Salinas Underground

Our candidate interview series done in partnership with Voices of Monterey Bay continues with Carla Gonzalez, who is running for city council in the 1st district. What pushes a lifelong resident into politics, and what do they expect to get done? All that and more as the latest candidate sits in our hot seat!

In the first installment of our series of candidate interviews done with the help of our friends at Voices of Monterey Bay, we talk to Anthony Rocha, candidate for City Council in the 6th district of Salinas. He may be young, but he already has a lot of political experience and feels ready to take the next step. Listen as he answers questions from Oz and his co-host for the series Claudia Melendez.

Alisal. Riker. Sherwood. If you grew up in Salinas, you are probably familiar with these names, but have you ever wondered the story behind them? We go back over 200 years of Salinas history to uncover some of the stories that have been forgotten over the years but tell the tale of our beloved little city. From Mexico to Mexicans and a lot of stuff in between, this story is a wild ride! This episode is sponsored by our old friends XL Publichouse. They are open from Wednesday - Saturday from 2 - 8:30 and have curbside and home delivery available.

Over the last year, the network that produces the podcast has come out with several new shows, and this week we talk to the hosts of one of the latest shows on the Salad Bytes Media Network. Sal and Cruz host the Nakama Podcast, which will be a weekly review of the anime world, and we are excited to have them on the network! They listen in as Oz gives us some construction updates around Salinas then they tell us all about themselves and their plan for their podcast. 

Politics are often a polarizing subject, but the recent loss of longtime Salinas Mayor Joe Gunther broke that divide and brought the community together for a moment. We talk about the mayor and the future of our beloved city in the only way we know with whiskey, coffee, and some laughs.

This episode is not as political as the title may imply Oz just thinks he's talented at coming up with titles. As businesses around Salinas get ready to re-open after months of being shut down, we talk about what we look forward to visiting again. We also bring up the recent social uprising around the country that has now been adopted by most of the world. We solve as many solutions as three people with beer and herbage in their system can, which is not many.

Electro from the Electro and Banno Movie Power Hour podcast is back to help us through this shelter-in-place order that is pushing our social limits. We give a quick update on the Oldtown project that is all of a sudden on unstable ground and talk about a couple of housing projects that are in the works in Salinas. Keeping up the topic of instability, we also discuss the racist actions of one of Salinas councilmember and what it says about our leadership not only locally but also on a national level.

Most of Salinas is still sheltering in place, but Electro from the Electro and Banno Movie Power Hour is back to keep Oz company for another episode. Oz talks about his backyard that he is turning into a COVID oasis with trees, trails, a garden, and a pond. They also talk about a couple of projects that are about to get going around town, including a new sidewalk on Laurel that will finally connect the soccer fields with the Eastside.

It looks like this shelter in place will keep going till at least the end of May but don't worry we got a cure for your "stay at home blues." This episode is dedicated to introducing everyone to the other shows on the Salad Bytes Media network. Together we will get through the madness so go check them out. Don't forget to subscribe to all of them so you never miss an episode. Here's a quick rundown: The Electro and Banno Movie Powe Hour (@theelectroandbannomph) A movie review podcast not for the faint of heart. If you want to know which movies are worth watching and which you should skip the Power Hour has your back! This is a show best enjoyed after a couple of brews and joints. 831 Comadres (@831 Comadres) Frenchy and Samantha are the two powerful women behind 831 Comadres. They talk about a variety of different issues relating to going through life as a Latina woman. If you have been sitting around wondering what your next step in life is then this podcast is for you! Dizzy Nerds Podcast (@dizzynerds) Crue

The news cycle seems to be a 24-hour scare-a-thon about the current COVID-19 outbreak around the world. We should be taking it seriously and following all possible precautions, but we must also remember that other parts of life are still moving forward. Like the re-building of three blocks of Oldtown sidewalks and the change of Main St traffic from one-way to two-ways. Also, it looks like a new pedestrian bridge is going up at the Sports Complex, and a new truck stop is being built by the airport. Lots to talk about, none of it doomsday related.

The world is going crazy over a virus, and Oz doesn't have health insurance, so he got creative when seeking medical advice. Dr. John Silva and Dr. Blair Cushing are two family health doctors that did not come on the podcast to talk about Coronavirus. Instead, they talk about their work with families in the Salinas Valley. Dr. Cushing also talks about traveling twice a month to the Texas/Mexico border to help out with the awful situation that is going on.

Monterey County, as a whole, and Salinas, in particular, has been at the center of California's legal cannabis revolution. Other than consuming it, Oz knows little about how a plant ends up in neat little packages on store shelves. Abraham, David, and Benny are three guys that have seen the industry grow from all sides. They sit down with Oz to talk about what is going on in Monterey County and where they expect the industry to grow.

Rob from Masa for the Raza is back to talk about all the events he has heard about and made it out to this year. If you do not follow his page on Instagram then you are missing out on a lot of cool stuff that is happening not only in Salinas but the whole Monterey Bay area as well!! This week he talks about some of the more memorable events of the last year and what he is looking forward to in 2020.

This week on the podcast, we talk to the hosts of one of the newest podcasts on our network. Sam and Frenchy are the two people behind 831 Comadres where "nothing is off the table cuando estas entre comadres!" They are here to tell us all about how they met, where the idea came from, and what they plan to talk about on the podcast. If you like what they have to say, follow then on Instagram and be on the lookout for their first episode!

Starting your own business is tough. Taking over an established business with a loyal clientele might be tougher. That is the challenge that three guys from Salinas took when they bought XL Publichouse earlier this year. We sit down with two of them to discuss their history and how they ended up owning Salinas' first craft beer bar and what their plans are for the future.

One day you are traveling around the country putting on events and the next day you learn that you are in a fight for your life. At 30-years-old this was the reality that Sergio Alejo was facing but he didn’t give up. Now 7 years later he opened up his second brick-and-mortar location in Salinas. Stonies Taphouse and Bistro is part craft beer bar part BBQ joint and Sergio is here to tell us his amazing story of how it all came together.

Housing is one of the most significant issues faced by a lot of Salinas residents. Viviendas Para Todos is a group of people from different walks of life with one common goal, fair and affordable housing for all citizens of Salinas. They came together after meeting each other at various community events, and now they are one group working towards a common goal. In this conversation, we talk about how they came together and what they are asking for from city officials.

There are around 160,000 people in Salinas, each with their own unique story to tell. We probably won't get to all of them, but in this episode, we talk to Silvia Trejo, who has a fantastic story to tell. From arriving in the US in style in a Grand Am to eating well to live a healthier life, our conversation was a great learning experience for us.

Flying through the air and getting slammed on canvas is not something that seems like a good time to us but our guest lives for it. Grace Jackson is a member of Big Time Wrestling a company that puts on wrestling shows all over the Bay Area including Salinas. She talks about her experiences in the independent wrestling circuit how she got involved and what her plans are for the future.

Our old friend James sits in on this episode to talk dirty lettuce. There is no better way to unite Salinas than to say our produce is making people sick. That get's us thinking how we can rally behind all the other cool stuff going on around town. Or do we do that already? Oz also lays out his plan for a "Salad Days" festival that would celebrate both the Salad Bowl and John Steinbeck.