6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 8-14, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Walk down any public street in America, and someone may offer you a flyer, postcard or sticker about any number of causes. Last September, activist and attorney Ed Frey was handing out flyers at the Oldtown Salinas Certified Farmers Market that encouraged readers to visit his website, voters-intervene.org, which urges all elected officials to appear monthly in public forums, among other things. “Our basic criticisms are that the People have no voice,” a letter to U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta reads. In a lawsuit filed in Monterey County Superior Court on July 25 against market organizers Joel Panzer, Maureen Wruck and Jerry Lami, Frey claims they grabbed the flyers from his hand and used physical force (chest bumping) to attempt to remove him from the public space. “I didn’t flinch too much. I just walked away and kept on passing out the flyers,” Frey says. “But I want them to be punished.” Panzer says people are directed to distribute materials in designated “free speech” areas at market entrances, unless they arrange a different location in advance. Good: A saga delayed by a lawsuit finally played out to its much-anticipated happy ending—and beginning. Friends of Laguna Seca assumed management of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca and the surrounding recreational area, according to a statement issued by the organization on Aug. 1. The announcement completes an agreement between the nonprofit and the County of Monterey signed last July and originally intended to begin Jan. 1 of this year. “The Friends team has been squarely focused on reaching this important milestone and providing a smooth transition of operations,” CEO Lauri Eberhart said in a statement. While the county continues to own the property, the concession agreement gives management of Laguna Seca Recreation Area to FLS, with financial responsibility for all maintenance and upgrades to the facility. A&D Narigi will continue to handle day-today operations. GREAT: A recent $100,000 grant from Montage Health will boost Monterey Fire Department’s ability to save lives. The funds paid for two Lifepak 15 heart monitors and three Lucas Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) devices, which fire officials say will allow the department to increase its life support services from basic to advanced. The heart monitors will be placed on two trucks that serve Monterey and Pacific Grove, while the CPR devices will allow the department to provide coverage for all of the areas it services. In addition to basic diagnostic capabilities, such as monitoring blood pressure, oxygen saturation level and heart rate, the monitors are capable of advanced cardiac monitoring. The mechanical CPR devices are estimated to improve chances of survival by up to 47 percent versus manual CPR. Monterey Fire Department treats roughly 60 cardiac arrest patients each year. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The total amount of funds provided to 23 people who qualified for the City of Monterey’s rental assistance program as of July 19. In March, the city council set aside $250,000 for the program to assist those struggling to pay their rent. Source: City of Monterey $91,140.41 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “[It] will certainly benefit not just our residents, but all of Monterey County.” -Salinas Mayor Kimbley Craig, speaking about Kaiser Permanente announcing it will start serving Salinas and North County in 2025 (see story, montereycountynow.com). * Borrowers must be members of Bay Federal Credit Union and your business be eligible for Bay Federal membership. Qualification of membership is defined as the business headquarters is located within Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Benito Counties. Must meet membership and account criteria, all loans subject to approval. Only commercial properties located within the state of California are eligible for financing. Rates and terms will vary based on collateral and credit. Programs, rates, terms, conditions, and services are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas Now Offering Commercial Real Estate Loans No pre-payment penalties Purchase or refinance Loan amounts up to $5,000,000 Multi-family units, farm & agriculture, office space, warehouses and other properties Visit a branch today!
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