10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY march 2-8, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com During the succession of atmospheric rivers that swept over the Central Coast around the turn of the year, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency, per a Jan. 13 statement, increased its “extremely small water releases” from Lake Nacimiento “to reduce the risk of the reservoir spilling over as a result of the next series of storms in our area.” That reservoir, as of Feb. 28, sits at 86 percent of its capacity, while the county’s other reservoir, Lake San Antonio, is at 41-percent capacity. And therein lies the logic behind the proposed Interlake Tunnel project, which would funnel water from Nacimiento to San Antonio as opposed to increasing releases into the Salinas River. It would provide a way to store the water that needs to be released to prevent a dam failure. The project was first formally proposed in 1991, the same year MCWRA was formed. But the idea collected dust for more than two decades, until a prolonged drought brought it back to the forefront. MCWRA’s draft environmental impact report for the project—which involves building an approximately two-mile tunnel between the two reservoirs—was released Jan. 20, and a public review period closes March 21. Even if a final EIR is ultimately approved by county officials, questions remain. Mainly: Who, exactly, will pay for it? And how much? Lew Bauman, MCWRA’s interim general manager, says the plan is to seek as much state and federal grant money as possible, but that the rest would be up to voters in a Proposition 218 election among stakeholders— landowners who stand to be the primary beneficiaries of the project. Currently, the estimated cost of the project is $180 million. And that’s on top of the estimated $160 million to do maintenance and repair work on both reservoirs and their spillways—needed fixes that predated this year’s storms—which the county intends to do first, using a similar funding model: grants, and a Prop. 218 vote. Nancy Isakson, president of the Salinas Valley Water Coalition, says repairing the dams and reservoirs is key before assessing whether or not the tunnel project is worth the cost, especially when considering the combined cost of the projects. “That’s a heck of a lot at once,” she says. “We feel there isn’t enough information.” Mike Scattini farms in the north Salinas Valley and also serves on the MCWRA board. Speaking as a grower, he says, “It always comes down to who has to pay…We’re going to have to use real science to understand this to see the benefits of this stuff.” Students griping about professors is not new, but a contingent of students at CSU Monterey Bay took it a step further by conducting a research study to gather data about one professor, Miguel Lopez of the Liberal Studies Department, they felt needed to be held accountable to Title IX laws that regulate discrimination based on sex. They presented the results of their research to the CSUMB Title IX Office and a CSUMB administrator last semester, on Oct. 14. As part of their research, the students created a survey to elicit both positive and negative responses from students and alumni— they collected 39 responses total. (The students conducting the research asked to not be identified out of fear of retaliation by Lopez.) While there were positive survey comments, there were numerous complaints that ranged from the less serious, like unclear assignment directions and how they would be graded, to more serious accusations of inappropriate behavior and comments in online classes regarding race, gender and disabilities, that led to complaints filed with the Title IX Office. Some students alleged Lopez invited Latina students to a group he called his “compadres,” that met separately outside of class and provided them instruction and assignments not available to others. One student who said she was invited into such a group receiving extra assignments said she felt “bad and angry that my fellow classmates really had a bad experience with him, and I felt guilty that I was doing well.” Current students of Lopez received an email on Feb. 20 stating that he is on administrative leave and will be replaced by other instructors in the interim. University officials would not confirm the leave, saying in a written statement that state and federal laws, as well as CSU policy, prohibits them from providing information about pending complaints or investigations. The Weekly was unable to reach Lopez. Tunnel In As the proposed Interlake Tunnel project advances, the question is: Is it worth it? By David Schmalz news Donation Drive Find out if you’re eligible to donate bone marrow with a simple cheek swab. Be the Match is hosting a bone marrow registration drive for people ages 18 to 40. People of all backgrounds are encouraged to get swabbed, helping to create a more diverse bank for people in need. Noon-4pm Saturday, March 4. Japanese American Citizens League Hall, 424 Adams St., Monterey. Free. jacl93940@ gmail.com, jaclmonterey.org. Future Leaders The Salinas Union High School District is looking for passionate and qualified individuals to be teachers, nurses and substitute teachers in its next job fair. There are also several opportunities for classified positions including bus drivers, custodians and behavioral specialists. 9am-2pm Saturday, March 4. National Steinbeck Center, 1 Main St., Salinas. Free. For more information, contact Marcos Cabrera at marcos. cabrera@salinasuhsd.org. bit.ly/ SUHSDJobFair2023. Book Haul The Friends of the Marina Library host their annual springtime book sale this weekend, with multiple opportunities to check out a variety of titles. On Sunday, you can fill a provided bag with books for $10. 10am-5pm Friday and Saturday, March 3-4; 10am-1pm Sunday, March 5. Marina library, 190 Seaside Circle, Marina. 682-8016, friendsofthemarinalibrary.org. Mindful Mentors The Seaside Police Department is preparing to launch a youth mentoring program to help at-risk youth avoid engaging in crime. The department will be meeting with the public to ask for community input from residents and organizations, in addition to connecting with anyone who would like to assist them. 4pm-6pm Wednesday, March 8. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free. bit.ly/SeasidePDMentor. Growth Mindset Soledad is looking for a volunteer to serve on the General Plan Advisory Committee. The city’s general plan update is an opportunity to engage residents in open discussion about how Soledad should grow and change. The goal is to have the plan reflect the city’s vision for the future of development and business for the next 20 years. To apply, visit forms.office.com/r/ UgRiB6szW7. Soledad Community and Economic Development Department, 502 Front St., Soledad. Free. 223-5178, cityofsoledad.com. Class Leave A CSUMB professor is placed on leave after a student survey uncovers possible issues. By Pam Marino Castroville-area grower Mike Scattini isn’t sure how financing will play among growers. “Not everybody is on the same page about how to solve these problems.” e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “That’s a heck of a lot [of money] at once.” Daniel Dreifuss
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