JUNE 15-21, 2023 MONTEREYCOUNTYWEEKLY.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT TINY HOUSES, BIG DREAM 6 | CELEBRATING JUNETEENTH 27 | KARL MARX LIVE, ON ZOOM 28 12 LOCAL BUDGETS, COMPARED MONTEREY COUNTY’S 12 CITIES ARE PREPARING FOR A BUDGET YEAR THAT BEGINS JULY 1. TAKE A SIDE-BY-SIDE LOOK AT REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES IN EACH. P. 14 How does your city stack up?
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com June 15-21, 2023 • ISSUE #1820 • Established in 1988 Wendy Simpson (iPhone 11) Thick fog, after an unusual rainy day, engulfs an oak tree on Penon Peak in Carmel Valley. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: As Monterey County’s 12 city councils prepare to get annual budgets approved by June 30, they weigh the wantto-have items against the need-to-haves. Cover Photo by Shutterstock 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
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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Hundreds of journalists walked off the job last week, on Monday, June 5, in a one- and two-day strike in dozens of newsrooms across eight states. The members of the News Guild are employed by Gannett, the country’s largest newspaper chain. (Gannett owns USA Today and hundreds of local newspapers, including The Salinas Californian, which no longer has any Salinas-based staff. Cost-cutting measures like those at The Californian are part of what prompted workers to strike.) The journalists called for a change of leadership at the top. Their strike coincided with an annual stockholder meeting, where the board voted to reelect Chairman Mike Reed. In a filing with the SEC, the union—which owns 1,590 shares of Gannett—indicated it would not vote for Reed, who last year earned $3.4 million. “Mr. Reed has failed shareholders,” they wrote. “He has reduced local content by relying on wire service and regional stories, cut newsroom staff, and maintained a compensation policy that is forcing many of our journalists to seek work elsewhere. As a result, our communities are not being served and our employees are demoralized.” Good: Most people might think Carmel would have swanky digs for its police officers, but they would be wrong. The Carmel Police Station was dedicated in 1967 and one step inside and it looks straight out of the set of the 1968 TV show Adam-12. They’ve had to make numerous repairs, but what it has really needed is a remodel. Disputes over a 2018 expansion plan and discussions about costs—interrupted by a pandemic that forced the city to cut back on expenses—meant putting the station’s needs on the back burner. The good news is city officials are committed to finally getting the job done. The Carmel City Council on June 6 voted 5-0 in favor of a contract with Hammond+Playle Architects, LLP for preparation of a report, conceptual drawings and cost estimates to remodel the station. The contract for those services is not to exceed $300,000. GREAT: Great news for shoppers who want to shop for local goods, great news for farmers looking for direct-to-consumer sales, and great news for community members seeking a new gathering place: a farmers market for Seaside is coming back, for the first time since 2019. The market at Laguna Grande Park kicks off on June 15 and will continue year-round on Thursdays from 3-7pm. (For this inaugural edition, a ribbon-cutting ceremony takes place at 4pm; entertainment by Seaside nonprofit Palenke Arts and a parfait tasting are planned.) The Seaside Certified Farmers Market is hosted by nonprofit Everyone’s Harvest. So far 33 vendors have been approved, selling everything from produce and eggs to prepared food and artisan goods. “We had a lot of interest,” says Michelle Clark of Everyone’s Harvest. “We’re pretty excited.” Expect tastings, live music and cooking demonstrations going forward. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Outpatient visits in 2022 to the Ohana Center for Child and Adolescent Behavioral Health in Monterey. In 2021, the number was 12,536. Now located in various Montage Health office buildings, the center is awaiting the opening of a state-of-the art facility in Ryan Ranch this fall. Inpatient visits will begin in 2024. Source: June 6 report from Dr. Susan Swick, Ohana’s executive director, to Monterey City Council 18,909 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It taps into economic tourism activity.” -Craig Kaufman of the Salinas Valley Tourism and Visitors Bureau speaking about promoting inland attractions, specifically part of the 1,200-mile Juan Bautista De Anza National Historic Trail. Kaufman envisions building lodging along the route (see story, posted at mcweekly.com). ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES Stop By To Shop And Find Your Vintage Treasure OVER 100 DEALERS 21,000 SQUARE FEET The Largest Antiques and Collectibles Mall on the Central Coast 471 WAVE STREET MONTEREY (831) 655-0264 P M canneryrowantiquemall.com Open Daily 11am-6pm ’22 Voted Monterey County's Best Antique Shop ♦ 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
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 15-21, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 In the late fall of 1902, a U.S. Army cavalry unit arrived in San Francisco following a grueling four-year span that had seen them charge San Juan Hill during the Spanish-American War and then battle Filipino nationalists. Companies of the 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry—425 soldiers—were transported to the Monterey Peninsula, where they set up camp near a Chinese fishing village close to what is now the Hopkins Marine Station in Pacific Grove. The 15th Infantry Regiment was at the time camped at what would become the Presidio, but there were few permanent structures. The cavalry troop did not remain long. In the summer of 1904 they pulled out for patrol duty at Yosemite National Park. These were the legendary Buffalo Soldiers, part of four regiments of Black infantry and cavalry created by the U.S. Army after the Civil War, largely to secure the West. Often they were in as much danger from white settlers as from Native Americans. And while they have been the subject of books and film, with several museums dedicated to their history, details of their time on the Peninsula are lacking. “One of the big mysteries is we don’t know why they came here,” says Jordan Leininger, artifacts specialist for Monterey’s Museum and Cultural Arts Office. There are only three photographs of Buffalo Soldiers in the city’s collection, and old newspaper articles mention some of their activities. “I put out feelers everywhere.” In January of 2020, Leininger was tasked with creating an exhibit on the Buffalo Soldiers’ service in Monterey. He gleaned information from the National Archives, sought the assistance of Defense Language Institute historian Cameron Binkley, and reached out to historians like Buffalo Soldiers expert John Langellier, the National Park Service and more. With scraps of information and items donated by Langellier and others, he began shaping the story. “The local lore was that Buffalo Soldiers were here to build the Presidio,” he says. “I can’t find any proof of that.” Instead, he came across information that local civilian laborers were hired for the project. Logbooks preserved by DLI indicate the soldiers moved into the new barracks in December of 1903, occupying four buildings that currently serve as classrooms. One of the most intriguing collections Leininger learned about is a set of four glass-plate images at the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. These show the soldiers engaged in a day of sport—high jump, pole vault, running. A brief note in the June 2, 1903 edition of the Monterey New Era previewed “Athletic Contests For Colored Cavalrymen” listing track and field events. Such information leads Leininger to conclude that the men were posted here to rest, regroup and train both new recruits and horses. “The locals would go out and watch because it looked like a rodeo,” Leininger observes. Sleuthing is normal to professional historians. But Leininger is relatively new to the trade. He worked different jobs—at a brewery, for a bank— before his wife took a position at CSU Monterey Bay. “I hated school growing up,” Leininger admits. Yet he always had a passion for history, so when they settled, he enrolled at the university, earning a degree in history in 2018. “Monterey has so much history,” Leininger points out. “It’s very unique. That’s why I love the job. I’m learning every day.” What he discovered in three years of study about 425 brave men and their 20 months spent on the Monterey Peninsula will be on display at the Presidio of Monterey Museum starting June 17. The research made an impact. “If you look into what they endured, it’s tragic—and heroic,” Leininger says. “Racism is rampant and these men freely sign up to be in the U.S. Army, protecting communities who didn’t even want them there. It breaks your heart. But it gave them an opportunity they couldn’t have in the South. That’s what I find fascinating.” Presidio of Monterey Museum is open SaturdaysSundays 10am-4pm. Corporal Ewing Road, Monterey. Free. 646-3456, monterey.org. Buffalo Hunt City historian Jordan Leininger spent three years tracing the story of Buffalo Soldiers in Monterey. By Dave Faries “I’m a historian, an archivist, a museum curator,” says Monterey artifacts specialist Jordan Leininger, who put together an exhibit on the Buffalo Soldiers and their time on the Peninsula that opens June 17. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.” “We don’t know why they came here.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Local People, Local Bank Banking is better when it’s locally sourced. You receive personal attention from local experts, access to decision makers, and exceptional customer service. If you’d like some fresh ideas on how to grow your business, contact us. Our team is ready to serve you.
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news On June 16, 2022, representatives of the Monterey Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program convened to vote on ranking 154 possible projects that had been proposed by their members. (The NCIP program, created in 1985, uses revenue from transient occupancy taxes to fund projects envisioned by residents.) Just under a year later, the number-one project on the 2022 list was installed next to Wharf 2 on Del Monte Beach: an accessible boardwalk for people in wheelchairs (and as the first week has seen, many stroller users as well). The polyester mat is one of two acquired by the city for a little over $31,000 from New Jersey-based manufacturer AccessRec. City officials will monitor how this first one holds up to use and beach conditions, and are considering options for installing a second pathway to the north, possibly near Monterey Bay Kayaks, in the coming weeks. Each mat also comes with a T-connector to allow more cross-beach travel, and those will be added as well. “That would allow multiple users to enjoy the beach and increase usability,” says Assistant City Manager Nat Rojanasathira. The pathways will be used seasonally, when recreation is heaviest at the beach. Winter storm surges could destroy or wash away the material, and the city often builds a sand berm to protect the Rec Trail from surging winter waves; the mats would interfere with that seasonal berm. (The current mat ends above the average high tide line.) “We’ve had, from time to time, feedback requesting increased accessibility on the beach. This project supports that,” Rojanasathira says. Turning the Tide Monterey rolls out the first phase of an accessible walkway on Del Monte Beach. By Sara Rubin In every Cinderella story there is tension: Will the hero rise from the ashes and win it all? Rancho Cielo construction students and their mentors are living that story every day between now and October. The Rancho Cielo Construction Academy was selected for this year’s prestigious Orange County Sustainability Decathlon, an international home building competition that attracts teams of students from top universities. It’s the first time a vocational school has been selected to participate. The young adult students, between ages 16-24—most coming from low-income neighborhoods and some of whom were diverted from jail time or didn’t graduate from high school—have in a sense already won. As one of 15 teams chosen to compete it comes with a $100,000 grant toward construction of the modular home, which the academy has dubbed Nexus 01. “We think they’re the greatest story,” says Fred Smoller, the decathlon’s CEO, on why they chose Rancho Cielo’s team. While the competition has a sustainability focus, workforce development is also crucial for the future of the industry, Smoller says. What followed after receiving the grant last year was a fundraising effort led by Rancho Cielo founder John Phillips to raise an additional $400,000 in cash and materials to build the two-story, 750-foot unit. It was designed by architect and tiny house expert Thomas Rettenwender of EcoLogic Architects, who serves on the academy’s construction advisory committee and suggested they enter the competition. “We have not made it easy on ourselves. We’ve been very ambitious when it comes to design,” says Rettenwender. “It’s quite elaborate, carefully designed with all the bells and whistles with all the latest in sustainable building materials.” The Nexus 01 team was provided with high-end sustainable construction products donated by local companies like Hayward Lumber, Scudder Roofing and Solar, among others, and are being mentored by experts in the building trades. The team must fully construct the house on campus in Salinas then take it apart to be trucked in pieces to the Orange County Fair and Event Center in September. A team of 12 students and their instructors will spend more than 30 days in Orange County, reconstructing the house in time for the competition that begins Oct. 5, during which they’ll show it off to judges and the public, complete with a marketing plan for potential buyers. While marketing is a new challenge for the Rancho Cielo students, the team isn’t worried about construction. “We have a leg up on the design and construction piece,” says Joseph DeRuosi Jr., Rancho Cielo’s director of College & Career Transitions. “[The college students] have the challenge to build, where our students build every day.” When the competition is over, students will disassemble the house and it will return to Rancho Cielo to become part of a small village of homes that will serve as staff housing. The plan is to construct and sell more modular units (nexushousing. org), all while teaching students skills they can use in future careers, a key part of Rancho Cielo’s mission. The public has an opportunity to see the team’s progress at an open house, 4:30-6:30pm, Tuesday, June 20 at Rancho Cielo, 710 Old Stage Road, Salinas. Rancho Cielo Construction Academy student Miguel Salad works on the small home that will be trucked to a sustainable building competition in Orange County. Up-And-Comers Rancho Cielo construction students set to compete in an international sustainability competition. By Pam Marino The first of two wheelchair-accessible walkways acquired by the city of Monterey has been installed on Del Monte Beach next to Wharf 2. “We’ve been very ambitious when it comes to design.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 15-21, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Members Save More! Certificate Special Become a Member Today 5.00% APY* 12-Month Term Offer limited to new deposits of $1,000.00+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of May 30, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawal. The minimum deposit for this 12-month certificate is $1,000.00. Does not Automatically renew. NMLS# 786119 Members Save More! Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Members Save More! Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 1141 S Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com HEATABLE EATABLES! ELROY’S PRESENTS @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 GLOBALLY INSPIRED & LOCALLY SOURCED A pre-ordered, fully prepared meal to heat & eat at home. Offered on the last Thursday of every month. JUNE’S HEATABLE EATABLE... A SOUTH AFRICAN SPREAD! TICKET=$99.99 EACH (1 TICKET SERVES TWO PEOPLE) VEGETABLE CHAKALAKA spiced vegetables & beans (GF, VEGAN) YELLOW RICE turmeric, cardamom, raisins (GF, VEGAN) BOBOTIE curry spiced beef & egg casserole (GF, CONTAINS DAIRY) SOSATIES grilled lamb & apricot skewers (GF, DF) CAPE MALAY CHICKEN CURRY stewed chicken, turmeric, lemon, tomato (GF, DF) MALVA PUDDING cardamom cake with apricots & honey (GF, CONTAINS DAIRY) To place your order visit www.elroysfinefoods.com or scan this QR CODE! Quantities are limited, so order soon! *Order by: Thursday, June 22nd *Pick up date: Thursday, June 29th *Next month: Thai in July! All items will also be available à la carte for purchase at the Prepared Foods counter on Thursday, 6/29 until sold out! CHALK THE BLOCK Downtown Pacific Grove Saturday, June 24 11am - 3pm Join us at the inaugural Chalk the Block event in Downtown Pacific Grove Interested artists of all abilities are welcome, but space is limited Scan to Register:
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com The age of consolidating corporate media hasn’t been easy on community radio. After KUSP went bankrupt in 2016, the religious broadcast chain K-LOVE swooped on the station’s 88.9 FM frequency and began playing contemporary Christian music. KAZU 90.3, which began as a community radio station, is now owned by CSU Monterey Bay and broadcasts primarily NPR content (plus some global news shows like the BBC World Service). “It kind of eradicated a community station that was accessible to the community,” says David Bean, host and board member of the Santa Cruz-based community radio station KSQD. In 2019, a group of local radio “refugees” banded together to create a new station that would reflect the community it exists in, with local news, traffic and weather, plus music and talk shows hosted by locals. The group acquired 90.7 FM in Santa Cruz and began broadcasting KSQD (K-Squid). From the beginning, KSQD was looking to expand. As irony would have it, K-LOVE owner Educational Media Foundation, which had gone on a bit of a shopping spree, was ready to part with 89.7 FM and 89.5 FM. Nonprofit Natural Bridges Media, which runs KSQD, began fundraising and by February had raised the necessary $400,000 to purchase the frequencies, pay licensing fees, rent broadcasting towers, etc. Altogether, the three frequencies will allow KSQD to expand beyond Santa Cruz to Prunedale and Watsonville, as well as Salinas, Seaside, Monterey and Carmel in Monterey County. “I think it’s reflective of the desire of communities to have their own media in a very nationalized environment,” KSQD chair Rachel Goodman says of the support the station received. KSQD’s programming includes some nationally syndicated shows like Democracy Now! and The Kitchen Sisters, as well as re-broadcasts of other station’s shows like KALW’s Your Call. The rest of the mix is locally hosted and produced on a volunteer basis—ranging from local news on Talk of the Bay to music like Bean’s New Squid in Town (which focuses on playing music by local bands and bands passing through the Central Coast on any given week). KSQD runs on the work of 130 volunteers (many of whom appear on the air), plus two half-time staff members. The station’s expansion into Monterey County will mean more Monterey County voices on the air— both as guests on existing shows and, down the road, as hosts of new shows. (If you would like to host your own community radio show, there’s an application available at ksqd.org.) For more than two years, the city of Del Rey Oaks has been in settlement discussions with attorneys representing the California Native Plant Society, who filed a lawsuit against the city (and the now-dissolved Fort Ord Reuse Authority) in June 2020 regarding the planned realignment of South Boundary Road. The settlement was reached in midMay, and on June 2, was filed with the Monterey County Superior Court. At issue was a 4.6-acre parcel of land containing endangered and threatened plant species (Seaside’s Bird Beak being the endangered one), established in a contract between FORA, the city and CNPS in 1998 as a mitigation for the General Jim Moore Boulevard project. But in 2010, FORA proposed a South Boundary Road realignment project to make the intersection with General Jim safer, and also add underground utilities—water, sewer, etc.—that would unlock the development potential of Fort Ord lands owned by Del Rey Oaks and the city of Monterey. The problem was, the realigned intersection would pass through that 4.6-acre parcel. The lawsuit CNPS attorneys filed in 2020 states, “FORA and Del Rey Oaks have destroyed or lost public records that are pertinent to the CEQA mitigation.” Whether or not the road ever gets built is an open question. When FORA dissolved, it gave Del Rey Oaks $8.845 million to build the road and intersection, which City Manager John Guertin says will not be enough to cover the cost, though it’s not known by how much. So for a cashstarved small city, it’s not clear how they can make it happen. Guertin hopes the city can partner with Monterey. Realigning the already approved realignment further north, to avoid the parcel, will require a new environmental assessment, and perhaps an environmental impact report. So while a hurdle has been cleared, many hurdles remain. More Squid Radio station KSQD buys two frequencies, expanding into Monterey County. By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier news We the People The city of Soledad will be moving to a district election process for City Council, and hosts a virtual session to inform the public. Find out what the transition means and how it will be carried out; there will also be a chance to provide community input. 6pm Thursday, June 15. Via Zoom, using meeting ID 899 114 1882. Free. cityofsoledad.com. Clean Up Crew Keep Pacific Grove beautiful, and volunteer to help clean up Chautauqua Hall. A group will be weeding, pruning, and raking leaves in the area. Gloves and tools are provided, but you can bring your own tools too. 10am Friday, June 16. Chautauqua Hall, 16th Street at Central Avenue, Pacific Grove. Free. 648-3130, acolony@cityofpacificgrove.org, bit.ly/ChautauquaHallCleanup. Weed Whacking The Monterey District Natural Resources Volunteers are heading to Fort Ord Dunes State Park with Salinas Valley Pride Celebrations. The group will continue removing invasive mustard plants, and free burritos will be provided. To RSVP or if you have any questions contact Sam Winter at Samuel.Winter@ parks.ca.gov. 9am Saturday, June 17. Fort Ord Dunes State Park parking lot, 8th Street west of Highway 1, Marina. parks.ca.gov. Father’s Day Photo Fathers, grandfathers, and families are invited to celebrate Father’s Day on the wharf. In addition to a day by the water and a great lunch, Monterey Bay Photo Booth will be providing prints to visitors who stop by. Commemorate the day and have a memory to take home. 1:30-4:30pm Sunday, June 18. Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey. 238-0777, montereywharf.com. Apartment Notes There’s still time to take part in King City’s multi-family train-the-trainer program, to help apartment building owners, managers and tenants comply with new state recycling laws. In partnership with Salinas Valley Recycles, you can tune into a free and virtual training and apply what you learn to your apartments. Topics include fighting climate change and avoiding fines. Noon Thursday, June 22. Free. Virtual event; register online at svswa.org/ commercial/multifamily-recycling. Tough Road A legal settlement could unlock development potential for Del Rey Oaks and Monterey. By David Schmalz KSQD board chair Rachel Goodman hosts a regular radio show. The station will celebrate its growth with a ribbon cutting at 1pm on June 21 at Window on the Bay. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX A group of local radio “refugees” banded together. Shmuel Thaler
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 15-21, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 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! Come see the most luxurious mattresses in California. VISIT OUR SHOWROOM faCtory priCes direCt to Consumers. any day by appointment 26384 Carmel Rancho Ln., #103 Carmel-by-the-Sea 831.899.5464 monterey-mattress.com Try Us First. We Pay The Highest! MONTEREY COIN SHOPPE Since 1970 same street for 40 years Open Mon-Thur 11am-4pm and Friday by appointment only. Call for an appointment: 831.646.9030 449 Alvarado St., Monterey www.montereycoinshoppe.com WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER, JEWELRY, COINS, DIAMONDS, WATCHES, ART & RARE ANTIQUES
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com With a housing crisis to solve, the state is expecting cities and counties to plan for more housing units, especially at lower income levels. Monterey County’s 12 cities and the county government must plan for 20,295 housing units between 2023 and 2031. They don’t have to build them, but they must amend their housing plans—known as housing elements—to give developers an improved chance of building at least some units. The deadline to approve their draft plans is Dec. 15. The 20,295 units are part of what’s known as the Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA. Besides requiring more units, the state layered a number of other requirements, including following what’s known as Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing, a way of fostering inclusive communities. Last week in Part 1, the Weekly took a look at the progress of six cities—Carmel, Del Rey Oaks, Gonzales, King City, Marina and Sand City— toward updating their housing elements. (For those updates, visit bit.ly/ McweeklyRHNAupdate1.) With six months to go, here’s where the remaining six cities and Monterey County are in the process. For more information about how to get involved in your jurisdiction’s housing element amendment process, visit mcweekly. com. Greenfield Unlike many cities, Greenfield was successful in meeting its RHNA numbers during the last eight-year housing cycle that is ending this month: They zoned for and oversaw the building of 96 percent of the state-required very-low income units, 170 percent of low-income homes and 100 percent of moderate income homes. Last summer, Community Development Director Paul Mugan tried and failed to appeal the 730 units required for 2023-31, which means the city must find a way to add them into its housing element by Dec. 15. Mugan and City Manager Paul Wood did not respond to requests for interviews. Monterey Last year Monterey began the task of updating not just its housing element, but also its land use and safety elements within the city’s general plan, under the title “Monterey 2031.” Currently the focus is on meeting the state’s Dec. 15 housing element deadline, and figuring out what changes will be necessary to incorporate 3,654 units into the plans, including over 1,400 very low- to low-income units. On Tuesday, June 13, Community Development Director Kimberly Cole presented to the Planning Commission a preliminary site inventory of opportunity areas that could be used for additional units. Cole and her staff identified vacant lots, estimated accessory dwelling units, and the potential to rezone areas to include more units, including 447 units downtown and 2,400 units on former Fort Ord land and Ryan Ranch. Giving themselves a buffer, they could in theory meet over 140 percent of the required number. Cole says they expect to have a draft housing element ready for public review in September. Pacific Grove The city of Pacific Grove was one of the first cities to conduct public informational meetings in the summer and fall of 2022. While there was some support among residents for seeking ways to incorporate 1,125 units into a city that is mostly built out, there was pushback from those who feared negative impacts of attracting more residents to the small town. Momentum toward completing a draft housing element was broken when the city fired its consultant over the winter citing difficulties with the consultant meeting work deadlines. A new consulting firm, Rincon Consultants Inc., which has done numerous housing elements for other California cities, is now working on producing the draft housing element with a goal of releasing it in September. Salinas The city has released its draft housing element, which paints a picture of being able to more than meet its RHNA requirement of planning for 6,674 units. Planners cited over 1,400 projects in the pipeline that will come to fruition during the 2023-31 housing cycle, plus projected approval of accessory dwelling units. (The city has approved 170 ADUs in the last year alone, and projects a similar amount each year in the coming years.) “We’re building on the good work that’s been already done so we’re in a good position. We’re not playing catch-up,” says Grant Leonard, city planning manager. Combined with vacant and underutilized parcels and nearly 5,000 units in the North of Boronda Future Growth Area, that could put the city at a surplus of over 2,000 units in the housing plan. Seaside The city is working on updating its entire General Plan Element, which includes its housing element, under the banner “Seaside 2040.” In a report to the Seaside City Council on May 18, Economic Development and Planning Manager Andrew Myrick said strategies for reaching the city’s required 616 units under RHNA include increasing residential densities in the areas closer to the urban core. For example, parcels closer to Fremont Boulevard might double, from 15 units per acre to 30 units. They are not suggesting changes to low-density residential areas, other than allowing more units on large parcels—church properties, for example— for things like tiny homes or two-story multi-family units. Soledad Community Development Director Bryan Swanson expects to have a draft housing element by the middle to end of summer. He says they are in the process of reviewing possible sites for adding more units—they need 724— including underutilized parcels such as parking lots. Some residential lots in the city are large enough to accommodate more units, split or add an ADU. “We do have land,” Swanson says, “but we also have to think creatively.” He says they are looking at adaptive reuses of commercial properties and municipal-owned properties, “but those sites have to be eventually approved by [City Council] and go through the process of public comment.” County of Monterey The county is looking at the possibility of late summer or early fall for completing its draft housing element, which must incorporate planning for 3,326 units. In the meantime, the Housing and Community Development Department recently released a draft site inventory, showing parcels where more units could be incorporated with zoning and other changes. A public comment period ends June 30. Some of the areas where units are proposed include parcels on the former Fort Ord, as well as along the Highway 68 corridor near Monterey and some within the Carmel Valley Master Plan area. If all the areas are included they total 5,895 units, well above the required 3,326. Those areas, especially Carmel Valley, will likely face stiff opposition from residents. Melanie Beretti, a principal planner for the county, says they are trying to provide housing where residents work and current housing is not affordable. “The site inventory is one piece of the housing element,” she says, and there is more work ahead when it comes to making changes to how the county regulates the planning and building process, to remove constraints on developers, all the while incorporating good planning policy. Heading Home The clock is ticking for cities and the county to meet a housing plan deadline for 20,295 units. By Pam Marino news One of Salinas’ Homekey projects transformed former motel units into housing, one example of a past approach to creating more residential units. “We do have land, but we also have to think creatively.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com June 15-21, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Amid routine business at a North Monterey County Unified School District board meeting on Thursday, June 8, five people spoke up with an unusual request— demanding the resignation of Superintendent Kari Yeater, who has been the district’s leader since 2012. “I don’t recall receiving a single letter calling for her resignation, and no complaints from community members,” says NMCUSD President Elizabeth Gamez Samuels, who has served on the board for eight years. A group of parents called NMC Parents4Change are challenging that decade-long narrative. On June 2, the group started a petition on change. org requesting the board not renew Yeater’s contract; as of June 13, the petition has gathered 794 signatures. Once they knew her contract wasn’t up for renewal this year, they shifted to demanding her resignation. They cite poor academic performance and lack of maintenance of school athletic facilities. “I have significant concerns with the leadership of the district,” parent Sara Ruiz says. “They’re failing our kids academically when you look at our math and language scores.” Math scores for 11th-graders are low compared to other school districts across Monterey County. Only 3.6 percent of students at NMCUSD met or exceeded their math requirements during the 2021-2022 school year. The second-lowest-performing district was Soledad Union High School District, with 9 percent. Gonzales, Salinas and Monterey Peninsula high school districts saw between 12 and 21 percent of students meeting the requirement, while over 50 percent of students in Carmel and Pacific Grove did. The pandemic had a negative impact on academic performance in North Monterey County. On average, sixth-graders’ passing math scores plummeted from 24.7 to 9.8 percent from pre- to post-pandemic. State testing isn’t the only way schools measure student progress. They base students’ learning on what they learned in a year. For example, suppose a sixth-grader has the math proficiency of a third-grader and ends sixth grade with the math proficiency of a fifth-grader. It’s considered a success, even if he isn’t at his grade level, because he keeps progressing. The district says low math scores have been a concern because of different factors including changes in math standards, difficulty recruiting qualified math teachers and language barriers, since a high percentage of the student body are English learners. Fernando Munoz, a parent of two kids who graduated from North Monterey County High, says his son struggled with math in college and fears his daughter may face the same. Desiree Alvarado, who graduated last year, is now at Monterey Peninsula College where she says she failed her Introduction to Algebra class and will retake it this summer. “I never really learned it in high school,” she says. The district says it is working to address low math proficiency by providing training to English learner teacher specialists and developing new curriculums. Battle at the Top Parents demand North Monterey County Unified superintendent’s resignation. By Celia Jiménez North Monterey County Unified School District Superintendent Kari Yeater has been in the district’s top job since 2012. Last year the board voted unanimously to approve another three-year contract. NEWS “They’re failing our kids academically.” CELIA JIMENEZ montereycountygives.com november 10 - December 31, 2022 OPENING DOORS Monterey County Gives! spotlights 202 local nonprofits doing vital work. With your support, we can further their impact. Join us. Pictured above: Students in Rancho Cielo’s workforce development program. major Partners: Colburn and Alana Jones Foundation at the Community Foundation For monterey County Gunde & ernie Posey Family Foundation THANKS TO OUR KEY PARTNERS MONTEREY COUNTY GIVES! 2023: Request for Proposals About Monterey County Gives!: Monterey County Gives! supports big ideas and demonstrated impact from local nonprofits. MCGives! is a partnership of the Monterey County Weekly, the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. The Fund has raised and contributed over $56 million for local nonprofits, including over $11.6 million last year. Over $600,000 in Matching Funds: Thanks to our key partners, we have commitments of $600,000 to kick-off the campaign, which runs mid November to midnight Dec. 31. ovember 10 - December 31, 2022 APPLICATION DEADLINE JULY 28 Apply online at: mcgives.com/rfp Nonprofits— Apply to MCGives! Joining Together for Big Ideas and Impact PRINT | WEB | MOBILE
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY june 15-21, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Help Wanted The holes he left in people’s lives are not just limited to Billy’s family. As his daughter, I don’t agree with the decision to let him out (“A new law lets a terminally ill inmate out of prison to die at home,” May 4-10). Now I have to re-put him to rest, re-go to therapy, re-deal with all of it. He was supposed to be gone. Yet, here he is. Pretty messed up. Billy [Rajah] didn’t get to die at home with his family. He died in a hospital after getting run over several times over $40 in food stamps, and it wasn’t even the guy he intended on hitting. My father was lost long before he committed this crime. Ruined plenty of other lives along the way to this. The real issue at hand is lack of mental health services and access to drug programs. Compassion isn’t exactly the word I would use for what we need more of. Help is. Norah Constancio | Fresno ABC’s Thank you Chartwell for understanding and loving neurodiversity! You deserved this $45 million (“Chartwell School receives a $45 million gift, and plans to expand teacher literacy training,” June 1-7). Patricia Qualls | via social media Climate in Crisis So, fossil fuel fools think wrongly that electric vehicles are stupid, and that oil is the best fuel ever (“Letters,” June 8-14). First of all, lithium based batteries are going to be replaced soon enough with solid state batteries, and also soon enough, EVs are going to have much better mileage ranges, so they won’t have to be charged up as much. And what’s wrong with solar and storing solar? Nothing, but fossil fuel fools don’t want to ever admit that, nor that wind power is also a great source of energy. Regarding my own investments into using renewable energy, I have solar panels, an EV (four years already), and earlier this year dumped my gas-powered water heater and heater for electric ones! For four months straight my PG&E bill was this: $0! There’s another solution to climate change, which is very, very real: public transportation. From Santa Cruz to Monterey I see miles of unused railroad track that could be used; when is the Monterey Bay area going to get Caltrain extended to Salinas? It’s been over 25 years since that was promised! LD Freitas | Aptos In response to the Letters to the Editor (June 1-7) by Robert Vandevert and Norm Morris, they are obvious oil and gas industry shills who are willing to sell out their children, grandchildren, and so-on for short-term gain. It is 2023. The science is not in question, and frankly has never been. Why are we providing a platform for these lies and propaganda in our community? Henri Hazel | Monterey History, Revisited It is great to have Robert Louis Stevenson’s presence highlighted in this way (“A description of the Monterey Peninsula as it existed in 1879 reads like a long poem with prescient views about wildfires—and the author even started one himself,” June 1-7). Thank you, David Schmalz. However, the caption for the location and date of the whale skeleton photo is incorrect. This skeleton was not on the 17 Mile Drive in 1880. You can find an almost identical photo on page 91 in my book on Point Lobos. I personally obtained the photo from Cederick Rowntree who, in the photo in my book, is sitting on the jaw bone of that whale skeleton. This is a fin whale which washed ashore at Point Lobos around 1900. It was buried, and then unearthed, by Japanese divers who mounted it as a tourist attraction at the Cypress Grove at Point Lobos where it remained for many years. The Japanese, who were diving for the Point Lobos Canning Company, were living at Whalers Cove at Point Lobos between 1898 and 1930. This was a business which was owned and operated by my husband’s grandfather, A.M. Allan, in partnership with marine biologist Genosuke Kodani. Allan owned Point Lobos from 1898 to 1930. During his ownership he not only protected Point Lobos from becoming a town, but opened his property to visiting tourists and locals. After his death, his daughters sold a portion of the ranch to the state as a park. I have dated the photo in my book as circa 1925. Monica Hudson | Carmel Note: Hudson is president of the Robert Louis Stevenson Club of Monterey. Between the Lines Wow…Jane Smiley must live deep, deep inside Carmel Valley; deep enough to be quite insulated from the truth of the rest of the world around her. There is no “book banning” happening (“What are book banners afraid of? Young readers learning the truth about human nature,” June 1-7). Several conservative lawmakers have objected to written materials that are really quite pornographic that are being offered to children in their schools as “educational.” That is what the issue at hand really is about. But of course liberal special-interest groups like the teachers unions are spinning it around to make it sound like it’s Fahrenheit 451 come to life and books are suddenly outlawed. It’s so stupid, it’s laughable. Terry Kline | Seaside Burger Basics That was an interesting read lately on where to find a good burger in unexpected local places (“The all-American burger has found a home on many unexpected restaurant menus,” May 25-31). However, the best Monterey Peninsula bar burger around, hands down, is still to be found at Duffy’s Tavern on High Street in Monterey. No surprises there. And affordable, too! Robb Thomas Karman | Pacific Grove Correction Based on information contained in an archive, the location of a whale skeleton was incorrect (“A description of the Monterey Peninsula as it existed in 1879 reads like a long poem with prescient views about wildfires—and the author even started one himself,” June 1-7). It was not 1880 on 17 Mile Drive, but after 1900 at Point Lobos. 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 june 15-21, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 For years, Steve McShane was an elected member of Salinas City Council and a small businessman, whose day job was running a nursery. Then at the end of 2021, he became an elected member of City Council whose day job was president/ CEO of the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce. He remains on council, which until this month, has been a member of the chamber, a privilege that comes at a cost of $5,000 a year. While that’s peanuts in the scheme of a city budget (see our cover story on p. 14), there arises the potential for conflicts in this dual role. As chamber president, McShane’s job is to advocate for the best deal for businesses; as a member of City Council, his job is to advocate for his constituents—who include business owners, of course, but also employees of those businesses; tenants and landlords; unemployed residents and high earners. The discussion around whether the city should be a chamber member escalated in the context of annual budget conversations, and council reached consensus around a no. That led to a breakup between the chamber and the city— which chamber leaders and city leaders insist is not a falling out, just a friendly, totally normal talk, everything’s fine!—and also McShane going on personal leave from his job at the chamber. (See more in the Squid Fry column, to the right). It’s not entirely uncommon for a local government entity like a city or a school district to be a member of a business association like a chamber of commerce. It’s also not uncommon that a member of a local city council or government agency board is a member of the business community. McShane’s colleague on council, Mayor Kimbley Craig, is employed as president and CEO of the Monterey County Business Council, for example. It’s pretty typical for a member of a local city council to have a day job; all city council positions in Monterey County are volunteer roles (something that I think should be remedied by paying them—partly helping to allay situations like these, and because effective government leadership is a full-time job). But relationships like these can make it confusing and introduce the potential for conflicts, or at least the appearance of conflicts—which matters when it comes to representing the public. Sometimes it happens through a middleman. Last October, the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District signed a contract with public relations firm WellmanAd. And on Monday, June 12, the water district’s finance and administration committee revisited that contract, at $7,875 a month (up to $106,500 for the year), for the fiscal year that begins on July 1. Without discussion, the committee voted unanimously to recommend approval, noting the caveat included in 2022 that WellmanAd will not campaign for any candidate running for the MPWMD board of directors. That’s because, like a city council, the MPWMD board of directors is a political entity. And it’s worth noting that firm owner Phil Wellman is married to Melodie Chrislock—she’s not an elected member of the water district board, but she is the director of the advocacy group Public Water Now, which championed Measure J, the initiative that has the district pursuing a public buyout of California American Water. Since October—a time period that included a controversial hearing by the California Coastal Commission on Cal Am’s desalination plant project, which the commission approved with a slew of conditions—the water district’s advertising mission (including ads that ran in the Weekly) pushed up against the definition of advocacy. Their messaging aligned with the message of Public Water Now, urging ratepayers to oppose Cal Am’s desal proposal. “It’s advocacy on behalf of the ratepayers,” MPWMD General Manager Dave Stoldt told me at the time. “We are not in concert with anybody, and that’s it. Are we doing advocacy on behalf of ratepayers? Absolutely.” It’s the kind of message that anybody in a decision-making role on behalf of the public must instill in the public if they’re to be trusted: that they are advocating or acting on behalf of their constituents, no other organization or interest group. And lately, local governments are having to fight hard to earn that public trust. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com. Conflict Zones What happens when local government gets too cozy with business? By Sara Rubin CHAMBER OF CONTROVERSY…Squid oozed out of Squid’s lair as soon as Squid heard there was politically charged drama brewing, shrimp-flavored popcorn at the ready. At the heart of the matter is the relationship between the city of Salinas and the Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce—the latter being an association of local companies and enterprises, big and small, designed to promote business and economic development. The president and CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, responsible for its day-to-day operations, is Steve McShane, who indeed makes his living through the role. McShane is also a sitting member of the Salinas City Council. Well, McShane’s dual roles have rubbed some of his colleagues on the city council the wrong way, chiefly fellow councilmember Andrew Sandoval. In emails obtained by Squid’s colleagues through a California Public Records Act request, Sandoval offered a lengthy list of complaints to the Chamber’s board, including qualms about McShane’s promotion of the Chamber at council meetings, as well as the Chamber’s practice of doling out political endorsements—not least because the city of Salinas is itself a dues-paying member of the Chamber, and has worked with the Chamber to fund, organize and host Chamber-sponsored events. These questions stirred up enough dust that on May 24, Salinas City Manager Steve Carrigan informed the Chamber the city would no longer fund its membership, effective June 30. (The Chamber responded to break up with the city before the city could break up with the Chamber—taking on an “it’s not you, it’s me” tone.) Chamber Chair Bill Hastie, who runs Salinas-based financial planning firm Hastie Financial Group, tells Squid’s colleague that the parting between the city and the Chamber is in the interest of dispelling “salacious accusations” about conflicts between the two entities. Hastie stresses that the Chamber will continue to have a close relationship with the city, including meeting with Carrigan on a monthly basis. “Really, there’s not a whole lot changing, and I think a lot more has been made of this than need be,” Hastie says. “We all have a mission to serve the businesses of our Salinas. It’s not our business to be answering these salacious claims.” (Political endorsements will continue, with Hastie calling them “an important part of the Chamber” and its work.) Meanwhile, McShane is on mysterious “personal leave,” and Hastie won’t say whether or when he’s coming back or if someone else will be hired. As far as McShane’s promotion of Chamber business on the city council, Hastie believes that McShane “was just being enthusiastic about his job.” For someone so enthusiastic—and McShane normally is—Squid was surprised he didn’t return Squid’s calls. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “We are not in concert with anybody.” Send Squid a tip: squid@mcweekly.com
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