FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT SEX LIVES OF SEA STARS 6 | KEYS TO THE CAR 10 | FEELING THE FUNDING FREEZE 12 | SPARKLE PARTY 35 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • FROM THE EARLY DAYS OF PERSONAL ADS TO TODAY’S ONLINE DATING APPS, INSIGHTS INTO ROMANCE. p. 18 +A Guide to Not Ghosting Love Life
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 • ISSUE #1907 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 David Lehrian (Sony A7R5, Sony 50mm macro lens, Nauticam housing, Marelux strobes, ISO 200, f16, 1/160 sec) You’ve heard of charismatic megafauna, but have you taken a moment to take in amazing (if non-charismatic) microfauna like nudibranchs? This Santa Barbara Janolus, seen underwater along Wharf 2 in Monterey, is one particularly lovely mollusk. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: From the old days of personal ads in print newspapers to the early era of online dating to present-day dating apps, so much has changed—but mostly, so much has stayed the same. Our Valentine’s Day issue explores this trajectory. Cover illustration: Shutterstock etc. Copyright © 2025 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. now [nou] adverb at the present time or moment Monterey County Now Local news, arts and entertainment, food and drink, calendar and daily newsletter. Subscribe to the newsletter: www.montereycountynow.com/subscribe Find us online: www.montereycountynow.com
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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH A recent move by the Trump Administration could be a way it is cracking down on news agencies critical of its actions, First Amendment advocates say. San Francisco-based KCBS, which covered immigration enforcement actions in San Jose on Jan. 26, is now under investigation by the Federal Communications Commission. As part of its reporting, the radio station shared the live locations and descriptions of immigration officials’ vehicles. Trump-appointed commission chair Brendan Carr told Fox News that he opened the investigation, asking KCBS to “explain how this could possibly be consistent with their public interest obligations.” In a KQED interview, David Loy, legal director for the First Amendment Coalition, argued that law enforcement operations are “matters of public interest.” “It’s an intimidating exercise. The process is the punishment,” Loy said. “Even if charges are never filed, people have to look over their shoulder to wonder, is the government going to come after me because I report something that the government doesn’t like me to say?” Good: A total of $3.45 million will be spread out across 13 projects in Monterey County meant to drive economic development. The Uplift Central Coast Coalition announced Feb. 4 it will award $9 million to 36 organizations across six counties on the Central Coast. In October, Uplift invited entities, including nonprofits, academic institutions, local governments and others, to apply for grants. The funding is intended for programs that benefit workers. Monterey County organizations receiving funding include the Esselen Tribe of Monterey County, Monterey Bay DART, Rancho Cielo and others. “We look forward to working alongside grantees every step of the way, fostering collaboration, supporting implementation and celebrating milestones as the vision for a brighter future becomes reality,” Tahra Goraya, president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership, said in a press release. GREAT: Great news for formerly incarcerated students and those in the criminal justice system, as Hartnell College is hosting a grand opening of the Rising Scholars Center on Thursday, Feb. 13, a dedicated space that will provide support for students and connect them to services and resources to succeed in their educational journey. “This center represents a key milestone in Hartnell College’s commitment to providing equitable education and breaking down barriers for students and the community,” a statement from the college reads. This center is part of the Rising Scholars Network implemented in 2014 by California Community Colleges. The center, located at Hartnell’s main campus, will aid students from different locations including Monterey County Juvenile Hall, Monterey County Jail and CTF Soledad State Prison, among others. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The number of new memberships the Monterey Sports Center saw in the month of January. The average new monthly memberships hover around 150, and on a daily basis, the rec center will see anywhere from 2,500 people on a normal day, to over 3,000 on busier days. “We’re finally back to pre-pandemic levels,” says Bill Rothschild, Sports Center manager. Source: Monterey Sports Center 400 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Are we supposed to be MerriamWebster, defining a word?” -Monterey Peninsula Water Management District board chair George Riley, during a discussion over the word “permanent” in an ordinance on water allocations (see story, montereycountynow.com). Happy Valentine’s Day From Gathering for Women - Monterey gatheringforwomen.org ~ 831-241-6154 #gatheringforwomen We’re sending love to all of our supporters! Your generosity, whether through donations or volunteering, helps us spread joy and care to the women we serve.
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Thinking about changing your healthcare plan? If you are considering a change in insurance coverage, make sure you are fully informed about costs, trade-offs and limitations. Consistently earning awards and recognition for high quality. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Salinas Valley Health accepts: Aetna Anthem Blue Cross Aspire Blue Shield of California Central California Alliance for Health Cigna Coastal Health Administrators Community Health Plan First Health Health Net Health Smart/InterPlan: Humana Choice Care MultiPlan Pacific Health Alliance Private Healthcare Systems, Inc. Three Rivers Provider Network TriCare TriWest UnitedHealthcare • Some plans may limit access to emergency care, urgent care and maternity services. • Some plans restrict which hospitals you can visit, impacting how far you may have to travel. • Some plans restrict access to physicians, limiting which providers will be covered on your plan. Scan the QR code to search for locations and services. Our team at Salinas Valley Health provides exceptional and compassionate healthcare. Our multifaceted healthcare system includes more than 300 board-certified physicians with expertise in a broad range of specialties. With a network of 46 locations in the tri-county area, our patients have access to emergency care, acute care, routine services, imaging and specialty care right here close to home.
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 One year ago, early in the morning on Valentine’s Day, a group of nine stood huddled around a tank behind the scenes of the main floor at Birch Aquarium at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in San Diego. They were waiting patiently for hours, peering into the cold water to watch one male and one female, perhaps one of the last—if not the last—reproducing female sunflower sea star in the state of California, make some magic. Six hours later, millions of tiny eggs were spawned, creating what looked like a blizzard in the tank. The group— staff from a coalition of aquariums and labs across California—let out a scream, rejoicing in the start of an experiment to see if they could successfully grow the critically endangered sea star at scale. They began pipetting the eggs out of the water, disseminating them into five-gallon buckets to be fertilized. Then, the tactfully timed experiment began to deliver soon-to-be tiny baby sunflower stars—smaller than the tip of a pencil— to partners that would include the Cal Academy of Sciences, Cal Poly Humboldt and the new Sunflower Star Lab at Moss Landing. “The staff at the Aquarium [of the Pacific] had put up Valentine’s Day operations around the exhibit,” says Ashley Kidd, cofounder of the Sunflower Sea Star Lab. “We played ‘Let’s Get it On’ by Marvin Gaye.” Kidd and Vince Christian, the creators of the Sunflower Star Lab and the ones responsible for putting this experiment into motion, were elated—no experiment like this was being done at this caliber on the West Coast with the sunflower star. It was a moment that had been years in the making. Christian, a long-time diver and retired engineer, moved to Monterey around 2018 and began reaching out via online forums, asking if anyone had seen sunflower sea stars after the massive die-off that almost entirely eradicated the species off the coast of California in 2013. The response was overwhelming; people chimed in on various dive sites and on social media in response to his inquiries about sunflower stars. Their answer was nope—none spotted. Then came his crazy idea. “I heard about this guy, Jason Hodin at the University of Washington, who was growing sunflower stars from larva. And so I started to ask around to see if anybody in California was doing that and found out that they weren’t,” he says. He wiped out his garage and began fiddling with tanks, algae and asking questions. What filtration systems do sunflower stars need? What kinds of algae need to be grown for their food, and how do I keep the algae alive? He began perfecting the method of growing algae in beer growlers, a technique the lab still uses today. Kidd, who was an aquarist at the Aquarium of the Pacific (AOP) in Long Beach, saw his request for help via Facebook. She came with an extensive background in aquaculture, working on exhibits at the AOP and running its live food lab program. “Our powers combined,” Kidd says. “I brought all of the aquarium side, and he brought his gumption, his determination to get us here.” In 2021, Christian began the process of turning the idea into a nonprofit, then began recruiting board members for their first meeting by the end of the year. Two years later, they had collected a coalition of lab partners, located their male and female sunflower stars, and established a plan to turn an old storage room in Moss Landing into what is now the Sunflower Star Lab. Scientists are still not entirely certain what led to the massive die-off in 2013, although many suspect it had something to do with an ocean warming event that occurred that year. The Sunflower Star Lab currently has about 36 juvenile sea stars, operating under a three-year grant that began in October 2024 to develop a recovery plan. The goal is to eventually reintroduce the stars into the wild, but lots of research in the lab needs to be done first to understand how they grow. “This truly was all proof of concept, there were no plans for reintroduction,” Kidd says. “Now, we have to [understand] how they’re going to behave.” Spawniversary For the Sunflower Star Lab, Valentine’s Day has an extra special touch of romance. By Katie Rodriguez Sunflower Star Lab manager Andrew Kim examines the baby sunflower sea stars at the Moss Landing facility. The stars are cannibalists, and need to be kept in separate compartments so that they don’t eat each other. “We played ‘Let’s Get it On’ by Marvin Gaye.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Shelter From the StormS Are you feeling demoralized, isolated, powerless, fearful? In need of a supportive community? First the pandemic, then the barrage of natural disasters and the ugly divisiveness of politics have separated us and made us feel small and ineffectual. Too many of us don’t know where to turn and have withdrawn unto ourselves. We offer an alternative. We believe in community. We say YES to JOY, to LOVE, to COURAGE, to HOPE to go forward. Our Sunday services at 10:30 am and our many activities do not focus on eternity but on how we can face today and this new week with a positive spirit striving to do good and to be better improving the world a little everyday, with a particular focus on social justice, enviromental, glbtq+ and immigration issues. We welcome everyone, and believe that it is going to take all of us to thrive! To learn more check out www.uucmp.org or call 831-624-7404 or e-mail office@uucmp.org. Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula • 490 Aquajito Road, Carmel
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, ext. 8304 www.bayfed.com/HomeLoans *All loans are subject to approval of credit, income verification, assets, and property valuation. Bay Federal Credit Union membership required. For more information, visit any Bay Federal Credit Union branch or call a Bay Federal Home Loan Consultant at 831.479.6000, or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, extension 8304. Bay Federal Credit Union is registered with the Nationwide Mortgage Lending System (NMLS). Bay Federal Credit Union ID #403635. No closing costs include lender fees, appraisal fees, title fees (excluding Owners Title Insurance) , and escrow fees. First-Time Homebuyer Program available to those that have not owned a property in the last three years. Offer valid on owner-occupied single-family residences. Offer applicable on purchase transactions in the State of California. Other restrictions may apply. Terms and conditions are subject to change without notice. Closing Costs on Us! Bay Federal is here to support you in your journey to becoming a homeowner. Finance your first home with us and we’ll cover the closing costs and appraisal fee.* ITINs accepted on home loan applications. Apply today. 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas The Community Foundation is a wonderful guide on our philanthropic journey.” – Giff and Pam Lehman Lehman Family Fund of the Community Foundation for Monterey County Leaving a LEGACY Donor Advised Funds • Charitable Estate Planning Charitable Gift Annuities and Charitable Remainder Trusts • IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions • Scholarships & More 831.375.9712 | cfmco.org/Donors | Design your giving plan. We can help. In-person or virtual visits at Pediatrics – Monterey genpeds.stanfordchildrens.org Kid-sized care for kid-sized people.
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS They failed to stop the sale of the former National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration building on Point Pinos in Pacific Grove to a private buyer in 2022, so now the grassroots group COAST is pursuing a bigger goal in an attempt to stave off possible destruction of the building. They want to see the entirety of the area, much of it originally designated as the Point Pinos Lighthouse Reservation in 1851, declared a historic district by the National Park Service. COAST members contend that the NOAA building has a rich history, as well as serving as the canvas for a treasured mural by artist Ray Troll. “We haven’t given up on that building,” COAST member Ken Parker says. Nearby they say there are other historic and culturally significant treasures: Point Pinos Lighthouse, marking its 170th birthday this year, is already on the National Registry of Historic Places (since 1977); the Great Tide Pool where marine biologist Ed Ricketts once collected specimens; areas of cultural significance to Indigenous tribes; and a shared border with the California National Marine Monument. The group makes the point that the original federal lighthouse reservation was never meant to be sold. In all they are asking that 92 acres, including the rock islets off of the Point, be included in the district. “It’s a big effort that involves a lot of research to make the case very strongly,” Parker says. The group has reached out to 15 different agencies to secure letters of support for the application. On Wednesday, Feb. 19, COAST leaders are scheduled to make their case to the Pacific Grove City Council asking it to add its support. Historical Point A grassroots group is applying to make Point Pinos in P.G. a national historic district. By Pam Marino Every year, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors convenes alongside state and federal legislators to discuss legislative priorities for the upcoming year—a “let’s get on the same page” kind of meeting. This year’s meeting, held on Friday, Feb. 7, of course carried a different tone than previous years, as noted by several legislators. Still, the meeting was one of a largely united front among representatives, which included State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz; U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley; and Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay. The big little ask? To continue to defend funding streams from the federal government on critical issues that Monterey County communities rely on. How that will be accomplished, remains a question mark. “Our real problem is we don’t know yet what the federal government is going to do,” Laird warns. “If they lob $20 billion or $30 billion of cuts at us, everything on that list is going to be less realistic.” Some priorities on the table were new, such as creating health and safety regulations for battery energy storage system facilities, while most were continuations from prior years. One uncomfortably familiar policy priority on the list addresses water issues for residents of San Lucas in South County, who have now gone 14 years without water clean enough to drink. This lack of safe drinking water has caused a domino effect, delaying a crucial affordable housing project by nearly 20 years. While a recently awarded $960,000 EPA grant will help make some progress on this front, more funding is needed to ensure reliable drinking water in the long term. Other listed priorities included reservoir safety projects for flood protection and sustainable water supply, establishing a veterans’ home or VA community living center to serve the county’s 17,500 veterans, and reducing bureaucratic hurdles for FEMA reimbursements. “Coming into this year, the anxiety in my community and among my residents is so significant when it comes to being able to continue to access basic needs,” County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said. “It is fundamental to every conversation that I’ve had over the past weeks.” Of particular significance was the Monterey County statement of values, a set of core principles that interlaced all policy priorities, guiding the perspective of how legislators in the room would respond to incoming actions from the federal government. “I don’t know that I’ve been to a Board of Supervisors that has a value statement before,” Laird said. “[This] one seems to cover it really nicely, exactly what’s going on now.” On the list of things that matter most: opposing efforts that unfairly target immigrants, with a focus on protecting data privacy for individuals who have provided personal information to any private or government institution, as well as supporting protections for reproductive freedom, LGBTQ+ rights, marriage equality, climate action and education. “We’re going to continue to rely on litigation to push back on this administration,” Panetta said. “[But] basically it’s going to come down to you—the resources that you provide at the local level to continue to protect those most vulnerable in our communities.” U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, addressed members of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors via teleconference from his Washington, D.C. office. Common Cause County leaders meet with state and federal representatives to form a united front. By Katie Rodriguez A visitor steps through the Great Tide Pool, located on Point Pinos in Pacific Grove, researched by scientist Ed Ricketts and extolled by his friend John Steinbeck in Cannery Row. “We don’t know yet what the federal government is going to do.” KATIE RODRIGUEZ DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 (831) 718-9041 merrillgardensmonterey.com 200 Iris Canyon Rd, Monterey, CA 93940 M O N T E R E Y Lic #275202591 Now included with every residence: More happy hours Enjoy Lunch On Us! Find more hours in the day. Happy hours, not fixing-the- house hours, of course. Please call or visit our website for more information. Then prepare to seize the day. Enjoy More at Merrill Gardens Senior Living Keep Rocking! ADVERTISEMENT 26515 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite 200, Carmel (831) 375-3151 | www.hudsonmartin.com ESTATE PLANNING ESTATE ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LAW VOTED BEST ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY 2023 2021 GOLDEN PINE CONE AWARD BUSINESS LAW TRUST & ESTATE PLANNING LITIGATION Keep Rocking! ADVERTISEMENT 26515 Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite 200, Carmel (831) 375-3151 | www.hudsonmartin.com ESTATE PLANNING ESTATE ADMINISTRATION BUSINESS LAW VOTED BEST ESTATE PLANNING ATTORNEY 2023 2021 GOLDEN PINE CONE AWARD THE BEST ATTORNEY ’12-’24 In Monterey County Jeannette K. Witten Monterey County Weekly
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Jesus “Chuy” Ruben Hernandez still can’t believe he is the owner of his first car, a 2007 VW Jetta he was awarded through a new Rancho Cielo program dubbed RIDE: Rancho Investing in Driver Equity. When a case manager at the school called him at his home in Greenfield to say he could come pick up the car in Salinas, it didn’t seem real. He took the bus to get there. The car is now Hernandez’s ride into a future he never imagined. He’s currently studying psychology at Hartnell College, determined to one day counsel young people who are struggling as he once did. Growing up he thought school wasn’t for him. Then he entered Rancho Cielo’s program that helps young people ages 16-24 from underserved communities, and with support from the staff, discovered he could succeed. “I never dreamed I would go to college,” he says. “[Rancho Cielo] changed the trajectory of my life.” RIDE began after Rancho Cielo’s Equity Committee saw a need for students to gain access to identification, says Jaime Kitz, a Rancho Cielo board member and chair of the committee. They launched a driver’s education program that helped students earn licenses. Free training was offered and Rancho Cielo instructors took students out on the road to get in required practice hours. From there the committee decided to find a way to make cars available to students who demonstrated a certain level of need and maturity. Three students applied for the new grant but there were only two cars available. After a committee reviewed their applications and interviewed each student, John Phillips, founder of Rancho Cielo, was so moved by each of their stories he went out and found a third car. The three students were coached on the ins and outs of car ownership, budgeting for expenses and maintenance. “It was probably pretty shocking filling a tank,” Kitz says. A ceremony was held on Feb. 4 at Rancho Cielo officially awarding the students their cars. “It was very moving,” Kitz says, “the humility they all had and the graciousness they had at the same time. It was almost a sense of relief for them.” With the first generation of RIDE now complete, the plan is to expand it. Nonprofit leaders will be asking the public to donate cars at Rancho Cielo’s upcoming sold-out fundraiser, the 15th annual Culinary Round Up on Feb. 23 in Monterey. Early in the morning on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023, federal agents served a warrant on the East Garrison home of Zelene Charles and her partner, Jennifer Amorin. It marked the beginning of a federal criminal case against Charles, who was indicted in May of 2024 and then in July pleaded guilty to defrauding the United States government. It also marked a new chapter for Charles, who wrote in a January letter to United States District Judge Edward Davila: “I no longer had to hide from this secret I was carrying. I know that if I want to live a blessed life, I must confront my past and right my wrongs.” Charles is asking Davila for a probation-only sentence with no prison time. Federal prosecutors are asking the judge to impose a 27-month prison sentence, followed by three years of supervised release and $630,628 in restitution. Charles, who had previously served for 10 years in the military, worked as a civilian employee at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey from 2010 to 2019 where she was responsible for IT supplies. She created fake invoices, using Department of Defense accounts to buy items that were never actually purchased by the DoD, and instead paid to at least 78 different account names she personally accessed, in 185 transactions, such as a purchase of $9,942 for 250 MacBook cases, according to court records. “DLI is currently experiencing a shortfall of 386 MacBook Pros that should have been replaced in fiscal year 2025, but due to Charles’ actions, DLI no longer has funds to obtain the equipment,” according to prosecutors. Charles’ attorney, Irvine-based Diane Bass, argues for a more lenient sentence: “Ms. Charles is an extraordinary human being with a heart the size of California. Unfortunately, she exercised extremely poor judgment and engaged in an inexcusable course of conduct while employed at a job she loved, that she was great at.” The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Monday, March 3 at the federal courthouse in San Jose. Test Drive Rancho Cielo helps students succeed with a new program to get them on the road. By Pam Marino NEWS LOOK BACK AND FORWARD Pacific Grove Planning Commission meets to present its annual report. 6pm Thursday, Feb. 13. Council Chamber, 300 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. Free. 648-3190, cityofpacificgrove.org. HEALTHY AGING Alliance on Aging hosts a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate its new brand. Leaders from the nonprofit organization that supports older adults will share their vision for the future. 11am Friday, Feb. 14. Alliance on Aging, 247 Main St., Salinas. Free. 655-1334, allianceonaging.org. SCHOOL FUNDS Salinas City Elementary School District Board of Trustees meets to discuss implementing development fees for residential, commercial and industrial construction. 6:30pm Tuesday, Feb. 18. Salinas City Elementary School District, 840 S. Main St., Salinas. Free. 753-5600, salinascityesd.org. PUBLIC PLAN The County of Monterey, along with the cities of Gonzales, Greenfield, Marina and Sand City, is eligible to receive federal Community Development Block Grant funds for housing, economic development and other projects. The public is invited to provide input. 6pm Wednesday, Feb. 19. County of Monterey Housing & Community Development (Thyme Conference Room, second floor), 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas, or virtual at bit.ly/4hvWqJo. Free. 755-5025, housingprograms@countyofmonterey.gov. ON THE DAIS Soledad City Council meets to discuss city business. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Wednesday, Feb. 19. Soledad City Hall, 248 Main St., Soledad. Free. 2235000, cityofsoledad.com. CLEANUP CONTINUES An online workshop covering the latest on the former Fort Ord cleanup is now live, and public input is accepted. Pre-recorded presentations cover topics such as groundwater cleanup, landfill maintenance and more. Workshop is live through February 2026. Free. fortordcleanup.com. WOMEN’S VOICES The Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women is conducting a survey to gather information on women in the county and the challenges they face. Survey is available in English: forms. office.com/g/sJqAUeDyd7. Spanish: forms.office.com/g/Xv2N1WJq9J. Free. co.monterey.ca.us/csw. House of Laptops Feds seek 27-month prison sentence for former DLI employee who stole government property. By Sara Rubin Chuy Ruben Hernandez is one of three Rancho Cielo students who secured a driver’s license and a car (in his case, a VW Jetta) through the new program, called RIDE. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “[Rancho Cielo] changed the trajectory of my life.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 We’re injecting! ASR Aquifer Storage and Recovery injection well in Seaside Surplus Carmel River rainwater is now being stored in the Seaside Aquifer. A Half Billion Gallons of rainwater were injected into the Seaside Aquifer in 2024. That’s enough water to serve 8,000 Peninsula homes for a year. Visit MPWMD.net for more data.
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Since his first day in office Jan. 20, President Donald Trump has been issuing orders, including a directive to freeze federal funding. “It goes against the will of Congress,” U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, told constituents during a phone town hall meeting on Monday, Feb. 10. “Once funds are appropriated by Congress for a specific purpose, the executive branch must expend those funds. Congress has the power of the purse.” A court order has temporarily blocked the freeze, but the flurry of orders and questions about federal funds have created confusion and chaos among many local institutions. “Federal agencies continue to complete analysis and reports of their programs and projects for compliance with executive orders, and we are unclear as to what the impact will be for our campus programs when this work is completed,” says Walter Ryce, a spokesperson for CSU Monterey Bay. For some organizations, the impact is already being felt. Richard Stedman, air pollution control officer for the Monterey Bay Air Resources District, says MBARD cannot access a $650,000 grant it received from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. MBARD monitors the air in Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties using an outdated system; they were set to update that equipment. Stedman says they didn’t receive a notice about the freeze and found their account from EPA was gone upon logging in to file for about $100,000 in reimbursement. “We’ve let EPA know. They have told us basically they can’t speak to us, and referred us to others in the administration that are not returning our calls,” Stedman adds. (To add more confusion into the mix, some EPA grants are still available. MBARD, for example, can still access an over $400,000 grant to implement the federal Clean Air Act.) A $14.3 million grant from the Federal Highway Administration to install 44 electric vehicle charging stations in the tri-county area is also at stake. Tiffany Wise-West, sustainability officer for the City of Santa Cruz, says the agency has ceased communication. “It will be a setback in our progress toward achieving climate action goals across the three counties,” she says. On Monday, Feb. 10, U.S. District Judge John McConnell Jr. said the freeze was “likely unconstitutional” and slammed the Trump administration for “continu[ing] to improperly freeze federal funds.” He ordered the federal government to immediately restore frozen funding. On Feb. 11, MBARD officials were again able to access their EPA account. Members of Congress representing the region say they are working to clarify local impacts. “The Trump Administration’s lawless attempts to freeze federal funding are leaving our Central Coast communities scared and vulnerable. Without needed federal funding, community organizations and local governments’ operations are threatened,” Democratic representatives Panetta, Zoe Lofgren, Salud Carbajal and Julia Brownley said in a joint statement on Feb. 10. Fund Flow Federal executive orders are impacting different sectors on the Central Coast and beyond. By Celia Jiménez U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, says reports of issues related to a federal funding freeze continue coming in. She set up a website (lofgren.house.gov/ federalfundingfreeze) to gather more. NEWS “It goes against the will of Congress.” DANIEL DREIFUSS INFORMATION & RESERVATIONS +1 (800) 527-2200 Our local friends & neighbors are invited to indulge in a soothing getaway to Big Sur. Through March 13, visit Post Ranch Inn and take advantage of our Locals’ Escape offer. • Accommodations in a Tree House, Coast House, Ocean House or Pacific Suite • Daily Dining Credit of $250 Each Night of Your Stay • Daily Breakfast Basket Nightly rates start at $1500 based on room type Unplug, Unwind, and Reconnect Try Us First. We Pay The Highest! MONTEREY COIN SHOPPE Since 1970 same street for 40 years Open Mon-Thur 11am-4pm and Friday by appointment only. Call for an appointment: 831.646.9030 449 Alvarado St., Monterey www.montereycoinshoppe.com WE BUY GOLD AND SILVER, JEWELRY, COINS, DIAMONDS, WATCHES, ART & RARE ANTIQUES
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 For all the talk about the Carmel and Salinas rivers, and the various groundwater subbasins in the Salinas Valley, the Seaside Basin receives remarkably little attention, despite being a cornerstone of the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply. It’s an underground reservoir that stores water injected from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District’s aquifer storage and recovery project (ASR) and the recycled water project Pure Water Monterey. And like most things related to water in Monterey County, it’s both wildly complicated and politicized. It’s also unique in that, due to a legal action brought by Cal Am in 2003, the pumping rights within the basin were adjudicated by the courts, which ultimately decided 3,000 acre-feet annually was a “natural safe yield” to keep the basin in balance—at the time, about 6,000 acre-feet annually were being pumped from the basin. The Seaside Watermaster oversees the basin. The various pumpers from the basin—Cal Am being the biggest, and City of Seaside making up most of the rest—have finally gotten under that 3,000 acre-feet limit. But the board of the Seaside Watermaster remains concerned about potential seawater intrusion into the basin, and a 2024 report commissioned by the agency concluded “it is not if, but when, seawater intrusion…will occur.” That’s because currently, levels in the aquifer being pumped are 20 feet below sea level. In 1960, it was 50 feet above sea level. To address what they view as an impending threat, the board voted in November to establish a goal of injecting 3,600 acre-feet into the basin for 10 years. George Riley, who served on the board at the time, brought up a lack of plans to fund a project. At a Feb. 5 meeting, Watermaster board members wanted more detail and more explanation. One subject that kept coming up was leakage from the basin as being a major problem. One suggestion was that desalinated water could be injected into the basin to solve the problem. But officials from the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District disagree with many of the conclusions reached by the Watermaster’s reports and framing of the problem. One is the leakage. Jon Lear, MPWMD’s hydrogeologist, says the hydrogeological boundary of the basin is south of the political boundary created by the adjudication—specifically, some water in the political boundary flows north, as it should, and shouldn’t be considered “leakage.” In addition, with the Pure Water Monterey expansion coming online late this year—water which Cal Am is contractually obligated to buy—there will be an additional 2,225 acre-feet of water pumped into the basin every year, and there should be about 3,000 acre-feet of supply in Cal Am’s service area that exceeds demand. Whether Cal Am sells all of that recycled PWM water to customers or not, it would still be leaving its water rights in the basin—1,474 acre-feet annually. Lear believes that amount, over time, will be enough to bring the basin back up. Ground Game As officials fret about how to protect the Seaside Basin, a bulwark of recycled water may provide the answer. By David Schmalz Ian Oglesby serves as the chair of the Seaside Watermaster board. The small agency has a budget of just about $200,000 a year. NEWS “It is not if, but when, seawater intrusion… will occur.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Special Limited Certificate APY= annual percentage yield. Minimum opening deposit $100,000. Maximum $999,999.99. Funds to open this certificate must be new to Monterey CU. New to Monterey CU means the funds must not have been on deposit with Monterey CU in the last six months. Limit to one promotional share certificate per member. Offer available for limited time starting 01/15/2025, and subject to change or cancellation without notice. Early withdrawal penalties apply. LIVE FULL For more information, visit us at www.motereycu.com or call us at 831.647.1000 or stop by a branch nearby Salinas | Monterey | Hollister | Carmel
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com ALL AGES I wanted to compliment you on an excellent article—well researched and written, on a very timely subject (“The need for senior living and care is increasing, but quality is decreasing,” Feb. 6-12). As a senior, I especially appreciate this kind of in-depth and thoughtful reporting. Bill Fuerst | Prunedale Just like with affordable housing, big pharma and food, corporations are increasingly taking over entire industries that provide the basic necessities of life. This affects all phases of life. Putting profits before people does real damage to society as a whole. Esther Malkin | Monterey How a country treats its children, sick and elderly is the metric on “greatness.” We have a long way to go. Mike Gash | San Diego MILITARY MIGHT Of course, the study paid for by the local [Monterey Bay Defense Alliance] paints a rosy picture of the DoD’s impact (“Defense spending nears $5 billion in local economic benefit, according to a new study,” Feb. 6-12). But what are the costs, especially the long-term societal ones? Families are cycled out every two years. Local rent costs are pegged at the amount of bloated housing stipends. Temporary residents with license plates and bumper stickers from other states shape local and state elections and policy. Pretty arrogant stance to think that their absence in the wake of a BRAC closure that Fort Hunter Liggett couldn’t be designated camping or parkland instead of live fire ranges, that [NPS] couldn’t be repurposed back to Hotel Del Monte or even housing, and that their absence wouldn’t immediately be backfilled with full-time, long-term residents eager for a beautiful place to live and call home. Jim Daniels | Monterey WHOSE HOME? Thank you for the great reporting (“Monterey County protesters join a nationwide movement to show the power of immigrants,” posted Feb. 3). I passed the protest and it was nice to see the energy! Lisa Martin | Seaside Our immigrants are a vital asset to our community. In California alone, in 2024, undocumented residents paid close to $8.5 billion in taxes for social services for which they are ineligible. Federally, undocumented immigrants contribute to the solvency of Social Security, contributing over $25.7 billion annually toward benefits that they are ineligible to claim. Immigrants work in agriculture, construction, restaurants, food processing, transportation and health care and are an integral part of our country. We are all immigrants from somewhere (“Letters,” Feb. 6-12). So, Ms. Cooper, unless you are descended from the Indigenous people of the Americas, I will hope you take your hateful comment to heart and feel free to “NOW GO HOME.” Marta Kraftzeck | Monterey Immigration policy is, at its core, about our own humanity and how we treat one another. Mass deportation would cut the GDP by as much as 7.4 percent and drive prices 9.1-percent higher by 2028, according to the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Many people will lose their jobs, their businesses, their homes. Billions of dollars spent for unchecked immigration enforcement is at the expense of our country’s everyday needs for housing, healthcare, food for children and low-income families. The United States needs a migration system that centers on empathy, safety and efficiency. That starts with honoring the light in every individual. Please urge our local, state and national leaders to work toward common-sense, humane border policies and legal pathways to citizenship. Lauren Keenan | Salinas Keenan is writing on behalf of the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula. TIMES A’CHANGING I will miss this place (“Carmel’s iconic Forge in the Forest restaurant is closing,” posted Jan. 31). Marco Hebbe-Zubiate | via social media Property owner Patrice Pastor, a billionaire from Monaco, has spent over $100 million on properties in Carmel in the last decade. He’s ruining the town. Paige Hufford | via social media It may be unavoidable. Many building owners in Carmel may have to sell off their properties in order to stay solvent with the current extortion tactics by insurance companies. We have a fourth-generation family-owned Carmel-by-the-Sea building filled with residents and businesses. No mortgage is owed but the high property taxes, inflated repair costs, and now we have been slapped with a 250-percent increase in fire insurance fees. We feel terrible since many tenants will lose their long-term housing and business spaces. Karen Schofield | via social media PAY RAISE The Marina City Council stipend increases are excessive and are more in line with cities six to 11 times the size of Marina (“Squid Fry: Adds Up,” Feb. 6-12). The council repeatedly claims that they are doing this to encourage others to run for office but they would still prefer that it take effect now rather than after they have had to face elections, so it’s fair to question the sincerity of their intentions. A more sensible approach would be 1) setting council member stipends at $400/month and the mayor’s stipend at $500/month to immediately achieve regional pay parity; 2) implementing automatic annual adjustments to stipends based on the Consumer Price Index; and 3) putting the larger amount up for a vote in 2026. Hans Ongchua | Marina MIX IT UP Good mix. Good reads. Thanks (“The diversity of this week’s coverage of Monterey County hits many marks,” posted Feb. 1). Annie Notthoff | Pebble Beach 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 FEBRUARY 13-19, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 What do you do when a tyrant is elected to serve in the White House, then starts fulfilling his tyrannical promises? Many people describe this moment as a test. For many of us who feel safe— people like me, a third-generation American citizen, a cisgender woman, whose paycheck comes from a private company and not the federal government—there is a sense of obligation and responsibility to stand up for justice. When California Attorney General Rob Bonta visited Salinas on Jan. 10 for a community roundtable meeting on immigration and what the state could do to protect immigrants in California, he shared his own story of immigrating as a baby from the Philippines with his parents, who participated in the fight for democracy in their home country. “My mom opposed the dictator,” Bonta said. “You can’t just put your chin on your elbow and look out the window and hope.” My question, since President Donald Trump was elected to a second term on Nov. 5, 2024, has been: What can and should I do besides look out the window and hope? Where can I deploy my time and effort? For the most part, the answers I got felt stale and flimsy, like they might have mattered in another lifetime. Donate what you can; show up at protests; write letters to your elected officials in Washington. I finally saw an answer to what can we do? that felt real on Sunday afternoon, Feb. 9. About 70 people skipped out on the first half of the Super Bowl to instead gather at Oldemeyer Center in Seaside for a training led by volunteer leaders of the Solidarity Network - Monterey County Rapid Response on how to become legal observers for immigration enforcement actions. The network formed in 2017 in response to Trump’s first election. It disbanded, then relaunched in November 2024 and got a new hotline number up and running, staffed by volunteer dispatchers who take reports of La Migra. In a world rife with misinformation and rumor, this volunteer network acts responsibly to document what is really happening, and to deploy volunteer legal observers to show up and document what is taking place. The concept is to create a record about immigration enforcement actions that may eventually be helpful in a person’s immigration case. (Of course, volunteers hope teams of observers also discourage ICE from showing up in the first place.) “We are trying to hold ICE accountable,” said Magnolia Zarraga, a Salinas-based immigration attorney and Solidarity Network volunteer. After a training on Feb. 1 in Salinas, organizers say about 70 of 140 attendees signed up to join the Rapid Response Network. (Another training follows at 6pm Friday, Feb. 21 at the Hartnell College campus in Soledad. You can register at eventbrite.com.) The two-hour training—a requirement to become a legal observer—focused on practicalities of what to do and what not to do. (Volunteers must agree to follow the law and obey commands from ICE officers, for example. They may never bring any weapons when responding.) In skits, people roleplayed some do’s and don’ts. One attendee volunteered to role-play what he thought first responders should do—lean in and shout in ICE agents’ faces. He told trainers they were being too passive in their guidance, and he wanted more action, something that looked more like resistance. Trainers were clear in their response. To volunteer with the Rapid Response Network as a legal observer, one must agree to abide by certain commitments. “If you are going to be part of this, we need you to follow the law,” Zarraga said. Trainer Michael Frederiksen acknowledged the role of legal observer might feel to some people like it is not enough, and he urged them to still be part of the community. “If you don’t agree to this, that’s OK—we need a wide movement,” he said. Beyond developing specific, actionable tools—a hotline and a network of legal observers—the training felt like the beginning of a real movement, with people of diverse backgrounds gathered together to learn about specific steps they could take to help protect our neighbors’ rights. “This is how we keep each other safe,” County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said. “We’re all in this together.” Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. In This Together The all-volunteer Solidarity Network reconvenes with a plan for Trump 2.0. By Sara Rubin SHOOTING BLANKS…Squid’s never owned a firearm— cephalopods evolved with all the weapons they need, Squid’s favorite being ink. While Squid thinks there are sensible, constitutional federal laws that could be passed banning certain types of guns, Squid gets there’s the Second Amendment and whatnot, so there’s only so much that can be done. Same goes for gun vendors, as a Monterey neighborhood is learning. In Oak Grove, east of Lake El Estero, there is consternation that a gun shop is opening in the largely residential neighborhood on the southeast corner of 3rd Street and Ocean Avenue. A handful of residents spoke up at a Monterey City Council meeting on Feb. 4 voicing their discontent, arguing it wasn’t an appropriate fit for the quiet, family-friendly neighborhood. On Feb. 8, a resident started a change.org petition calling for the prevention of the gun shop, with 153 signatures as of press time. However, the business—L&B Firearm Solutions— already got a permit from the city late last year. Retail businesses, gun shops included, are allowed in places zoned for commercial use, and that corner lot is zoned for commercial use. It’s not something anyone votes on, just a ministerial stamp of approval. So unfortunately for concerned residents, resistance is futile. MANSION MADNESS…Squid’s neighbor Henry the Hermit Crab recently asked the neighborhood for help in his quest to take over an ancient nautilus shell under the guise of historic restoration—the neighbors’ response was a collective eyeroll. Carmel neighbors are beyond eyerolls and are up in arms over a proposal by videographer Mike Buffo to restore Flanders Mansion, a 100-year- old Tudor home owned by the city and located inside Mission Trail Nature Preserve. His proposal would install his family as caretakers through the nonprofit Carmel Outlands at Flanders Mansion, while also maintaining his commercial videography business. Renovations would be financed through fundraising, grants and ticketed events for up to 99 people. Buffo presents it as a win for the city and community. At a Carmel City Council meeting on Feb. 4, neighbors and leaders of the nonprofit Friends of Mission Trail Nature Preserve announced not one but two new groups proposing to take over the mansion. They scoffed at Buffo’s contention that his activities would be “low-impact.” One man called the events “Gatsbylike parties,” while someone else argued his proposal was self-serving. Leaders of the two groups promised that if given the nod they will use the mansion for the good of the nature preserve only—no big events. Henry never got that nautilus shell. Squid thinks Buffo’s chances of occupying Flanders Mansion are similarly slim to none. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “This is how we keep each other safe.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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