By Claudia Melendez Salinas -- Add the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas to the list of institutions in California reeling from the economic downturn.Less than two years after taking the reins of one of Salinas’ top tourist attractions, president and chief executive officer Steven Hoffman is calling it quits to “pursue other interests,” the board of directors announced Saturday. But officials say his decision was likely pegged to the center’s financial health, which has suffered the past two years.The Steinbeck Center ended its 2008 fiscal year with an operating deficit of $900,000. It is running at a deficit this year, board President Sonia Jaramillo said, but the deficit appears to be smaller than last year. The center was losing $20,000 to $30,000 a month throughout the summer, usually the center’s busiest months.

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