MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT HONORS FOR AN MIA SOLDIER 8 | DRAMA SCHOOL 13 | SUPERSTAR POWER 32 | WANT S’MORE 38 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • HIGH STYLE 19 NEXT BEST THING 20 TRIBAL SENSE 22 GRAPHIC ART 24 Mood, Music CALI ROOTS IS A LOOK, A VIBE AND A WHOLE LOT OF MUSIC. Cali Roots 2025
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 • ISSUE #1921 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Alex Diaz (Canon camera 1/500 sec, ISO - 200) A sweet kitty named Numa takes a moment in the sunshine to clean his paws. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Steel Pulse lead singer David Hinds delivers a song during the 2023 edition of Cali Roots. The veteran band remains a popular draw. They return to the stage this year at 6:15pm on Sunday, May 25 during the three-day festival. 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.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 EDIT FRAME may 30–june 7, 2025 Discover the Art of the Plate at participating restaurants in Carmel-by-the-Sea with immersive food experiences, curated menus, special offers, and village-wide events set in some of Carmel’s most scenic and whimsical locations! Presented by Lead Sponsor Media Sponsors Local Sponsors Find the event calendar, participating restaurants, purchase tickets, and more at CarmelCulinaryWeek.com or scan for details! party at the plaza Carmel Plaza, Mission & Ocean Ave May |VIP : / : – : pm $ per person, $ VIP Enjoy amazing food, regional wines and live music in this beautiful outdoor setting! la dolce vita on dolores st Dolores St between th & Picadilly Park June | : –: pm | $ per person Experience the “joys of the table” at a familystyle Italian dinner along with experiential food and wine activities. pub crawl-by-the-sea May –June | $ per person Take a delicious journey to Barmel, Links Club, Vesuvio, and Flaherty’s Seafood & Oyster Bar. Enjoy a specialty cocktail and yummy snack at each location! soirée-by-the-sea La Playa Hotel, Camino Real & 8th June | VIP : / : –: pm $ per person, $ VIP Indulge in an unparalleled, one-of-a-kind food and wine experience set against a stunning coastal backdrop. culinary showdown Devendorf Park, Junipero & Ocean Ave June | : am- : pm | $ per person Bringing together chefs, fresh ingredients, and a food lover’s day of fun competition at Carmel Farmer’s Market! boho bites & beats Dolores St between 6th & the Art Association June 6 | VIP : / : –: pm $ per person, $ VIP Step into a street fair-style world of flavors, global cuisine, and a bohemian experience! th ar o th plat Village-Wide Events Produced by Carmel_Culinary_Week_2025_Weekly_FullPg_9.5x11.32_Final2.indd 1 5/14/25 7:59 AM
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH We’re proud to take a moment to pat ourselves on the back for recognitions at the 2024 California Journalism Awards, announced on May 17 by the California News Publishers Association. For the second year in a row, Monterey County Weekly received the General Excellence nod in Division 4 (for large and midsized weekly newspapers). There were also a slew of awards in specific categories. Congrats to first place winners Pam Marino for healthcare reporting, David Schmalz for transportation reporting, Agata Popęda for our community calendar, Daniel Dreifuss and Karen Loutzenheiser for cover art and design and Sara Rubin for investigative reporting. Our team took home second place honors for enterprise reporting (Schmalz), photo essay (Dreifuss and Sloan Campi), columns (Rubin), coverage of business and the economy (Erik Chalhoub) and public service journalism (shared by the Weekly and Monterey County Media Literacy Coalition). Our daily email newsletter received third place for Best Newsletter, and our Family Guide magazine won third for Best Special Section—it’s all a collaborative team effort. Good: Congratulations to the 19 local artists who are recipients of 2025 individual artist grants from the Arts Council for Monterey County. These grants, funded by the County of Monterey, offer financial stipends of up to $5,000 for emerging artists and $10,000 for established artists, working in a range of media from film to dance to painting. Established artists who received the grant are Lillian Barbeito and Edgar Lorenzo. Emerging artists are Katie Raquel, Cristian Almanza, Jonathan Ordiano, Ivan Ramirez, Nada Abdelshahid, Arturo Cabrera, Miguel Garcia, Alicia Trujillo, Edward Corpus, Kee Hyon Higgins, Jess Marie Soriano, William Bell, Rudy Medina, Jackson Sherry, Rachael Short, Daniel Troia and Cambell Walker. “Our local artists inspire, challenge and connect us in ways that strengthen our community,” said Jacquie Atchison, executive director of the Arts Council. GREAT: When Gonzales High School seniors graduate on June 7, they’ll be the first class to celebrate commencement at their newly renovated stadium. The Gonzales Unified School District celebrated the grand opening of the Dick Force Stadium with a ribbon cutting on May 16. Work on the project began nearly a year ago, and includes a new eight-lane, all-weather track surface in a standout orange color. A new synthetic turf field and Americans with Disability Act upgrades were also part of the work. The $7.2 million project, awarded to Tombleson Incorporated of Salinas, was funded by Measure K, a 2020 voter-approved $37 million bond meant to fund improvements at Gonzales High and Adult schools. The Spartans’ football team will return to play on the field for home games in the fall. The stadium first opened in 1966, and had remained relatively untouched since then. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Visitor spending in Monterey County in 2024, up 5.7 percent over 2023. The total is still below pre-pandemic spending, which was $3.2 billion in 2019. Source: See Monterey $3.1 billion QUOTE OF THE WEEK “This coast is everybody’s, and it belongs to everybody.” -Monterey County Supervisor Chris Lopez, who was appointed to serve on the California Coastal Commission (see story, montereycountynow. com). Bring in this ad for a FREE WASH & DRY! *ONE PER HOUSEHOLD = 30 LB WASHER AND DRYER EXP. 06/30/25 SELF SERVICE & WASH-DRY-FOLD SAVE MONEY, TIME, WATER & ENERGY! New High Efficiency Washers and Dryers Free Wi-Fi ’14-’24 OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK - 8AM-8PM #201 Mid Valley Center, Carmel Valley (near Safeway) Telephone: 831-250-7511 Visit our website: sudzcyberlaundry.com NOW IN CARMEL VALLEY BEST LAUNDROMAT IN MONTEREY COUNTY Seaside’s Premier European Auto Service Experts and Dealership Alternative (831) 230-8031 Monday – Friday 8:00am - 5:30pm 684 Ponderosa St, Seaside, CA 93955 www.MarlowMotorWerks.com Proudly servicing Mercedes, Sprinter, BMW, Audi and Land Rover with precision and passion!
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 For more information, scan the QR code or call 831-759-1951. Comprehensive cancer care in our community. When you or your loved one is diagnosed with cancer, finding care is fundamental. Salinas Valley Health offers comprehensive, quality care to support you anywhere in your journey. Our dedicated team of local experts provides optimal treatments and compassionate cancer care close to home. SALINAS VALLEY HEALTH MEDICAL CENTER 450 East Romie Lane OUTPATIENT INFUSION 515 East Romie Lane SUSAN BACON CANCER RESOURCE CENTER 501 East Romie Lane GENERAL SURGERY 236 San Jose Street IMAGING 559 Abbott Street HEMATOLOGY & ONCOLOGY 505 East Romie Lane NANCY AUSONIO BREAST HEALTH CENTER 240 San Jose Street COASTAL RADIATION ONCOLOGY 1069 Los Palos Drive Geetha Varma, MD Hematology and Oncology
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Lively, upbeat folk music can be heard from a distance. The door to the YMCA building in Monterey is open. Inside, a group of experienced dancers, many wearing brightly colored skirts, wait for the newbies who come early to learn new steps. Then, gradually, the room gets full and before you know it, the whole line of couples join hands, form circles and swing. Each face expresses joy. It’s hard to say how old Contra Dance Monterey is. Erika Rosenberg of Monterey has been dancing with the nonprofit group for 15 years, but she knows a contra dance friend who said the organization has been around for at least 30 years, meeting at YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula. “My sister plays fiddle and she would play at contra dance events and I would come along,” she says. These days Rosenberg dances not only in Monterey, but also in Santa Cruz, the Bay Area and San Luis Obispo. She is also responsible for Contra Dance Monterey’s programming. But what is contra dancing? Think of English and Scottish folk country dances. Think also of square dancing with a modern twist. Americans embraced the tradition, adding Appalachian folk dance and music. There’s always a live band playing, such as Dave Holodiloff and his group, and the band has to be able to play at the right speed. Before the actual dance, there’s a short beginner lesson. Then the caller, a person who introduced or designed the dance, teaches it. The current group’s president, Sam Winter, is a caller. The path is open to all the dancers with design skills and an ability to count. “Really, it’s for the community,” Winter says. “I love the spirit.” He started contra dancing in San Diego as a high school student, and he never stopped. He danced in New York, North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. Every place has a slightly different style, he says. Winter did regular couple’s dancing before, but found contra dancing more fun, less competitive and open to everyone. “It’s a big part of my life,” he adds. And that’s how it looks in practice: Each dancer has a partner but one really dances in a foursome so there’s plenty of space to interact: people progress up the line and down the line and when at the end of the line, they turn around and come back. Then music and moves get faster, your body gets warm, your cheeks get red and a big smile appears on your face. What a lovely exercise. You can always take a break, drink water and eat a snack, if you need one. The gender doesn’t really matter; instead there are “larks and robins,” says Laura Ford, who has been dancing with the group for more than 20 years and met her husband while contra dancing. The larks are on the left and the robins are on the right. “I want people to know that it’s really easy to learn,” Ford says. “Basically, you’re always moving from one person to the next, and it’s a joy.” “It’s a lot of dancing,” Rosenberg says. “My friend measured it with a fitness tracker and at the end of the weekend, he did either 60,000 or 80,000 steps. It was like 30 miles.” Rosenberg is also sponsoring the next dance, on June 1, for the occasion of her birthday. “Free dances are a little bit better attended because they’re free,” she says. Otherwise, anyone can walk in, pay and join. The members enjoy lower fees. “The more the merrier,” Rosenberg says. Don’t be surprised if you see men dancing in skirts. According to Ford, men dancers had been looking at beautiful, twirling skirts for a while and decided to bring their own skirts to experience them twirling around. (It’s more common in urban settings, such as the Bay Area, than in rural places.) “You just get into a state of bliss for several hours,” Ford says. “None of us can believe that the rest of the world doesn’t already know about this.” Contra Dance Monterey meets twice a month. The next event is 3:30-7pm Sunday, June 1. YMCA of the Monterey Peninsula, 6000 Camino El Estero, Monterey. Free. 324-3663, montereycontradance.org. Dance Away With skirts twirling as the beats pick up steam, contra dancing can be pure bliss. By Agata Popęda Live bands keep the contra dancers moving at a pace that gradually increases—expect to get plenty of exercise. Both men and women are encouraged to wear skirts. “I love the spirit. It’s a big part of my life.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE WANDA PRATT Visitors are ready to spend MAP • RECREATION • ARTS EVENTS • GOLF • DRINKS BEACHES • RESTAURANTS Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Visitors GUIDE FREE 2024-2025 cover_vg24.indd 1 6/20/24 3:25 PM Invite them to your business in the Best of Monterey Bay® Visitors Guide, the go-to source for everything local COMING JUNE 2025 AD SUBMISSION DEADLINE JUNE 9 FOR MORE INFO: 831-394-5656 sales@montereycountynow.com
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS At almost 10 years old, the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery has gone from accepting cremated remains only in 2016 to its first-ever in-ground burial in 2021. In another first for the cemetery, officials will be memorializing a World War II prisoner of war whose remains were never found, in a special ceremony at 9:30am Friday, May 23, three days before Memorial Day. The soldier being honored is U.S. Army Maj. Harold Stevenson, believed to have died in 1944 off the coast of Japan. The Department of Defense report about what happened to him reads like a horror story. Stevenson was captured in the Philippines just a few months after Japanese forces bombed Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. He was shuffled between POW camps until 1944, when he and thousands of other POWs were forced to board what came to be known as “hell ships,” headed for Japan. Many soldiers died while on board due to harsh conditions. The unlabeled ships were bombed by U.S. forces, unknowingly targeting their own soldiers. Stevenson survived an attack on the first hell ship he was on but on the second ship, he succumbed to head injuries suffered during a bombing, according to a fellow officer interviewed after the war. The officer said he buried Stevenson at sea. There are still over 71,000 MIA soldiers from WWII, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission, with most of those being from the War in the Pacific. According to the DoD report, Stevenson’s remains were declared nonrecoverable in 1950, but efforts to find every WWII MIA soldier, including those lost on the hell ships, are ongoing. Never Forget The Veterans Cemetery recognizes its first soldier missing in action and lost during WWII. By Pam Marino For decades, drilling a well in the Salinas Valley and its outlying rural communities has required only one bureaucratic step—applying to the county’s Environmental Health Bureau for a ministerial permit and paying a one-time fee. But with the advent of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency (SVBGSA) in 2017, that paradigm was no longer sustainable. In the years since forming following California’s 2014 Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, SVBGSA has been collecting data and creating reports to send to the state Department of Water Resources to show proof the region is on track to meet SGMA’s requirements to achieve groundwater sustainability by 2040. If the Department of Water Resources doesn’t think a GSA is effectively doing that, it is empowered to step in and take over the process, which is the worst-case scenario for stakeholders who want to retain local control over managing their groundwater. From the outset, SVBGSA teamed up with the Monterey County Water Resources Agency (MCWRA), which has been tracking groundwater levels in most of the Salinas Valley since 1995. But one problem that’s since arisen is gaps in the data, areas where there’s been no historic monitoring of groundwater. To help solve that, the Board of Supervisors last October approved MCWRA’s proposal to establish an annual well fee to pay for groundwater monitoring across the basin. Rather than have two different agencies sending bills, MCWRA will send out a single bill to cover the costs of the program for both agencies. How much the proposed annual fee comes out to depends on the subbasin, ranging from $140 to $280. On June 3, MCWRA will come back to the Board of Supervisors to seek approval of the new fee schedule. MCWRA General Manager Ara Azhderian says his agency estimates there are 3,500 wells in the county that would be subject to the fee, but says there could be more—County Health’s records only go back a few decades. “No one wants a new fee, [but] if we don’t do it, the state will,” Azhderian says. “Retaining that local control is a vital part of what we’re trying to accomplish here.” Azhderian says the biggest challenge in instituting the program will likely come from owners of smaller domestic systems; while agricultural growers have been working with MCWRA on groundwater monitoring for years, owners of smaller production wells have not. Registering a well with MCWRA will be required in the new program—a one-time fee of $160 for well owners not already registered—and it will also give key data points to provide the state with what it needs, like where the well is on the property, at what depth and whether it’s still in use. “We’re trying to make the burden on the well owner as light as we can,” Azhderian says, who concedes that it will likely take some time for some well owners to get used to. Piret Harmon, SVBGSA’s general manager, emphasizes the bigger picture: The groundwater basin is overdrafted and seawater intrusion continues, and the data will be critical in evaluating future groundwater sustainability projects. An estimated 3,500 wells in Monterey County would be subject to the fee. Ag wells (like the one in Castroville shown above) already monitor groundwater. Well Funded In an effort to bring Salinas Valley groundwater into sustainability, annual well fees are coming. By David Schmalz For the first time, the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery (above) is honoring a soldier whose remains were never found, Maj. Harold Stevenson, who died in captivity in WWII. “Retaining local control is a vital part of what we’re trying to accomplish.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
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A Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice montereycountynow.com/bestof BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 XX We are honored and look forward to working with you to support your pets best health and quality of life. 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 • www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com ’23 ’22 ’21 A Gold Certified Cat Friendly Practice montereycountynow.com/bestof BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® 2024 XX Dr. Brynie Kaplan Dau, MS, DVM SURGERY • DERMATOLOGY • FELINE AND CANINE MEDICINE PREVENTATIVE CARE • REGENERATIVE MEDICINE, PRP (PLATELET-RICH PLASMA) • LASER THERAPY • EXOTICS AND MUCH MORE – CONTINUITY OF CARE – NOW SEEING URGENT CARE CASES We are honored and look forward to working with you to support your pets best health and quality of life. 1023 Austin Avenue, Pacific Grove • 831-318-0306 • www.pacificgroveanimalhospital.com ’24 ’23 ’22 ’21 Four years in a row! 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VISIT OUR WEBSITE TO SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCES! bit.ly/montereyvz SCAN TO LEARN MORE: Share Your Safety Concerns on Monterey County Roadways Necesitamos la colaboración de todos para eliminar las muertes y las lesiones graves en nuestras carreteras. Ayúdenos a crear el plan para su comunidad. ¡VISITA NUESTRA PÁGINA WEB PARA COMPARTIR TUS EXPERIENCIAS! bit.ly/montereyvz ESCANEE PARA OBTENER MÁS INFORMACIÓN: Comparta sus preocupaciones sobre la seguridad en las carreteras del condado de Monterey
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com In 2019, the Monterey City Council approved accepting a gift from the Pebble Beach Company, 135 acres of Monterey pine forest south of Highway 1, across from the Del Monte Center. At the time, the land—called the Old Capitol Site—was zoned for “planned community,” and by accepting it, the council agreed to permanently rezone it as parkland. The transaction meant that PBCo would satisfy a condition of its 2012 approval with the county for a Pebble Beach subdivision; the condition required the Old Capitol Site be transferred to an approved entity to be managed as parkland. And though the city was starting to get serious about tightening its expenses, city staff recommended accepting the offer. Even Carmel Mayor Dave Potter, who served on the Monterey City Council earlier in his political career, came over the hill to urge the council to take the land. Only Tyller Williamson—now mayor, then councilmember—voted against it, expressing concerns, among other things, about the city taking on more financial responsibility. The city has since spent close to $1 million on the property, including hiring BFS Landscape Architects to develop a park plan for the property based on site conditions, community feedback and environmental constraints like protected species. With all the information in hand, city staff presented to the Parks and Rec Commission on Feb. 12. They offered a preferred plan for the park that would only allow hiking trails, and no bikes, citing costs and environmental constraints. Even still, that plan— which includes fenced trails through the forest—would cost an estimated $13 million to construct. The Parks and Rec Commission recommended the council approve the plan, but table it until more money was available. On May 20—just as the council deliberated about how to finance city infrastructure costs—the preferred Old Capitol concept finally came to City Council for approval. They were asked to decide on three options for the site: Approve the preferred concept, which would guide any future environmental review process; make the property open to the public only on existing fire roads, which would cost about $1 million in planning and permit costs; or, the now-cheapest option, continue to maintain it at a cost of about $300,000 annually. The council voted 4-0 to approve the preferred plan (with Gino Garcia absent), meaning if the city can ever afford it, it could be a park someday. The Carmel Unified School District administration is once again under a magnifying glass. Parents are demanding the district place Superintendent Sharon Ofek on administrative leave and pursue a third-party investigation into allegations laid out in a lawsuit filed on April 22 by former Carmel River Elementary School principal Alberto Ramirez. Bobby Pfeiffer, a Carmel Valley mother of two students, spoke up during a CUSD board meeting on Wednesday, May 14 and said many no longer trust the board. “Sharon Ofek was supposed to bring a new era to the district,” Pfeiffer says. “All we see is new accusations.” Ramirez alleges his firing was retaliatory and he suffered discrimination and harassment. Among other claims, he says Ofek pressured him into asking the board to hire her on as superintendent. Ramirez’s lawsuit states that “the hiring and new leadership of Ofek were not in any sense a break from [the district’s] dark past, but simply the next chapter of it.” In a statement, CUSD officials write: “The false allegations made by a former administrator involve a personnel matter and the district cannot go into detail regarding why Mr. Ramirez’s employment was discontinued…The district strongly disputes the allegations of wrongdoing and plans on vigorously defending itself in court.” Board president Jason Remynse, one of two current board members who voted in 2024 to appoint Ofek, says, “I stand behind Superintendent Ofek, as her leadership has been critical to the success that the district is currently experiencing.” Remynse adds that under Ofek’s leadership the district has expanded dual enrollment opportunities for students, and attendance has increased. Ofek’s predecessor, Ted Knight, resigned in 2023 with a $770,000 separation payment, which is the subject of another pending lawsuit claiming the payment exceeded the legal limit. There are three active lawsuits in Monterey County Superior Court against CUSD. Up a Tree The future of Monterey’s Old Capitol Site is finally decided—maybe. By David Schmalz NEWS SUPERVISOR SPEAKS District 2 County Supervisor Glenn Church speaks at an event hosted by the Monterey County Business Council. Church will discuss issues impacting North County. 11:30am-1pm Friday, May 23. Crazy Horse Ranch, 475 San Juan Grade Road, Salinas. $65/members, $100/ non-members. 216-3000, mcbc.biz. FUTURE LEADERS The Greenfield Youth Council, along with the Gonzales and Soledad youth councils, hosts the South County Youth Summit. The program includes workshops on leadership and advocacy, a resource fair, lunch and a keynote address by Cynthia Moreno, press secretary for Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas. 9:30am-3:30pm Saturday, May 24. Greenfield High School, 225 El Camino Real, Greenfield. Free/students in grades 8-12. Register at bit.ly/ SouthCountyYouthSummit25. 3129966. SAVING THE SLOUGH Elkhorn Slough Foundation Land Steward Ken Collins leads a guided walk to highlight amphibian conservation and pond restoration in the hills above Elkhorn Slough. 10am-noon Saturday, May 24. Location on the Reserve provided after registration. Free. 728-2822, bit.ly/ ElkhornSloughWalk. PUBLIC FACING The King City Council meets to discuss city business and hear public comment. 6pm Tuesday, May 27. City Hall, 212 S. Vanderhurst Ave., King City. Free. 3853281, kingcity.com. CARING FOR CAREGIVERS Hospice Giving Foundation hosts a workshop in Spanish for those taking care of loved ones at the end of their lives. The workshop includes stress management practices, selfcare tips and more. 5-7pm Wednesday, May 28. César Chávez Library, 615 Williams Road, Salinas. Free, donations accepted. 3339023, bit.ly/HGFworkshop. BALANCING THE BUDGET The County of Monterey’s budget hearings for the 2025-26 fiscal year include department presentations. 9am Wednesday, May 28. Board of Supervisors chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas; on Zoom at bit.ly/ BudgetHearing25. Free. countyofmonterey.gov. SWEPT UP The City of Salinas launched a new street sweeping program in various areas. “No Parking” signs have been posted, and a 90-day warning period is underway. Warning period ends July 31. bit.ly/ SalinasStreetSweeping. Head of School Parents demand a third-party investigation into Carmel Unified superintendent. By Celia Jiménez A preferred plan for the Old Capitol Site property includes fenced walking trails through the forest. But even that option would cost an estimated $13 million to build. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX If the city can ever afford it, it could be a park someday. BFS LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Sales: Shea Homes Marketing Company (CalDRE #01378646); Construction: SHALC GC, INC. (CSLB #1062050). Homes at Nevina, A Trilogy® Boutique Community® are intended for occupancy by at least one person 55 years of age or older, with certain exceptions for younger persons as provided by law and the governing covenants, conditions and restrictions. This is not an offer of real estate for sale, nor a solicitation of an offer to buy, to residents of any state or province in which registration and other legal requirements have not been fulfilled. Trademarks are property of their respective owners. Equal Housing Opportunity. Models are not an indication of racial preference.
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MAY 22-28, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com As the bankruptcy hearing for Pacifica Senior Living Management approached on Monday, May 19, Diana Northrop, president of the Pacific Grove Senior Living Residents’ Association, put flyers in every mailbox with instructions on how to watch via Zoom. Then the flyers disappeared. According to Northrup, the executive director told the staff that “corporate” said no one was to discuss the bankruptcy. Still, Northrup managed to get the staff to set up a monitor in a lounge where people gathered to watch the hearing. “Corporate” is Pacifica Senior Living, owned by San Diego-based Pacifica Companies, which owns many other entities, including PSL Management. Pacifica Companies is owned and operated by the Israni family, led by President Deepak Israni. PSL Management filed for bankruptcy in March. During the hearing, PSL representatives claimed the company was losing money. Creditors’ attorneys appeared to be building a case alleging that Pacifica was using various entities to avoid paying its debts, including court damages of more than $34 million stemming from two lawsuits. In October, PSL Management abruptly canceled contracts with properties owned by PSL, including P.G. Senior Living and The Park Lane in Monterey. Contracts were signed with new “wholly separate” companies, according to testimony from PSL representatives. P.G. Senior Living and The Park Lane are now overseen by the Heritage Resource Group. And while PSL representatives are claiming companies such as Heritage are separate entities, the same people that ran PSL Management appear to be running Heritage. In a town hall meeting at The Park Lane on April 24, Residents Council President Bob Nelson attempted to pin down Beau Ayers, a Heritage vice president (and formerly of PSL Management), as to who is now in charge of the property. “Everyone’s reading into things way too much,” Ayers said, assuring residents the bankruptcy would not impact them. He insisted that Heritage is a consulting group, not a management group, “so [Heritage] is not managing any communities.” He said a separate management company is managing The Park Lane, adding that nothing had changed for residents and that “we’re financially fantastic. Everything’s fine.” Attorney Christopher Skinner represents creditor Scott Hargis, a photographer who won a $6.3 million jury verdict against Pacifica Senior Living Management in a copyright infringement case in 2023. Skinner grilled PSL representatives on who was in charge. They repeatedly said they didn’t know. Skinner appeared to be convinced that Israni was in charge—he pointed out that the attorney’s fees in Hargis’ case were paid by checks from six different PSL properties, each check signed by Israni. Bankruptcy Trustee Ronald Stadtmueller continued the hearing to June 4, asking the Pacifica representatives to bring someone who could answer creditors’ questions. Who’s In Charge A senior living company facing bankruptcy spins an elaborate web of companies. By Pam Marino Residents at The Park Lane in Monterey say problems with the property are ongoing. They’ve been assured a bankruptcy of an entity that managed the property will not impact them. NEWS “We’re financially fantastic. Everything’s fine.” DANIEL DREIFUSS Learn more, give and see all sponsors: cfmco.org/womensfund THANK YOU 2025 WOMEN’S FUND LUNCHEON SPONSORS AND DONORS for investing in local women and girls! WINE SPONSOR DIAMOND SPONSORS Tonya Antle Leavy-Galvin-Knight Family Foundation Carle Mowell PLATINUM SPONSOR Judie Profeta GOLD SPONSORS Sheila & David Allaire, Bank of America, Peggy and Jack Baskin Foundation, Bianchi, Kasavan & Pope, LLP, Blink Optometry, Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County, Cal State Monterey Bay, Cannery Row Company, Carmel Valley Women’s Club/Foundation, Jeri Gattis, Hartnell College Foundation, Impower, Carolyn McGurn, Montage Health, Monterey County Weekly, Monterey Trust Management, Natividad Foundation, Pebble Beach Company, Precious Stone PR Inc., Snipville Pet Care, Spoke Consulting, Taylor Farms, Walker & Reed, PC, Wescom, West Coast Community Bank SPECIAL THANKS DISCOVER YOUR RealAge® live better, longer® Take the RealAge Test Use code: BZPMC DISCOVER how old you really are based on factors like your health and habits. Your RealAge might surprise you! Your participation will help inform well-being priority areas in our community. Visit assessments.bluezones.com or scan QR Code Register for free by creating a new account & using code BZPMC Discover your RealAge! 1 2 3 DISCOVER Join us at a Blue Zones Project event to support your well-being journey!
www.montereycountynow.com MAY 22-28, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 For nearly two years, a group of Pajaro Valley Unified School District students, teachers, parents and community members have fought to bring back Community Responsive Education, an Oakland-based consulting group, to help develop an ethnic studies curriculum. On April 16, PVUSD’s board unanimously voted to bring back CRE, approving a $90,000 contract. “I’m thrilled that we got it approved, and even more so that it was a 7-0 vote,” says Bobby Pelz, an English and ethnic studies teacher at Watsonville High. “It feels very validating. I’m really hopeful that students who participated recognize their own power and that they can do big things.” During its third year at PVUSD, CRE will focus on training administrators and new teachers. The path to bringing back CRE hasn’t been easy. It has been plagued with accusations of antisemitism against CRE’s founder, Allyson Tintiangco-Cubales, as a reason why the PVUSD board declined to renew CRE’s contract in 2023. (In April, the PVUSD board agreed to offer an apology to Tintiangco-Cubales.) Even with consensus on CRE, newer conflicts between board members, including concerns about antisemitic language, are boiling over. On May 7, the board voted against a resolution censuring Trustee Gabriel Medina. The resolution included several allegations including: Medina objected to allowing a graduate of a Christian university to become a teacher; posting a photo in February on Instagram showing an employee wearing a MAGA hat, “subjecting the employee to public scrutiny for expressing his political views;” and on April 16 Medina referred to Jewish community members as “you people” and accused them of attending public meetings to “tell Brown people who they are.” At the May 7 meeting, Medina said the proposed censure was “a politically motivated attempt to discredit me for doing exactly what I was elected to do: ask difficult questions, speak uncomfortable truths and represent my community.” Following the vote, Medina wrote a letter to trustees Olivia Flores and Misty Navarro, the only votes in favor of censure. He wrote that he wanted “to resolve a defamation claim stemming from false and damaging statements” against him and that he is seeking $35,000 in damages, including $10,000 for legal and mental health costs. “His claims are baseless and his letter amounts to harassment and extortion,” Navarro says. “We need to remember that we represent the district and our children are looking to us to model good behavior.” Medina, who represents North Monterey County on the board, did not respond to the Weekly’s request for comment. He told The Pajaronian that if both board members apologized, he would drop his legal claim. Medina’s letter drew scrutiny from other elected officials. “For a new school board member to demand $35,000 in taxpayer education dollars is just appalling and embarrassing,” Monterey County Supervisor Luis Alejo wrote on Facebook. Battle Lines Pajaro Valley Unified School District brings back ethnic studies consultant, but faces internal rift. By Celia Jiménez A rally in 2024 of PVUSD community members asking the board to rehire CRE, a consultant helping the district implement its ethnic studies curriculum. In April, the firm was rehired. NEWS “I’m really hopeful students recognize their own power.” CELIA JIMÉNEZ JOIN US Board of Supervisors to consider Groundwater Monitoring Program Regulatory Fees for the Salinas Valley Basin Tuesday, June 3 Hearing time 1:30 p.m County Government Center Board Chambers, 168 W. Alisal Street Salinas, CA 93901 The Agency is seeking Board adoption of a proposed regulatory fee to fund groundwater monitoring, ensuring compliance with state groundwater sustainability laws and preventing the need for a separate program or state intervention. Join by Zoom: https://montereycty.zoom.us/j/224397747 For more information, please scan the QR code or visit www.mcwater.info. *Most cars/light trucks. Excludes 1234yf refrigerant. Must present at check-in. Cannot be combined. Limited time only. 831-230-0910 1730 The Mall | Seaside SullivansAutoService.com
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