Archive for the ‘Local Events’ Category

2011 Next Generation Jazz Orchestra photograph ©Robert Wade

From Frank Sinatra and Justin Timberlake to the Beatles and Snoop Dogg, every single musical act since 1950 owes their music in some way to Jazz. What started in the Deep South way back in the early 1900′s can now be seen in music the world over. While Jazz remains somewhat of a niche music in its purest form, Jazz festivals from Monterey to Newport to Rhode Island have showcased this wonderful artistic form for millions of people.

The next generation of Jazz musicians and singers will grace stages throughout Monterey during the Next Generation Jazz Festival, presented by the Monterey Jazz Festival, March 30-April 1 2012. The festival, which invites middle school, high school and college age solo artists, combos, big bands to compete in the three day competition sends the top three winners in each category to perform at the 55th Annual Jazz Festival in September. In addition, there is also a composer’s division, where the winner’s song is performed by the Next Generation Jazz Festival Orchestra at September event.

The bulk of the Next Generation Jazz Festival and festival headquarters are located in downtown Monterey at the Monterey Conference Center and the Portola Hotel & Spa, host of the event.

All the events, from the Friday night’s Kick-Off concert through the close of the competition on Sunday are free and open to the public.  So if you want to catch some cool kids, hot Jazz and some of the country’s best and brightest musicians, swing by the festival and be amazed at what these talented students can do!

There are a lot of ways for a company to get involved in the green movement. For some, it’s a small step, like changing out their light bulbs for a more energy efficient variety. For others, it might be starting to offer green products or utilizing green vendors. For a handful of companies, however, they have completely transformed the manner in which they do business to become better environmental stewards to their community.

We are proud to say that Portola Hotel & Spa is in this last category. Not only are they the first and only LEED^® (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Green Building Rating System™ certified hotel in the local region, but their staff is at the forefront of the movement and actively participating in green initiatives outside of the hotel, through what they call their Green LEEDers Program. 

During World Water Day on March 22^nd, Portola Hotel & Spa staff participated in the 2012 Del Monte Beach Cleanup facilitated by local non-profit, Save Our Shores and Co-Sponsor Whole Foods Market. This annual event teams up groups of volunteers with Save Our Shores members to help clean the Pirates Cove area of Del Monte Beach near Fisherman’s Wharf. In addition to being an event sponsor, 45 Portola Hotel & Spa employees, including 25 members of the housekeeping staff, collected trash and garbage that might have otherwise ended up in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.

With a commitment to environmental stewardship and working with local, regional and national entities to bring a greater awareness to everyday green practices, the Portola Hotel & Spa is looking forward to keeping our Central Coast Living fans updated with all their activities that help remind us to reduce, reuse and recycle, one step, one day at a time.

Visit World Water Day online to learn more about how you can become involved in World Water Day, every day of the year!