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
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