnamonShore.com

PG Museum of Natural History names Liese Murphree as new Director of Programs, Exhibits and Collections

 Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has named Liese Murphree as its new Director of Programs, Exhibits, and Collections. 

Pacific Grove, CA, January 15, 2021 — Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History has named Liese Murphree as its new Director of Programs, Exhibits, and Collections. 

The former director of STEM Sparks, a nonprofit focused on inquiry science and engineering outreach and online learning for K-8 students, has more than 20 years experience in the classroom and in museum education.  

Murphree earned a Ph.D. in Soil Science (Chemistry) from the University of California, Davis, and earned dual majors (Chemistry and Environmental Studies) from Oberlin College, Ohio. 

The Monterey resident taught high school and college chemistry and was a science and STEM educator at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and ScienceWorks Hands-on Museum in Ashland, Oregon. 

“I look forward to working with the talented staff at PGNHM to bring new ideas, new programs, and new audiences to the museum,” Murphree said.

Murphree’s arrival comes at a critical time for the popular downtown museum, which has remained closed to the public since March 2020 due to the pandemic.

 “Liese Murphree brings not only the education, science and management background we were seeking, but also abiding passion for our mission and service to the community, said PGMNH president Tama Olver. “With Liese’s leadership our programs and exhibits will continue to inspire ‘discovery, wonder and stewardship of the natural world' through the challenges of the pandemic and beyond.” 

In March of 2020, PGMNH pivoted to virtual programming, including its innovative Museum to You series that proved to be a resourceful digital solution to help entertain and enlighten the community during the pandemic. 

Education has always been the cornerstone of the museum’s mission. Before the pandemic, the museum’s free field trips were always a trusted resource for teachers who wanted their students to access additional hands-on science learning. The museum has continued to support teachers and students, providing virtual field trip opportunities for students of all ages 

In addition, the museum’s STREAM Project (Scientific Training, Research, Education and Monitoring) has helped inspire the next generations of scientists and conservationists. Through hands-on museum visits, outdoor learnings, and community science projects, the museum's education programming has used local species and stories to empower students through scientific skills and knowledge. 

Contact: 
Marci Bracco Cain 
The Buzz PR LLC 
Salinas, CA 
(831) 747-7455 
https://www.pgmuseum.org/