14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY december 7-13, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com It was a simple idea by a teacher in Germany in 1909 looking for low-cost accommodations to take students on trips into nature: Why not rent out beds in shared quarters instead of private hotel rooms? Richard Schirrmann opened the first hostel in 1912 and the idea took off: There are approximately 10,000 in Europe, with around 300 in the United States, including one in Monterey a few blocks from Cannery Row, opened in 2000. The pandemic nearly shuttered the hostel for good, but now it’s months from reopening with a new look. For nearly three years, Monterey Hostel has been undergoing a renovation inside the former Carpenters Union Hall just one block up from Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey. A private developer purchased the property from the former owners in 2021 and partnered with another hostel nonprofit, HostelingOn Inc., to renovate and operate the property. “It was in pretty rough shape, it hadn’t been updated since it first opened,” says Ryan Oetting, executive director of HostelingOn. “We knew that we were going to take it and have to do a facelift on the inside and reconfigure it to be more marketable and viable in a post-pandemic world where shared dorms aren’t as desirable.” They replaced large dorm rooms with smaller rooms to accommodate individuals or small groups and families. Each room has a bathroom attached. Oetting says beds will start at around $65 a night—a far cry from last year’s average hotel room rate of around $300 a night. Private rooms will also be available inside the hostel at a price to be determined. In the spirit of hostels, guests will share the kitchen and dining area, laundry, and the opportunity to interact with other travelers, many of them students from high school to college. Oetting says his email inbox is already full of requests from public school teachers who want to bring classes to experience Monterey Bay. “We believe you shouldn’t have to be wealthy to experience the coast and so hostels are helpful institutions to make travel more affordable compared to other things on the market,” he says. As a nonprofit, HostelingOn is dependent on donations to keep the mission of providing low-cost accommodations available—they’re currently fundraising to purchase furniture and other necessities in time for the spring opening. Monterey Hostel is located at 778 Hawthorne St., Monterey. More information at montereyhostel.com. The first big industry in Monterey Bay was whaling. Then came fishing, and in recent decades, tourism. But the local fishing industry has hung on, if only by a thread. That thread is starting to fray. This year’s salmon season in California, which typically runs from April through August and is a primary income source for many fishermen, was canceled due to low population numbers brought on by years of drought and diversions from waterways. The commercial crab fishing season, which historically started every Nov. 14, is delayed indefinitely due to the continued presence of humpback whales, which can get entangled in crab fishing gear. And to add on to that, since November, the near-shore groundfish fishery has been closed off the California coast to protect quillback rockfish, which have sharply declined in numbers in recent years. And yet, local fishermen say they are mostly found much further north, between Oregon and southern Alaska. Moss Landing-based fisherman Walter Deyerle says he’s only caught a quillback two or three times in two decades of fishing, and that the nearshore fishery is where the money is when crab season is closed. He’s now forced to fish further offshore, like he did Dec. 5, when he went out on his boat solo to fish for black cod, aka sablefish. They taste great, but are turned into generic whitefish products and only bring in a fraction of the price of near-shore fish. And crab season, he says, is far more lucrative around the holidays than it is after, though he doesn’t expect it to open until late December or January. It’s calling into question whether the region can sustain a local fishery. “Guys are taking electrical jobs, construction jobs and depleting their savings. It costs a lot to keep a boat up and running,” Deyerle says. “They should just change the [crab] season date so you don’t have to wonder at this point. The whales are on a pretty set schedule.” The state Department of Fish & Wildlife conducts its next risk assessment of the crab fishery Dec. 8. Budget Inn A nonprofit is readying newly refurbished and affordable lodging for travelers. By Pam Marino news Food Drive For those struggling during the holiday season in need of food staples or holiday items, LULAC hosts a community food drive. 9am Friday, Dec. 22. Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church parking lot, 11140 Preston St., Castroville. Free. 818-7268. Next Gen The Salinas Youth Summit seeks to empower young people and inspire them to explore a range of interests including social issues, entrepreneurship, arts, technology and more. 9am-3pm Saturday, Dec. 9. Sherwood Hall, 940 North Main St., Salinas. Free; lunch provided; open to youth ages 13-18. To register, visit tinyurl. com/2023soy. For more information, email karinas@ci.salinas.ca.us or call 758-7166. statE of the state California State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, presents a legislative update with his take on accomplishments and challenges, and offers a look at what’s ahead. 11:30am-1pm Monday, Dec. 11. Virtual event hosted by Democratic Women of Monterey County; register online. Free. info@dw-mc.org, dw-mc.org. Cost of Living Living in Monterey County isn’t cheap. United Way Monterey County hosts an interactive discussion about the cost of living and presents a report. 10am-noon Wednesday, Dec. 13. United Way Monterey County Impact Center, 232 Monterey St. (second floor makerspace), Salinas; event also takes place virtually. Free. To register, visit bit.ly/47K5VzN. For more information, email info@unitedwaymcca.org or call 327-8026. Book Worm It’s a good time of year to get cozy with a book, and Monterey County Free Libraries has started its fourth annual winter reading program. Those up for the challenge can sign up and track their daily reading and win prizes like a stuffed animal (for kids) or a USB drive (for adults). Participants also get to keep a free book. To sign up, visit a library branch or emcfl.beanstack.org. For more information, email dayaj1@co.monterey.ca.us or call 883-7542. The Current Climate You don’t have to go all the way to the COP talks in Dubai to have an impact. The City of Salinas is conducting a survey to learn more about residents’ priorities on addressing the climate crisis. To complete the survey, visit bit.ly/ SalinasCAP. For more information, call 758-7381. Docked Up Fishermen are reeling from closures that threaten the outlook for the local industry. By David Schmalz Ryan Oetting, executive director of HostelingOn, on a deck off of Monterey Hostel. It’s been extensively renovated to welcome future guests seeking lower-cost lodging. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “You shouldn’t have to be wealthy to experience the coast.” Daniel Dreifuss
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