Year in Review
Helping Hands Make a Difference at City
Thank you for your help! Community members from all walks of life, from all age groups and from surrounding cities pitched in this past year to make a difference in Monterey.
With your help, we were able to recruit more volunteers and provide additional quality programs and activities. Nearly 850 active volunteers gave more than 23,500 hours of service!
Some of the activity highlights include:

• a foot patrol that helps monitor our waterfront and downtown area;
• a fire engine wash by local students;
• a homework assistance program at seven afterschool sites;
• a program to help in preserving historic books, photos and maps in the Monterey Public Library’s California History Room; and a day dedicated to painting picnic tables and putting new bark chips into tree wells along streets.

Looking Ahead
Childcare Efforts, Other Projects Move Forward Due to Community Partnerships
Reopening the former Child Development Center on the Presidio of Monterey – a collaborative effort between the City, U.S. Army and community members and organizations – is moving closer to fruition.
We have been working diligently with local Army officials to develop an agreement for community use of the Center which once served military families.
While final agreements are yet to be signed, we anticipate receiving the go-ahead to move forward this fall with building renovations. If everything stays on track, the Childcare Center could be open in early 2000.
Establishing community collaborations helps us deliver many of the high-quality services community members have come to expect. Some other programs and activities that are or will be facilitated by such cooperative efforts include:
The WAVE - Partnerships with local businesses as well as State and area agencies have helped fund the Waterfront Area Visitor Express (WAVE), which reduces traffic by providing low-fare rides to popular destinations throughout Monterey.
We are currently working with some local partners to find a long-term solution for funding the WAVE.

Community of Caring Monterey Peninsula -
We are looking to rally the entire City organization, as well as other businesses and organizations, around Community of Caring Monterey Peninsula, which works to support youth and families in everyday life. The more community members talk about and reinforce the values of trust, respect, responsibility, caring and family, the better. Visit their Web site at http://www.communityofcaringmp.org/
Public, Education and Government Access Television - Community members of all ages will have the opportunity to create TV shows, thanks to a cooperative effort between the City and Access Monterey Peninsula (AMP), a nonprofit organization.
As part of its contract with the City, AMP will provide training opportunities and make equipment available so that organizations and individuals can get their information on air.
For more info call 333.1267 or visit http://www.ampmedia.org/

Kids, Teens Have Activities, Programs Just for Them
What’s a kid to do after school and during breaks in Monterey?
While we offer a wide range of activities all year round to engage youth and teens, we continue to review existing programs to ensure that they meet current community needs and are easily accessible.
This year, we are placing special focus on our youth and teen activities to evaluate their effectiveness. Some of the many programs already offered include:

• The Afterschool Playground programs provide supervised recreation opportunities for children ages 5 to 12 at our Community Centers after school in conjunction with the MPUSD calendar.
• The Homework Pals program provides one-to-one homework assistance and storytimes at seven afterschool sites located throughout the City.
• Theme-based Holiday programs are scheduled at our Community Centers during the fall, winter and spring school breaks.
• Specialty classes and activities including gymnastics; music lessons; arts and crafts and cooking; wrestling and basketball; water safety training and martial arts classes are available throughout the year.

Ways to Get Involved at the City
Tour the City. Get answers to your questions at town hall meetings. Read the City Focus. Attend City Council and commission meetings. Be a volunteer. Watch for City info on the local cable line-up.
We work to provide diverse opportunities for citizen involvement because we want to keep you up-to-date and informed.
Look for a public forum to be held in late October. Watch for activity info in upcoming editions of the City Focus, on our Web site, and in the local media.

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