MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT FARMWORKERS TEACHING FARMWORKERS 11 | METAL HEADS 29 | DISASTER MASTER 32 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • WITH FEDERAL SPENDING UNDER THE MICROSCOPE, HERE’S A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT CAME TO MONTEREY COUNTY LAST YEAR. P. 16 EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION $14,746,633 HOUSING $65,295,512 MILITARY CONTRACTS $681,378,000 AGRICULTURE $11,386,441 HIGHER EDUCATION $76,749,022 K-12 EDUCATION $160,585,153 ROADS/SURFACE TRANSPORTATION $185,219,000 MST $16,500,000 MONTEREY REGIONAL AIRPORT $37,000,000 SCIENCE/ENVIRONMENT $18,400,000 PINNACLES NATIONAL PARK $4,079,000 PUBLIC HEALTH/ CLINICS $54,388,506 HOSPITALS $89,000,000 Your Federal Dollars at Work, Locally
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 • ISSUE #1912 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Erik Chalhoub (iPhone 16 Pro) Decked out in 1940s garb, people swing dance to the tunes of the Moonglow Jazz Band on Fisherman’s Wharf in Monterey during the sendoff celebration for the Western Flyer as it departed for its voyage to Baja California on Sunday, March 16. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Before DOGE slashes federal expenditures, we took a look back at what the U.S. government spent on programs, grants and contracts in Monterey County last year. Our partial count exceeds $7.5 billion. Cover graph: Design by Karen Loutzenheiser 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
www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 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.
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH America’s adversaries are celebrating President Donald Trump’s March 14 order to shut down the federal agency that oversees Voice of America, which provides audio and online news reports about the United States to other countries, many of which do not have a free press. Trump directed his administration to gut the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which also houses Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia and Radio Marti. All told, the networks are estimated to reach a combined 427 million people. Voice of America director Michael Abramowitz wrote on social media that 1,300 journalists, producers and other staff were put on leave. The organization got its start more than 80 years ago by broadcasting stories about democracy to people in Nazi Germany. A former employee of a China staterun outlet called the decision “truly gratifying,” while a commentator on Russian-backed media called it “an awesome decision by Trump.” Representatives from the Government Accountability Project and the American Foreign Service Association said they are considering legal action. Good: On March 12 at a meeting in Santa Cruz, the California Coastal Commission approved a $938,960 grant to the County of Monterey to update the Moss Landing Community Plan and the county’s coastal implementation plan to address sea level rise and coastal hazards. The updates are intended to “incorporate policies that address midterm adaptation recommendations, such as elevating structures and setbacks for structures near hazardous areas.” The project will inform an amendment to the Coastal Commission-approved local coastal plan for the area, utilizing sea level rise vulnerability studies from 2017 and 2019. In practice, that means studying the technical and financial feasibility of “various adaption methods and managed retreat scenarios.” The funds require that the county identify sea level rise adaptation strategies with triggers when action should be taken. GREAT: Great news for residents in Soledad who are living along the river bed: transitional housing in the city is underway. On March 5, Soledad City Council approved $1 million for 14 modular units from AMEG Enterprises, a contractor that specializes in modular homes, that will be installed at 990 Los Coches Drive, a city-owned property. “Any piece that breaks or needs repair, we can find it at Home Depot,” says Beatriz Trujillo, economic development director. The facility will provide ADA-compliant housing, kitchenettes and a laundry area. The project is funded by Encampment Resolution Funding, a state grant to combat homelessness (Monterey County received $11 million last year to address homelessness in King City and Soledad). While the project is in the works, unhoused individuals are receiving access to local services, and some have received housing vouchers to stay at Motel 6. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The amount the City of Monterey is spending on each firefighter “turnout”— the outfits they wear in the field—in the current fiscal year, a 44-percent increase from what the city spent per turnout in 2020. Source: City of Monterey $3,813 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “If we allow our prejudices to control what happens, we’ll go the way of past empires.”-Former Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, speaking about “one of two paths” the United States can take (see story, montereycountynow.com). 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.montereycu.com or call us at 831.647.1000 or stop by a branch nearby Salinas | Monterey | Hollister | Carmel 10% OFF your order with this ad Valid until 3/31/2025 The Sweet and Savory Spot sweet & savory crepes • paninis • bagels • tea • 11th Hour coffee Turkey & Apple Panini smoked turkey, apple, cheddar, dijon mustard, arugula, tomato, served on ciabatta THE CRÉPERIE CAFÉ THE CRÉPERIE CAFÉ THE CRÉPERIE CAFÉ THE CRÉPERIE CAFÉ @ @ @ @ 1123 Fremont Blvd, Seaside 831-901-3900 Mon–Fri 7am–4pm (Sat & Sun 8am–4pm)
www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 By any measure, Jesús Ruvalcaba was already successful beyond his wildest dreams. He grew up in farmworker housing in the middle of a Castroville artichoke field with a love for drawing, and only through teachers learned that it could be a career path. He studied graphic design at Hartnell College then CSU Monterey Bay before landing in Silicon Valley, working for companies like eBay and Hewlett Packard Enterprise. But still he was dogged by the question of what next? “I was working for these companies with very strict brand guidelines,” he says. “The creativity, the reasons I got into this field, just weren’t there anymore.” So he set out to find what he calls a “passion project.” That passion project became greeting card design. The line of cards, which has since become a successful company called Paper Tacos, is not just a celebration of Ruvalcaba’s passion for illustration, but also his Mexican American heritage. (He is the son of Mexican immigrants.) In 2016, Ruvalcaba, now 46, spent about a year creating 15 designs featuring friendly, cartoonish illustrations and a singular phrase—often in Spanglish—playing up a cultural reference before showing them at an art fair in San Jose. These specific cultural references instantly hit a nerve for customers who for years had been stuck with generic Spanish-language translations from big card companies like Hallmark. One original birthday card shows a frog holding a birthday present and wearing a birthday hat and reads: “Sapo verde to you.” Sapo verde means green frog, and he says many Mexican elders would mumble something that sounds like “sapo verde” in lieu of the words “happy birthday”—something that became a joke shared among a generation of Chicanos in bilingual households. A get-well card features another friendly frog, this one looking downtrodden and with a band-aid on its butt. “Sana sana colita de rana,” the text reads—a reference to a phrase parents offer to children to “rub the butt of a frog,” part of a healing rhyme to help them get over a scraped knee or a bump on the head. A popular birthday card reads “Have a Fabuloso birthday,” the Fabuloso written across an anthropomorphized purple bottle of the cleaning product his peers can relate to. Paige Venable, the floral director for Vallarta Supermarkets, reached out to Ruvalcaba and now the chain carries Paper Tacos in all 60 stores, including the Salinas location that opened in 2023. She wanted stationery that would resonate with shoppers, and found his line to sign perfectly. “It just bridges the gap,” she says. “It speaks to the younger generation. It’s such a perfect, playful take.” As Paper Tacos grew, mostly by expanding its wholesale side, Ruvalcaba took a leap. In 2023, he quit his day job and committed to the company full time, although he had never thought of himself as an entrepreneur; now he’s set to appear on Shark Tank on Friday, April 4. He continues to design and illustrate cards himself (drawing inspiration from the cartoon “The Far Side”), but he’s branched out to work with freelancers and now features cards with artwork by Mexican artist Grecia “Gree” Zamora, and is working with Salvadoran illustrator Eduardo Marticorena on concepts specific to Salvadoran-American culture. “I’m a creative, but now I need to do business,” Ruvalcaba says. He staffs his Salinas headquarters—an office with shelves of cards, and a screen for marketing photo and video shoots—with his niece, sister and 17-year-old son, and is working on expanding direct-to-consumer sales (through his website at papertacos. com) where margins are better than wholesale. He now has over 200 concepts for sale, all following his winning format of a clever phrase and illustration on the front, and blank inside. “I want him to be successful, I want him to rule the world,” Venable says. “He is so innovative, constantly coming up with something new, something cute—and he never loses his actual flavor. He stays true to the vision.” Paper Plane A graphic designer from Salinas finds remarkable success in designing his own line of stationery. By Sara Rubin Jesús Ruvalcaba uses word clusters and mood boards in his brainstorming process and says developing ideas is the most time-consuming part of developing card designs. His cards are available at Gifts on the Go, Vallarta and Downtown Book & Sound in Salinas. “I want him to rule the world.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Presented By montereychamber.com In CelebrationOf: 2024 Citizen of the Year Jeff Davi The Monterey Peninsula Home Team and A.G. Davi, Ltd 2024 Ruth Vreeland Memorial Public Official of the Year Mary Ann Carbone Mayor City of Sand City 2024 Robert C. Littlefield Award for Lifetime Achievement Shawn Adams Owner, Monterey Signs 2024 Community Impact Award Sandra Button Chairman, Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance Business of the Year Award To Be Announced During the Event GET TICKETS!
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Abrupt decisions by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) to dismantle federal agencies and trim the federal workforce are rippling across various local sectors. In recent weeks, agriculture, in particular, has felt the whiplash of these decisions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is the backbone for Monterey County’s biggest economic sector, responsible for providing funding (see cover story, p. 16), offering technical and financial assistance for soil health, water conservation and plant disease preparedness, to name a few. Thousands of USDA workers have been terminated nationally, including at least six locally. In light of these layoffs, the California Specialty Crops Council wrote a letter supporting the reinstatement of five local employees at the USDA Agricultural Research Station (ARS) in Salinas. The research hub was expanded and reopened less than two years ago; however, the federal spending bill approved March 14 allocated $0 to Agricultural Research Service operations. “Can there be realignments? Of course, but you don’t do it just by slashing and burning, and that’s what they’re doing,” says U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose, whose district includes the Salinas Valley. The layoffs impacted probationary employees who had been with USDA for less than a year. They are biological science technicians who focused on detecting and measuring new diseases, managing greenhouse operations for the country’s only public celery breeding program and more. “Without the continued support of these techniCrop Failure Local workers laid off by USDA hear rumors of reinstatement amid ongoing uncertainty. By Katie Rodriguez With $37 million of federal grant money in its sails from the 2024 fiscal year and another $14.2 million expected to come this spring, the Monterey Regional Airport’s transformation is continuing. If all goes as planned, a sleek new passenger terminal will be ready for takeoff come May 2027. But “transformation” is not the word the airport uses. Officially, the project is called Metamorphosis, the idea being that each project goes through three stages: design (caterpillar), construction (chrysalis) and migration (butterfly), the latter reflecting completion and flight-readiness. It’s a metamorphosis that’s been years in the making. The existing terminal, which was built more than 70 years ago and expanded in the 1970s, has long been in need of replacement. Terminal construction is expected to begin this summer on a design by architectural firm Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK). On Feb. 19, the Monterey Peninsula Airport District board approved entering into an agreement with construction company Hensel Phelps to be the “construction management as constructor”—aka CMaC—for the replacement terminal project. Hensel Phelps will oversee construction, hiring subcontractors as needed, and deliver it at a guaranteed maximum price (GMP). If Hensel Phelps goes over budget, they incur the cost, if they go under, MRY would see savings. But what that price is has not yet been determined—Hensel Phelps is currently coming up with an estimate based on HOK’s final designs, and has until April 3 to submit its GMP to MRY. The airport made its own estimate in December of $88 million, which factors in projected inflation over the next two years. But that now seems uncertain with the tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump, which include a 25-percent tariff on all steel and aluminum imports and the same on imports from Canada, a key supplier of wood for construction projects in America. (As a federally funded infrastructure project, MRY is required to use American-made materials, but tariffs still impact the prices of commodities like steel or wood in the U.S. market.) Chris Morello, the airport’s deputy executive director, says if the cost rises too much, the airport will look to do “value engineering,” essentially doing something similar but less costly than the existing plans. The $14.2 million in federal funding expected to come this spring will go toward the replacement terminal, and Morello says it’s possible there could be up to $22 million in additional funding available later this year through the Federal Aviation Administration’s Airport Improvement Program. But the airport isn’t expecting the feds to foot the whole bill: Morello says the airport will be utilizing a Department of Transportation program that will allow MRY to borrow at half the U.S. Treasury rate, which would be paid back through airport revenues. Tariff uncertainties aside, Morello says, “It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” When the new terminal opens, the existing terminal building will continue to house airport offices and Woody’s at the Airport, and potentially provide the space for international passengers to go through customs. The goal is for the building to become LEED Platinum-certified. A rendering released in November by Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum (HOK), the architectural firm hired to design the new Monterey Regional Airport terminal. In Chrysalis MRY’s replacement terminal remains on schedule, but with tariffs, its cost could be a wild card. By David Schmalz The USDA Agricultural Research Station in Salinas was expanded and reopened in November 2023. Five biological science technicians working there were terminated. “It’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity.” HOK/MONTEREY REGIONAL AIRPORT DANIEL DREIFUSS CROP continued on page 8
www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 FREE ENTRY FOR KIDS UNDER 12 DON’T MISS THE FAMILY FUN! WWW.SEAOTTERCLASSIC.COM APRIL 10 – 13, 2025 LAGUNA SECA RACEWAY
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com The need for the services of The Blind & Visually Impaired Center of Monterey County is growing. In 2023, the nonprofit had 343 clients, helping them with eye exams, adaptive equipment and training, according to Executive Director Steven Macias. Last year the client list grew to nearly 500. This year they expect the list to grow to over 600 people, in large part thanks to the opening of a new clinic in Salinas, complementing their original location in Pacific Grove. BVIC is opening the Marjorie R. McNeely Low-Vision Optometry Clinic and Assistive Technology Center, located inside AOA - The Hub in Salinas, a sort of one-stop shop of nonprofit services for seniors and people living with disabilities operated by the Alliance on Aging. Macias says it’s the only low-vision clinic in the tri-county area of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz counties, named for a donor’s mother who was a past client. BVIC has had an office at The Hub since 2021, providing some supportive services there to clients from the Salinas Valley, and last year expanded to three offices. They’ve grown the staff to include three low-vision optometrists and three orientation and mobility specialists. The new optometry clinic is already booked eight weeks out into May. “For clients in Salinas and South County it provides them the opportunity to get the services they need,” Macias says. Previously clients had to travel to BVIC’s Pacific Grove headquarters for exams, a challenge for those who aren’t able to drive. A bus ride from King City takes three transfers and over three hours; King City to Salinas on an express bus takes an hour. The nonprofit uses grants from the California Department of Rehabilitation and private donations to provide free services that include outfitting clients with assistive technology, such as magnifiers, computer software and CCTVs that magnify images. Lowvision exams without insurance are $224, but there is funding for low-income individuals to cover the cost. BVIC staff also provide free orientation and mobility trainings, support groups and braille classes. Peer-led support groups meet at 10-11:30am the second and fourth Thursdays of every month. A grand opening ceremony takes place 5-6:30pm on Thursday, March 27 at The Hub, located at 236 Monterey St. in Salinas, with an opportunity to tour the offices and learn more about available services. cians, the research teams at Salinas ARS will face serious setbacks that could compromise critical projects essential to improving our nation’s food supply and agricultural resilience,” Gary Obenauf, executive director of the California Specialty Crops Council, said in a statement to USDA administrators. The loss of these positions also impact organizations like the California Leafy Greens Research Board, where the USDA’s public breeding program provides needed plant material for the industry, focusing on breeding resistance to plant pathogens, diseases and viruses across key crops like lettuce, strawberries and melons. Adding to the confusion, USDA released a statement on March 11 announcing plans to rehire the fired probationary employees: “By Wednesday, March 12, the Department will place all terminated probationary employees in pay status and provide each with back pay, from the date of termination. The Department will work quickly to develop a phased plan for return-toduty, and while those plans materialize, all probationary employees will be paid.” Yet as of March 18, Salinas USDA workers have yet to be informed of whether or not they will actually be rehired. “I just waste a lot of time because things just change and change, and then I’m reevaluating over and over again what to do,” says one federal employee who was laid off and spoke to the Weekly on the condition of anonymity due to current uncertainty about job prospects. “Even if I have my job back, I don’t know how secure that is or how long I’ll have it.” For the Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Monterey County, programs that researchers were going to write grant applications for have disappeared, such as the Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production. “We had started an application process in January,” says Laura Murphy, a soil scientist with RCD, “but when we went back in February to check on some details and move our application forward, it was nowhere to be found.” On March 5, RCD received notice that the lease for the USDA Service Center in Salinas, where they work alongside federal partners, will not be renewed in August, with no plans for moving elsewhere. Separate from the USDA research station, this center assists farmers with disaster aid, crop reports and houses agencies like the Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service. Big Vision The Blind & Visually Impaired Center is set to help more people at new Salinas clinic. By Pam Marino NEWS ON THE DAIS Seaside City Council meets to discuss various city business. Public comment is accepted. 5pm Thursday, March 20. Council Chambers, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6707, ci.seaside.ca.us. FUTURE LEADERS The City of Salinas is accepting applications for its summer internship program. Current high school juniors and seniors are invited to apply. Deadline to apply is 11:59pm Sunday, March 23. Free. cityofsalinas.org. SAFETY FIRST The California Highway Patrol hosts a presentation on traffic safety, including seatbelt and child safety restraint use, the dangers of impaired or distracted driving and safe driving practices for teens and parents, among other topics. 5-7pm Monday, March 24. Hartnell College, Soledad Education Center, 1505 Metz Road, Soledad. Free. 7708019. DIVE INTO DEVELOPMENT The Monterey County Planning Commission meets to consider various development projects, including construction of a single-family home with an accessory dwelling unit in Aromas, and modifications of a home in Pebble Beach. Public comment is accepted. 9am Wednesday, March 26. Board of Supervisors’ chambers, 168 West Alisal St., Salinas. Free. 755-5025, countyofmonterey.gov. WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT The Monterey County Workforce Development Board is working on a plan that outlines regional efforts to invest in career pathways for in-demand industries. Public comment is accepted. Comments due by April 2. montereycountyworks.com/local-regional-plan. WHALEFEST ASSIST Volunteers are sought for the 15th annual Whalefest, covering areas such as arts and crafts, merchandise, costume photo opportunities and more. Event runs 10am-5pm SaturdaySunday, April 12-13. Fisherman’s Wharf, Monterey. signup.zone/whalefest-monterey. GET INVOLVED The City of Monterey seeks residents to fill vacancies on the Architectural Review Committee, Building and Housing Appeals Board and the Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program Committee. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis. 646-3935, monterey.gov/ bcc. Dr. Lucy Yen performs a low-vision exam on Marisa Vallejo at The Blind & Visually Impaired Center in Pacific Grove. A second clinic is opening in Salinas on March 27. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX The new clinic is already booked eight weeks out into May. THE BLIND & VISUALLY IMPAIRED CENTER OF MONTEREY COUNTY CROP continued from page 6
www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 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. WWW.SUNSTREETCENTERS.ORG PREVENTION•EDUCATION TREATMENT•RECOVERY ATTENTION HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS! ARE YOU LOOKING FOR COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS OR JOB OPPORTUNITIES? JOIN OUR STEPS PROGRAM AND MAKE A DIFFERENCE IN YOUR COMMUNITY TODAY.
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com There is possibly little doubt that the meadow known as Tarpy Flats along Olmsted Road outside of Monterey will be developed. The neighbors don’t want it to be so, but a state law is on the side of a developer who plans to build homes. Just how many—100 versus 725—was the question as the Monterey County Board of Supervisors grappled with updating the county’s housing element on March 11, against an ever-tightening timeline. The “builder’s remedy” law gives developers like Brad Slama more leeway in getting projects constructed, even if those projects are beyond current zoning regulations, due to the fact that the county does not have a state-certified housing element. The deadline to submit an element was December 2023. A draft was submitted in August. The California Department of Housing and Community Development sent it back in November, requiring more updates. That means the window is open to developers proposing more builder’s remedy projects—currently there are eight submitted applications, including Slama’s, which calls for 100 homes on 120 acres, with 80 market-rate single family homes and 20 affordable units, per the county’s inclusionary housing ordinance requiring 20-percent affordable units. On Feb. 4, Slama sent a letter of intent to the board, offering to build a higher-density project on 43 acres, with 375 townhomes on the eastern side of Olmsted and 350 units of three-story multi-family housing on the western side. Of the 350, 145 would be affordable. In return for the units the county needed, Slama asked for help securing the water. With two forces pushing against the supervisors—a state mandate to plan for 3,326 units to meet its Regional Housing Needs Allocation goal, and the threat of more builder’s remedy projects—Slama’s offer of 145 affordable units versus 20 swayed the supervisors to keep the Tarpy Flats parcel in the plan. “If my choice is to be between a builder’s remedy application or the proposal that is currently outlined [by Slama], I would definitely be supportive of the proposal,” Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said. There were other lots in question approved by the supervisors 5-0, including a site adjacent to York School desired by school officials for workforce housing. A former berry farm on Russell Road outside of Salinas was also approved. The only disagreement was a 4-1 vote in favor of an agreement with the City of Marina to use a site owned by UC Santa Cruz inside the city toward the county’s RHNA obligation instead of a site at the UCSC MBEST Center. City officials worried housing near the airport would hamper future operations there. Supervisor Chris Lopez voted no, citing concerns. County planners will make changes and make the new draft available for a seven-day public review period before submitting it to the state. California HCD will have 60 days to review the draft. Land Swap With the clock ticking, supervisors make tough choices to update the county’s housing plan. By Pam Marino Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew argued in favor of adding sites to the housing element that would offer more affordable units in the future. NEWS The window is open to more builder’s remedy projects. DANIEL DREIFUSS GIVE YOUR TOILET SOME LOVE FIX A LEAK WEEK Household leaks can waste 180 gallons per week. Toilets are often the culprit. Most toilet leaks are due to old or worn-out toilet flappers. M P WM D . N E T Learn how to find and fix leaks: epa.gov/watersense/fix-leak-week MAR 17-23
www.montereycountynow.com MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Farmworkers are especially vulnerable to climate change. They work in the fields through different weather conditions, from extreme heat to cold, and are potentially exposed to air pollution and pesticides. Their livelihood is linked to natural disasters, floods, fires and droughts, which all affect the length of harvest season, impacting workers financially and emotionally. This led UC Santa Cruz researchers and local organizations, including Center for Community Advocacy and Salud Para La Gente, to work together for two years on CampoSano, a research project investigating the impact of climate change on the well-being of farmworkers. Step one included focus groups where farmworkers shared concerns. “They took into consideration farmworkers’ opinions,” Norma Aheado, lead community health organizer with CCA, says in Spanish. Those concerns included extreme heat they experienced working in South Monterey County that reached triple digits; flooding in Pajaro and Castroville; and skipping breaks to work longer and make ends meet. Based on this feedback, the team created a framework to train farmworkers, community members and students on climate change and its link with farmworkers’ struggles. On Feb. 27, about 50 trained community members, called promotores, from Monterey and Santa Cruz counties graduated from the program. Beatriz Garza, a CCA promotora and recent graduate of CampoSano, says promotores are the bridge between researchers and farmworkers because they share information in a more accessible way. “We made the information ours,” Garza says, highlighting that all promotores are closely involved in the farmworking community or are farmworkers themselves. Promotores trained in Campo-Sano will continue spreading awareness on how climate change impacts farmworkers’ livelihood, physical and mental health at places including fields and churches. The team created a bilingual app (in English and Spanish, available at farmworkerhealth-app.ucsc.edu) with environmental data like air quality and local temperature, as well as resources nearby (such as clinics, food banks, childcare, etc.) and a tipline where farmworkers statewide can report anonymously if they have what they need at work including clean water, protective equipment and more. Matthew Sparke, leader of CampoSano and a professor at UCSC, says they added the tipline so everyone, including farmworkers and state agencies, like CalOSHA and Department of Pesticide Regulation, can view it. “The app is only going to really start working well when lots of farmworkers use it,” Sparke says; he is nervous that the current anti-immigrant climate could prevent farmworkers from using it. Campo-Sano was one of the 38 projects across the state that received funding from California Climate Action seed grants in 2023. CCA and UCSC are seeking funding to expand the initiative statewide, starting with the San Joaquin Valley. Work Study Local promotores trained on climate change impacts are now teaching fellow farmworkers. By Celia Jiménez A training for promotores in the CampoSano program, focused on educating farmworkers in the region about the impacts of climate change and how to advocate for themselves. NEWS “We made the information ours.” COURTESY OF CENTER FOR COMMUNITY ADVOCACY 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!
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com STARS AND STRIPES I wouldn’t attend the event but there is absolutely no reason to deny someone speech and a venue just because their values “don’t align” (“Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives to host six pardoned Jan. 6 insurrectionists,” posted March 13). Free speech isn’t just what you agree with. It’s ridiculous to see so many comments here are just awful and filled with such bitter vitriol. The divide between people is so disgusting. Mark Cunningham | via social media I’m sorry, these are convicted felons who show no remorse and want to come and brag about the violence they committed on police officers. I believe that is hate speech and not protected as free speech. Patricia Sue Rutowski | Pacific Grove I support their right to meet. I served in the military for over two decades so that everyone is free to assemble and share their point of view. But the J6 crowd are criminals and insurrectionists who should answer for their lawlessness, so who can I talk to about the counterprotest? Phil Candreva | via social media Monterey County Hospitality Association, probably a good idea to warn your members that the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives is looking for another venue in the area to honor convicted violent criminals. Reputation is everything. Hilary Le Fort | via social media If you go to the website of the association they are still selling tickets for this event. It states venue changed, location provided upon registration, $45 “donation.” D.W. Daniels | via social media If people want to hear them talk, let them. Honestly my liberal friends, you are so close-minded. You are the reason Trump is president. Normal open-minded people are sick of your wokeness. Jane Benight | via social media Convicted by juries of their peers, pardoned by a convict. They befoul any room they enter, they dishonor our country. Their pardon diminishes the rule of law and the definition of honor. They are perfect MAGA heroes. Joe Livernois | Monterey Calling them insurrectionists is a liberal fantasy. At best a riot. A few hundred people couldn’t overthrow anything. You would need the armed forces to do that. It’s a stupid argument. Frank Kalauch | via social media What makes “Monterey Bay Conservatives” conservative? The Republican Party is no longer conservative, but a bunch of radicals attempting to tear down our democracy. It’s not my father’s GOP! Patrick Walberg | via social media FOLLOW THE LEADER Thanks to Congressman Panetta for his town hall to highlight the possible cuts to Medicaid by Trump and DOGE (“Constituents press U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta to be bolder,” March 13-19). Jimmy and his guests made the case for how critical Medicaid is for so many in Monterey County. Jimmy also answered a lot of questions about the budget, reconciliation and his extensive work for us in our big and diverse congressional district. Beyond his service, Jimmy spoke about his fight to stop Trump, Musk and DOGE from undermining our democracy. At a time when so many Americans are struggling with uncertainty—when chaos and instability are purposely being created by reckless leadership in the executive branch—it is more important than ever to have steady, principled leaders who focus on real solutions rather than performative outrage. Too many politicians yell, scream and grandstand, and some have even come to believe that’s being “bold.” Thank goodness your readers and voters know better. Thank goodness Jimmy is already strategizing about what it will take for Democrats to win in 2026, as he was California’s #1 overperforming Democrat in November’s election, according to TheBallotBook.com. You can have your showhorse politicians. I’m proud Jimmy is our workhorse who’s fighting for us. Melissa Krueger | Carmel Panetta is not speaking for all constituents. We the people voted for Donald J. Trump. Kathrine Thomas | Salinas Employing a variety of media sources, Democrats must counter Trump’s lies with coordinated, articulate messaging. Instead, Chuck Schumer is proudly using a flip phone. Instead, Jimmy Pannetta says, “I am not a performer, I’m a public servant.” At this critical moment, it is about performance; it is about communicating effectively. Just look at what happened to President Biden. He had a stellar record of accomplishments, but he didn’t communicate in a consistent or cogent manner. Unfortunately, he gave Trump and the far-right propagandists an opening to unfairly denigrate his record. Nazario Martinez | Prunedale PUB FARE Great people! Let’s go! (“Restaurant veterans look into purchase of Britannia Arms in downtown Monterey,” posted March 11.) However, it will always be The Brit. I started there the day of my 21st birthday and met some of the most amazing people who I consider family to this day, including the previous owner. So many unforgettable memories. Rachelle Davi-Razzeca | via social media Great operators and people. Excited to see what Benny and Susan [Mosqueda] come up with. James Velarde | via social media I just hope nothing negatively affects The Butter House, them not being around as much or other possible issues. Keeping my fingers crossed for them. Vicki Reeves | via social media OPEN AND SHUT He’s the best! (“Bistro Moulin owner Federico Rusciano turned the wrong time into the right places,” March 6-12.) Christina Kim | via social media 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 MARCH 20-26, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 As George W. Bush campaigned for the presidency in 2000, many supporters touted his education. If elected, they said, he would be our first president with a master’s degree in business administration. His failures as a businessman are well documented, of course. Those who invested in his first two oil ventures took heavy losses. Spectrum 7 Energy Corporation made him CEO. Bush rewarded the company and its investors with more losses and $3 million in debt. That he received an MBA was irrelevant to his qualifications for the White House. Yet for decades, many have been clamoring for government to be run as a business. The U.S. government has an extensive administrative reach. Its departments oversee forms of research on agricultural production, space exploration and highway safety. There are offices that regulate commerce or set standards for the quality of beef. Hallmarks of this form of governance are a politically insulated civil service and established procedural and participatory rights. It is not a system without flaws. There are legitimate concerns over bureaucratic dysfunction, the potential for waste, debt and the cost to operate so many offices. There are areas where reform is needed. But to simply apply business principles to government is misguided at best. In the 1970s, the USDA increased funding for research on gypsy moths, including one on the moth sex pheromone that became a target for critics concerned with wasteful spending—and on the surface it would seem to fall into that category. However, such research was essential in finding methods to slow an infestation that caused timber losses of an estimated $28 million across the Northeast in 1981. (For more about federal funding that comes to Monterey County, see p. 16.) Governmental agencies grapple with situations that elude a profit vs. loss model, one that treats people as customers. The recent—and quite inefficient— slapstick where the USDA fired some staff under the Elon Musk chainsaw then scrambled to rehire as bird flu raged is an example. In short, a business that serves customers and a government that serves citizens are quite different. The end goal for business is profit. Government acts more as a nonprofit. Of course, well managed nonprofits are efficient, responsive and innovative—qualities valued by those who call for the business model. “The virtues of nonprofit government are deep, and the experience that gave us the nonprofit norm in our public sector lies so deep in our history that we may easily forget it,” wrote Yale law professor Nicholas R. Parrillo, author of Against the Profit Motive: The Salary Revolution in American Government, 1780-1940. There was a time when the U.S. government was run like a business. Its administrative officers were provided incentives to perform their work. It was a system that, during the nation’s first century, was practical and inexpensive. According to Parrillo, facilitative payments and bounties provided motivation—government officials earned their pay through fees paid by those seeking benefits or through the collection of fines. The potential for corruption and partiality made this form of governance wildly unpopular, leading to a salaried and protected civil service and other reforms. “It wasn’t that this maturing administrative state was necessarily more pure than business, for which the profit motive remained a central and guiding principle,” Jon D. Michaels, a UCLA professor of law, wrote in the Harvard Law Review. “Rather, this maturing administrative state simply had powers, prerogatives and obligations that were (and remain) unlike almost anything found in the private sector.” The public sector could take lessons from the business world, and vice versa. But the solution to some of the true issues related to government bureaucracy is not in slapping a private sector methodology over it. Bush’s only business success, after all, was his investment in the Texas Rangers baseball team and stadium—which benefited from an injection of $135 million in sales tax funds collected by local government. Rather, it is to first understand the administrative model and its functions, then improve on it. Dave Faries is the Weekly’s features editor. Reach him at dfaries@montereycountynow. com. Model Kit Government is not a business—and should not be run like it is. By Dave Faries FIRE SALE…Squid’s jalopy gets Squid around town just fine, but even Squid admits it’s a little rough around the edges. Still, if Squid decided to turn it in for an upgrade, say a Tesla, Squid could probably get an even trade for the jalopy, thanks to the tanking values caused by Elon Musk’s shenanigans. If Squid’s jalopy happened to burn to a crisp, it would have no value—and definitely not worth the price of a home in some states. But that’s what happened at a Florida auction earlier in March. A 1934 Hispano Suiza J12 Vanvooren Cabriolet, owned by Hong Kong billionaire businessman Michael Kadoorie, rolled along the auction block (at least figuratively) at Amelia Auction, fetching a price of $224,000. It’s a smoking deal, considering the rare vehicle is worth $2 million, but here’s the catch: The car literally went up in smoke. The car was shown at the 2024 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, but on its way back home, the trailer it was being transported in caught fire on Highway 68, destroying the prized possession and turning it into a burnt-out husk. A listing on the auction website describes the car as a “near-mythical masterpiece…that begs for a triumphant return from the ashes.” Some people admire burnt rubber, while others prefer to do it with their vehicles. Squid would have done the latter away from this car. WHAT A RIOT…There are no constitutional rules governing the assembly of shoals of Squid, but even in the kill-or-be-killed ocean, Squid prefers peaceful gatherings— they’re more fun, and nobody has to go to prison. Of course for January 6 insurrectionists who tried to overturn the 2020 election result, the 2024 victory of Donald Trump meant a get-out-of-jail-free card. Now that they have been pardoned, some are taking a victory tour and the Association of Monterey Bay Conservatives is set to host six so-called “patriots” as speakers on April 3. (According to federal prosecutors, one of them, Edward Badalian, wrote in a Telegram group chat: “If they’re guilty of treason they should be executed…Biden is definitely guilty of treason.” Squid wonders how they’ll spin that one as patriotic.) The event was first advertised as taking place at Bayonet and Black Horse in Seaside, but after Squid’s colleagues and others started calling with questions, the venue quickly canceled. Squid’s been trying to reach event hosts ever since, to no avail. It’s still being advertised—for $45 attendees can meet the “political hostages” over apps and wine— at a venue to be disclosed only upon registration. Given how much these speakers claim to believe in the right to assemble freely, Squid expects to be invited to listen in. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “It wasn’t necessarily more pure than business.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Big Fish The arrest of Duterte is a significant step for justice in the Philippines’ drug war—and for the ICC. By Walden Bello FORUM While he was president of the Philippines from 2016 to 2022, Rodrigo Duterte evoked tremendous controversy both at home and internationally owing to his bloody “war on drugs.” As many as 30,000 Filipinos, according to human rights groups, were victims of his presidency’s most publicized and cruelest policy—a war he waged on his own citizens. On March 11, he was again the center of international attention, with his dramatic arrest on the tarmac of Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It is a move that has divided the country: embraced as a long-overdue action or condemned as an illegal encroachment. It reflects the 16th president’s continuing ability to set Filipinos against one another. At a press conference after Duterte’s arrest, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. asserted that the government had no choice but to honor a warrant of arrest delivered by Interpol, which is authorized to serve warrants issued by the International Criminal Court. To most Filipinos, pro- or anti-Duterte, Marcos Jr. was being disingenuous—he handed Duterte over to the ICC not only to fulfill his government’s international obligations but also, if not mainly, to eliminate a powerful rival. Had it not been for an ongoing struggle for power between the Dutertes and the Marcoses, the ICC’s most momentous action yet since it was established in 2002 would not have been possible. In expletive-filled testimony at a hearing in the Philippine Senate last October, Duterte was confident enough that he was untouchable that he confessed proudly to running a death squad in Davao City, while he was mayor there, before he became president: “I can make the confession now if you want,” he said. “I had a death squad of seven, but they were not policemen, they were also gangsters.” International reaction from quarters expected to be pro-Duterte has so far been surprisingly muted. Donald Trump has not made any public statements about the arrest even though his ire for the ICC is well-known: He issued an executive order prohibiting the ICC from investigating and prosecuting U.S. officials and American allies, notably Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant. China, meanwhile, has taken the former president’s side, warning the ICC to “avoid” politicizing the issue. The ICC’s record in its nearly quarter-century of existence may justify the skepticism: It has convicted only six men of crimes against humanity, all of them from the Global South and none of the stature of Duterte. If the former Philippine president is tried and found guilty of crimes against humanity, it will be a win not only for his thousands of victims and their families but also for global justice and international law, the sort of victory that can only strengthen the ICC and give it the determination and stamina to go after the so-called bigger fish. Walden Bello is co-chair of the Bangkok-based research and advocacy institute Focus on the Global South. This story first ran in The Nation. OPINION The ICC has convicted only six of crimes against humanity. ANTIQUES & COLLECTIBLES Stop By To Shop And Find Your Vintage Treasure OVER 100 DEALERS 21,000 SQUARE FEET The Largest Antiques and Collectibles Mall on the Central Coast 471 WAVE STREET MONTEREY (831) 655-0264 P M canneryrowantiquemall.com Open Daily 11am-6pm ’24 Voted Monterey County's Best Antique Shop ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ Baccarat FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • Gega-003846, Gega-Gega-003703, Gega-000889 Gega-000891 Gega-002838 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==