Hyatt Carmel Highlands Announces Forks. Corks. Action! 2019 Winemaker Dinners

Next Dinner February 28 — Ian Brand Wines

Carmel, CA, January 29, 2019 – Hyatt Carmel Highlands announces the first quarter schedule for its popular Forks.Corks.Action! Winemaker Series for 2019 in the legendary Wine Room.

Learn, swirl, sip and enjoy! Meet the winemakers and enjoy a four-course dinner with wine paired with each course. During the series, winemakers will discuss the history, culture and qualities of the featured wines from Monterey and Santa Cruz County that will accompany Executive Chef Chris Vacca’s seasonal, locally sourced menus.

The Winemakers Series brings guests closer to the producers and personalities that craft the wines we love.

Dates for Winemakers Dinners in the first four months of 2019 are:

February 28 — Ian Brand Wines

March 21 — Coquerel Wines

April 18 — Saxon Brown Wines

The Details:

The California Market at Pacific’s Edge legendary Wine Room located at 120 Highlands Drive, Carmel Highlands

Start time 6 p.m.

Sip featured wines

Meet the winemakers

$130 per person inclusive

Reservations required

To purchase tickets go to:

February 28 — Ian Brand Wines

https://forkscorksactionfebruaryianbrandwines.eventbrite.com

March 21 — Coquerel Wines

https://forkscorksactionmarchcoquerelwines.eventbrite.com

April 18 — Saxon Brown Wines

https://forkscorksactionsaxonbrownwines.eventbrite.com

About Hyatt Carmel Highlands

Perched on the hillside of the Carmel Highlands with breathtaking views of the Pacific Ocean, Hyatt Carmel Highlands combines true Carmel luxury with an approachable and sophisticated spirit. A haven for artists and discerning travelers since its opening in 1917, Hyatt Carmel Highlands features 48 luxuriously renovated guestrooms, including 11 suites, 32 ocean view rooms and five garden view rooms.

Situated only 4 miles from downtown Carmel, Hyatt Carmel Highlands’ idyllic setting and personalized service has attracted families, bridal couples, honeymooners, and privileged travelers for a century. Hyatt Carmel Highlands has been recognized among the world’s finest hotels as part of Condé Nast Traveler’s Gold List and Travel + Leisure’s “T+L 500” World’s Best Hotels.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.hyatt.com/

LinkOptimizer for InDesign Fixes Issues with Umlauts in Image Names

Zevrix Solutions announces LinkOptimizer 5.2.17, a maintenance update to company’s workflow automation tool for Adobe InDesign. LinkOptimizer lets users automatically scale and crop images to their InDesign dimensions at specified target resolution, convert image formats and colors, embed profiles and more. The new version fixes an error caused by processing of images with umlauts and other accented characters in their names, which could affect workflows in German and other European languages.

Toronto (ON), Canada — Zevrix Solutions today announces LinkOptimizer 5.2.17, a maintenance update to its image processing automation solution for Adobe InDesign. LinkOptimizer automates complex image manipulation tasks and helps users reduce the size of InDesign links, save prepress costs, and easily repurpose InDesign documents for web and mobile devices.

The new version fixes an error that prevented LinkOptimizer from properly processing images with umlauts and other accented characters in their names. This update will help simplify workflows of users who work with German, French and other European languages by eliminating the need to replace special characters in image names in order to optimize their InDesign jobs.

“Today LinkOptimizer batched a huge book project and another magazine project in minutes vs. hours. Now I can take the afternoon off and drink beer,” says Brian Donahue, owner of Bedesign studio in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “Thanks for freeing up my afternoon, rather than doing production work.”

LinkOptimizer works automatically with Photoshop to eliminate the excess image data of InDesign links, convert image formats, and perform essential image adjustments. For example, with just a click of a button users can:

Optimize batches of InDesign files and books
-Scale and crop images to match their dimensions in InDesign
-Convert RGB images to specific CMYK profile
-Change their resolution to 300 dpi
-Resave JPEGs as TIFF
-Run a Photoshop action on each image.

As a result users can save gigabytes of disk space and countless hours of optimizing images manually, accelerate document output, reduce job turnaround and cut costs through faster processing.

Pricing and Availability:
LinkOptimizer can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$259.95 (Lite version: $179.95) as well as from Adobe Exchange and authorized resellers. Trial is also available for download. The update is free for LinkOptimizer 5.x users and $130 to upgrade from previous versions. LinkOptimizer requires macOS 10.7-10.14 and Adobe InDesign / Photoshop CS5-CC 2019.

About Zevrix Solutions
Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite and Creative Cloud software, PDF and graphic file diagnostics, as well as Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix Solutions is dedicated to helping professionals increase their profits through automating their everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
858-206-0607
media@zevrix.com

Solutions for Adobe InDesign & the Graphics Industry

Fulham Names Chris Veira to Head Distribution Sales and Harold Thompson to Head North American OEM Sales

Staffing changes come after Fulham achieves record revenue in 2018.

Hawthorne, CA, USA — Fulham Co., Inc., a leading supplier of lighting components and electronics for commercial and specialty applications, today announced that Chris Veira has been promoted from Southwest Distribution Manager to Director of Sales, North American Distribution. Harold Thompson, who has been serving as Northeast OEM Manager, also has been promoted to Director of Sales, North American OEM.

The changes come following the retirement of Richard White, Vice President, U.S. Distribution Channel, and the departure of Mike Bauer, VP of Global Sales, who left for a job outside of the lighting industry. Thanks largely to a commitment to continued innovation in LED lighting, Fulham has just completed 2018 with record company revenue despite market pressures such as increased tariffs and other costs.

During his 13 year career at Fulham, White was responsible for developing business relationships with the top 10 North American electrical and industrial distributors. He also was instrumental in driving Fulham’s e-commerce initiative, including overseeing the company’s Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) and Industry Data Exchange Association (IDEA) initiatives. During White’s tenure both the annual sales volume through distribution and the number of distributors associated with Fulham grew significantly.

Bauer, who was with the company for nearly five years, contributed to Fulham’s growth in the LED and emergency lighting markets, as well as structuring the global sales organization to maximize these types of product sales opportunities. Bauer, who is based in North Carolina, departed in early January for a role closer to his home.

“During my tenture at Fulham, developing bench strength in all of our departments has been a top priority for me,” said Bob Howard-Anderson, CEO of Fulham. “While Mike and Richard will be missed, we are confident that Harold and Chris will continue to drive our business. It’s never easy to see good people depart, but they left on the high note of record revenue.”

Veira has been with Fulham since 2015, helping build and support the southwestern distribution channel. In his new role he will assume responsibility for overseeing all U.S. sales distribution, including providing sales support and bringing on new distributors.

Thompson has been with Fulham since 2006, helping to expand and service the company’s OEM customers throughout the Northeast. In his new role he will assume responsibility for overseeing all North American OEM sales, including major accounts.

Howard-Anderson is acting as the interim head of Global Sales while a new leader is being recruited. Fulham was founded in 1994 so 2019 marks its 25th year in business. The company now employs more than 500 people worldwide in North America, China, India and Europe.

For more information, visit http://www.fulham.com.

About Fulham
Fulham Co., Inc. is a leading global provider of intelligent, socially-conscious sustainable commercial lighting components and electronics for use in commercial general lighting, parking structure, signage, horticultural, UV and other applications. The company develops and manufactures a variety of award-winning LED and emergency products, lighting controls, as well as legacy products across multiple lighting platforms. Fulham sells its lighting solutions worldwide through original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and electrical equipment distribution channels. Headquartered in Hawthorne, Calif., the company has sales and/or manufacturing facilities in the Europe, China, and India. For more information, visit http://www.fulham.com, @FulhamUSA or @FulhamEurope.

Media Contact:
Andy Firchau
Marketing Manager
Fulham Co., Inc.
Phone: +1 (323) 779-2980, ext. 1252
afirchau@fulham.com

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Output Factory for InDesign Now Supports Conditional Text Variables

Zevrix Solutions announces Output Factory 2.3.15, a maintenance update to company’s output automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Output Factory automates printing, exporting and preflighting from InDesign. The app offers batch processing, page group export, layer versioning, custom scripts integration and other time-saving options. The new version lets users insert conditional text from InDesign documents into the output file names, and introduces support for the SoftwareKey licensing system.

Toronto (ON), Canada — Zevrix Solutions today announces the release of Output Factory 2.3.15, a maintenance update to company’s output automation tool for Adobe InDesign. Awarded 5 stars by InDesign Magazine, Output Factory automates and simplifies workflows of publishers, printers, prepress houses, and ad agencies worldwide. The software helps eliminate repetitive tasks and costly errors through batch processing with time-saving output options.

The new version lets users harness the power of InDesign conditional text variables by inserting conditional text directly into the output file names. Conditional text allows users to show and hide bits of text to output various versions from the same InDesign document. The update also adds integration of the SoftwareKey licensing system which simplifies the software activation process and enables users to easily manage their licenses in a personal online license portal.

“With Output Factory, I’ve got our magazine production down to six minutes from three hours,” says Jeff Middleton, a Toronto, Canada based graphic designer. “Once I set up all my presets, it was insane how fast it was. I load all my InDesign docs into Output Factory, press play, go grab a coffee and come back to my entire magazine.”

Output Factory supports printing as well as exporting to PDF, PostScript, EPS, Flash, IDML, EPUB and several image formats. It offers the following key features:

Batch output of InDesign files
-Export every n pages as a single PDF file
-Output files to multiple formats with one click
Variable output file names
-Create PDF security presets
-Layer versioning: output layer combinations as single files
-Eliminate errors with automatic preflight

Pricing and Availability:
Output Factory can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$169.95 (Lite version $119.95), as well as from authorized resellers and Adobe Exchange. Trial is also available for download. The update is free for the users of Output Factory 2.x, and $84.97 to upgrade from Output Factory 1.x and BatchOutput. Output Factory requires macOS 10.7-10.14 and Adobe InDesign CS3-CC 2019.

About Zevrix Solutions
Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite software, PDF workflows, graphic file diagnostics, file delivery and Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix is dedicated to help professionals increase their profits through automating everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
858-206-0607
media@zevrix.com

Solutions for Adobe InDesign & the Graphics Industry

FED Publishing Releases New Book, “The Liebold Protocol” by Michael McMenamin & Kathleen McMenamin

The Liebold Protocol, A Mattie McGary + Winston Churchill 1930s Adventure by Michael McMenamin & Kathleen McMenamin, continues the chronicles of Winston Churchill’s goddaughter Mattie McGary inside the Nazi empire.

Cleveland, OH, USA — In her latest adventure, The Liebold Protocol, Winston Churchill’s Scottish goddaughter, Mattie McGary, the adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist, reluctantly returns to Nazi Germany in the summer of 1934 and once again finds herself in deadly peril in a gangster state where widespread kidnappings and ransoms by the SA and SS are sanctioned by the new Nazi government.

It didn’t begin that way. At Churchill’s suggestion, Mattie initially investigates one of the best-kept secrets of the Great War-that in 1915, facilitated by a sinister German-American agent working for Henry Ford, British Empire and Imperial German officials essentially committed treason by agreeing Britain would sell raw rubber to Germany in exchange for it selling precision optical equipment to Britain. Why? To keep the war going and the profits flowing. After Mattie interviews Ford’s German-American go-between, however, agents of Scotland Yard’s Special Branch are sent by Churchill’s political opponents in the British government to rough her up and warn her she will be prosecuted under the Official Secrets Act unless she backs off the story.

Left no choice, Mattie sets out for Germany to investigate the story from the German side and to interview the German nobleman who negotiated the optics for rubber deal with the British. Once In Germany, however, Mattie lands right in the middle of a potential civil war between the SA Brown Shirts of Ernst Rohm who want a true socialist ‘second revolution’ to follow Hitler’s stunning first revolution in 1933 and Adolf Hitler who believes one revolution is enough. Mattie learns that Hitler has ordered his SS to assassinate all the senior leadership of Ernst Rohm’s SA Brown Shirts as well as other political enemies on Saturday 30 June, an event known to History as ‘The Night of the Long Knives’.

Mattie soon learns she is threatened from two sides and must flee Germany to save her life. Not only does the German-American working for Henry Ford want her story on the Great War optics for rubber treason killed, he wants her dead along with it. Worse, Mattie’s nemesis, the ‘Blond Beast’ of the SS, Reinhard Heydrich, is in charge of Hitler’s ‘Night of the Long Knives’ purge and he’s secretly put her name on his list of targets…

The McMenamin writing teams are award-winning, and one should not expect anything different from The Liebold Protocol.

Three-Time Grand Prize Winner Fiction, Next Generation Indie Book Awards.
Three-Time Thriller/Suspense Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews.
Two-Time Historical Fiction Book of the Year, ForeWord Reviews.

Michael McMenamin is the co-author with his son Patrick of the first five award-winning 1930s era historical novels featuring Winston Churchill and his fictional Scottish goddaughter, the adventure-seeking Hearst photojournalist Mattie McGary. The first five novels in the series-The DeValera Deception, The Parsifal Pursuit, The Gemini Agenda, The Berghof Betrayal and The Silver Mosaic-received a total of 15 literary awards. He is currently at work with his daughter Kathleen McMenamin on the eighth Mattie + Winston historical adventure, The Prussian Memorandum. He is also the author of Becoming Winston Churchill, a joint biography of the young Churchill and his Irish-American mentor, the New York lawyer and statesman Bourke Cockran.

Kathleen, the other half of the father-daughter writing team, has been editing her father’s writing for longer than she cares to remember. She is the co-author with her father of the 2018 novella, Appointment in Prague, A Mattie McGary + Winston Churchill World War II Adventure. She also is the co-author with her sister Kelly of the critically acclaimed Organize Your Way: Simple Strategies for Every Personality [Sterling, 2017].

Visit the authors at: http://www.winstonchurchillthrillers.com / http://www.facebook.com/WinstonChurchillThrillers.

Genre – Ernst Rohm, SA Brown Shirts, Socialist Second Revolution, Reinhard Heydrich, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Mattie McGary

The ebook version of The Liebold Protocol ISBN 9781506907536, published by First Edition Design Publishing (http://www.firsteditiondesignpublishing.com), is available on-line wherever ebooks are sold. The 168 page print book version, ISBN 9781506907529, and hardback ISBN 9781506907512, is published by First Edition Design Publishing and distributed worldwide to online booksellers.

Media Contact:
Michael McMenamin
+1(941)921-2607
wsc_mcmenamin13@yahoo.com

Calling All Student Artists!

The Salinas Union High School District is Holding a Contest Open to All Students for a new Visual Identity (logo) for its Career Technical Education (CTE) Program

Salinas, CA, January 21, 2019 — The Salinas Union High School District needs a new visual identity (logo) and needs your help for its Career Technical Education (CTE) program.

The logo should be recognizable and help promote our organization’s mission, Mission Trails ROP/CTE prepares students to be career-ready by providing them with relevant skills.

The rest is up to you!

* Help create the vision for our future.

* Are you creative?

* Do you have an eye for design?

* WE WANT YOU!

THE RULES:

We want an eye-catching, legible and professional-looking logo. Don’t worry if you don’t have the latest software — rough sketches and illustrations will also be accepted. We’ll work with you to prepare a digital file if your logo is selected. You may submit the logo in any color options you wish but should be limited to no more than two singular colors. Be careful with the use of screens and gradients. The logo must also be legible as a single-color logo (preferably black). Submitted logos cannot contain copyrighted material —they must be completely original designs. This contest is limited only to students within the Salinas Union High School District.

Contest entry forms are available https://www.salinasuhsd.org/domain/91. Email entries to: mission.trails.rop.cte@gmail.com

Or mail entries to: Salinas Unified School District Mission Trails CTE Logo Design Contest 867 E. Laurel Dr.
Salinas, CA 93905

The winning artist will win bragging rights to all of their friends, family and fellow students as well as a $100 gift certificate to dinner at Portobello’s in Salinas and an Amazon Kindle e-reader.

For more information, call (831) 753-4209.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

https://www.salinasuhsd.org

LinkOptimizer for Adobe InDesign Now Supports Creative Cloud 2019

Zevrix Solutions announces LinkOptimizer 5.2.12, a compatibility update to company’s workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. LinkOptimizer lets users automatically scale and crop images to their InDesign dimensions at specified target resolution, convert image formats, adjust sharpening, convert colors, run Photoshop actions, rename links and more. The new version makes LinkOptimizer compatible with InDesign CC 2019 and introduces support for the SoftwareKey licensing system.

Toronto (ON), Canada — Zevrix Solutions today announces LinkOptimizer 5.2.12, a compatibility update to the company’s workflow automation solution for Adobe InDesign. Awarded 4 out of 5 stars by Computer Arts magazine, LinkOptimizer automates complex image manipulation tasks and allows to significantly reduce the size of InDesign links, save processing time and reduce production costs.

The new version makes LinkOptimizer compatible with the recently released InDesign and Photoshop CC 2019, and is offered free of charge to licensed users. The same version of LinkOptimizer can be used with any version of InDesign from CS5 and later. The update also introduces support for the SoftwareKey licensing system which simplifies the software activation process and enables users to easily manage their licenses in a personal online license portal.

“LinkOptimizer makes me extremely happy”, says Nynke Tiekstra, the owner of design studio ColtsfootMedia in Friesland, Netherlands, “It converted 10000 images in a 1800 pages project saving us at least 40 hours work, and it proved to be 100% accurate.”

LinkOptimizer works automatically with Photoshop to eliminate the excess image data of InDesign links, perform essential image adjustments and convert image formats. For example, with just a click of a button users can:

Scale and crop images to match their dimensions in InDesign
-Change their resolution to 300 dpi
Convert RGB images to a CMYK profile
-Resave PNG files as TIFF
Run a Photoshop action on each image

At the end of processing, LinkOptimizer reimports images to InDesign at 100% in their precise position. As a result, users can save gigabytes of disk space, accelerate document output, reduce job turnaround and cut costs through faster processing.

Pricing and Availability:
LinkOptimizer can be purchased from Zevrix website for US$259.95 (Light version: $179.95) as well as from Adobe Exchange and authorized resellers. Trial is also available for download. The update is free for LinkOptimizer 5.x users and $130 to upgrade from previous versions. LinkOptimizer requires macOS 10.7-10.14 and Adobe InDesign / Photoshop CS5-CC 2019.

About Zevrix Solutions
Located in Toronto, Canada, Zevrix Solutions provides productivity solutions for Adobe Creative Suite and Creative Cloud software, PDF and graphic file diagnostics, as well as Microsoft Office on Mac OS. Zevrix Solutions is dedicated to helping professionals increase their profits through automating their everyday tasks, producing error-free documents, saving disk space and cutting production costs. For more information, visit http://www.zevrix.com.

Contact:
Leo Revzin
Owner
Zevrix Solutions
105 McCAUL St, Suite 301
Toronto Ontario M5T 2X4 Canada
858-206-0607
media@zevrix.com

Solutions for Adobe InDesign & the Graphics Industry

Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union’s Teddy Bears on Patrol Program Delivers 2,100 Toy Bears to Children in Need in 2018

For More than 20 Years, Teddy Bears on Patrol Continues to Bring Joy Over the Holidays.

San Jose, CA, USA — The Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union (http://www.sccfcu.org) is pleased to announce another successful year for its Teddy Bears on Patrol holiday program. This year, Teddy Bears on Patrol was able to bring 2,100 stuffed bears to cheer up needy children.

For more than 20 years, County Federal has sponsored the Teddy Bears on Patrol Program along with local law enforcement agencies, school districts, and organizations such as Santa Clara County Social Services, Parents Helping Parents, and the Rosa Elena Childcare Center (part of Respite & Research for Alzheimer’s Disease). The program was created to bring joy to children suffering from trauma or illness.

“The holiday season is a time of caring and sharing. Giving needy children their own teddy bear to love and comfort is our way of showing we care about our kids,” said Rebecca Reynolds Lytle, President and CEO of County Federal. “This has been a highly successful program over the years and our law enforcement and medical professional partners get just as much joy out of this tradition as we do. There’s nothing that brings more joy and comfort to a child in need than a teddy bear.”

New teddy bears were donated from mid-October to mid-December at County Federal branches. Cash donations were also accepted from County Federal members, as the credit union arranged to have bears purchased on their behalf. This year, County Federal employees held an internal challenge and were able to raise more than $1,000 in two hours to purchase even more teddy bears for the kids.

For more information, visit http://www.sccfcu.org/teddy.

About Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union
For more than 68 years Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union has been bettering the lives of county, city, and school employees and affiliated organizations. In addition to maintaining a passionate commitment to provide knowledgeable financial solutions to its members, County Federal also maintains an extensive community outreach program, providing educational support through its scholarship program and dedicating time and resources to a variety of regional non-profit organizations. County Federal offers a comprehensive line of financial products and preferred rates and is committed to empowering, enriching and enhancing members’ financial lives.

For more information, visit http://www.sccfcu.org.

Media Contact:
Marilyn Avalos
Santa Clara County Federal Credit Union
408.282.0782
mavalos@sccfcu.org

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9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival From Hollywood to Bollywood Award-Winning Movies, Speakers, Receptions March 2-17, 2019

The 9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival (CJFF), featuring eight films from six countries, noted speakers, and panel discussions, will be held March 2-17, 2019.

Carmel, CA, January 17, 2019 – The 9th Annual Carmel Jewish Film Festival (CJFF), featuring eight films from six countries, noted speakers, and panel discussions, will be held March 2-17, 2019. Film information, dates, venues and times can be found on the CJFF website (www.carmeljff.org). Tickets are available either through the website or by calling (800) 838-3006.

Festival highlights include:

— Opening Night (March 2): Carl Laemmle, a documentary about the man who began the Hollywood film studio industry, followed by a Q &A with Greg Laemmle, President of Laemmle Theaters in Los Angeles.

— The return to the CJFF of two notable film makers: Roberta Grossman and Dani Menkin.

Grossman (Hava Nagila: The Movie, Above & Beyond) will discuss her award-winning documentary Who Will Write Our History on Sunday afternoon, March 3. The film transports its viewers inside the Warsaw Ghetto, where a group of journalists, scholars, and community leaders secretly buried documents that are later discovered after WWII. She also will serve as Scholar-in-Residence at Congregation Beth Israel on Friday and Saturday, March 1 and 2.

Dani Menkin (Dolphin Boy, On the Map) returns with his film Picture of His Life, a documentary about renowned underwater wildlife photographer and Pacific Grove resident Amos Nachoum. Both Menkin and Nachoum will participate in a Q & A following the film on Saturday evening, March 9.

— The CJFF will partner with the Center for Spiritual Awakening, Pacific Grove, on March 6 to present Itzhak, the Grammy Award-nominated (Best Music Film) documentary that explores the life of renowned violinist Itzhak Perlman.

— Partnering with The Village Project, Inc., Seaside, on Sunday, March 10, the CJFF will screen the Dutch film, An Act of Defiance, a nail-biting political thriller that explores the dark period in South Africa’s recent history, when 10 political activists, including Nelson Mandela, face a possible death sentence after being arrested by the apartheid government.

— The CJFF’s Second Annual Night of Shorts will feature five short films on Tuesday, March 12. Israeli film director Keren Hantman will discuss her film, Masks On, about Israeli families living under the threat of biological warfare.

— A reception with Indian food and dancing precedes Shalom Bollywood, a film about the role of Jewish women in the early Bollywood industry, on Closing Night, March 17.

As the only Jewish film festival in Monterey County, we serve all residents in efforts to promote understanding, respect, and cooperation through education using the medium of film. While informed by a uniquely Jewish sensibility, our films communicate themes and messages with universal appeal to a wide audience drawn from the Monterey Peninsula and beyond. Our festival’s accompanying programs further engage mind and heart through discussion and social interaction. We hope that our Festival will help bridge cultural and religious differences and contribute to community solidarity and peace.

Additional information about all films and events, including ticket prices, can be found on the Carmel Jewish Film Festival website (www.carmeljff.org).

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.carmeljff.org

Monterey County: The Ideal Place to find a New You in the New Year

Monterey County embodies the perfect backdrop to uncover a new, relaxed and inspired you in 2019.

Monterey, CA, January 16, 2019 – Monterey County embodies the perfect backdrop to uncover a new, relaxed and inspired you in 2019. The natural beauty of California’s Central Coast redwood forests, verdant valleys and sweeping, towering cliffs overlooking the Pacific Ocean will erase stress and inspires a new state of being.

“With plentiful offerings that will rejuvenate mind, body and soul, Monterey County is the ultimate destination for travelers to disconnect and focus on themselves in the New Year,” says Rob O’Keefe, Chief Marketing Officer for the Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB). “From spas and meditation studios to hiking trails and literary sites, travelers will surely be relaxed and revitalizedafter a trip to Monterey County.”

Below are some ideas for the perfect new you escape to Monterey County:

The newest luxury resort in Marina, The Spa at Sanctuary Beach Resortleavesguests feeling refreshed and inspired with their range of custom treatments focusing on body care and total wellness. For ultimate pampering time, guests can indulge in the unique Salt Wood Spa RX treatment, a sea salt exfoliation using seasonally inspired salt blends to aid the body in releasing toxins while unveiling a healthy glow. For head to toe relaxation, The Spa at Sanctuary Beach Resort offersthe Pacific Ocean Body Treatment – a basalt stone face massage, mineral rich seaweed body mask and a full body massage.

To further cultivate and elevate well-being, consciousness and kindness, visit Monterey Bay Meditation Studio for a variety of movement, nature and relational meditation sessions, retreats and courses. Sessions are held on the beach, in the forest, by the river, and in meadows throughout Monterey County, as well as in their ocean-view studio in Pacific Grove. In 2019, the studio will be offering a Conscious Living Series, which includes several courses focusing on different aspects of incorporating mindfulness into daily life.

Among the rolling hills and sun-dappled vineyards of Carmel Valley, the Spa at Bernardus Lodge offers a variety of unique experiences for rejuvenation, inspiration and indulgence. With seasonal body treatments focusing on the solstices and equinoxes, the experiences integrate celestial reminders to take time for ourselves; reflect on the past, renew for the future and optimize balance.

Find inner peace at Refuge in Carmel – America’s first co-ed outdoor relaxation spa. This sanctuary is a wellness paradise offering the ultimate in relaxation through a three-step thermal cycle featuring a cedar sauna with Himalayan salt walls, eucalyptus infused steam rooms, cold plunges, and warm pools with thermal waterfalls. Repeated use of Refuge’s thermal cycle soothes aches and pains, speeds up metabolism, and enhances muscle recuperation– the perfect recipe for a new you.

More than 50 years ago, the Esalen Institute was founded as a retreat and educational center focused on creating a space where people could explore holistic approaches to wellness and personal transformation. Esalen attracts a worldwide network of teachers and seekers who look beyond dogma to explore deeper spiritual possibilities; forge new understandings of self and society; and pioneer new paths for change. Located in Big Sur, visitors can enjoy a plethora of experiences from moonlit baths in natural hot springs to unique forms of massage that focus on energy exchange and psychological well-being.

To expand the mind in the New Year, don’t miss out on some of Monterey’s most notable literary sites including the National Steinbeck Center in downtown Salinas, Robinson Jeffers’ Tor House in charming Carmel-by-the-Sea and the Henry Miller Library in majestic Big Sur.

Visitors looking to reconnect with nature will discover the exquisite beauty of Monterey County’s great outdoors. Take a stroll or bike ride along the 18-mile scenic stretchof the Monterey Bay Coastal Recreation Trail from Castroville (also known as the “Artichoke Capital of the World”) in the North, to Pacific Grove in the South. Picnic on the white sands of Carmel Beach, hike through Fort Ord National Monumentor explore Pebble Beach’s gentle tide pools.

Learn how to unplug and discover mindfulness in beautiful Monterey Countyby uncoveringincredible, life changing, and enriching experiences. Additionally, Monterey County has become one of the country’s leaders in sustainable travel while offering unforgettable moments. Visitors are asked to practice responsible travel that will help minimize negative impacts to the environment, and preserve the cultural and natural resources of the destination. Visit responsibly and preserve the wonder of Monterey County on the beautiful California Central Coast in the New Year, and for years to come.

CONTACT:

Jessica Lessard, Monterey County CVB

(831) 657-6413; JLessard@SeeMonterey.com

ABOUT MONTEREY COUNTY CONVENTION & VISITORS BUREAU

The Monterey County Convention & Visitors Bureau (MCCVB) is a 501c6 non-profit destination marketing organization that drives tourism for Monterey County as a premier destination to leisure and business travelers. Tourism is the largest industry on the Monterey Peninsula and the second largest in the County. MCCVB is a partnership of the hospitality community and local governments that drives business growth through compelling marketing and targeted sales initiatives that maximize the benefits of tourism to our guests, members and the community. Travel spending in Monterey County was $2.85 billion in 2017, representing a 3.5 percent increase from 2016. Visitor spending supported 24,990 jobs, contributed $255 million in total taxes and generated $127 million local tax dollars that directly benefited the community.

Contact:

Marci Bracco Cain

Chatterbox PR

Salinas, CA 93901

(831) 747-7455

http://www.SeeMonterey.com