MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT WHERE DO STUDENTS CRASH? 10 | SKATING BY 12 | RACING’S BIG WHEEL 34 | A PIRATE’S LIFE 38 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2024 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • The food truck phenomenon is growing in Monterey County, but it takes more than wheels for mobile kitchens to find their place. p. 20 ROAD WORK Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Eat+Drink 2025-2026 | FREE cover_E+D_25.indd 1 4/24/25 12:05 PM Best of Monterey Bay® Eat + Drink magazine inside
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www.montereycountynow.com MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 Scan QR code for tickets, VIP packages, and camping info. or visit WeatherTechRaceway.com LET’S REDLINE YOUR RACING FANTASIES MAY 9-11
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com MAY 8-14, 2025 • ISSUE #1919 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Peter Szalai (Google Pixel 8) The brisk, windy weather did not keep families from showing up to partake in the fun at the Good Old Days festival on May 3-4 in Pacific Grove, although neither Alice nor the Mad Hatter were spotted at the tea party. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Alfredo Estrada launched Fredo’s Vegan Taco Truck in 2023, and combines the consistency of a stationary location with rolling around to special events. The truck draws a large following of people searching for meatless options to its regular spot on Highway 1 at Molera Road in Castroville, and is growing its customer base at events like What’s Grubbin’ Salinas. 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. Subscribe to the newsletter @ montereycountynow.com/subscribe Go to montereycountynow.com We Deliver… NEWS • ARTS • ENTERTAINMENT FOOD • DRINK • CALENDAR Local news everyday
www.montereycountyweekly.com MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 49TH ANNUAL LIVE UNITED AWARDS COMMUNITY VOLUNTEER HONOREES UNITED WAY MONTEREY COUNTY PRESENTS THANK YOU SPONSORS! Community Service Danny Dedmon Susan Derichsweiler Trish Jackson Allie Ladio Kay Lee Lily Marx Armida Mendoza Frank Pinto Edgar Urias Ramos Steven Wiener Group Volunteer Alliance On Aging Program Volunteers Alejandro Hogan and the Kiwanis Literacy Club of Salilnas Animal Friends Rescue Project Fosters La Escuelita Involucramiento de Civico The Filipino Parishioners of Madonna del Sasso Church Rita Hill and Joel Guzman Living Unchained The Meals on Wheels Drivers of the Monterey Peninsula Monterey County Renters United Steve Prather and Bill Daley Salinas Adult School Student Council Human Services José Camacho Kyan Diaz Billy Hatchett Don King Education and Youth Services James and Ruthanne Guy Julie Lorenzen Youth Volunteer Idil Aktan Andres Benito-Yanez Asia Brown Grace Grahl America Hernandez Orion and Björn Plata Lifetime of Service Lauren Cohen Rich Hughett Barbara Ray 2025 LIVE UNITED AWARDS AWARDEES AMERICA HERNANDEZ YOUTH VOLUNTEER ALLIANCE ON AGING PROGRAM VOLUNTEERS GROUP VOLUNTEER ARMIDA MENDOZA COMMUNITY SERVICE JAMES AND RUTHANNE GUY EDUCATION AND YOUTH SERVICES JOSÉ CAMACHO HUMAN SERVICES BARBARA RAY LIFETIME OF SERVICE Special Thanks for our Co-Host Dann Cianca, Chief Meteorologist KION News, Channel 46
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH On April 30, Chris Krebs, who served as director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency during President Donald Trump’s first term, received an email notifying him that his Trusted Traveler status with U.S. Customs and Border Protection had changed. After logging in, Krebs learned his membership in Global Entry—a CBP program that gives certain travelers expedited status—had been revoked. This comes after Trump, on April 30, issued an executive order stripping Krebs, now a private citizen, of his remaining security clearances, and directed the Justice Department to open a probe into him. Krebs repeatedly, truthfully attested in the wake of the 2020 election that there was no evidence of fraud or irregularities, which drew Trump’s ire. Meanwhile, in Oklahoma, the recently approved 2025-26 high school curriculum, created by Oklahoma Superintendent of Public Instruction Ryan Walters, a Republican, requires that students study “discrepancies” in the 2020 election. “These reforms will reset our classrooms back to educating our children without liberal indoctrination,” Walters wrote on social media. Good: Frida Vossler, a graduating senior and gifted young musician at Monterey High School, has been named one of the 621 semifinalists in the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars Program. Established in 1964, the program honors the nation’s top high school seniors for their achievements in academics, leadership and service to their school and communities. This year’s semifinalists were selected from more than 6,000 candidates expected to graduate in 2025. Vossler is a semifinalist for the U.S. Presidential Scholar in Arts, one of the country’s highest honors for students who demonstrate excellence in both the arts and academics. Nominees in the arts were recognized across a range of fields, including writing, design, dance, classical music, film and voice—Vossler’s area of distinction. The final selection of who will be named as the 2025 U.S. Presidential Scholars will be announced in the coming months. GREAT: The Special Olympics are back with more than 1,000 students participating across Monterey County in a track and field day at Monterey Peninsula College on Friday, May 9, doubling the amount of student athletes that participated last year. The event, hosted by Monterey Peninsula Unified School District and Special Olympics Northern California will be the largest since its inception and it will be the first time, since Covid-19, that it will return to MPC. “This inspiring day showcases the power of unified sports, bringing together students of all abilities to build teamwork, confidence and lasting memories,” said Katie Rivera, assistant superintendent of special education at MPUSD. The event will draw students from elementary to high school, as well as those participating in adult transition programs. The athletes will participate in various events including distance runs, throwing, wheelchair races and more. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The amount the Kaiser Foundation Health Plan paid for a 10-acre lot in Marina near The Dunes shopping center on April 22. Kaiser opened a location in North Salinas in January. Sources told the Weekly over a year ago the company was eyeing a second location in Marina. Source: Monterey County Assessor/ Recorder Marina Camacho $8,712,000 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I stabbed the brakes like a dummy and spun out.” -Driver Paul Menard, speaking about a costly maneuver during the Trans Am series race at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Sunday, May 4 (see story, montereycountynow.com). HEATABLE EATABLES! ELROY’S PRESENTS @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 JAMAICAN MAY CRAZY! 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 CURRIED PATTIES flaky pastry filled with a flavorful curried beef & lamb (CONTAINS: GLUTEN, DAIRY, SOY) RED PEA SOUP stewed kidney beans with pumpkin & pork (CONTAINS: GLUTEN, SOY) RICE & PEAS coconut rice cooked with kidney beans and sweet potato (GF, DF, CONTAINS: SOY) SALT FISH CALLALOO greens braised in coconut milk with smoked salted white fish (GF, DF, CONTAINS: SOY, FISH) JERK CHICKEN chicken marinated in herbs & spices and cooked on our wood fired grill (GF, DF, CONTAINS: SOY) HALIBUT ESCOVITCH steamed in banana leaves & topped with pickled peppers (GF, DF, CONTAINS: SOY, FISH) GINGER MOLASSES CAKE soaked in pineapple and rum and topped with mango whipped cream (GF, CONTAINS: EGGS, DAIRY) All items will also be available à la carte for purchase at the Prepared Foods counter on Thursday, 5/29 until sold out! *ORDER BY: THURSDAY, MAY 22ND PICK UP: THURSDAY, MAY 29TH NEXT MONTH: PUNJAB ON A PLATE *
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8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Amy Stone endured rigorous, day-long infusion treatments at the Comprehensive Cancer Center inside Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula over a period of four years. Often feeling drained and defeated, every time volunteer Madeleine Cooper with nonprofit Lipstick Angels showed up with her cart of beauty and spa treatments, Stone’s day would get a little brighter. “It was truly the ‘angels’ part—really a perfect description—what it felt like when I would see Madeleine with her cart coming into the cancer center on my infusion days,” Stone says. “I had no idea what a sweet difference it would make to be pampered and put a little color on your cheeks.” Beyond offering makeup applications, Cooper also offers treatments to bring comfort, like aromatherapy and hand massages. Stone says aromatherapy went a long way to help with nausea. Lipstick Angels was started by celebrity makeup artist Renata Helfman in 2012, inspired by her grandmother, a cancer and Holocaust survivor. Her grandmother always applied her favorite lipstick before each chemotherapy session. Since its inception, the nonprofit has spread to 16 hospital programs in six locations throughout the country. Last year the organization helped an estimated 18,000 patients, according to its 2024 impact report. A few years ago Tara Christion, then newly hired as assistant director of Montage’s Comprehensive Cancer Center, coming from UC San Francisco Medical Center where Lipstick Angels was already operating, suggested to the Montage Health Foundation that it bring the organization to CHOMP. (Montage Health is CHOMP’s parent company.) “We contacted Lipstick Angels, did a couple of Zooms to learn about the program, and decided it was a perfect fit for our organization,” says Kelly Lapai, volunteer and retail sales manager for the foundation. Cooper, who had spent her career as an aesthetician in the San Francisco Bay Area and had recently moved to the Monterey Peninsula, was semi-retired and looking for a volunteer position. Clients had told her about Lipstick Angels, and about CHOMP, just about a mile from Cooper’s new home. It turned out to be a perfect fit for her, too. She now serves as Lipstick Angels’ program manager for the Monterey Bay area. Since June 2023, Cooper has been coming to the cancer center three times a week with her cart of makeup, lip balms, lotions and other tools. She gives between 70-80 sessions per month, some to repeat patients. As a Lipstick Angels volunteer, she is required to take part in ongoing education each year, tailored to working with oncology patients. When Cooper approaches a patient, she hands them a menu of free services. “It could be anything from a quick brow shape to a pop of color,” she says. She also offers full facials and makeup, as well as guided breathing exercises, spending between 10-30 minutes per person. Sometimes she will offer treatment to a caregiver accompanying a patient. “They are almost as important,” Cooper says. “Sometimes people don’t want to have any form of treatment, and then I’ll put together a little gift of some sort,” Cooper adds. It could be a product she thinks they will enjoy or a particular shade of lip color they like, or a product to ease a skin issue. Cooper receives joy from the gratitude shown by patients for the care she gives them. “Very often they’re obviously extremely stressed and frightened and sometimes they’re feeling as bad as you can feel,” she says. “Almost always they are at least uplifted, relaxed, happier [after a session].” For now Cooper is the only Lipstick Angels volunteer at CHOMP but she’s looking for one or two more experienced people to join her so they can expand the program. To learn more or sign up to volunteer with Lipstick Angels, contact Madeleine Cooper at madeleine@ lipstickangels.org. Halo Effect Nonprofit Lipstick Angels brings a moment of peace and beauty to cancer patients at CHOMP. By Pam Marino Lipstick Angels volunteer Madeleine Cooper pushes her cart of beauty and relaxation tools around the CHOMP Comprehensive Cancer Center, offering a few moments of pampering to patients. “I had no idea what a sweet difference it would make.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS We Speak German… CARS! Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Audi, Volkswagen and Mini-Cooper Using current modern technology our experienced staff will diagnose, maintain and repair your German car. Certified Monterey Bay Green Business 373.5355 249 DelaVina, Monterey www.ccrepairmonterey.com 720 BROADWAY AVE. SEASIDE Call 831-899-1762 to order DINE IN / TAKEOUT / DELIVERY Using fresh, quality ingredients The Oven continues a tradition of New York style pizza, alongside signature San Francisco sourdough pizza. Thin crust & Sourdough pizzas Salads & Calzones • Pasta • Subs Draft beer on tap•Wine•Dessert Great Dough is Great Pizza
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10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Few fish species are as emblematic of the freshwater-to-saltwater connection as the Chinook salmon, who start their lives in rivers and streams before migrating out to the ocean to feed, and then travel back to the river to spawn. It’s a dramatic journey, one imperiled by many hazards and predators (humans among them), as well as the impacts of climate change. So it’s perhaps no surprise that, for the third consecutive year, California’s beloved commercial Chinook salmon fishery has been canceled. Chinook are one of the largest salmon in the Pacific, and face growing threats from low river levels, wildfires, harmful algal blooms and more. Drought years are especially devastating: warmer summers heat shallow rivers, effectively cooking vulnerable salmon eggs without the insulating buffer of deeper, cooler water. However, this year marks a small return. The window for recreational Chinook salmon fishing will open for the first time since 2022, though only for two days in summer: June 7-8. The Pacific Fishery Management Council, which manages West Coast fisheries, has capped the catch at 7,000 salmon statewide. If that cap isn’t met, another two-day window will open July 5-6. A fall season is also scheduled for Sept. 4-7 with a 7,500-salmon cap; if not met, the fishery will reopen Sept. 29-30. “Salmon are extremely resilient,” says Kandice Morgenstern, an environmental scientist at the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. “They come back really quickly if they just get the conditions that they need. We could have healthy fisheries in the somewhat near future, but we’re not going to know what each year is looking like until we see those fish return in the fall.” Taking Stock For the first time since 2022, the recreational Chinook salmon fishing window will open. By Katie Rodriguez The last days of a semester can be stressful for a college student, who must balance prepping final presentations, studying for exams and making plans for summer. For many CSU Monterey Bay students, this semester has an added stressor: They may not have a place to live next semester. Changes in the application process, increased demand and a glitch in the system are causing anger and frustration among students. On April 28, a newly unveiled otter statue on campus was vandalized. It was wrapped in toilet paper and tagged with black ink with phrases such as “fix housing” and “money hungry fucks,” alluding to the housing woes students were facing. The same day, CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones condemned the vandalism: “Actions such as these divide our community and are not in alignment with our Cal State Monterey Bay values of engaging in respectful and productive dialogues,” she wrote. The next day, Quiñones addressed housing challenges in a follow-up email to the campus community. “The current housing demand reflects broader trends that extend beyond the housing department’s control, and it highlights the exciting growth and evolving needs of our university community,” she wrote. Factors include increased enrollment, students with a disability seeking special accommodations, and housing prices in the region. “Our goal remains clear—to do everything we can to help ensure our students have access to campus housing.” CSUMB announced on social media that as of May 2, it cleared its housing waiting list and encouraged students to check their emails. But Luis Sedano, 20, a sophomore who switched his major to accounting, says he doesn’t have accommodations for next semester as of May 5. Sedano says he and about six other students were added to a waiting list, but didn’t have a number. “We’re just told that we’re on a waitlist, that’s all,” he says. “I thought that things would go pretty well for us until Friday, when CSUMB posted [on Instagram] that they had cleared everyone off the waitlist, but there were some of us that still hadn’t gotten housing.” Sedano was hoping to stay on campus but is now looking for alternatives, such as staying with relatives in Salinas. But without a car, that could add about an hour commute each way. Since demand has climbed over the years, CSUMB will no longer require sophomores to stay in campus housing next year. (Since 1995, CSUMB required full-time freshmen and sophomores to live in campus housing.) The school is also lodging more students per unit and considering shortterm hotel lodging. It also started renovations of Gavilan Hall that will increase housing stock in the fall. CSUMB offers housing to more than 50 percent of its student body. That’s higher than the CSU average, which is 14 percent as of fall 2023, according to a state analysis. According to the student newspaper The Lutrinae, CSUMB moved away from a unit-based priority system (students with more units ranked higher on the list) to a queuing system similar to Ticketmaster. Students called for a protest on May 1 in front of the housing office. More than a dozen showed up and sat on the grass, while many others were celebrating Otter Thursday in front of the Otter Student Union. CSUMB’s new otter statue was unveiled on April 17, then vandalized 11 days later with references to a campus housing shortage. Home Work Frustrations mount for students looking for housing on CSU Monterey Bay’s campus. By Celia Jiménez For the third consecutive year, the Chinook salmon (also known as king salmon) commercial fishing season will be closed. The last commercial season was 2022, shown above. “Actions such as these divide our community.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Mother’s Day SUNDAY, MAY 11th | 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Celebrate Mom in style with an elegant Mother’s Day Buffet at Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa.Treat her to a decadent dining experience featuring a lavish selection of chef-curated dishes, fresh seafood, gourmet entrées, and delectable desserts. There will also be fun activities available such as create your own Mother’s Day Cards and a festive banner to take family photos in front of. $125 ADULTS $49 CHILDREN (Ages 6-13) Free for children under 6.Tax and service charge not included. Pricing for children adjusted upon arrival, kindly book for the total seats desired. RESERVATIONS (831) 645-4058 WE WILL. WE WILL. RACH YOU! MANINOFF MONTEREYSYMPHONY.ORG / (831) 646-8511 JAYCE OGREN, MUSIC DIRECTOR SUNSET CENTER, CARMEL MAY 17-18, 2025
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com For three days a month starting this June, roller skating is coming back to the 831. Monterey Skates, which will operate at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, fills a void that local skating enthusiasts have felt deeply in recent years. First came the 2011 closure of Del Monte Gardens, a rink on Del Monte Avenue that had been a fixture of the local scene for decades. Then came Marina’s Water City, which closed in 2020 in the wake of Covid and never re-opened before the city red-tagged its building in 2021. With the region now without a single roller rink, Max Troyer and Morgan Goyette, two members of the nonprofit Monterey Bay Roller Derby league, both started thinking about ways to bring a rink back. But they were doing it independently of each other. “One day I got a wild hair and started driving around looking at empty buildings,” says Goyette, who got involved in roller derby in 2016. After bouncing the idea off of one of her friends from the league, the friend suggested Goyette get in touch with Troyer—one of the league’s founding members—who had a similar vision. “We’ve been working side by side ever since,” Goyette says. Before Water City shut down, Troyer had been working behind the scenes to take over the rink. When that dream died, he pivoted. After scouting potential locations, he decided there was none better than the King City Building at the Monterey County Fair & Event Center, where the league started practicing after Water City closed. “The floor is polished concrete, it’s really smooth,” Troyer says. “It’s really quite a pleasure to skate on, and it’s sticky enough so you don’t slide too much.” Troyer, who moved to the area over 20 years ago, grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana, where there were three roller skating rinks when he grew up. “I want to create a space where kids can be active,” he says. Monterey Skates is doing a soft launch on May 10 from 4-9pm ($10), only for those who have their own skates—Troyer has ordered 350 rental pairs that are still being manufactured in China. They are expected to be delivered by the June 20 opening date, regardless of tariffs: “I can eat the cost because this is a one-time thing for me.” “I think it’s going to be really popular,” says Fairgrounds CEO Kelly Violini-Rodoni. “I remember skating at [Del Monte Gardens] when I was 5. People loved that, and it’s been a long time and they want to see it back.” There’s a quote, supposedly from Mark Twain, “Never let the facts get in the way of a good story.” In Carmel, the story is 109 years of “village character.” The facts that some Carmelites choose to ignore: The state’s fire and building codes that require visible street addresses. A growing number of residents are lobbying in favor of adopting addresses but the Carmel City Council continues to move slowly. On Monday, May 5, they rejected the option of holding a special advisory election this November, previously agreed to by the last council. Several pro-address residents told the council that the notion of holding an election was offensive. “The health and safety of our village should not be treated as a public preference,” said Betty Kullas. “It’s a responsibility.” She and others urged the council to stop delaying and implement house numbers as soon as possible. Only two residents argued in favor of keeping things as they are. “The thing that really bothers me is the lack of respect in people’s opinions about Carmel’s traditions,” said Linda Smith. Addresses have been under consideration since at least 2021, as more residents began sharing stories of difficulties getting insurance, state identification and package deliveries, as well as worrying about first responders finding locations quickly. Councils have studied and debated the issue since then, culminating last September with the former council deciding to put it to voters to decide. In April newly elected Councilmember Bob Delves joined a committee of residents to study the issue all over again. On May 5, he presented their progress, with a timeline that took the council to a possible decision in November. The council was tasked to decide between holding a special election in 2025, waiting until the November 2026 general election, or taking some other direction. The council agreed to no election this year, but declined to decide on a 2026 election, instead waiting to hear the committee’s findings. Get Rolling Just in time for summer, a roller skating rink is returning to Monterey. By David Schmalz NEWS RATE STUDY King City is eyeing increases to its wastewater rates in order to replace aging sewer pipes and upgrade the Wastewater Treatment Plant. The public is invited to a hearing to provide input. 6pm Tuesday, May 13. City Council Chambers, 212 S. Vanderhurst Ave., King City. Free. 386-5971, kingcity. com. SCHOOL SESSION The Monterey Peninsula Unified School District Board of Education meets and accepts public comment. 6:30pm Tuesday, May 13. District Services Center, 540 Canyon Del Rey, Del Rey Oaks. Free. 645-1200, mpusd. net. EDUCATION MATTERS The Salinas Union High School District Board of Trustees meets and accepts public comment. 6:30pm Tuesday, May 13. SUHSD District Office, 431 West Alisal St., Salinas. Free. 796-7000, salinasuhsd. org. CAT CLINIC SPCA Monterey County hosts a spay/neuter clinic for cats in South Monterey County. The services also include vaccinations for rabies and FVRCP. Appointments required Wednesday, May 14. King City Recreation Center, 401 Division St., King City. Free, $25 deposit refundable on arrival. 2645400, spcamc.org/vet-clinic. FUTURE LEADERS Applications are open for the 2025 South County Young Leaders Summer Program. Running from June 12-July 31, the program gives South County high school seniors and college students an inside look at how local government works. Application deadline is May 16. 7555033, district3@countyofmonterey.gov. CIVIC MINDED The Monterey County Elections Department is accepting applications for the Leadership in Civic Engagement High School Summer Internship Program. Incoming high school juniors and seniors are invited to apply for the June 23-27 program that provides them with an introduction to civic engagement and the election process. Application deadline is May 16. 7961499, countyofmonterey.gov/elections. STAY HEALTHY The Monterey County Health Needs Collaborative, which consists of local hospitals, the County of Monterey and United Way, seeks public input on a community health survey. The survey aims to identify the health needs of Monterey County. Survey closes May 30. healthymontereycounty.org. Return to Sender The Carmel City Council rejects holding a special election to decide street addresses. By Pam Marino Max Troyer and Morgan Goyette teamed up to open a local roller rink. “I don’t think there are enough entertainment options where kids can be active,” Troyer says. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “It’s really quite a pleasure to skate on.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Join us for free, interactive workshops in May, 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, May 14 Pets and Kids Friendly Landscapes 6 p.m.–7:15 p.m. Thursday, May 29 Gardens for Birds, Bees, and Other Pollinators 6 p.m.–7:15 p.m. ’24
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com In 2002, the Hayman Fire burned 133 homes and nearly 140,000 acres in Colorado, effectively deforesting the landscape. In the aftermath, what would grow in its place depended on what was left to seed, what plants were brought in by birds and other wildlife, and changing weather conditions. Twenty years later, the trees still had not returned—instead, the area was overtaken by shrublands better adapted to growing during periods of drought. As a result, the landscape shifted to a drier one, more prone to wildfires. The Hayman Fire is a case study used by the U.S. Forest Service during public meetings to explain what the Wildfire Risk Reduction Project aims to accomplish over the next 20 years: a holistic approach to assessing cover types in Los Padres National Forest and preventing high-intensity fires from transforming the landscape into one primed for more of the same in the future. The project was originally introduced in 2022 as the “Ecological Restoration Project” to reflect this ecosystems-based approach, but its scope and framing shifted since fielding input from the public. Currently, the project proposes treating 90,796 acres divided among four ranger districts, including the Monterey District. Treatments will include creating strategic fuel breaks or defense zones, as well as what they call “Forest Health Treatment Units”—reducing combustible vegetation and improving the health of remaining trees. “That’s what we’re trying to prevent—large, catastrophic fires moving through these areas that are overgrown,” says Kyle Kinports, forest planner with the USFS. A 30-day public comment period on the draft plan opened on May 2. To kick it off, the USFS hosted four meetings, including at Big Sur Lodge. Attendees voiced concerns about the cost of implementing and maintaining fuel breaks and forest health, and whether the project was tied to an executive order to expedite timber production in national forest areas. Kinports chuckles at the suggestion. “We’re not a timber forest. We don’t have the right growing conditions and there’s no industry nearby. The stuff that we cut we’ll make available as firewood to local communities, local people. That’s really about it.” Given that the Monterey portion of the project is almost entirely designated wilderness, treatment options are limited. As a result, the draft currently focuses on fuel breaks located on the periphery of the district, near community areas and infrastructure. Kinports says the cost depends on variables including where in the forest they’ll be working, how much of the crew and equipment will be internal versus contracted out, and the type of treatment, which can range from chipping to hand thinning to mastication and more. Funding remains uncertain and will be a key factor in determining where implementation begins. Pending final approval, the project is slated to begin in November. To view the draft and provide comments, visit fs.usda.gov/r05/lospadres. Padres Plan U.S. Forest Service proposes a wildfire risk reduction project in Los Padres, including Big Sur. By Katie Rodriguez The draft plan addresses areas in four ranger districts of Los Padres National Forest, including the Monterey District (above) and to the south, the Santa Lucia, Mt. Pinos and Santa Barbara districts. NEWS “We’re trying to prevent large fires moving through these areas.” USFS to seniors and their families AD DEADLINE May 12 REACH OUT Living Well 2024-2025 BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® BILINGUAL GUIDE AGING AND DISABILITY RESOURCE GUIDE GUÍA DE RECURSOS SOBRE ENVEJECIMIENTO Y DISCAPACIDAD Published by AREA AGENCY ON AGING FREE | GRATIS cover_LW24.indd 1 5/22/24 2:55 PM AREA AGENCY ON AGING FOR MORE INFO: 831-394-5656 sales@montereycountynow.com Living Well BEST OF MONTEREY BAY ® Monterey County Weekly in partnership with the Monterey County Area Agency on Aging will publish a directory of local professionals who provide services to seniors, people with disabilities and family caregivers. Living Well: Aging and Disability Resource Guide highlights agencies and companies in many fields including healthcare, housing, financial services and education. THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.GOV/REC BEST SUMMER EVER! 2025 CAMP QUIEN SABE OVERNIGHT CAMP WHISPERING PINES DAY CAMP TINY TOTS SUMMER CAMP SUMMER FUN PLAYGROUND PROGRAM SPORTS CAMPS SPECIALTY CAMPS LEGO, GYMNASTICS AND SO MUCH MORE! REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN! SCAN ME! to register on Amilia
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 The Housing Authority of the County of Monterey is topping the number of units in its portfolio to over 2,000, after becoming the general partner in a 200-unit low-income senior apartment complex near Carmel and the $1 sale to HACM of a 44-unit hotel in King City originally slated to become a Homekey project. HACM, as the Housing Authority Limited Liability Company, was scheduled to take over general partnership in Pacific Meadows Senior Housing from the HumanGood Corporation on May 1. HumanGood had a 90-year ground lease with HACM worth $16.9 million on the apartment complex off of Carmel Valley Road, with about 76 years remaining on the lease, according to a HACM report. In 2010, HumanGood took advantage of low-income housing tax credits to finance rehabilitation of the property. According to the report by HACM staff, most tax credit deals lead to companies restructuring partnerships after around 15 years “because the tax credits have been maxed out by the investors. This is one of the reasons that prompted the current transaction.” In March, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors approved the agreement for HACM to take over as general partner. The board vote was required due to a $645,000 loan HumanGood received from the county in 2007 using a federal grant; HACM is assuming that loan. HumanGood had other existing loans on the property from the original developer, American Baptist Homes of the West, but per the agreement, those will be forgiven. For residents of Pacific Meadows, HACM taking over as property manager brings hopes of better services and programming. Residents complained that when HumanGood took over in 2019, activities were canceled and regular cleaning and maintenance of common areas were deferred. In King City, HACM now owns the 44-unit hotel, which was originally supposed to be a state Homekey project. It was first purchased by ShangriLa Construction for rehabilitation into a permanent supportive housing facility for people who are homeless or on the verge of homelessness. (Shangri-La foreclosed on its loans on that hotel and others around the state in early 2024, including three in Salinas.) King City’s leaders were determined to save the project. Using funds from a state encampment grant and help from several agencies, including the County of Monterey, Central California Alliance for Health and HACM, the City Council signed a deal on April 22. That deal included purchasing the hotel for $4.4 million, then immediately selling it to HACM for $1. HACM will be responsible for turning the hotel rooms into deed-restricted apartments—the estimated cost is $16.7 million, with money coming from local and state sources. HACM will contract with nonprofit Step Up on Second Street to provide supportive services. King City Mayor Mike LeBarre announced it was the first public agency to rescue a Homekey project previously owned by Shangri-La: “This is a big deal, so I am very, very proud to get to this point today.” Friendly Takeover The Housing Authority acquires a senior housing project and a former Homekey project. By Pam Marino King City Mayor Mike LeBarre in front of the former Days Inn on Broadway Street, which is now back on track to become a Homekey-style project after a former developer foreclosed. NEWS “This is a big deal, so I am very, very proud.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 8-14, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com UPWARD WITH THE ARTS Art is the answer! (“Nonprofit Palenke Arts is on a path to building a 25,000-square-foot arts center in Seaside,” May 1-7.) Wonderful! Carolyn Swanson | Pacific Grove Love this! Makes such a difference for so many people. Lina Vital | via social media HOME TEAM Sara Rubin’s statement suggesting that public opposition in Pacific Grove unjustly stopped Homekey in 2022 misrepresents what truly happened (“Where leaders are willing to say yes, there are solutions to homelessness,” May 1-7). The project lacked the critical infrastructure and support systems necessary for success—systems that are essential when working with individuals experiencing homelessness due to addiction, mental illness, loss of job or increased rent, illness. Homeless solutions require more than a roof. They demand a coordinated, compassionate system involving accountability, case management, health services, transitional housing and workforce development. Pacific Grove wisely avoided disaster by not rushing into a project that lacked these fundamentals. We should be learning from models that work—like the structured programs run by Community Homeless Solutions and others who addressed problems in Chinatown with a full-service, rehabilitative approach. One-size-fits-all doesn’t work. Cities like Austin, Texas, and Aurora, Colorado, are now shifting toward navigation campuses operated in partnership with nonprofits—something we should consider if we want sustainable solutions, not just Band-Aids. Christie Italiano-Thomas | Pacific Grove Note: Homekey projects are required to offer supportive services. SCREEN TIME Maybe its time has come and gone (“Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove is up for sale,” posted April 30). Let’s refocus efforts instead to reopen Osio. Johnny Pomatto | via social media Make it another live music venue! Christina Russo | via social media I see another eyesore in the future to match the one across the street… Joey Silveira | via social media DOWN IN THE DUMPS South County has a bigger problem with illegal dumping (“Think twice before dumping trash on the side of the road—the County of Monterey is watching,” posted April 30). Along Jolon Road and side roads we find not only trash, but boats, RVs and a lot of dogs and cats. County Supervisor Chris Lopez is quick to act on getting boats and RVs picked up, but I think the problem is that Waste Management is expensive! We pay $256 every three months for oncea-week pickup. Many people can’t afford this. [WM and Salinas Valley Recycles] had a free pickup of large items like appliances last weekend, and that was great! Once a month would be better. You are right, people are just too lazy to take their trash to the dump or their animals to the rescue. Your article might deter some, but most who dump illegally probably don’t read the news and don’t know they can go to the dump with mattresses. Patricia Ashe-Woodfil | Lockwood HEALTHY HOME Thank you for covering this (“Salinas led the region by implementing rent stabilization. Let’s give it a chance to work,” April 24-30). We need to keep the community aware and up to date, because it is so important. Housing is essential for healthy families. Rafael Chavez | Salinas POWER TO THE PEOPLE After reading Pam Marino’s article, I revisited the events of Jan. 20. I was left thinking: Doesn’t this arrangement mirror Putin’s deal with Russian oligarchs? (“Alarmed over the actions of President Trump and corporate support, people are using how they spend their money in protest,” April 24-30.) Inauguration Day shined a spotlight on the corrupt intentions of Trump and some American oligarchs. The people of the world who had experienced authoritarian rule watched with concern for the American people. The oil and tech billionaires looked on with smiles. The far right propagandists were in a festive mood. The crowd in the Capitol rotunda was not a gathering of the people. Instead, the guests reeked of wealth and white privilege. The scene was reminiscent of the North Korean elite bowing down to the “dear leader.” Thankfully, there are lots of people in Monterey County joining the fight to save American democracy. Nazario Martinez | Prunedale DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH Watching Robert Rivas wax poetic about “relationship building” while Sacramento crumbles under his watch would be laughable if it weren’t so costly (“Can a field trip to Sacramento help local leaders get more done?” April 17-23). As someone who ran against Rivas in 2018 I’m not surprised he now presides over the Assembly as the living embodiment of government waste. Just look at the Capitol Annex project: Under his so-called leadership, taxpayers are being forced to foot a $1.1 billion (and rising) bill for a legislative palace complete with private escape corridors shielding lawmakers from the very public they supposedly serve. This annex is a monument—not to California’s future, but to its political decay: a shiny mausoleum of arrogance, secrecy and fiscal abuse. Rivas wants you to believe he’s “bridging gaps,” but the only bridges he’s building are for insiders trying to dodge accountability—at your expense. Bill Lipe | Salinas How brilliant is the comment from Soledad City Councilmember Fernando Cabrera: “How does nature produce a diamond? Compression— we are in a compression time. Right now we are under a lot of pressure, but how many diamonds can we bring out of that?” Every important social change takes years and years; we are annealed in that process and learn to be activists for the long term. It is hard yet, it is the only way. Thank you for this column, and thank you Councilmember Cabrera. Kent Glazer | Monterey 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 MAY 8-14, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 Education promises to be the great equalizer. But that promise has all sorts of assumptions built into it. One is that everyone starts at the same starting line, when in reality, some kids show up to their first day of kindergarten knowing basic reading and numbers. Others show up to kindergarten having never opened a book. And in Monterey County, only 1 in 4 children are kindergarten-ready. “Early exposure helps level the playing field,” says Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss. “When they enter school prepared with basic foundational skills, they do better long term. If they enter behind, some kids never catch up.” That’s why there’s been a sensible effort to focus on those pre-kindergarten years, expanding early childhood education. One such effort is the Monterey County Preschool Service Corps, an AmeriCorps-funded program administered by United Way Monterey County since 2020. The $500,000-a-year program recruits, trains and pays up to 20 local people to serve in preschools, providing extra language and literacy support; the AmeriCorps members get useful training (and a potential pipeline into an early childhood education career, desperately in need of workers) and 64 students in 10 classrooms (this school year) get extra tutoring. Irene Xirum Sangerman is a 23-year-old who spent four years after high school working as a waitress before deciding to apply for the program. The Salinas native now lives in King City where she tutors eight children in Head Start. The eldest of 30 grandchildren in her large family, Sangerman says she was always interested in becoming a preschool teacher. Part of her motivation to apply was to see if it was the right career fit, and it clearly was: “I fell in love with it,” she says. “The children are amazing, and the staff.” Now, as the school year comes to an end, she’s proud of the strides her students have made; some can write their names. One boy started the year unable to speak clearly, and when his peers couldn’t comprehend him it would lead him to tears. “Now he speaks in full sentences,” Sangerman says. “When we understand him, he just gets the biggest smile ever.” So it was personally crushing to Sangerman when she received word that the federal government was eliminating funding for her position. “It’s been a pretty good year up until last week,” she says. “For the kids, it is heartbreaking.” For the feds, it’s just the latest line item to fall to slashand-burn spending cuts. Locally it means the end of funding Sangerman and nine others’ positions, plus a question mark about the $10,000 education award each of them were promised in the future. The axe fell in an April 25 letter from Interim AmeriCorps head Jennifer Bastress Tahmasebi, written in bureaucratese. (“Effective immediately, the AmeriCorps award subrecipient(s) included in the attached spreadsheet is/are being terminated per 2 CFR 200.340(a) (4) because it has been determined that the award no longer effectuates agency priorities.”) The director of California Volunteers relayed the news to Katy Castagna, CEO of United Way Monterey County, two days later, noting that Gov. Gavin Newsom had already pledged to take legal action to stop the dismantling of AmeriCorps. “We’ve gone from the New Deal, the New Frontier, and the Great Society to a federal government that gives the middle finger to volunteers serving their fellow Americans. We will sue to stop this,” Newsom said in a statement in mid-April. Castagna and team hustled to find $25,000 to pay the 10 Monterey County Preschool Service Corps members for another four weeks. But the future of the program is unknown. “I am a very optimistic person but I am not expecting that this money would come back in time for next year,” Castagna says. As for Sangerman, her plan had been to go to Hartnell College to study early childhood education, but now everything is up in the air. Instead she’s looking for a summer job doing anything—fast food, gas station. “It’s a bit frustrating,” she says. “I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my life.” What she wants to do is help the next generation get a fair shake at life. It’s unsurprising, if disappointing, that this presidential administration sees that as unworthy. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Think of the Children The latest federal cuts target preschool tutors and the kids they serve. By Sara Rubin SAFETY STARS…Squid has been around the sea for awhile, but besides Squid’s likeness adorning the wall of the Monterey County Weekly’s office building in Seaside, Squid just doesn’t seem to get the recognition Squid thinks Squid deserves. Squid once again nominated Squidself for a Seaside Star—Squid is essentially the city’s mascot at this point—while CSUMB recently unveiled a statue of sea otters, but not of Squid. Squid felt like Squid got a slap in Squid’s sizable head when the County of Monterey unveiled its three potential mascots to serve as its Safety Ambassador, and asked for the public to vote for their favorite. The three cutesy cartoon characters are Reina the Mitigation Monarch (the name just rolls off the radula, doesn’t it?), Alejo the Safety Seal (is Monterey County big enough to have two cheerleaders named Alejo?) and…Inky the Safety Squid. Yes, it’s a big sea out there, but Squid has never heard of Inky before, and likely no one else has either. Squid is volunteering Squidself to serve as Safety Ambassador—Squid’s star power is much stronger, despite Seaside’s constant rejection—although Squid’s constant warnings about the erosion of democracy or the lack of housing probably won’t appeal to children. Squid will be eagerly awaiting the results after voting ends on May 30. Squid hopes Inky wins, so Squid has a cephalopod insider in county government who can feed Squid juicy tidbits to write about. DISASTER CAPITALISM…Squid doesn’t travel as much as Squid might like, though fortunately, Squid lives in a place that other travelers love to visit. And for Squid, studying the habits of these strangers is like a form of travel in itself. See Monterey, the region’s destination marketing organization, also studies visitors—and how to attract more of them— which is why Squid tuned in April 30 to watch See Monterey’s CEO Rob O’Keefe deliver an update to Monterey City Council about efforts to bring in more tourist dollars. After he was finished, councilmembers had a chance to chime in, and Squid nearly choked on shrimp-flavored popcorn during an exchange between O’Keefe and Councilmember Jean Rasch, who after praising efforts to get tourists to visit other parts of the county like Pinnacles National Park, said, “And now, you know, you’ll probably get tours of Vistra,” referring to the Jan. 16 fire at one of Vistra’s battery energy storage facilities in Moss Landing. “People will want to be touring Vistra to see what’s going on with that.” O’Keefe responded, “That’ll probably happen. There are Chernobyl visits now, so…” Nodding, Rasch added, “Ground zero.” Squid’s no marketing expert, but Squid’s not so sure a toxic waste site is something to highlight in a glossy brochure, but who knows, maybe next year’s will have a heavy metal theme. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “It’s been a pretty good year up until last week.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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