FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT BIDDING ON JAIL HEALTHCARE 8 | FEDERAL WORKERS IN LIMBO 10 | CHEERS TO THE BEER MILKSHAKE 31 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • Local podcasts—and professional-level podcasters —are on the rise. p. 16 MIC CHECK
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 • ISSUE #1909 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Victoria Blackmon (Canon RF7, Canon RF 200800) Big waves kick up ocean spray in the foreground, as sailboats cruise by in the distance. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Dr. Casey Grover is an addiction medicine specialist who expanded his reach by creating a podcast. He’s not alone—he is joined by many other local podcast producers who have met with a surprisingly far reach. Cover photo: Daniel Dreifuss 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 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH In a time of uncertainty when immigrants, undocumented or not, need to be up to date about local news, Spanish TV news station Telemundo 23 recently went dark for 10 days. Anchor and reporter Sandy Santos was a one-woman-band, reporting and producing the show by herself for several months. Santos was on medical leave in early February, and since there wasn’t another in-house Spanish-speaking reporter, the station opted to broadcast national news instead. (Jose Romo joined the Spanish newscast recently). Over the past decade, Spanish news across the country, including Monterey County, has drastically reduced its staffing among various media, in addition to outlets being shut down altogether. Locally, in 2023, Gannett shut down El Sol, a weekly Spanish publication that had translated articles from The Salinas Californian. Univision reduced its local team and moved production to San Diego. In 2020, Univision reduced its local presence even further from two to one local reporter, but in 2023, it hired a local news producer. Good: On Feb. 18, Monterey City Council formally accepted a $240,000 grant from Monterey Bay Air Resources District to put toward the electrification of the city’s fleet of vehicles. Those funds will be divided into two parts: $40,000 will go to help subsidize the purchase of two electric Ford F-150 Lightning pickups, and $200,000 toward the installation of an eight-vehicle charging station at the city’s corporation yard in Ryan Ranch. Ted Terrasas, the city’s sustainability manager, says the city plans to send out a request for proposals in the coming months in order to get the project done by late this year. The city is also requesting an additional $150,000 from Central Coast Community Energy, aka 3CE, which it expects to receive (3CE and a consultant have already planned the project), thereby not impacting the city’s general fund. Either way, Terrasas says, the project is moving forward. GREAT: Alisal Union School District broke ground on a new kindergarten building at César E. Chávez Elementary in Salinas on Feb. 21, increasing its capacity to teach its youngest students. The school currently has two kindergarten classrooms, and once the new building is completed (scheduled to be by the end of 2025), it will add an additional classroom as well as bathrooms for staff and students. According to the district, the expansion will allow it to grow its Transitional Kinder program, open to children who are 4 years old by the beginning of the school year in September. Earlier this month, the district celebrated the grand opening of the Buckhorn Early Learning Center, which has room for 90 students. “We want to make sure children in East Salinas start on the right path of education, and providing them with the best facilities is the best way to achieve that goal,” Superintendent Jim Koenig said. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how much the total crime rate declined in Seaside in the five-year period between 2020-2024, with the largest driver being larceny (theft, i.e. shoplifting), which declined 42 percent. Source: Seaside Police Department 33% QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We look forward to the day we can welcome you back with open arms.” -The Haute Enchilada owner Kim Solano, in a letter announcing the popular Moss Landing restaurant is temporarily closing (see story, montereycountynow.com). * Borrowers must be members of Bay Federal Credit Union and your business be eligible for Bay Federal membership. Qualification of membership is defined as the business headquarters is located within Santa Cruz, Monterey, or San Benito Counties. Must meet membership and account criteria, all loans subject to approval. Only commercial properties located within the state of California are eligible for financing. Rates and terms will vary based on collateral and credit. Programs, rates, terms, conditions, and services are subject to change without notice. Other restrictions may apply. 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas 831.479.6000 • www.bayfed.com • 888.4BAYFED Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender Now Offering Commercial Real Estate Loans No pre-payment penalties Purchase or refinance Multi-family units, farm & agriculture, office space, warehouses and other properties Visit a branch today!
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 In his quest to become a physician, Dr. Casey Grover found during medical school that when he needed to conquer new concepts, the best way was to learn enough so that he could turn around and teach it to someone else. Fast forward to 2021, while on his journey to become board certified in addiction medicine. Producing a podcast became his tool for learning. “I was worried I would pass the test to be an addiction doctor but not know what I was doing,” Grover says. By digging deep into topics around addiction medicine and understanding them thoroughly, he could explain them to his audience, as well as use them in his career, with confidence. Of course, he had to learn how to podcast, too. “I had no clue what I was doing,” he says. Four years and over 100 episodes of Addiction Medicine Made Easy; Fighting Back Against Addiction later, Grover has come a long way in his podcasting journey. His podcast, available for streaming or download on all podcasting platforms, has listeners in all 50 states and 32 countries. Grover is known in Monterey County for his work inside the emergency department at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula over 14 years, and co-founding with fellow emergency physician and spouse Dr. Reb Close, Montage Health’s Prescribe Safe in 2014. It was born out of the two doctors routinely witnessing patients addicted to opioids come through the emergency room. Prescribe Safe first focused on decreasing the amount of opioids prescribed and over time evolved into prevention efforts and monitoring what illegal opioids and other drugs were circulating in the community, as well as tracking the number and locations of overdoses. In 2020 they incorporated the nonprofit Central Coast Opioid Overdose Prevention, a coalition of providers, nonprofits and community members focused on combating the opioid crisis through sharing information and treatment resources. They left CHOMP and now work for Pacific Rehabilitation and Pain, a clinic based in Monterey. When Grover launched the podcast he named it Addiction in Emergency Medicine and Acute Care, a clunky and technical-sounding title one might see at the top of a medical research paper. His target audience was other emergency and acute care physicians, as well as nurses and other health professionals. As the podcast has evolved, it’s caught the attention of anyone interested in addiction, be they loved ones or even those struggling with addiction or in recovery themselves. Last year he changed the title to the catchier Addiction Medicine Made Easy. Recent episodes have tackled issues like trauma, overcoming stigma to help people in addiction and recovery and featured interviews with people in recovery. He also does episodes that take a close look at the science behind some of the latest street drugs and even nonregulated substances with opioid-type effects. Grover believes his podcast is moderately successful. Based on data available to him he believes that he’s in the top 15 percent of podcasts based on number of downloads. He usually gets about 300 downloads in the first seven days. According to his podcast host company, Buzzsprout, if a podcast gets 475 downloads in the first week, it puts the podcast in the top 10 percent. His audience grew quickly in the first two years, then hit a plateau. That all changed when he broadened his audience. It’s now growing, slowly, but it continues to increase. He saw 1,600 downloads last July. In January he had a little over 2,100 downloads. Grover accepts no advertising out of a concern over a perception of bias on his part. Montage Health provided him with a grant that paid for some courses in how to podcast, as well as a coach to give him advice on how to make improvements. “It’s kind of a hobby but it helps me professionally. Someday I’d love to do more,” he says, perhaps a second podcast focused purely on people telling their stories. But he concedes he’d probably have to leave medicine to make that happen. Talk to Learn Podcasting was this doctor’s ticket to mastering a new skill while helping others. By Pam Marino Dr. Casey Grover’s podcast, Addiction Medicine Made Easy, is getting noticed by publicists who represent authors and other professionals who contact him about appearing on the show. “It’s kind of a hobby but it helps me professionally.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Local People, Local Bank Banking is better when it’s locally sourced. You receive personal attention from local experts, access to decision makers, and exceptional customer service. If you’d like some fresh ideas on how to grow your business, contact us. Our team is ready to serve you.
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS About a month after union organizers sent a request for voluntary recognition of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU) union, which would represent all non-management staff at the Aquarium, the request was denied by Aquarium management. Executive Director Julie Packard, who recently announced her retirement, sent a message to Aquarium employees stating: “We want to be sure we honor each of your voices…That’s why holding a secret ballot election is the best path forward.” There are two main ways workers can form a union with a private company, says Shane Anderson, organizing director with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, one of the largest labor unions in the country which is representing MBAWU. The first is through voluntary recognition if a majority of workers show support, and the second is through a formal union election filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). “Really what they’re doing is forcing workers to vote twice,” Anderson says. “I think a lot of our leaders were disappointed in management’s decision because the Monterey Bay Aquarium is such a stalwart supporter of ocean conservation and a leader on a lot of progressive fronts. We figured that they would also do the right thing and stand by their workers.” Aquarium workers will vote by mail by April 18, or onsite at the Aquarium on March 26-27. Ballots will be counted on Monday, April 21. “The beauty of the NLRB election route is that it doesn’t really matter what management wants,” says Anderson. “It only matters how the workers vote. If the workers vote to unionize, then there will be a union.” Union Hurdles Aquarium workers to vote on potential unionization after voluntary recognition is rejected. By Katie Rodriguez At the North County Fire Protection District’s board meeting on the morning of Tuesday, Feb. 18, Fire Chief Joel Mendoza reported some good news coming from the Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility, a month after a fire destroyed part of the site and forced nearby residents to evacuate. Drone operators monitoring the rubble noted that temperatures had gone back down to normal levels, a relief for firefighters who were concerned that recent rains would reignite the damaged batteries. Less than eight hours after the meeting ended, the battery facility flared up again, prompting emergency officials to issue a warning to residents to keep their windows shut as a precaution. The fire died down early the next morning. The volatile nature of the fire is not unlike the revenue stream the fire district receives in property taxes from the power plant, historically its largest singular source of funding. The State of California is responsible for determining the assessed value of power plants. At one point, about 25 years ago, the Moss Landing Power Plant was valued at nearly $1 billion. But since then, as the decades-old facility began its march toward obsolescence with various portions being shut down over the years, the value has dipped drastically, dropping to a low of under $200 million at one point, Mendoza recalls. Following Vistra’s investment into a battery storage facility, the property is currently assessed at nearly $1.4 billion. But changes in how that property tax revenue is distributed have diminished the amount the fire district receives, down to $106,677 this year after approaching $1 million in the early 2000s. Fire District Board President Don Chapin calls the property tax revenue both “a blessing and a curse,” saying the district has made efforts in recent years to diversify its revenue stream. Proposition 218, passed by voters in 2021, increased property taxes in the district, giving North County Fire a more stable source of revenue. Prior to that proposition, a parcel tax that went before voters in 2019 failed. The funds have allowed the department to increase its staffing to 30 full-time firefighters, up from a low of 21, Chapin says. The district, which responds to about 3,500 calls annually and serves about 42,000 residents, has three stations, in Castroville, Prunedale and Elkhorn. While the Castroville station is staffed 24/7 with three firefighters, the other stations have two firefighters apiece. “We’re doing a darn good job on a very limited revenue stream,” Chapin says. “I’m very proud of what this district does and the resources we have.” Chapin says the district maintains a balanced budget, although capital improvements are always a constant challenge—some equipment is 30 years old, in addition to dated facilities. How the possible demolition of the battery facility that burned down affects its property value, and what that means for the fire district’s revenue is unknown at this point, but “we’re going to work with whatever we get,” Chapin says, noting that another tax measure is not on the table. “A new tax measure is not in our wishlist,” he says. “We cannot just live on the backs of our people. We have to live within our means.” North County Fire Chief Joel Mendoza, seen here in January the day after the fire ignited in Moss Landing, says his crews visit the site every morning. Power Loss A dwindling source of revenue for North County Fire could further shrink after a battery fire. By Erik Chalhoub A group of Monterey Bay Aquarium employees gathered during their lunch break on Tuesday, Jan. 14 to announce their intent to unionize as Monterey Bay Aquarium Workers United (MBAWU). “We’re doing a darn good job on a limited revenue stream.” DANIEL DREIFUSS ANDREW DUDENBOSTEL
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Sponsorship Opportunities THANK YOU SPONSORS! MARCH 15, 2025 | 5PM Marriott Monterey • San Carlos Ballroom LOBO LEGENDS CELEBRATION Join us for this special occasion honoring distinguished alumni & benefitting MPC Students! Purchase reservations or make a donation by visiting www.mpcfoundation.org/lobolegends Ausonio, Inc. • Brailsford & Dunlavey, Inc. • Major Accountancy Group Pinnacle Bank • Richard and Renee Kezirian • Montage Health FREE COMMUNITY LEADERSHIP DISCUSSION FEBRUARY 28TH MONTEREY PENINSULA COLLEGE - LECTURE FORUM LF103 How does the current political social climate influence race relations and marginalized communities? What does it mean, what’s next, and where do we go from here? Featuring: Clement Miller (Emcee) - COO, Salinas Valley Health Dr. Marshall T. Fulbright III - Superintendent/President, Monterey Peninsula College Justin Noseworthy - Pastor, All Things New Church Lavera Alexander - Cofounder & Chief Strategist, All Things Nonprofit Byron K. Ward - President and CEO, Central Coast Minority Enterprise Resource Affiliates Jill Allen - Executive Director, Dorthy’s Place Alexis Garcia-Arrazola - Seaside City Councilmember MONTEREY PENINSULA COLLEGE 980 FREMONT ST, MONTEREY | LECTURE FORUM #LF103 FEB 28, 2025, 6PM – 8PM FOR QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL 831-594-1446 HEATABLE EATABLES! ELROY’S PRESENTS @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 JEWISH DELI CLASSICS TICKET=$140 EACH (1 TICKET SERVES TWO PEOPLE) To place your order visit www.elroysfinefoods.com or scan this QR CODE! Quantities are limited, so order soon! From Elroy’s Fine Foods Executive Chef & Culinary Director David Hardie A pre-ordered, fully prepared meal to heat & eat at home. Offered on the last Thursday of every month. GLOBALLY INSPIRED & LOCALLY SOURCED CHOPPED CHICKEN LIVER Smokey & Savory Served with Rye Crackers and Assorted Pickles (GF, DF, CRACKERS CONTAIN GLUTEN) MATZO BALL SOUP Soft Dumplings in a Comforting Chicken Broth (CONTAINS GLUTEN & EGGS, DF) TZIMMES Carrots, Roots & Sweet Potatoes with Honey and Dried Fruit (GF, VEGAN) SWEET & SOUR STUFFED CABBAGES Braised Cabbage Stuffed with Beef & Rice, Topped with Tangy Tomato Sauce (GF, DF, CONTAINS EGGS) POTATO LATKES Crispy Fried Potato Pancakes Served with Applesauce & Sour Cream (VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS GLUTEN) PASTRAMI ON RYE House Smoked Wagyu Pastrami, with House Made Mustard on Marbled Rye Bread (GF, DF, BREAD CONTAINS GLUTEN) NOODLE KUGEL Sweet Egg Noodle Casserole Baked with Dried Fruit & Warm Spices (VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS GLUTEN, DAIRY, EGGS) All items will also be available à la carte for purchase at the Prepared Foods counter on Thursday, 3/27 until sold out! *ORDER BY: THURSDAY, MARCH 20TH PICK UP: THURSDAY, MARCH 27TH NEXT MONTH: ALOHA APRIL! A HAWAIIAN FEAST. *
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com A request for proposals for correctional health services at the Monterey County Jail could signal the end for Wellpath, the current health care contractor with a contentious history and the largest provider of jail and prison health care. Wellpath, which used to operate under the name California Forensic Medical Group (CFMG), has a record of noncompliance and has faced thousands of lawsuits nationwide for poor inmate care. In Monterey County, multiple inmate deaths and a 2015 class-action settlement led to requirements for improved medical, dental and mental health care. Still, deaths and suicides have persisted. As Wellpath’s three-year, $44.3 million contract comes to an end in December of this year, the County is accepting bids for a new health care provider until March 27. Evaluations, as well as site visits, will be conducted in mid-April, with the bid award scheduled for the end of that month. “We’re really working to ensure that the team we put together to build this RFP, [in collaboration] with Contracts and Purchasing [Department], addresses everything that we believe will provide for the greatest level of care for our population,” Undersheriff Keith Boyd says. “Through the RFP [process], we’re able to create the checks and balances that we need to look out for that population that we serve.” In September 2023, a federal judge found CFMG to be in contempt of court for failing to meet 43 requirements to improve conditions under terms of the class-action settlement. In October 2024, the company was ordered to pay fines for violations totaling up to $1.3 million. In November 2024, Wellpath filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, which effectively paused lawsuits and court actions against it, including collecting fines from the Monterey County case. A day after filing for bankruptcy, Wellpath released a statement assuring its operations will continue as normal and that patients would receive high-quality care. Wellpath representatives declined to respond to questions for this story, including on whether they intend to bid again. According to language in the RFP, bidders must carry liability, malpractice and cyber security insurance, and the County will evaluate the vendor’s history, compliance and penalties in prior correctional healthcare contracts. “We have an important role to look out for the interest of our inmate population,” says Boyd, “and we take this role seriously.” Nearly six weeks after a battery fire ignited inside a building at Vistra’s Moss Landing Energy Storage Facility on Jan. 16, the site remains volatile. On the evening of Feb. 18, a flareup fire ignited inside the same building, smoldering within an area that had already burned a month earlier, before finally petering out around 2am Feb. 19. Just three days later, on Feb. 22, a specially trained team hired by Vistra, and under the direction of the U.S. EPA, began what is expected to be a twoweek process to “de-link” undamaged batteries from the system—essentially, that means unbolting the metal plates connecting the batteries to each other. Per a Vistra website (mosslandingresponse.com) about the company’s response to the fire, the de-linking will mitigate “the risk of individual batteries interacting with other batteries and reducing the potential for flare-ups.” The de-linking will start on the west end of the first floor of the three-story building, which before the fire housed 100,000 lithium batteries. The two weeks is only the first phase and will address about a third of the batteries in the structure. The remaining batteries are in areas that are structurally unsafe and won’t be de-linked until after demolition. Amy Conway, a spokesperson for Vistra, adds that many unknowns remain because until the recent de-linking began, no one’s been able to get a closer look at it. As for when a site cleanup might begin, she can’t say; the focus remains on making the site secure. The adjacent battery power plant, PG&E’s Elkhorn Battery Energy Storage System, is likewise shut down, as fallout from the fire rained down on the site. Paul Doherty, a PG&E spokesperson, says the company is still assessing the fallout’s impact, and says there’s no clear estimate for a cleanup timeline, or whether the plant could be operational before 2026. On Tuesday, Feb. 25, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to pursue the safety recommendations of an ad hoc committee, and provide monthly public updates. Take Care With Wellpath’s contract set to expire, County opens bids for jail health care providers. By Katie Rodriguez NEWS BE PREPARED The Wildfire Ready Monterey Town Hall features a panel discussion with wildfire preparedness experts as well as various vendor booths. Topics include defensible space, tree regulations, evacuation plans and more. 5-8:30pm Thursday, Feb. 27. Monterey Conference Center, Serra Ballroom, 1 Portola Plaza, Monterey. Free. 6463908, monterey.gov/fire. WHAT’S HAPPENING Soledad’s State of the City features officials discussing various updates on the South County city. Light snacks and refreshments will be served. 6pm Thursday, Feb. 27. Soledad Community Center, 560 Walker Drive, Soledad. Free. 223-5000, cityofsoledad.com. LEADERS BREAKFAST The Salinas Valley Chamber of Commerce’s Legislative Breakfast includes talks by elected officials, including U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, State Sen. John Laird, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni and Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue. 7:30-9:30am Friday, Feb. 28. Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. $50/chamber members, $60/ non-members. 751-7725, salinaschamber.com. KNOW YOUR RIGHTS The Post-election Immigration Justice Panel addresses concerns about immigrant rights and policy changes under the current U.S. presidential administration. Local attorneys, scholars and lawmakers answer questions. 2-4pm Friday, Feb. 28. CSU Monterey Bay, Alumni and Visitors Center main room, 5108 Fourth Ave., Marina. Free. undocusuccess@csumb.edu, bit. ly/4gRhNUn. PAYMENT PLANS Marina residents are invited to share input on how to spend $3 million to upgrade public spaces, recreational facilities and amenities. The funds are provided by the Monterey Peninsula Water Supply Project’s Coast Development Fund. 10am-noon Saturday, March 1. UC MBEST Center, Suite 110, 3180 Imjin Road, Marina. Free. marinavoices.com. OPEN SEAT Salinas Valley Health accepts applications to fill a vacant seat on the Board of Directors. Applicants must be a registered voter in the Healthcare District and reside in Salinas Valley Health District Zone 3. Deadline to apply is 5pm Wednesday, March 5. gray@salinasvalleyhealth. com, SalinasValleyHealth.com/ BoardVacancy. Slow Burn The long process begins toward a careful, calculated recovery from the Vistra Fire. By David Schmalz A common area in the Monterey County Jail, where Wellpath and its predecessor company have provided health care services as a contractor since the mid-1980s. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX A federal judge found the company in contempt of court. DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 MAY 2-4 Laguna Seca SpeedTour (Trans Am) MAY 9-11 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship of Monterey JULY 11-13 MotoAmerica Superbike SpeedFest at Monterey JULY 25-27 INDYCAR Grand Prix of Monterey AUGUST 9-10 Pre-Reunion and Corkscrew Hillclimb AUGUST 13-16 Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion SEPT. 12-14 Ferrari Challenge SEPT. 26-28 GRIDLIFE Laguna LOCALS SAVE UP TO $399 ON SEASON PASSES Tickets and camping info at WeatherTechRaceway.com UNRESTRICTED SOUND DAYS LEAVES OTHER FUN IN THE DUST Monterey County Weekly: ¼ page, 4.66” (w) x 5.57” (h) Join us for free, interactive workshops in March, presented by Green Gardens Group via Zoom. The Monterey Peninsula is a leader in water conservation. Thank you for your commitment to being water wise! Learn more at: montereywaterinfo.org/events JOIN US FOR FREE CONSERVATION WEBINARS Wednesday, March 5 You Can Design Your Own Garden Workshop 6 p.m.–7:30 p.m. Tuesday, March 18 Outdoor Leaks Waste Money – Find and Fix ‘Em 6 p.m.–7 p.m.
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Over 100 civilian federal employees at the Defense Language Institute and an unknown number at the Naval Postgraduate School, both located in Monterey, have applied for deferred resignation as a result of receiving “fork in the road” letters from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) on Jan. 28, one week after President Donald Trump took office. As of Tuesday, Feb. 25, there was no word if those applications had been approved. The number of DLI employees is according to Dennis Hickman, union representative for the American Federation of Government Employees Local 1263. (DLI officials did not respond.) The number includes all types of employees, including instructors who teach enlisted military members nine foreign languages critical to the U.S. military’s mission, including Russian and Mandarin. Managers can deny an application if the employee is deemed too important to lose. AFGE national officials cautioned members about applying, noting that the OPM offer was “riddled with inconsistencies and uncertainties,” and said it was unclear if it was legal. They also said there was no guarantee that the continued pay and benefits offered through Sept. 30 would materialize. The leaders of the National Federation of Federal Employees—Local 1690 represents NPS employees—told its members not to apply for similar reasons. One DLI instructor who applied says they did it as a way out of what they call “an absolutely toxic” work environment, something multiple instructors have told the Weekly in recent years. (The Weekly is not identifying the instructor because they have not heard if they have been approved for resignation.) “That’s why people want to take this,” the instructor says. “But not as many people are taking it as you would think because they don’t trust the government to follow through.” How many NPS employees have applied for resignation is unknown. An NPS spokesperson deferred to the Navy’s Chief of Information at the Pentagon and a spokesperson there says it’s too early to answer. Meanwhile, chaotic messaging at the top of the federal government is leaving federal workers wondering what will happen next. On Saturday, Feb. 22, employees received an OPM email, entitled “What did you do last week?” asking workers for five bullet points of tasks accomplished. Elon Musk, who leads the Department of Government Efficiency, aka DOGE, further stoked fears by posting to social media that failure to comply by a Feb. 24 deadline would be taken as an immediate resignation. “Is this shit real?” Hickman wrote in an email to other AFGE representatives in California, in the wake of the OPM request. NFFE leaders believe the email and Musk’s threat are illegal. By Monday, Feb. 24, the departments of Defense, State, Energy, Homeland Security and Justice directed employees not to comply. OPM announced it was “voluntary.” A coalition of unions that includes AFGE filed a legal action against the order. Living in Limbo DLI and NPS employees wait to hear if they can resign amid federal chaos. By Pam Marino Naval Support Activity has 80 staff members, and Naval Postgraduate School has over 950 faculty and staff. All civilian federal employees received letters offering deferred resignations. NEWS “They don’t trust the government.” DANIEL DREIFUSS -Tire Rotation & Air Pressure Check -Test Battery, Starter, & Alternator -Clean Battery Terminal -Inspect All Bulbs -Inspect All Belts & Hoses for Cracks -Inspect All Fluids Levels (excludes oil) -Test Heating System -Inspect 4WD & AWD System (if applicable) -Suspension Check -Test Drive 831-230-0910 1730 The Mall | Seaside SullivansAutoService.com BOOK NOW! $87 *Most vehicles. Cannot combine with any other offer. Some restrictions may apply. Additional diagnostics not included. Must present coupon at check-in. Limited time only. PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES ALL YEAR LONG! THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.GOV/REC (831) 646-3866 SCAN ME! play! MONTEREY PRESCHOOL ADULT & SENIOR PROGRAMS ADULT SPORTS LEAGUES GYMNASTICS YOUTH DANCE CLASSES SCHOOL BREAK & SUMMER CAMPS YOUTH SPORTS LEAGUES & CAMPS AND MUCH MORE!
www.montereycountynow.com FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Parents and students have been voicing their concerns about proposed budgets for local school districts, including Pacific Grove Unified—one of the most affluent districts in Monterey County—and Pajaro Valley Unified, a mostly Latino district that serves northern Monterey and southern Santa Cruz counties. PGUSD’s projected deficit for this school year is more than $2.9 million. To reduce it, the district proposed cuts across the board on Feb. 6, including eliminating five full-time elementary teachers, including one Spanish instructor, and one mental health therapist. PGUSD Superintendent Linda Adamson says the recommendation to eliminate teacher positions is driven by lower enrollment. (After community feedback, the district is reconsidering keeping the Spanish teacher and therapist positions.) “We’ll be very clear in our community that we want to maintain small class sizes,” Adamson says. (She defines small as up to 25 students.) Lauralea Gaona, president of Pacific Grove Teachers Association, says they are carefully working to ensure minimal impact. “We’re working together to look at where we can make cuts that will have the least amount of effect on not only our students, but our staff,” Gaona says. At PVUSD, a Feb. 12 proposal included the reduction of 100 employees district-wide, also based on declining enrollment—the district is projected to lose 600 students in the upcoming school year. The proposal triggered a protest and an influx of people who spoke up at a board meeting. PVUSD has run on a deficit for the past three years. In January, the board decided to reduce spending by $5 million. How to cut that spending is another story. The board rejected the Feb. 12 proposal. “We recognize the concerns shared by our community,” PVUSD Superintendent Heather Contreras said in a statement. Other districts, like Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, are facing similar challenges but are taking a slightly different approach. For the upcoming school year, MPUSD will freeze positions. “This will save approximately $1 million and we will not lay off anyone,” Superintendent PK Diffenbaugh says by email. Declining enrollment and one-time federal funding that has dried up are factors affecting many districts. The lower enrollment trend is forecast to continue in Monterey County. The Public Policy Institute of California projected an 11-percent decline from 2018 to 2028, worse than the 7-percent state average. However, this impacts school districts differently. Carmel Unified School District and PGUSD get 100 percent of their funding via property taxes; other districts, like MPUSD and PVUSD, depend on the state’s supplementary funding, which is linked to enrollment and daily attendance. School boards have a March 15 deadline to issue layoff notices for the 2025-26 school year. On Tuesday, Feb. 25 both PGUSD and PVUSD held community forums to listen to concerns and discuss budget-cut alternatives. Class Cut Local school districts face deficits because of personnel and program reductions. By Celia Jiménez About 30 people attended a community meeting at Pacific Grove High School on Tuesday, Feb. 25 regarding budget cuts to P.G. Unified School District. Boards have a March 15 deadline for layoff decisions. NEWS The proposal included the reduction of 100 employees. NIK BLASKOVICH Monterey County Bank’s 12-month CD Offering Grow your savings with a secure 12-month Certificate of Deposit at 4% Interest Rate. 4% Interest Rate / 4.07% APY* Minimum Deposit: $100,000 Opening Your CD Is Easy! Visit any of our locations or call our branch managers for assistance: Carmel Valley: Nam Nguyen, Branch Manager Salinas: Diana McColl, Branch Manager Monterey: Karen Speed, Branch Manager Pacific Grove: Simi Johnson, Branch Manager montereycountybank.com *APY info: The annual percentage yield assumes interest will remain on deposit until maturity. A withdrawal will reduce earnings. Early Withdrawal Penalty: If your Account has not matured, any withdrawal of all or part of the funds from your Account may result in an early withdrawal penalty. Available to new funds only. Annual Percentage Yield is accurate as of 2/18/2025. ’24 Voted Monterey County’s BEST VETERINARIAN Dr. Brynie Kaplan Dau, MS, DVM Surgery • Dermatology • Feline And Canine Medicine Preventative Care Regenerative Medicine, PRP (Platelet-Rich Plasma) Laser Therapy • Exotics And Much More 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com Four years in a row! We are honored and look forward to working with you to support your pets best health and quality of life. A Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 27-MARCH 5, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com DOCTOR’S APPOINTMENT Again?!?! Why is it so difficult to access health coverage in Monterey County? (“Anthem ends relationship with Aspire Health, leaving 2,500 customers without local providers,” Feb. 20-26.) Cheri Gray Lyons | via social media Health care in Monterey County is really expensive and insurance companies don’t want to pay the high cost. Mike Moeller | Marina It’s ridiculous this happened at the start of year after open enrollment and the only suggestion is write to CalPERS to request the opportunity to change plans. How can they justify having people take a half day off work or school to drive to be seen by a doctor? At least your article has more advice than I got from my HR department, which is supposedly in communication with CalPERS. Kim Smith | Monterey This is why we need universal health care. Brooks Bell | via social media FOR THE RECORDS I want to express my appreciation for your article (“An alleged rape in a Monterey hotel room in 2017 became a national story, but changed little about how we think about sexual assault,” Feb. 20-26). It is a brilliant and timely report. It is a story that needed to be told. As a gynecologist, I see far too many women in the same situation. Thank you for doing such a fine and brave public service. Stephanie Taylor, MD | Carmel RIDE ON Thank you for your article on Fort Ord cleanup efforts (“The long cleanup of the former Fort Ord continues,” posted Feb. 13). As the president for Fort Ord Recreation Trails (FORT) Friends, I’ve been asking Army staff that same question—“How long will it take before the impact area will be made available to the public?” And for at least 20 years, the answer has always been the same: “In about 10 years.” I sure hope the interplay of weather, staffing and resources come together soon to enable forward progress on the cleanup so trail users can enjoy the full breadth of the Fort Ord National Monument. We’ve been waiting a long time. Henrietta Stern | Pacific Grove P’S AND Q’S I write as a retired teacher with over 40 years instructing elementary, middle school and teacher education students. I agree with Susie Brusa that phonics and decoding skills play a role in learning to read successfully (“How we teach reading can improve learning outcomes for life. It’s time to change the curriculum,” Jan. 30-Feb. 5). However, she mischaracterizes balanced literacy education both by ignoring phonics as a part of such instruction and by referring to prediction strategies as “guessing.” The human brain has evolved intense neural prediction pathways, and in reading relies on them more often than decoding pathways. Many students read well with minimal formal phonics instruction. Alongside them are those needing more intense phonics/ decoding instruction. When she asks, “Why don’t we just start with that methodology in the first place?” the answer is that, in addition to being a waste of time for some, letter-by-letter decoding is the least effective reading strategy. She is advocating a one-size-fits-all approach which years of teaching have shown me is never correct and sometimes harmful. Alexander Doan | Pacific Grove DOING TIME Twenty-seven months is way too low (“Feds seek 27-month prison sentence for former DLI employee who stole government property,” Feb. 13-19). She knew exactly what she was doing. Rory Montenegro | via social media LOSING A LEADER Your article about Butch Kronlund was beautiful (“Butch Kronlund, a longtime force in Big Sur, dies at 70,” posted Feb. 10). Such an awesome soul. Thank you for your lovely tribute to this incredibly strong, loving man who advocated for Big Sur. Hugs to Patte Kronlund, his powerful loving partner for years. Catherine Sullivan | Carmel NATIONAL STAGE Where was the Weekly? As a sustaining member of the Weekly, I was extremely disappointed that no one showed up to cover the protest in Monterey on President’s Day at the Window on the Bay. There were 300 to 400 people at this protest, which went from noon to about 1:30pm. Despite the strong turnout of protesters and the positive responses from most of the cars that passed by, there was no media presence. This is disappointing. I really expected more from our local media. Charla Britt | Monterey The conservatives in this nation have been crowing about how “government is the problem” for decades (“The court system is not enough to stop the Donald Trump-Elon Musk coup,” Feb. 13-19). They are now hell bent on making that lie come true. Trump and Musk are rampaging with illegal firings and contract cancellations. Standing out among a plethora of misjudgments, there are no folks aged 150 collecting Social Security, but Elon is so wedded to his extremist ideology that he failed to recognize how ridiculous that assertion was. Their illegal and unconstitutional actions are nothing short of an attempted soft coup. If not stopped, our democracy will be ended. Sadly, any savings created by DOGE will be illusory and used as a justification to lower taxes, again, on the rich. And you thought you voted for lower egg prices. John Zimmerman | Pacific Grove CORRECTION A story inaccurately stated that Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni decided not to file charges in January 2018 (“An alleged rape in a Monterey hotel room in 2017 became a national story, but changed little about how we think about sexual assault,” Feb. 21-27). At the time, she was an assistant DA and she was elected and became DA later that year; Dean Flippo was the DA at the time. 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 27-MARCH 5, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 If you participate in local government, odds are pretty good you’ve met Joe Cubbage. He regularly attends meetings and speaks up during public comment periods. He is unafraid to tell elected officials exactly what he thinks of them—sometimes politely, sometimes critically. He is also, depending on the thread of the story, a hero or a victim. Many of Cubbage’s fantastical claims are impossible to corroborate. He says he’s a former FBI agent; that he’s been to the front lines of the war in Ukraine. He also says a motorcycle collision gave him a lasting brain injury, which may or may not contribute to some of his more grandiose thinking. I first got to know Cubbage years ago, when he was appealing what he thought was an unfair elder abuse and grand theft case against him for stealing money from his aging parents. In 2012, he pleaded no contest and spent five years on felony probation; his sister pushed for a conservatorship to safely manage family finances, but Cubbage saw himself as the victim—not just of his family, but a corrupt scheme involving judges and others. I find Cubbage’s credibility tenuous, even if he is affable. Others describe a more violent demeanor at times. “His behavior has increasingly become more alarming in the last several months. I felt a shift,” Seaside Police Chief Nick Borges says. “I have had quite a few community members tell me his persistence in trying to meet was scaring people.” On Monday morning, Feb. 24, things took a darker turn. Police say Cubbage cornered his ex-wife, with whom he shares a home in Seaside, and demanded that she produce information about U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta and former Carmel mayor Steve Dallas. If she didn’t do so by the end of the day, he would kill all three of them. An hourslong standoff with police ensued. Eventually, around 7:30pm, as SWAT team members were preparing to enter his home, Cubbage surrendered peacefully; he was not armed. The 55-year-old is being held in Monterey County Jail on $1 million bail. Of course, outspokenness and critique of government are not a crime, even if they make people uncomfortable. But there is a line, even if it can be fuzzy. “We don’t want to be in a position where we look back and say, ‘Gosh, Joe was a really friendly guy with a good heart—but he hurt people,’” Borges says. This time, police say, Cubbage crossed the line. But he and an associate, Brian Baughn, have at least toed it in the past. Last year, Cubbage was mentioned in an unrelated case filed by Salinas businessman Mike Hackett, who sought a restraining order against Baughn. Hackett was freaked out by Baughn’s social media posts about him and his family, and what Hackett described as hostile run-ins around town, including in Hackett’s front yard. “If he wants to call us names, drug dealers, whatever—it’s free speech. This is about him terrorizing my family,” Hackett said during a court hearing in July. But most of the in-person conduct Hackett described was about Cubbage, not Baughn. His wife described Cubbage entering their restaurant Casa Sorrento, and issuing a threat seeking to get her to drop the case. “It frightened me,” she said. There was, however, no pending case against Cubbage. The Hacketts wanted a restraining order against Baughn, who similarly communicates regularly with public officials, including law enforcement officers, offering up theories about how to root out corruption. Judge Julie Culver was unpersuaded that Baughn’s conduct, even if uncomfortable, posed a threat. “I don’t control the internet; there’s nothing I can do to prevent people from posting. I believe in free speech,” she said. She declined to issue a restraining order, although back in March 2024, she had signed a temporary one, which requires a lower legal threshold. The line between free speech and dangerous speech is increasingly fuzzy. “Too many people in our community are angry, fearful and anxious for the future and see politics and public servants as outlets for their frustrations and fears,” Panetta said in an emailed statement. “Each of us has a responsibility to lower the temperature of public debate.” Public debate should be vigorous, but it should also be safe for everyone. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Safety First Sometimes, the line between protected speech and violence grows thin. By Sara Rubin SHADES OF GREEN…Squid knows that often, to get the juicy part of any public meeting, patience is key. But not on Tuesday, Feb. 25, when right away, Salinas City Council members were asked to disclose relevant financial contributions before heading into a closed session. One topic on the closed-session agenda was a real estate negotiation between the city and Taylor Fresh Foods, a familiar agribiz giant that donated $5,500 each to the campaigns of the five newly elected councilmembers: Jose Luis Barajas, Gloria De La Rosa, Aurelio Salazar Jr., Margaret D’Arrigo and Mayor Dennis Donohue. D’Arrigo also recently worked for the company so recused herself. Meanwhile, Barajas and De La Rosa said they have returned the money, while Salazar and Donohue said they were in the process of doing so. CEO Bruce Taylor has described his unprecedented political contributions to last year’s Salinas City Council elections an “investment.” The rate of return will be even better than he imagined if the candidates send the cash back after it helped them get to victory—and will they or won’t they feel indebted to lean in favor? Squid will be checking the receipts to make sure the councilmembers come through on their promise to return the money. THIRST TRAP…Whiskey is for drinking and water for fighting, they say. To Squid, it looked like straight-up warfare when the Shandon-San Juan Water District, based east of Paso Robles a little south of the Monterey County line, filed an application for water rights with the State Water Resources Control Board. The district wants water for agriculture, and would pipe in 12,000 acre-feet from Lake Nacimiento, which is owned and operated by the Monterey County Water Resources Agency. Easy peasy. Not so fast, came the argument from, well, pretty much everyone. In October, the Grower-Shipper Association wrote to the state board: “To put it bluntly, we’re shocked…a ‘scorched-earth’ squatter-like attempt to deliberately inflict harm onto one region for the benefit of another must be flat-out rejected.” A similar letter followed from the Salinas Valley Water Coalition. The cities of Paso Robles and San Luis Obispo chimed in with letters to the water district. So did the Monterey County Board of Supervisors, writing, essentially: Come at me, bro. (More technically, the board will “vigorously protect its interests in all appropriate administrative and judicial forums.”) The hatemail keeps coming. On Feb. 27, the Nacimiento Project Commission is set to vote on a letter of opposition. There is no timeline on a decision from the state, so Squid will keep watching to see which runs out first, water or ink. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “If he wants to call us names, it’s free speech.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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