In today’s afternoon newscast:
A busy Easter Sunday expected at Monterey County parks
The busiest day of the year for Monterey County day-use parks isn’t July 4 or Memorial Day. It’s Easter.
“We usually have people lined out in front of Toro Park at upwards [of] four o'clock in the morning,” said Bryan Flores, Monterey County Chief of Parks.
If you’re one of the 10,000 people Flores expects to show up at county parks on Sunday, be prepared for the hunger games.
“When we open the gate, it's literally like the running of the bulls,” he said. “People are literally running across the grass and running down the road—on bicycles, in their cars—trying to get their favorite picnic spot.”
Often, he says, big families choose parks because everyone can’t fit in one home. But sometimes, they bring parts of their homes with them.
“Some people are bringing in full kitchen setups, unloading huge barbecues,” he said.
Flores says there are some important rules visitors should keep in mind.
“ Dogs on leash, no alcohol, no confetti eggs. Clean up after yourself, pack it in, pack it out.”
If you happen to snag a spot at Royal Oaks Park, you might just run into Flores in an Easter bunny costume.
Appeals court ruling on homelessness funding
Funding to prevent homelessness is looking more secure after a federal appeals court on Wednesday kept in place a block from a lower court.
That’s another blow to the Trump administration’s efforts to radically change the landscape of federal homelessness funding.
The ruling prevents new grant requirements from the Department of Housing and Urban Development from taking effect.
Those restrictions took aim at permanent housing programs.
Homelessness experts say the changes would have threatened housing stability for tens of thousands of people across the country, including dozens on the Central Coast.
