august 22-28, 2024 montereycountynow.com LOCAL & INDEPENDENT When Gorda was for sale 6 | the Rent is too damn high 11 | Fortune tellers 33 | coffee to go 39 A century ago, Julia Platt—Pacific Grove’s first woman mayor—changed the city, and the Monterey Bay, forever. p. 14 By Pam Marino First Lady West End Guide inside!
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com august 22-28, 2024 • ISSUE #1882 • Established in 1988 Misha Golbin (Moto G Power 5G 2023) Hundreds of sea lions have hauled out onto beaches in Monterey, including San Carlos Beach (at the base of the Coast Guard Pier), prompting city officials to temporarily close the beach to the public. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: An illustrator’s interpretation of Julia Platt’s determination to keep the coastline open to the public at Lovers Point. Platt (1857-1935) was a groundbreaking scientist, civic activist and protector of Monterey Bay who was elected as Pacific Grove’s first woman mayor in 1931. Cover illustration: Yunyi Dai 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
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 Classes and support groups Postpartum resilience Friday, August 23, 2–3:30 p.m. Preventing youth substance use Tuesday, August 27, 5:30–7 p.m. Serenity now Tuesday, August 27, 5:30–7 p.m. Thriving in pregnancy Thursday, August 29, 3–4:30 p.m. Support groups Fathers group for new and expecting dads First and third Wednesday of each month, 5:30–7 p.m. Mom’s corner Mondays, 9:30–11 a.m. Working moms Tuesdays, noon–1 p.m. Register and learn more at montagehealth.org/ohanaclasses Building mental fitness
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH That there is beef between the City of Seaside and former city manager Jaime Fontes, who was hired in 2022 and fired on June 6, 2024, is not new. What is new is that Fontes has filed a claim against the City, a precursor to a lawsuit against a public agency. The Weekly requested a copy of Fontes’ claim, but City Attorney Sheri Damon says it will not be released while the claim is pending a potential settlement. “We have sent that claim to our insurer and we are in the midst of negotiations. I don’t want anything to happen here that would potentially affect a resolution,” she says. Citing a section of the California Public Records Act that exempts pending litigation, Damon says a copy will be made available only after the City acts on the claim. But a 1988 California Court of Appeal decision in the case Poway Unified School District vs. Superior Court of San Diego County unambiguously resolves this issue in favor of disclosure. “The case law is crystal clear that claims submitted to public agencies under the Government Claims Act must be disclosed on request,” says David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition. “They are not exempt from disclosure under the California Public Records Act.” Good: In the near future, CSU Monterey Bay science and engineering students will have new labs and other workspaces to study and support the region’s oceanic resources and agricultural industry. The university celebrates the groundbreaking of the Edward “Ted” Taylor Science and Engineering Building on Thursday, Aug. 22. The 20,000-square-foot building, which will include room for CSUMB’s marine science program and new mechatronics program, is named after the father of Taylor Farms CEO Bruce Taylor. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary will also have offices in the building. The $38 million development is funded through donations from the Taylor family as well as the Berkshire Foundation, the Packard Foundation and others, in addition to federal funds secured by U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta and the university’s reserves. GREAT: For years, families with children facing mental health crises had to travel outside the county, and sometimes out of state, for residential treatment, but that’s changing the week of Aug. 26. Ohana’s 16-bed residential unit is slated to open at its campus in Ryan Ranch, Montage Health officials announced. Children under 18 will be able to stay for two to six weeks in the “engaging camp-like environment,” receiving help for issues including depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, self-harm, trauma and more. “Now we can offer effective, comprehensive treatment right here in our community,” said Dr. Susan Swick, executive director of Ohana. “This is one more step in our efforts to improve access to effective care that we hope will result in better mental health for Monterey County kids and families.” The opening comes eight months after the Ohana campus opened offering outpatient services. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The preliminary total sales figure from the five auctions that took place during Car Week, an amount down 3 percent from the previous year. In all, 1,143 vehicles sold for an average of $476,965 per lot. Source: Hagerty $392 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “This is the most recognizable race car in the history of race cars.” -John Kraman of Mecum Auctions, unveiling a 1970 Porsche 917K in Monterey that was driven by Steve McQueen in the 1971 film Le Mans (see story, montereycountynow.com). million 24th Annual August 24th – 25th Free Admission Turkish Festival 11AM - 7PM Monterey, CA Custom House Plaza Monterey State Historic Park Live Music Dance Food Art Exhibits www.turkfestca.org info@turkfestca.org (831) 224-6501 24 Annual August 24th – 25th Free Admission Turkish Festival 11AM - 7PM Monterey, CA Custom House Plaza Monterey State Historic Park Live Music Dance Food Art Exhibits www.turkfestca.org info@turkfestca.org (831) 224-6501 nual 25th on ish val A ark Food Art Exhibits turkfestca.org (831) 224-6501 24th Annual August 24th – 25th Free Admission Turkish Festival 11AM - 7PM Monterey, CA Custom House Plaza Monterey State Historic Park Live Music Dance Food Art Exhibits www.turkfestca.org info@turkfestca.org (831) 224-6501
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Caring for your growing family’s health needs, now and beyond Having a child is one of life’s most significant events. We offer nationally recognized patient-centered care from pre-natal screenings through delivery and beyond. Our Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in partnership with Stanford Medicine Children’s Health is equipped to treat amongst the most medically fragile of babies. Like generations of families, you can rely on us for comprehensive and compassionate maternity care for both mother and newborn. Learn more at SalinasValleyHealth.com/maternity Call 831-757-DOCS today to schedule an appointment. Blair Tull, MD MATERNITY & FAMILY-CENTERED CARE Salinas Valley Health Medical Center 450 East Romie Lane, Salinas 831-757-4333 Obstetrics & Gynecology Clinic 250 San Jose Street, Salinas 831-758-8223 PrimeCare Clinic 355 Abbott Street, Suite 100, Salinas 831-751-7070
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Given the high price of coastal real estate in Big Sur, it may be hard to believe that in 1979, four siblings, ages 11-16, bought the entire town of Gorda. And at least in part, it was from profits selling horse shit. But it’s true, and the kids’ entrepreneurial success made national news, and was even made into a Hollywood film, Kidco, which was released straight to cable in 1984. In it, the kids face a legal challenge for not paying taxes on their manure sales. The four siblings—Dickie, Nene and Bette Cessna, and their half-sister June Cole, started Kidco Limited Ventures in 1977. Based in Ramona, northeast of San Diego, the kids made money selling horse manure they collected from their dad’s—and June’s stepdad’s—horse barn as fertilizer. (Richard Cessna Sr. traded in horses. He was also reportedly a distant cousin of the Cessna aircraft family.) The kids also reportedly made money trapping gophers, and patented and sold gopher traps. According to an April 1979 story in the Monterey Peninsula Herald, the kids “once said they made $3,000 a month selling fertilizer. Now they’re a little wary about discussing their earnings.” The headline of that story reads, “Kids Need Tax Shelter, Pick Gorda.” Numerous articles about Kidco contain contradictory assertions, including how much they paid for 20-some acres of Gorda, including its gas station, grocery store, restaurant and cabins— People magazine reported $580,000, while the Herald reported $750,000. And in reviewing historical articles about Kidco’s purchase of Gorda, they raise just as many questions as they answer. Did the kids really make that much money selling manure? Was the whole thing a front for Richard Sr., general manager of Kidco, who filed for bankruptcy at the same time his kids bought the town? In an Aug. 6, 1979 feature about Kidco’s purchase of Gorda in People, journalist Sue Ellen Jares reported Richard Sr. told her, “The bankruptcy has nothing whatever to do with Kidco,” and that his assets only amounted to $5,000. This despite, Jares wrote, him driving a 1979 Cadillac Coupe De Ville leased by Kidco, and that he transferred his interest in a horse-and-barn stable to the company. The family, meanwhile, lived in a “plush” four-bedroom house in Ramona also owned by Kidco. “Several of Cessna’s creditors believe he sank his assets into Kidco to avoid debts accumulated over the past seven years,” Jares wrote. One attorney told her his finances were “muddled up in corporate shells and funny business.” A June 5, 1979 article in the Herald covered the Kidco kids unfurling Gorda’s first-ever flag the previous day, the first day the kids had ever visited the town. Meanwhile, as everyone who worked in the town was now working for Kidco, “there were reports that checks sent to some of the new employees of Kidco have bounced.” Within three weeks Kidco missed mortgage payments, and the former owners, Larry and Ruby Anderson of North Hollywood, filed a foreclosure lawsuit against Kidco, and ultimately prevailed in 1983. The Andersons again became owners of Gorda, and the town was put back on the market with an asking price of $950,000. In a 1984 Herald story, Richard Sr. attributed Kidco’s financial struggles to a slide on Highway 1 in 1982-83 that closed the road for 15 months. He said Kidco paid to fix up the houses, and his wife Joan added that attempts to install outdoor telephones were thwarted by vandals who would rip them out before the work was finished. Joan told the Herald, “The people who live there don’t want anyone else there.” That story notes that “Kidco still exists, but the youths are five years older now and busy with individual pursuits. They are now focusing their business ventures on financial investments, but not as a group.” Also quoted in that story is Jenny Oberholtzer, who managed the store and gas station. “We appreciate living here and hope we get a new owner that does too…People live here because they like to be by themselves. We got real spoiled when the road closed.” The more things change in Big Sur, the more they stay the same. Youngs Town A look back at the wild story of when four kids bought a town in Big Sur. It didn’t go well. By David Schmalz The apparent entrepreneurial success of four kids in Southern California made national news, inspired a Hollywood film and allowed them to briefly own Gorda. “The people who live there don’t want anyone else there.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Join us for lunch as an impressive panel of federal, state and local elected officials cover topics such as: new projects taking place in their jurisdictions, new business coming to the region and important issues that have impacts on the future viability of our economy. PRESENTED BY THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2024 PORTOLA HOTEL & SPA • 11:30 AM - 1:30 PM $75 MEMBERS • $90 PROSPECTIVE MEMBERS INCLUDES LUNCH REGISTER NOW AT MONTEREYCHAMBER.COM EVENT SPONSORS
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 831.479.6000 • 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 County of Monterey’s Family and Children’s Services is here to protect foster children by recruiting Resource Parents who can partner with families and support our mission of reunification. Learn how you can help keep families together. Foster Youth in Monterey County Partner. Protect. Support. fcsmc.org
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news As Seaside development expands further north with the nascent Campus Town project, which seeks to build up to nearly 1,500 residential units on dilapidated property between Gigling Road and Lightfighter Drive, a second fire station for Seaside has long been contemplated. In 2021, Seaside Fire Chief Mary Gutierrez was tasked with finding the ideal location for the station, which she decided was at the corner of Gigling Road and First Avenue. The City Council agreed, and in 2022 hired a firm to design it, and 2023, another consultant to do the environmental work. On Aug. 15, the City Council unanimously approved the project, but with a wrinkle: It’s somewhat smaller in scale than the first design iteration, as the city “value-engineered” the project through its design phase. In other words, the idea is to build a smaller version of the station first with the ability to make additions in phases going forward so that current taxpayers aren’t saddled with costs that should arguably be borne by future taxpayers. Notably, that includes delaying a municipally owned training area. Currently, Seaside Fire uses an Army-owned training area, but can only use it when the Army is not, and when those training don’t have to worry about response times. The current estimated cost of construction is $25.5 million, a number that can quickly change based on market forces, and that will rise if and when future phases are built, which include more dorm rooms, office space, a community room and the training area. Permitting for the project is expected to wrap up in the fall of 2025, followed by construction. Firing Up The groundwork is being laid for a northern expansion in Seaside. By David Schmalz For over a year at monthly meetings in Sacramento, members of the state’s Office of Health Care Affordability Board have been hearing stories from Monterey County residents about the high cost of hospitals. So many stories came pouring out, combined with research data placing the hospitals in the top 10 and 15 percent of highest-priced in the state, that the board agreed it was time for a road trip. On Wednesday, Aug. 28, the OHCA board will meet in Seaside and most of the day-long meeting is reserved for public comment. It will be a chance for local consumers, workers, providers and hospital executives to voice their concerns faceto-face with the eight-member board appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom, after the board was created in 2022. Its chairperson is Dr. Mark Ghaly, secretary of the California Health and Human Services Agency. Hospital executives are likely to reiterate a message they’ve already shared with OHCA about the pressure on them to overcharge private payers in order to subsidize government payers—that means charging more to insurers like Anthem and United Healthcare. Government payers (primarily Medi-Cal and Medicare) are unmoving, and they notoriously underpay for the actual cost of care. A host of other interest groups, including labor unions and academics, are likely to speak up as well, raising questions about the story hospital leaders are telling. Some researchers, like Laurel Lucia, the Health Care Program Director at the UC Berkeley Labor Center, are skeptical of the hospitals’ claim. “There has been a lot of economic research [about whether] hospitals try to set their commercial prices based on shortfalls from public payers. That research has failed to find evidence of that,” Lucia says. “Second, if this type of cost-shifting was occurring, you would expect those that serve the highest number of Medi-Cal patients to charge higher prices, but it just doesn’t bear out in the data.” Lucia and her team are mining a wealth of data that is now available to the public, thanks to OHCA. Some of that data reveals that local hospitals are in line with the state average when it comes to their patient payer mix. For example, in 2022, 71 percent of CHOMP’s patients were insured by Medicare or Medi-Cal, slightly lower than 72 percent statewide; 76 percent at Salinas Valley Health were publicly insured; and 82 percent at Natividad. There’s still Lucia’s unanswered question about pricing, which is not reflected in the OHCA data—hospital pricing is still treated as proprietary. But the RAND research group, relying on data voluntarily provided by self-insured employers, reveals that in 2020-22, local hospitals charged relatively high prices. Prices (both inpatient and outpatient services) at CHOMP were 4.7 times what Medicare pays; 4.2 times higher than Medicare at Natividad; and 3.4 times higher at SVH. The median California hospital charged 2.7 times higher. Ahead of the public comment period, the board will hear reports about variation in health care prices across the state, along with a case study of Monterey County hospital prices and an explanation of OHCA’s statutory authority to address high costs. The meeting starts at 9am at Embassy Suites, 1441 Canyon Del Rey Blvd., Seaside. It’s also available online at hcai.ca.gov/public-meetings. Salinas teachers union presidents Steve McDougall and Kati Bassler have been speaking regularly about health care costs, and will speak at the Aug. 28 meeting. Home Turf Monterey County’s high hospital costs spurs state officials to come visit and learn more. By Pam Marino and Sara Rubin A rendering of Seaside’s Fire Station No. 2, slated to be built at the corner of Gigling Road and First Avenue. Construction is expected to last 14 months and begin at the end of 2025. “It just doesn’t bear out in the data.” Daniel Dreifuss courtesy of city of seaside
www.montereycountynow.com AUGUST 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 Prevention•Education•Treatment•Recovery Preventing alcohol and drug addiction by offering education, prevention, treatment and recovery to individuals and families regardless of income level. TOGETHER WE CAN #EndOverdose No one should stand alone in our fight to end overdose. Our collective voices are stronger, louder, and the most impactful When brought together. Support youth prevention services! www.SunStreetCenters.org H I L LT O P 871 JESSIE STREET 831-646-3975 EL ESTERO 777 PEARL STREET 831-646-3873 Pre-registration by appointment only. Please call the Preschool location of your choice for a registration appointment. Visit www.monterey.gov/rec for more info. learn - engage - play - socialize Tuesday – friday, 3 hours per day THE CITY OF MONTEREY must be “potty” trained years 3-5 for ages preschool p r o g r a m E S T E RO L LT O P L ESTERO H I E E S T E RO L E ociali y - engag - pl ar gag learn - - pl y - ze en arn - le a ocialize ay - y - sociali n - en e - play - sociali s arn - en learn - ar engage - pl lear en learn - engage - play - s e - pl
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Jean Jacques, 96, heard a knock on her apartment door inside Pacific Grove Senior Living on Friday, Aug. 16. It was the manager, delivering a “nasty letter,” Jacques says, a three-day “pay or quit” eviction notice from the owner, Pacifica Senior Living. The letter claimed that Jacques, a 22-year resident, owes them over $109,000 in back rent and fees. She doesn’t have it. “I’d be on the street. I wouldn’t even have a tent,” Jacques says, if Pacifica were successful in removing her. “I’d be in a bad way.” Jacques says she has a “life contract” from the property’s previous owner, California-Nevada Methodist Homes, which stipulates that she is entitled to be cared for until she dies. She paid a $249,000 entrance fee in 2002 and then approximately $5,000 a month until her savings ran out, 16 years after moving in. San Diego-based Pacifica purchased Forest Hill Manor from Methodist Homes in 2022 and renamed it Pacific Grove Senior Living. (The company also owns The Park Lane in Monterey.) The sale from a nonprofit organization to a for-profit company was approved by California Attorney General Rob Bonta with numerous conditions, including that Pacifica must honor residents’ existing contracts. Several people and organizations are now helping Jacques, including Patricia McGinnis, founder of California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, who retired recently but is working as an advocate. She describes Pacifica’s three-day notice as “grossly insufficient,” lacking certain requirements, such as a 30-day notice (Jacques’ contract stipulates 90 days), a court filing for unlawful detainer signed by a judge, facts explaining the reasons for eviction, and the effective date of the eviction. It also failed to inform Jacques of her right to file a complaint with the state Department of Social Services, or to provide contact information for the nearest office of community care licensing and the state ombudsman. “They haven’t followed any requirements of the law,” McGinnis says. Pacifica representatives did not respond to a request for comment by the Weekly’s deadline. “To do that to a 96-year-old woman…they should be ashamed of themselves,” McGinnis says. The plan is to get Jacques connected to a senior law attorney and contest the three-day notice in court. Jacques says she’s not going anywhere. “They’ll have to drag me out of here screaming and hollering,” she says. When Matt Wright, general manager of Monterey Fuel Co.— the parent company of Monterey Jet Center and Del Monte Aviation at the Monterey Airport—finally has a minute to chat on Monday, Aug. 19, after Car Week visitors have mostly left town, he says, “I’m finally just coming up for air.” And while he can’t speak to the event’s impact on air—whether from a greenhouse gas emissions standpoint or pollution from particulates in the air—he does have some useful data to share. Over the course of Car Week, he says, there were 675 private jet arrivals at MRY, 246 of which were parked at the airport for some time. Both numbers were slightly higher than last year, he says, but only by a negligible amount, maybe 1 percent. But in comparison to a normal summer week, he says, it’s a significant uptick—the usual is about 225 to 250 arrivals per week. So what happens to all the jets that aren’t parked? Wright says the majority of those flying privately do so with fractional jet ownership companies like Flexjet—a private jet timeshare in the sky—and when they drop their passengers at Monterey, they then depart to pick up somebody somewhere else. Wright thinks this year might have broken records for fractionally owned jet arrivals, but adds there is also a silver lining to it. Monterey Fuel Co. has become a pioneer in providing “sustainable” aviation fuel, aka SAF, which is a blend of petroleum-based jet fuel and up to 30 percent renewable fuel made of things like tallow or used cooking oil. And he says Flexjet, one of the biggest fractionally owned jet companies, has a policy to buy SAF whenever it’s available, so every time they refuel at MRY, those planes are getting SAF. “It is a commitment because it’s more expensive, and it’s still considered a boutique fuel,” Wright says. “But their ownership, strategically, thinks it’s smart, and the right thing to do.” Get Out P.G. Senior Living seeks to evict a 96-year-old tenant, despite her lifetime contract. By Pam Marino news Pasta with the Pastors Men and women experiencing homelessness tell their stories during Interfaith Homeless Emergency Lodging Program’s gathering. The event includes a dinner, auction and more. 5:30-8pm Thursday, Aug. 22. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. $30. 251-8663, ihelpmontereybay.org. Rules of the Road B.R.A.K.E.S. (Be Responsible and Keep Everyone Safe) visits Monterey County to offer driver training sessions for teenagers, giving them behind-the-wheel instruction from professional trainers including current and former law enforcement officers and professional racing drivers. 8am-6pm Saturday, Aug. 24 and 8am-3pm Sunday, Aug. 25. WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, 1021 Highway 68, Salinas. Free; $99 refundable deposit to secure spot. putonthebrakes.org. Tackling Homelessness Monterey County Homelessness Committee meets to receive updates on various projects. 10:30am Monday, Aug. 26. County of Monterey Government Center, Monterey Room (second floor), 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas; District 4 Office, 2616 1st Ave., Marina; and via Zoom. Free. countyofmonterey.org. In Development Monterey Planning Commission meets to consider proposed development projects. 4pm Tuesday, Aug. 27. Colton Hall, 580 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3885, monterey.gov. Meet the Candidates Del Monte Beach Neighborhood Association presents a panel featuring candidates for Monterey mayor and city council. 6-8pm Tuesday, Aug. 27. Location to be announced; also livestreamed via Zoom. Free; registration required. bit. ly/DMBNApanel. Cop Talk Salinas Police Community Advisory Committee meets to update the city council and the public on the police department. 5pm Wednesday, Aug. 28. Salinas Rotunda, 200 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Free. cityofsalinas.org. Tax Survey The City of Gonzales asks residents for feedback on Measure S, a 0.5-percent sales tax that is on the November ballot. Funds from the measure, if passed by voters, would go to local infrastructure. Take the survey at surveymonkey. com/r/GCP9YSS. In the Air Car Week fuels an uptick in air and road travel, with three times more private jets than usual. By David Schmalz Jean Jacques, 96, has no family to help her. When she moved to what was then Forest Hill Manor, she signed a contract guaranteeing she’d be cared for until she dies. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “They should be ashamed of themselves.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountynow.com August 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Tenants at 150 Encinal St. in Soledad received three letters dated Aug. 1. In one, they were notified they have a new landlord, Mi Tierra Linda, LLC. The second alerted them to “extensive renovations,” and noted the new rental rates, which are much higher than what they are currently paying. “I have a family who said they’re paying $1,400 for a two-bedroom, and the new rent is $3,200,” says Beatriz Trujillo, a housing analyst with the City of Soledad. “That is expensive for Monterey County,” says Jonathan Torres, housing program coordinator at Echo Fair Housing, a San Jose-based nonprofit advocacy group. (According to Zillow, the median rent in Soledad for a two-bedroom apartment is $2,600.) Some residents from the apartment building have shown up at Soledad City Hall seeking aid. City staff say the majority, about 80 percent, are Spanish speakers, and they received the letters in English. Lorraine López, senior attorney at Western Center on Law & Poverty in Los Angeles, says the notices are non-specific. “It’s very vague and confusing,” she says. Existing tenants aren’t required to sign a new lease, but López notes a legal loophole: “If they’re technically moving you into a different unit, they could claim that that’s a new tenancy.” The building was built in 1977 so it falls under California’s Tenant Protection Act, meaning landlords can’t increase rent by more than 10 percent for existing tenants. Narciso Lara, project manager for Mi Tierra, says the property owner is doing extensive renovations that should have happened over a decade ago, and the work will bring the rentals to market rate. Lara adds tenants have the option to stay if they want to under a new lease agreement; if not, he says tenants will receive 60-day eviction notices. Jesus Estrada, an organizer with Salinas-based nonprofit Center for Community Advocacy, says he receives approximately 20 calls a month about housing issues throughout Monterey County. Many are from long-term tenants who receive 60-day notices stating the unit will be renovated, which allows the landlord to increase rent beyond 10 percent. In reality, Estrada says renovations are often minimal. The building on Encinal Street has 24 units, 11 of which are still occupied— some by tenants who have lived there for decades. The rest of the units are in various stages of upgrade. The California Tenant Protection Act of 2019 is intended to protect tenants from substantial rent increases and unfair evictions. The law allows for evictions in the event of extensive renovations or a property owner moving in. These loopholes were narrowed by the Homelessness Prevention Act, which took effect in April. Now, if the owner is moving in they have to do so within 90 days and live there for at least a year. In case of renovations, the landlord has to provide detailed information about the renovations and permits. On Wednesday, Aug. 14, Mi Tierra applied for a residential plumbing permit from the City of Soledad. High Cost Renovations and rent increases in a Soledad apartment building leave tenants in limbo. By Celia Jiménez Jesus Estrada of the Center for Community Advocacy regularly fields calls about housing issues. He says about 20 percent of tenants stay, at higher rent, after a building is renovated. NEWS “They’re paying $1,400, and the new rent is $3,200.” CELIA JIMÉNEZ Hay, Hay, Hay! 101 W. Laurel Dr, Salinas • (831)443-6161 Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sun 10am-5pm $5 OFF Any purchase of $25 or more $10 OFF Any purchase of $50 or more $20 OFF Any purchase of $100 or more Cannot be combined with other offers. Limit 1 coupon per customer. Not valid on hay shavings, Frontline/Advantage, or Seresto collars. Must present coupon at time of purchase. Alfalfa $24.99 Alfalfa Grass Mix $26.99 Forage Mix $17.99 Wheat Straw $14.99 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 located in carmel plaza carmel-by-the-sea khakisofcarmel • 831.625.8106
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com On Wheels Car Week crowds—have they gone yet? (“A look back at Car Week 2024 in words and pictures,” posted Aug. 19.) Has the swarm subsided? Is it safe to come out of our homes again? In other words, is the Concourse d’ Pestilence finally over? Why can’t these annual infestations be like cicadas, every 17 years? Glenn Nolte | Carmel Valley We participated in the historic and vintage races before Car Week became a car flipper’s auction mania. That brought in way too many people and most could care less about Monterey and how great it is. We quit coming 20 years ago. It simply was not fun for anybody. I think Monterey Bay city planners should try to get the auctions moved to Las Vegas where that kind of stuff is more suited. Having some casual car shows and motoring around to see how wonderful the Monterey Bay area really is a goal I hope to see in the future, before they completely ruin it all. Leslie Rice | Garden Grove, California You did an excellent job of reporting on the events of Car Week. We who live here know it isn’t just a week anymore. If you could also give some space to the problems on our roads and highways during these weeks, I and many other residents would appreciate it (“How to beat the Car Week traffic blues and stay on the right side of the law,” posted Aug. 8). In the past it was a three-day event that brought visitors who were respectful of our roads and neighborhoods. It had prestige and elegance. Many residents, including people in hospitality, have noticed a disturbing demographic change in recent years. Rude, disrespectful visitors have inundated the events but especially the visitors who seem to think our roads are for their racing pleasure. Carmel Valley Road, Los Laureles Grade, Cachagua Grade and Highway 68 are loaded with dangerous drivers going at excessive speeds and passing recklessly. These are roads I have to travel even during these overcrowded days of drivers showing off. I know there are visitors who agree with me. They said it was sad and disappointing and won’t come back. Pamela Takigawa | Carmel Valley Great viewpoint on Car Week (“Getting around on two wheels is the best way to beat the four-wheeled frustration,” posted Aug. 13). Bicycling is the way to go and a bike-themed event would be excellent! I ride my bike, now an electric one, for many of my errands…close to 16,500 miles on it since I got it seven years ago. Paola Berthoin | Carmel Valley Profit or People When profit matters more than people— especially the vulnerable elderly (“A leaky roof and possible mold result in a code violation for a luxury senior living facility,” Aug. 15-21). Roger Kern | via social media Believe me, it wasn’t just the residents complaining. Staff is well aware of the massive rat and roach infestation. [Pacifica Senior Living Vice President] Beau Ayers has never done a thing except lip service. Pacifica has cut much-needed staff in order to pay for their new addition. Frankly, the city shouldn’t allow them to add on an additional building until they clean up the existing ones! Debora Dolier | Seaside Up Stage I dearly hope that its magnificence is preserved for future generations (“Fox Theater, an entertainment venue in downtown Salinas, is for sale,” Aug. 8-14). It is a truly beautiful venue. Matt Brysch | via social media Ballot Blues If the [Monterey County Regional Fire Protection] District had lowered the tax like the County of Monterey did, once the reality became evident that the industry was struggling, there would not be any measure on the ballot (“From A to Z, and beyond— Monterey County Elections prepares a long list of local ballot measures,” posted Aug. 15). They were asked and they said they could not. Only the voters can fix it. Bob Roach | Salinas Life Story How do I sign up? (“A memoir instructor encourages people to write down their life’s stories, before they are lost to time,” Aug. 8-14.) Llaritza Rodriguez | via social media Everyone has interesting stories. Yes, we should be saving these stories for our posterity! With current smartphone technology, it is possible to speak into your phone, have it printed as text, which you can then email to yourself. Copy and paste, and voila, you can have a zero-cost lengthy text about anything. Walter Wagner | Salinas Dance Revolution Electronic music (“Big names in electronic music, including The Chainsmokers and Tiësto, are set to headline a new festival in Monterey,” posted Aug. 15). Will they have any real musicians or just nerds on stage with their laptops? Paul J. Ingram | Carmel I wish this was announced a lot sooner. Two months is not enough time to give people. Hopefully if this becomes a yearly thing it’ll be announced sooner next time. Rachael Englund | via social media Back to School I am old, having gone to school in the late 1940s and early ’50s in England (“School is back in session, marking the end of summer vacation; seeing my friends was my favorite part of going back to school. What was yours?” posted Aug. 5). Very little was fun other than recess. School wasn’t meant to be fun—it was for learning. In those days, corporal punishment was still permitted and, even though I was basically a good kid, I remember being rapped on the knuckles with a ruler over some very minor infringement of classroom rules. Boys could be caned, which was done by the headmaster in front of the whole school. The last couple of years of high school weren’t so bad, fortunately, but it was years before I actually enjoyed learning, when I took adult ed classes in Palo Alto to earn my American bachelor’s degree. Wendy Hursey | Carmel Valley 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 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Legislation in the realm of criminal justice has a history in California of swinging back and forth like a pendulum, overcorrecting itself each time. Tough-on-crime gets too tough, locking people away; reformers go too far, allowing crime to get out of hand; and the cycle repeats. When a squadron of public officials gathered at the Steinbeck Center in Salinas on Monday, Aug. 19, flanking California’s Speaker of the Assembly, Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, they were there to celebrate a specific package of 10 bills addressing a surge in retail theft in California cities. But more than that, they were there to express a belief in Rivas, who soared to the position just over a year ago, and his leadership style. By assembling Democrats and Republicans, career cops and lobbyists, on one stage together, they were there to speak only partly about the specifics of the retail theft package—mostly they were there to say there is a real path to legislate through compromise. “The process we went through was something I have never experienced before, because it was a bipartisan process. Everyone’s voice had an opportunity to be heard,” said Rachel Michelin, president of the California Retailers Association. “I hope it sets an example for how we can do policy in the future. “It’s a changed dynamic in how we do policy in Sacramento. To me, that is just as important as passing this package of bills.” The 10-bill package is intended to be a problem-solver, but of course it is political as well—it is, hopefully, a correction to the pendulum-swinging. Proponents of this legislation oppose Prop. 36 which will be on the ballot in November. (A competing, Democrat-led proposition was dropped as this package came into focus.) Prop. 36 represents exactly the kind of extreme swing back, undoing Prop. 47 reforms of a decade ago, making it easier to charge felonies in theft and drug cases and to incarcerate offenders. Rivas says he expects that under the retail theft legislation, the census of incarcerated people in California will not rise significantly. This is important for a few reasons. One is that jails and prisons have historically been overcrowded (and Prop. 47 was partly an answer to that problem). Two is a well documented racial disparity in who gets locked up (disproportionately, people of color). Three is that from a moral standpoint, we are failing as a society if we treat everyone who steals as if they are a career criminal. The legislation signed last week makes a serious and thoughtful effort to thread the needle, distinguishing between retail theft masterminds, allowing felony charges—and three-year prison sentences—while expanding diversion programs for low-level offenders. “We don’t need to go back to things of the past and mass incarceration,” Michelin said. Instead, the legislation tries to make more surgical changes. One bill allows prosecutors to work across jurisdictions, even if the theft and the sale happens in different counties. Another bill requires online marketplaces to develop policies prohibiting the sale of stolen goods. One makes it easier for retailers to obtain restraining orders against thieves. One acknowledges root causes by requiring courts to consider rehabilitation: “It gives those caught in a cycle of petty theft a chance to turn their life around,” said Assemblymember Rick Chavez Zbur, D-Hollywood. “California will not go backwards on criminal justice reforms,” Rivas said. “We have to be deliberate, we have to be smart about the consequences of policy. That’s why we invested so much time and energy to get this right.” Of course there is another, parallel political saga unfolding on the national stage. A few hours after Rivas’ press conference in Salinas, San Francisco’s former District Attorney, Kamala Harris, took the stage to welcome delegates to the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. Democrats both nationally and in California are striving to prove themselves as the party that can cooperate to get to real and thoughtful solutions. Here’s hoping at the state level that this group got it right— retail theft matters immensely to preserving downtowns. And if they didn’t, Rivas says, they will revisit it: “If things aren’t working, we have to be willing to go back and fix it.” Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Stealing Base With retail theft legislation, Robert Rivas strives to chart a new path. By Sara Rubin Posted Up…Squid’s been feeling a bit rough this week, because for the third consecutive year, Squid was not recommended for a “Seaside Star,” the city’s copycat version of Hollywood’s “Walk of Fame.” Squid has always chalked that up to the fact that Squid is a cephalopod, not a person, but now, Squid’s not so sure. This year’s list of five inductees, approved on Aug. 15 by Seaside City Council, includes the Bakewell Company, the developer behind Seaside Highlands and the fledgling Campus Town project. So it seems the City Council has found something in common with the U.S. Supreme Court—it thinks corporations are people, too? During the same council meeting, Aaron Curtis, a project manager for the Grand Hyatt hotel project at Bayonet and Black Horse, joined by Zoom with a project update. Behind him on a wall was a framed “Reagan/Bush ’84” sign. Interim City Manager Craig Malin then noted that was the first presidential election he was able to vote in: “I joined with 66 other people in Illinois, and I voted for Mel Mason.” (Mason, who ran for president that year, also has a Seaside Star.) “I’m going to find a Mason/Zimmerman poster and provide it to Mr. Curtis, so the next time he Zooms back into this great city, he has the right poster on the wall.” Time Warp…Like political posters in the background that help convey a message, Squid also thinks the music we play in the background speaks loudly about our taste. Jazz and classical convey a certain braininess (good for cerebral octopuses); country for cuttlefish and squids, who can blend in anywhere; and electronic dance music for baitfish that dart around quickly, glinting in the light. Squid expects those shiny little fishes to start buying tickets (which start at $150) to the first-ever Worlds Away festival, scheduled for Oct. 12 at the Monterey County Fair and Event Center. The promotional material for the event promises a lot of superlatives: “groundbreaking,” “enthralling,” “unforgettable.” “The inaugural event will transport ‘travelers’ (Worlds Away attendees) to an entirely different world,” an announcement states. That’s thanks to big-name acts like The Chainsmokers and Tiësto, and a light installation. But maybe they mean it more literally. “Worlds Away set to take over Silicon Valley,” the announcement reads. Maybe the festival producer Pendulum has developed the cutting-edge technology to actually take listeners—err, “travelers”—to another place. Or maybe they think Monterey is in Silicon Valley. Baitfish are fast and can transport themselves quickly, but even they can’t get to Silicon Valley; if they leave the Monterey Bay, they won’t be able to breathe. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “It’s a changed dynamic in how we do policy.” Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY august 22-28, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Fearless Firebrand Illustration by Yunyi Dai
www.montereycountynow.com august 22-28, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 ulia Platt was furious. Mattie McDougall, the owner of the Lovers Point bathhouse concessions, had blocked public access to the beach, directly across the street from Platt’s Pacific Grove home. Platt would not have it. Access to the beach was a public right through a deed, she argued to the P.G. City Council, in a letter she sent in early January 1930. The city should tear down the barrier, no matter how many times McDougall replaced it. The council chose to do nothing during its Jan. 16 meeting. The city was already embroiled in a legal dispute with McDougall over the property—let a court decide the issue, they said. If the council wouldn’t take action, then Platt, 72, would. On Jan. 17, she brought a file and sawed off the lock. She tacked a sign on the opened gate: Opened by Julia B. Platt. This entrance to the beach must be left open at all hours when the public might presumably wish to pass through. I act in the matter because the council and police department of Pacific Grove are men and possibly somewhat timid. McDougall had a new lock put on, which Platt filed off again, according to an article in the Monterey Peninsula Herald at the time. The gate was then nailed shut from the inside. Platt told the Herald that she made sure her ax and saw were sharpened in preparation to take the gate down. “The gate shall be open if I have to make a shambles of it. The public right must be protected,” she said. Platt returned ready to do battle. Along with her sharpened tools, she brought a hammer and a stepstool. She also brought a news photographer and a crowd of onlookers. Platt demolished the gate. McDougall gave up, and the gate remained open. Platt’s championing of public beach access, now the stuff of local legend, pre-dated the California Coastal Act, codifying public access to the state’s beaches, by 46 years. Platt, it seems, was always ahead of her time and breaking down barriers. As a comparative embryologist and early neurologist from 1889-1899, she made discoveries scoffed at by male scientists but confirmed by others decades later. She earned a PhD in zoology from a German university in 1898, when there were no opportunities at U.S. universities. In 1927 Platt wrote the city charter that Pacific Grove is guided by today, and in 1931 she became the town’s first woman mayor by an overwhelming majority. Perhaps her greatest contribution was her vision to protect Monterey Bay from pollution created by the fishing and canning industries. Her appeal to the state for protected areas off P.G.’s coast planted the seeds for what today is the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. “She’s an amazing person, and was one of those people that had so many different skills and so much impact, even on the way people are living here now,” says Stephen Palumbi, a marine biologist at the Hopkins Marine Station who co-wrote the book The Death & Life of Monterey Bay, published in 2011. Steven J. Zottoli, a retired neurobiologist from Williams College in Massachusetts, studied Platt’s life extensively, with great admiration for her contributions to science, as well as her civic accomplishments in Pacific Grove. “She was a force to be reckoned with,” Zottoli says. As outspoken and nonconforming as Platt could be, she managed to collect fans both in life and in the 91 years since she died in 1935. Zottoli might be one of her biggest, having co-authored a detailed article about Platt’s scientific career and co-founded the Julia Platt Club, a short-lived scientific speaker series at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Zottoli had never heard of Platt until he overheard a conversation at dinner with other scientists. One of the scientists said he had read the “incredible” papers of Julia Barlow Platt, but, “‘she’s disappeared. I can’t find out where she went and what she did,’” Zottoli remembers him saying. The chance comment launched Zottoli on an investigation to find out more. He traveled to archives, Platt’s childhood home in Vermont, and to P.G., where he spent the night at her former home on the corner of Ocean View and Grand avenues, now part of the Seven Gables Inn. Along with Ernst-August Seyfarth, who handled the German portion of Platt’s work, Zottoli wrote the authoritative biography of Platt’s scientific accomplishments in a paper entitled, “Julia B. Platt (1857-1935): Pioneer Comparative Embryologist and Neuroscientist,” published in 1994 in the journal Brain, Behavior and Evolution. Zottoli and Seyfarth were able to uncover much about Platt’s scientific career, but her childhood was a bit of mystery and there were other gaps in her personal life. What is known is that she was born Julia Barlow Platt on Sept. 14, 1857 in San Francisco. Her father, George King Platt, died nine days after her birth. He had previously been state’s attorney for Vermont from 1840-1842. Zottoli says it’s not clear how he and the family Julia Platt, Pacific Grove’s first woman mayor, made an indelible mark locally and in the world of science. By Pam Marino J There aren’t many photos of Julia Platt. The one above was possibly taken around the time Platt ran for mayor of Pacific Grove in 1931, when she was 73. “She stood her ground.”
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