Salinas News

Woot is the originator of One Day, One Deal. Every midnight we launch an event: one sale that lives until it sells out, or the next midnight.

The charter bus to the night launch of an ICBM from Vandenberg to Kwajalein atoll in the Marshall Islands leaves West Oakland BART at 5 pm Friday Feb 24, leaves San Jose Amtrak/ Diridon/ Caltrain staion at 6:30, and Salinas Amtrak station at 7:30 to 8 pm.

A 16-year-old boy was driving a stolen Toyota on Sherwood Drive when he lost control and began spinning out of control in Salinas on Saturday, police said.

Police are hunting the crooks who robbed a man in broad daylight Saturday off a busy downtown Gilroy street, then abducted him at gunpoint and finally left him, unharmed on the side Highway 101.

Jenica Estassi and Mathew Verania were recognized in January as Salinas Rotary Club's Salinas High School students of the month.

Talk about changing times at City Hall. New City Manager Ray E. Corpuz Jr. is now on the job, and Jim Pia, who'd been filling in as the top administrator, is back to his old post as assistant city manager. More change, and work for a particular consultant, is on the way. Among the first big tasks facing Corpuz is the recruitment of a new police chief. The city will spend $17,500 to have Bob Murray & Associates help, conducting what is expected to be a national search for the city's new top cop. Murray's firm was involved in hiring Corpuz, a move that split the council, 4-3. The Roseville-based consultant did not return a phone call seeking comment this week. City records show that Murray also assisted in the search for former City Manager Artie Fields and former Police Chief Louis Fetherolf — both having stayed with the city for three years or less. * * * As Salinas' new city manager, Corpuz takes control of a 500-person workforce and will receive $215,000 a year plus benefits. That's a $41,380 bump in pay over the salary he was receiving as Seaside's municipal chief executive. Corpuz is also moving up in terms of population, too. Salinas, at 150,441 currently has 117,299 more residents than the beachside city. * * * Corpuz isn't exactly done with Seaside, or rather, Seaside isn't done with him. A lingering issue is Corpuz's indebtedness to the city. In March of 2006, a few months after he started there, Corpuz accepted a $250,000 loan from the city in order to buy a house there. According to documents obtained by The Californian, Seaside is going to want that cash back — and soon. The money, used to purchase his home on Seaside Court is due and payable — plus interest — upon sale or transfer of the property or upon termination of employment with Seaside, according to a deed of trust for the "city manager home purchase assistance loan program." This week, Corpuz said he's working out a repayment arrangement with the city, although he didn't divulge any details. * * * Assistant City Attorney Christopher Callihan says the city's legal bills connected to its lawsuit against failed electric car start-up Green Vehicles has reached $26,275. That figure accounts for a period from when the lawsuit was filed last August through the present. The city's legal bills so far are just a fraction of the $534,000 ($234,000 in general fund cash) that it invested in Green Vehicles. In a press release when the city filed the suit, City Attorney Vanessa Vallarta said Salinas had '... Initiated legal action in Monterey County Superior Court against Green Vehicles and its principals, Mike Ryan and Ehab Youssef. The complaint seeks damages and equitable relief for breach of contract, fraud in the inducement, conversion and an accounting, among other causes of action.' The company, which set up offices at the Firestone Business Park on Abbot Street, has since filed for bankruptcy protection. a Jeff Mitchell covers government and politics in the Salinas Valley and reports and writes Under the Dome. Send tips or story ideas to him at jemitchell@theCalifornian.com He can also be reached by phone at 831-754-4281. You can also follow Under the Dome on Twitter at twitter.com/CalUnderTheDome.

A local college student will represent east Salinas youth at an event at Harvard University sponsored by pop star Lady Gaga later this month. Jose Hernandez, who attends California University, Monterey Bay, is one of 13 young adults who will represent the Building Healthy Communities initiative at the Ivy League campus on Feb. 29. Hernandez, a youth mentor, will attend the Born this Way Foundation Youth Delegation, aimed to empower the youth with a focus on the power of the Internet and digital mobilization as a means to promote change. The Foundation was formed by pop singer Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta. Hernandez works as a mentor in an after-school program at the Alisal Family Resource Center and is a performer at the East Salinas Teatro Alisal, a newly formed group under the direction of Luis Juarez. A North Salinas High School student was selected as the Youth of the Year among local outstanding students in Monterey County. Khasandra Ayon, 17, will compete against other Boys & Girls Club members for a state title and a $1,000 college scholarship from Tupperware Brands Corp. Khasandra, of Salinas, was recognized for her sound character, leadership skills and willingness to give back to the community, according to a statement from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County. The 17-year-old plans to attend California College of the Arts in the Bay Area. Her dream is to become an author. She was recognized for overcoming family hardships. "Like far too many youth and families in our community, Khasandra experienced many factors that placed her at risk of not fulfilling her potential — ranging from gang involvement and substance abuse of family members and disadvantages associated with low socio-economic status," the statement read. Khasandra holds many leadership positions. She's president of the Keystone Club, a leadership development program, and she also started a journalism and writing club at the Boys & Girls Club in Salinas. At North High she excels in academics and activities, including volleyball and yearbook for which she is the editor. If she wins state, Khasandra can advance to the regional and national competitions for a chance to earn $10,000 to $50,000 in scholarships. A committee of parents of migrant and English-learning pupils have chosen two Alisal High School students from a districtwide pool for scholarships. Each student wrote an essay for the scholarship application. Each received a certificate of achievement and a $500 check to go toward their studies at a four-year college. Karen Rodriguez, a migrant student, and Ramon Alvarez, a former English learner, were chosen for maintaining their academic rigor and overcoming adversaries. Rodriguez, a senior, wrote in her essay of her plan to attend the University of California, Los Angeles, with aspirations of becoming a doctor. She attended a summer program at Harvard which boosted her academic drive. Alvarez, a senior, reached English proficiency in reading and writing in three years. He arrived in Salinas from Mexico in 2008 and by 2011 he was taking challenging classes including English honors, math analysis and college-level Spanish and calculus. It usually takes five to seven years for a student to make a transition from learning English to mastering the language. Funds for the scholarships were donated by Salinas Union High School District migrant teachers, staff and administrators as well as La Princesa market. a "Making the Grade" is The Salinas Californian's weekly education column on school events, teachers' special lessons, key administrative moves and students' hard work in Salinas Valley schools. Send your school news to Griselda Ramirez by calling 831-754-4297 or email to: gramirez@thecalifornian.com.

Reyna Flores knows pain and despair, particularly that experienced by young Latina women. Flores, a counselor at Salinas-based Sunrise House, says young Latinas are often abused — partly victims of their gender and age, partly victims of a culture that values family over independence. These conflicts lead many to think there is no way out — save one: taking their own lives. And, statistics show, young Latinas who feel trapped in such situations are turning to suicide as a way of stopping the pain. 'Suffering is going on behind closed doors,' Flores, 25, said. She counsels young Latinas who have been bullied and abused. Some come from broken homes or feel neglected by their parents. Others regularly injure themselves by cutting themselves to numb their emotional pain, and many have considered suicide, she said. Across the country, almost 14 percent of high school students thought seriously about killing themselves in the 12 months before the 2008-09 Youth Risk Behavior Surveillance System survey conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this age group, Latinas were among the most vulnerable: One in five said they had seriously considered suicide. Fifteen percent said they had come up with a plan to kill themselves and 11 percent — almost twice the rate among white girls — said they had attempted suicide at least once, according to the survey. Suicide attempts have been consistently higher among Latinas than among black or white high school girls since 1991, the first year for which data are available on the CDC website. Researchers and health professionals don't understand these trends completely, but some studies suggest these girls may struggle with living between two cultures — the American culture they experience with their friends and the Latino culture that fills their homes. 'Parents frequently find out something they did not envision: their hijas (daughters) taking advantage of opportunities for success that do not always involve the family,' wrote Jesse Herrera, cultural competence manager for Monterey County's Behavioral Health Bureau, in an email. The clash between American independence and Latino 'familismo' (family interdependence) often results in 'internalized conflicts,' he said. Nationally, suicidal thoughts among Latina youth have decreased in the past 20 years: In 1991, a record 34.6 percent of Latina high schoolers considered suicide seriously, and roughly 21 percent had planned out how they were going to kill themselves, according to the CDC. Although the latest CDC statistics suggest improvement, the high rates of suicidal thoughts among high school Latinas are still cause for concern. 'Young Latinas frequently do not access mental-health services,' Herrera said. And when they do seek help, he added, their cultural context is often not taken into account. Latinos made up about 16 percent of the U.S. population in the 2010 census, but only 5 percent of physicians are Latino, according to the American Medical Association's 2010 report, Physician Characteristics and Distribution in the U.S. 'That underrepresentation is even more pronounced among mental health clinicians,' said Dr. Michael Rodriguez of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research, whose research focuses on the interplay among ethnicity, socioeconomic status and health. Culturally, Latino families tend to feel embarrassed about discussing suicide and related mental-health issues, such as depression. 'Suicide carries so much stigma,' said Carly Galameau, assistant program director of the Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast. Many say suicidal people are crazy or cowards or that they're just seeking attention, she said. But the reality may be more complicated. Suicide and suicide attempts are highest among people going through rapid life changes. For teenagers, that includes changes in their bodies; how they feel about themselves; and how they connect to their families, as well as the uncertainty of what lies beyond high school. Girls are dealing with these issues as they try to figure out who they are and where they fit in, Galameau said. That's not always easy, especially in high school, when kids often scramble to find their niche in the social order. No one wants to be branded the school pariah. She was always alone and people called her 'weird,' said Everett Alvarez High School senior Marvin Yasay, 17, about a middle school classmate who killed herself. Few people ever asked her why she was sad, he said. Yasay was one of about 10 boys gathered in November for a meeting of the school's chapter of My Strength, a California Department of Health Services program that teaches young men to avoid sexual violence. Kids' reluctance to help struggling classmates may boil down to peer pressure, some of the Alvarez students said. They fear friends will associate them with outsiders, although they would want someone to comfort them if they were feeling down, they added. 'For most people, if they're able to find a safe place to express suicidal feelings, they're much less likely to go through with it,' Galameau said. But many young Latinas may not have that. Even in tight-knit families, parents may not know how to handle depression, anxiety and trauma, which are linked with suicide. Some parents may be battling emotional problems of their own. 'There's a lot of trauma and mental health problems in the parents,' said Rosalva Vargas, a therapist at Rebekah's Children Services, a Gilroy-based social services organization with offices in Salinas. 'When they come here as immigrants, they're highly stressed. They're still carrying that trauma without resolution.' Less than one in 11 Latinos with mental illness seek help from a mental health specialist, according to the American Psychiatric Association. 'Poverty is endemic here and parents will do anything they have to do to support their children (financially),' said Kimberly Prohaska, the clinical program manager at Rebekah's. Financial burdens and the pressures of keeping a job may mean they don't have time to talk with their kids about problems at school, such as bullying or peer pressure to have sex or use drugs. Studies suggest that bullying may result in low self-esteem, a problem Flores sees among many of the girls she counsels. And one in four Latina girls say they've been sexually, physically or emotionally abused, Vargas said. To prepare girls to handle these problems, Vargas and the staff at Rebekah's counsel Latina girls and their families through Latina Leadership, a nine-month program that caters to at-risk high school girls with a history of depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, domestic and gang-related violence, drug and alcohol abuse, and anger. Many have experienced bullying or have been in and out of foster homes. They discuss relationships, teen pregnancy, family violence and mental health with the girls. The staff tries to create an atmosphere of family togetherness through group dinners, outings and conversations, said Vargas, who calls the girls 'mijas' (my daughters). The program helps girls recognize their own wisdom, which in turn boosts their self-esteem and sense of empowerment, she said. Outreach programs — such as Rebekah's and Monterey County's Behavioral Health Bureau, "La Cultura Cura" (Culture Cures), which focuses on helping young Latinas discover their strength within the context of their cultural values and traditions — raise community awareness about suicide and mental illness. Some programs teach students about problems that may contribute to suicide, such as harassment, violence, sexual abuse, fear and pressure from family and friends. Young people are more likely than adults to notice if friends are going through a difficult time or if they've posted suicidal thoughts or goodbye statements ('All my problems will be over soon' or 'I may not be around') on Facebook or Twitter. If kids are aware of what these warning signs mean, they can act as a first line of defense, Galameau said. Other programs target teachers, police officers, counselors and health professionals. The Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast, for example, reaches out to more than 10,000 people annually to help reduce the stigma of suicide and mental illness. How these community programs affect suicide among teens and young Latinas is not clear because comprehensive statistics are scant, Galameau said. But in the past five years, Monterey County has undergone a shift, she said. Schools and churches are addressing suicide more willingly; textbooks portray it in a less stigmatizing way, and ad campaigns like San Diego County's 'It's Up to Us' are helping to reduce stigma and foster conversation. 'Doors are opening where doors had been closed,' she said.

Rundown and too frequently the location of crime scenes over the years, Closter Community Park in Salinas will soon get a much needed makeover. The Rotary Club of Salinas is spearheading a plan to build 'La Plaza Rotario,' in collaboration with four other Rotary clubs, to aesthetically improve the park on Towt Street. The project is an unprecedented collaboration with the Alisal, Corral de Tierra, Salinas Northeast and Steinbeck Rotary clubs, along with two clubs from India and another three in Mexico, said Brett Harrell, president of the Rotary Club of Salinas. "We wanted to show ... that our generosity could be used to fund a project in Salinas — right in our own backyard," Harrell said. La Plaza Rotario will feature a traditional, Mexican-style kiosko, or bandstand, as a centerpiece and includes renovations such as new seating areas, landscaping, lighting, a boxing center and a tutoring center for the youth. The plan will be presented to the community at 6 p.m. Monday at St. Mary of the Nativity Church on Towt Street in Salinas. The idea for the project, Harrell said, came from a conversation with Salinas Councilman Tony Barrera about 15 months ago. While his group has done community projects internationally, he said, he was searching for a project they could do locally. Harrell said Barrera suggested picking up a project idea of Leadership Salinas Valley that had fallen through. Leadership Salinas Valley is a community leadership and skills training program offered by the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce. The original plan, he said, was to create a 'La Placita,' or small plaza at Closter featuring a fountain and benches. Following conversations with the Salinas Alisal Rotary, Harrell said, the idea expanded to include a 'kiosko,' a focal gathering point for families in the park. The project is scheduled to break ground in April, he said, with an anticipated completion date of June 30. Harrell said the project's funding is a combination of money raised by the Rotary clubs and matching funds by the Rotary Foundation, in-kind labor and equipment, a brick purchase program and donations. He said they're about halfway to their goal of raising the estimated $350,000 for the project. Meetings this month, Harrell said, are to generate community support and ownership for the project — a key component to the long-term maintenance of the park. 'The goal of it is to drive by the park in five or 10 years and still be proud of what's been done,' he said. For Harrell, the project is important because it allows for the community and Rotarians to show their commitment to the neighborhood. He said renovations of the widely-used park will also have a significant impact to the larger community's impression of the neighborhood. 'We're excited, and sometimes the most important work you do is next door and not across borders,' Harrell said.

The deadline is approaching for middle and high school students to sign up for a Salinas talent show. The Teen Talent Extravaganza, organized by the Salinas Youth Commission, is set for 7 p.m., Friday Feb. 24 at the Steinbeck Institute of Art and Culture, 940 N. Main St. Students showing a talent for singing, dancing, acting or playing an instrument are urged to register by Feb. 17. Call 831-758-7306. Admission is free but organizers ask those who attend to bring cans or nonperishable items to donate to local food banks. Dress rehearsal is on Feb. 21.

I was so disappointed last Thursday, I felt compelled to write. I pulled up to a very busy gas station at the corner of Alisal and Griffin street. There was a car at every pump and people streaming in and out of the store. As I was walking up to the doors, I tripped on the curb and fell hard on the sidewalk. I am nine months pregnant. Of all the people around, including an employee that was leaving and walking out to her car, only one person stopped to ask me if I was OK and to help me up. The others stared or simply walked past as I lay on the ground. I would like to thank that one person — Andy from J&M Electric, who was kind enough to help me up and make sure I was all right. He even asked if I needed a ride to the doctor or anywhere I might need to go. I cannot believe we live in a day and age when people would witness something like that and not even stop pumping their gas. Cheryl Phillips Salinas They don't care about Boronda I live in Boronda, the community the city and county forgot ¶ or at least want to forget. Today, at 11 a.m. I am finally forced to physically picket the Monterey County Offices. I have been trying to get Monterey Peninsula Engineering to clean up a mess they made in front of my (and my neighbor's) house for months. MPE promised repeatedly to deal with it immediately, but they lied. The county said they would force MPE to clean up the mess, but nothing has happened. I have never lived anywhere where this problem wouldn't have been solved by a simple telephone call, but this mess, in Boranda, apparently requires no actions, just promises. Seems that picketing is the only option left. Will Whitacre Salinas

Money woes are forcing another Central Coast city to layoff police. Chief Vicki Myers for Seaside Police said people in the city won't even notice a difference.

Family members of a Salinas man sought in a child molestation case urged Friday for him to surrender and make contact with an attorney they hired. Attorney Thomas Worthington made the plea on behalf of Rene Cruz’s mother, Raquel Cruz, and older sister, Zoila Cruz, the Worthington Law Centre at 215 West Alisal Street in Salinas. “Raquel and Zoila came here (Thursday) shortly after hearing about what was going on with their son and brother, Rene,” Worthington said. “They’re very concerned for him, of course, and they learned that the police are looking for him.” Worthington said they are urging Cruz to call the law firm at 831-758-1688, or come to the office. Salinas police has been looking for Cruz, 39, since Jan. 25 on an $800,000 arrest warrant along with his girlfriend, Nelida Vega Gaytan, 28, and her daughters, 5 and 9 years old respectively. Detectives also discovered she has a third child, a 5-year-old son. On Monday, Gaytan, accompanied by her attorney, arrived at the police station with her children, police have said. Gaytan was released and her children were given over to Child Protective Services, they have said. *Read more in the Saturday edition of The Salinas Californian

From left, Cass Antle and Camilo Ortiz pose with hostess Joanne Taylor Johnson at a party in honor of a visit by Juan Felipe Molano, an El Sistema leader from Colombia.

At an Ocean Mist Farms station, Francisco Castaneda, production assistant at Sea Mist Farms, discusses artichokes with Salinas, Calif., third-graders Feb.

Purchasing a bouquet of red roses Feb. 14 for that special person in your life may be more than just declaring your love. This year the time-worn tradition may also be an indication of whether or not the economy is really improving. Mark Silacci, owner of Swenson & Silacci Flowers in Salinas and Monterey, said he could see the recent recession coming perhaps before other businesses did. 'Our numbers began dropping in August of 2007,' he said. 'That was our first down month compared to the previous year's August sales since I joined the business.' At first he thought the problem had something to do with a new computer system the company had installed, but the situation persisted. 'The bottom of the bottom hit for us right after Valentine's Day of 2009,' Silacci said. 'We were probably 35 percent off of our projections for Valentine's Day, and that was when we started making some deep cuts. That had been our worst week ever, and, at that point, nothing was sacred.' Swenson & Silacci went from a staff of about 40 to 45 during good times to about half that number. The Salinas firm was able to hang on and, beginning about 18 months ago, the florist noticed an improvement in business. Looking back to 2011, Silacci said there was an improvement over the previous Valentine's Day and he feels upbeat for this year. 'I don't think we are going to be skyrocketing, but I think we are finally putting the bad times behind us,' he said. Roses continue to be the most popular flower for Valentine's Day, Silacci said. Anticipating a solid demand this year, he has ordered 800 bunches of red roses, which he calls the 'quintessential flower' of the day. He'll also stock other colors of roses such as pink and yellow, plus tulips, which appeal to some customers. Adding to the mix will be chocolate candy and stuffed animals, such as teddy bears, which people sometimes like to purchase along with the flowers. The volume of orders will keep the firm's nine designers busy and added drivers will be necessary. On a normal day, Swenson & Silacci does between 75 and 100 deliveries. On Feb. 14, the florist expects that will increase to about 1,800 deliveries. The company will probably deliver 400 to 500 arrangements the day before as well. With only five delivery trucks, the firm needs to add vehicles and drivers each Valentine's Day to handle the increased volume. Silacci addressed this dilemma about eight years ago by launching a fundraiser for local organizations such as junior football and baseball teams and youth groups. The organizations provide the drivers and vehicles to deliver the flowers and the florist makes a donation to the groups for each delivery. 'We have probably donated over $75,000 to various organizations since we started doing this,' Silacci said. All the deliveries are sent out from Swenson & Silacci's store on John Street in Salinas, and the drivers begin about 7 a.m. The drivers are usually finished by 6 p.m. While some will make just one or two runs, others keep at it all day. Looking back on his years in the family business, Silacci believes that the Internet has brought about the biggest change. Now a florist not only competes in the local market but has a national presence too. Having an online presence has made a big difference for Swenson & Silacci. Silacci has also seen Central Coast florists slip in number over the years. He estimates that the total has dwindled by nearly half since he started in the business. 'With the Internet and then the recession, it's been a tough environment nationally and locally,' he said. Swenson & Silacci Flowers opened as Swenson Flowers in 1945, when Walter Swenson and his wife, Bessie, bought Salinas Nursery Florist. They built a shop on Soledad Street and then moved to West Alisal as the business grew. Edward Silacci, Mark's father, who joined the firm as a delivery driver, became a partner in 1966. After Mark Silacci received his MBA from Santa Clara University, he worked in advertising and at Household Credit Service before joining his dad in the family firm in 1993. Since Mark's arrival, Swenson & Silacci has added other locations, including one in Monterey, created a web presence with www.OnlineFlowers.com and in 2001 moved into a new Salinas store at the corner of John and Pajaro streets. Named one of the Top 50 florists in the nation by FTD, Swenson & Silacci has also been honored by the Wholesale Florist and Florist Association as the National Retail Florist of the Year in 2004. Although Mark now oversees the operation, his father still remains active in the business.

Recidivism in the state of California is costing the taxpayers millions of dollars a year. The money is being wasted on a system that is broken. I believe the state Board of Prison Terms could come up with a more appropriate plan for punishing the technical parole violators that would reduce recidivism while at the same time punish the offender. The cost of incarcerating an inmate for one year is a whipping $70,000. The average prison stay for a technical violation, such as failure to report contact with police or follow parole officers' instructions, is about 90 days, depending on the parolee's history. A 90-day violation costs taxpayers $18,000, which is absurd. Is it really worth $18,000 to incarcerate an inmate for a technical violation when no crime has been committed? This is a question the Board of Prison Terms needs to take a long, hard look at. The people of this state need to make their voices heard in Sacramento by writing letters or emailing the governor's office, the Board of Prison Terms and elected officials. If nothing is done, the waste will continue. We, as a people, must put a stop to this wasteful spending in order to put this state back on the road to prosperity. Wouldn't it be more reasonable to sentence parolees for technical violations to some type of community service? Salinas is a mess right now because of budget cuts, so graffiti removal, weed abatement and other beautification projects could be done by these technical offenders. Doesn't this sound like a more reasonable solution? I strongly suggest that the people of this state open their eyes and see how much money our elected officials are wasting on a system that is broken and inadequate. The money that is being wasted could be going to our schools, infrastructure, job development and other badly needed services. a Jack Brannon is a student at Hartnell College. He lives in Salinas.

Hunter Plaid Gallery invites the community to attend an Arts! Arcata opening reception for the exhibition "Freedom Without Purpose is Just Boredom" by local artist Well Hello Saul tonight from 6 to 11 p.m. Originally from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Saul Trejo moved to California when he was 15 years old.

Zurich/Switzerland, February 10, 2012 - Barry Callebaut, the world's leading manufacturer of high-quality cocoa and chocolate products, has signed an agreement to acquire 100% of Mona Lisa Food Products, Inc., a leader in chocolate decorations products in the U.S. The currently privately owned company will be integrated into Barry Callebaut's North ... (more)

Alisal High School graduate Jose Hernandez was chosen to represent East Salinas Building Healthy Communities at the singer Lady Gaga's foundation launch event.