january 5-11, 2023 montereycountyweekly.com LOCAL & INDEPENDENT County libraries on TikTok 8 | hospital turnaround 10 | In Wheel Time 30 | Food Truck scene 36 A decade after getting national park status, not much has changed at Pinnacles—it highlights geologic time— but it’s now on people’s bucket lists. p. 18 By David Schmalz In Spires
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com
www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com January 5-11, 2023 • ISSUE #1797 • Established in 1988 Regina Zapata (iPhone) This little mushroom emerged in time to celebrate New Year’s Day at Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: The High Peaks section of Pinnacles National Park is one of the main attractions. Pinnacles became the country’s 13th national monument in 1908, and its 59th national park in 2013. Cover Photo by Karen Loutzenheiser etc. Copyright © 2023 by Milestone Communications Inc. 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, California 93955 (telephone 831-394-5656). All rights reserved. Monterey County Weekly, the Best of Monterey County and the Best of Monterey Bay are registered trademarks. No person, without prior permission from the publisher, may take more than one copy of each issue. Additional copies and back issues may be purchased for $1, plus postage. Mailed subscriptions: $120 yearly, pre-paid. The Weekly is an adjudicated newspaper of Monterey County, court decree M21137. The Weekly assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Visit our website at http://www.montereycountyweekly.com. Audited by CVC. Founder & CEO Bradley Zeve bradley@mcweekly.com (x103) Publisher Erik Cushman erik@mcweekly.com (x125) Editorial editor Sara Rubin sara@mcweekly.com (x120) features editor Dave Faries dfaries@mcweekly.com (x110) associate editor Tajha Chappellet-Lanier tajha@mcweekly.com (x135) Staff Writer Celia Jiménez celia@mcweekly.com (x145) Staff Writer Pam Marino pam@mcweekly.com (x106) Staff Writer Agata Pope¸da (x138) aga@mcweekly.com Staff Writer David Schmalz david@mcweekly.com (x104) DIGITAL PRODUCER Kyarra Harris kyarra@mcweekly.com (x105) Staff photographer Daniel Dreifuss daniel@mcweekly.com (x140) contributors Nik Blaskovich, Rob Brezsny, Robert Daniels, Paul Fried, Jesse Herwitz, Dan Linehan, Jeff Mendelsohn, Adrienn Mendonça-Jones, Steve Souza, Grace Stetson, Jacqueline Weixel, Paul Wilner Cartoons Rob Rogers, Tom Tomorrow Production Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser karen@mcweekly.com (x108) Graphic Designer Kevin Jewell kevinj@mcweekly.com (x114) Graphic Designer Alexis Estrada alexis@mcweekly.com (x114) Graphic Designer Lani Headley lani@mcweekly.com (x114) SALES senior Sales Executive Diane Glim diane@mcweekly.com (x124) Senior Sales Executive George Kassal george@mcweekly.com (x122) Senior Sales Executive Keith Bruecker keith@mcweekly.com (x118) Classifieds business development director Keely Richter keely@mcweekly.com (x123) Digital Director of Digital Media Kevin Smith kevin@mcweekly.com (x119) Distribution Distribution AT Arts Co. atartsco@gmail.com Distribution Control Harry Neal Business/Front Office Office Manager Linda Maceira linda@mcweekly.com (x101) Bookkeeping Rochelle Trawick rochelle@mcweekly.com 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955 831-394-5656, (FAX) 831-394-2909 www.montereycountyweekly.com To read Monterey County NOW in your inbox daily, sign up at mcweekly.com/signup. We’d love to hear from you. Send us your tips at tipline.montereycountyweekly.com. MAKE A DIRECT IMPACT INSIDER MAKE AN IMPACT AT $15 PER MONTH Become an Insider today. montereycountyweekly.com/insider Our work is continuing to be made possible through the support of readers like you. Delivering local and independent journalism takes a lot of resources. Whether it’s for investigative reporting, covering the arts scene or offsetting the costs of distribution every dollar makes a difference.
www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 PAID ADVERTISEMENT Montage Medical Group welcomes new heart doctor specializing in the medical science and art of electrophysiology Dr. Edinrin Obasare has been fascinated by the study of living organisms ever since he took a biology class in high school. Born in England and raised in Jamaica, Dr. Obasare graduated from the University of the West Indies Medical School, and completed a fellowship in cardiology at Albert Einstein Medical Center, followed by a second fellowship in electrophysiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Yet through it all, apart from his interest in the science of medicine, he became even more attracted to the art of medicine. “Part of my attraction to biology lay in the drawing of cell diagrams, the art of science,” he says. “Yet during medical school, I realized that the truly artistic part lies in how we approach patients in clinical care. It’s about communication and empathy and relationship building or should be.” Sometimes, he says, those things help a patient more than the medical knowledge and expertise. “In cardiology,” he says, “when I went into the electrophysiology rotation, I loved the diversity of experience and appreciated the intellectual challenge of this procedural skill, balanced with patient engagement.” Electrophysiology is the study of the electrical patterns of the heart, used to diagnose abnormal heartbeats known as arrhythmias. Tests are performed by inserting a catheter and electrodes into the heart, which measure electrical activity. An electrophysiologist is a cardiologist who specializes in diagnosing and treating issues that arise in the heart’s electrical system. Through diagnostic procedures, Dr. Obasare can determine the areas of the heart causing an abnormal heartbeat and then prescribe lifestyle modifications, medication, or opt to surgically resolve the issue with a procedure call “ablation.” Dr. Obasare, who joined Montage Medical Group in September, was living in Connecticut and working at Western Massachusetts Hospital. There, he was investing long hours in a generalized cardiology practice. Interested in establishing a more focused career and balanced lifestyle, he accepted the opportunity to come to California. A frequent cause of concern, he says, is a racing heart, which may be benign, but it can warrant a referral from a primary care physician or a cardiologist for evaluation. “Even if it is a benign condition,” says Dr. Obasare, “it can make a patient anxious. Typically, we monitor the heart for 24 hours up to two weeks, mostly to reassure the patient that the heart is okay and often normal.” Sometimes, he says, the heart skips a beat, which is usually nonthreatening, but makes the patient anxious, even though it’s typically not dangerous. “On rare occasions, when there is a problem with the heart, we go in and resolve it, says Dr. Obasare, “Sometimes it’s simply a matter of recommending lifestyle changes, better hydration and nutrition, or resolving sleep apnea to improve the quality of rest. When it is more complex, we can intervene with more therapeutic or surgical options.” The goal, says Dr. Obasare, is twofold. It is important to reassure the patient and allay any anxiety, and to properly diagnose the symptoms to determine the correct course of action to resolve the issue. Patient care, he says, is always an alchemy of art and science. Dr. Edinrin Obasare practices what he preaches to his patients. Committed to staying in shape, he eats a healthy diet, typically fasting between 8 p.m. and noon to balance his metabolism. He works out in the gym several times a week, and he gets his rest. He also subscribes to a balance of work and recreation, something he is finding easier to manage in Monterey. “My main focus in my medical practice,” he says, “is patient care. I studied at really good institutions, which taught me the science of cardiology and electrophysiology. My emphasis is to use this expertise to take care of patients and help them feel better. It can be scary to experience electrical issues. Because it’s the heart, it’s unnerving. So I try to have a discussion with patients in a collaborative way, to work together to come up with a plan.” “I have medical knowledge,” says Dr. Obasare, “but patients know their body the best, so it’s essential that we work together.” For more information about Montage Medical Group visit montagemedicalgroup.org or scan QR code Photo: Edinrin Obasare, MD Cardiac Electrophysiology Montage Medical Group – Cardiology
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Law school deans Mitch Winick (Monterey College of Law) and Jackie Gardina (Santa Barbara and Ventura) are used to teaching aspiring lawyers about the legal framework that protects civil rights. With a new podcast, Sidebar, they are expanding their audience. They air an episode the first and third Saturday of each month (at sidebarmedia.org), interrogating rights we may take for granted. “We want to focus on those fundamental rights that really serve as the bedrock,” Gardina said. Their Dec. 17 episode, “Vigilante Federalism,” examines laws like Texas’ SB 8, which empowers private people to sue to enforce laws, such as abortion restrictions or teachers discussing banned content. “As we grant rights to the groups that are going to enforce these laws—and as the laws are used to bully and intimidate their targets—that’s going to have effects for the way people participate in democratic life,” said their guest, law professor David Noll. “If you’re saying that outraged people have the ability to sue people who are seeking abortions, or LGBTQ+ kids who just want play on a sports team—what you’re doing is changing who gets to have rights to participate in democratic society.” Good: Good news for the Monterey Regional Airport and local travelers: The airport secured a $2.14 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, meaning the airport now has a total of $4.2 million designated for the design and construction of a new terminal. (The grant money comes from the bipartisan infrastructure bill for 2022-23.) Michael La Pier, the airport executive director, said they have selected HOK Group Inc., a St. Louis, Missouri-based construction firm, for the project and are currently negotiating with architects on the project’s scope. Construction on the new terminal is expected to start by April of 2023, and should take a year to complete. The new terminal will be fully funded with airport revenue and the recent grants. It will be more modern than the existing terminal, originally built in 1950, and also safer, with a bigger setback from taxiways. GREAT: The three people who rescued swimmer Steve Bruemmer on June 22, after he was bitten by a great white shark off of Lovers Point in Pacific Grove, have won the prestigious Carnegie Medal, awarded to civilians who risk their lives to save others. Folsom-based husband-wife team Paul Bandy, a police officer, and Aimee Johns, a nurse, along with Heath Braddock, a surf instructor from North Monterey County, are each receiving a medal and an unspecified financial grant after assisting Bruemmer, who was bleeding profusely, and bringing him back to shore. He was rushed to Natividad Hospital where he underwent successful surgery. The Carnegie Hero Fund, founded by industrialist Andrew Carnegie in 1904, is awarded to people in the U.S. and Canada “who enter extreme danger while saving or attempting to save the lives of others,” according to the Carnegie Hero Fund Commission. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to the Monterey County Health Department and Clínica de Salud to expand Covid-19 vaccination efforts, particularly in underserved groups. Funds will go to education to boost confidence in the vaccines. Source: U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta $923,785 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “My clients urge the school board to rethink this massive project.” -Attorney Molly Erickson, representing a group called Preserving the Peace, that won a legal victory against MPUSD over its stadium lights project at Monterey High School (see story, mcweekly.com). ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ Baccarat FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • Gega-003846, Gega-Gega-003703, Gega-000889 Gega-000891 Gega-002838 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play 42 years TIP OF THE WEEK! Winter is the season for lots of wet weather. Do not neglect issues of habitability. Be sure to watch for mold. If you are renting, contact your landlord and report these issues immediately. Call our office if you have any questions regarding your rights as a tenant. Have questions? 831.899.0492 Legal Services for Seniors Kellie D. Morgantini Interim Executive Director Legal Services for Seniors is a 501(c)(3) organization.
www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 be empowered be proactive be supported be strong Renew your commitment to good health this new year! Whether you’re managing a chronic condition or working on your fitness level, Salinas Valley Memorial Healthcare System can put you on the path to wellness. For more information on program offerings or events, contact our Health Promotion Department at healthpromotion@svmh.com, visit svmh.com/pathways or call 831-759-1890. Online registration at svmh.com/events-classes. Be well | svmh.com be well
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 In a recent TikTok video posted by the Monterey County Free Libraries account, the camera zooms out from a stack of new arrivals while Canadian singer-songwriter Carly Rae Jepsen croons “I’m coming BACK for you baby, I’m coming back for you!” The text reads: “When you reached the checkout limit for the day.” In another, the camera pans frantically over shelves of books while a voice says, “oh my god, oh my god, oh my god.” The text: “POV: When you keep seeing James Patterson books.” If you’re on TikTok this is familiar territory—a step in the big game of applying and reapplying familiar sounds to novel video clips. If you’re not on TikTok, well, the thing to know is that unlike social media platforms that have come before, which tend mostly to use visual mediums (video or still images) as memes, TikTok is all about sound. The fact that Monterey County Free Libraries is on TikTok is not so surprising in and of itself; books are big (as in, reshaping the publishing industry big) on this particular social media site. What’s more noteworthy is the way the county-run library system is showing up there—with a voice that is funnier and more irreverent than you might expect from a library. Take, for example, the James Patterson TikTok. Yes, books by this incredibly prolific author are unavoidably plentiful in public libraries. Pointing that out? That’s cheeky, fun, far from the shhhh-be-quiet-and-read-your-book reputation. Monterey County Free Libraries’ exploratory foray into the land of dance challenges and get ready with me videos began in mid-September of 2022 thanks to CSU Monterey Bay service learner Eric Regalado, who came in with a particular vision and set of skills. A communications major, Regalado has his own popular TikTok dedicated to Hot Wheels cars (@hotwheelsfoo) and has launched one for his day job at Valley Patient Care—a local medical supply company—too. For Regalado it’s the democratic nature of the platform that’s appealing—unlike social media sites like Facebook or Twitter that have become more institutionalized, and thus rely more on existing brand cache, TikTok is still a little wild. Anyone can gain a following there pretty quickly, Regalado says, if you’re willing to put the work in. “It was all his idea—it was something that our social media team had wanted to get into but didn’t want to start something we couldn’t maintain,” MCFL’s Alison Day says. For Day and MCFL, the appeal of the platform was the opportunity to connect with a new, younger demographic. Therein also lay the barrier to exploring the site— MCFL staff didn’t exactly count themselves as part of that demographic, until Regalado showed up. “We recognize that in order to make it good you have to be immersed in it,” Day says. Regalado’s immersive process works like this: Start the day by spending 10-15 minutes on the TikTok For You Page (the automated feed that appears when a user opens the app), to get a sense for the sounds du jour. Next pick a sound (or two) and create a video clip to go with it—a MCFL-specific spin on the thing everyone’s talking about. Regalado’s style is primarily very short, simple video clips—“I really try not to think so much about it,” he says. As for the tone of the videos—that’s Regalado “just being myself.” (As his supervisor, Day would sign off on each video posted to the account.) Take video. Add sound. Post. Repeat. If Regalado is the behind the scenes operator of the account, then Monte, MCFL’s mascot, is the on-camera star. Monte is a plush donkey and an homage to the library system’s history, when the system’s first librarian, Anne Hadden, would travel around the county via donkey. In one video, Monte gets their staff ID picture taken; in another, Monte wonders what would happen if Monte’s iCloud photos were leaked by hackers (answer: lots of photos of library books would be made public). Regalado is done with his service learning hours at MCFL, but he plans to stay on as a volunteer and help keep the library’s TikTok presence going. How it evolves remains to be seen. For now, the library is just having a little fun online. Kids These Days Monterey County Free Libraries is exploring TikTok— bringing out a funnier, cheekier side to the library. By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier Alison Day is seen here with Monte (left), Monterey County Free Libraries’ awardwinning mascot, and star of the library system’s exploratory new TikTok account, viewable at @mclibraries. “I really try not to think so much about it.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS We Speak German… CARS! Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen and Mini-Cooper Using current modern technology our experienced staff will diagnose, maintain and repair your German car. Certified Monterey Bay Green Business 373.5355 249 DelaVina, Monterey www.ccrepairmonterey.com If you’d like to sponsor our next ad, give us a call. Marvel Meet the marvelous Marvel! This sweet guy loves everyone he meets! He enjoys a sunny napping spot, a cozy corner, or a little pile of blankets to nest in. He is in heaven when cuddling next to his humans or getting a head scratch. Marvel is an 11-year-old, 17-pound, Neutered Male, Chihuahua-Terrier Mix. 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www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 CalAm is holding our water hostage. This recalcitrant investor-owned utility (Cal Am) is digging in its heels to the detriment of its customers, and in violation of water supply requirements set by the State Water Resources Control Board. — MPWMD Petition to CPUC, December 16 “ Cal Am’s signature is all that stands between the Monterey Peninsula and the water we desperately need from the Pure Water Monterey Expansion project for housing, jobs, and drought protection. On December 1, the CPUC approved an agreement authorizing Cal Am to purchase 2,250 acre-feet of water from the Pure Water Monterey Expansion. The CPUC also authorized $60 million of ratepayer funding for Cal Am to build additional company-owned delivery infrastructure. On December 6, Cal Am announced it would NOT sign the agreement that would allow construction to begin, claiming inadequate funding. Cal Am is seeking a new hearing to collect more, even though the CPUC has already ruled ratepayer funding in excess of $60 million is not justified. SIGN UP FOR OUR WATER SUPPLY UPDATE: MPWMD.NET CONTACT the CPUC. INSIST Cal Am Sign Now! tinyurl.com/493344zr (click Add Public Comment) ”
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 5-11. 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news After a five-year pause, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is ready to again offer its certified nursing assistant program at Monterey Adult School. Principal Beth Wodecki says the school worked for several months with state health officials to reinstate the program. Local demand and public interest moved it forward. “Health care is one of our highest employers [in the region],” Wodecki says. “We are constantly being called and asked when we’re going to have our CNA program back.” Fabiola Gonzalez of Seaside, who recently obtained her GED, is glad she won’t have to drive to Salinas to enroll in a CNA program (Salinas Adult School also offers a CNA program). Gonzalez works cleaning houses and, twice a week, in elder care. She provides basic care such as feeding and bringing water to the elderly man she cares for; she says being in the CNA program would help her provide better care: “I would feel more comfortable knowing how to help him,” she says in Spanish. Once she finishes the program, she will look for a full-time job as a CNA. The program was suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic and a struggle to find an instructor. Ultimately, MPUSD found and hired Debra Byrom, a licensed practical nurse, to revive the program. Byrom says the CNA program is a stepping stone for students who want to pursue a health care career. CNAs spend a considerable amount of time with patients providing care including bathing, moving or feeding patients. “They’re really a nurse’s eyes and ears,” Byrom says. The nine-week program starts Feb. 6. Students will have hands-on experience at Cypress Ridge Care Center, a rehabilitation and nursing home in Monterey. Healthy Boost After five years, Monterey Adult School reopens its nursing assistant program. By Celia Jiménez Even before the Covid-19 pandemic showed up at Mee Memorial Hospital’s doorstep, the small, rural hospital in King City was facing immense challenges. Administrators cut 13 percent of the hospital’s workforce in July 2019, due to cuts in Medicare, Medi-Cal and private insurance reimbursements. When shelter-in-place began in March 2020, newly minted CEO Rena Salamacha realized the only way to remain open was to cut even more. Salamacha rightly predicted that fearful patients weren’t going to come to the nonprofit hospital and its clinics in King City and Greenfield unless the situation was dire. Clinic visits slowed to a trickle. “We responded quickly and very early. We had to make a lot of difficult decisions,” she says. She cut another 18 percent of the workforce in April 2020 and the management team took the equivalent of a 10-percent pay cut. “Those decisions are why we are still standing and growing today.” The focus in the clinics was on primary care. Other services that weren’t making money were eliminated, including obstetrics/gynecology, which had been seeing a steady decline in patients since 2011. It was tough to suspend it, Salamacha says, but it was necessary. “We looked at [the cuts] as an opportunity to buckle down.” The strategy worked and Mee Memorial lived to celebrate its 60th anniversary in July. Other rural hospitals were not as fortunate. A record 19 rural hospitals across the country closed in 2020, according to a recent report by the American Hospital Association. (A total of 136 closed between 2010 and 2021.) Remaining rural hospitals like Mee Memorial were bolstered by the federal CARES Act, Paycheck Protection Program and other federal funds made available to health care organizations. Mee Memorial has received a combined total of $7.5 million since the start of the pandemic, according to data from the Health Resources and Services Administration. Part of that money is being used to advertise services to the region. Salamacha says they have become more involved in the community than previously. OB/GYN services came back this fall three days a week, says Heidi Pattison, director of outpatient clinics. (Patients still have to travel to Natividad in Salinas for delivery.) Many laid-off staff members have returned, two new physicians were added to the hospital’s clinic in Greenfield, as well as a nurse practitioner. Clinic patients have returned, at over 100 visits per day. “Now we’re jamming again,” Pattison says. In November, hospital leadership broke ground on the Mee Memorial Children’s Health and Wellness Center on hospital grounds near the corner of Broadway and Canal streets in King City, which, when it opens, possibly by March, will be South County’s only clinic focused solely on pediatrics. It’s a remodel of an existing structure, costing just over $1 million, with 55 percent of it paid for by grants. Pattison estimates the clinic will experience around 6,000 visits per year. In March they are scheduled to break ground on an expansion of the emergency and diagnostic imaging departments. That construction is expected to be completed by summer 2024. “We didn’t put our blinders on during the pandemic,” Salamacha says. “We looked at how we do our current care, but also how can we grow that?” Mee Memorial Hospital in King City received official rural hospital status in June 2019, which put them in good stead for federal funds when the pandemic hit. Comeback Kids From struggling to flourishing, Mee Memorial Hospital is a pandemic success story. By Pam Marino Debra Byrom will lead the CNA program. She is a licensed practical nurse with 26 years of experience and has 18 years of teaching experience, including at Monterey Peninsula College. “We are still standing and growing today.” parker seibold Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED JANUARY 11 - MARCH 24, 2023 For more information, visit our website at mbard.org or contact Eli Lessman, Air Quality Planner, at elessman@mbard.org or call 831.718.8029. Diesel Engine & Equipment Replacement Grant Program Application Workshop Details: Guideline updates. Funding available for off-road/ag equipment replacement and marine engine replacement. Wednesday, January 11, 2023 - 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Monterey Bay Air Resources District 24580 Silver Cloud Court, 3rd Floor, Monterey, CA, 93940 Hybrid (In-person/Virtual) Meeting Remote Meeting Option via Zoom Link to meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83150458089 Webinar ID: 831 5045 8089 By phone, audio only (webinar ID required): 1-669-900-6833 Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED *Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is effective as of December 15, 2022. $1,000 minimum deposit required to open and maintain Certificate account. APY assumes the dividends are reinvested and remain in the account for the full term. Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Certificates are eligible for this offer. Penalty for early withdrawal. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required. This offer is subject to change without notice. Other terms and conditions may apply. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call us at 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, option 3. Start earning on $1,000+ 6-MONTH CERTIFICATE 12-MONTH CERTIFICATE 3.05APY* % 4.08 APY* % Grow Your Savings Fast @ELROYSFINEFOODS 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 ELROY’S FINE FOODS ANNOUNCES HOLIDAY TRIMMINGS! Spend $300+ & we’ll trim 15% Spend $200-$299 & we’ll trim 10% Spend $100-$199 & we’ll trim 7% Spend under $99 & we’ll trim 5% It’s not just you. Elroy’s has the holiday spirit of giving too! Besides giving you the finest groceries, prepared foods, produce, wines, florals & uncommon gifts... we are giving you one of our biggest breaks on prices. But these trimmings only last January 2nd to January 8th, so don’t falala around; head for Elroy’s now!
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 5-11. 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com It’s going to take a few years before dirt gets broken, but the bike and pedestrian connection from central Marina to CSUMB, and the former Fort Ord, got a major boost in late 2022 with the awarding of two grants—one state, one federal—that will help fund two segments of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway in Marina. For CSUMB professors Fred Watson and Scott Waltz, the two architects of FORTAG—a planned 28-mile bike and pedestrian loop from Marina to Del Rey Oaks and Seaside—it represents a major milestone for the project. “This segment coming to fruition is really huge,” Watson says. “It’s doing the very first thing we envisioned, these two segments here—there are a ton of connections being made.” And what they envisioned—initially, before the greater FORTAG vision took root—was preserving open space connections between Marina’s residential neighborhoods, the university and the Fort Ord National Monument. One of the segments, which will span 1.8 miles, mostly on a trail west of California Avenue, will be largely funded by an $8.4 million State Active Transportation grant awarded to the Transportation Agency for Monterey County in December. It creates a bikeway off California Avenue—which currently has narrow, harrowing bike lanes—and a bike and pedestrian bridge over Imjin Road. From there, the next segment begins, which is being made possible by a $7.8 million federal grant awarded to TAMC in December (TAMC will provide $5.01 million in matching funds through Measure X, a 2016 county ballot initiative). That segment will span 2.26 miles and include boardwalks as it passes through habitat of federally protected sand gilia and end near the intersection of Schoonover and Inter-Garrison roads. From there, the Jerry Smith Access corridor provides an off-road path into the Fort Ord National Monument. Todd Muck, TAMC’s executive director, credits the grants to the agency’s staff’s persistence, and openness to learning from mistakes in past failed grant applications, and asking the awarding agencies—state or federal— why those applications failed. Unfortunately though, both projects will have to wait: State funding for the California Avenue segment is budgeted for the 2024-25 fiscal year, and the federal funding for the eastern segment is not expected to kick in until 2027, though Muck is hopeful it could happen sooner if TAMC makes good progress on the western segment. Last year the Federal Emergency Management Agency launched a program to reimburse up to $9,000 of the cost of a funeral for a loved one lost to Covid-19, but it came with a catch. Namely the loved one applying had to be a U.S. citizen or in the country legally. In Monterey County, where undocumented farmworkers and their families suffered and died from Covid more than any other population group, that left needed funds just out of reach. On July 12, 2022 the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to create the county’s own Funeral and Burial Assistance Program to offer grants to those not eligible for the FEMA grants. “We know there are a lot of workers that are not able to access the FEMA grants because of immigration status. This is for them,” says Daniel Gonzalez, an emergency services planner for the county. “Especially with the hardship that our community has gone through… Those hardest hit are those who have the least.” The county’s program went into effect on Nov. 14, with approximately $300,000 available. It mirrors FEMA’s program, offering up to $9,000 for expenses incurred from Jan. 20, 2020 to the present. (The county will continue its program until funds are gone.) There is no proof of immigration status or citizenship required, but those applying—as well as the person who died— must be (or have been at the time of death) residents of Monterey County. Applicants must also be low-income, and the death certificate must list Covid as the cause of death. The only caveat to the county program is that applicants must not qualify for the FEMA program, Gonzalez says. Anyone who does qualify for FEMA grants will be referred there. The Monterey County of Emergency Services is taking applications from 8-11am, Monday through Wednesday, by phone at (831) 356-3137. More information about both the county and FEMA programs is available at bit.ly/ MoCofuneralassist. Roll On Marina residents will have a smooth—and safe—bike trail to CSUMB, and beyond. By David Schmalz news Planning Ahead The city of Soledad is seeking volunteers to serve on the Planning Commission, which is in charge of reviewing and adding revisions to the city’s general plan. This includes assisting in zoning ordinances, administrating specific plans and more. Learn about what’s entailed at this informational session. 6pm Thursday, Jan. 5. Virtual meeting at bit.ly/SoledadPCInfo. Free. Applications available at the Soledad Gateway Center (502 Front St.) or online at bit.ly/SoledadPCApp. For more information, 223-5020. New Leaders Monterey County supervisors and the new Monterey County sheriff are sworn in during a public ceremony. A reception follows to congratulate new leaders. 11am Tuesday, Jan. 10. Monterey County Board of Supervisors chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas. Free. 7555066, co.monterey.ca.us. High Court The League of Women Voters of Monterey County presents a talk titled “Examining the Supreme Court: Local Implications of Recent Rulings” at a lunch-and-learn meeting with guest speaker Michelle “Mickey” Welch, adjunct professor of constitutional law at Monterey College of Law. 11:30am Wednesday, Jan. 11. Unitarian Universalist Church, 490 Aguajito Road, Carmel. Free/talk; $25/ lunch; reservations required. For reservations, call Beverly Bean at 236-1611 or email beverlygb@gmail.com. Going Green Sustainable Pacific Grove presents an introduction to the Blue Zones Project, and explains its potential benefits to the community. BZP Monterey County is partnering with local companies and cities around the county to “promote the health and well-being of residents.” Veronica Plascencia, of Blue Zones, is the guest speaker. 7pm Thursday, Jan. 12. Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History, 165 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. sustainablepg@gmail.com, montereycounty. bluezonesproject.com. Critical Training Suicide Prevention Services of the Central Coast offers a two-day training program called ASIST, teaching participants how to help those at risk of suicidal thinking, behavior, and attempts. The first two-day training session kicks off this month. Participants must attend both days; pre-registration is required. 10am-6pm Tuesday and Wednesday, Jan. 24-25. Family Service Agency, 104 Walnut Ave., #203, Santa Cruz. Contact sps24hr@fsa-cc.org with questions. Chipping In Monterey County picks up where FEMA left off in providing Covid-19 funeral funds. By Pam Marino FORTAG founders Fred Watson (left) and Scott Waltz (right) stand at the terminus of the Patton Parkway bike path, which ends at California Avenue (behind them). e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “This segment coming to fruition is really huge.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JANUARY 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Monterey Spine & Joint is hiring! We are looking for individuals ready to contribute to a positive and rewarding culture. At MSJ, we strive for excellence by providing the highest quality musculoskeletal care possible in a patient-focused environment as care and concern for the patient is at the core of all we do. ✓ Revenue Cycle Manager ✓ Physical Therapist ✓ SCulipnpicoarltaRnodleAsdministrative Visit us online at www.msjhealth.com/careers Ryan Ranch Office Park · 12 Upper Ragsdale Drive · Monterey, CA Ryan Ranch Office Park • 12 Upper Ragsdale Drive • Monterey, CA Visit us online at www.msjhealth.com/careers
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Lights and Dark As a graduate of Monterey High and a proud parent of a Toreador, I was extremely disappointed to read that the judge ruled against the students (“Judge finds flaws on Monterey High School stadium lights project; MPUSD plans to proceed,” posted Dec. 28). This means soccer players will keep practicing in the dark, softball players will continue to miss class to play their “home games” off site at Jacks Park, and another generation of students will graduate without ever playing a Friday night football game in front of their family and friends on campus. Over 50 sports teams and 1,400 kids will continue to share one field and student athletes will continue to lift weights out of a makeshift facilities closet. I hope the school board will not throw in the towel and keep fighting for our kids. All Monterey High students deserve to have safe and modernized athletic facilities. These entitled neighbors need to learn how to think about something other than their own privilege for once. Gianna Holmstead | Seaside The notion that neighbors are objecting to the improvements at Monterey High because of anything other than not wanting lights to be put up in their privileged neighborhood is completely disingenuous. In the Weekly’s article, the lawyer suing the school district implies the lawsuit is because bond funds should be spent on other projects that benefit “all students” but living in the neighborhood she and her “clients” know about the many recent improvements made to Monterey High School’s campus. MPUSD just spent $15 million on a science and innovation center, the library was recently remodeled, the theater has been modernized and the entire campus was repainted, to name just a few. The neighbors’ objection has always been about the lights—nothing more and nothing less. The neighbors who title themselves “Preserving the Peace” lack integrity by suggesting that they are interested in the effective use of taxpayer dollars, rather than preserving their own privilege. If neighbors were truly interested in saving taxpayers dollars, they would drop their needless lawsuit. Heather Sever | Monterey Preserving the Peace (more like Continuing the Chaos) is using CEQA as a PR tactic to tie up the project in the courts until MPUSD gives up on the improvements to the high school. While the school district has made numerous good-faith concessions, this handful of neighbors have not. Their goal is not cooperation, settlement or compromise to help the school achieve its goal; it’s to force their will upon the community. The school should pursue “projects that would benefit all students of all abilities in all classrooms every day,” says attorney Molly Erickson, simultaneously demonstrating ignorance regarding how schools operate as well as a disdain for sports in general. The benefits of such events to an entire student body is well researched and documented. From the athletes themselves to every last chemistry nerd, all of our children have already suffered through a pandemic-driven mental health crisis of historic proportions. This project is as critical as any library or auditorium to prepare them for society. Morgan Sulahian | Carmel NIMBY clowns from both Monterey and Carmel are preventing many of our youths from personal and athletic development. They all need to grow up! (“Carmel residents file a lawsuit against Carmel Unified over stadium lights project at CHS,” posted Dec. 30.) Janpaul Jones | via social media We need residents who are willing to form a group to combat the few who are impeding improvements for our kids in Carmel AND Monterey. Why should the school districts bear the sole brunt when we know resources exist in our communities to challenge these people at their own game? We all need to make it much less comfortable to be saboteurs. Erin Morse | via social media Agriculture 101 A day late and a dollar short, but at least CSU Monterey Bay is now recognizing Monterey County’s amazing agricultural industry (“CSUMB launches a new agriculture degree, hoping to retain local students and future workers; Nov. 17-23; “As CSUMB’s new president, Vanya Quiñones brings a forward-thinking mission to the post,” Dec. 15-21). There will be many avenues to success with this program, as it develops. Walter Wagner | via email Water Wait In a story, you quote Dave Stoldt of the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District: “Cal Am is playing a very dangerous game right now. The point of reserves is when you have bad weather. The point of reserves is not when you have a bad water company.” (“Rain offers hope the Peninsula can avoid water rationing, if it persists,” Dec. 29-Jan. 4.) The “dangerous game” Stoldt refers to is Cal Am’s continued refusal to sign a water purchase agreement that the California Public Utilities Commission has authorized. Cal Am’s refusal may put Peninsula ratepayers on the hook for water fines and rationing. That’s because Cal Am always puts their shareholders first and ratepayers a distant second. Rather than accept the CPUC decision authorizing the water purchase agreement, Cal Am would delay Pure Water Monterey Expansion, deplete all our water reserves, and then overpump its limits. Reckless. Michael DeLapa | Carmel Valley Fresh Catch Thanks for the update on Phil’s Fish Market and its new Castroville location (“Phil’s Fish Market is gone from Moss Landing, and Phil DiGirolamo is happy,” Dec. 15-21). Our family enjoyed Phil’s Moss Landing location for many years. Roy Jordan | Pebble Beach Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.com. Please keep your letter to 150 words or less; subject to editing for space. Please include your full name, contact information and city you live in.
www.montereycountyweekly.com january 5-11, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 A June 29 hearing of the State Assembly Accountability and Administrative Review Committee began with high-minded platitudes about the importance of journalism in protecting a functional democratic system. “In my view, nothing is more important to the survival of our democracy than a free press and that is what this bill is all about,” said Dan Weintraub, chief of staff to State Sen. Steve Glazer, D-Orinda. Glazer was the author of Senate Bill 911—a fitting number, Weintraub said, because it suggested the crisis that journalism as an industry is facing. The bill was meant to bolster the industry, conceived of as a direct public funding mechanism for legitimate news outlets as disinformation and misinformation are still on the rise. Nobody seemed to disagree with the platitudes: In short, journalism is facing a crisis, and democracy thrives better when the free press is thriving too. But there was disagreement about how, exactly, California should launch into publicly funding journalism. Could a state-appointed committee effectively choose how to allocate funding, or would there be political motivations in which outlets got money? Would startup outlets have an unfair advantage against long-standing, proven newspapers? As lawmakers and news organizations battled over these critical details, there was enough faith that something would be authored into existence that $25 million in surplus funds were allocated in the state budget for journalism—but then SB 911 died, so there was no bill through which to spend it. Where SB 911 left off is where a new state-funded journalism program picks up. Instead of going to media outlets, the funds will be administered by the California Local Journalism Fellowship Program out of UC Berkeley, and dollars will go directly to paying early-career journalists, starting this spring. The intent is not just to bolster newsrooms with more staff, but to train up the next generation of California’s journalists. “It’s fun, it’s exciting, it’s ambitious in scope—but it’s a bit of a band-aid,” says Christa Scharfenberg, director of the fellowship program. “It’s not solving the crisis in journalism.” Of course no single strategy is going to solve an industry-wide crisis, but I am excited about this effort. It solves a few problems, including creating a pipeline and training new journalists. Finding a way to sustain them longer term is a different challenge. “I don’t think it would be a success if we create 120 local journalism jobs and then by 2028 they all disappear,” Scharfenberg says. For now there’s funding for three cohorts of up to 40 members each, launching each year for at least three years, starting in the spring of 2023. The program plans to bolster salaries with $50,000 stipends, with newsrooms contributing something as well. Positions will last up to three years. Scharfenberg is still ironing out the details of how it will work, but imagine a match program: Fellows apply for acceptance into the program, and newsrooms apply for acceptance to host a fellow, then they are matched. Fellows will receive coaching and mentorship in the newsrooms where they are placed, and also from the program itself. It’s designed for journalists either out of journalism school, or with one to five years of professional experience. They’ll be paid a living wage—something necessary in an industry that historically has relied on unpaid interns. “We want to set a higher standard for the industry and make it a career people can actually imagine themselves going into,” Scharfenberg says, “and also get the experience and training and mentoring they need.” I think the fellowship program—run out of an academic institution with a celebrated journalism school—is a great place for California’s $25 million in surplus money. While the original bill would have been more direct, it also raised some concerns, prompting a range of news professionals to oppose it, including the California News Publishers Association (of which the Weekly is a member). It’s not what Sen. Glazer originally proposed, but in some ways I think it will be better. Getting more journalists-in-training into newsrooms is good for newspapers, and it’s good for democracy. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com. Stop the Bleeding State invests in a journalism program that could become a template. By Sara Rubin Cryptic about Crypto…When it comes to banking, Squid keeps it simple: Put money in the piggy bank. No passwords to remember, plus it’s safe and secure unless Rosco P. Coltrane, Squid’s beloved bulldog, knocks the piggybank over. Still, that risk seems to Squid like one worth taking when compared to cryptocurrency. Exhibit A: The spectacular collapse of FTX, the crypto exchange formerly run by now-disgraced Sam Bankman-Fried, who on Jan. 3 pleaded no contest to a slew of fraud-related charges. Besides aspiring to reinvent the world of banking, Bankman-Fried also had a vision of reshaping how to be a corporate executive, by donating an immense amount of money to various causes. (Too bad the money he donated may well have come from a pyramid scheme.) That included campaign contributions to the political left, among them a $2,900 gift ito U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley. Bankman-Fried was not the only corporate executive to donate to Panetta. There’s $2,900 from Stewart Resnick of The Wonderful Company (behind POM Wonderful), $2,500 from Massachusetts-based Mike James of insurance company NFP and $1,000 from Los Gatos property manager Patrick Mockler of Rutherford Management Co. While it’s just a drop in the bucket of $2.6 million that Panetta raised during 2021 and 2022, that cash from Bankman-Fried still made Squid check on Squid’s piggy bank—all coins are still there. Ready, Set, Action…One of Squid’s favorite things every December is going to the movies (that included Avatar: The Way of Water, which Squid was offended not to be cast in). Perhaps in that end-of-year cinematic spirit, the Seaside Police Department released a video in mid-December on social media made in the style of a trailer for a Hollywood blockbuster: It begins with an opening shot of a galaxy, with dramatic music and the words “Seaside Police Studios.” The video goes on to show Seaside officers out in the community, confiscated firearms and Chief Nick Borges’ swearing-in ceremony, the full gamut. Throughout, it cuts back to the space background for the remaining text: “A group of public servants…on a quest for public safety and trust…will embark on a journey in the Seaside community…in search of peace, unity and safety…This new year, are you ready to join our team?” Perhaps the best part is the end, where it finishes with credits like a movie poster: “A Seaside Police Studios production in association with iMovie. A Chief Borges film: Seaside PD Now Hiring.” It may not be as entertaining as Reno 911!, but Squid appreciates the creativity and good vibes. If there’s a follow-up video, Squid knows a cephalopod who can help workshop the script for the price of shrimp-flavored popcorn. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. In short, journalism is facing a crisis. Send Squid a tip: squid@mcweekly.com
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JANUARY 5-11, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Citizen Musk The rise and fall of a would-be media tycoon shows how the power of social media is overblown. By Chris Lehmann FORUM Elon Musk, the failed emperor of Twitter, may be stepping down from his lofty perch after issuing a user poll in December, asking whether he should remain head of the company. The poll came after yet another series of deranged abuses on the site—from the random suspension of the accounts of Musk-critical journalists on fabricated charge of doxxing Musk’s real-time whereabouts to an abrupt ban on promotional links to other social media platforms—which alienated even his previous supporters. It was scarcely surprising the vote landed firmly on “Leave.” Much of the concern over Musk’s stewardship of Twitter had hinged on a fallacy: the starry-eyed belief that Twitter and allied social-media platforms are an inherently leveling force in public discourse. In lamentations for the old Twitter order, users were heard praising its ability to put ordinary people into contact with the powerful, rich and influential on a more-or-less level playing field of debate. Some roused the memory of the 2011 Arab Spring uprisings—a foundation myth of sorts for the social-media-as-democracy gospel, even though old-fashioned union organizing played a much more prominent role in the protests, and the post–Arab Spring global order has not ripened into a summer of democratic self-rule. While the online exercise of democracy may come to unseat Musk himself, it’s decidedly not the case that the apps that monitor our identities as we trade jokes and pet videos have produced a surge in social democracy. The acute limits of a notionally democratic internet are already marked by Musk and the leadership caste he occupies in Silicon Valley. Musk’s purchase of Twitter might find its closest analogue in Charles Foster Kane’s decision to build a Chicago opera house to showcase the decidedly equivocal vocal talents of his mistress, Susan Alexander—a vanity bid to launch himself into the role of culture arbiter based solely on an obscene accumulation of wealth. The difference, though, is that while Kane scandalized opera lovers, he also bestowed them with a civic monument. Musk has only further defiled public discourse—thanks to his stunt management and the truth-averse corps of right-wing agitprop users he’s gleefully ushered back onto the site—to show for his heroic labors. Musk’s civic legacy, such as it is, will be a social media sphere even more prone than before to empower the grievance-driven right he has courted since coming into the ownership of Twitter. “He fully wants to limit who has access to the marketplace of ideas,” says Christoph Mergerson, an assistant professor at the University of Maryland’s Philip Merrill College of Journalism. “We’re talking about someone who has control over the world’s most influential, real-time global platform of communication. So when you close off access to speech, and when you disproportionately punish speech for arbitrary reasons, that’s a serious abuse. It’s a company whose operations have real-time consequences for democracy.” Chris Lehmann is the D.C. Bureau chief for The Nation and a contributing editor at The Baffler. OPINION “He fully wants to limit who has access to ideas.”
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