august 15-21, 2024 montereycountynow.com LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Creating a safe space 6 | Fitting the mold 8 | dropping new beats 31 | Real, deep Fiction 32 The auctioneers of Car Week move $400 million worth of cars, but they also put on a show. p. 16 By Dave Faries Hammer Time •Collecting’s next generation •Pieces of the transport puzzle •One car’s wild story Car Week Best of Monterey Bay® Haven, a home and lifestyle magazine Published by Best of Monterey Bay® Haven home & LifestyLe magazine AwArd winning design • Home ConCierge CrAft olive oil • rAre wHiskey interior remodeling 2024-2025 free cover_HAVEN_24.indd 1 8/1/24 4:20 PM
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com august 15-21, 2024 • ISSUE #1881 • Established in 1988 Sara Rubin (iPhone SE) Construction continues on Sand City’s first hotel project, South of Tioga, but developer DBO 30 has already opened Esselen-Ohlone Park, which features some above-average play structures like this rock climbing piece that enticed a young bicyclist. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: The gavel falls during Bonhams’ auction at The Quail in 2022. Auctioneers play the role of salesperson and psychologist, but they are also there for entertainment. 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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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH Last fall, some faculty departments in colleges within the University of California published opinions about Israel’s war in Gaza, including a statement posted by the ethnic studies department at UC Santa Cruz that called on “scholars, researchers, organizers and administrators worldwide” to take action. Such postings set off a debate over free speech, culminating in the system’s board of regents passing a policy in July that restricts what can be said on university websites. According to the policy, faculty departments are prohibited from sharing opinionated statements on their homepages. They will, however, be allowed elsewhere on the website as long as they include a disclaimer that the opinions don’t represent the entire college. Jennifer Mogannam, an assistant professor in UCSC’s ethnic studies department, said in an EdSource article that she views the “policy as targeting ethnic studies faculty and pro-Palestinian speech.” The policy passed was slightly less restrictive than what was originally proposed, most notably the addition of language that allows statements to be posted for “scholarly endeavors.” Good: For years, there has been a need for some love at Monterey Museum of Art’s main location in downtown Monterey. A big step forward came on Aug. 13 when the museum announced it has selected an architectural firm to reimagine the location, including the Miller Adobe just across Francis Elkins Park (MMA acquired the historic building last year). San Franciscobased Jensen Architects will lead a community engagement process to develop plans for MMA. A 2021 study commissioned by the museum showed the need to refocus capital improvement downtown and sell a parcel on Perry Lane; this contract is a step toward making those plans materialize. “As we’ve seen, MMA can bring thousands of Monterey residents into the historic district to enjoy the arts experiences we host for them,” MMA Executive Director Corey Madden said. “Now we need an inspiring indoor/outdoor campus to support the museum we’ve become.” GREAT: Great news for Pajaro Middle School students. They have returned to their campus for the first time since a 2023 flood inundated the town of Pajaro. During the first day of class on Aug. 13, Pajaro Valley Unified School District held a ceremony to celebrate the school’s reopening for the 2024-2025 school year. Nearly 400 students from Lakeview Middle School, Ohlone and Hall elementary schools came back to a renewed campus with new equipment, furniture and ADA-compliant features. PMS underwent extensive cleaning, repairs and renovation. The school was closed for 15 months after the March 2023 flooding when the Pajaro River levee broke. “It’s truly a celebration and it provides many opportunities to bring the community together,” says Principal Nicole Killian, noting PMS is designated as a community school, a framework that provides non-academic resources to students and families. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s the number of traffic stops Monterey Police officers made during Car Week in 2023. Of those, 176 resulted in traffic citations, 10 people were arrested and eight vehicles were towed. MPD will increase patrols during Car Week 2024 through Aug. 18. Source: Monterey Police Department 256 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You are part of it. You are in unison with the car.” -World Champion Formula 1 driver Jenson Button, speaking about racing a 1952 Jaguar C-Type at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca (see story, montereycountynow.com). What is your Point of View? Introducing Carmel's Skyview Castle! The greatest meeting of land to Sea! $2,888,000 asking price | Vacant and easy to show. 27540 Mooncrest Drive, Carmel Enchanting hilltop estate with 4700sq.ft. of living space located on a gated 2.5 acre parcel. Mae LaMb | broker/owner SiLver Lining reaLty DRE#01429160 831-917-9857 Phone Mae Lamb for a private showing or questions. giLbert beLiSLe | Senior vP the Loan ranger LLC NMLS #487768 831-601-7944 | www.theloanranger.co belisle@theloanranger.co Investor Special: DSCR financing 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
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6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 There was a time that Lexy Obiacoro was on track to get the help she needed. At 19, she and her mom couldn’t afford rent, and so they set up a tent in Salinas’ Chinatown neighborhood. There, Obiacoro connected to a staffer with the nonprofit Community Human Services, which sends an outreach team into the streets to locate people who may need help getting housing, along with a range of other services. But Obiacoro faced a series of challenges that threw her off track. She used cannabis laced with methamphetamine, plunging her into addiction; she lost her job in the pandemic and unemployment was slow to come through, so she burned through her savings and resorted to theft to earn money. She went with her girlfriend on what was meant to be a short trip to San Francisco, but car trouble meant they were stuck there for a month. Then grief struck—she lost her girlfriend to homicide, and she lost her mom. The grief exacerbated her addiction: “I was just numbing myself,” she says. It was in the depths of that time about two years ago that Obiacoro, now 23, reconnected with Lisa Navarro, a CHS Street Outreach Program counselor. “She was understanding,” Obiacoro says. “They don’t give up on you—even though I lost all the hope in myself. Lisa is my blessing.” Now, Obiacoro has her own thirdfloor apartment with a view, she’s sober and she’s job searching. She hopes to one day return to college to study psychology, eventually becoming a counselor like Navarro, drawing on her own lived experience to help others. “There is hope, no matter how bad you’re doing,” Obiacoro says. “You can do a 360 when you lose everything. It’s possible.” It just takes the right support people, specifically people who are patient. Navarro and her colleague, Jose Camacho, describe clients who are reluctant to accept help, who go MIA for long stretches, who relapse again and again and again. But patience is a key to building trust. Another key is CHS’ new brickand-mortar space in North Salinas. The nonprofit’s previous Salinas space did not allow clients to come in; that meant holding meetings, often about sensitive topics, in coffee shops or on park benches. The new Safe Place Salinas opened in mid-June and gives unhoused youth a place to meet with counselors privately. There’s also a computer to work on resumes, and a food pantry to pick up essentials like canned soup, oatmeal and snacks. The nonprofit’s youth arm serves unhoused people ages 18-24, with roughly 80 clients currently enrolled. (That includes Safe Place Monterey, with an overnight shelter. Other services remain daytime only, with about 10 clients a day coming to Safe Place Salinas. The Salinas Valley Street Outreach Program serves a vast area, with counselors out walking through encampments from Pajaro to San Ardo.) Intake usually begins with steps to get paperwork in order—things like ID, a copy of a birth certificate and Social Security card. Housing placement is a critical step, but many clients utilize other services too, like counseling, registration for CalFresh and other benefits, and goods like clothing and hygiene supplies. “We want a client to become self-sufficient,” Navarro says. “Once they do, they graduate from the program.” One client nearing graduation is 22-year-old Angel Ramirez, who moved into her car at 19 after her mom died. In the years that followed, she had learned not to trust those who offered help. “I had gotten a lot of false hope from other outreaches,” she says. “Nothing ever goes through.” Eventually, Ramirez lost her car and was living with her aunt in a tent in Salinas for about a year. She got back on medication, a game-changer: “It helped a lot—it got me out of this funk I was in, and helped me want to do more for myself.” She connected to CHS, and learned to trust. And she moved into an apartment on July 25. Safe Place Salinas is at 212 N. Main St., Salinas. Open 8am-5pm daily. 800-2668, chservices.org. At Home Safe Place Salinas opens, offering a brick-and-mortar hub for services for unhoused youth. By Sara Rubin Lexy Obiacoro (left) and Angel Ramirez, shown at Safe Place Salinas, both recently found housing through CHS. Continuing support includes job searching, rides and counseling. “You can do a 360 when you lose everything.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 15-21, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Enjoy the incredible wines from one of the world’s premier wine regions in the quaint village of Carmel-by-the-Sea. 31st AnnuAl Saturday, August 24, 2024 VIP 1:00 - 4:00pm Main Event 2:00 - 4:00pm MontereyWines.org Try Us First. We Pay The Highest! MONTEREY COIN SHOPPE Since 1970 same street for 40 years Open Mon-Fri 11am-4pm Call for an appointment: 831.646.9030 449 Alvarado St., Monterey www.montereycoinshoppe.com WE BUY Gold and SilvEr, JEWElrY, CoinS, diamondS, WatChES, art & rarE antiqUES
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news For two years, residents at The Park Lane in Monterey, advertised as a luxury senior community, complained that a roof needed to be replaced in one of the four-plex “chalet” buildings, after water damaged at least two apartments with possible mold. A tarp was placed over the problem area, but it was never fixed, according to residents. One man had to be relocated last November, and the apartment remains vacant. In May, residents’ patience ran out. After filing formal complaints with the state and county agencies, the case was forwarded to the City of Monterey. An inspection on May 30 resulted in a notice of violation for owner Pacifica Senior Living, with a deadline of July 1 to fix the roof. The vacant apartment was tagged “unsafe” on May 31. Pacifica missed the deadline, so on July 18 Monterey officials issued a citation, which came with possible fines of up to $2,000 a day until the roof was fixed. On Aug. 8, the city issued a building permit to JC Construction to complete repairs. A written statement from Beau A. Ayers, Pacifica’s vice president of operations, states, “The Park Lane is dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for our residents. As part of our ongoing commitment, we are proceeding with a roof replacement project…This important upgrade will help ensure the continued comfort and safety of our residents.” No work had begun as of Aug. 13. Residents, who asked not to be identified because they are on month-to-month leases, say there are other problems—the fire alarm system is broken in the main building so an employee is on “fire watch,” walking through the facility every 30 minutes. Through the Roof A leaky roof and possible mold result in a code violation for a luxury senior living facility. By Pam Marino At 7pm on Tuesday, Aug. 20, Salinas City Council is set to consider what could become Monterey County’s first rent control ordinance. The proposed ordinance comes after well over a year of organizing by residents, who have been showing up to voice their support at public meetings. They have carried signs and shared stories of struggles to keep a roof over their heads. On Aug. 1, City Attorney Chris Callihan and representatives of Oakland-based consultant Economic & Planning Systems, Inc. presented the draft ordinance during a community meeting at the Salinas Police Activities League Center downtown. Residents’ signs read, “2% rent increase,” “Rent is too high!” and “support the renters rights ordinance,” in English and Spanish. The draft ordinance would implement a rent increase limit; EPS suggests a cap of 2.5- to 2.75-percent for increases per year. It also includes additional tenant protections such as increased relocation assistance (for just-cause evictions, the landlord would pay three months’ rent, for example) and anti-harassment policies to prevent landlord intimidation forcing renters to move out. The draft also includes a fee for administrative costs. EPS recommends merging the fee with that of a rental registry, implemented in 2023; for many property owners, it would mean an increase in fees. The ordinance would apply to multi-family residences built before Feb. 1, 1995, per the Costa-Hawkins Rental Housing Act, passed that year. (On Nov. 5, California voters will decide on Proposition 33, which seeks to repeal Costa-Hawkins; if repealed, cities and counties would be able to set their own rent control measures for any type of housing, including units built after 1995.) If approved, the city ordinance would affect rent increases starting on Dec. 31, 2024. In Salinas, 52 percent of dwelling units are rentals and nearly 19 percent would be eligible for rent stabilization. In public comments at various meetings, renters have said most of their income goes to pay the rent, some reporting they pay up to $4,000 per month. According to Zillow, the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom residence is $2,545 and a three-bedroom is $3,550 as of Aug. 10. Prices are 22-percent above the national average, and $192 higher than this time last year. The median income for a renter in Salinas is $64,500, which is nearly $16,000 less than the median income for a Salinas resident on average. People have pointed out the ordinance wouldn’t solve the lack of housing, and worry it could decrease rental stock if landlords opt to sell. “Moderate rent stabilization policies with exemptions for new construction find little to no effect on new housing supply,” EPS’ report stated. Others pointed out it would benefit long-term tenants, not new ones. “The rent restrictions in the ordinance apply while the rental unit is occupied by the same tenant. The new tenant would have to pay whatever the market rent is as set by the landlord,” Callihan says. The proposed city ordinance comes in addition to new statewide tenant protections. In 2019, the state capped rent increases at 10 percent and prohibited evictions without cause. In July, Assembly Bill 12 took effect, limiting security deposits to one month’s rent. Dozens attended a meeting on the proposed ordinance on Aug. 1, part of an extensive public process. This sign asks for a 2-percent annual cap on rent increases. Maxing Out Salinas City Council is set to decide on the county’s first rent stabilization ordinance. By Celia Jiménez One resident of The Park Lane in Monterey says the owner, Pacifica Senior Living, continues to fail to follow through on improvements: “There are promises made, but they’re never kept.” Most of their income goes to pay the rent. Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 15-21, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 Do you want to go InSIDE PRISon anD lEaRn wItH tHE InCaRCERatED? Members from the public engage in weekly discussions with inmates, sharing life stories related to empathy-building topics. Anyone over 18 is welcome to join! Offered Mondays from 4pm-6pm over 8-week cycles at CTF Soledad Prison - a voluntary commitment is required. Contact Program Director – Megan McDrew for more information and to sign up. Space is very limited! Professor Megan McDrew mmcdrew@transformativejusticecenter.org TransformativeJusticeCenter.org Dr. Brynie Kaplan Dau, MS, DVM Compassionate Care with exCeptional mediCine. 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com VOTED MONTEREY COUNTY’S BEST VETERINARIAN THREE YEARS IN A ROW! ’23 ’22 ’21 SURGERY DERMATOLOGY FELINE & CANINE MEDICINE PET BOARDING PREVENTATIVE CARE REGENERATIVE MEDICINE PRP (PLATELET-RICH PLASMA) LASER THERAPY EXOTICS AND MUCH MORE
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Concorso Italiano, a celebration of Italian cars and culture during Car Week, is still on mostly as scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 17, despite almost being canceled due to lack of funds and a last-minute ownership shuffle. In April, longtime Concorso sponsor and participant Richard De Andrade took over ownership of the event, which marks its 39th year. During a June press conference in Milan, Italy, De Andrade said 2024 kicks off a five-year development plan to elevate Concorso—to be held at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Course in Seaside— and its focus on providing an authentic Italian experience, centered around design, mobility and culture. But in recent weeks, bumps in the road turned into potholes, namely due to dwindling funds in order to put on the event at such a scale as envisioned. On Aug. 9, longtime Concorso volunteer Tanya Kosta says she signed on as owner and chair of the event, tasked with “making some hard decisions.” A gala event scheduled for the night before the show, including a performance by I Cantori Di Carmel, was canceled. The partnership with Eataly, a large Italian marketplace with a store in the Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose that was set to be Concorso’s food and beverage provider, was dropped, and other vendors were left unpaid. But Kosta says many vendors have been understanding of the situation, with some offering discounted fees and others waiving them entirely. Bayonet & Black Horse will be the event’s food and beverage provider. “The team is putting in so much love and effort,” Kosta says. “These people are heroes and they are saving the show.” De Andrade did not respond to a request for comment by press time. In an earlier interview with the Weekly, he called the event “an insane amount of work,” crediting his team for “moving mountains.” This year, the event benefits nonprofits that include All-In Monterey County and Rancho Cielo. Kosta, who is also the founder and executive director of All-In Monterey County, says she is the “limited edition chairwoman,” and doesn’t plan on being a car show owner in the near future. She adds the show has financial backers to take over ownership starting next year for its 40th anniversary, but she cannot say who they are. “This is a community effort; there are so many people that wanted to see this happen,” she says. “The car show is happening, and it’s going to be what it was in its heyday.” On July 23 at Del Rey Oaks City Hall, Mayor Scott Donaldson delivered the city’s first-ever “state of the city” address to a standing-room-only crowd, highlighting the progress the city is making on various fronts. And while Del Rey Oaks is a sleepy little city, there are some substantive updates. In late June, its City Council voted to put Measure R on the ballot, which would require a majority vote to pass, and would raise the city’s transient-occupancy tax from 10 percent to 12 percent, with the option for the council to later raise it to 14 percent. The city has no hotels, but it has 25 licensed short-term rentals. City Manager John Guertin says that such rentals are the fourth-leading source of revenue for the city, with $190,000 projected for the current fiscal year. Also in late June, the city entered into an exclusive right to negotiate agreement with developer City Ventures to assess the viability of developing the city’s vacant land on the former Fort Ord. This comes after, in February 2023, the city publicly noticed the availability of that land for sale, and while it also received interest from Big Sur Land Trust and the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, the city was obligated to negotiate with City Ventures pursuant to the state Surplus Land Act, as they were the only party interested in building housing. The agreement, which went into effect in July, lasts for six months with the potential for two threemonth extensions. The city has also begun planning efforts, both environmental and engineering, to realign the intersection of South Boundary Road and Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard, as well as widen and resurface South Boundary while also adding underground utilities, critical to any future development there. Guertin says the $8 million the city inherited from the defunct Fort Ord Reuse Authority for that purpose will be insufficient, and that the city is exploring grant opportunities to close the gap. Shift Gears Concorso Italiano hits potholes on the way to its 39th showing. By Erik Chalhoub news Update from the Bay Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary holds an advisory council meeting. Topics on the agenda include an update on offshore wind energy, deep sea mining, a presentation on kelp, ocean access and more. 9am-4:30pm Friday, Aug. 16. USGS Pacific Coastal & Marine Science Center, 2885 Mission Street Extension, Santa Cruz; and virtually via Google Meet. Free. 647-4206, montereybay. noaa.gov/sac/advisory.html. Housing Matters The County of Monterey released an updated draft of its Housing Element, a document that provides a blueprint for future housing growth, for public review. Review period ends Monday, Aug. 19. bit.ly/MontereyCountyHousingElement. Careers in Mail U.S. Postal Service hosts a hiring event to help future employees apply for jobs within the post office. Mail handlers, delivery drivers, maintenance workers and other positions are open. 10am-1pm Tuesday, Aug. 20. Post Office, 1011 Post Drive, Salinas. Free. usps.com. Job Hunt Monterey County Works hosts a job fair to give employers a chance to meet job seekers. 1-4pm Wednesday, Aug. 21. America’s Job Center, 344 Salinas St., Suites 205-206, Salinas. Free; registration required. 796-3335, montereycountyworks.com. In Review The 10-calendar day public review period for candidate statements and local measures has begun. The purpose of the review period is to give voters an opportunity to review and/ or challenge the language of a proposed ballot measure or candidate statement before it is published in the Voter Information Guide. Through Aug. 19: Review period of candidate statements and local measures on the ballot. Aug. 16-26: Review of primary arguments for or against a local measure. Aug. 23-Sept. 3: Review of rebuttal arguments. Monterey County Elections Department, 1441 Schilling Place, North Building, Salinas. Free. 796-1499, countyofmonterey.gov/ elections. Staying Active City of Salinas’ draft Active Transportation Plan is available for public review. The public is invited to give feedback. The plan is expected to be considered by the City Council on Sept. 24. Survey ends Friday, Aug. 30. Free. letsmodo.org/planning-safe-streets/ salinas. Small Ball Tiny Del Rey Oaks quietly pushes ahead toward some ambitious goals. By David Schmalz Nearly 1,000 Italian cars and motorcycles will take over the fairways at Bayonet & Black Horse for Concorso Italiano; the 2023 iteration is shown above. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “These people are heroes and they are saving the show.” steve souza Car Week
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 15-21, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 ou’ve done it all. Counted sheep. Counted backward. Mused about melatonin. Made hot tea. Turned down the thermostat. Turned up the white noise. Crawled out of bed and switched on QVC. Scrolled and scrolled and scrolled TikTok. Maybe even pondered over-thecounter CBD gummies. So, what does one do about that insufferable insomnia? Is there a (sleep) doctor in the house? “If you’ve been in bed 20 to 30 minutes and thoughts keep going through your mind, the best thing is to get up,” says Dr. Martin Mwangi, the most recent addition to Montage Medical Group’s sleep specialist team. He joins Montage Medical Group physicians Drs. Mark Garfield and Richard Kanak, who also serves as Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula’s Sleep Disorders Center medical director. “You go to the living room to restart the sleep process,” Mwangi says. The living room, though, needs to be dark and quiet. No TV. No phone. No bright lights. Mwangi suggests a relaxing activity like reading or listening to peaceful music. “You’re winding yourself back down,” he says. “It should be about a 30-minute to 1-hour turnaround.” But, Mwangi says, restless nights can be avoided all together by adopting healthy sleep habits. He recommends strategies like exercising during the day, avoiding naps, sticking to a consistent sleep schedule, engaging in relaxing pre-bed activities, and ensuring your sleep environment is comfortable with a cool temperature and minimal noise and light. Mwangi also says that it is important to be mindful of evening routines and to avoid caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, and heavy or spicy meals. When to see a doctor If you’re doing the right things to ensure a good snooze and you still can’t feel rested, it might be time to see an expert. “If it’s negatively affecting your life,” Mwangi says, “you should see a sleep doctor.” For people with insomnia — trouble falling and/or staying asleep — the gold standard for treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBTI). “In CBTI, you’re trained to figure out the patterns that affect your sleep,” Mwangi says. “One at a time you unpack the things that are preventing you from falling asleep — things you’re aware of, things you’re not even considering. It can help you go into sleep more prepared and in a more mindful way.” Kanak says that when it comes to more serious sleep issues such as insomnia that won’t budge, sleep apnea, narcolepsy, or restless legs, patients can receive testing, sleep studies, therapies, and sleep devices at the Sleep Disorders Center. “We look at the patient’s entire sleep history and their individual lifestyle factors,” Kanak says. “Somebody with insomnia could have sleep apnea, they could have restless legs, or they could have no specific disorder.” “Sleep is essential for our health and well-being,” Mwangi says. “It allows our body to repair and our mind to refresh. If you’re struggling with sleep, remember it’s important to seek help. Good sleep is a cornerstone of good health.” Visit montagemedicalgroup.org to learn more about Montage Medical Group’s sleep specialists. The quest for rest: Sleep solutions from Montage Medical Group sleep doctors Y PAID ADVERTISEMENT Montage Medical Group sleep doctors (from left to right) Martin Mwangi, MD, Richard Kanak, MD, and Mark Garfield, MD “In CBTI, you’re trained to figure out the patterns that affect your sleep. One at a time you unpack the things that are preventing you from falling asleep — things you’re aware of, things you’re not even considering. It can help you go into sleep more prepared and in a more mindful way.” — Dr. Martin Mwangi
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY August 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com When the state Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was signed into law in 2014, Monterey County already had a leg up, at least from a data perspective: Since 1995, the Monterey County Water Resources Agency has been tracking groundwater extraction amounts and groundwater levels throughout most the Salinas Valley (called the GEMS program), giving those working to create state-mandated groundwater sustainability plans locally information to base their plans on. But as the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency has been creating its plans throughout the Salinas Valley sub-basins, it’s run up against a problem: Some areas the state wants data on are outside the area of MCWRA’s GEMS program, so SVBGSA was stuck in a pickle—the data simply did not exist. Enter new leadership—in 2023, Piret Harmon and Ara Azhderian became general managers of SVBGSA and MCWRA, respectively, and decided to deepen the collaboration between the agencies to leverage MCWRA’s in-house expertise. Harmon’s agency has been awarded three grants totaling more than $20 million to build up to 20 monitoring wells where gaps in the data exist. Four have so far been built and 10 are being planned. SVBGSA will then convey ownership of the wells to MCWRA. Because the GEMS program was authorized under three ordinances in the 1990s, there’s some bureaucratic wrangling to do: The plan is to repeal those ordinances and replace them with a single ordinance, which the MCWRA board will consider Aug. 19. The hope is that MCWRA staff could begin monitoring Nov. 1, the start of MCWRA’s monitoring cycle. The GSA is also leading two feasibility studies, with support from MCWRA, for projects that could be key to sustainability in the lower Salinas Valley, where seawater intrusion remains a threat to water supplies as excessive pumping draws seawater inland, underground, and into the aquifers. One is to create a “barrier” of freshwater injected in the ground that would in theory act like a wall, keeping seawater at bay. Harmon says the sourcewater for that project would likely be treated brackish water. The other study is looking at the feasibility of an aquifer storage and recovery project in the lower valley similar to Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s project in the Seaside Basin—essentially, an underground reservoir. “In some ways we don’t have a water supply problem, we have a water timing problem,” Azhderian says. “How do we use excess water when it’s available?” It’s not as simple as pumping water out of the Salinas River in the wet winter then injecting it into the ground— the law requires that the water be treated first, adding cost. But some action will be needed. “If we don’t do anything, none of us are going to have freshwater 50 years from now,” Harmon says. “[Seawater is] going to march to Salinas—we have to do something.” Staying Fresh Two public agencies in the Salinas Valley are partnering to make groundwater sustainable. By David Schmalz SVBGSA is studying the feasibility of diverting excess winter flows from the Salinas River and injecting the water into the ground for storage. NEWS “If we don’t do anything, none of us are going to have water.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Open Mon-Fri 8:30am–5pm 384 Olympia Ave, Seaside (831) 583-9820 HansAutoRepair.com Seaside's first certified Green business! "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. Save the planet!" {Bruce and Russell say: Bruce and Russell say: Fix that RUFF Ride and enjoy the Dog Days of Summer 146 12TH STREET • PACIFIC GROVE AdvAnce tickets AvAilAble At www.celticsociety.org $30 AdvAnce / $35 door kids’ prices AvAilAble Celtic Society discounts recognized Call or text 831-224-3819 for more info. www.stmarysbythesea.org John and Tyler Weed with Boston’s own multi-instrumentalist/vocalist Adam Hendey for an evening of traditional tunes, contemporary compositions, and timeless song. WED. AUG. 21 • 7PM Doors open at 6:30pm
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 15-21, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Sand City is the Monterey Peninsula’s happening up-and-coming arts community! Come see why Travel and Leisure calls this town Quirky and instagram-worthy. Sand City’s legendary West End Festival isn’t the only reason to visit- -there’s always something worth checking out year-round. Visit our merchants, see our diverse architecture, and look at our nationally celebrated mural program. See why Sand City is quickly becoming known as the most creative town on the Peninsula! SC Double Horizontal 6in x 2.64in Servicing Acura, Honda, Lexus,Toyota and other Japanese makes Now Open! Trusted Central Coast Mechanic for over 20 years Call to book your appointment today! (831) 394-4645 475 Olympia Ave Suite C, Sand City • (831) 394-4645 465-D Olympia Ave, Sand City sweetelenas.com 831.393.2063 f P Open Mon-Sat from 8am-4pm Open Sun 8am-1pm Phone orders still available Find us at your local Farmers Market The Barnyard Tuesdays 9-1 Del Monte Shopping Center Fridays 8-12 Aptos at Cabrillo College Saturdays 8-12 Carmel on Ocean Avenue Thursdays 10-2 ’23 Best Restaurant Sand City Peach and cherry Piie in SeaSon, and in The oven! Service and Repairs on: VOLKSWAGENS TOYOTAS HONDAS JUST ANDY Satisfying Local Customers for 30 Years! 394-4212 465-A Olympia, Sand City (Back exit of Home Depot) HOME OF THE FREE 6 WEEK WEIGHT LOSS CHALLENGE MONDAY - FRIDAY: 5-10AM & 4-8PM SATURDAY 7-10AM 325 ELDER AVE, SAND CITY (831) 233-9321 • THECAMPTC.COM 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 15-21, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Pull the Plug I think it’s a great idea and totally necessary for students to not have access to their phones during school! (“Salinas Union High School District to implement a cellphone-free campus in middle schools,” Aug. 1-7.) It might not meet with as much resistance if the students could have their phones back for their lunch break or something like that. Kathy Lambert | via email About time. Cell phones are brain rot for kids. The people who developed that technology don’t even want their kids to have it. Cliff Pilcher | via social media All schools should be cellfree. Maureen Wruck | Salinas Doctor’s office Loved Kaiser when we were in Sacramento (“Kaiser makes it official: The health care giant will offer services in Northern Monterey County in 2025,” posted Aug. 1). Desiree Bedard-Utterback | via social media Kaiser Experimente. Rose Russo | via social media Almost killed me when I was delivering my first child…don’t recommend! Laurie Hamilton Ehlke | via social media I don’t know why people are trolling Kaiser. I’ve had them for 10-plus years and they’re great. Mike Foster | via social media There’s a lot of haters here. I for one have had stellar health care from them. For those with bad experiences, just realize you’ll have the same type of thing (statistically) with every provider. I hope the haters don’t sign up. That just makes it easier for me to get appointments. Dougie Hampton | via social media A Rail Tale I totally appreciate your comment about restoring rail service to our region, preferably Monterey- Santa Cruz (“Monterey-Salinas Transit hopes to change the Coastal Commission staff’s view on a proposed busway,” posted Aug. 6). It would help terrible commuter traffic, reduce carbon emissions and capture tourists’ fancy. What an opportunity! Paul Blum | Monterey I listened to a presentation on the proposed bus route. Unfortunately, I came away convinced this is another “bridge to nowhere.” The bus line would never be utilized as envisioned by its proponents and it would hardly make a dent in the traffic backups. It seems that bringing back railroad service is more compelling from a potential user perspective and a more cost-effective use of the existing rails. Buses in this area are underutilized and only of interest to those that run them. Tom McCullough | Sand City Thank you for the article about the Coastal Commission’s recommendation that the permit for MST/TAMC’s very bad proposal be denied! For so many reasons, the SURF project was going to be environmentally destructive and hardly accomplish anything that couldn’t already be done by turning the third lane of Highway 1 into a bus-only lane. Money not spent on SURF could instead be spent on greatly expanded bus service. Maybe someday we will finally get a light rail solution to some of the overcrowding on Highway 1 coming into and out of the Peninsula. Keep on writing about this! Sidney Ramsden Scott | Pebble Beach engine roar The ever-expanding “Car Week” (now 10 days) is upon us (“How to beat the Car Week traffic blues and stay on the right side of the law,” posted Aug. 8). Over 100 private jets expected, hundreds of diesel 18-wheelers hauling expensive cars, many without smog emission controls because of their age, and an estimated 85,000 visitors driving to and from multiple venues. And, while we applaud the diversion of some of the revenues to charities, the work of so many volunteers, and the uptick in temporary jobs, one still must wonder at the carbon footprint of this annual event? How about an additional fee for the many millionaires participating to support a carbon offset? Or, a special tax on all auction sales (many of which pay no tax to Monterey County or California) to support a carbon offset? And, juxtaposed to the many millionaires enjoying their expensive cars is the fact that 15-30 percent of children in Monterey County are living in poverty. Enjoy the festivities as California and the world record the highest temperatures ever! Bill Monning | Carmel Last Drop Every single drop of water that has ever existed on the planet still exists— the idea that you are doing a “green” service by conserving water is a brainwashing campaign that is really quite insulting and angering (“A water conservation game reveals how much our decisions beyond water matter,” posted July 31). Water “exclusivity” is a tool to quell growth and prevent others from being able to live on our beautiful Peninsula. Please don’t continue this false narrative. Frank Lloyd Jenkins | Carmel Back in Time Thanks to David Schmalz for this week’s cover story on Amah Mutsun Indigenous ancestry and the genuine efforts of Anthony Mondragon, Anne Marie Sayers, her daughter Kanyon and others unnamed to gather the remnant threads of their history (“The great-grandson of the last full-blooded member of the Mutsun is trying to find the tribe a home,” Aug. 8-14). Sadly, much has been lost, but the effort to preserve and decode what remains may yet be a gift for us all. The garden of Popeloutchom still has dormant seeds which, with the whispers of ghosts, may yet lead to its blossoming again. Michael Baer | San Jose An awesome article on Ascencion Solorsano and the Mutsun Tribe. It is so cool to read and learn about the rich history of local areas. Thanks for sharing this very educational information. Ed Ramirez | via email 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 august 15-21, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Danny Contreras is not ashamed of who he is, and he is a lot of things. He’s a father, a husband, a government worker who manages a treatment program for substance abuse disorders in Santa Cruz County. He’s also a formerly convicted felon who paroled out of prison in 2011 after serving 12 years for voluntary manslaughter, the result of a plea agreement he accepted after involvement in a murder in Paso Robles when he was 17. The now-43-year-old is not shy about telling his whole story, because he thinks it can be a source of power to teens of today. He regularly shares his story—of redemption, of faith, of self-awareness—with youth groups, church groups and more. “I try to show them they don’t have to live a life of crime or drugs,” Contreras says. “Somebody like them, who they can relate to, has made it out of all that. Drugs and gangs and crime are not going to lead them anywhere other than to more drugs and crime, and death.” After prison, Contreras returned home to Salinas and bought a house down the street from his grandpa. Passionate about football, he got involved starting in 2019 as a football coach for the Alisal Eagles, which his two older children, 8 and 10, play for. (The youngest, at 3, will be able to play starting next year.) “It keeps them healthy and active,” Contreras says. “You can learn a lot of things through football—discipline, life lessons. It’s more than winning games.” It has all the markings of another positive arc in the narrative of Contreras’ story. However, it’s become a mess. In Contreras’ telling, the trouble began when he started asking questions about the Eagles’ financials, and why it was so expensive to join the team. (Registration plus required fundraisers for last year’s season totaled $1,105. Compare that to $315 for the Seaside Raiders or $500 for the Toro Bulls, two of the other teams in the 12-team Monterey Bay Youth Football League.) Each team and the league itself are nonprofits, or they should be. Contreras discovered the Eagles were not registered as a 501(c)(3). Reluctantly, he ran for the team board and last fall was elected as president. His first order of business was to get the team registered as a nonprofit, which the IRS confirmed in January. Contreras realizes that asking questions and challenging leadership is not a way to make friends. But on July 1, when he was informed by members of the MBYFL board he would have to resign from the Eagles board and from coaching, he smelled retaliation. California law now requires youth leaders to undergo a Livescan background check, and his showed the criminal record he speaks openly and publicly about, with no history of child abuse. He sees his removal as an act of retaliation for past whistle-blowing. He wrote to the MBYFL that in the July 1 meeting, board members told him, “They could choose to not have someone like me with my background represent the league.” Someone like me. This is not even coded language to suggest that someone with a past like Contreras’ is not fit to lead kids, even though he is fit to run a drug treatment program, and fit to share the story of his past in hopes that he can guide teens today to make different choices. Members of the MBYFL board did not respond to requests for an interview, but parents associated with other teams spoke to the Weekly on the condition of anonymity, for they too fear retaliation. “Once the [MBYFL board] gets a chip on their shoulder about you, they don’t stop,” one parent says. “It borders the line with harassment and retaliation.” While they are unfamiliar with the details of the Alisal Eagles saga, they say it’s consistent with a pattern of bullying; perhaps questions about fitness to lead should also include questions about bullying behaviors. Football season goes on; practice began July 29. After Contreras was pushed out, his wife, Claudia Sandoval, previously a vice president, became president. They and other parents are exploring the possibility of creating an entirely separate league. “I don’t think MBYFL will correct itself,” Contreras says. “If they won’t, I’m [going to] start a new league and treat people right.” Treating people right is a good baseline for any youth sports league. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Off Sides A controversy within a youth football league is about much bigger issues. By Sara Rubin Funny Money…Squid has been oozing around local governments long enough to know that city managers come and go. Way back in 2023 when Squid reported on a romance and some diamonds featuring then-Salinas City Manager Steve Carrigan, it seemed to Squid like he might stay forever, if his bosses—that would be Salinas City Council—would keep him. Just a few months later, City Council voted unanimously to fire him. The termination came right after Carrigan announced he was a finalist for a job as city manager of San Bernardino. After that fell apart, Carrigan sued that city seeking $1.5 million in damages, claiming that illegal leaks about the hiring process had not only cost him the San Bernardino job, but also his job in Salinas. Fast forward to Wednesday, Aug. 7, when the San Bernardino City Council made one fleeting announcement about a vote taken behind closed doors regarding litigation. They had voted 5-1 to settle Carrigan’s case and would pay him $800,000. Salinas has since moved on, landing former Gonzales and Watsonville city manager René Mendez as its top staffer in March. While San Bernardino’s check comes without an apology, Squid can read between the lines of all those zeroes, an amount that would’ve covered more than three years of Carrigan’s Salinas job: “We screwed up, royally.” Mis-Place Something?…One of Squid’s pet peeves has to do with inane travel blog posts about Squid’s lair and thereabouts. If Squid sees one more trite post about Carmel being a “quaint village” where Clint Eastwood once served as mayor Squid’s head will explode…oh wait, it just exploded. The World Atlas website posted an article on Aug. 8, “8 Towns in California With the Best Downtowns,” which includes Carmel and the opening line that it’s “renowned for the fact that none other than Clint Eastwood served as its mayor from 1986 to 1988…” The worst of the article was reserved for Pacific Grove. If that’s one of the best downtowns in California, Squid is a sunfish. It’s not terrible, but it has a ways to go. Thankfully Hops and Fog brewpub just opened, joining the new Pop and Hiss to pump more life into the district. Maybe some vacant storefronts will fill up with businesses other than real estate offices, thrift stores and antique shops. In the adding-injury-to-insult department, the post talks little of downtown and opens with the fact that P.G. is known as “Butterfly Town, USA.” It mentions the monarch sanctuary, which is almost a mile away from downtown. The coups de grâce came with the accompanying photo: Instead of the P.G. sanctuary, it depicts Pismo State Beach Monarch Butterfly Grove. Oof. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “They could choose to not have someone like me.” Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
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