July 25-31, 2024 montereycountynow.com LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Hats for the 831 8 | Noise Complaints 10 | Jazz’s next generation 34 | Class to Kitchen 40 It doesn’t matter if you can sing or not— it’s the community that counts at karaoke. p 20 By Sloan Campi (Im)perfect Harmony
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com ® ’24 rEADErS pOLl FInAl voting August 1-21 BEST OF MontereyCountyNow.com/BestOf tttsttt
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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 25-31 , 2024 www.montereycountynow.com july 25-31, 2024 • ISSUE #1878 • Established in 1988 Li Liu (Nikon Z9, 600mm/f6.3, 1/320s, ISO 1100) A hummingbird appears to hang in mid-air as it descends upon a flower in Carmel for a snack. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: A karaoke singer belts out the lyrics to a song at Sovino Wine Bar in Monterey. Karaoke is everywhere in Monterey County—all you need to do is pick your favorite song and grab a microphone to participate. Cover photo: Daniel Dreifuss etc. Copyright © 2024 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: $300 yearly, prepaid. 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.montereycountynow. com. Audited by CVC. Founder & CEO Bradley Zeve bradley@montereycountynow.com (x103) Publisher Erik Cushman erik@montereycountynow.com (x125) Editorial editor Sara Rubin sara@montereycountynow.com (x120) associate editor Erik Chalhoub ec@montereycountynow.com (x135) features editor Dave Faries dfaries@montereycountynow.com (x110) Staff Writer Celia Jiménez celia@montereycountynow.com (x145) Staff Writer Pam Marino pam@montereycountynow.com (x106) Staff Writer Agata Pope¸da (x138) aga@montereycountynow.com Staff Writer David Schmalz david@montereycountynow.com (x104) Staff photographer Daniel Dreifuss daniel@montereycountynow.com (x102) Digital PRODUCER Sloan Campi sloan@montereycountynow.com (x105) contributors Nik Blaskovich, Rob Brezsny, Michael Dadula, Robert Daniels, Tonia Eaton, Jesse Herwitz, Jacqueline Weixel, Paul Wilner Cartoons Rob Rogers, Tom Tomorrow Production Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser karen@montereycountynow.com (x108) Graphic Designer Kevin Jewell kevinj@montereycountynow.com (x114) Graphic Designer Alexis Estrada alexis@montereycountynow.com (x114) Graphic Designer Lani Headley lani@montereycountynow.com (x114) SALES senior Sales Executive Diane Glim diane@montereycountynow.com (x124) Senior Sales Executive George Kassal george@montereycountynow.com (x122) Senior Sales Executive Keith Bruecker keith@montereycountynow.com (x118) Classifieds business development director Keely Richter keely@montereycountynow.com (x123) Digital Director of Digital Media Kevin Smith kevin@montereycountynow.com (x119) Distribution Distribution AT Arts Co. atartsco@gmail.com Distribution Control Harry Neal Business/Front Office Office Manager Linda Maceira linda@montereycountynow.com (x101) Bookkeeping Rochelle Trawick rochelle@montereycountynow.com 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955 831-394-5656, (FAX) 831-394-2909 www.montereycountynow.com We’d love to hear from you. Send us your tips at tipline.montereycountynow.com. now [nou] adverb at the present time or moment Monterey County Now Local news, arts and entertainment, food and drink, calendar and daily newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter: www.montereycountynow.com/subscribe Find us online: www.montereycountynow.com
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6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Producing journalism requires cash—there are photocopies and court transcripts to pay for, cameras and audio recorders, ink and printing costs. The same applies not just to professional newsrooms but student newsrooms as well, and to support their efforts, the California Press Foundation announced $16,119 in grants to 13 outlets in high schools and colleges throughout California, ranging from $512 to $1,500. Recipients include The Arcade at North Hollywood High School, The Channels at Santa Barbara City College and Monterey County’s own Monterey Peninsula College. The college’s campus newspaper, formerly El Yanqui, is back with a new name and branding as Lobo News. The Journalism Club was revived when several students requested it last fall. The $1,448 grant will go toward a rig kit for vlogging and livestreaming, as well as a high-speed camera. “I love the paper—it’s tactile, you can pass it around. But we do need to have more AV-capable technology at our disposal,” says Yoshimi Ishii, a staff writer at Lobo News. The plan is to continue to publish a print issue as well, focusing on MPC events and people. Good: On July 16, the City Council of Sand City approved sending a friendly letter to the City of Seaside, asking for their collaboration, and cooperation, in an effort to build a bike and pedestrian trail along the Transportation Agency for Monterey County’s rail corridor in both cities—essentially, the plan is to add more mileage to the Rec Trail and close the one-mile gap in the system. About a block of the corridor is within the city of Seaside, which is why Sand City is reaching out—the city has already been awarded a nearly $2 million grant from the Monterey Bay Air Resources District for planning and implementation of the trail, and Sand City’s planners are working toward 30-percent designs now. The letter concludes, “We hope to have the Seaside City Council’s strong support on this opportunity to serve the trail and access needs of our cities and the region.” GREAT: With nearly half of all of the state’s adolescents estimated facing serious mental health challenges, the California Department of Health Care Access and Information awarded $125 million to school districts for the hiring of certified wellness coaches to provide non-clinical support to students and their families. Three Monterey County school districts were awarded a combined total of over $4 million: Monterey Peninsula Unified School District received the largest grant of over $2.4 million; Alisal Union School District received $1 million; North Monterey County Unified was awarded $635,635. The 18-month program begins this fall. Wellness coaches will be charged with providing education, screening, care coordination, individual and group support and crisis referrals. The program includes money for stipends for certified wellness coach interns to help increase the state’s behavioral health workforce. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The number of people in Monterey County who receive in-home supportive services, a state program that provides for in-home care to the elderly and people with disabilities. There are 5,900 IHSS providers in the county, of which 77 percent are family members acting as caregivers. An average of $11.8 million is paid monthly to those providers. Source: County of Monterey Department of Social Services 6,500 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “It was scary at times and beautiful.” -Kelsey Pfendler, skipper of The Hericanes, a team of women who rowed from Monterey to Kaua’i over a period of nearly 41 days (see story, montereycountynow.com). JOIN US FOR A FREE CONSERVATION WEBINAR The Monterey Peninsula is a leader in water conservation. Thank you for your commitment to being water wise! Learn more at: montereywaterinfo.org/events Join us for a free, interactive workshop in August, presented by Green Gardens Group via Zoom. Tuesday, August 6 Permeable Everywhere 6 p.m.–7 p.m. Prevention•Education•Treatment•Recovery Preventing alcohol and drug addiction by offering education, prevention, treatment and recovery to individuals and families regardless of income level. Cigarettes are the most littered item on earth with about 4.5 trillion cigarettes littered each year. LET’S KEEP IT CLEAN THIS SUMMER! Truth Initiative, 2017 Support youth prevention services! www.SunStreetCenters.org
www.montereycountynow.com july 25-31, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 summersplasH! 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 August 17, 2024 to MPWMD Summer Splash, P.O. Box 85, Monterey CA, 93942 or online at www.montereywaterinfo.org/waterchallenge by August 17, 2024 and who are at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry. Start: 12:01 a.m. PDT on 7/1/2024; deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT on 8/17/2024. Prizes: Two (2) Winners will receive a High Efficiency Clothes Washer (ARV $650), one (1) Winner will receive a High Efficiency Dishwasher (ARV $600), two (2) Winners will receive an Apple iPad (ARV $470), two (2) Winners will receive a $200 gift certificate/card to a local plant nursery (ARV $200), two (2) Winners will receive a $200 Home Depot Gift Card (ARV $200), eleven (11) Winners will receive a $150 Visa Gift Card (ARV $150) 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 WinBIG! play now! get started! MontereyWaterInfo.org/Water Challenge High Efficiency Clothes Washer 2 winners (ARV $650) Apple iPad 2 winners (ARV $470) High Efficiency Dish Washer 1 winner (ARV $600) $200 Gift Card 2 winners - Low water use plants at local nursery $200 Gift Card from Home Depot - 2 winners $150 Gift Card from Visa - 11 Winners ENDS 8.17
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 When a Salinas couple started their small business five years ago, they never imagined they’d end up outfitting heads from age 5 to 90. But a twist of fate and a friend’s suggestion led them to trade wellness products for stylish headwear, launching them into an unexpected adventure in the hat industry. Now, their company Highway One Station is making waves from Monterey County to Nevada, one fashionable cap at a time. Two years ago, the married Salinas couple—Karina Young and her wife, who goes by Tucker—envisioned their own take on the hat industry. Hats can serve as an extremely popular accessory item for many people, the couple believes. When a friend encouraged them to focus on fun designs and fashionable quality, customers soon found their premium-branded products can be trendy and convenient. Young and Tucker first met 26 years ago in San Francisco. Tucker was born and raised in Salinas, and Young previously worked at Hartnell College. They decided to start a small business in 2019, named Highway One Station, after the famous Big Sur coastline road and Tucker’s love of classic gas stations. “When I was little, what I loved about gas stations was that you could get bait and an ice cream,” Tucker says. “You never knew what you would get and find. That’s how I feel my inspiration for our business has been.” They started their company inside their home as a wellness company for people and pets. In 2022, the women switched to creating hats full-time. Tucker calls it “a happy accident.” “We’ve had just a great pivot,” she says about their company’s abrupt change in product. Selling hats was a learning opportunity for both Tucker and Young, as each is self-taught in their own side of the business. Young has a background in education. She trained herself on how to use Adobe Illustrator, the platform she uses for creating the designs for the hats. Some of their most popular designs include their 831 area code hats, their otter hats, and hats from their “spicy” adult humor collection. “I’ve always been interested a little bit in fashion,” Young says. “This was a fun move for us because now we get to actually do hats that are fun and practical. The hats sell themselves.” With a prior career in construction, Tucker runs the laser machine, which adds Young’s designs onto the hats. On average, it takes the machine five minutes to make a hat, she says. “We couldn’t do this business without each other,” she says. “I’m really proud of us because we figured it out.” Highway One Station offers 22 different hat styles at one-size-fits-most. Custom orders can also be made on their website. “We have 5-year-old customers up to 90-year-old customers,” Tucker says. “Our branding really resonates with everyone, as long as we have a flat or a curve-billed hat.” Highway One Station is attracting the attention of local businesses and bands in the 831 area code. This year, the company attended the California Rodeo Salinas as a vendor. The couple travels out of town for most of their events, going as far as Nevada. For each event, Tucker and Young pack around 450-600 hats in travel bags to showcase at their booth. At an event, Tucker will leave the booth to chat with customers or other vendors, while Young sells hats. “I contribute much of our success to my friendliness, being out and talking with people,” Tucker says. “We know people love what we do. Even if they don’t buy one, they comment. I think because we both love people, it shows. What we do is by design.” “She’s the fearless captain,” Young says about Tucker and her role in their business. The two appreciate the continued support they receive. “The help of our family and friends and customers through our first iteration of our business to now is overwhelming sometimes,” Tucker says. “People are so kind.” Learn more about Highway One Station at highwayonestation.com. Hats On A Salinas couple is putting a local spin on the hat industry for customers of all ages. By Keira Silver Salinas couple Karina Young (right) and Tucker show the themed hats they create through their growing business, Highway One Station. “We are just so excited about what we do, and the reception we get,” Tucker says. “We couldn’t do this business without each other.” TAlES FROM THE AREA CODE KEIRA SILVER SAVE THE DATE Thursday, July 30 • Quarterly Business Insights Breakfast with Dr. Steve Packer, CEO of Montage Health Ferrante’s Bay View Room at Monterey Marriott Thursday, September 5 • Leadership Luncheon Portola Hotel & Spa Thursday, October 10 • Monterey Bay Business Expo Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay Seaside 2024 UPCOMING EVENTS See the full schedule of events and register today at montereychamber.com REGISTER TODAY!
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10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news About a dozen people gathered at Bataan Memorial Park in Salinas on July 19, to rally support for the city’s unhoused population. They carried signs and chanted “sweeps are not the solution” and “we need a place to be safe.” What sparked the small gathering was a recent Supreme Court decision. In June, the justices sided 6-3—the three Democratic appointees dissenting— with the city of Grants Pass, Oregon that local governments could prohibit people from sleeping outdoors on public property, overturning years of legal protection for people without homes who have no other sleeping options. Many elected officials, including Gov. Gavin Newsom, praised the decision as allowing cities more leeway in cleaning up camp sites. Critics of the decision charge that this will allow cities and counties to essentially criminalize homelessness. Governments can now establish new ordinances concerning sleeping outdoors. In Salinas, the act is a misdemeanor. The ordinance prohibits camping on public property from 7am to 7pm and restricts how close camps can be from schools, liquor stores and other places. Angela Monique Viniegra, 45, an unhoused resident in Salinas, says she has to pack and remove her tent constantly. “Everyday day is like a start over,” Viniegra adds. Sophia Rome, Salinas’ community relations manager, says the ruling has not yet impacted the way the city addresses the unhoused community. Rome says the city focuses on connecting people with needed resources. Wes White of the Salinas/Monterey County Homeless Union says there have been recent sweeps of homeless camps on private property. Home Stand Unhoused people in Salinas and their supporters protest the Supreme Court’s decision. By Celia Jiménez For years, some residents in Del Rey Oaks, Monterey and elsewhere have complained about airplane noise from flights taking off or landing at Monterey Regional Airport. Some of those complaints arose after the Federal Aviation Administration, which regulates all the flights coming to or leaving the airport, implemented in 2015 its “NextGen” technology at the facility, part of a nationwide effort to modernize how the agency manages federal airspace. As a result, flight paths changed, creating consternation among some residents. The Monterey County Civil Grand Jury released a report earlier this year highlighting ways in which the Monterey Peninsula Airport District can better address complaints about noise, primarily through greater transparency and community engagement. The district’s board met July 17, and among the things they discussed was approving a response to the Grand Jury report, which is to be provided to Monterey County Superior Court no later than Sept. 11. Among the recommendations of the grand jury is that “MPAD develop a Citizens Committee to provide community input regarding operations and noise mitigation efforts” by Oct. 31. MPAD’s response to that recommendation is, “Will not be implemented.” Members of the board, who agreed with District Counsel Scott Huber’s proposed response, noted that the district already has a standing committee that usually meets once a month. The committee’s name is a word salad—Air Service, Marketing and Community Relations Committee—and is comprised of Executive Director Mike La Pier, board chair Mary Ann Leffel and board member Dino Pick, the former city manager of Del Rey Oaks, and also the former commandant of the Defense Language Institute. Also at the July 17 meeting, the board approved a response letter to the Monterey Fly Safe Coalition, a recently formed group of residents concerned primarily about airplane noise. The coalition’s chair, Monterey resident Uwe Grobecker, spoke at the July meeting. “I live around 400 feet above sea level,” he says, while planes routinely fly over it at 1,000 feet, just 600 feet above his house. “I can handle that two times a day…but they keep adding more flights.” Grobrecker is also miffed about the vagueness in the district’s minutes. The July 9 minutes of the community relations committee state that “There was a discussion about the noise report and the Grand Jury recommendations.” To what extent the airport district can mollify residents’ concerns is somewhat of an open question. Repeatedly at the July 17 meeting, MPAD staff stressed that it has no jurisdiction to regulate the airspace. Pick, who serves on the standing committee, says the district is taking the Grand Jury report very seriously, and that “one complaint is too many.” He believes there needs to be a better understanding between the public and the district, and thinks the standing committee is the venue to achieve that—he’s for trying it out instead of forming a new committee. Pick also notes there’s a nationwide pilot shortage, so airlines are flying bigger planes that can hold more passengers; overall, he says, flight traffic now is considerably less than the Fort Ord days of the 1990s. While a neighborhood group has formed to protest the flight noise stemming from the Monterey Regional Airport, the airport district says their hands are tied. Touch and Go Complaints about flight noise around the Monterey Regional Airport have inspired activism. By David Schmalz Protesters gathered in Salinas to decry the criminalization of homelessness and demand safe spaces for unhoused people to spend nights. “I can handle two times a day, but they keep adding flights.” Daniel Dreifuss celia jiménez
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 25-31, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 3.30% APY* 3-month Certificate 4.08% APY* 6-month Certificate 4.60% APY* 12-month Certificate Short-Term Goals, Long-Term Gain! *Annual Percentage Yield (APY). APY is effective as of July 1, 2024. $1,000 minimum deposit required to open and maintain Certificate account. APY assumes the dividends are reinvested and remain in the account for the full term. Individual Retirement Account (IRA) Certificates are eligible for this offer. Penalty for early withdrawal. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required. This offer is subject to change without notice. Other terms and conditions may apply. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or contact us. Visit a Branch Today! 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s board voted 6-1, Tuesday, July 23 to include a $340 million bond measure on the November ballot to fund teachers’ housing and facilities upgrades. Trustee Tom Jennings was the dissenting vote. The goal is to provide a competitive edge for MPUSD to hire and retain staff. “This would make a tremendous investment into below-market rate rental housing so that teachers can stay on the Peninsula and build their careers within the district,” Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh says. Every year, MPUSD loses about 20 percent of its teachers, or up to 100 teachers. Teacher retention is a nationwide crisis and it worsens in high-cost living areas such as the Central Coast. Several districts across California— including Salinas Union High School and Soledad Union School districts— have decided to provide staff/teacher housing. Last year, SUHSD opened its workforce housing of 50 units on Abbott Street in Salinas, offering them at a below-market rate. Soledad Union is in the process of acquiring the land to build 20 units for staff housing; if the purchase moves forward, the project will break ground in August. In 2020, SUHSD, Soledad Union and MPUSD considered adding a housing measure to the ballot. Soledad Union and SUHSD moved forward and voters passed both with over 60 percent of the votes; while MPUSD’s board decided against it. Previously, voters passed two bond measures to upgrade MPUSD’s facilities: the $110 million Measure P in 2010 and the $213 million Measure I in 2018. Some residents are against this measure because the district has already passed two bond measures before and both have included similar language. Those against have also noted the bond proposed in 2020 was significantly lower at $60 million, or less than 18 percent of the measure that will be on the November ballot (the previous measure was focused on teacher housing). “It’s important to understand that the district’s newest school was built in 1960,” Diffenbaugh says, noting the district didn’t pass a bond measure for about 50 years prior to Measure P. “That’s about 50 years of deferred maintenance built up.” The $340 million bond measure is intended to provide staff housing, expand facilities and upgrade schools. It would cost $50 per each $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. The measure needs 55 percent of the votes to pass. To say things got testy at a July 18 joint special meeting with the Monterey City Council and the Neighborhood Community Improvement Program Committee might be understating it. At the heart of the discussion—and it was only that, nothing was being voted on—was the possibility of the city siphoning off some of NCIP’s funds to maintain already built NCIP projects. Currently, pursuant to a city charter amendment enacted in the mid-1980s, at least 16 percent of transient occupancy tax revenues are put into a pot to fund NCIP projects. What city officials are considering, and asking, is to potentially set aside some of that money to maintain the city’s existing, aging infrastructure. In his presentation, City Manager Hans Uslar repeated a line he’s used before—that the city doesn’t have a revenue problem, it has a spending problem. Then Uslar threw down the gauntlet, as every NCIP Committee member was seated around a rectangular set of tables, facing him. “NCIP is the only challenging board or commission we have in the city,” Uslar said. “There’s not a single staffer who is happy to get assigned to NCIP. Why is that?” Uslar then went on to describe what a former NCIP coordinator said to him, “Every time I go to the NCIP, it’s like standing in front of a firing squad.” Then Uslar offered a conciliatory note: “We have to look at ourselves and find a way to come together as a community.” The meeting quickly took a turn from there, and many on the committee pushed back on Uslar’s comments, with which they were none too pleased. Jean Rasch, who’s long been active with NCIP, and who’s running for city council, said in public comment that if the city has capital improvement or maintenance projects it would like to pursue, it should apply to the NCIP just like anyone else. “We’ve always been collaborative,” Rasch said. “Don’t tell me we aren’t collaborative…Please, just respect the process.” At Home MPUSD board votes to add a bond measure for staff housing on the ballot. By Celia Jiménez news Public Service Seaside City Council meets and accepts public comment. Tell your elected officials what they are doing well and what you think they can do better. 5pm Thursday, July 25. Council Chambers, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6700, ci.seaside.ca.us. Human Needs The Monterey County Health, Housing and Human Services Committee meets to conduct regular business, as well as discuss the county’s efforts to comply with Assembly Bill 1466, which requires the county recorder to redact unlawfully restrictive covenants from property records. 9am Friday, July 26. County of Monterey Government Center, Monterey Room, 168 West Alisal St., second floor, Salinas; District 3 Office, 599 El Camino Real, Greenfield; or Zoom. Free. countyofmonterey.gov. A New Home SPCA Monterey County allows adopters to name their price to adopt kittens and puppies. All other pets are free, thanks to the contributions of donors. Friday, July 26-Sunday, July 28. SPCA Monterey County, 1002 Highway 68, Salinas. 373-2631, spcamc.org. Big Ideas Monterey County Works invites those between the ages of 18 and 24 with a business idea to apply for the Future Innovators Cadre. Participants will go through a twoweek training program and receive a certificate, followed by eight weeks of entrepreneurial mentoring. Participants will be paid $18 per hour during the course. Deadline to apply is July 26. 796-6434, montereycountyworks.com. Planning Matters Monterey County Planning Commission meets to consider adjusting the lines of a group of properties in Big Sur, as well as a permit on a short-term rental in Carmel. Public comment will be accepted on those items and other issues not on the agenda. 9am Wednesday, July 31. Board of Supervisors’ Chambers, 168 West Alisal St., Salinas; and virtual. Free. 755-5025, countyofmonterey.gov. Neighborhood Pride Salinas residents, groups and organizations are encouraged to apply for a Neighborhood Beautification Grant. Eligible projects to receive funding include those that focus on beautification and neighborhood improvements. Deadline to apply is Monday, Aug. 26. 758-7166, cityofsalinas.org. Signs of Age As Monterey tightens its belt, it’s looking to ensure funding to maintain what’s already built. By David Schmalz The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District’s board agreed to put a bond measure on the November ballot that, if it passes, would fund teachers’ housing and school upgrades. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “This would make a tremendous investment.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountynow.com July 25-31, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Cornucopia Community Market offers quality nutritious and environmentally safe products, free of artificial additives and preservatives. Curated Food From the heart Your Local Health Food Store Open MOn-Fri 9aM-7pM Sat & Sun 10aM-6pM 831-625-1454 26135 Carmel Rancho Blvd, Carmel (at the mouth of Carmel Valley) • Natural, Organic Produce • Fresh Bakery and Deli • Olive Oil/Vinegar/ Local Honey • Wine, Beer, Juice, Coffee and Tea • Fresh, Organic Dairy Products • Healthy Snacks • Vitamins and Nutritional Supplements • All Natural Bath and Body Products • Gifts and Gift Basket Ideas
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY July 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com It’s one thing to study agriculture in the classroom, but to really get an idea of how growing and harvesting work, students need to get their hands dirty. CSU Monterey Bay students in the burgeoning agricultural sciences major face logistical challenges getting out into the fields, but in the near future they won’t have to travel far. CSUMB officials are actively planning to add a small farm and greenhouses for handson experience and research to not only better train students, but also provide a much-needed research hub for the local ag industry. “We have the human talent but we don’t have the facilities to train them to the level that they deserve,” says JP Dundore-Arias, assistant professor of plant pathology. The agricultural sciences major program was launched in the fall of 2020 with just seven students. It’s grown to over 130—many first generation college students—and graduated approximately 70, Dundore-Arias says. It’s one of the fastest-growing majors at CSUMB, according to Thomas Horvath, interim dean of the College of Science. Many of the students enter the program with a goal of becoming pest control advisors, Dundore-Arias says, but some go on to local positions that range from breeding technicians to greenhouse managers or supervisors. Adding a greenhouse on campus became a major need. Besides greenhouses, they also knew they needed a modest amount of farmland, starting at around seven acres, to give students a chance to experiment growing and managing crops. They’ve been able to take field trips to farms around Monterey County, but due to time and distance, it’s been a challenge. “Having the facilities allows [students] to gain the experience and use their education to do whatever they want,” Dundore-Arias says. “They won’t be limited to jobs their family used to have…they’ll be able to create their own pathway to pursue the careers they want.” A feasibility study to determine a precise location on campus and other details is about 80 percent complete, Horvath says. The current cost estimate is $10 million. They expect it will be financed through donations from local ag companies and grants. The small farm will also give students and faculty a chance to do research that will benefit the local ag industry, Horvath says. “We need some research spaces, such as greenhouses, for controlled experiments and plots to do experiments and trials to get them to think about systems identical to those in the Salinas Valley.” Dundore-Arias, himself a plant pathologist, says a farm facility will help him further his own research into pathogens, both harmful and helpful, and find ways to reduce the reliance on pesticides. The campus farm will also bolster the university’s new mechatronics engineering major launching this fall. Students will learn how to build and use robots in agricultural settings. Once the farm is complete, “we expect they will be able to test robots in real field conditions,” Horvath says. Farm Life Greenhouses and a small farm are coming to CSUMB to boost ag students and research. By Pam Marino An artist’s rendering shows greenhouses CSUMB officials are proposing, in addition to farm plots, to give agricultural science students and faculty a place to conduct experiments. NEWS “We have the human talent but we don’t have the facilities.” IMAGE BY BRICK FOR MITHUN, COURTESY OF CSUMB Department of Toxic Substances Control July 2024 DTSC PUBLIC NOTICE Our Mission is to protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. EMERGENCY PERMIT TO MANAGE HAZARDOUS WASTE MONTEREY BAY AQUARIUM MOSS LANDING, CALIFORNIA 95039 The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) has issued an Emergency Permit to Monterey Bay Aquarium (MBA) for onsite treatment of expired chemicals at 7700 Sandholdt Road, Moss Landing, California, 95039. The item treated includes forty-two (42) 16oz containers and one (1) 5-liter container of Bouin’s Solution (Picric Acid). Clean Harbors Environmental Services (Clean Harbors) has been contracted to conduct the treatment. The chemical is potentially reactive and unsafe for transport in its present state. The treatment involves the addition of solutions to the containers to stabilize the chemical. Once the chemical is treated, it will be transported offsite for proper management. DTSC has determined that this chemical poses an imminent and substantial endangerment to human health and the environment if not properly managed. Therefore, an Emergency Permit should be issued. This Emergency Permit is effective from July 8, 2024, through September 08, 2024. The Emergency Permit includes measures to minimize any adverse impact to the community and the environment. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): DTSC has determined that the issuance of this permit is exempt from the requirements of CEQA and has filed a Notice of Exemption (NOE) with the State Clearinghouse. The Emergency Permit, NOE, and MBA’s request for this project is available upon request from the Project Manager or for review at the file room located at: DTSC Sacramento Regional Office located at 8800 Cal Center drive, Sacramento, California 95826; for an appointment call (916) 255-3758. CONTACT INFORMATION: If you have any questions or concerns, please contact: Hai-Yong Kang, Project Manager, (916) 255-6522, Hai-Yong.Kang@dtsc.ca.gov Tammy Pickens, Public Participation Specialist, (916) 255-3594 Tammy.Pickens@dtsc.ca.gov Russ Edmonson, Public Information Officer, (916) 214-2208, Russ.Edmondson@dtsc.ca.gov Hearing impaired individuals may use the California Relay Service at 711 or 800-735-2929 TTY/VCO/HCO to voice. QR code Additional information on DTSC sites can be found through our EnviroStor Real Men, Real Life, Real Results “At its core Breakthrough is about being the best man you can be” - Breakthrough Graduate Now registering for Fall Workshops Change IS possible. Start your best life now. LIFE TOOLS FOR MEN For information or to attend a FREE introductory session email enrollment @breakthroughformen.org
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 25-31, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Monterey County’s military installations employ not just members of the military, but also civilians. From 2010 to 2019, one of roughly 1,700 civilian employees at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey was Zelene Charles, who served first as a civilian supply technician, then as a supply specialist, responsible for supervising multiple warehouse employees. (She then transferred to the Naval Postgraduate School in 2019, for a year working there in the same role.) Her responsibilities included overseeing a supply warehouse for IT equipment at DLI, where every faculty member and student is issued a laptop and tablet—roughly 6,000 devices in total—and handling government property valued at more than $16 million. She had the ability to authorize multiple government purchasing card (GPC) cardholders’ accounts. Starting in 2016, Charles created fake purchase requests and invoices, some on behalf of real entities, others fabricated. Orders were paid for with her subordinates’ GPC cards, charged by a Square account that Charles created—but the goods were never actually ordered or received by DLI. Instead, the money was authorized by her, then transferred from government accounts to at least 78 personal accounts Charles maintained at Wells Fargo and Navy Federal Credit Union, to the tune of $624,250 through 185 transactions over four years. These details are all laid out in a federal indictment filed by the United States Department of Justice against Charles on May 17, charging her with theft and wire fraud for cash and at least 12 Apple devices. On Monday, July 1, Charles entered a guilty plea, admitting to the crimes. “She knew that this money and property that she obtained through her scheme belonged to the United States government and that she was not entitled to receive it,” prosecutor Anne Hsieh told federal Judge Edward Davile at the July 1 hearing in San Jose. An investigation began at NPS, then led a range of federal investigators— from the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General and U.S. General Services and more—to unearth the extent of the fraud, which continued with the assistance of an unnamed person at DLI after Charles left for NPS. DLI Chief of Staff Steve Collins says protocols have been tightened. Instead of conducting inventory once a year, they now do it three times a year, aided by adding barcodes to every tablet and laptop. What used to be a weeks-long process now takes days with a scanner. “It’s done much more quickly,” Collins says. They’ve also added more checks and balances, but Collins adds, “Processes are only as good as the integrity and professionalism of those in place.” Charles agreed to pay $624,500 in restitution and will forfeit stolen computers and tablets as part of her plea; the combined charges carry a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. Charles could not be reached for comment and her attorney did not respond. Fraud Fix Former employee of DLI and NPS pleads guilty to stealing government property. By Sara Rubin Former DLI employee Zelene Charles admitted to stealing government property. A neighbor in East Garrison describes seeing numerous federal officers at Charles’ home when she was indicted in May. NEWS “She knew that this money and property belonged to the U.S. government.” DANIEL DREIFUSS JOB FAIR Saturday, August 3, 2024 9 A.M. – 12 P.M. Human Resources Office 2790 17 Mile Drive, Pebble Beach (Next to Pacific Grove Gate) Interviews on the spot The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the week of August 12 – 18. Applicants must be able to work Friday, August 16 – Sunday, August 18. Please come prepared to provide proof of employment eligibility. Hiring for all areas Bartenders, cashiers, purchasing clerks, servers, stewards, valets, and many more. Special event applications will be available on-site. Questions: (831) 649-7657 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Temporary Special Event LOCATED BEHIND THE PORTOLA HOTEL & SPA | COMPLIMENTARY PARKING (831) 649-2699 | PETERBSBREWPUB.COM 18 HDTV’S | HAPPY HOUR 4PM TO 6PM & 9PM TO 10PM ENJOY WATCHING THE SUMMER GAMES AT MONTEREY'S FAVORITE SPORTS BAR PETER B'S BREWPUB DRINK SPECIALS STARTING AT $7 THE OLYMPIAN ANGUS BEEF MELT $15
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY july 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Betting Odds The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District is placing a bet on property owners’ short-term memories. MPUSD is betting that taxpayers will have forgotten about the $213 million and $110 million bonds that we are still paying for, and betting that taxpayers will give them another third bond for $340 million. MPUSD is betting that we will have forgotten the promise to fix the most urgent school needs. MPUSD is betting that taxpayers don’t understand that the total debt we would owe for these three bonds would be over $1.2 billion! MPUSD is betting approximately $500,000 of public funds to place that bond measure on the November ballot. MPUSD is also betting that you, the taxpayer, will give them millions of dollars more and won’t pay attention to what these funds are being used for. Would you take that bet? I bet I’m being conned. Marta Kraftzeck | Monterey High Art Thank you for the wonderful article you wrote on David Ligare (“Artist David Ligare creates paintings that transcend time, place and philosophy,” July 11-17). I was so taken by your grasp of David’s concepts and vision in his work. Your writing always captures my interest. Your article helped me go so much more deeply into an understanding of his vision. You make a huge difference. Michelle Djokic | Sand City Woven Together Beautiful! (“A group of Indigenous women are weaving a community through an ancient tradition,” July 11-17). Llaritza Rodriguez | via social media End of an Era Jerry Wallace took incredible care of my IBM Selectric for about a decade (“Monterey County’s last typewriter repairman, Jerry Wallace, dies at 82,” posted July 17). He would come pick up my heavy, awkward machine, always bringing me a loaner to use. I brought him the manual typewriters of several friends to service, and arranged for two friends to buy IBM Selectrics from him. Jerry’s greatest kindness to me was switching out the sage green shell of my typewriter for a white shell when I decided I’d like a more “beachy” look. He explained that I shouldn’t trade my typewriter for the white one, because my machine knew my touch. I love that. Jerry was a master craftsman, a generous old-school gentleman, and, yes, quite the conversationalist! My typewriter and I are so glad to have known him. Alyson Kuhn | Eugene, Oregon Spirit of Independence Your newspaper’s bias was immediately clear in the first paragraph of “Democracy is Teetering” (“In ruling that Donald Trump has some immunity from criminal prosecution, the Supreme Court has undermined bedrock principles of American democracy,” July 4-10) by referring to events of Jan. 6, 2021 as a “failed insurrection.” You are of course free to give one-sided coverage on people and issues. But does that fit in with the word “independent” on your front cover? An independent publication would be willing to give abundant space to the Biden family’s alleged malfeasance: Ukraine corruption payoffs, Hunter’s laptop disclosures, the open borders policy, warmongering, subsidizing Israeli genocide in Gaza. Jerry Fallenberg | Marina Pressed Out I have never detested the newspapers as much as I do today (“Biden and Trump should both drop out. Our country is too important,” July 4-10). If our country ever recovers from the results of the next election, I still will not forget this mistake, this betrayal. It’s over. Kelita Smith | Carmel Stop the Bullying The press seems to be preoccupied with how the assassination attempt happened, given security measures. Valid question. I’m surprised that no one has focused on the background and character of the would-be assassin. “Bullied a lot. A lot,” a classmate said. Is it no surprise that someone who was severely bullied might have reason to assassinate the Big Bully himself? Never an excuse to kill. Trump might want to look in the mirror and ask why a young adult would hate him so much. Dear Trump, do you dare to reference the U.S. government site, stopbullying.gov? My only disagreement with the definition is that bullies are described as school-aged. Catherine Stack | Pacific Grove No Excuses Rodeos are the most abhorrent form of cruelty to animals (“California Rodeo Salinas is back. Study up on the different events,” July 18-24). Docile, domesticated, gentle animals are forced into an arena through terror, and tortured with painful devices, like electric prods, spurs, flanks (bucking straps), maze, irritant ointments, etc., to enrage and alter the behavior of the terrorized animals. We no longer tolerate the brutality of bull fights, cockfights and dog fights and rodeos should not be the exception. To inflict pain, to inflict fear and terror on innocent animals, to injure and even kill a helpless animal, all done for the triviality of amusement is sickening and revolting and it must end for once and for all. It is time for lawmakers to step in and ban rodeos too. No cultural tradition should be the excuse to brutalize animals. The promoters of these events do not care about animals. No rancher would allow any of his animals to be used in rodeos or charreadas because they know they will get injured or killed. Lastly, rodeos have absolutely nothing in common with ranching. Rodeos are not a western tradition at all. Alfred Kuba | via web Back on Land What an outstanding achievement (“After over a month on the water, rowing teams finish a voyage from Monterey to Hawaii,” posted July 19)! Be proud! You have every right to be. You all look so happy. Karen Kelley Lund | via social media What a wonderful experience and adventure to show the world when you work together physically, emotionally and spiritually. Great things can be accomplished. Congratulations. Minka Nelson | via social media Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@montereycountynow.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.montereycountynow.com july 25-31, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 Serving on a city council is hard work. Not to mention running a campaign, which can be tough for people who are shy, busy, humble or lack access to an organized fundraising apparatus. When vacant city council seats become open for appointment, sometimes a different slate of candidates apply than those who might run for election. Appointment means persuading just sitting councilmembers you are the best person for the job. It can be less intimidating; it doesn’t require you to go out and sell yourself. When Greenfield City Council set out to fill a vacancy for District 1 last fall, Drew Tipton did not have to work especially hard to sell himself. The former councilmember lost in 2022 by just 17 votes. He’d previously served on the Planning Commission and the Fire District Board of Directors. So when the opportunity to appoint a councilmember arose, it was perhaps no surprise that Tipton’s name came up, nominated by his political ally, Mayor Bob White. The problem, according to Monterey County Superior Court Judge Thomas Wills in a July 11 ruling: The appointment was made illegally, and is now declared null and void. At issue is a seemingly subtle matter of wording, but one of great consequence to how the public is invited into or excluded from government decisions. Thanks to the Ralph M. Brown Act, a government agency is required to publish an agenda in advance of every public meeting in California. The concept is that members of the public know what their water board or school board or city council will be discussing, and they have the opportunity to weigh in. At issue was the Greenfield City Council’s agenda, which read: “Staff Recommended Action — Consider Filling Vacancy.” This aligned with previous discussions about how to proceed to fill a vacancy (the primary decision is whether to pursue a costly special election, or an appointment process). City Council and their attorney interpreted that line item to mean they could proceed with nominating and appointing Tipton, although his name was nowhere to be seen on the agenda—members of the public would have had no way to know he was in contention and prepare remarks in support of or opposition to him. Andrew Sandoval—a local government watchdog, and a member of Salinas City Council—sued the City of Greenfield over the Brown Act violation. This is not just a quibbling legal issue. “A major objective of the Brown Act is to facilitate public participation in all phases of local government decision-making,” Wills noted. “The Brown Act is to ensure that the public is adequately notified of what will be addressed at a meeting in order to facilitate public participation and avoid secret legislation or decision-making.” Of course, there are politics at work. White had attempted to get Tipton back on council before; as soon as White was elected as mayor in 2022, the process began for replacing his former council seat. Tipton was still on council then, before the November election results took effect. White nominated Tipton during the discussion; instead, council opted to open up an appointment process. Council interviewed seven candidates, and appointed Ariana Rodriguez in an open, public process. Tipton lost in November in Greenfield’s first district-based election to Angela Untalon in District 1. Untalon resigned just a few months later; council appointed Luis Dominguez to replace her. Then a month later, he announced he was moving, so another replacement would be needed. No wonder Greenfield City Council was frustrated. But that doesn’t mean you can simply appoint your political allies without inviting public discussion. Council was set to discuss a process for filling the vacancy last Sept. 12, and White nominated Tipton; council voted 2-1 to appoint him (Rodriguez dissenting). While there was a subsequent vote two weeks later to ratify the appointment, it was treated just as a procedural. “From the city attorney’s report, it basically concludes this is a formality to protect the city from litigation,” Rodriguez said. And now, after following bad legal advice, the council will again have a vacancy for District 1, and will have to pay Sandoval’s attorney fees. All of that is bad for the public. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Letter of the Law Judge rules the appointment of a Greenfield council member was illegal. By Sara Rubin Fast Times…Squid takes pride knowing Squid is the fastest swimming invertebrate in the ocean, clocking speeds at up to 25mph. Many of Squid’s sea creature friends know not to challenge Squid to a race, but Squid knows it’s a lost cause against a sailfish, which can cut through the water at nearly 70mph. If school zones were underwater, Squid could easily keep up with traffic. Same goes for a sailfish on Highway 101. But the same couldn’t be said for Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto, who might be more at home on WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Dashcam footage that went public recently shows Nieto being pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers three times over a span of eight months for reportedly speeding on Highway 101 in South County. In two of the incidents, a CHP officer can be heard telling Nieto that she was going 95mph on the 65mph stretch of the highway. In the final clip, dated in May, Nieto reportedly declined to show an officer her license and asked for his supervisor. No citations were issued in any of the incidents. Being a speedster in the ocean, Squid knows it’s tempting to use Squid’s speed to get to places quickly. But there is an expectation that those we entrust to enforce the law actually follow it themselves. Mail It In…Squid was quite fond of former Seaside city manager Craig Malin, who left for a job in Wisconsin in 2021—Squid’s colleagues report that he always picked up the phone, he had facility with the facts and could quickly connect you with someone who might know better than him. Squid’s colleague heard a rumor lately that, when Seaside City Council meets July 25, Malin might be in the running to become Seaside’s interim city manager as the city finds a permanent replacement—Police Chief Nick Borges is Acting City Manager at the moment, and doing a fine job. But it’s a lot of work. Squid’s colleague decided to give Malin a call to ask if the rumors are true, and Squid is happy to report that they are. That said, Malin is setting up for a busy schedule—his plan is to work 34 hours a week Monday to Wednesday for Poynette, where he’s village administrator, and 20 to 30 hours in Seaside from Thursday to Friday. Malin has an abiding love for Seaside, and for California. An email he recently sent to Squid’s colleague was titled “No Mountains in Wisconsin,” and begins, “Wisconsin is gorgeous…but there’s a rather persistent lack of mountain adventure across this rolling tapestry of ice cream, beer and sausage.” Squid hopes to see you soon, Mr. Malin. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. This is not just a quibbling legal issue. Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
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