JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREYCOUNTYWEEKLY.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT FIREWORKS CRACKDOWN 14 | NEW SONGS BY NEW COMPOSERS 32 | A BRIEF HISTORY OF GAY BARS 34 PAST, PRESENT, FUTUREMonterey is home to extraordinary history. Can city leaders make it accessible to the public? p. 22 By Pam Marino
MONTEREY'S BIG AND BACKYARD FOOD FEST CELEBRATION 4TH OF JULY FREE ADMISSION THE CITY OF MONTEREY TY OF MON PRESENT S COLTON HALL LAWN FUN FOOD LIVE MUSIC 580 PACIFIC STREET MONTEREY TUESDAY 4JULY 10:45AM – 5PM 2023 A variety of delicious food options will be available for purchase or you can bring a picnic lunch. Join us at this fun-filled, alcohol-free event! Animals prohibited (except guide/service dogs). UPDATES AT MONTEREY.ORG/JULY4TH 10:45–11:45AM SAMZ SCHOOL OF MUSIC YOUTH BAND 12:00–1:30PM THE CHICANO ALL STARS 1:30–3:00PM THE MONEY BAND 3:00–5:00PM TAINTED LOVE THE BEST OF THE ’80S LIVE! 2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3
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. APPLICATION DEADLINE JULY 28 Apply online at: mcgives.com/rfp PRINT | WEB | MOBILE Nonprofits— Apply to MCGives! Joining Together for Big Ideas and Impact 4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 • ISSUE #1822 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Michael Sheehan (Nikon D7100, F4 @ 1/8000) A paraglider on an adventure in the sky on a perfect day with blue skies and windy conditions above the dunes in Sand City. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Monterey Library and Museums Director Brian Edwards in Colton Hall with a portrait of George Washington. The painting is believed to have been hanging in the building during California’s first constitutional convention in 1849. 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. SIGN UP NOW Sign up today at montereycountyweekly.com/mcnow
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Tuesday 10 a.m. Alvarado & Calle Principal Bolour / Carl Immigration Group | Carolyn B. Harris, Attorney at Law | Rosine's Restaurant Miss Barbara's Child Development | Rotary Club of Monterey C3 Engineering * Copy King * Del Rey Car Wash * Rotary Club of Monterey Pacific | Camba & Jackman Families * Eugene Ganeles, CPA Integrated Physician Services * Jacob’s Heart Children’s Cancer Support Services * Marotta Properties * The Paul Davis Partnership Sage Interiors * Santa Cruz County Bank * Shelley Bennett Skincare * The Paul Mortuary * Team Beesley Keller-Williams * The Ruiz Group Walker & Reed, P.C., Attorneys at Law | G.I. Josie * Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. School of the Arts * S.M.ART CITY OF MONTEREY’S BIG 4th of July Celebration & Food Fest Live Music and Food Booths 11 AM –5 PM COLTON HALL, 580 PACIFIC ST. FREE MONTEREY FIREFIGHTERS Charity Pancake Breakfast Pancakes, Eggs, Sausage & Coffee 7:30 –10:30 AM FIRE STATION #11, 600 PACIFIC ST. TICKETS $15 (Purchase in advance, mymuseum.org/july4) MONTEREY STATE HISTORIC PARK’S Living History Day Enjoy the Monterey of yesteryear with early California activities: Rope Making, Leather Craft, Games, Cooking & Tours 11AM– 3 PM * THE MEMORY GARDEN Located behind the Pacific House Museum at Custom House Plaza FREE WWW.OLDMONTEREY.ORG
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Who should select what you read, an algorithm or a human? According to findings in this year’s Digital News Report, produced by the Reuters Institute and University of Oxford based on a survey of 93,000 online news consumers across the globe, readers don’t care—they are equally skeptical of a journalist’s selection or a robot’s selection. “Much of the public is skeptical of the algorithms used to select what they see via search engines, social media and other platforms,” according to a report summary. “Less than a third (30 percent) say that having stories selected for me on the basis of previous consumption is a good way to get news. Despite this, on average, users still slightly prefer news selected this way to that chosen by editors or journalists (27 percent).” In general, according to the report, trust in news is again falling—the survey found it is 2 percentage points lower than last year, reversing gains made during the coronavirus pandemic. On average, 40 percent of respondents said they trust the news most of the time; the country with the highest trust overall was Finland (69 percent) and the lowest was Greece (19 percent). Good: Blue Strike Environmental, a local company that manages waste at various large events throughout the region (and beyond), was set to see its agreement with ReGen Monterey expire on June 30. It allows Blue Strike to deliver certified compostable products (such as bioplastics, soiled paper—items otherwise not accepted as compost) to ReGen’s compostable waste stream. On June 15, ReGen General Manager Felipe Melchor informed Blue Strike that ReGen would continue to accept such products in its compost stream from the following six local events: AT&T Pro Am, Big Sur Marathon (and Half Marathon), Cali Roots Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival and Rebels & Renegades. ReGen’s change of heart means the recognizable compost bins will remain at those events, and organizers can continue diverting waste from the landfill that will, theoretically, at least, be converted into soil. GREAT: The Ag Land Trust is ensuring 112 acres of prime farmland in the Salinas Valley can be permanently preserved to train Latino immigrant farmworkers through programs at the Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association (ALBA). The Ag Land Trust—dedicated to protecting agricultural space in Monterey County—has purchased a conservation easement on ALBA’s property, home to the nonprofit’s Farmer Education and Enterprise Development project. The program develops the organic farming skills of immigrant field laborers, fostering opportunities for them to advance in agriculture careers. The Ag Land Trust says the easement is the “first of its kind in Monterey County” for a farm with ALBA’s nonprofit organizational mission, and will allow the property—located south of Salinas on Old Stage Road—to be preserved in perpetuity as agricultural land and protected from redevelopment. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The cost to the City of Pacific Grove to produce a planning document required by Caltrans for a multi-year project to improve safety at the five-way stop of Sunset Drive/ Congress Avenue/Cedar Street. A roundabout is one solution on the table. Source: June 21 report to Pacific Grove City Council $757,574 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I don’t want to mislead anyone— there will be fireworks this year.” -Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges talking about how even with ramped-up enforcement, the department cannot keep up with illegal fireworks (see story, p. 14). PRESENTED BY
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 Goal $7.8M WWW.CHSERVICES.ORG DONATE TODAY to help homeless women and families with a new shelter in Monterey. $7.8M Thanks to group of generous donors with A heart for change your contribution will be matched dollar for dollar up to $250,000. There are hundreds of people experiencing homelessness in our county each night in desperate need of shelter. OPENING THIS FALL $7.3M Please help us reach the top! WE BRING OUR MOBILE SHOWROOM TO YOU! We are the #1 Customer Rated In-Home Flooring Company in America. Locally Owned and Operated. Mention this ad to get $250 OFF of your proposal Visit FloorMB.com to learn more Fully licensed and insured CSLB# 1051783 Call 831-583-8031 to make an appointment! and more! july 20-23 2023 carodeo.com bring the whole posse… Photography by Mag One Media MONTEREY’S PREMIER GERMAN CAR SPECIALISTS CALL OUR HOTLINE FOR PORSCHE PARTS 831.372.2312 249 DELA VINA AVE. MONTEREY 831.373.5355 CCREPAIRMONTEREY.COM R E P A I R
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 There’s some fun to be had in comparing American generations to each other. Those of different ages can deploy gentle digs like “OK, boomer” or “That’s another thing ruined by millennials.” Perhaps some of the jokes have a little truth behind them, too. The same is true for active duty service members and veterans, whose experiences in the military often vary by generation. Most are familiar with the mainstream terms baby boomers, Gen-X, millennials, and Gen-Z—they account for the bulk of this country’s population. But sometimes left out of the conversation is the Silent Generation, born between 1928 and 1945. The eldest of this generation would have been too young to be drafted into World War II. However, many served in the Korean War just a few years later. That generation’s decline has created a big problem for the two key organizations synonymous with the community of veterans. Seaside resident, Korean War veteran and chair of the Seaside Veterans of Foreign Wars Bennie Cooper has been a member of the VFW for more than two decades, and a member of the American Legion for more than four. He remembers a time when the Seaside veterans organizations sponsored little league teams and served as a hangout for “military brats”—an affectionate title for children of service members. Now, he says more than 90 percent of the Monterey County veterans organizations are made up of Vietnam War veterans who, despite getting older, are taking on the bulk of group duties. “We’ve got maybe two World War II veterans left in our post, and four or five Korean War veterans. The bulk of our membership is veterans from the Vietnam War,” Cooper says. “We have over 20,000 veterans in Monterey County, but our membership doesn’t reflect that. We have less than 400 members—not even 10 percent. It’s a shame, because so many veterans are dependent upon the Veterans Administration.” Cooper is referring to veterans lobbying in Washington, D.C. for benefits like health care, disability pay and housing assistance. The American Legion pushed for the establishment of the G.I. Bill that aided those returning from World War II, allowing many from that generation to go to college or buy a home. The organizations were instrumental in establishing the Department of Veterans Affairs and supported Vietnam veterans suffering from exposure to Agent Orange. The Seaside American Legion and VFW were established when the city was still a booming military town. Now that there is no longer a large active base in the area, there are relatively fewer Gen-X and millennial veterans around to put roots down after leaving the service. Of those who do settle in the area, some are active in organizations, but many have jobs and families to tend to. “A lot of them feel like they don’t have time to volunteer,” Cooper says, but insists that’s exactly why these younger generations are needed. “I had a young son when I first joined, we had a guy right outside the American Legion that would cut hair for $2, or we could stop by to have a tailor fix a shirt. But if you don’t have the membership and the age group to do these things, then they don’t get done.” The same situation is plaguing the organizations nationwide. In 1992, membership in the VFW reached 2.1 million. Since then, its membership has been cut by more than half. Between 2017 and 2021 alone, the VFW lost 200,000 members. The American Legion, which was founded by men returning from World War I, saw its membership plummet by 700,000 in the past decade. Today, the Seaside American Legion is being renovated, so many of its members come together and hang out at the VFW building. They still partake in volunteer opportunities, like a display of flags on Fremont Boulevard to honor Memorial Day weekend, and award scholarships to ROTC students. Cooper hopes reminding people of the little things veterans organizations can do—haircuts, tailor fixes—might help increase membership in the future. Generation Gap Seaside’s veterans organizations are hoping to expand membership with those who served in recent years. By Kyarra Harris Bennie Cooper plays poker at the VFW in Seaside, where he says games used to be busy with many players; today, just a few regulars play cards. Cooper hopes to revive interest in the VFW from a younger generation by offering other activities for veterans. “A lot of them feel like they don’t have time to volunteer.” 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.
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 ’23 NOMINATIONS ARE OPEN MCWEEKLY.COM/BESTOF PACKAGED LOCALLY SINCE 1988 MONTEREY COUNTY®
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 29-July 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news After 40 years in Seaside, appliance equipment distributor Mack Stove Co. has closed its brick-and-mortar retail presence and put its building at 705 Broadway Ave. up for sale—though the company’s business will continue online. Mack Stove closed its Broadway shop at the end of March, with owner Mike Spalletta planning to transition its inventory of appliance parts and components to an online platform called MSC Supply. The company had been at the Seaside location since 1983 and previously also had stores on Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey and in Salinas. After acquiring the appliance business from the Mack family in the 1970s, Spalletta’s father Dan bought the lot at the corner of Broadway and Alhambra Street in the early 1980s and built the two-story building that housed Mack Stove’s Seaside store. While Dan Spalletta officially retired in 2018, Mike says his father, now 76, continued to work around the shop until Mike finally convinced him that they should transition the business online. “I had been pressing him for years [to close the store],” Mike Spalletta says. “The landscape’s changed, and Covid showed us the direction it was going in pretty quick.” Mike says the decision was made well before his father suffered a stroke this spring, from which he’s recovering. The Spallettas are now selling the Broadway building, which is listed for $1.275 million. Listing agent Jeff Davi of KW Commercial says the property is ripe for a mixed-use redevelopment project, potentially allowing a three- or four-story residential building with ground-floor retail space on Seaside’s main commercial corridor. Hot Stove Seaside’s Mack Stove Co. is moving online and selling its longtime Broadway building. By Rey Mashayekhi Around 5:30pm on Monday, June 19, Jeff Nohr, Avila Construction’s project manager for a planned farmworker housing project in Pajaro, sent an email to Louise Ramirez, tribal chair for the Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation (OCEN), informing her that the company’s contract with OCEN to provide tribal monitoring for the construction site had been canceled, effective immediately. Nohr asked that Ramirez send a report of OCEN’s tribal monitors’ observations from the start of construction work, June 7, to that day, June 19. Though the letter did not state this, Avila Construction had already hired the Esselen Tribe to take over tribal monitoring of the site; having a tribal monitor present during construction is a requirement stipulated in the conditions of the project’s approval. This practice is intended to protect indigenous cultural artifacts. For Ramirez, who lives in San Jose and was not onsite during the construction, the whole thing came as a surprise. In the course of the preceding week, Ramirez and Nohr had exchanged several emails, including about hiring additional monitors due to the fact that there were five earthmoving machines active on the site, which Ramirez says is far too many for one person to monitor. Nohr initially resisted the idea, but later agreed to authorize OCEN to bring one more tribal monitor to the site. Ramirez insisted there be one monitor per earthmoving machine, which Nohr argued was not stipulated in the contract. Per the contract: “If more than one piece earthmoving equipment is deployed…at the same time, more than one tribal member shall be present during those periods.” Ramirez takes that to mean one tribal monitor for each piece of earthmoving equipment; Nohr’s interpretation differed. In a June 12 email, Ramirez asked Nohr to compensate a second monitor and added, “I see your lack honor (sic) by your interpretation of our agreement.” Mike Avila, who owns Avila Construction, says it became a struggle to agree on how to move forward in accordance with state law. “It got to be a personality conflict,” he says. He adds that OCEN’s monitors called the Monterey County Sheriff/ Coroner’s Office six times in two weeks to review for what the project’s offsite archaeologist—viewing pictures of the remains digitally from the Bay Area—confidently concluded were animal bones, not human remains. Ramirez worries that even some of the animal bones might have cultural significance, including two small pieces that, to her eye, looked like they’d been carved by humans into tools. The presence of abalone shells, miles from the sea, also struck her as significant. She adds that, because there wasn’t a qualified archaeologist onsite, OCEN monitors are trained to call the coroner’s office when bones are uncovered. Colin Busby, principal of Basin Research Associates, which is providing archaeological services to the project, rejects the notion that anything of significance has been found on the site thus far, and at least three archaeologists have reviewed the site since the 1980s, all with negative results. When asked whether some of the bones may have been carved, he says, “Bullshit, no way in hell. We have looked at them physically.” Mike Avila, whose Avila Construction is building the Pajaro farmworker housing project, anticipates it will be finished by next February, in time for growing season. Bones About It A disagreement between tribal monitors and a construction manager led to a changing of the guard. By David Schmalz Mack Stove’s inventory of appliance parts and equipment will be sold online under the name MSC Supply. The company primarily serves businesses like restaurants and property managers. The presence of abalone shells struck her as signficant. Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 LOCATED BEHIND THE PORTOLA HOTEL & SPA | COMPLIMENTARY PARKING (831) 649-2699 | PETERBSBREWPUB.COM AWARD-WINNING CRAFT BEER BREWED ON-SITE SEASONAL MENU | 18 HDTV’S | PET-FRIENDLY PATIO HAPPY HOUR 4PM TO 6PM & 9PM TO 10PM 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! www.cfmco.org • 831.375.9712 Design your giving plan. We can help. Donor Advised Funds • Charitable Estate Planning (CGAs, CRTs) • IRA Charitable Distributions • Family and Business Philanthropy Scholarships & More 831.375.9712 | cfmco.org/MOCI | Plan your giving A Memorandum of Charitable Intent helps you direct gifts from your estate or charitable fund at the CFMC to benefit the nonprofits of your choice. Creating this simple, flexible document is a complimentary service designed to give you peace of mind knowing your wishes will be fulfilled. When you name the Community Foundation for Monterey County as your charitable beneficiary, you create a lasting legacy. Scholarship Fund Holders Michael and Gloria Ipson cfmco.org/Ipson
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 29-July 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Since January of 2021, the VIDA program has provided resources to the most vulnerable communities in Monterey County. The initiative, launched as a public health effort with $4.9 million in county funds during the Covid-19 pandemic, developed around the idea of reaching people where they are, via community health workers. It is a system that works, health officials say. “We’re already talking about keeping VIDA as a brand because people recognize it,” says Krista Hanni, a policy manager in the Monterey County Health Department. Now, using the VIDA framework, a new effort is taking shape. The Farmworker Resource Center will utilize community health workers— within organizations such as Mujeres en Acción, Centro Binacional para el Desarollo Oaxaqueño and Center for Community Advocacy—to communicate about health resources with farmworkers and their families. Of about 20 community health workers still active in VIDA, up to nine will transition to focusing on farmworkers’ needs starting July 1. “The organizations are out and active and doing their work, and it’ll be a matter of building upon that work,” Hanni says. Funds come from Assembly Bill 941, signed into law in 2021, which created a matching grant program for counties to establish farmworker resource centers. The state provides 75 percent of funds while counties contribute the remaining 25 percent. (Locally, the state provided $834,000 and Monterey County contributed $208,225, coming from cannabis reserves.) The model for the bill was Ventura County’s farmworker resource program which started in 2019 and has three offices. They provide services in English, Spanish and Mixteco, an indigenous Mexican language. In Monterey County, community health workers will also provide resources in Spanish, Mixteco, Zapoteco and Triqui. Sarait Martinez, executive director of the Centro Binacional, says resources in rural areas are scarce and the pandemic highlighted that indigenous populations were overlooked. “We will continue to prioritize our indigenous communities to make sure they have access to information and the resources they need,” she says. During floods in March, community health workers helped connect Pajaro residents to resources. Hanni says VIDA is an effective framework for emergency response: “We could utilize this model to quickly respond and provide support for our community.” Hold your “safeand-sane” fireworks—they are not allowed in most of Monterey County, including all unincorporated areas. They are permitted only in the cities of Marina, Seaside, Salinas, Gonzales, Soledad, Greenfield and King City. On the Monterey Peninsula, particularly in Seaside, the police department will be taking a more hands-on approach to shutting down illegal fireworks activity. This year, setting off illegal fireworks in Seaside can land you with a fine of $1,000, or even a trip to jail. In Salinas, getting caught with illegal fireworks can cost you a minimum of $1,500. (Salinas is sticking to administrative citations only this year.) “There’s a split in our community. We have a large portion of people that love [illegal fireworks] and you have the other sector that are traumatized by it,” Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges says. “Some people leave for weeks because they cannot stand to be in the area. It can get uncontrollable.” Borges says the department has tried to move away from criminal citations in previous years, and officers will still hand out administrative citations, but activity has only been getting worse. This year, on the days before, during, and after the Fourth of July, the department will partner with the fire department and have a command post dedicated solely to illegal firework activity. They will deploy drones in known problem areas, have undercover officers sussing out fireworks activity, and there will be a reward system for those who call in with information that leads to an arrest. “Of course there are other things our resources could be better spent on,” Borges says, noting that there will still be extra officers on duty to handle the uptick in DUIs, violent crime or large parties that happen with any holiday. “I don’t want to mislead anyone—there will be fireworks this year—but we’re tapping into all our resources to see a reduction in the future,” Borges adds. “It’s not going to happen overnight.” Field Work Monterey County rolls out a farmworker resource center using a Covid-era model. By Celia Jiménez news Future Housing The City of Salinas adopted a rental registry ordinance that applies to all residential rental properties including single-family and multi-family. Moving forward, all vacant, on-market properties must be registered with the city. Learn more at a virtual information session before the registration process starts on July 1. 1pm Thursday, June 29. Virtual meeting; use Zoom ID: 859-5051-7551. Fees vary by number of units on parcel. 758-7365, Beatrizt@ci.salinas.ca.us, cityofsalinas.org. Tide Territory Underwater enthusiasts are invited to a Monterey Bay Tritons meeting, a local freediving and spearfishing group focused on underwater hunting, sustainable foraging and community gatherings. The club invites local divers to meet buddies, take courses and plan trips. 4pm Sunday, July 2. Bamboo Reef, 614 Lighthouse Avenue, Monterey. Free. 372-1685, bambooreef.com. Freedom Flapjacks Join the Monterey firefighters for a charity pancake breakfast benefiting MY Museum. There will be activities for kids, music, a chance to meet local firefighters, and a hearty breakfast with all the fixings. Reservations are required. 7:30-10:30am Tuesday, July 4. Fire Station #11, 600 Pacific St., Monterey. $15. 649-6444, mymuseum.org/july4. Protection Plan King City is accepting proposals to create a Riverbed Wildlife Protection Plan along portions of the Salinas River and San Lorenzo Creek. This would be a long-term plan to help keep the area clear of wildfires and be used as a framework for adjacent areas. Deadline to submit proposals is 4pm Monday, July 10. King City City Hall, 212 S. Vanderhurst Ave., King City. Free. 805-441-5892, diberto@kingcity. com, kingcity.com. Sea Groupies Monterey Bay Aquarium is looking for people who are passionate about a thriving ocean and educating others to become new volunteer guides. Volunteers must be at least 18, and bilingual speakers are especially encouraged to participate. Sign up to save your spot, with more details about an information session coming in August to learn more about onboarding and what volunteers do. Ongoing. Monterey Bay Aquarium, 886 Cannery Row, Monterey. Free. 648-4800, montereybayaquarium.org/ volunteer. Flare Up Seaside police hope to quell illegal fireworks boom with more enforcement this July Fourth. By Kyarra Harris Jennifer Rivas, left, and Krista Hanni of the county Health Department see community health workers as resources not just for emergencies but also chronic health issues. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “We could utilize this model to quickly respond.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Making a Difference Together Children and teens in Monterey County are in need of a safe and stable home. Becoming a resource family gives youth the chance to become reunified with their family or adopted. Monterey County Family and Children’s Services works towards building healthy families and strong communities. Become a resource family today, and change a child’s life forever. Drunk and drugged driving can cost a life! GET AN UBER, LYFT, TAXI OR A SOBER DRIVER TO GET YOU HOME SAFE. Support prevention services www.SunStreetCenters.org Prevention, Education, Treatment & Recovery serving youth, adults and families in Monterey County, San Benito County & San Luis Obispo County FREE SEASONAL SPRINKLER TUNE UP In partnership with the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, if you are a Monterey Peninsula customer, you can get a FREE irrigation check-up. A conservation specialist will visit your property to inspect your irrigation system for water-efficient use. YOUR FREE CHECK-UP INCLUDES: S Inspection of your irrigation system for water efficiency, malfunctions, and optimal sprinkler coverage S Irrigation controller settings check S Free rain sensor installation offer Call California American Water today at 831-646-3205 option 3 to schedule your free irrigation check-up. IS YOUR IRRIGATION SYSTEM RUNNING EFFICIENTLY?
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 29-july 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com In its nearly two years of work, the Pacific Grove Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force has made headway in its mission to make the small town a more welcoming place for underrepresented groups—it’s biggest accomplishment to date is the creation of a formal apology for the 1906 burning of a Chinese fishing village. Last year, the P.G. City Council approved that apology by a vote of 7-0. The council also directed the task force to find a DEI consultant to assist the group and on June 12, the task force recommended hiring Seed Collaborative, LLC, pending council approval. The Black-owned, women-led firm based in Inglewood was selected after a task force subcommittee reviewed the three top firms that submitted proposals. The firm has worked with other cities including Alameda, Sunnyvale and Santa Rosa. The consultants add a “B” for “belonging” to the acronym DEI, a trend in the DEI consulting industry as it evolves. In their proposal to P.G., Seed consultants suggested they assess the city government and community through individual and group interviews, as well as surveys, in order to develop a strategic plan and training strategies. The cost estimate for the full menu of services, including working with the city for over 30 months, was $356,256. The council could opt to select only a few services. The proposal is being met with stiff resistance from a few residents who have opposed the DEI Task Force from its inception, regularly voicing objections to its existence and at times insisting that racism does not exist in P.G. One man on June 12 argued, “If we have these great problems and it’s so obvious to everybody, why do we need a consultant?” A few others argued against spending money, suggesting the volunteer task force members do the work. Task Force Chair Kim Bui said the subcommittee’s initial research looked to the City of San Luis Obispo as an example, three times the size of P.G. but with a similar racial makeup. (P.G. and SLO are 75-percent and 70-percent white, respectively.) That city spent $270,000 on a different consulting firm in 2021, which produced 40-50 recommendations, some since implemented. Professionals have the time, Bui said. “They were of course able to do much deeper demographic work than any community member could do,” she added. There was at least one resident who spoke in favor of the proposal, Sue Parris, former director for the Monterey Bay Chapter of the National Coalition Building Institute. She hoped the council would find the money to pursue the consultant’s proposal and noted the city has more work to do in light of continuing opposition comments by some residents. “It’s so clear to someone who has some compassion how much need there is for figuring out how to make this city more welcoming and more inclusive,” Parris said. The task force’s recommendation to hire Seed is under review by the City Attorney’s office and may come to the council for consideration in August. Diverse Ideas Pacific Grove task force picks a consultant to guide the city toward more equity. By Pam Marino At the Walk of Remembrance in Pacific Grove in 2022, participants reflect on the burning of the town’s Chinese fishing village in 1906. At this event, a formal apology from the city was read aloud. NEWS The proposal is being met with stiff resistance from a few. DANIEL DREIFUSS 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 29-JULY 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 Don’t waste your weekenD chasing phony 4th of July sales. Enjoy thE holiday. - Brian GinGerich Visit our showroom to see the most luxurious mattresses in California. factory prices Direct to consumers 52 weeks a year. any day by appointment 26384 Carmel Rancho Ln., #103 Carmel-by-the-Sea 831.899.5464 monterey-mattress.com ® Monterey One Water • ReGen Monterey • Southern Monterey Bay Dischargers Group GREEN CART Food scraps without a bag TRASH Cooking oil and grease Good kitchen habits protect the environment and public health from sewer overflows! CLEAN PIPE SPECIAL www.ClogBusters.org CAN YOU SOLVE THE MYSTERY BEFORE TIME RUNS OUT? Follow the rabbit. Rob the bank. Travel through time to save the world....and many more. A 60 minute adventure, 9 rooms to choose from each with a different theme. Great for birthdays or special events. Kid friendly. All locations surrounded by great local restaurants. 4 MONTEREY LOCATIONS 765 Wave St, Ste A2 • 599 Lighthouse Ave • 700 Cannery Row, Ste DD and Oscar’s Playground 685 Cannery Row 831.241.6616 BOOK TODAY! Escaperoom831.com Voted Monterey County’s Best Place For a Birthday Party Two Years in a Row ’22
18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY June 29-July 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Rainbow Flag This story is beautifully written, and also much needed (“Four trans individuals talk about their experience in Monterey County, and beyond,” June 22-28). I work in an environment where a lot of effort is being made toward inclusivity and understanding, but I am often not sure I really do understand, as I was born in a different era. I found myself especially impacted by reading about the immediate and unqualified support Tahani [Lopez] got from her mother. It was very moving, and gave me a sense of hope in these times of people seemingly quick to take offense and yell at instead of listen to. Berj Amir | Seaside I want to thank you for your profiles of local trans folks. I began my transition in 2016, and moved to Monterey in 2021, so haven’t had a lot of interaction with the local trans community. I appreciate your article, and am hoping it receives a positive response from all our neighbors. Les A. | Seaside Great job. Inspiring article, and so well written! Donna Sloane | Wrightwood, Calif. healthy workplace The Weekly’s story regarding an employee lawsuit filed against Montage Health and Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula paints only a partial picture of this unfortunate situation, and misrepresents our integrity toward our patients, staff and community (“A fired Montage employee wins nearly $10 million in a lawsuit for unlawful retaliation,” June 22-28). The story included misleading claims made by the plaintiff. They had been previously investigated by an independent auditor and were revealed to be without merit and required no regulatory action. We are morally and legally bound to investigate any issue brought forth from internal or external sources regarding patient safety or the exercising of our fiduciary responsibilities. [Such claims] were investigated in this instance, long before the plaintiff’s case was brought to trial. On a variety of solid legal grounds, we will vigorously appeal the decision of the jury. Our values and practices put high-quality patient care and staff well-being at the forefront of everything we do, every day. We care deeply, and work tirelessly, to have all entities of Montage Health be healthy and vibrant places for all our staff to work and care for our patients and community. Kevin Causey | via email Note: Causey is a vice president at Montage Health. By the Numbers Great article. It shows that California local governments are too expensive (“Monterey County’s 12 cities are carving up their spending plans as they prepare for a new budget year that starts July 1,” June 15-21). All 12 local cities each pay their city manager, police chief and fire chief more than the governor of California ($201,000), more than a U.S. senator or member of Congress ($174,000). Of the 36 positions listed, only seven positions are paid less than $200,000. Compare this to our big federal institutions: Naval Postgraduate School president ($130,000) and highest-paid Armyrun Defense Language Institute salary ($120,000). Note that Pacific Grove has to pay 15 percent of its budget to CalPERS. At the rate of increases in top city positions, soon the entire budgets will just pay for benefits. And you thought Social Security was in trouble. Sam Farr | Carmel Note: Farr is a retired member of Congress. Good points on Marina (“It’s budget season, and the numbers in Monterey County’s 12 cities tell a story,” posted June 18). Resolution 2012-46 requires the city manager to submit a proposed balanced budget. In order to adopt a budget that is not balanced, four of the five City Council members must vote in favor of it. Frank O’Connell | Marina in the Water Both the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District and Public Water Now advocate on behalf of the public interest (“What happens when local government gets too cozy with business?” July 15-21). Why is the Weekly criticizing MPWMD because one of its contractors is married to the head of Public Water Now? The Weekly would be wise to avoid misinformed insinuations and recognize that gaining local control of our water is especially important as we confront the many challenges of climate change. Both MPWMD and Public Water Now deserve your support for their outstanding work. Marli Melton | Carmel Valley Why is the Weekly creating the appearance of wrongdoing where there is none? The problem is not the Water Management District—they are fighting for the ratepayer. Cal Am has been too cozy with LAFCO, real estate, hospitality and the local Chambers of Commerce. Walt Notley | Monterey MPWMD chose the best advertising firm that applied; the connection to Public Water Now was incidental. MPWMD has an excellent ethics and transparency record, winning several awards in this regard. The MPWMD board voted that desal was not necessary. Their supply-and-demand study clearly showed expansion of Pure Water Monterey, which is now underway, meets the Peninsula’s needs for decades at a much lower cost. Their advertisements align with the water district’s advocacy for lower water costs for ratepayers and Measure J’s legal mandate to purchase the system—no more and no less. Susan Schiavone | Seaside Wine Time Sad, sad day (“Winemaking giant Gallo buys long-time family-owned Hahn Family Wines,” posted June 21). Lindsay Lambuth | Monterey Correction The job title of Amy Anderson, the wife of Tee Anderson (“Four trans individuals talk about their experience in Monterey County, and beyond,” June 22-28) was incorrect. She is a psychiatric social worker, not a psychiatrist. 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 29-July 5, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 19 On July 4, we will celebrate Independence Day for the 247th time in this country’s history. It is a perfect day for barbecues, fireworks and family gatherings; it’s also an appropriate time to take stock of the freedoms we enjoy. We at the Weekly are putting the freedom of the press at the top of our list of things to celebrate. Valuing a free press was central to the formation of the United States. Thomas Paine, a rabble-rouser who earned his keep as pamphleteer, is credited in “Common Sense” as having first popularized the idea of independence from England in January of 1776. Ben Franklin, one of the principal authors of the Declaration of Independence—the document passed by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776—was himself owner and publisher of the Pennsylvania Gazette in the early 1700s. The idea that an informed citizenry is the best way to advance democracy and ward off tyranny and corruption is deeply ingrained in this country’s history. A free press is as vital in 2023 as it was in 1776, but it is under a more direct threat today than ever. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, newsroom jobs in the U.S. declined by 60 percent from 2006-2021. It hasn’t let up since; earlier this month, the Los Angeles Times laid off 14 percent of its newsroom employees— four weeks after having been awarded two Pulitzer prizes. Penelope Muse Abernathy is the Knight chair of journalism at University of North Carolina and the author of an ongoing study that tracks employment in journalism. She connects the dots in an ominous way when she writes: “Historically, strong local newspapers have created a sense of community and nurtured grassroots democracies. Through their journalism, newspapers helped set the agenda for debate of important local issues… Reduced staffing means fewer stories. Transparency and accountability suffer. When a regional daily newspaper lays off journalists, investigative pieces that expose corruption and wrongdoing aren’t written.” Monterey County Weekly is different. I’m writing with a publisher’s report about how we have made substantial investments in the newsroom at a time when most media is doing the opposite— and also to invite you, our readers, to contribute directly to supporting that effort. In the past year, the Weekly has increased its editorial team to 10 full-time staff. We have expanded our digital newsletters (under the banner of Monterey County NOW) and introduced a new magazine to our Best of Monterey Bay portfolio. It’s paying off. In my opinion, the quality of the journalism has never been better or more impactful. Experts agree: In May, the paper hauled in a slew of first- and secondplace plaques in the California Journalism Awards. Examples of great work are numerous. Two weeks ago, the paper published an analysis of the annual budgets of each of the 12 cities in Monterey County. If you want to see a side-by-side comparison of how much is spent on police and fire in Carmel or Soledad, there is only one place you’ll get that information. Transgender rights have been at the center of contemporary culture wars. Instead of putting them in the bull’s-eye, on June 22, the paper profiled four trans members of the Monterey County community with humanizing portraits. It turns out, however, that a free press is an expensive enterprise. While still free in print and online, the Weekly has successfully transitioned in the past three years to a business model that includes reader revenue. Today we are appealing directly to readers to help fund our newsgathering efforts. Please join over 3,000 of your neighbors by becoming a Weekly Insider. We are asking the people who appreciate our local and independent journalism to help fund it. (We designate all those who contribute as Insiders.) In honor of Independence Day, the Weekly is offering an Insider incentive program. If you sign up by midnight on July Fourth to give $10/month, or a one-time contribution of $100 or more, we’ll send you a handydandy Weekly “Totally Locally” tote bag. Please support local and independent journalism this Independence Day. Erik Cushman is the Weekly’s publisher. Reach him at erik@mcweekly.com. To become a Weekly Insider, go to mcweekly.com/insider. A Free Press Isn’t Free The Weekly expands while other media contracts. Here’s how you can help. By Erik Cushman Sand Dollars…Squid would like to extend hearty congratulations to the budget directors in each of Monterey County’s 12 cities for a job well done—each city has a shiny new budget prepared for the start of the 2023-24 fiscal year on July 1…Wait. Make that 11 of 12. Marina still does not have a budget. Instead, as other councils were making final adjustments and approving budgets, on June 20, Marina City Council adopted a resolution to “p ermit the city to continue to provide city services, pay city obligations and continue approved capital projects at the level established for the fiscal year 2022-23 amended budget until adoption of fiscal years 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 budget.” In other words, the resolution will allow Marina to keep operating until a budget is presented and adopted. It reminds Squid of all the debt ceiling drama in Washington; will they or won’t they be able to keep the lights on? City Manager Layne Long tells Squid’s colleague that this is “not typical.” Long adds that a budget is expected July 5—five days after the start of the new fiscal year, but who’s counting? As a professional ink-slinger, Squid is familiar with the concept of missed deadlines. Happens to the best of us! But when a city with a population of 22,000 and a staff of 89 is counting on you to meet your deadline…well, Squid’s glad that’s not Squid’s job. The Rent is Too Damn High… Squid has it easy—the lair requires no cash payments, just an occasional battle in the predator-eat-predator world that is Squid’s habitat. Not so for land-dwelling humans, who need to fork over U.S. dollars every month for their piece of the American Dream. A new analysis by the National Low Income Housing Coalition puts that hardship in perspective. The annual income needed to afford a studio in Monterey County is $84,480; a three-bedroom, $151,600. To be able to afford a one-bedroom (fair market rent of $2,194/month), you’d have to work 109 hours a week at a minimum-wage job. Squid cannot work 109 hours a week due to Squid’s sleeping and daydreaming requirements. Too bad for Squid’s human colleagues then that Monterey County made the list of the most expensive jurisdictions in the entire country—it’s the fourth most costly place to live, exceeded only by San Jose, San Francisco and Santa Cruz. To all of the NIMBYs who got their piece of property then did their damndest to make life difficult for everyone else, Squid gets it—you’d do well in predatory, undersea living—but Squid has an idea. Open your spare rooms (and second and third homes) to roommates. Squid will move in, and bring a lot of shrimp-flavored popcorn as a thank you. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “Local newspapers created a sense of community.” Send Squid a tip: squid@mcweekly.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==