By Joe Livernois
Since we launched in October 2017, Voices of Monterey Bay has offered readers the sort of journalism and meaty news features you won’t find elsewhere.
Voices is making a difference on the Central Coast. As an example, Royal Calkins, our veteran columnist, exposed significant problems at Carmel City Hall. He sued the city to make public documents the City Council used to justify its hiring of a city attorney — and he won the lawsuit despite a fierce challenge from the city. Another example? Julie Reynolds Martinez has been tracking the owners of the two major daily newspapers in the Monterey Bay region, describing why and how they are squeezing the publications dry.
We feature many of the top journalists and writers on the Central Coast, but we also introduce readers to new and important voices in our community.
People are taking notice. Since our launch, we see growth in readership every month. So far in 2018, voicesofmontereybay.org has attracted more than 1.2 million page views.
Our first anniversary has given the founders a chance to take stock of what we’ve been able to accomplish. Of course we are interested in knowing what interests our readers. So we’ve come up with a list of stories that attracted the most readers. We know many of you have only recently jumped aboard Voices and you may have missed some of our more stellar stories, so this list might come in handy.
Our top story turned out to be a real tear-jerker, about an all-league football player who greeted his mother after she was finally able to watch her son on the field. Our Top 20 stories:
#1 Catching up with Alisal Pride
#2 Carmel Mayor Accused of Sexual Harassment
#3 Empty Kitchens
#4 The Case of the Stolen Succulents
#5 A New Season for New Leaf
#6 Joe Arpaio to Visit Carmel Valley
Fresh off a humiliating defeat, Joe Arpaio will visit Monterey County
#7 MILPA Needs to Apologize
Before seeking support, MILPA needs to apologize to our community
#8 Crecencio Padilla Dies
#9 A Good Day to Die
#10 Where Have All the Florists Gone?
#11 A Paper Trail Tale
#12 A Company Town
#13 A Bright and Shining Year at Alisal
#14 A Big Win for Big Sur Cannabis
#15 The Long Road to Work in Big Sur
#16 An Appropriate End to the Prunedale Bypass
A Disappointing But Thoroughly Appropriate End to the Prunedale Bypass
#17 A Happy Skeptic
#18 A Curious Connection to Daryl Gates
#19 Potheads Playing Politics
#20 To Be or Airbnb
