This week we are lucky enough to sit down once again with organizers from Ciclovía Salinas.  This event that originated in Bogotá, Colombia promotes the opening of streets for community residents to enjoy recreational events that promote a healthy body and mind.  The Ciclovía Salinas event is the only one organized and led by students each year!  Listen in to this episode and hear how over a mile long stretch of Alisal Street is opened up and organized by local students for our community to enjoy.

Call It What You Will Salinas

Salinas Ciclovía 2018

This week we talk deliciousness with Orlando from Tortas al 100.  How does one keep their tortas 100 in a town where good food isn't hard to find?  Listen in and find out the care Orlando puts in to making sure the food is straight grub status and the ingredients are always Sunday dinner quality.  Take a listen, go try a torta, and let us know what you think as you Call It What You Will Salinas.

Tortas al 100

This week an appeals court ruling by a normally liberal court stated that the 2nd amendment did allow for the open carry of firearms.  This set some thoughts off as you will hear in this week's episode.  Gun culture surrounded us growing up in the 80s, from tv to video games. As we got older the nature of that culture evolved to include not just the imaginary, but the real.  It seems like everyday there is another headline about a shooting involving people from all walks of life.  And so we ask ourselves, who gets to carry and who doesn't because while a court may say yes, the headlines show a different story.   Listen in and let us know what you think as you Call It What You Will Salinas!

To Carry or Not to Carry

After a long break, we jump back into the craziness that has become our world.  Hear about a local GOP meeting being moved to parts unknown, a right wing youth group starts up with all the things you would expect, a commodore, a Costco food court, and of course a really cool Purple Rain font.  Taking a break from the absurdity of it all, a little summer time reading is discussed as well as Dom officially declaring his summertime album.  Listen in to all this and more as we Call It What You Will Salinas!

Back in the Saddle

It's been a minute, but back with a new episode! Dom sits down to talk with Alejandro Chavez, Soledad City Councilmember. Councilmember Chavez was the past chair of the Transportation Agency for Monterey County (TAMC) and was cool enough to sit down and talk about Measure X and how funds could be more equitably distributed in Monterey County, especially in South Monterey County.

Alejandro Chavez, Soledad City Councilmember

This episode we hear from Dr. Asif Mahmood, candidate for Lt. Governor of California.  Dr. Mahmood is a pulmonologist and doctor of internal medicine that practices in the Los Angeles area.  Hear why Dr. Mahmood is running for statewide office and why he feels he can be a candidate for change.  There are many races that will be on the ballot in 2018, and the Lt. Governor's race will be an important one.  The Lt. Governor sits on the UC Board of Regents and the CSU Board of Trustees.  The Lt. Governor also serves on the State Lands Commission and is on the Agriculture-Water Transition Task Force.  Whomever you vote for, make sure you find out how the candidate you choose stands on the issues you care about.  Listen in to hear more about where Dr. Mahmood stands on issues such as education, the environment, health care, and the economy of California.

Dr. Asif Mahmood, Candidate for Lt. Governor of California

This episode we speak with Professor Michele Dauber from the Recall Judge Aaron Persky campaign.  Why would a group be working to recall a judge?  Many of you have probably heard of the infamous Brock Turner case that took place in Santa Clara County.  Brock Turner was convicted on three counts of felony sexual assault.  Judge Persky sentenced Turner to a 6 month sentence of which, Turner served only 3.  Normally, a 2 year sentence would be deemed the normal sentence for this crime, but a judge does have leeway to reduce the sentence based on a defendant's lack of criminal history and the effect of the incarceration.  However, as you will hear in this episode, Judge Persky has a pattern of being lenient on defendants in sexual assault cases and even in a case involving child pornography.  Community members came together to form a campaign to recall Judge Persky before his next election in 2022.   It is important to note that a recall vote does not remove a candidate from office, it is simply moving up the election date sooner.  This recall effort will require 90,000 signatures in 160 days, but as you will hear, there is an amazing group of volunteers willing to get the work done.  

Recall Judge Persky

Domestic violence is a problem that plagues too many communities and can often be a difficult topic to even bring up.  October is domestic violence month, so we sat down with Lideres Campesinas in Greenfield to talk about the wonderful work they do to help out women that have been the victims of domestic violence and what they do to support them.  It can especially be a problem in a community facing additional issues such as someone being undocumented, cultural norms, or economic issues that can all hold someone back from speaking out.  Hear from Sorangel and Audelia on what they do to be supportive of women in their community.

Lideres Campesinas

This episode we speak to local artist, Willow Aray.  Monarch butterflies have come to show support for immigrants and Willow painted a mural of a butterfly to encourage people to take their picture with it and show their support for immigrants.  In this episode, hear how one person has used her talents to create something good for the community to share in.  

Willow Aray

We spoke to local Hip-Hop artist, Alaric, a few months ago on the show.  He spoke about his upcoming project that he was working on and he was cool enough to come on and share with us the entire album, Unheard Talent.  Released to Soundcloud on Friday the 13th, you can check it out by searching for Alaric_QP.  We sit down in this episode and talk about what it took to get this album made as well as discussing each track and how they came together.  Anyone can drop a track on Soundcloud, but Alaric put in work to make sure that his album was something to be appreciated.  Listen in and see what goes in to the making of an album!

Alaric, Unheard Talent

This episode, Dom gets to speak with Nurses and Community Members that were out in Watsonville to gather signatures in support of SB562.  SB562 is a bill that would provide healthcare to all Californians.  All across California, community activists were speaking to others in their community to rally support for this important bill that provides a more affordable healthcare option for all!

Medicare For All, Support SB562

What goes into a city budget?  What are the priorities that are considered in that budget, how long does a budget take to write, and how many people need to be spoken to before a budget can be presented?  These aren't questions that we can just google and find the answers to easily, so this week Dom speaks to Matt Pressey, Salinas Finance Director.  Listen in to this episode and learn more about the way our city pays its bills and what the challenges are for Salinas to budget accurately from year to year.  Feel free to let us know what you think after as you Call It What You Will Salinas!

Matt Pressey - Salinas Finance Director

Around the world Ciclovìa festivals are held.  Streets are closed for pedestrians and bicyclists to have free reign to travel.  Booths and activities are set up for the community to take part in.  What makes Salinas Ciclovìa unique, is that our local festival is completely youth organized.  If you have gone an marveled at the organization of the event, know that these young leaders start their planning early and put on what has become a great yearly event.  Listen in to this episode and hear how these young community members became leaders and learned how to collaborate in putting on a wonderful event for Salinas!

Ciclovìa

How hard do you have to look sometimes to see yourself on the tv screen, on the theater screen, or even on a stage at a play?  This week we speak with xago, a longtime Salinas resident that has been active in the arts in our community.  Currently, he is teaching a teatro class at the Monterey County Youth Center to work with talented youth, to better develop their skills and voices.  We talk about the time xago spent at Teatro Campesino, a landmark theater group in nearby San Juan Batista.  xago speaks about the many projects that he has been involved in and that are to come.  Listen in and find out more about some great projects that you can see! 

xago

Understaffed and overworked, members of the Salinas Fire Department are on pace to answer 14-15,000 calls this year.  Salinas is home to 76 firefighters at the taping of this episode and there is room for at least 9 more.  Being understaffed by 9 firefighters may not sound like a lot, but realize that Salinas Firefighters are sent to help in emergencies such as Hurricane Irma and wildfires here in California.  That puts on extra pressure for the firefighters here in town to pick up extra shifts week after week.  This week it's an honor to sit down with Josh Hostetter, President of the Salinas Firefighters Local 1270, and Martin Flores, Salinas born firefighter on 9/11.

Salinas Firefighters

A Salinas podcast group that interviews and discusses Central Coast politics and issues with residents and community groups.

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Call It What You Will Salinas

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