november 28-December 4, 2024 montereycountynow.com LOCAL & INDEPENDENT Turning triple digits 8 | Dispensary doldrums 10 | deep divers 44 | Pumpkin and spice 48 First Place General Excellence • 2024 CA Journalism Awards • Shopping on Main Street p. 22 Local, artisanal ingredients p. 26 THINK BIG, SHOP SMALL Local Shopping guide The Strivers p. 30
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 Choose the health and wellness services that are right for you — when and where you want them. n Emergency care n Urgent care n 24/7 eVisit montagehealth.org/care Let us help you reach your best health n Primary and specialty care n Preventive programs n And much more
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 28-december 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com november 28-december 4, 2024 • ISSUE #1896 • Established in 1988 Jess Sutton (iPhone 13) Sailboats in the distance fade into the darkness, while dinghies in the foreground are illuminated. This group of vessels is docked at the end of Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Local grocers increasingly stock local goods, thanks to a combination of sleuthing, determination and customer demand for locally produced specialty items. Shopping local is a theme of the season, particularly Small Business Saturday, observed the day after Black Friday. 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 Katie Rodriguez (California Local News Fellow) katie@montereycountynow.com (x102) Staff Writer David Schmalz david@montereycountynow.com (x104) Staff photographer Daniel Dreifuss daniel@montereycountynow.com (x140) Digital PRODUCER Sloan Campi sloan@montereycountynow.com (x105) contributors Nik Blaskovich, Rob Brezsny, Robert Daniels, Tonia Eaton, Paul Fried, 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 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. The fuTure is up To you To donate: mcgives.com/journalism Democracy depends on independent journalism. Producing that journalism requires new resources. reader revenue and philanthropy are current models to assist news organizations. your support is vital.
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6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH As President-elect Donald Trump’s list of cabinet nominees makes headlines, the City of Monterey found itself in the middle of a national news story. Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth was the keynote speaker at a Republican women’s conference at the Hyatt in 2017, where he allegedly raped a woman who was working at the event. The Monterey Police Department investigated, and upon inquiry from media outlets seven years later, initially declined to release the police report; the California Public Records Act does not require disclosure. Further review by City Attorney Christine Davi led the City on Nov. 20 to release a redacted copy of the 2017 report. Davi declined to comment, citing the City’s policy of not commenting further on the matter, but a cover letter describes her reasoning. MPD discovered the report had been previously released in 2021 to Hegseth’s attorney, meaning it would be treated as a public record. The report is redacted to protect the confidentiality of the victim, called Jane Doe. “The public interest in the identity of the victim and the names of and information regarding her children is not outweighed by their right to privacy,” Davi wrote. Good: The Latin Grammy Awards were held Nov. 14 in Miami with at least one Monterey County-based musician in attendance. Mexican-American singer-songwriter Johan Sotelo was there along with his producer, Israel Aispuro, for their work on Carin León’s album, Boca Chueca, Vol. 1. Sotelo, having worked with León in the past on English lyrics in some of his work, is credited as a songwriter for the album. But now he has a little more than just street cred, since the album won Best Contemporary Mexican Music Album at the awards ceremony. Naturally, Sotelo was a little more than excited, since he can now call himself a Grammy-award winning artist. The newfound stardom does take him away from several of the local gigs in Carmel he’s used to, but applause is due for the now-Nashville-bound songwriter. GREAT: The Salvation Army’s Sabu Shake Sr. and Family Good Samaritan Center in Sand City has been a place where those in need can grab a hot meal, take a warm shower and wash their clothes. But with countless people going in and out and using its services daily, the center at 800 Scott St. has seen its share of wear and tear. On Tuesday, Nov. 26, the Salvation Army held a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the beginning of the center’s remodel. Headed up by Balesteri Construction, the work includes upgrading the center’s counseling offices, restrooms, laundry area and other spaces. The center is named after the late restaurateur Shake, who was known to feed and give work to those in need. The Salvation Army was one of Shake’s favorite charities. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The total amount raised since 2015 by students of the Everett Alvarez High School Interact Club for the Natividad Foundation’s Wendy Baker RN Memorial Fund. Students held bake sales, sold orchids, pumpkins and other items to raise money. Source: Natividad Foundation $100,725 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I am extremely proud of my teams’ efforts, which have yielded impressive results.” -John Narigi of A&D Narigi Consulting, speaking about the end of the management agreement between his organization and Friends of Laguna Seca (see story, montereycountynow.com).
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 101 WORD STORY CONTEST First Prize is $101 2nd and 3rd place winners receive gift certificates! We’ll publish the winners in our December 26, 2024 issue 1. All stories must contain the word “free” (or freely, frees, freedom, etc.) 2. Stories may contain fewer than 101 words. 3. If a hyphenated word can be broken into two (or more) free-standing words it will be counted as two (or more) words. 4. Abbreviations are counted as one word. (“CA” or “California,” it’s still one word.) 5. Contractions are counted as one word. (“Isn’t” is one word; “is not” is two.) 6. Titles are not counted and are not necessary. 7. We reserve the right to re-title stories. 8. Poems are not acceptable. 9. Limit 3 entries per person. 10. If you mail in your entry, it must be submitted on 8.5 x 11 inch paper. Upload stories at: www.montereycountynow.com/101words or by mail: Monterey County Weekly 101-Word Short Story Contest 668 Williams Ave., Seaside CA 93955 SUNDAY, DEC. 1 BY 5PM Write your name, address and phone number on each page you submit. Monterey County Weekly assumes no responsibility for returning submissions. PRINT | WEB | MOBILE december 21-27, 2023 montereycountyweekly.com locAl & IndePendent wInter weAther forecAst 16 | merry squIdmAs 21 | flower Power 42 | holIdAy beer cheer 46 check out the wInners of the 101-word short story contest, those thAt cAme close And A few thAt mIght rAIse A curIous eyebrow. P. 26 A Tale Wagging 101-Word Short Story Contest 2023 ♥ Shop LOCAL this holiday ♥ season ♥ p. 24 New for 2024! All stories must contain the word “free” (or freely, frees, freedom, etc.) GET WRITING Deadline extended to Sun. Dec. 1
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 On a bright fall morning, Joyce Lyndley is reminiscing while sitting in her room inside Ivy Park at Monterey, over 11,000 miles away and nearly a century from where her life began in Australia. Lyndley, who turns 100 on Dec. 3, has fond memories of meeting her American G.I. husband-to-be on a seaside holiday during World War II and coming to the U.S. on a “bride ship” with around 800 other women who married servicemen during the war. “You can imagine I’ve been through a lot,” Lyndley says by way of an introduction to her story, sitting in her favorite chair, perfectly positioned to watch the squirrels and birds outside her window. A portrait of her and her husband, Harry Lyndley, as young newlyweds after she arrived in America sits on the windowsill. In 100 years of living there’s always more to the story, and much of it took place on the Monterey Peninsula. Lyndley and her husband raised two children while Harry worked for the Naval Postgraduate School and she worked at first as a secretary for the Army Language School, now Defense Language Institute, followed by jobs at NPS, Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center and the Naval Environmental Prediction Research Facility. Weekends were for family time with trips to the beach and other jaunts. Looking back, Lyndley begins her story with meeting Harry, when she was 18 years old. “My girlfriend and I had been allowed to go to this seashore town on our own for the first time,” she says. “And that’s how it all started.” They met at a dance; Harry was there with a date who had bad breath. He and Lyndley hit it off. At the time, Harry was working in the office of General Douglas MacArthur in Brisbane, who had been made Supreme Commander of Allied Forces in the South-West Pacific Area in 1942. “That’s kind of a cute story, because [Harry] was in the hospital. He had Dengue fever,” Lyndley recalls. “They came through and they said, ‘Can anybody type?’ And he said, ‘I can.’ And that’s how he got in MacArthur’s office. He wasn’t a big wheel or anything like that.” The couple married in 1945 before Harry was shipped back to the U.S. Lyndley followed in 1946 on the “bride ship.” After the war ocean liners ferried thousands of Australian women and their children to the U.S. and Great Britain to join their husbands. The couple lived in various places in the U.S., and even returned to Australia for a time. They eventually moved to Vallejo, where Harry, an electronics engineer, worked at the Mare Island Naval Shipyard. Lyndley remembers they visited Monterey once and were taken with the area, but Harry doubted he could ever find a job there. Then one day, a job popped up at NPS. It was a step up in his career, and a fortuitous move for the family. They had already welcomed a son, Wayne, several years earlier. A daughter, Laurie, was born at the old Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula location in Carmel. Eventually they purchased a home in the Toyon Heights area of Monterey for $12,000 with help from the G.I. Bill, says their daughter, Laurie Lindley Muender. The family thrived, enjoying family time at the beach, Point Lobos, Big Sur and other places along the coast, and on trips to the Central Valley to swim and warm up when things were chilly on the Peninsula. Lyndley learned tennis as a child and loved to play throughout her life. Locally she participated in inter-club matches all over the region. She played right up until she was 80 years old. Lyndley was still driving up until she was 95. She drove herself to Ivy Park six years ago when she moved in. Muender marvels at how Lyndley has survived multiple scrapes, including a near-death experience with cancer 18 years ago and multiple fractures from falls. Then there was the time Lyndley rolled her car on Holman Highway and emerged unscathed. She left the scene of the accident before police arrived so she could get to her tennis match. “She has nine lives like a cat,” Muender says. “It’s a surprise to me that I’ve lived this long,” Lyndley says. Birthday Girl Joyce Lyndley looks back as she approaches a milestone 100 years in the making. By Pam Marino Joyce Lyndley, who will celebrate her 100th birthday on Dec. 3, arrived in the United States from Australia in 1946. Her family eventually landed in Monterey, where Lyndley remained an active tennis player up until 80 years old. “You can imagine I’ve been through a lot.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Happy Thanksgiving from your friends at MPCC! Feeling for our Members, Board of Directors & Volunteers and their efforts to make the Monterey County business community so vibrant! thankful
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 2024 FUNDRAISER VIRTUAL AUCTION THE CARMEL FOUNDATION Game On Golf SF Giants Tickets Pickleball Sip & Savor Carmel Dining & Local Wine Experiences SCAN TO START BIDDING Getaway Gems Luxurious Local Accommodations Home Treasures Curated Home Goods & Décor Signature Conversations Lunch with Secretary Leon Panetta Some of the enticing auction items up for bid JEFFREY C. COBURN FINANCIAL ADVISOR Online auction starts Friday, November 29th at 9am and ends Sunday, December 1st at 9pm Enriching the lives of seniors since 1950 Browse items here: carmel2024.ggo.bid We are grateful to our generous sponsors for their support.
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 28-december 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com news The City of Seaside is finally reckoning with market forces with respect to cannabis, and reducing the allowed number of cannabis dispensaries from nine to three, while letting the existing six dispensaries continue operating so long as they choose. When Seaside City Council first approved dispensaries in 2018, the application process called for giving out only three licenses. The city’s staff reviewed those applications, and recommended which three businesses should receive a license. The City Council approved granting six licenses instead of three. Then, in 2022, council increased the cap to nine, and set a maximum of six, instead of three, on Broadway in the city’s downtown. The idea was that it would generate cannabis tourism, like becoming the Amsterdam of the Central Coast. But no business ever obtained a new license— while ownership and names have changed in some cases, the licenses are the same as the ones originally granted. And revenue is down. Peak revenue the city received from its tax on cannabis sales—6 percent, after subtracting the 15-percent excise tax to the state—was in 2021, when the city garnered about $1.4 million in cannabis-related revenue. That number, according to Seaside Finance Director Jessie Riley, is now about $980,000. Riley thinks it’s possible that the tax rate on cannabis has gotten over the hump of what economists call the “Laffer Curve,” which argues that at a certain point, too much taxation suffocates the market and decreases revenues. Whether or not that’s true, which dispensaries survive in Seaside will ultimately depend on consumers. Trimming Buds Seaside, which allows more cannabis dispensaries than any local city, is cutting back. By David Schmalz Immigrants form the backbone of Monterey County’s two largest industries, agriculture and hospitality, both of which are experiencing labor shortages. As President-elect Donald Trump prepares for his inauguration on Jan. 20, after campaigning on a promise to enact mass deportations of immigrants, local officials and industry leaders are bracing for what is ahead. “The real threat here is that we’re going to lose the labor pool that is harvesting our food crops, but also managing our restaurant operations and staffing our hotels,” says Norm Groot, executive director of the Monterey County Farm Bureau. County Supervisor Luis Alejo is proposing the County create an ad hoc committee to address immigrant rights. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to discuss the creation of this new committee when they meet on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Alejo hopes the new committee can be a place for communication across public and private sectors, and create a rapid response committee where different members—residents, business leaders, nonprofit and local government representatives—gather information, distribute resources and provide education to the immigrant community. “I’m hoping that we get the right voices in the room, so that we can have honest and frank discussions, and bring new and different ways of looking at solutions that are not just based on one particular economic sector or another,” Groot says. California is a sanctuary state, meaning local law enforcement doesn’t aid U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations. Alejo hasn’t seen targeted raids on farmworkers since the 1990s. “It’s unclear right now who will be targeted first. It is my hope that agricultural workers will not be targeted,” he says. This is the second time Trump is putting immigration at the forefront of his administration, but this time around, the wind is at his back. The Supreme Court supports his agenda and the Republican Party will have the majority in the House and Senate. “It’s even more concerning today than it was several years ago,” Alejo says. “It was the courts that were really the saviors, in many ways, to put those checks on the executive or legislative branches.” Even so, mass deportation would be a difficult task. The U.S. has the largest immigrant population worldwide, with over 60 million foreign-born residents; an estimated 11 million lack legal status, representing 23 percent of the immigrant population. Statewide, Monterey County has the highest proportion of immigrants of any California county, 29 percent. As of 2013, the most recent date when such estimates were released, 62,000 immigrants in Monterey and San Benito counties were believed to be undocumented. “This has the potential to have a major impact on our local economy,” Alejo says. In 2022, undocumented immigrants paid $96.7 billion in federal, state and local taxes, according to the Institute of Taxation and Economic Policy. “For a vibrant economy, we need people coming here with the desire to be part of the community,” says Monica Lal, President and CEO of the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce. “Many of them pay taxes. We know that many of them contribute in many ways, and the most vulnerable should be supported.” County Supervisor Luis Alejo proposes creating an ad hoc committee to address immigrant rights as the president-elect promises mass deportations. Resistance 2.0 County Board of Supervisors will consider creating a committee to focus on immigrants’ rights. By Celia Jiménez The former Urbn Leaf on Broadway in Seaside closed in 2023. As the city’s six existing dispensaries close, new licenses will not be granted beyond three, shrinking the number by attrition. “It’s even more concerning today than several years ago.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Donate to Community Human Services HELP END HOMELESSNESS • OUTREACH • SHELTER • HOUSING DONATE NOW montereycountygives.com/chs
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 28-december 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com It had been a long day in a conference room in Sacramento on Wednesday, Nov. 20, where the Office of Health Care Affordability Board was in the early stages of deciding how to group the state’s hospitals together for future monitoring as a tool for capping the state’s ever-rising health care costs. After discussing a long list of categories, a staff person asked if there were any others they should consider. “You mean counties that begin with ‘M’?” one board member asked. The room erupted in laughter. Everyone knew the “M” stood for Monterey County, where health care costs are some of the highest in the state, if not the country. The quandary of why and what to do about it hangs heavy on the OHCA, with the focus squarely on the county’s three biggest hospitals: Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, Salinas Valley Health and Natividad. Testimony from Monterey County workers that began soon after the OHCA started meeting for the first time in March 2023 and continued at each meeting forward prompted the board to take their August meeting on the road to Seaside. They called in representatives from Covered California and CalPERS, as well as a university professor who studied the county’s hospitals, to share data and get closer to an answer about why prices are so high. Market concentration was offered as one possible explanation. One data point showed that the average price for care at California hospitals was 287 percent of what Medicare reimburses. The Bay Area average was 320 percent; by contrast, local averages were higher: SVH was at 340-percent, Natividad was 420-percent and CHOMP was 466-percent above Medicare. OHCA board members signaled they were interested in further investigation into the county’s hospital prices, with possible referral of findings to the California Attorney General’s Office. They were also interested in possibly capping spending increases at the three hospitals at a lower rate than the phased-in 3-percent cap they agreed to in June for the state. In October, Elizabeth Landsberg, director of the California Department of Health Care Access and Information (which includes OHCA), told the board that she had directed staff to begin an investigative study on hospital market competition in Monterey County. They are focusing on market consolidation and anticompetitive effects on cost, access and affordability. The study is estimated to take six to nine months, but could take longer, according to a spokesperson. Unions and other advocates, convinced that the region is in market failure, are urging OHCA to immediately lower the spending cap for the three hospitals to 0.1 percent beginning in January and through 2029. “Hospitals in Monterey County have high hospital prices because they can force commercial payers to pay them,” the board from Health Access California wrote in a letter on Sept. 24. “OHCA was created precisely to address such high-cost outliers from market failures.” Hospital leaders continue to contend that critics have it all wrong. Both Dr. Steven Packer, president and CEO of Montage Health (parent to CHOMP), and Dr. Allen Radner, president and CEO of SVH, told OHCA in separate letters that the data presented in August painted an inaccurate picture. Packer called the competition between the three hospitals “robust.” They lay the blame for high costs on a few factors, including many government-insured patients relative to commercially insured. They also pointed to high labor costs. “Labor expenses account for 61 percent of our total costs, 7-percent higher than the state average,” Packer said. “Any significant reduction in expenses would likely result in job losses and lower wages for our 3,300 dedicated team members.” Packer contended Montage operates its Montage Medical Clinics and Ohana Center at a deficit. Likewise, Radner said that last year SVH’s clinics operated at a $50 million deficit. But union leaders and others have long contended it’s market concentration that has driven prices higher. Dr. Angela Riley, medical director of Unite Here Health, a national trust fund for hospitality workers, told OHCA in November that the entity paid out $5 million for the cancer treatment for one Monterey County worker, and that one of the chemo drugs used was billed at 800 percent of what Medicare pays. Mindy Maschmeyer, Montage’s director of marketing and communications, says Montage’s leadership hopes to work collaboratively with OHCA to find solutions “rather than focusing on a singular narrative” in addressing the complex issue of health care costs. “Health care affordability is an issue that we care deeply about. We are committed to finding ways to address it without compromising quality, access or needed investments,” she says. A “Community Affordability Initiative” is underway by Montage to cut $50 million in costs by the end of 2026. Maschmeyer says they are looking for innovative ways to increase productivity and efficiency, as well as reducing the length of patient stays by using advanced, minimally invasive procedures, among other strategies. The executive leadership team was reduced by 10 percent, by not filling a vacancy. The promises from hospital executives may be too little too late. On Dec. 16, the OHCA board will discuss Monterey County’s hospitals in detail, which could include imposing a lower spending cap. Price Hike Three Monterey County hospitals face state scrutiny for high prices. By Pam Marino news Home for the Holidays SPCA Monterey County is offering free adoptions on all pets, thanks to donors. SPCA adoptions include the pet’s spay or neuter surgery, permanent microchip identification, vaccinations, SPCA ID tag, a health evaluation and more. 11am-5pm Saturday, Nov. 30-Sunday, Dec. 1. SPCA Monterey County, 1002 Highway 68, Salinas. 373-2631, spcamc.org. Back in Action Hartnell College celebrates the reopening of the Gary Shaw Track and Bill Elliott Football Field. The track and field have been closed for renovations since February. 2-3:30pm Tuesday, Dec. 3. Hartnell College main campus, corner of College Drive and Hartnell Street, Salinas. Free. hartnell.edu. Public Access Monterey City Council meets and accepts public comment. Tell your elected officials what they are doing well and what you think they can do better. 4pm Tuesday, Dec. 3. Colton Hall, 580 Pacific St., Monterey. Free. 646-3799, monterey.gov. Water Planning The Monterey County Water Resources Agency Planning Committee meets, and hears an update on the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project (CSIP). 10am Wednesday, Dec. 4. Saffron Room, 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas. Free. countyofmonterey.gov. Up North County Supervisor Glenn Church hosts a town hall for the communities of Prunedale, Royal Oaks and Elkhorn. Ask questions about issues in the North County communities. 5:30-7pm Wednesday, Dec. 4. Prunedale Grange Hall, 17890 Moro Road, Prunedale. Free. 755-5022, district2@countyofmonterey.gov. Climate Future The County of Monterey is developing a Community Climate Action and Adaptation Plan to provide a framework for mitigating and adapting to the effects of climate change. Those who live and work in the county are invited to be a part of the process. 6-8pm Wednesday, Dec. 4. Virtual meeting, via Zoom. Free. climate@ countyofmonterey.gov. Helping the Hungry The City of Seaside’s Homeless Commission seeks proposals from nonprofits operating food insecurity programs. Funds will support efforts to feed people in Seaside. Applications must be received by 5pm Jan. 15 at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. delder@ci.seaside.ca.us, bit.ly/fipd-rfp-2024. People packed the California Office of Health Care Affordability board meeting at Embassy Suites in Seaside on Aug. 28. e-mail: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “It was created precisely to address such high-cost outliers.” Daniel Dreifuss
Thank You to Our 2024 Corporate Sponsors For supporting us as we build pathways to prosperity Cannery Row Company • Carmel Gives • Jim and Ruthanne Guy Natividad Foundation • SSB Construction • University of California Santa Cruz Comcast • Correctional Training Facility • Deloitte Consulting LLP www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY November 28-december 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com There are an increasing number of ways that food waste is being diverted from the landfill. Some people compost at home, while others (less) bring scraps directly to farms. Many now use services created under SB 1383, a 2016 law aimed at reducing methane emissions from decomposing food waste. Jurisdictions across the state have established—or are working to establish—residential and commercial food waste pickup programs to turn scraps into compost. But for Anton & Michel, a high-end restaurant off Mission Street and 7th Avenue in Carmel, they’ve begun tapping into another way to handle food waste. During busy seasons the waste often outsizes the capacity of their green bin, and so they’ve turned to a technological solution: an electric trash can called The Mill, which shrinks every 10 pounds of food waste to just 1. “When you work in a restaurant, you produce so much waste. You should see our [food] bins, they are overflowing during busy times of the year,” says Loie Al Nimri, owner of Anton & Michel. “It’s been amazing. We plan to order four more.” For every overflowing bin, Anton & Michel has to pay for additional pickups, or manually haul surplus to ReGen Monterey’s waste management facility in Marina. To save time and money, the restaurant decided a $1,000 investment in The Mill was worth it. “Right now, it’s eliminating 70 to 80 percent of my food waste,” Al Nimri says. “Over the course of a year we [hope to] shrink 5,000 to 500 pounds.” The equipment isn’t a composter, but a “food recycler.” It works by heating, drying and grinding food scraps into a dry, dirt-like material with a scent reminiscent of something sweet and earthy. What Al Nimri wanted to see was how much food one Mill could handle, how much power it demands, how durable it is, and where the food scraps would go. “It kind of looks like coffee grounds and smells like dried spices, because that’s what’s left when you take all the water out of food,” says Amanda Plante with The Mill, based in San Bruno. “Food is 80-percent water.” The dehydrated scraps, or “grounds,” are shelf-stable, which the chefs have saved for future pickup. One option is to give them back to the company to be turned into chicken feed, but they hope to collaborate with Dale Byrne, Carmel’s mayor-elect and Carmel Cares founder, to identify places where the nutrient-rich grounds can be used, whether as a soil additive or in the composting process. While The Mill may seem like a no-brainer for restaurants, it’s primarily designed for residential use. Yet, eateries in New York and the Bay Area have started adopting these trash cans on a larger scale. Al Nimri, who plans to open another restaurant in Carmel and whose family owns several local spots—including Village Bistro, Pizza Heaven, Treehouse Café and Mission Bistro—believes the trend could catch on here as well. “It’s been running nonstop,” Al Nimri says. “If the power assumption is in line, which we think it will be, we’re on.” Magical Trash Can A small-but-mighty can that’s helping a Carmel restaurant save time, money and the planet. By Katie Rodriguez Anton & Michel’s electric food waste dehydration machine, called The Mill. The Carmel restaurant is planning to order four more of them, hoping to save money on green bins in the long run. NEWS “It’s eliminating 70 to 80 percent of my food waste.” DANIEL DREIFUSS ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES Stop By To Shop And Find Your Vintage Treasure OVER 100 DEALERS 21,000 SQUARE FEET The Largest Antiques and Collectibles Mall on the Central Coast 471 WAVE STREET MONTEREY (831) 655-0264 P M canneryrowantiquemall.com Open Daily 11am-6pm ’24 Voted Monterey County's Best Antique Shop ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ Baccarat FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • Gega-003846, Gega-Gega-003703, Gega-000889 Gega-000891 Gega-002838 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 * Borrowers must be members of Bay Federal Credit Union and your business be eligible for Bay Federal membership. Qualification of membership is defined as the business headquarters is located within Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Benito Counties. Must meet membership and account criteria, all loans subject to approval. Only commercial properties located within the state of California are eligible for financing. Rates and terms will vary based on collateral and credit. Programs, rates, terms, conditions, and services are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas Now Offering Commercial Real Estate Loans No pre-payment penalties Purchase or refinance Loan amounts up to $5,000,000 Multi-family units, farm & agriculture, office space, warehouses and other properties Visit a branch today! From our Farm To Your FamilY Fresh, locally grown, certified organic produce. Join our CSA now, and get your customized share of the harvest delivered each week. We deliver every Thursday to: Carmel/Carmel Valley: Hidden Valley Nursery Pacific Grove: Happy Girl Kitchen South Salinas, North Monterey, Watsonville: At the farm! Watsonville LiveEarthFarm.net *Take larger quantities—like leftover turkey fryer oil—to your local household hazardous waste collection facility Scrap the drain to protect critical infrastructure and the environment! ClogBusters.org TRASH* Cooking oil and grease GREEN CART Food scraps without a bag RECIPE FOR CLOG-FREE HOLIDAYS • Southern Monterey Bay Dischargers Group ReGen Monterey • HAPPY THANKSGIVING German Car Specialist Full service garage with over 40 years local experience. 249 Dela Vina Ave • Monterey 831.373.5355 • www.ccrepairmonterey.com Certified Monterey Bay Green Business
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com MC GIVES Over the years, oncologist Dr. John Hausdorff and his colleagues at Pacific Cancer Care noticed that some patients needed hospice care but had no viable place to go in their final weeks of life. Maybe the family wasn’t equipped to care for their loved one, maybe no suitable home existed. “We talked about how nice it would be to have a place for hospice patients who had no place to be,” Hausdorff says. They looked for a location, but they had no money. It sat as “a great idea,” he says, until a few years later when a “little ad hoc unofficial group” got more serious. They hit upon the idea of leasing beds at an existing care center. The Hospice Giving Foundation provided the funds to launch at the end of 2021. Hausdorff and his colleagues formed a nonprofit to accept the funds and named it after their beloved late colleague, Dr. Jerome “Jerry” Rubin. The Jerry Rubin Foundation for Cancer Care used HGF’s grant to lease two beds at About Care Assisted Living in Seaside, and named it Jerry’s Place. Hospice organizations come to Jerry’s Place to provide specialized care; the assisted living facility provides day-to-day care. As the only social model hospice in Monterey County—a nonprofit option when dying at home isn’t available, that includes collaboration with hospice services and volunteers—Jerry’s Place charges residents nothing. The first bed was occupied a few days before Christmas in 2021. Since then they’ve served 25 clients, ranging in age from 53-96. The average length of stay is 42 days. Jerry’s Place has two part-time employees and six volunteers. HGF awarded Jerry’s Place $200,000 for the first year which covered the beds, each costing $7,500 a month, or $90,000 per bed, but now it’s up to the Jerry Rubin Foundation to find funds. They recently got a jumpstart with a $50,000 donation from Barbara Collins, a former oncology patient of Dr. Rubin’s, and her husband Joe. The nonprofit’s “Big Idea” for Monterey County Gives! is to raise money to lease more beds, hopefully up to six. “If we get more beds, there will be more patients,” Hausdorff says. “Like most things, if you build it, they will come.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Care and Comfort When there’s nowhere else to go in the final days, Jerry’s Place offers safe refuge at no cost. By Pam Marino Jerry’s Place is the only social model hospice facility in the county, offering free care to patients who need hospice care but have no place to go. How to Donate Go to www.mcgives.com and click the Donate button. Let’s make sure no grandparent goes hungry or feels alone. Donate: montereycountygives.com/mows
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 28-DECEMBER 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17
18 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 28-december 4, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com Catching The Surf The excellent investigative story by David Schmalz hit the main points of how expensive this project is costing and the few people it will serve (“Monterey-Salinas Transit’s SURF! project is hurtling ahead at great expense. Is it worth it?” Nov. 21-27). MST and TAMC continue to promote so-called increases in ridership to justify the $90-plus million for six miles of roadway through a designated recreational and sensitive habitat. David’s ride on Line 20 revealed how a 40-seat bus carried only 10-13 passengers during a high-commute time. A third of the costs are local taxpayers dollars from Measure X. Such use will certainly jeopardize the future of this sales tax, because of very expensive projects that serve the few. Next time you see any bus, count the numbers on board and just realize your taxpaying dollars are being swallowed up by a very wasteful MST. Tell board members of both MST and TAMC your concerns. Steve Kennedy | Salinas The SURF! project serves too little for too large a price and is not a good example of responsible government spending. Tina Walsh | Marina I don’t believe the proposed SURF! busway will function as intended. My background as a transportation engineer for Caltrans tells me that the projected ridership is optimistic at best. The only way to meet those projections and get motorists out of their cars is to provide free ridership. There is also an alternative to use Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard by installing a bus-only lane on it. Robert Masuda | Marina You completely glossed over the testimony of east county workers as far away as Soledad who spoke before the Coastal Commission supporting the busway as a real benefit for their already lengthy public transit commutes to their jobs on the Monterey Peninsula. There’s a real equity issue at stake here that makes a much stronger case than hashed-over arguments about luring a few motorists out of their cars. I suggest you rewatch that Coastal Commission testimony and retell the other side of the story. Scott Mace | Carmel We should be talking about how to bring rail to the Monterey Peninsula! Light rail is a big success in San Jose and Palo Alto. They are planning a new addition to BART. We, unfortunately, seem to be stuck in the past and our conversation is about adding buses. Lynda Sayre | Carmel In a Jam There may have been an increase in traffic cutting through the residential area at Toro Park when the Imjin Parkway project started, but commuters on Highway 68 have been cutting through that area for at least the 12 years that I have lived off River Road (“TAMC is adapting to expedite the commute to the Monterey Peninsula,” Nov. 14-20). Keeping the through-traffic on the highway has had a minor effect on the commute (much appreciated by the residents of Toro Park), but 68 remains a commuter’s nightmare. We volunteer at the Aquarium on Tuesdays and commute during rush hour because we have to. Yesterday morning, the 19-mile trip on 68 took 57 minutes. The return trip at 12:30pm was 33 minutes. These are average times. As retirees, we try to avoid traveling to the Monterey Peninsula during rush hour as much as possible because every route there—Highway 68, Reservation Road to Highway 1, Imjin Parkway or through Fort Ord— is jammed with commuters on roads not designed to handle the current levels of traffic. Jim Tarhalla | Las Palmas Cabinet Curiosity When your President is a sexual predator, the nominated Attorney General is a sexual predator, then why not the Defense Secretary? (“Police report details allegations that Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth raped a woman in Monterey in 2017,” posted Nov. 20.) Shawn Adams | Monterey Say his name louder!! Keep showing the receipts. And be mindful that women are opening up about their sexual assault experiences, which takes guts and courage. Ashlee Espinoza | via social media Democrats, y’all have become the street preacher with the megaphone yelling at people that the end is near and they must repent or burn in hell. Nobody likes that guy. Jane Ramirez | via social media Nobody ever found the allegations to be erroneous. It’s like many rape cases, [few] get prosecuted. It’s his own version of paying off a porn star and lying about it. Seems like he’s definitely in a group of his own peers. Otilia Covarrubias | via social media Please—trashy news and biased much? Stooping to petty BS for readership. Lisa Deas | via social media Jane Doe went in and had a sexual assault examination. These typically take three to four hours, are incredibly invasive and uncomfortable. The report was filed by the nurse, a professional who is highly trained. And some of you still do not believe women? Lisa Yates | via social media Non Partisan There is absolutely no need for a bill like this (“A bill that claims to be about stopping terrorism threatens free speech,” Nov. 21-27). Its sole purpose is to facilitate the abuse of power. Arvia Glass | via social media Jimmy Panetta supports HR 9495 because of its stated intent to combat terrorist financing (“Controversial bill passes in the House with Panetta’s support, empowering Treasury Department to crack down on nonprofits,” posted Nov. 21). How ironic, then, that his largest financial supporter should turn out to be AIPAC, the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. By lobbying Congress for continued arms support to Israel amid its crimes against humanity in Gaza, AIPAC should properly be grouped with the terrorist organizations HR 9495 is targeting. Mads Bjerre | Carmel 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 november 28-december 4, 2024 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 19 It’s hard to imagine today, looking at Salinas City Council, where six of seven members are Latino in a city where 80 percent of the population is Latino. But 35 years ago, when Salinas’ population was 51-percent Latino, no Latino had ever been elected to the City Council. Simon Salinas, who went on to serve on the County Board of Supervisors and in the State Assembly, became the city’s first-ever Latino councilmember in 1989, two years after he joined a federal Voting Rights Act lawsuit against the city, compelling the city to transition from at-large to district-based elections. The concept is that candidates of a disenfranchised minority group might not be able to win in a citywide election, even if they are popular in their community. Under the 1965 federal legislation, minority candidates are required to have a fair shot at representation. California followed with its own version of the Voting Rights Act in 2002, and in the 22 years since then, district elections have surged. Prior, only 29 cities in California held elections that way; today, hundreds of cities and school districts, plus all 58 counties in California, have transitioned away from at-large to district-based elections. “It’s not that these 600-plus jurisdictions were all violating anyone’s voting rights or civil rights,” Douglas Johnson, president of National Demographics Corporation, told Seaside City Council on the evening of Thursday, Nov. 21. Many of them were making a strategic choice to avoid costly litigation: Faced with threats of lawsuits from voting rights groups, city leaders determined it would be more sensible—and cheaper—to transition, even if minority residents are currently empowered to run for and win elected office. Such is the case in Seaside, where Johnson was presenting his initial analysis showing that Black and Latino candidates have a track record of success citywide, rather than in a precinct or two that get overridden. “It is a consistent story of African American and Latino candidates running and being elected,” Johnson said. At present, two members, or 40 percent, of the five-person council are Black (compared to 11 percent of the voting-age citizen population) and one (20 percent) is Latino, compared to 28 percent of the voting-age citizen population. Johnson suggested that transitioning to district-based elections could have the inverse effect of diluting minority voters. But that may not preempt a Voting Rights Act lawsuit. Karla Lobo, who ran unsuccessfully for mayor on Nov. 5, requested on behalf of the Central Coast Democratic Socialists of America the city consider the electoral transformation. “Though we are not asking formally now, you may find yourself in the future with a legal demand to proceed,” she said. Just a few miles away, Pacific Grove City Council has already agreed to proceed with a transition from at-large to district-based elections, and will begin drafting maps. In a tiny city like P.G., population 15,125, each of the six districts will have just 2,521 people. Unlike Seaside, Pacific Grove’s population is majority white, 80 percent. An analysis, also conducted by the firm National Demographics Corporation, shows the transition is unlikely to empower any underrepresented group: There is no geographic concentration of Latino, Asian American or Black voters in P.G., NDC found. Pacific Grove’s transition is the result of the threat of legal action—even though the transition is unlikely to empower minority candidates. I asked Simon Salinas, one of the architects of this system, what to make of these transitions in small cities or mostly-white cities (or majority-minority cities) where at-large elections are less likely to empower certain racial groups of voters. He still believes it’s good policy, for the reasons that make local government effective. “It encourages more people to run, because it cuts down on the cost to campaign,” he says. “It doesn’t take that many votes to get elected.” Then there’s actual governing: “It helps them stay closer to the sentiment in the communities,” Salinas says. “It gives you a closer view of what is happening at the street level. It makes it more democratic.” Johnson told Seaside City Council there are two ways to approach the idea—one from a legal compliance perspective and one from a policy perspective. The latter has yet to be discussed. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Inside the Lines Redistricting can improve the diversity of local government, but not always. By Sara Rubin Out of Step…The mechanisms by which Squid determines things in the lair are glorious and precise, thanks to Squid’s big eyes and many arms. Food or not food? Almost always food. Weapon or miscellaneous pointy object? The tap of a tentacle can tell the difference. Things seem to be a little more complicated for Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto and District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni, who disagree on whether a crime was committed by an employee in the Monterey County Jail. Three weeks after Deputy Gaspar Estevez was arrested on Nov. 7 on charges of criminal conspiracy and concealing a handmade weapon (a shank) provided to him by an inmate, Pacioni announced Nov. 25 there would be no charges filed. A couple of hours later, Nieto sent out her own statement asserting that she believed a crime had, in fact, occurred, but added, “It is up to the District Attorney to make a decision on whether or not to file charges.” Squid knows these two offices serve as checks and balances for public safety and the law: The Sheriff’s Office investigates and reports its findings on the basis of probable cause, while the DA decides whether the evidence supports criminal charges, with proof beyond a reasonable doubt. But when Squid’s eyes see one thing and Squid’s tentacles feel another, how does Squid know where to find Squid’s dinner? Term Limits…In the sea, shortterm rentals are a regular thing. The noisy, partying sea lion visitors and stinky sardine tourists in Monterey are just two recent examples. So Squid gets why the Monterey County Board of Supervisors was keen to finally pass an ordinance regulating such rentals on Aug. 27, after 14 years of wrangling. It went into effect on Oct. 14, capping shortterm rentals at 4 percent per inland planning area of unincorporated Monterey County and regulating how they will operate and what fees owners must pay. This was not to the liking of the Monterey County Vacation Rental Alliance, which filed a lawsuit against the board in Monterey County Superior Court on Nov. 20. The MCVRA argues property owners’ federal and state constitutional rights are being violated because the board is interfering with their ability to do business. They state that short-term renters and owners were prejudiced against during proceedings with the unfair assumption that the renters will be “detrimental to the social fabric.” They contend that if the homes were left vacant instead of rented out to vacationers, “bad stuff can happen.” They’re asking a judge to void the law. Squid was unaware that “bad stuff” is a legal argument. And while not all short-term renters are bad actors, some are indeed noisy, stinky and worth reining in, especially in residential neighborhoods. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “It makes it more democratic.” Send Squid a tip: squid@montereycountynow.com
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