JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 MONTEREYCOUNTYWEEKLY.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT BRIDGE TO EVERYWHERE 12 | ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS HERE 34 | WHAT MICHELIN STARS MEAN 40 Lori Long and Mark Contreras want to get married. But first, they are trying to change an archaic federal law that limits the rights of people with disabilities. p. 20 By Daniel Dreifuss LOVE STORY
1 McCLURE WAY, SEASIDE 831.899.7271 BayonetBlackHorse.com Swing Through Summer Monday Night Trivia at Bayonet Black Horse July 24th, 31st and August 7th Prizes for each round of Trivia and Putting 5:00pm – Free Putting Clinic 6:00pm – Start Grand Prize Winners receive gift cards, and the series winner will receive a free month of golf 2 Person Scramble Event Sunday, July 30th Entry Fee Includes: Green Fee, Golf Cart, Range Balls, BBH Hat, Challenge Coin, and a dozen Titleist Tour Soft or Callaway Stay Soft Balls 8:20am tee times | $150 per player Get Golf Ready Beginner Series August 9-30 | September 6-27 Wednesday’s 4:30-6:00pm 4 Sessions for only $225 Week 1 - Orientation. Posture, Grip, and Alignment. Putting and Green Reading Week 2 - Chipping, pitching, and bunker play Week 3 - Full swing. Irons and Woods Week 4 - Review and Play Golf! *Golf Clubs will be provided if you don’t have your own Scoring Clinics August 12th and September 16th 9-11am or 12-2pm Attend a 2 hour scoring clinic and receive a custom-fit wedge Receive a Precision Fitting by a PGA Professional $215 (a $100.00 Savings) *Additional wedges will be available to purchase at a discounted price. Are You Ready For Lower Scores? 2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com
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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 27-august 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com July 27-august 2, 2023 • ISSUE #1826 • Established in 1988 Erik Uppman (Canon 5DMKII. 28-75MM @ ISO100, f/5, 1/160) The new film Barbie is making movies into an experience again. Nearly 400 fans—many of them wearing pink—came together at Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove on Saturday night, July 22, to celebrate the premiere weekend. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Mark Contreras and Lori Long, shown after exchanging gifts on Christmas Day in 2022. They have been engaged since Christmas of 2016, but have delayed getting married due to a provision in Social Security code. 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, Paul Fried, Jeff Mendelsohn, Jeff Rothal, 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 JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 HEALTHY HABITS, HEALTHY YOU At Salinas Valley Health, we are dedicated to improving the health and well-being of everyone in our community. START YOUR JOURNEY TO A HEALTHIER YOU TODAY! SalinasValleyHealth.com Scan the QR code to learn more. PATHWAYS TO WELLNESS Explore budget-friendly (often free) classes, programs, events and support groups to help you live your best life. Scan the QR code to learn more. Take a step toward better health with monthly healthcare discussions by local doctors and health experts. WALK WITH A DOC Shop for healthy, locally grown produce and freshly prepared food while supporting local vendors. Every Friday through November 10 12:30pm to 5:30pm Corner of Wilgart Way & East Romie Lane, Salinas FARMERS’ MARKET Scan the QR code to learn more.
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH How can artificial intelligence support a thriving local news ecosystem? This is the question that the American Journalism Project (a venture philanthropy focused on supporting nonprofit local news organizations) and OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) are asking, and hoping to answer, through a new partnership announced July 18. OpenAI will give AJP $5 million for the expansion of the organization’s work, plus commit up to $5 million in OpenAI API credits that AJP can distribute to the newsrooms it supports. In general, past tech company investments in news organizations have not worked out very well for the news organizations (see: the abrupt end to Facebook parent company Meta’s interest in the Facebook News tab). But AJP, which was founded in 2019, seems hopeful about this instance. “To ensure local journalism remains an essential pillar of our democracy, we need to be smart about the potential powers and pitfalls of new technology,” Sarabeth Berman, CEO of the American Journalism Project, said in a statement. “With this partnership, we aim to promote ways for AI to enhance—rather than imperil—journalism.” Good: Options for children and teens in psychiatric crises have been few in Monterey County in the past, so it’s good news that the Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula has opened a Crisis Stabilization Unit for youth ages 17 and younger, according to an announcement on July 17. It joins an existing unit for adults that opened in March. Both are designed to provide a place of respite and targeted care for patients who are in crisis ,but do not require hospitalization. In addition to giving patients a quiet place to regroup, CSUs help free up space inside emergency rooms. “If we transfer a patient with a mental health concern to a more therapeutic environment more quickly, it benefits our patient and clears a bed in the [ER] for another patient to be seen,” said Dr. Veronica Searles Quick, director of crisis psychiatry. GREAT: Students at Forest Grove Elementary School will have a STEM Flex Lab this back-to-school season, thanks to seven years of work by Pacific Grove Unified School District to modernize its tech labs. Kids will have access to 3D printers and software to code and design, and will be encouraged to work on robotics and other projects. The objective, says Matthew Binder, PGUSD’s director of educational technology, “is to foster more student collaboration around meaningful kinds of realworld-based projects.” This is the second such space at PGUSD, and a third is coming this winter to Pacific Grove Middle School. PGUSD is using funds from Measure A, approved in 2014 for education technology, and Measure D, approved in 2020 for facilities upgrades and renovations. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Number of grants made, totaling $31.2 million, by the Community Foundation for Monterey County in 2022. The majority (64 percent) went to organizations serving Monterey County. About $9.5 million (30 percent) of grants were made through Monterey County Gives! Source: Community Foundation’s 2022 annual report 2,277 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Salinas, with its revitalization of Main Street, was a perfect fit.” -Michael Foley, owner of Heirloom Pizza, on plans to open a second location in Salinas in August. Live@ Heirloom Pizza Company will offer live music and a Tiki bar as well as the deep-dish pies the original Monterey spot is known for (see story, 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 JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 A: START FINISH How much of the water on earth is drinkable? A. How much water can you save by turning off the faucet when you brush your teeth? A. How do you plan to save water at your house? A. How do you save water when doing laundry? A. How can you save water in the bathroom? A. How can you save water in the kitchen? A. How can you save water outdoors? A. One drip every second adds up to five gallons per day! Check your faucets and showerheads for leaks and fix them. How many did you find? A. Who can take the shortest shower in your house? Time them and see who wins! A. Put food coloring in your toilet tanks. If it seeps into the bowl without flushing, there’s a leak. Did you find any leaks? A. How much is the rebate for a High Efficiency Clothes Washer? A. How much is the rebate for a High Efficiency Toilet? A. summer splash! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Void where prohibited. The sweepstakes is open only to California-American Water Company water customers in the Monterey County District of California who complete and submit a Summer Splash Water Challenge Giveaway entry form (“gameboard”) with correct answers by mail postmarked by July 31, 2023 to MPWMD Summer Splash, P.O. Box 85, Monterey CA, 93942 or online at www.montereywaterinfo.org/waterchallenge by July 31, 2023 and who are at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry. Start: 12:01 a.m. PDT on 7/1/2023; deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT on 7/31/2023. One (1) Winner will receive a High Efficiency Clothes Washer (ARV $1,200), one (1) Winner will receive a iPad (ARV $600), four (4) Winners will receive a $50 Visa Gift Card (ARV $50). OFFICIAL RULES: www.montereywaterinfo.org/waterchallenge_officialrules.pdf SPONSORS: Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, 5 Harris Ct, Building G, Monterey CA 93940 and California-American Water Company, 511 Forest Lodge Road, Pacific Grove CA 93950 play now. MontereyWaterInfo.org/Water Challenge • High Efficiency Clothes Washer • Apple iPad • $50 Visa Gift Cards Win BIG in Our Water Challenge Giveaway ENDS MONDAY JULY 31 prizes!
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 A line of four flags over Jules Simoneau Plaza—also an MST transit station—at the corner of Munras Avenue and Tyler Street in downtown Monterey greets all who pass by. Most who glance upward will recognize the colors of Spain, Mexico, the United States and the state of California. They are all part of Monterey’s identity. Look closer, however, and you might notice a few discrepancies. The Mexican flag, for example, isn’t current. Instead of an eagle in profile devouring a snake, the great bird faces forward, its wings spread. Start to count and another item fails to add up: The stars and stripes falls short of the 50 you expect to see of the former. “If you look at the flags, you might say, ‘That doesn’t look right,’” admits Jordan Leininger, artifacts specialist for Monterey’s Museum and Cultural Arts Office. But it’s a clever nod to the city’s history. The flags represent periods when Monterey was part of Spain, Mexico and then, finally, the United States. The Spanish flag is white, with a coat of arms in the center, adorned with lions and castles. This design was used in Spain from 1770 to 1821. It is a copy of the flag Junípero Serra, a Catholic priest who founded missions in California, and explorer Gaspar de Portolá brought to the area in 1770. The Mexican flag represents 1821, the year that country assumed control of Monterey. History isn’t a straight line. Leininger points out that historians can compare journals, archives and visual information to create a representation. But there is no way of knowing if, say, Serra and de Portolá carried an outdated flag on their voyage without a specific description. Indeed, a red Spanish flag flew over the plaza until recently. “During the pandemic, we had a lapse of communication and put the wrong flag up there,” Leininger explains—although technically, it was correct if city historians followed the historical timeline. This is where probability comes into play: After Serra and de Portolá left for the New World, Spain changed its colors from white to red. The California flag recalls 1846. It features a grizzly bear with a star and red stripe across the bottom, imitating Texas’ Lone Star emblem. It represents the time when a group of American settlers in Alta California rebelled against the Mexican government and declared the California Republic. Under orders to occupy California should war break out between the U.S. and Mexico—and it did, in 1846—a force of sailors and Marines under U.S. Navy Commodore John D. Sloat landed in Monterey and declared it American territory. The flag they carried displayed 28 stars. After the Mexican-American War, Mexico lost more than half of its territory. California held a convention in Colton Hall in Monterey to apply for statehood. But there are also three other flags that represent Monterey and wave within city limits. Two are the city’s flag of diagonal stripes in yellow and black, set against four green and white quadrants. A ceremonial version of this flag includes gold elements—chains, anchors and sheaves of wheat. Monterey’s flag was designed by Paul Mills, director of the Santa Barbara Museum of Art. It was adopted by the City Council on Jan. 18, 1977. Three months later, it was raised for the first time during the Monterey Conference Center’s opening ceremony. The other flag over Monterey is an Argentinian symbol, but without its sun. It recalls how in 1818, Hipólito Bouchard sailed along the Pacific coast of North America, attacking cities and harassing Spanish forces. Among those cities was Monterey, and for a week Argentine colors waved over the city before the fleet departed and life under Spanish rule resumed. The Argentinian flag is at the city’s Lower Presidio Historic Park. There is also a monument recognizing Bouchard’s brief expedition. Each day, the flags of Monterey are raised over the city. Each day, they represent different points in the city’s varied history. If, that is, people pause to look up and count. Standard Bearers Seven flags that fly over Monterey tell the story of the city’s past and present. By Celia Jiménez The flags that wave over Simoneau Plaza in Monterey—from left to right, the state flag, U.S. flag, Mexican flag and Spanish flag—are designs from points in history, not the current versions. “You might say, ‘That doesn’t look right.’” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS
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10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 27-august 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news About 150 people showed up for an open house on the afternoon of Wednesday, July 19 at Laguna Seca Recreation Area on Highway 68. Many sat in slow traffic to get there, perhaps fitting for the topic: an update from transportation officials on the Scenic Route 68 Corridor Improvement Project. The project seeks to improve safety and traffic flow during rush hour. Caltrans and the Transportation Agency for Monterey County are leading the project, which has been in the works since 2016 but stalled during the pandemic. The open house served as public notice this project is once more in motion. Some potential ideas— like building a bypass or widening the highway to four lanes—have been shelved. Ideas that remain on the table are building one-lane roundabouts at intersections, or enhancing traffic lights and widening from two to four lanes at intersections. Regardless of which option is selected, the project will include five wildlife crossings—increasing the total to eight—meant to prevent collisions and fatalities with local fauna. The entrance to Laguna Seca would also move, aligning with the intersection of Laureles Grade. The project would cost up to $215 million. Some people at the open house voiced concerns. “It’s a whole lot of money and projected to deal with four hours of commute times a day,” says Dwight Stump, a regular user of Highway 68. Environmental documents analyzing options will be released this fall, followed by a public comment period. “Once those comments are received, we can decide the preferred alternative to move forward,” TAMC Executive Director Todd Muck says. Bumpy Road A project to improve Highway 68 traffic flow is moving along. By Celia Jiménez Since settling a class-action lawsuit over poor conditions at Monterey County Jail in 2015, the county and Wellpath, its health care provider at the jail, have been required to allow court-appointed neutral monitors at the facility. Those monitors have written reports documenting the state of medical and mental health care at the jail, as well as other safety, security and welfare issues. Yet up to now, these documents have all been sealed and heavily redacted, limiting what the public knows about conditions inside the jail—where four inmates have died this year, and 25 have died since the settlement eight years ago. Attorneys representing the inmates claim that the county, the Sheriff’s Office and Wellpath are not living up to the terms of the settlement, and are seeking to have the monitor reports unsealed and released to the public to exhibit that failure. That request is the subject of an ongoing, escalating court battle. On Friday, July 21, a U.S. District Court judge in San Jose ordered the release of the monitor reports with only limited redactions—denying arguments made by the county to keep the documents under seal. Later that day, attorneys for Wellpath filed a notice of appeal with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, as well a motion to stay the judge’s ruling. While a decision has not been made as of press time regarding Wellpath’s motion for a stay, if granted, it could potentially delay the release of the reports for months on end. “This information is extremely relevant and important to our clients, the people who are incarcerated in the jail,” says Van Swearingen, a partner at San Francisco-based law firm Rosen Bien Galvan & Grunfeld, which represents the incarcerated people who are covered by the settlement. “They want to know what the reports say. They want to know if the county and Wellpath are living up to their promises in managing a jail that is not deliberately indifferent to the plight of people who are incarcerated there.” Monterey County Counsel Les Girard declined to comment. Attorneys representing Wellpath did not return requests for comment. County Sheriff Tina Nieto told the Weekly earlier this year she is “laser-focused” on meeting the terms of the settlement, which she estimated costs taxpayers $800,000 per year. Whether the documents are unsealed or not, a hearing is set for Aug. 24 in which attorneys for the inmates will ask the court to find Wellpath “noncompliant” with the settlement, and seek fines of $25,000 for each one of 44 alleged violations of the agreement. The Weekly has joined the legal effort seeking to unseal the monitor reports in the interest of public transparency. Alongside the First Amendment Coalition and the families of Mark Pajas Sr. and Rafael Ramirez Lara, two men who died while incarcerated in the jail, the Weekly is part of a group that filed as proposed intervenors in the case on Thursday, July 20. The group of proposed intervenors is being represented by Public Justice, a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit legal advocacy organization. A ruling has not yet been issued on these parties’ status as intervenors. More than 30 reports by neutral third-party monitors about conditions at the Monterey County Jail have been filed in court under seal. Behind the Bars A court battle over sealed reports detailing conditions at Monterey County Jail escalates. By Rey Mashayekhi About 150 people attended an open house regarding design concepts for changes to Highway 68 meant to improve traffic speed and safety. Construction could start in 2028. “They want to know if the county and Wellpath are living up to their promises.” Joel Angel Juarez Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 hartnell.edu IT’S NOT TOO LATE! Classes start August 28! Register today for Fall 2023 Learn more! Call 831.755.9700 or visit us online hartnell.edu. Join our drug and alcohol prevention program, S.T.E.P.S. Program in Salinas, South Monterey County and Monterey Peninsula. Support youth prevention services www.SunStreetCenters.org Are you a student in high school looking for volunteer opportunities? Prevention, Education, Treatment & Recovery serving youth, adults and families in Monterey County, San Benito County & San Luis Obispo County
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 27-august 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Much discussion this year about the state of the agriculture industry in Monterey County has been about how productivity suffered from winter storms. But the annual crop report, released Tuesday, July 25, looks back to the calendar year of 2022, when the overall output for the ag industry was good: Gross production value was $4.6 billion, an increase of $530 million, or 13 percent, compared to 2021. Strawberries were again the top crop in Monterey County, with a value of $958.7 million. The number two and three spots were claimed by leaf lettuce and head lettuce, respectively, which each increased in value—by 13 percent and 21 percent—over the previous year. That was despite the Impatiens necrotic spot virus (INSV), which causes brown spots and has been partly responsible for a nationwide lettuce shortage and skyrocketing prices. “INSV continues to impact leafy greens production here locally, causing entire fields to be lost,” Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director Norm Groot said at a press conference on July 25 as Monterey County Agricultural Commissioner Juan Hidalgo released the crop report. Cannabis ranked third in 2021, with a higher value than head lettuce; in 2022, it fell to fifth place, below broccoli, with a production value of $283.2 million, reflecting a 54-percent fall-off from the year prior. The industry has experienced a nosedive, with 32 local operators closing in the past year. But cannabis production value still exceeded wine grapes. Grapes are another crop that was down in 2022 (to $173.8 million) from 2021. Instead of smoke and wildfires, spikes in warm summer weather and aging vines affected vineyard productivity. Despite consistency in acres planted, the value was down by over 20 percent from the year before. Overall, while the gross value of agricultural products increased by over $500 million, the crop report—produced annually pursuant to sections 2272 and 2279 of the California Food and Agricultural Code—does not reflect cost increases growers faced. “Farmers are still continuing to face challenges to make the bottom line work,” Groot said. For example, he said fertilizer prices rose by 250 percent. This year, the strawberry season started up to six weeks behind schedule after floods inundated the Pajaro Valley in March. Yet overall, the consumer market wasn’t impacted because of an overproduction in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties. What if a single, pedestrian-only bridge was a missing link that could unlock a regional network of trails? That’s the vision for the Carmel Area Wastewater District’s footbridge across the Carmel River, which dates back to the 1930s and provides employees access to CAWD’s wastewater treatment plant just south of the Carmel Mission, on the southern bank of the Carmel River, in the event that road access to the plant is cut off due to flooding. On Thursday, July 27, the CAWD board is set discuss the project—which has been dubbed the “Bridge to Everywhere”—and consider whether to take the ministerial step of forming a standing committee to discuss the project going forward. (Currently, there’s an ad hoc committee to discuss it; a standing committee will mean public meetings on the topic.) CAWD General Manager Barbara Buikema says getting the public involved going forward is the goal— it’s a regional project, and one she feels confident the community will welcome with open arms. “This has so much to offer the community, especially those people who like to get out and walk,” she says. “It’s a beautiful area.” The bridge would provide a connection between those walking on the beaches of Carmel and Carmel River, the Mission Trail and the Big Sur Land Trust’s Carmel River FREE project, which is yet to be completed but will have trails that connect to Palo Corona Regional Park. The idea is something Buikema’s had on her mind for about 20 years, but only now is the district pushing to make it a reality. “Sometimes I think in life lightning strikes,” she says. “I don’t know why.” One reason, perhaps, is that the district needs to retrofit the bridge. The cost of doing that—about $10 million, Buikema says—will largely have to come from grants. “Everyone has been very positive,” she says. “If we can show this is a community-wide benefit, this will help with grant funding, and we’re optimistic.” Berry Big Monterey County’s ag industry increased sales to $4.6 billion in 2022. By Celia Jiménez news School Days Alisal Unified School District’s Extended Learning Department hosts an open house and invites families to learn about after-school activities your kid can participate in. 6pm Thursday, July 27. Alisal Community School, 1437 Del Monte Ave., Salinas. Free. 753-5700, alisal. org/alisal. Money Talks The state’s Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) is a new $600 million funding opportunity to help communities continue recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic. Join a community meeting to learn about the process and weigh in on what you think the state should fund in the Central Coast region. This meeting will be bilingual in English and Spanish. 6-8pm Wednesday, Aug. 2. Teamsters Hall, 931 E. Market St., Salinas. Free. 254-4916, mbep.biz/uplift-centralcoast. Democracy in Action Pacific Grove City Council meets and, as always, accepts public comment. You can attend just to listen in, or tell your elected officials what you think they’re doing well and what they can do better. 6pm Wednesday, Aug. 2. City Hall, 300 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove; virtual option available as well. Free. 6483100, cityofpacificgrove.org. Booming Business Cal Coastal Small Business Development Center is partnering with Google to offer a free, in-person workshop to help small business employees in Salinas and the surrounding area build new skills. The workshop will teach you how to create and manage a Google Business Profile, make your information available on Google Search and Maps, and how to use those profiles to connect with potential customers. 10am Thursday, Aug. 3. CSUMB at Salinas City Center, 1 Main St., Salinas. Free. 676-2017, g.co/grow.salinas. Funding Deadline The deadline for homeowners and renters to register for FEMA assistance has been extended to Sept. 1. If the recent storms have affected you and your family, the government can provide disaster relief help. Residents and business owners affected by a major disaster—including citizens, permanent residents (green card holders), and mixed immigrant households—may be eligible for FEMA federal assistance. Deadline is now Friday, Sept. 1. Free. 800-621-3362, bit.ly/ StormResources2023. Apply online at disasterassistance.gov. Bridge Building A utility bridge over the Carmel River might be the missing link to connect the region’s trails. By David Schmalz Strawberries were Monterey County’s top crop for three years in a row, accounting for over 20 percent of the total industry value in 2022. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX Cannabis production value still exceeded wine grapes. Daniel Dreifuss
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14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 27-AUGUST 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com That the rents would go up by 3 percent for market-rate tenants at Marina’s city-owned townhome complexes—Abrams Park and Preston Park, 548 units of U.S. Army-built housing on the former Fort Ord—was not in question when the Marina City Council voted 5-0 on July 18 to accept new budgets for both developments for the 2023-2024 fiscal year. What is now in question is what the council will do about the gap between longterm residents whose increases have been capped at 3 percent since 2010 and newer residents paying the current market rate. The unanswered question—barely discussed during the meeting because it wasn’t on the agenda—has left longtime residents nervous that their rents could rise significantly to close the gap. “If rents were increased we would not be able to live here,” said Sarah Blake, a former middle school teacher who said she is staying at home with a new baby because she and her husband can’t afford child care. Per a city ordinance adopted in 2010, annual rent increases for market-rate tenants are capped at 3 percent or by the Consumer Price Index, whichever is lower. (The complexes also include units for very-low and low-income families by deed restriction; those rents depend on federal calculations. Some market-rate units are leased to tenants with federal Housing Choice Vouchers, formerly known as Section 8. ) As tenants move out of market-rate apartments, the rents are increased to the most recent market-rate levels. According to a report to council by its property management company, Greystar Residential, current market rates range from $2,350 for two-bedroom units per month up to $3,450 for four-bedroom units, depending on whether they’ve been remodeled. For in-place tenants, the average rent for a two-bedroom unit is currently $1,604 per month at Abrams Park and $1,716 at Preston Park. Average rent for four bedrooms in Abrams Park is $2,279; three-bedrooms at Preston Park average $2,242. The gap has left some asking if longterm residents should pay more. One leader of a tenants association, Paula Pelot, told council that reasons for the disparity include the fact that units are updated as they’re turned over—some long-term residents said they’ve had the same carpets and appliances for 13 years—and that the city did not control rent increases on vacant units. Mayor Bruce Delgado said he has “a lot of interest” in discussing the gap at a future meeting—possibly in August— leaving the question of raising longterm tenants’ rents open until then. Delgado said that when the city purchased the properties through transactions with the Fort Ord Reuse Authority (Abrams Park in 1996, Preston Park in 2016), the goal was to provide affordable housing as well as revenue to the city. He estimated the city had netted approximately $45 million since 1996. “We wanted to keep them in city ownership so we could continue providing good housing for salt-of-theearth, working-class people and have a revenue stream,” he said. Unfinished Business Marina City Council raises rents at city-owned housing complexes, and opens the door for more. By Pam Marino Besides offering affordable rents, Marina’s two city-owned housing developments net the city approximately $2 million a year that is used for other city expenses. NEWS “We would not be able to live here.” DANIEL DREIFUSS 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 | NEW FIRE PITS & PET-FRIENDLY PATIO HAPPY HOUR 4PM TO 6PM & 9PM TO 10PM 7.26 Coastal Commission 8.2 Coastal Commission 8.9 Daniel Cortes 8.16 Coastal Commission 8.23 Reija Massey 8.30 Coastal Commission WED NIGHTS LIVE MUSIC PETER B’S BEER GARDEN 6PM TO 9PM ELECTRIC VEHICLE INCENTIVE PROGRAM LOW INCOME QUALIFIED APPLICANTS MAY QUALIFY FOR DOUBLE THE SHOWN INCENTIVE AMOUNTS! $2,000 NEW $1,000 USED $1,000 NEW $700 USED $1,000 NEW HYDROGEN FUEL CELL ELECTRIC BATTERY PLUG-IN HYBRID ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLE $2,500 NEW INCENTIVES FOR THE PURCHASE/LEASE OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE FOR RESIDENTS OF MONTEREY, SAN BENITO AND SANTA CRUZ COUNTIES Visit our website for more information: www.mbard.org $500 USED
www.montereycountyweekly.com July 27-August 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 A new, Soledad-based startup has launched a pilot program testing its carbon removal technology: a pyrolysis machine that converts wood waste and other organic byproducts into biochar, a carbon-rich soil supplement that it aims to provide to farmers. Sitos Group, the startup launched by Steve McIntyre of vineyard management company Monterey Pacific, officially unveiled its pyrolysis machine at ReGen Monterey on Friday, July 21. The year-long pilot will trial the technology using materials provided by ReGen and its composting contractor, Keith Day Company. The machine takes wood chips, almond shells and other byproducts and heats them through slow pyrolysis creating biochar, a charcoal-like substance. The process sequesters the carbon in the materials fed through the machine, which would otherwise end up emitted into the atmosphere. In turn, the biochar produced can be mixed with compost and used by farmers to improve soil health. McIntyre says Monterey Pacific began using biochar at its vineyards eight years ago. After meeting Sitos CEO and agriculture industry veteran Mayo Ryan a little over a year ago, the two co-founded their own pyrolysis startup—working with manufacturing partners who modified an open-source design to create Sitos’ machine. Sitos hopes that the pilot will eventually lead to a permanent three-machine plant at ReGen, and has set a long-term goal of deploying hundreds of machines capable of sequestering 1 million tons of CO2 annually by 2030. “We need hundreds of these [machines] in order to make a difference in CO2 emissions,” McIntyre says. He’s optimistic about Sitos’ prospects for scaling its technology by using California’s massive agriculture industry as a market—offering farmers not only biochar’s beneficial properties but also carbon credits enabled by government programs. “There’s 1.6 million acres of almond farms in California, and all those shells can get turned into biochar and go right back in [the ground].” While agriculture is the main use targeted by Sitos, McIntyre notes biochar can also be sequestered as an additive in concrete, and plots a longer-term vision where household consumers are also end users. “I like to think that in the future, we’ll all have a little pyrolysis machine that will replace having to take your trash out,” he says. ReGen spokesperson Zoë Shoats says the pilot program is the latest in a string of initiatives by the landfill to find the “highest and best use of any waste product,” especially compostable materials. “There’s not much value to the dregs of what’s left over from organics processing, but we’re trying to make something great with it,” Shoats says. While McIntyre is self-financing Sitos, he hopes the pilot can convince skeptics and lure investors. “What we’ve found is, until we put this pilot plant in, everybody’s like ‘Yeah, right—it sounds too good to be true,’” he notes. “So we’re just going to have to put our money where our mouth is. Let’s build it, and they’ll come.” Trial By Fire A new local startup wants to use carbon removal tech to enrich soil—and save the environment. By Rey Mashayekhi The pilot pyrolysis machine at ReGen is capable of converting 9,000 tons of feed annually into 3,000 tons of biochar—in the process removing 7,000 tons of CO2 that would otherwise go into the atmosphere. NEWS “We’re trying to make something great with it.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Memory Care with Compassion Inspire Connection (831) 718-9041 • merrillgardensmonterey.com 200 Iris Canyon Rd, Monterey, CA 93940 M O N T E R E Y Lic #275202591 Our Inspire Connection Program embodies what is important to you and your loved one. With our special approach designed for memory care, we create an atmosphere where residents continue to enjoy life one moment at a time. Call Today To Learn More
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 27-august 2, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com animal aware I’ve been working on rodeo issues for 40-plus years, so you can well imagine my disappointment that the Weekly would devote an entire issue promoting/condoning this abuse (“The Greatest Show On Dirt—and Off,” July 20-26). I think the Weekly owes its readers (and the animals) a follow-up story from the animals’ point of view. According to the Vancouver Humane Society, more than 100 horses have died in the Calgary Stampede’s chaotic chuckwagon races since the mid-1980s, a non-sanctioned event also seen at Salinas. Salinas also features children’s “mutton busting,” outlawed in Alameda County in 2022 after years of protest. Monterey County should follow suit. Rodeo is condemned by nearly every animal welfare organization in North America due to its inherent cruelty. Rodeo is not a true “sport” at all. Rather, it’s a bogus, macho exercise in domination. It needs to end. And the media needs to stop promoting this blatant cruelty. Eric Mills | Oakland Note: Mills is the coordinator of Action for Animals. Animals should not be injured or killed for entertainment and that is what rodeo is (“Rodeo animals are working animals. Opinions differ as to whether that makes it ethical,” July 20-26). It bears no resemblance to ranching. I grew up on a cattle ranch in North Dakota and spent eight years as a ranch veterinarian there. My ranch clients did not ride bulls, speed rope calves or make their expensive horses buck. Rodeo is not American “tradition.” Animals and humans share the same pain and fear centers in the brain. The fear center is the amygdala. The pain centers are the prefrontal cortex and the hypothalamus. Animals feel pain and fear the same as humans! Peggy W. Larson | Williston, Vermont The cruel “tradition” of rodeo has no place in today’s society. If people treated their dog this way they would go to jail. What makes these creatures so much “less” in our eyes that we permit this? Karen Rubio | Los Gatos Note: Rubio is a co-founder of PlantBased Advocates. War Time Thank you for the informative article on Salinas teachers working with children of Poland and Ukraine (“Two Salinas teachers are once again teaching at a summer camp on the PolishUkrainian border,” posted June 18). In World War II, my father fought to end fascism in Europe. It is sad to think how many Americans don’t care about the high stakes of Putin’s War. Michael Lojkovic | Monterey Fashion Statement Thank you for the story on the cowboy hat (“While the cowboy hat symbolizes romantic notions of freedom and rugged individualism to many, it can mean something very different to others,” posted July 19). My heart warmed and my eyes teared up when I read that out of respect, Sheriff Tina Nieto doesn’t wear it around certain communities. I love where our mindset is heading, one person at a time. Removing symbols of oppression is an important step in moving forward. We are not erasing history; we are acknowledging the feelings of fellow human beings. And I hope that someday all people will see the sheriff’s cowboy hat as a sign of hope and help. Nikki Chupka | via email In the Weeds The legacy growers of Monterey County (Big Sur) told the county they would fail in Salinas (“Monterey County’s cannabis industry is struggling to survive—and claims overtaxing and burdensome regulations are to blame,” July 13-19). Aside from the economics, it’s the wrong climate. Too bad they ignored us and didn’t opt to go with the true cannabis appellation, Big Sur, instead of making us all illegal. John DeFloria | Carmel Highlands Note: DeFloria is a founder of the dispensary Big Sur Canna+Botanicals. One the best written articles about the state of the Monterey County cannabis industry to date! Many different perspectives from people in various points of the supply chain and more. Well done. Michelle Hackett | Salinas Note: Hackett is president of cannabis grower Riverview Farms. fire time It’s not just our lives and homes that are threatened by wildfires (“What can Monterey County expect with this coming fire season? A wet winter could mean more fuel is available to burn,” July 20-26). Deer, bears, birds, snakes, and other animals suffer, too: Thick smoke disorients them, irritates their eyes and makes it hard to breathe. Some may try to outrun the flames, if there’s time. Others may try to shelter in burrows or under rocks. Those with babies may not escape. We can help protect animals and their homes by eliminating our role in igniting wildfires. Report unattended fires, extinguish campfires and fire pits, keep vehicles off dry grass, and don’t throw cigarettes from your car or truck. Thousands of wildfires are ignited every year by human activity. The precautions that we can take cannot be clearer. Craig Shapiro | Norfolk, Virginia Note: Shapiro is a writer for the PETA Foundation. Sing Out So nice to hear about the “Singing Sheriff.” Congratulations Pat! You are amazing (“The twists and turns of Pat DuVal’s life led him to become the Rodeo’s beloved ‘Singing Sheriff,’” July 20-26). Monika Campbell | via social media Congrats for a well deserved honor! John Crisan | via social media Correction A story about the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office accurately reported that the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 on July 18 to authorize an 8.2-percent pay raise for deputies (“Monterey County will consider creating civilian oversight for the sheriff,” July 20-26). The story inaccurately stated that vote also included $1.5 million to cover the raise; the board instructed the sheriff instead to use funds from an existing allocation. 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 july 27-august 2, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 Where we live affects how we live. It’s not a new idea that housing underpins so many other dimensions of our existence—whether we have privacy, the ability to get a good night’s sleep or somewhere quiet to do homework have an impact on our health and wellness and opportunity to succeed academically. These realities were the central topic of a convening on Friday, July 21 of the Salinas Inclusive Economic Development Initiative, a grant-funded effort that for two years is training nonprofit leaders in ideas about how to advance economic opportunity. Participants were invited to share personal stories of housing. At my table, people shared stories in Spanish; each was unique, but each relayed hardship. Maricela Acevedo with the group Mujeres en Acción had been living in the same apartment for eight years when it was sold, and her family of six had to move in two months. She works part time for the VIDA community health worker initiative and her husband is a farmworker; they scrambled. “We applied and applied,” she said. They wanted a house for $3,200/ month, but first and last month’s rent plus a deposit was close to $10,000. “$10,000—where are we going to find that?” Acevedo asked. They considered moving to Paso Robles. (The new owners ended up letting them stay at their place in King City. “God helped us,” she says.) Jackie Cruz, executive director of the Hartnell Foundation, remembered back to being a young mom, living with her baby in a garage for $500/ month. Then the landlord’s sister needed a place to live, bumping her. She bounced around to four apartments before landing in a long-term place through the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey. Today, she is a homeowner. “I hear the stories of these young women, and I wish that by this time, we had advanced more,” Cruz said. These are just a handful of the personal stories past and present that reveal how precarious the housing situation is for so many. The data, as presented by Chris Benner, director of the Institute of Social Transformation at UC Santa Cruz, is a composite of these types of stories. And it is overwhelming. Benner presented on the economics of housing. The tri-county area—Monterey, Santa Cruz and San Benito counties—leads the state in exclusionary zoning, with just 0.03 percent of all land available for multi-family housing. (Compare that to 2.7 percent for the San Francisco Bay area, and 11.8 percent for Los Angeles and 19.9 percent for Sacramento.) The fair-market rental rate for a two-bedroom home in Monterey County is $2,675/month—to afford that realistically (spending no more than 30 percent of income on housing), a household would need an annual income of $107,000. The group I joined last Friday was interested in brainstorming solutions. But even effective solutions can be slippery things. As staff writer Pam Marino reports on p. 14, there is a question before Marina City Council about how to address rent disparities at Preston Park and Abrams Park, a rare local example of city-owned public housing. In a discussion on July 18, Councilmember Cristina Medina Dirksen raised the specter of selling the developments. “I’m taking a little bit of issue being in this particular business, and perhaps we don’t need to be,” she said. She wanted to examine whether the city would make more in property taxes if they sold to a private owner. “Are we under any obligation to provide housing for our residents?” My answer is yes, absolutely. Besides, as Marino reports, it’s been a net gain in revenue to the city. Beyond dollars, solving the housing crisis should appeal to all of us. You can also read about traffic on Highway 68 at rush hour on p. 12. One way to mitigate it is transportation engineering; another is for people to live near their work. According to Benner, 10 percent of tri-county residents travel an hour or more for work. They include Pastor Artis Smith of the New Hope Missionary Baptist Church in Salinas, who has been commuting back and forth from Los Banos for 18 years. “I am making good money and my wife is making good money,” he said. “But we couldn’t afford to stay in the community in which we serve.” It is in all of our interest to find solutions so people like him can live here. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com. Home Team The housing crisis has implications that go well beyond housing. By Sara Rubin Scoop and Score…One thing about a goose, Squid has observed over the years, is that it pushes a lot out of its caboose. And for those who visit the otherwise handsome lawns at Seaside City Hall or, just across the street at Laguna Grande Park, and see the brown pellets on the ground and think: It’s great to see the city proactively aerating its park lawns to promote better lawn health! Nope! You’re looking at goose poop. It’s an issue Seaside’s been dealing with for decades, but there’s only so much the city can do— wild animals are, you know, wild, and Laguna Grande is home to many geese. So for years the city has had a “turf sweeper” to clean the two lawns before city-sponsored events take place, because no one wants to lay their blanket down on a bunch of dookie, much less worry about their dog eating it. Which is why on July 20, Seaside City Council approved spending $51,500 to purchase a new turf sweeper, as the city’s current one dates back to 1985. Per the official city report regarding the acquisition, its express purpose is “so that maintenance staff can clean up goose poop from the lawns.” It seems like a perfectly reasonable request, and Squid appreciates that Seaside staff didn’t beat around the bush for a bunch of polite euphemisms, and just called it like it is: poop. From a goose. Riding Shotgun…As a proud cephalopod, Squid holds kraken in high esteem. Mythological or not, the thought of a powerful kraken taking down entire ships makes Squid feel all warm and inky. So when Squid learned that a kraken plays a key role in Treasure Hunt: The Ride, Squid made the short ooze over to Cannery Row for the grand opening. Once the ride began, however, Squid was dismayed to see people blazing away at a video kraken. The new attraction is a theme park ride, a shooting gallery, a tall tale and a bit of family fun in one package. In fact, Squid’s colleagues received a press release proclaiming Treasure Hunt “the coolest attraction the area has ever seen.” A stretch? Well, before the arrival of Oscar’s Playground and Escape Room, the coolest things on Cannery Row for families were…Squid is drawing a blank. (Squid sees plenty of jellyfish, so the Monterey Bay Aquarium is of little interest—although Squid deeply appreciates the Aquarium’s work to preserve Squid’s natural habitat. Not to mention, of course, the attraction of Squid’s natural habitat, the Monterey Bay itself.) Once the ride begins, guests go off in pursuit of untold riches, there are arcade guns with unlimited magazine capacity, a tally to identify winners from losers and the entire story is a bit of fake news. Squid thinks Treasure Hunt may actually be the perfect ride for our times. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “We couldn’t afford to stay in the community.” Send Squid a tip: squid@mcweekly.com
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