MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREYCOUNTYWEEKLY.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT A REPORT CARD ON COUNTY ROADS 10 | SPINNING FOR PRIDE 36 | BURGERS REIGN SUPREME 38 The California Roots Music and Art Festival returns this weekend for its 13th year, bringing colorful fashion, good causes and a diverse array of reggae talent. p. 20
MONTEREY SPORTS CENTER $ ! Voted Best Health Club in Monterey County 2014 – 2022 Celebrating 31 Years of Service Thursday, June 1, 2023 | 5:30AM – 8:00PM FREE ADMISSION, OPEN TO THE PUBLIC • Two Heated Indoor Pools, Saunas & Outdoor Sundeck Family Swim with *Water Slide and *Obstacle Course 2:00PM – 7:30PM • Three Court Gymnasium • Group Exercise Classes (check website for full schedule) • Cardio & Weight Training Centers *check website for age and height restrictions 301 E. Franklin St., Monterey | (831) 646-3730 | www.montereysportscenter.org ’22 2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 • ISSUE #1817 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Pam Marino (iPhone 14 pro) Alasdair Fraser (center) leads some of the San Francisco Scottish Fiddlers in an impromptu post-show performance on Sunday, May 21, inside the lobby of the Carmel High School Center for Performing Arts. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Philippines-born, Hawaii-raised Hirie—the frontwoman for the reggae/pop group HIRIE—performs during the 2022 California Roots Music & Art Festival. She returns this year, playing The Cali Roots Stage on Saturday, May 27. Cover Photo by Daniel Dreifuss 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 Rey Mashayekhi rey@mcweekly.com (x102) 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, Sloan Campi, Caitlin Fillmore, Paul Fried, Jesse Herwitz, Jacqueline Weixel 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 We’d love to hear from you. Send us your tips at tipline.montereycountyweekly.com. We can tell you like the print edition of the Weekly. We bet you’ll love the daily newsletter, Monterey County NOW. Get fresh commentary, local news and sundry helpful distractions delivered to your inbox every day. There’s no charge, and if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe any time. DON’T MISS OUT Sign up today at montereycountyweekly.com/mcnow Living Well 2023-2024 BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® BILINGUAL GUIDE AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE GUIDE GUÍA DE RECURSOS SOBRE ENVEJECIMIENTO Y DISCAPACIDAD Published by PRINT | WEB | MOBILE AREA AGENCY ON AGING FREE | GRATIS cover_SG23.indd 1 5/11/23 3:01 PM JUST PUBLISHED Pick up your copy at senior-serving agencies or at Monterey County Weekly.
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 When you’re at your best, Salinas Valley is at its best. We’re here for your physical, emotional and community health. SalinasValleyHealth.com LIFE’S HARD. LOVE HARDER. FORMERLY SALINAS VALLEY MEMORIAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH We’re patting ourselves on the back this awards season, as the California News Publishers Association has just announced the winners of the 2022 California Journalism Awards. Congratulations to the Weekly team for nine statewide awards in our category for large-circulation weeklies. Staff Writer Pam Marino won first place for in-depth reporting for her coverage of the Regional Housing Needs Allocation (RHNA) process, and Editor Sara Rubin took first for columns for “The Local Spin.” Associate Editor Tajha Chappellet-Lanier and Staff Writer Agata Popeda claimed second place for arts and culture coverage. Staff Writer David Schmalz earned third place in two categories: land-use reporting for a cover story about the restoration of Carr Lake in Salinas, and for investigative reporting for his coverage of an undeveloped plot on Cannery Row. Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser won third place for cover design. And the Weekly took second place in the General Excellence category, for a paper that “showcases high-impact stories with helpful information,” the judges wrote. “Something worth a reader’s time on every page.” Good: Free, full-day preschool for children ages 3-4 is coming to Salinas. In April, the board of Salinas City Elementary School District approved a plan for expanded, year-round preschool that is now open to enrollment for students anywhere in Monterey County. It’s free for those whose parents meet income requirements set by the California Department of Education (up to $96,590 annually for a family of three). Families whose income exceeds that threshold can enroll based on a sliding scale, averaging about $20/day per family. The program will roll out at three campuses this summer (Boronda Meadows, Natividad and Sherwood elementary schools) and will be available at five more locations by 2025-26. “[Children’s] first exposure to a school-based educational environment includes age-appropriate curriculum and play-based learning,” Superintendent Rebeca Andrade said. GREAT: The young athletes of Rising Star Gymnastics in Monterey are indeed on the rise: Nearly 20 of them vaulted their way to the top the weekend of May 12-14 at the National Gymnastics Association regionals in Layton, Utah. Several members placed first in their categories. All of the athletes, who ranged in age from 8 to 17, qualified to compete at the national competition taking place the weekend of June 17-18 in New Orleans. “That’s a huge accomplishment for our gym, having 100 percent of our athletes to be competing successfully at their own levels,” says Fabricio “Breeze” Olsson, their coach. While winning is exciting, Olsson says he’s inspired by the students who are dedicating a “huge portion” of their lives to the sport. The focus at Rising Stars is competitive gymnastics but Olsson says the main emphasis is on helping youth grow as individuals to be successful in life. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Approximate funding needed annually for operating expenses at Pajaro Park (not including needed replacement of an artificial turf soccer field). The fund for the park—which is owned by the Pajaro/Sunny Mesa Community Services District—is on track to be depleted by July 2025. Source: Board of Supervisors report $62,000 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “One ticket can lead to a catastrophe.” -Valerie Castile, whose son, Philando Castile, was shot and killed by a police officer in a 2016 traffic stop, speaking in Seaside on May 19. Castile spoke at a launch event for Seaside’s Lights On! program, which provides vouchers to cover the cost of car light repairs in lieu of tickets (story posted at mcweekly.com). 26384 Carmel Rancho Ln., #103 Carmel-by-the-Sea 831.899.5464 monterey-mattress.com VISIT OUR SHOWROOM Open Any Day By Appointment My beloved father passed away at 87 years of age and will be greatly missed. He was my business partner in Monterey Mattress for 36 years. His legacy lives on with me, in Carmel, and the brand, Monterey Mattress Gingerich-Built, and is well-known around the Amish town of Kalona, Iowa and Iowa City, home to The University of Iowa. My best friend and greatest supporter, I got him into the business when he moved out here after the Iowa farm economy became bad. Of Amish-Mennonite roots, he was a master woodworker and custom home builder, and owned quite literally the most progressive cattle farm in the state of Iowa, home to the first national soil conservation fair. Of local note, he restored the historic original antique bar at Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch. With a glimmer in his eye, his sense of humor was unsurpassed. He would always put everyone before himself, and his generosity of spirit was also unsurpassed. He leaves behind my mother, Ruth, my four siblings, five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren, all living around our family farm. My Father, Dale Gingerich, aka Pops Panda NOVEMBER 11, 1934 ~ MAY 27, 2022 Monterey Mattress SP23.qxp_Layout 1 2/10/23 1:45 PM Page 1 My father, Dale Gingerich, aka Pops Panda, passed away at 87 years of age and will be greatly missed. My business partner in Monterey Mattress for 36 years, his legacy lives on with the brand, Monterey Mattress GingerichBuilt, and is well-known around the Amish town of Kalona, Iowa and Iowa City, home to the University Of Iowa. Best friend and my greatest supporter, I got him into the business when he moved out here after the Iowa farm economy became bad. Of Amish-Mennonite roots, he was a master woodworker and custom home builder, and owned quite literally the most progressive cattle farm in the state of Iowa, home to the first national soil conservation fair. The farm is still owned and operated by my sister and brotherin-law, Keith and Barb Schweitzer. Of local note, he restored the historic original antique bar at Clint Eastwood’s Mission Ranch. With a glimmer in his eye his sense of humor was unsurpassed. He would always put everyone before himself, and his generosity of spirit was also unsurpassed. He leaves behind his wife Ruth, me and my four siblings: Barb (Keith) Schweitzer, Grant Gingerich, Jane (Darwin) Mesch, Joan (Glenn) Siders as well as five grandchildren and seven great grandchildren. - Brian Gingerich Dale Gingerich, aka Pops Panda NOVEMBER 11,1934 - MAY 27,2022 Built on a foundation of tradition, ready for the future. VISIT OUR SHOWROOM Open Any Day By Appointment 26384 Carmel Rancho Ln., #103 Carmel-by-the-Sea 831.899.5464 monterey-mattress.com
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 NOW AVAILABLE TIDAL COFFEE IS A CELEBRATION OF PLACE – THIS PRECIOUS PATCH OF PACIFIC COAST THAT INSPIRED RICKETTS AND STEINBECK Visit our newly renovated location at the Monterey Plaza Hotel, featuring elevated breakfast and lunch options, expanded hours 7 days per week 6am – 4pm, and a new outdoor seating area for the best picnic location overlooking Monterey Bay.
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 LyVesha Franklin is the type of woman who jumps in and makes things happen. You may not know her by name, but Franklin’s fingerprints are all over some major initiatives to support people who are underserved, community newcomers and the Black community in Monterey County. As part of Building Healthy Communities, Franklin helped pilot the VIDA community health worker program, which now boasts millions of dollars in funding, supports hundreds of jobs and provides person-to-person health information. She is also part of the Coalition of Homeless Service Providers and was a founding member of the Seaside Covid Action Team. “I helped kickstart and jumpstart a lot of events with Seaside Covid Action Team and did a lot of connecting and bringing people in…and then on to the next project,” Franklin says. “That’s kind of what I do.” Indeed, Franklin is already diving into her next project: Kweens’ Kounsel, a community of birthing resources and support for and by Black people in Monterey County. As a single mother to four children, this project is very personal—Franklin wanted doula support during her births but found it out of reach. Being a Black childbirth educator in a country where the maternal mortality rate for Black women is 2.6 times that of white women (per U.S. Centers for Disease Control data) adds to Franklin’s inspiration—“the difference in being Black and surviving birth is support,” she says. Kweens’ Kounsel began with an email Franklin sent to the Birth Network of Monterey County in January. She outlined her vision for creating a network specifically for Black birthing, and within minutes received a reply. “It made eminent sense for us to support them,” Gail Root, president of the Birth Network, says. “It was a gift for us to have LyVesha reach out to us.” The Birth Network now serves as Kweens’ Kounsel’s fiscal sponsor. Both Franklin and Root are forthright about the fact that while the Birth Network has been providing birthing support and resources to families in Monterey County since 2007, the nonprofit has not focused much on bridging cultural or racial divides, and families served have been predominantly white. Nor is there another similar organization specifically for Black families—“In my six years of being active in the community, I have not seen a space for Black women in [the birthing] area at all,” Franklin says. “Black women are abused a lot, in a lot of facets of life. And we’re so abused that we pick and choose our battles. So a lot of things are overlooked and not brought to the surface because it’s like, ‘I can’t fuss about this when I need this or this or this.’ We only have so much energy, and so much focus.” Franklin has her sights set on creating that space and bringing these issues to the surface. That means curating a network of Black birthing support providers. It also means educating Black women and families about the value educators and doulas can provide. “That’s one of the key things right now, is to educate the community on the benefits of birth support and why it’s important, especially for Black women considering we’re on the high end of the maternal mortality rate due to institutional racism,” Franklin says. “It has been proven that the majority of the cases [of maternal deaths] could have been prevented if the Black women were just listened to.” This education takes the form of community conversations. Kweens’ Kounsel has hosted two thus far, and is gearing up to host another on June 3 with teacher and motivational speaker Tamisha Smith, who will speak about self-awareness and self-care and lead a closing yoga session. “We want to be able to celebrate births—Black women giving birth in a culturally safe and supported environment,” Franklin says. “Birth sets the tone for life.” Kweens’ Kounsel Community Conversation about Black Maternal Health 2:30-5:30pm Saturday, June 3. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free; donations welcome. birthnetworkofmonterey.com/ african-american. Kween Mode Kweens’ Kounsel is creating a community of birthing resources for and by Black people in Monterey County. By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier LyVesha Franklin founded Kweens’ Kounsel, a group that cultivates and supports Black birthing experts in the Monterey County birthing scene. In the future, she hopes to aid people who are starting birthing support businesses. “We want to be able to celebrate births.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS SAVE THE DATE QUARTERLY BUSINESS INSIGHTS BREAKFAST: "Changing the Narrative: Developing Mental Fitness" with Dr. Susan Swick, MD, MPH, Executive Director of Ohana Center for Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health FRIDAY, JUNE 16 | 7:30 - 9:00 AM Ferrante's Bay View at Monterey Marriott 36th ANNUAL BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS presented by 1st Capital Bank THURSDAY, JULY 20 | 6:00 PM- 9:00 PM Monterey Conference Center UPCOMING EVENTS See the full schedule of events and register today at montereychamber.com REGISTER TODAY!
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 Visit CarmelCulinaryWeek.com or scan for more details! Presented by: Thank you to our partners: th ar o th plat june 2-10, 2023 Discover the Art of the Plate at more than restaurantsin Carmel-by-the-Sea with immersive food experiences, curated menus, special offers, and culinary events! join us at five village events throughout the week! Kick-Off Party at Carmel Plaza, June Pub Crawl-by-the-Sea, June – 8 Ratatouille Movie at Forest Theater, June An Evening with Ted Allen at Sunset Center, June 8 Monterey Winemakers’ Celebration, June Alvarado Street Brewery & Bistro A.W. Shucks Cocktail & Oyster Bar Anton & Michel Barmel Bar Napoli Basil Seasonal Dining Brophy’s Tavern Café Luna Cantinetta Luca Carmel Burger Bar Carmel’s Hidden Gem Casanova Catch Chez Noir Cultura Carmel Dametra Café Flaherty’s Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar Foray Grasing’s Coastal Cuisine Grill on Ocean Avenue Hog’s Breath Inn La Balena La Bicyclette Links Club Mission Bistro Pangaea Grill Portabella Promesa Tapas Kitchen Rise+Roam Seventh & Dolores Steakhouse Stationæry The Pocket Toro Sushi & Sake Vesuvio Yafa Visit These Locations During Culinary Week: Carmel_Culinary_Week_2023_Weekly_Full Pg_Final_2.indd 1 5/23/23 5:46 PM
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com NEWS Over the past couple of years, Monterey County has become the home of Monterey Bay F.C., a USL pro soccer team, and Monterey Bay F.C.2, a developmental team. Within the next couple of years, it might have a second pro team out of Moss Landing. Breakers F.C., an amateur soccer club based in Watsonville, was the highest bidder for Moss Landing Middle School, one of the three surplus properties from North Monterey County Unified School District. (It is valued at $485,806, according to Redfin; the parties say the deal is now in escrow.) The club plans to build a soccer academy at the former middle school. “We’ve been excluding a huge pool of talent that we believe exists here,” says Leppa Galeb-Roskopp, Breakers F.C.’s board president. Galeb-Roskopp says they have a big dream: to turn pro by 2025. The Moss Landing academy would include soccer fields and dormitories, and would help build a college pathway for student-athletes as well as partnerships with first-division Mexican soccer teams. Galeb-Roskopp says they hope to complete the project to build the academy within 18 months or less: “We don’t have three or four years. We want a professional team by 2025.” In 2026, North America will host the men’s soccer World Cup and nearby Santa Clara is one of the hosting cities. Galeb-Roskopp doesn’t worry about the pre-existence of pro soccer teams in the county, noting they hope to join MLS, not USL, which Monterey Bay F.C. plays in. “You’re looking at a heavily Hispanic community who loves soccer and are very family-oriented and very loyal,” she adds. “I think it’s going to be a huge, huge following.” Game On A Santa Cruz soccer club plans to expand to Monterey County and bring a pro soccer team. By Celia Jiménez Monterey County is taking a new approach to fixing roads that are in disrepair: private funding. The county is moving forward with a public-private partnership that will finance repairs to a 2.7-mile stretch of East Carmel Valley Road, near Cachagua Road, after the Board of Supervisors approved the plan on May 16. The partnership will see the Silicon Valley Community Foundation provide a grant covering 100 percent of the construction costs, or $2.9 million, through a donor-advised fund acting on behalf of Fox Creek Ranch—a 276-acre property featuring vineyards and equestrian facilities that is located just off the section of East Carmel Valley Road in question. The county will fund the remaining design and project management costs, estimated at $725,000. The arrangement is the result of recent efforts by the county to find alternative sources of funding in lieu of an estimated $1.5 billion in “longterm deferred maintenance for roads and bridges,” according to Randell Ishii, Monterey County’s director of public works, facilities and parks. Ishii cites a 2020 county report that determined the county would need to invest $600 million over 10 years to improve its 1,200 miles of roads countywide to a pavement condition index (PCI) score of 70, or “fair” on the PCI scale. That $60 million annual expenditure would roughly double the county’s current budget for roads and bridges. “There’s a big gap between our means versus what we need in order to get to that maintainable level,” Ishii says. To that end, the Public Works Department has increasingly entertained public-private partnerships, after being contacted by private property owners indicating interest in funding portions of road repairs in order to expedite the work. The partnership with Fox Creek Ranch is the first time the county has pursued such an arrangement, according to Ishii, after the property’s owner reached out last fall about improving the portion of East Carmel Valley Road providing access to the ranch. While Public Works had outlined a program prioritizing projects where a private backer funded 50 percent of the total cost, Fox Creek Ranch agreed to cover all construction costs to speed up the process. The work will involve a standard repaving of the 2.7-mile stretch of road in question and is expected to commence by early September, “if not sooner,” Ishii says. The road is expected to remain open during construction via one-lane traffic control. Ishii adds that Public Works has received “some interest” from other private entities about pursuing a similar arrangement elsewhere. County Supervisor Mary Adams, whose district includes Carmel Valley, says that despite initial skepticism, she’s now “very comfortable” with using public-private partnerships to shore up local infrastructure. “So many roads and bridges are in terrible condition here,” Adams says. “In a district where we have so many county roads, and so many competing interests for funding throughout the county, it’s been a challenge.” Representatives for Fox Creek Ranch could not be reached for comment. A Silicon Valley Community Foundation spokesperson says the organization does not comment on its donors’ identities nor their philanthropy without their permission. Monterey County’s roads have an average pavement condition grade of “poor,” prompting the county to team up with landowners to accelerate needed repairs. Money Trail Monterey County is now letting private landowners fund road repairs near their properties. By Rey Mashayekhi Breakers F.C. launched in 1992, and is a founding member of MLS NEXT, an elite youth development platform for soccer players in North America. “So many roads and bridges are in terrible condition.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, ext. 304 www.bayfed.com/HomeLoans * The Annual Percentage Rate (APR) is variable and is based upon an Index plus a margin. The Index is the “Prime Rate” as published in the “Money Rates” section of the online edition of the Wall Street Journal on the first day of the billing cycle. Eligible Lines of Credit loan amounts up to $400,000. As of March 24, 2023, the variable APR for Home Equity Lines of Credit ranged from 8.50% APR to 10.00% APR, depending on your credit score (the lowest APR disclosed includes any applicable rate discounts). The maximum APR during the term of the plan is 18.00%. The maximum loan amount is $400,000. An estimate of the fees imposed for opening the plan are $750 to $2500. However, these fees will be waived and/or paid by the Credit Union provided that our security interest in your home is maintained for at least 36 consecutive months from the date the HELOC account is opened. Otherwise, you must reimburse the Credit Union for these waived and/or paid fees (not to exceed $500). An annual fee of $75 is required on all balances of less than $20,000 after the first year. During the Draw Period, you may convert the variable interest rate and repayment schedule on a portion of your outstanding balance to a fixed rate and repayment schedule (subject to the terms and conditions set forth in the Home Equity Line of Credit Agreement). Each time you fix a portion of your loan balance, you will be assessed a charge of $50.00. Only three (3) fixed-rate options may exist at any one time. Offer is available for new applications submitted through December 31, 2023. Loans are subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Interest rates and programs terms are subject to change without notice. Property insurance is required. Other restrictions may apply. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required at the time of closing. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call a Bay Federal Home Loan Consultant at 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, ext. 304. Get the Most from Your Home Upgrade in the ways that are most meaningful to you with a Home Equity Line of Credit from Bay Federal Credit Union! Apply Today! Visit bayfed.com/helocflex to learn more. QUAIL LODGE & GOLF CLUB • 8205 VALLEY GREENS DRIVE, CARMEL WARNING: For more information, please call: 1-800-523-3157 5-23 Crude oil, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other petroleum products can expose you to chemicals including toluene and benzene, which are known to the State of California to cause cancer and birth defects or other reproductive harm. These exposures can occur in and around oil fields, refineries, chemical plants, transport and storage operations, such as pipelines, marine terminals, tank trucks, and other facilities and equipment. For more information go to: www.P65Warnings.ca.gov/petroleum. The foregoing warning is provided pursuant to Proposition 65. This law requires the Governor of California to publish a list of chemicals “known to the State to cause cancer or reproductive toxicity.” This list is compiled in accordance with a procedure established by the Proposition, and can be obtained from the California Environmental Protection Agency. Proposition 65 requires that clear and reasonable warnings be given to persons exposed to the listed chemicals in certain situations. VALERO Refining and Marketing Company, Ultramar Inc., and their affiliates and subsidiaries AERA ENERGY LLC PBF Energy Western Region LLC its affiliates and subsidiaries EXXON MOBIL CORPORATION its affiliates and subsidiaries PHILLIPS 66, including its divisions and subsidiaries (and under the trademarks 76) SHELL OIL PRODUCTS US Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC (a subsidiary of Marathon Petroleum Corporation) and its affiliates (and under the trademarks ARCO, USA Gasoline, Shell, Thrifty, and ExxonMobil)
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Without any fanfare or notifications, the California State University in February reversed its policy requiring that its 485,000 students on 23 campuses show proof of vaccination for diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, polio and others in order to be admitted. The 29,000-member California Faculty Association knew nothing about the change until a CSU Monterey Bay faculty member happened to find it and, alarmed, brought it to CFA’s attention, says Meghan O’Donnell, a CSUMB lecturer who serves on the CFA board. While the University of California is still requiring vaccinations, in the CSU they are only recommended for students entering this fall, except in the case of Hepatitis B for those under the age of 18, which is required by law. CFA leaders filed an unfair practice charge with the California Public Employment Relations Board in March, contending that CSU Labor Relations made a unilateral change that could impact the health and safety of workers without consulting the union. On April 25, PERB filed a formal complaint against the CSU. “There’s a reason why we have vaccination policies like this at public universities,” O’Donnell says. “We learned a lot from the Covid pandemic. It’s not just about individual choice, it’s about protecting the broader community.” Hazel Kelly, a CSU spokesperson, says by email that the university is following “recommendations and guidance from the American College Health Association and the [Centers for Disease Control].” (Both “strongly recommend” that all college and university students be vaccinated.) The policy change includes the option for campus presidents to enact their own requirements. A CSUMB spokesperson says they have opted to follow the new policy, only recommending students be vaccinated. Kelly contends that most of CSU’s students come from California secondary schools, which require vaccinations, so they would already be vaccinated before entering college. O’Donnell counters that there are international students, as well as students from states where vaccination policies may be different, and students from home schools. According to the PERB complaint against the CSU Board of Trustees, the university violated government codes by making the unilateral change in policy. The next step is a mandatory settlement conference between CSU and CFA negotiators. The Monterey County Civil Grand Jury has released a new report on the county Coroner’s Office, finding issues with insufficient staffing and inefficient workflows resulting in autopsy reports often taking more than six months to complete. The report, released May 18, examines processes at the Coroner’s Office, which is part of the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. The Civil Grand Jury determined that the office has been hamstrung by having only a part-time forensic pathologist who performed 423 autopsies in 2022—well above the recommended caseload of no more than 250 per year. Other problems affecting the office include an “inefficient dictation and transcription process” for autopsy reports, which are manually recorded and transcribed in lieu of an unsuccessful trial with automated voice recognition software, according to the report. That has seen transcription responsibilities foisted on autopsy technicians—many of whom are temporary employees with numerous other duties, further delaying the work. The Civil Grand Jury also criticized the absence of a formal recusal policy for autopsies transferred outside of Monterey County, such as for deaths at the Sheriff-run county jail, as well as the lack of death investigation training requirements for Coroner’s Office detectives. The report lays out nine recommendations on policy changes addressing the various findings. Sheriff Tina Nieto says her office worked with the Civil Grand Jury during its investigation and will respond to the report per its request. She notes the financial constraints contributing to many of the issues in urging county officials to “support our response with a budget that reflects our commitment to improving our [Coroner’s] Office.” “My folks will put in the effort to make us better, but we cannot do that unless the Board of Supervisors supports us monetarily,” Nieto says. “Our communities deserve basic services, but even basic services are not free.” Shot Block The CSU reverses its policy on vaccine requirements, prompting faculty protest. By Pam Marino NEWS FIRE PROOF The Monterey Fire Department is developing a community wildfire protection plan to create a more wildfire-resilient community. The final in-person workshop is in Pacific Grove, where residents can share input and concerns. 6pm Thursday, May 25. Pacific Grove Community Center, 515 Junipero Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-3135, surveymonkey.com/r/ CWPPCommunityWorkshops. HOUSING SURVEY What are your concerns about housing issues in Greenfield? The city wants to hear from residents about parking, whether or not there needs to be more affordable housing or more homes for middle-class families, or something else. Light refreshments will be provided. Thursday, May 25. Veterans Memorial Hall, 615 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free. 304-0333, bit.ly/ GreenfieldHousing. FUNDING DEADLINE The deadline for in-person FEMA assistance at Pajaro Park is May 26, and for online applications it’s coming on June 5. If the recent storms have affected you and your family, the government can provide disaster relief to help. Residents and business owners affected by a major disaster—including citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), and mixed immigrant households— may be eligible for FEMA federal assistance. In-person until Friday, May 26. Pajaro Park, 24 San Juan Road, Pajaro. Free. 800-621-3362, bit.ly/ StormResources2023. Apply online at disasterassistance.gov. FRESH FACES Vendors are needed to kick off Seaside’s returning farmers market. All local farmers, vendors, community groups and entertainers are welcome. In partnership with the city of Seaside, Everyone’s Harvest will host a grand opening in June, and start opening the market every Thursday afternoon. 3pm Thursday, June 15. Laguna Grande Park, 1185 Canyon del Rey Blvd., Seaside. 384-6961, everyonesharvest. org. CIVIC DUTIES It’s time for the annual recruitment for the Civil Grand Jury for the next fiscal year (July 1, 2023-June 30, 2024). Volunteers serving as civil grand jurors inspecting financial records and documents based on community concerns. You must be a citizen age 18 or older to serve. Apply online. 775-5045, co.monterey.ca.us/government/participate-get-involved/civil-grand-jury. Thinned Out The county Coroner’s Office is hamstrung by budget-related staffing issues, grand jury finds. By Rey Mashayekhi Meghan O’Donnell, a CSUMB lecturer and CFA board member, says requiring vaccinations will protect vulnerable faculty, staff, students and the community. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “There’s a reason we have vaccination policies like this.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 DR. BRYNIE KAPLAN DAU, MS, DVM VOTED MONTEREY COUNTY’S BEST VETERINARIAN TWO YEARS IN A ROW! ’22 ’21 SURGERY DERMATOLOGY FELINE AND CANINE MEDICINE PREVENTATIVE CARE AND MUCH MORE COMPASSIONATE CARE WITH EXCEPTIONAL MEDICINE. 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com The last six months have been rocky for the Soledad Community Health Care District, after CEO Ida Lopez Chan made a series of cuts in employee hours and benefits that left workers angry and disillusioned. The hours are now restored, Chan told the district board on April 27, and the district is working on restoring employee retirement accounts after payments were wrongly stopped temporarily. Unfortunately for the district—which currently has no reserves—an old debt is continuing to come back to haunt it. The budget issue that prompted the belt-tightening dates back to 2015, when under a previous CEO a decision was made—based on a recommendation by district auditors because cash was short—to accept an advance payment of Medi-Cal claims, a common practice called a Prospective Payment System, or PPS, where payment is made for future claims on a predetermined, fixed rate. If there is money left over after the claims are finalized, the agency that accepted the PPS must pay the extra back to the California Department of Health Care Services within 60 days, or pay 7 percent interest on the amount until it is repaid. “This is not untraditional. There are a lot of other rural health care districts that have utilized the same type of support,” Chan says. The district carried the growing debt while it was taking on expansion with the building of the Women’s Health Clinic, using a $3 million construction loan. (The clinic opened in November 2020.) The PPS was a way to have cash when money was tight, Chan told the board in April, but the debt continued to grow. She estimated the interest was costing the district approximately $1.1 million annually. In order to cover one year of interest payments, she said, “we have to bank at least $83,000 a month in cash in order to break even, just to pay off that debt.” If they don’t, there will be new cuts in the future. “You can tell, we only have $998,000 in cash, we need $1.1 million. If that payment came due today, we don’t have enough to pay it,” Chan said. Boardmember Max Schell chimed in, “And we have no reserves.” Chan says a payment did come due for 2019 on Nov. 15, but they came up short by over $400,000. (There is a two- to three-year lag in the state collecting repayments.) The state allowed the district to pay it off at $35,000 a month. That situation, combined with having to pay more for temporary staffing in the face of an employee shortage during Covid, added to financial stress. “We had to make some difficult decisions in order to keep the cash flowing,” Chan says. “Now everyone is back at 100 percent, so we made good on our promise to get them back there.” A new auditor’s report providing more light on the district’s finances is scheduled to be heard during a board meeting at 4pm on Thursday, May 25. The board meets inside the Creekside Room at the Eden Valley Care Center, 612 Main St., Soledad. Pay Back A rural health care district in Soledad is playing catch-up to deal with an old debt. By Pam Marino An old debt has been plaguing the Soledad Community Health Care District, which owns and operates the Soledad Medical Clinic, Eden Valley Care Center and Women’s Health Center. NEWS “We had to make some difficult decisions to keep the cash flowing.” DANIEL DREIFUSS H A N D M A D E & RETRO GROOVE U P C Y C L E D M A R K E T SATURDAY JUNE 17, 2023 2-7 PM IN COLLABORATION WITH ARTSY CHICA UTOPIA 310 FOURTH STREET SAN JUAN BAUTISTA CA 95045 #RETROGROOVESJB Monterey One Water • ReGen Monterey • Southern Monterey Bay Dischargers Group GREEN CART Food scraps without a bag TRASH Cooking oil and grease ClogBusters.org Good kitchen habits protect the environment & public health from sewer overflows! www.ClogBusters.org
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 The special education program in Gonzales Unified School District is under scrutiny. It is under a three-year action plan called Compliance and Improvement Monitoring (CIM), meant to improve daily operations and increase positive outcomes for students with disabilities. The state will monitor the district until December 2025. Meanwhile, teachers and staff in pupil support services have spoken publicly during school board meetings in March and again in April, raising concerns about new leadership, specifically Eric Olsen, GUSD’s director of special education, health services and preschool. Nineteen workers took a vote of no confidence, and four of them filed a formal complaint with the district on April 24. They say Olsen has shown concerning behavior which includes questioning the need to translate documents into Spanish for parents; accusing staff of wrongly placing students in special ed; and reducing the quality of special education services. Tsega Getenet Ayon, a nurse at GUSD, says translated documents do not seem to be a priority for Olsen. “We shouldn’t have to have anyone sign anything that’s not in their native language, because how do we know that they know what they’re signing?” Getenet Ayon says. “We don’t want any more discriminatory remarks, we don’t want any more aggressive threatening in meetings in front of parents, none of that kind of behavior—because it’s just demoralizing.” (Getenet Ayon is married to GUSD boardmember Cesar Ayon.) GUSD Superintendent Matilde Zamora says CIM is standard procedure. Every year the California Department of Education analyzes data from school districts and determines which ones will need state intervention. Currently, GUSD is in intensive Level 2, a severe tier. It’s for districts that didn’t meet requirements in one or more areas (GUSD needs to improve in English and math scores, and boost inclusion for special education students in regular classes) for two or three years in a row, and it requires district staff to work with state education officials. CDE’s process is not tied to complaints about Olsen. As Zamora notes, “The district’s engagement in this process pre-dates Mr. Olsen’s employment.” (He was hired in July 2022.) Prior to GUSD, Olsen worked at Soquel Union Elementary School District as student services director. Some staff members there report similar issues. In Soquel, 17 staff members sent a letter to the board expressing concerns about Olsen’s leadership, and cast a vote of no confidence. The letter said Olsen wasn’t maintaining the special ed program’s quality and that he was “prioritizing fiscal impacts over student benefit.” Alyssa Maisano, a former school psychologist at Soquel Union, says students deserve a director “who prioritizes student services over financial benefits to the district.” “Mr. Olsen came to the district with excellent references from his prior employment,” Zamora says. Olsen declined to respond to questions and referred the Weekly to the superintendent. Class Time Special education program in Gonzales Unified is under the microscope with state oversight. By Celia Jiménez Gonzales Unified School District is in a severe tier for monitoring by the California Department of Education for several reasons, including academic performance and its special ed program. NEWS The state will monitor the district until December 2025. DANIEL DREIFUSS BEST SUMMER EVER! THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.ORG/REC OVERNIGHT CAMP DAY CAMPS TODDLER CAMPS SPORTS CAMPS AND MORE! REGISTER NOW SCAN ME!
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 25-31, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com HAD TO BE THERE Locals who can’t afford it did enjoy the livestream (“The California Roots Music and Art Festival will not be live streamed this year,” posted May 16). Karen Lessard | via social media Lame! Capitalism overtakes Cali Roots, once a safe haven for good karma. Terrible decision, and the founders know this. Lots of artists who were far down from the headliners got really great exposure from the livestream and it helped them take off. Money before the music fans and artists…this is pretty darn ugly. Jake Fathy | via social media RIGHTS ON Thank you so much for writing about these so-called First Amendment auditors, aka frauditors (“A group who claims to care about free speech harasses the Weekly,” May 18-24). They love the term “We the people,” yet we the actual people understand that barging into a government building to film commercially for their monetized YouTube channels is not standing up for anyone’s rights. These frauditors are the new domestic terrorists, they continue to harass our government in a way that is for their financial benefit only. Your article is proof this group of people don’t know or understand the First Amendment. Edward Vincent | Half Moon Bay Very sorry to hear about harassment. You must have hit a nerve real hard to be worthy of such attacks. Kelita Smith | Carmel You questioning somebody’s journalistic ethics is a complete joke! Apparently, you have no idea what ethics are or why we have freedom of the press! “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.” The freedom of the press, protected by the First Amendment, is critical to a democracy in which the government is accountable to the people. A free media functions as a watchdog that can investigate and report on government wrongdoing. Shame on you! Tamra K. Louviere | via social media Many thanks for your article exposing this YouTube antagonizor/frauditor, Anthony X. He’s been doing this stuff for a long time and his main interest is triggering employees of public entities for content. It’s time for governmental agencies to start cracking down on this. Managers of public buildings should call the police and have these trespassers removed at once. Please keep exposing these people for what they are. They are no more interested in anyone’s rights than the man on the moon. Carl Goss | via email It is a great shame that mainstream media and newspapers don’t pay more attention [to First Amendment audits]. Your story has opened the gates—hopefully other outlets will pick up on the truth. You are so correct—the auditors ask their subscribers to call, flood, email and harass someone when they stand up to the auditors. I hope you continue to expose these auditors for what they are. David Richardson | Perth, Australia I wanted to take a moment to offer support. You have shown who the real journalist is and conducted yourself with integrity and professionalism. Keep doing what you are doing and know that you have many like myself who support you and will continue to fight these “frauditors.” William Holloway | Angleton, Texas STAR POWER Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. Squid has gone from a creative cephalopod to a cranky one (“Squid Fry: Hard Party,” May 11-17). Many of us have had to mature and mellow into reasonable environmentalists. We’ve learned that saving 50 percent of something is better than 100 percent due to ideologist purity and rigidity. Compromise is the way forward. We are lucky to have Clint Eastwood leading the way on sustainable development. Some complicated deal allowed development in exchange for Carmel River restoration, artichoke fields preservation and water credits for local home remodeling. He also restored Mission Ranch and it is such an iconic part of our area. Wealthy landowners with consciences can do tremendous good. Pebble Beach represents the ultimate in American excellence and elegance. Ted Turner has bought up huge swaths of the heartland of America; he is working with farmers and ranchers. We appreciate our celebrities; Clint Eastwood’s contributions will stand the test of time. Squid needs to squirt noxious ink in another direction. Try some undersea gratitude meditation. Mary Quirit | Monterey PARK-N-PAY Parking is SUUUUPER plentiful at CSU Monterey Bay, don’t see why this can’t be free. It’s not exactly UC Davis or UC San Diego (“CSUMB students demand free parking, calling it an issue of educational equity,” posted May 12). David Slater | via social media $500 per year is a bit much for a student. How about $100? Christian Parley | via social media Entitled kids. Thirty years ago I had to pay for parking on campus for university. This is not new. Zero sympathy. Art Fernandez | via social media “I struggled 30 years ago so you should too” is a bizarre way of thinking. Adam J. Lincoln | via social media A JAZZ LEGEND A huge thank you for the article on brother Jackson [Stock]’s gathering; you’ve introduced him in depth, to the community at large, both known and unknown (“Local jazz musicians convene this weekend to pay musical homage to one of their own,” posted May 19). The Stock family appreciates your excellence. Peter Stock | Big Sur CIDER WORKS Yay—something not beer to cheer (“The first cider from a Carmel brewery is crisp and delicious—and there’s more to come,” May 11-17). Arno Featherstone | Seaside 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 MAY 25-31, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 On the surface, San Ardo is a place in South Monterey County where agricultural fields of the Salinas Valley meet rolling hills of the Gabilan Mountains. Under the surface, the San Ardo Field is roughly a 6-by-2.5-mile area comprising some 4,200 acres of the oil-rich Lombardi Sands and Aurignac Sands formations, more than 1,800 feet underground. Since it was discovered in 1947, the San Ardo Field has produced more than 2 billion barrels of oil. It is the eighth-most productive oilfield in California. Oil industry representatives estimate they can recover another 850 million barrels of oil from San Ardo over the next 100 years. That is, if they are allowed to continue with the business of drilling as usual. In 2016, Monterey County voters delivered a clear message at the ballot box: With 56 percent of the vote, the citizen ballot initiative Measure Z passed, banning fracking, new oil wells and wastewater injection. While fracking is not a practice in use in Monterey County’s oilfields (due to the geology), without the ability to drill new wells and inject wastewater, the industry cannot operate as it has since the 1950s. Despite the passage of Measure Z, the industry has argued (and prevailed) in court battles as to whether those provisions of the ballot measure are permissible. Operators Aera, Chevron, Eagle Petroleum and Trio Petroleum, as well as private property owners who earn royalties from those operators, sued to challenge Measure Z. In 2018, Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills upheld the fracking ban, but overturned the rest, enabling the oil industry to continue operating. The group behind the ballot measure, Protect Monterey County, appealed and lost in 2021. They petitioned again to the California Supreme Court. Now, six-and-a-half years after voters delivered a resounding no to continued oil operations in Monterey County, the state Supreme Court is set to hear oral arguments in the case at 1:30pm on Thursday, May 25. (The hearing is remote, and PMC will livestream it and host rallies starting at noon outside the county government building at 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas and in the Peace and Justice Center at 1354 Fremont Blvd., Seaside.) “We’re very excited—this is what we’ve been waiting for,” says Laura Solorio, one of the architects of the measure and president of Protect Monterey County. “Measure Z is still alive.” One of the oil industry contentions is that proponents of the measure misled voters, emphasizing the fracking ban alone. Solorio says whatever happens at court, the organizing effort will be remembered as a success, in large part because of extensive conversations advocates had with voters. “This was not a two-minute conversation, it was often a 15-minute conversation. It was an education about oil production,” she says. But what the Supreme Court will weigh is less likely to be about what voters intended than it is to be about technicalities. Specifically at issue is California’s Public Resources Code section 3106, which grants authority to the state when it comes to oil operations. The California Constitution grants local jurisdictions to make policy, so long as that policy is “not in conflict with general laws.” According to attorney Edward Shield Renwick, who represents 80-plus South County property owners who collect royalties from oil operations on their land, that’s the rub. “The law is the law and the state Constitution is the state Constitution,” he says. “Counties have no power to regulate on statewide matters—only local matters.” While Monterey County itself has become just a bystander in this case—the county declined to participate in the appeal process, leaving Protect Monterey County on its own—other local government jurisdictions have taken a strong interest. The League of California Cities, State Association of Counties and Los Angeles County filed a brief in support of PMC. A loss for PMC, they argue in a court brief, “would undermine well-settled legal principles, create confusion and litigation risk, and chill rightful exercises of local authority.” Of course, the court hearing will likely be about some combination of these things—legal definitions over technical matters (where state and local decision-making begin and end) and taking of property. It is less likely to be about the thing voters actually considered, which is the big picture of whether oil extraction should continue to hold a place in our energy economy. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com. Oil and Water Measure Z, an initiative limiting oil development, heads to Supreme Court. By Sara Rubin NOISES OFF…Squid heard a faint sound of optimism from Salinas and paused to investigate. It was emanating from the 2022-2023 Monterey County Civil Grand Jury and its first report of the year entitled, “Sleepless in Monterey County.” It’s illustrated by a Microsoft stock photo of an old-school hi-fi system with knobs that—This is Spinal Tap fans will be disappointed to know—only go to “10” and not the band’s co-lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel’s preferred “11.” The report was the volunteer jury’s attempt at taking things up to an “11” on county officials, dinging them for failing to adequately enforce the county’s noise ordinance in rural areas. The jurors found that staffing issues were part of the problem, along with property owners renting their land to promoters who host large, for-profit events without proper permits, among other problems. Jurors specifically called out the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for being ineffective in resolving the issue. Squid found the optimism of jurors amusing, as they rattled off eight recommendations with deadlines for fixes between July 31 and Dec. 31. Funniest of all was the Dec. 31 deadline to impose stricter fines and penalties for repeat offenders. Expecting the supervisors to suddenly go from a low volume all the way to “11” within six months is what Squid would call the definition of magical thinking. IN-N-OUT…When Squid travels, Squid likes to stick around for a while, get to know the vibe, the people, the lay of the land. And the same goes for Squid’s workplace—you can’t make much headway doing journalism in Monterey County if you’re only passing through. With that said, Squid was shocked, but not surprised, that Trevin Barber, who until May 19 was the city manager of Gonzales, stepped away from the job after only four months. The official reason, per a statement, was to “focus his career on finance and economic development while spending more time with his family.” Barber was selected from a pool of 35 applicants after a months-long search conducted by Bob and Murray & Associates following the departure of Rene Mendez, who after 17 years left for Watsonville last June. Barber’s last position was assistant city manager and economic development in the city of Seaside, which he officially left in September of last year after just over a year on the job (several months of which he was on leave, for unspecified reasons). Barber says this journey all relates back to his childhood, which included a time that his dad landed a part-time job working for Rite-Aid between other things; Barber credits city leaders for having recruited the Rite-Aid distribution center to begin with. “That’s my North Star,” he says. “I owe a debt to society and I intend to pay it back with my career.” Squid hopes his next stint lasts a little longer. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “Measure Z is still alive.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@mcweekly.com
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