Relay for life would have taken place this past weekend on July 11th and 12th at the Campbell Community Center. This year, the annual event took place virtually as the relayers continued working to raise money for the fight against cancer while sheltered in place.

If you missed this event, you can chip in a donation still. You can find a team that you want to support through the Relay for Life website or you can choose to make a donation in the name of Relay for Life Campbell.
https://secure.acsevents.org/site/STR?pg=entry&fr_id=96460

Relayers, feel free to post shout outs and links to your fundraising pages on this Facebook post if you have anything to share with the community.

See below for photos from last year's RFL event.

Ugh, so it turns out that winter's not over for some of our bears. Our salons, spas, and fitness studios are going to need to return to hibernation after all of this excitement. They'll have to shut down again starting on Wednesday, July 15th so if you have an appointment on Tuesday, it's still valid unless they called you to cancel.

Naturally, we're disappointed, but safety comes first and if Santa Clara County Public Health and the State of California saw something that forced them to reverse course, we know it wasn't a decision taken lightly. We moved ahead under the approval of the public health department and now we're stepping back under the guidance of public health.

Please remember that today's order only affects the businesses that were permitted to resume today so it doesn't affect outdoor dining or our retail shops. Remember that you can always support our restaurants and retailers with curbside and takeout. Be safe and remember to wear a mask when you come down here.

On July 13, 2020, the State of California ordered the following businesses to close indoor operations in Monterey County:

Hair Salons and Barbershops
Personal Care Services (i.e., nail and skin care, tattoo parlors)
Fitness Centers
Offices for Non-Critical Sectors
Malls
Places of Worship

For more information, read:
California State Health Officer's Order of July 13
CA Dept. of Public Health's Guidance on Order of July 13

On July 13, 2020, the State of California ordered the following businesses to close indoor operations in Monterey County:

Hair Salons and Barbershops
Personal Care Services (nail and skin care, waxing, lashes, tattoo parlors)
Fitness Centers
Offices for Non-Critical Sectors
Malls
Places of Worship

For more information, read:
California State Health Officer's Order of July 13
CA Dept. of Public Health's Guidance on Order of July 13

In these very strange days, both of these opposing realities seem true: every day is Groundhog's Day and things are changing so fast you're not sure what to do.

Control what you can control. Stay centered. Don't get too high or too low.

It's easy to say and hard to do, but it's important enough that it bears repeating. Don't get too high and don't get too low. Stay centered. Control what you can.

Dream small if that's all that's within reach, but work up to something more when you feel up for it. Maybe that's tomorrow. Maybe that's in a year. Just keep in mind what you want your life to look like when this too passes.

Thank you to Murray Ellis (IG: @skydio2_in_cali) for this great sky video of Downtown Campbell winding down after another day.

?:@skydio2_in_cali

FINALLY! Starting on Monday, July 13th, you can once again get a haircut, or a massage, or attend a fitness class in Downtown Campbell again... but there are conditions.

Some services may not be available due to public health requirements and some services may need to be modified. For example, you won't be able to get a facial because you need to be wearing a face mask at all times when you're indoors. At least one of our fitness studios is exercising an abundance of caution and will only hold small classes outdoors or virtually. There's a lot of new normal that we have to get used to so please be understanding.

Things Aren't Normal

Please also keep in mind that our salons, spas, and fitness services been shut down for almost four months and there might be some hiccups in the first couple of weeks as everyone gets back into the swing of things. Then also keep in mind that as much as we want to just enjoy what simple luxuries we're able to have, things are not normal. Everyone will be learning how to operate their businesses differently from what they were used to back in March.

Hours may be erratic, especially in the initial weeks. Nobody really knows how much demand they need to fill so expect hours to change from week to week for a while until things stabilize. Some places might not have the staffing ready on July 13th to offer their normal hours. Please plan ahead and book your appointments in advance. Many places won't be able to squeeze you in if you just show up off the street.

Downtown Campbell Business Directory

• Wellness and Fitness
• Beauty and Massage

Just about everything that can open safely in Downtown Campbell is going to be open again. That's terrific and we want it to stay that way. As you surely know, there are places elsewhere that are teetering on the possibility of having to go into shut down again. It's on all of us to make sure that doesn't happen here.

Follow All Safety Mandates

Wear a mask and maintain that glorious six feet of distance as much as possible from anyone you don't live with when you're here. Masks are absolutely required anytime you are indoors and it would make life easier on all of us if you also wore it outdoors anytime you're in Downtown Campbell because seeing a people walking around without masks discourages many people from venturing Downtown to pick-up takeout and we need their business.

Thank you for all of your support in these very strange days.

Julie Dewhirst, the owner of Ritual Day Spa really put on a show throughout the nearly 4 month long shelter-in-place that her little spa wasn't able to be open. What she did during her extended layoff was truly something to admire and she sets the standard here for having the best Shelter in Place game in Downtown Campbell.

Spread across 117 days of shelter-in-place, she put out over 100 days of skin care tips including 80 some videos where she covered quick lessons on skin care basics. She discussed everything from the importance of wearing sunscreen, to techniques for treating common skin conditions, to demos on using professional products for self-care. Please take a look through Ritual Day Spa's Instagram Page if you'd like to pick-up a few random skin care tips or you just want to admire Julie's endurance.

Ritual Day Spa will be open again starting on July 13th (the first day allowed), but they'll only be doing waxing and massage until further notice. Please visit www.ritual-spa.com if you want to book an appointment.

Win Gift Cards to Ritual Day Spa

Gift Cards to Ritual Day Spa is one of our current prizes for our monthly Downtown Campbell Survival Project prize drawings! Enter our contest and you can win one of four $50 gift cards to visit Ritual Day Spa now that they're open again.

Tessora's just updated their menus for the summer. Check out their new summer menu and treat yourself to some outdoor dining on their patio or grab something to enjoy at home with some wine they'd be happy to recommend for a perfect pairing. They're currently open 4-9pm Tuesdays through Saturdays.

Monterey Bay Aquarium is so excited to reopen and to welcome back visitors. . . unfortunately, that day won't come as soon as we had hoped. A new public health order effective July 8, 2020 requires indoor museums and zoos in Monterey County — including the Aquarium — to close for a minimum of three weeks. This means the Aquarium will not be reopening on July 13 and will not reopen until it is deemed safe by our county and state officials. Unfortunately, we have no further details we can share at this time.

We know you might be disappointed, and we are, too. But the safety of guests, staff, volunteers and animals remains our highest priority. We hope to sea you soon!

While we are closed to the public, we are still providing the highest level of care for our animals and living exhibits — and we need your help. Please make a donation or become a member today to sustain all that you love about the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the coronavirus is messing with all of us in Monterey County. The news from the State Health Department has left many frustrated and dispirited.

But there is some light in the tunnel.

All restaurants on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey continue to offer take-out, and many offer delivery and/or curbside pick-up. There is also some outdoor dining in the district, which will increase as restaurants receive permission from the City of Monterey to place tables on the sidewalks (with ADA compliance). (We're updating our Dining Guide...again.)

Retail shops are still open for business in the Lighthouse District, and while all offer in-store shopping, many also offer online shopping and/or curbside pickup and shipping. (They're all listed at our SIP Mall.)

You can look good and feel good, too, because hair salons, nail salons, tattoo parlors, and estheticians are back at work, all with lots of new protocols designed to help keep you (and them) safe. Fitness studios have carefully reopened, so you can work out in person or online and shed all that stress.

There are so many other kinds of businesses in the Lighthouse District - dentists, physical therapists, IT experts, realtors - and they're still busy helping people behind the scenes.

As much as we'd like it to be, this fight with the coronavirus is not over. We have to support our healthcare workers across the county by wearing masks in public and following best practices as outlined by the CDC and our County Health Department. That's the best way to thank our healthcare workers for their relentless work and sacrifices.

If you're financially able to do so, please continue to support small businesses in the Lighthouse District. The owners and employees are local residents working hard to do what they love and stay afloat in difficult times. Shop, dine, make an appointment - let's keep New Monterey's Lighthouse District the vibrant, quirky place we love and help these businesses live to fight another day.

The City of Monterey has partnered with Food Bank of Monterey County to help residents in need. Reservations are available for this month's Family and Senior Produce Distributions on July 13, 20, and 27, 10:30am-11pm at Dennis the Menace Parking Lot, 777 Pearl Street in Monterey.

Due to Covid-19, this is a no-contact drive-thru program and reservations are required. For more information and to register, please click here.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, the coronavirus surely is messing with all of us in Monterey County. The news from the State Health Department has left many frustrated and dispirited.

But there is room for hope.

Outdoor dining is plentiful in Old Monterey, and will become more so as restaurants receive permission from the City of Monterey to place tables outdoors (with ADA compliance). All restaurants offer take-out, and many offer delivery and/or curbside pick-up, so you don't have to cook. (We're updating our Dining Guide...again.)

Retail shops are still open for business in Old Monterey, and while all offer in-store shopping, many also offer online shopping and/or curbside pickup and shipping. (They're all listed at our SIP Mall.)

You can look good and feel good, too, because hair salons, nail salons, estheticians, and massage therapists are back at work, all with lots of new protocols designed to help keep you (and them) safe. Fitness studios have carefully reopened, so you can practice yoga or pilates in person or online and work out all that stress.

There are so many other kinds of businesses in Old Monterey - banks and financial services, healthcare, law offices, real estate, computer repair - and they're still busy helping people behind the scenes.

As much as we'd like it to be, this fight with the coronavirus is not over. We have to support our healthcare workers across the county by wearing masks in public and following best practices as outlined by the CDC and our County Health Department. That's the best way to thank our healthcare workers for their relentless work and sacrifices.

If you're financially able to do so, please continue to support small businesses in Old Monterey. The owners and employees are local residents working hard to do what they love and stay afloat in difficult times. Shop, dine, make an appointment - let's keep Downtown Old Monterey the vibrant district we love and help these businesses live to fight another day.

For those who love Cha-ya Japanese Tea and Things: did you know you can sign up for Cha-ya's newsletter and receive 10% off your first purchase at Cha-Ya? (Tea included!)

Here's your chance to stay up-to-date with all the latest offers from Cha-ya and save a little on your first purchase of their wonderful tea, gifts, cards, jewelry, and home accessories. Sign up today.

Cha-ya is located at 118 Webster Street in Downtown Old Monterey. It is now open for in-store shopping and no-contact curbside pick-up.