JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT WHERE TO PARK IN CARMEL? 12 | PARTY LIKE AN ALIEN 32 | DISPATCHES FROM A GLOBAL BIKE TOUR 36 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • It takes a lot to make it in professional soccer. That doesn’t stop local players from trying. p. 20 By Celia Jiménez GOAL ORIENTED
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com
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4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 • ISSUE #1924 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Wendy Goodman (iPhone 14 Pro) Ready for takeoff! Paragliders prepare to take flight in the westerly wind from steep dunes overlooking Monterey State Beach. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Last year was the final season Monterey Bay FC 2 played at Rabobank Stadium in Salinas. This year, they moved to Cardinale Stadium. The team has had a bad streak so far this season, with four losses and one tie. Cover Photo: Celia Jiménez 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 JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 PRESENTED BY
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH President Donald Trump continues to take aim at news outlets that he perceives as biased against him, sending a request to Congress on June 3 known as a “rescission package” that cuts $1.1 billion in federal funding to the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which distributes funding to NPR and PBS. The funding was approved by Trump in March, who now seeks to claw it back. Congress has 45 days to act. While the Senate can approve it with a majority vote, a few Republicans have indicated their support for public media. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, wrote in an op-ed that the loss of funding would be “devastating,” adding, “What may seem like a frivolous expense to some has proven to be an invaluable resource that saves lives in Alaska.” NPR’s chief executive Katherine Maher has hinted at a lawsuit should Congress pass the package. Good: After years of planning, the Monterey Regional Airport broke ground on its new terminal Friday, June 6. The new terminal, at 62,754 square feet, will have five gates and boarding bridges, and is expected to offer a much more efficient experience for the airport’s growing number of passengers. It is planned to open in May 2027. The current terminal was constructed in the 1950s and expanded two decades later. Monterey Regional Airport’s $200 million Metamorphosis Safety Enhancement Program has been transforming its facilities in recent years. In 2023, a new fire station and hangars were constructed. The roughly $100 million terminal project is being constructed by Hensel Phelps and designed by architectural firm HOK. “I’m damn proud of where we are today,” said Mike La Pier, who officially retired from his role as the airport’s executive director at the conclusion of the event. GREAT: This week marks a big break for the families left wondering about 600plus unsolved homicides in Monterey County. A newly launched nonprofit aims to provide a stable, long-term fundraising vehicle to help local agencies pay for costly DNA analysis and do forensic work needed to crack cold cases. Since launching in 2020, the Monterey County District Attorney’s Cold Case Task Force has solved 19 murders and identified 10 human remains. But as a three-year federal grant of $535,000 comes to a close with no new federal funding opportunities in sight, members of the task force decided to launch a new organization: the Cold Case Project of Monterey County. “We thought: The funding is going to be gone, how are we going to continue the good work we have been doing?” says Bill Clark, a retired assistant chief for Monterey PD now serving on the nonprofit’s board. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY 53.24 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “I have been beating a dead horse about how we are not building houses for our missing middle.” -Soledad City Councilmember Fernando Ansaldo-Sánchez, speaking about changes to a housing project (see story, montereycountynow.com). seconds North Salinas High School sophomore Clara Adams’ first-place time in the 400meter dash at the CIF State Championships on May 31. She was stripped of her title due to a celebration. The County Board of Supervisors sent a letter June 10 to the CIF demanding Adams’ title be reinstated. Source: California Interscholastic Federation 247 Main StreetSalinas, CA 93901 TEL 831.758.4011 FAX 831.655.8781 AllianceOnAging.org JOB FAIR Monday, June 30, 2025 8 A.M. – 12 P.M. Tuesday, July 1, 2025 3 P.M. – 6 P.M. The Inn at Spanish Bay Ballroom 2700 Seventeen Mile Drive, Pebble Beach, CA 93953 Interviews on the spot The Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance is the week of August 11 – 17. Applicants must be able to work Friday, August 15 – Sunday, August 17. Please come prepared to provide proof of employment eligibility. Hiring for all areas Bartenders, bussers, cashiers, cooks, housekeepers, purchasing clerks, servers, shuttle drivers, stewards, valets, and many more. Special event applications will be available on-site. Questions: (831) 649-7657 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance Temporary Special Event
www.montereycountyweekly.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 THANKS TO OUR KEY PARTNERS MONTEREY COUNTY GIVES! 2025: Request for Proposals About Monterey County Gives! Monterey County Gives! supports big ideas and demonstrated impact from local nonprofits. MCGives! is a partnership of the Monterey County Weekly, the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Foundation. The Fund has raised and contributed over $82.8 million for local nonprofits, including over $14.28 million last year. Over $600,000 in Matching Funds Thanks to our key partners, we have commitments of $600,000 to kick-off the campaign, which runs mid November to midnight Dec. 31. APPLICATION DEADLINE JULY 31 Apply online at: mcgives.com/ rfp2025 Nonprofits—Apply to PRINT | WEB | MOBILE MONTEREYCOUNTYGIVES.COM NOVEMBER 14 - DECEMBER 31, 2024 JOIN THE BAND It takes all of us to create a thriving, vibrant community. The 206 local nonprofits in Monterey County Gives! invite you to join in. PRINT | WEB | MOBILE cover_mcgives_2024.indd 1 10/30/24 11:44 AM
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Pop and Hiss in Pacific Grove is a venue with an original layout. Between a front room that is a record store and a spacious patio at the back, there is the heart of the venue that holds a warmly illuminated bar with old movies playing on screens, plenty of seating options and a little stage, where there is always something interesting going on. Every second Friday of the month fans of Latin heritage music on vinyl gather, listening to tracks from the 1960s and the 1970s, from countries such as Peru, Mexico and Colombia, and spanning genres including rock, funk, psychedelic, soul or cumbia. An effort to bring this trend—which is popular in Santa Cruz, San Jose and the Bay Area—to the Monterey Peninsula is spearheaded by a handful of local DJs. They include Oh-SoRitimico or Spencer Enriquez from Monterey who, on the night of this interview, is playing back-to-back with guest DJ Baybesoul. Both DJs are playing under the banner of Sonidos Latinos, a regional Latin vinyl collective. It’s early in the night and Enriquez, on the backdrop of a rainbow curtain, is moving to the beat in the priest-like solitude of preparing the communion. He is wearing a black T-shirt with a purple motif, a bright, yellow beanie; big headphones hang around his neck. He is planning the order of tracks he will play tonight. “I typically bring about a hundred records and play maybe 20,” he says during a break. That’s just one-fifth of his collection he started only a few years ago, picking up on the trend he heard in the Bay Area. It’s a hot, rhythmic music with vivid vocals. Some tracks played on this night are “La Muchacha del Desierto” by Los Grillos (Argentinian rock), “Mi Tamborera” by Los Beta 5 (a Peruvian chicha and cumbia band) and “Es lupe” by Los Chachiros, a regional Mexican band. It’s not the music Enriquez grew up with. His parents have Mexican, Portuguese and Irish background, but the family concentrated on assimilation. “I explored it on my own,” he says about the decades- and genre-spanning Latin music on vinyl. Much of this music was inspired by American rock and roll, and by The Beatles. While most of this music comes from the past, new artists, such as Salinas’ own Flaco El Jandro, are also picked up by Latin vinyl music DJs. “Every DJ has their own, unique collection,” Enriquez says. “Usually I play with a guest and we each play 40-minute sessions. Later at night, we will play back-to-back [taking turns playing tracks].” Low-key at first, the music becomes more intense with time. People, now a drink or two in, start to notice the music and soon their bodies are moving to it. After 8pm, the room gets crowded, with people sitting, standing around tables and dancing right in front of the stage. It’s a mixed crowd of mostly youngsters, many of them appearing to know one another. Many of these audience members come with memories of similar music heard in their homes; others just welcome a vibe of old things presented as fresh, without era or genre limitations. It’s simply exciting music to dance to. According to Enriquez, Monterey County is very much behind when it comes to contemporary vinyl scenes in cities such as San Jose, San Francisco or Oakland. “We have only a handful of vinyl nights,” he says, hoping the movement keeps growing. “But the community is expanding.” While Pop and Hiss offers many vinyl adventures and host many DJs, Latin vinyl nights by Sonidos Latinos is a unique gig when it comes to record choice. Other DJs involved in the vinyl collective are Caja Magica, Rixmantis, Discotera and others. Sonidos Latinos 7pm second Friday of the month; next on Friday, June 13. Pop and Hiss, 215 Forest Ave., Pacific Grove. $3. info@popandhiss.net, popandhiss.net. Vintage Vinyl DJs from Sonidos Latinos bring genre-spanning Latin vibes to a growing Peninsula audience. By Agata Popęda Spencer Enriquez spins Latin music on vinyl monthly at Pop and Hiss in Pacific Grove. Sonidos Latinos brings tracks from the 1960s and ’70s to younger audiences, hoping to grow the local Latin vinyl scene. “The community is expanding.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS LET' S CELEBRATE! 2025 BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce GET TICKETS! BUSINESS EXCELLENCE AWARDS 2025 Celebrating Excellence in the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce Business Community! Thursday, July 17, 2025 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM Embassy Suites by Hilton Monterey Bay-Seaside VOTE NOW!
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10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS While beer and popcorn isn’t a rare combination, a brewpub operating inside a movie theater is not the standard for California. But Soledad is set to get the state’s first, located inside Premiere Cinemas. “We’re going to be the first brewery in California that is inside a theater,” says Michael Carrillo, Reel Rock Brewery co-owner. Reel Rock Brewery is owned by a group of musicians and Soledad natives who started producing beer in 2014 under the CSA Craft Beer Distributing label. Their beer is currently sold on tap at locations in the tri-county area including XL Public House in Salinas and Fourth Street Tap House in Gonzales. “We want to bring business to Soledad,” Carrillo says. Two screening rooms will be turned into a brewery, bar area and beer garden. The space will have several (smaller) screens to showcase sports events including soccer and Formula 1. The Premiere Cinemas menu will be expanded to include pizza, wings and more, in addition to inviting food trucks to operate in the beer garden, says brewery co-owner Diego Ramirez. Balesteri Construction, a Salinas-based commercial construction company, will be in charge of the four-month project, which broke ground on Thursday, June 5. Anthony Balesteri, owner of Balesteri Construction, thinks the concept is great because customers can do different things in the same spot: watch a movie, grab a beer, spend time at the bar or attend an event. The project was two years in the making, requiring several visits from the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control before getting the green light. The theater opened in 2021. Bottoms Up Two years in the making, a new brewery inside a movie theater is set to open in Soledad. By Celia Jiménez For 21 years, Mark and Gayle Comer have opened the gates to their 65-acre ranch in Prunedale to provide classes among the rolling hills and oak woodlands for children, many of whom have experienced trauma or require special needs. Twenty of those acres are owned by Caltrans, purchased through eminent domain in the 1970s when the state had planned to construct a road in the area for commuters to bypass Highway 101. The Prunedale Bypass Project never came to be, so Caltrans instead opted to construct various improvements to Highway 101, leaving the state agency with large swaths of land it had no intention of using. The Comers were surprised recently to see a “For Sale” sign down the road from the property, and a picture of their Pesante Road driveway on a listing posted on Zillow, a real estate website. Caltrans listed the property for sale, along with other Pesante Road properties it considers excess. The 20 acres the nonprofit Hidden Hills Ranch leases has been combined with 14 adjoining acres, and will go to auction on Aug. 12 with a starting bid of $625,000. Gayle Comer says when they purchased the ranch, they were aware that the 20 acres would be sold at a future date. They’ve been renewing their lease with Caltrans every year or so, inquiring frequently on when the state planned on selling the property. But the Comers say Caltrans over the years assured them Hidden Hills Ranch would have the first opportunity to purchase the property before it went to bid—which Caltrans officials dispute. “The Comers have never owned the parcel they lease from Caltrans and Caltrans never communicated to them that they would have first option to purchase the property,” Caltrans District 5 spokesperson Kevin Drabinski says in a statement, adding that the Comers were notified of the planned sale “multiple times” earlier this year and that their current lease expires on July 31, less than two weeks from the auction date. Mark Comer says they are interested in purchasing the property, but the packaged deal with the extra 14 acres “drives up the price.” “Because they bundled it, it becomes unaffordable to the individual homeowner,” he says. Comer questions if any developer would be interested in the hilly and wooded property with no water or utilities—“It’s not very usable,” he says. Drabinski said Caltrans is obligated to sell the property at fair market value since it was originally purchased with state funds. Proceeds from the sale will help fund local transportation projects. If the land is sold, Gayle Comer says Hidden Hills Ranch will still operate, just on the 45 acres that they own, while their driveway, located on the leased 20 acres in question, will be accessible through an easement. The ranch’s founders are in talks with area land trusts to gauge their interest in purchasing the property to preserve the open space. “We’re OK with whatever happens,” she says. “But we’re not OK with how it’s happening and why it’s happening. We’re just grateful we’ll have the 45 acres and we’ll still provide the help and outdoor nature education that’s needed.” Gayle and Mark Comer, founders of Hidden Hills Ranch in Prunedale, are examining their options to keep 20 for-sale acres within their nonprofit’s footprint. Feeling Bypassed Caltrans plans to sell excess Prunedale property, but ranch operators question the process. By Erik Chalhoub From left to right, Reel Rock Brewery owners Diego Ramirez, Mike Carrillo and Rick Scolari, with contractors Anthony Balesteri and Anthony Freese, at their Premiere Cinemas location. “Because they bundled it, it becomes unaffordable.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 Join us for a free, interactive workshop in June, 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 A FREE CONSERVATION WEBINAR Thursday, June 19 Drip Irrigation Fundamentals 6 p.m.–7 p.m. The McIntyres like to give where they live through their donor advised and company charitable funds. Create your giving plan. We can help. Donor Advised Funds • IRA Charitable Distributions • Charitable Estate Planning (CGAs, CRTs) • Family Philanthropy • Scholarships & More 831.375.9712 | cfmco.org | We appreciate the flexibility and support to easily give where we live and work.” – Steve and Kim McIntyre Kim and Steve McIntyre Fund and Monterey Pacific Company Fund Simplify your GIVING Steve & Kim McIntyre
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Concerned that Carmel could be losing out on up to $1 million a year in sales and hotel tax revenue due to a lack of parking downtown, Mayor Dale Byrne asked the City Council on June 2 to make finding solutions a priority. Calling the possible tax revenue losses “really scary,” Byrne said people are getting frustrated and leaving the town when they can’t find parking. “It may be time to test some creative, cost-effective alternatives,” he said. Ideas presented by Byrne and a small volunteer team he convened—Andrew Hooks of Flaherty’s Restaurant and Steven Summers, owner of National Parking & Valet— include repealing some parts of the “daylighting law,” stemming from California Assembly Bill 413, which requires banning parking within 20 feet of an intersection. Hooks told council they estimated that they lost 45 spots in the downtown area, costing the city potentially over $4.8 million a year, using an estimate that each parking spot generates nearly $97,000 in economic impact to the city. Under the law it is possible for Carmel to establish a shorter distance from curbs, Hooks said, if the city can justify it. Reducing the speed in the downtown area from 25 to 15 could help in that effort. Summers, whose company is a longtime contractor for the city, laid out how they could create a valet loading zone at Junipero and Ocean avenues. He said they identified 70-100 spots on city-owned land, including the Public Works parking lot, the Forest Theater and a ramp at Sunset Center. There would be an hourly charge for parking, with the city and National Parking sharing in the proceeds. Councilmembers agreed that employee parking is likely the biggest issue. Hooks suggested creating programs for employees to carpool, or a shuttle. He also said the city could then create an enforcement program that would fine employees for repeatedly parking downtown. One idea the council wasn’t willing to pursue is imposing paid parking in the Del Mar parking lot at the base of Ocean Avenue by Carmel Beach. They feared it would push vehicles into surrounding neighborhoods. Byrne said he would create a working group with the Carmel Chamber of Commerce and others to continue to research ideas. City Administrator Chip Rerig will work with City Attorney Brian Pierik to look at the idea of a valet pilot program, which would last three to four months. Two days after Salinas City Council voted 5-2 to repeal four housing-related ordinances, including a rent stabilization cap of 2.75 percent annually, Mayor Dennis Donohue laid out his next steps moving forward. “The ordinances that were put in place, which were well intended, would have exacerbated the problem,” Donohue said at a press conference in City Hall on Thursday, June 5. “The real solution is to build more housing.” He laid out a four-step plan. It includes creating a multi-year rental assistance program for renters in need. He called for expanding tenant-mediation services and a tenant rights and resources communication campaign. He also said the city will host a housing summit this fall. “We heard clearly that people do need help right now, and we want to respond to that need,” Donohue said. He appointed himself and two colleagues on council to serve on an ad hoc committee to advance the housing plan. All members—Donohue, Gloria De La Rosa and José Luis Barajas—voted to repeal the ordinances. The ad hoc committee is expected to begin meeting “in a timely fashion,” and Donohue expects at least some of its meetings will be open to the public. John Silva, from the group Protect Salinas Renters, says there is no need for an ad hoc committee since the city already has a Housing and Land Use Committee. “I worry that it won’t be subject to the Brown Act and other protections that the Housing Committee does have to go through,” he says. The committee will develop recommendations for a rental assistance program, drawing on landlord resources and potential philanthropic support. It could be designed to help tenants pay a deposit or a few months of rent. As this process gets underway, a group is working to bring back the overturned ordinances. Protect Salinas Renters launched a referendum initiative June 3, just after the vote, hoping to gather enough signatures to potentially overturn council’s decision. No Parking Carmel’s mayor puts parking on the priority list, citing lost revenue potential. By Pam Marino NEWS HOUSING PLAN The County of Monterey has amended its Permanent Local Housing Allocation Plan, which outlines how state funding will be used for housing. The draft plan is available for public input. Public review ends Monday, June 16. Board of Supervisors public hearing 1:30pm Tuesday, June 17. Board of Supervisors chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., first floor, Salinas. Free. 755-5025, countyofmonterey.gov. TALKING BUDGET The Castroville Community Services District Board of Directors will consider adopting its proposed budget for the next fiscal year. Public comment is accepted. 4:30pm Tuesday, June 17. Castroville Community Services District Office, 11499 Geil St., Castroville. Free. 6332560, castrovillecsd.org. ON THE DAIS Sand City Council meets to consider a permit allowing an Elder Avenue business to store materials outside in containers, among other city business. Public comment is accepted. 5:30pm Tuesday, June 17. City Hall Council Chamber, 1 Pendergrass Way, Sand City. Free. 394-3054, sandcity. org. BEAUTY BARBECUE The public is invited to an annual Beautification Week celebration and hamburger barbecue hosted by the King City Chamber of Commerce and King City Rotary Club. Awards will be handed out, and guest speakers will talk about beautification efforts in the past year. Noon Wednesday, June 18. San Lorenzo Park, DeAnza building, 1160 Broadway, King City. Free. RSVP by June 16 to 385-3814 or kcchambermanager@ kingcitychamber.com. PLAN FOR THE FUTURE The City of Monterey hosts a workshop to help develop a plan that comes up with ways to combat climate change. The public is encouraged to share feedback. 6-8pm Wednesday, June 18. MIIS Irvine Auditorium, 499 Pierce St., Monterey. Free. 646-5662, haveyoursaymonterey. org/climate-action-plan. WHALE WATCHERS The Monterey Bay Chapter of the American Cetacean Society welcomes guest speaker Ted Cheeseman, the co-founder of Happywhale, a citizen science web platform that tracks whales around the globe.. 7-9pm Wednesday, June 18. Hopkins Marine Station, 120 Ocean View Blvd., Pacific Grove. Free, donations appreciated. acsmb.org. Home Build After repealing ordinances, Salinas mayor announces alternatives to address the rental crisis. By Celia Jiménez Street parking in Carmel is often crowded, especially on weekends. Mayor Dale Byrne has directed a pilot program to test a variety of options. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX Employee parking is likely the biggest issue. DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 THE CITY OF MONTEREY BEST SUMMER EVER!2025 SUMMER REGISTRATION IS OPEN! We are offering the following camps and programs plus much more. Follow Monterey Recreation on Facebook and Instagram or online at monterey.gov/rec for updates and program information. REGISTER ONLINE NOW! Flag Football Camp (7–14 yrs.) June 16–20 Imagine Dance Camp (4–8 yrs.) June 2–6, June 9–13, June 23–27, June 30 – July 3, July 7–11 Summer Fun Playground Program (5–10 yrs.) Offered M–F from 9am–4pm and located at neighborhood parks. June 16 – August 1 (7-week program) Whispering Pines Day Camp (5–9 yrs.) Weekly sessions offered M–F, June 16 – August 1 Camp Quien Sabe Youth Overnight Camp (7–15 yrs.) Weekly sessions offered M–F, June 23 – August 1 Tiny Tots Summer Camp (3–5 yrs.) Monday–Friday, 3 hours per day June 2–27, June 30 – July 25 Playwell LEGO® Camps (5–12 yrs.) June 16–20, July 21–25, July 28 – August 1 Summer Art Camp (7–13 yrs.) June 23–25, June 30 – July 2, July 7–9, July 14–16 Beach Volleyball (9–18 yrs.) June 9–13, June 16–20, June 23–27, July 7–11 Challenger International Soccer (7–14 yrs.) June 9–13, June 23–27, July 7–11, July 21–25 Track and Field Camp (7–13 yrs.) July 14–18 Basketball Camp (7–13 yrs.) July 21–25 REGISTER NOW! SCAN ME! to register on Amilia FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.GOV/REC Registration is available online 24/7 at monterey.gov/rec. Full program information is posted on the Monterey Recreation registration website at monterey.gov/rec. Questions? Email: montereyrecreation@monterey.gov. (831)718-9041 • merrillgardensmonterey.com 200 Iris Canyon Rd, Monterey, CA 93940 Family means everything to us From the communities we create to the connections we make with residents, everything we do is rooted in our history as a fifth generation family business. Lic #275202591 Proud to be part of Merrill Gardens Senior Living Enjoy Lunch on Us!
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com At budget hearings in May, Undersheriff Keith Boyd had just 10 minutes to break down the requests for what would be the largest ask in Monterey County’s proposed budget for the fiscal year 2025-26. Boyd brought what he saw as good news in a tight budget year: a decrease in the department’s initial requests. Among the cuts: $2 million in overtime initially requested; $750,000 in funding requested for Axon—a drone and body camera vendor—and a $7.2 million placeholder for projected increases in jail health care costs. “The big one we’ve eliminated, because we don’t have a new contract in place at this time, is the increase of $7.2 million,” Boyd said. “Which was a projection based on the market.” The final cost of a new jail health care contract remains unknown, for now. Boyd added that he expected the Sheriff’s Office would begin negotiating with the selected vendor in the first two weeks of June. The County has spent the last four months soliciting bids and evaluating proposals for what will potentially be a new health care provider for the Monterey County Jail, as the current $44.3 million, three-year contract with Wellpath ends on Dec. 31. A request for proposals was issued on Feb. 20 by the County’s Contracts and Purchasing Department. As of the Weekly’s deadline, the next provider has been tentatively awarded. According to records obtained by the Weekly via a California Public Records Act request, personnel from seven health care companies attended a mandatory pre-bid meeting that took place on March 10: Armor; California Health and Recovery Solutions, PC; Correctional Healthcare Partners; NaphCare; Physician Correctional, USA; 22nd Century Technologies, Inc.; and Wellpath. In an emailed statement, company founder Taylor Fithian says that after 40 years providing care in the jail, Wellpath did not make the cut. “We understand the County’s intention to transition services to a new provider organization, and we will work with the new provider to help implement a seamless transition of care,” he says. The next health care provider will be expected to deliver comprehensive onsite medical, dental, mental health and pharmaceutical services for incarcerated individuals, in compliance with a 2015 class-action settlement. The terms mandate court oversight with independent monitoring; Wellpath has faced fines for noncompliance. The other bidders are not without criticism: Armor has been found liable in inmate deaths in Ohio and Wisconsin; NaphCare and Physician Correctional have been sued in cases involving wrongful deaths in custody. Medical needs have risen in recent years, according to documents obtained by the Weekly. From 2019 to 2023, hospital days rose from 3,893 in 2019 to 6,042; emergency room visits increased from 283 to 503. Boyd noted that jail health care costs increased by nearly $3.4 million in fiscal year 2023 alone. Once a proposed contract is drafted, it will head to the Monterey County Board of Supervisors for approval. Health Bet As Sheriff’s Office negotiates a new health care contract in the jail, current provider Wellpath says they’re out of the running. By Katie Rodriguez An updated intake area of Monterey County Jail is meant to give health care professionals an opportunity to assess newly booked inmates for potential issues that require medical attention. NEWS Personnel from seven companies attended a pre-bid meeting. DANIEL DREIFUSS ’24 ♦ 3 Card Poker ♠ Century 21st No Bust Black Jack ♣ Texas Hold’em ♥ Baccarat FULL BAR! BLACKJACK BONUS POINTS PAYS UP TO $20,000 SMALL TOWN BIG PAYOUTS! 1-800-Gambler • Gega-003846, Gega-Gega-003703, Gega-000889 Gega-000891 Gega-002838 The Marina Club Casino ensures the safety and security of all guests and team members at all times, while providing exceptional service. 204 Carmel Ave. Marina 831-384-0925 casinomonterey.com ♠ ♣ ♥ ♦ Just minutes from Downtown Monterey Where Monterey Comes To Play
www.montereycountynow.com JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 On Friday, April 11, when Danny Bakewell Jr. addressed the crowd gathered for the groundbreaking of the Campus Town project in Seaside, he effused a sense of relief that the project—more than a decade in the planning—was finally getting started. The project is planned to have 842 for-sale homes, about 600 apartments, 100,000 square feet of retail and a hotel with up to 225 rooms. After a delay of about two years in order to deal with some contaminated soil, it finally had sign-off from regulators. But in the days immediately following, contractors conducting a pre-grading survey identified the presence of Monterey spineflower, a protected species. For several weeks after that, there was nothing that could be done except wait for the plant to bloom, which reveals the distinctive features necessary to identify its sub-species. Bakewell says that’s now happened, though he can’t recall what color the flowers were, just that the law requires the plant be replanted in a suitable location. The only setback, he says, has been time: Bakewell now expects grading to begin sometime after July 4. It’s also meant that the city of Seaside hasn’t yet been able to sell any land to Bakewell’s company—part of their agreement is that the land must be ready to grade before any money changes hands. (Seaside City Manager Greg McDanel says the city’s sale price for the land to build the first part of Campus Town, Phase 1a, is $6 million. The first phase is located south of Lightfighter Drive between 1st Avenue and Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard.) Once grading is completed, installation of underground utilities infrastructure can begin. Bakewell expects it will take at least a year before construction starts to go vertical. “At this point, we’re several millions of dollars invested in this project, and they say time is money,” Bakewell says. “As soon as we start selling homes, we can get caught up…Once we get started, we’re very hopeful we’ll not have any delays.” The delay highlights the difficulty—and the cost—of developing on the former Fort Ord, where if there are not blighted structures or contaminated soil, there are likely protected species. The challenges of developing on the former Fort Ord are also highlighted by a joint lawsuit that Center for Biological Diversity and Landwatch Monterey County filed against the City of Seaside in 2024 over the city’s 2040 general plan, and specifically, its plans for the future development of “Seaside East,” about 500 acres of maritime chaparral east of Gen. Jim Moore Boulevard. In a brief the plaintiffs submitted in May, they argue that not only is the land ecologically sensitive, but also that there is no available water to develop it because of an existing legal settlement between Marina Coast Water District and Landwatch. The settlement caps residential units on the former Fort Ord at 6,160, and with Campus Town’s 1,485 units, plus what was already entitled before it, the number has reached at least 6,150. Yet Mayor Ian Oglesby has repeatedly said the plan has always been to put affordable housing at Seaside East. On Break Seaside’s Campus Town project gets delayed once again, this time after its groundbreaking. By David Schmalz Developer Danny Bakewell Jr. (left) poses with other dignitaries at Campus Town’s April 11 groundbreaking in Seaside. NEWS “They say time is money.” DAVID SCHMALZ HEATABLE EATABLES! ELROY’S PRESENTS @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 PUNJAB ON A PLATE 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 All items will also be available à la carte for purchase at the Prepared Foods counter on Thursday, 6/26 until sold out! *ORDER BY: THURSDAY, JUNE 19TH PICK UP: THURSDAY, JUNE 26TH NEXT MONTH: CHEW THROUGH PERU * ALOO TIKI savory potato pancakes served with tamarind chutney (GF, VEGAN) PANEER TIKKA marinated & grilled cheese skewers served with a mint chutney (VEGETARIAN, GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) SARSON KA SAAG stewed mustard greens cooked down with spices (VEGETARIAN, GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) DAL MAKHANI creamy, smokey, lentil curry (VEGETARIAN, GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) CHOLE MASALA tangy tomato-based chickpea curry (VEGETARIAN, GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) TANDOORI CHICKEN marinated in yogurt & spices and cooked on our wood fired grill (CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) BUTTER CHICKEN a punjabi classic of chicken simmered in a rich, creamy tomato curry (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY, SOY) RICE KHEER a saffron & coconut rice pudding topped with candied citrus & toasted pistachio (GF, DF, CONTAINS: NUTS)
16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JUNE 12-18, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com ABCS Bruce Taylor’s $250 “Golden Ticket” incentive for Salinas third-graders may come from a well-meaning place, but paying kids to read is not the solution to our literacy crisis (“Bruce Taylor is betting that cash can help incentivize kids to learn to read,” May 29-June 4). Research shows extrinsic rewards can actually harm long-term motivation. We should be fostering a love of reading, not turning it into a transaction. Even more troubling is Taylor’s claim that teachers’ unions are to blame for poor educational outcomes. This scapegoating ignores the real challenges—poverty, underfunded schools, and systemic inequality. Unions often advocate for smaller class sizes, better training and support for students— solutions that actually move the needle. If we want lasting change, let’s invest in classrooms, not cash prizes. Public education needs thoughtful reform—not business-style gimmicks. Maggie Power | Salinas While I agree that improving education starts at the local level with parents more involved, it is not as simple as giving cash for reading. As the owner of Sylvan Learning, a credentialed teacher, and a History/ DSPS instructor at Hartnell, I work with students from pre-K to adult. Students need direct instruction in reading, math and writing. I would love to talk to Mr. Taylor about education and improving education in Salinas. Cary Swensen | Salinas While this idea seems well intentioned, it just doesn’t work. Kids need daily motivation, better teaching and regular exposure to books. The funds would be better suited for library or teacher programming. Or why not sponsor Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library which sends free books to children? Research shows that getting books in the hands of children is key to reading outcomes. Kim Smith | Monterey While I appreciate Mr. Taylor’s philanthropic efforts in our community, it’s hard to take his education policy philosophy seriously when he blames teachers unions and spends outrageous amounts on political candidates who want to make it harder for working-class families and teachers to afford to live here. Teachers unions advocate for fair and livable wages. I’d like to see more work being done to prevent displacement of students and teachers. The stress and uncertainty from our high cost of living can have direct impacts on test scores and education. Eric Palmer Sr. | Monterey Unfortunately too many parents may take the money for themselves and not hand it to the child. The parents will become incentivized, not the child. Reducing poverty and roadblocks to prosperity help reduce the roadblocks to better nutrition, healthcare, childcare and education. Teachers unions are not to blame. Marta Martinez Fife | via social media SEEING RAINBOWS I am hearing from my friends around town that they are willing to donate privately (“A rainbow crosswalk proposed in Monterey has drawn a surprising amount of criticism,” posted June 2). My family just returned from a trip to Iceland where my daughter and I took a photo on their rainbow street! That’s right, they have a whole lovely street right in the center of town, painted with a rainbow. It’s a great way to celebrate being a welcoming community. Laura Nagel | Monterey A LEADER’S WORTH While I understand the importance of removing barriers to civic participation, it’s important to distinguish between support and subsidy (“Former P.G. councilmember pursues a referendum on decision to raise council compensation,” posted June 3). It’s about having enough free time to be competent and effective. Money doesn’t buy you more time! Council needs to re-evaluate how decisions are being made and to place greater value on transparency, fiscal responsibility and genuine community input. The people of Pacific Grove deserve nothing less. Christie Italiano-Thomas | Pacific Grove ADD UP There’s been a lot of criticism about the City of Monterey’s budget and staff salaries lately (“Letters,” May 29-June 4). But I ask those raising concerns: what’s your proposed solution? Engineering assistants in our region make more in the private sector than the City can offer. If we want to attract and retain skilled staff, we must offer competitive pay, not cut salaries. Some say the City should budget like a household, but public finances aren’t the same. And let’s not forget that U.S. household debt recently hit $18.2 trillion, with nearly half of Americans carrying credit card debt. Is that really the model we want for local government? We deserve a city that’s well-run and staff that are fairly compensated. Let’s focus on real solutions. Chelsea Lenowska | Monterey FUND FORWARD This was a thoughtful piece (“Federal cuts are just too big for personal philanthropy to offset the damage,” posted May 27). The work [United Way] is doing is inspiring. I think it’s the right direction to go for many reasons, and on many levels. If “our seeming inability to fix any of it” is in part frustration over the Big Beautiful Bill, I too am frustrated. My core belief is the U.S. must stop spending what it doesn’t have in order to sustain the greatest nation in history. I was thinking billionaire philanthropy might help fill in the gaps. I don’t think higher taxes would help—it would go directly to paying down debt/reducing the deficit. James Macfarlane | Big Sur GIVING BACK Fantastic job on capturing the essence of Nicole Gillott in Living Well magazine (“Stroke survivor Nicole Gillott uses her experience to help others who are facing hardships,” 202526 edition, published on May 29). [Photographer Daniel Dreifuss and writer Erik Chalhoub] both did a wonderful job. Much appreciation. Paul M. Finnegan | Carmel Valley 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 JUNE 12-18, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 17 Assemblymember Dawn Addis, D-Morro Bay, serves on the Assembly Budget Committee. It’s not a fun job in lean budget years like this one, with the state staring down a $12 billion deficit—due in no small part, she points out, to President Donald Trump’s economic and tariff policies. Beyond that, Addis chairs the subcommittee on health, a particularly thorny area in times like these, when the federal government is looking to slash funding for Medicaid (known as Medi-Cal in California), to the tune of $880 billion in the so-called Big, Beautiful Bill. Federal funding accounts for roughly 58 percent of Medi-Cal revenue in California. About 15 million people, or one-third of Californians, are enrolled in Medi-Cal for their health insurance. Last year, more than $2 billion in Medi-Cal (combined state and federal dollars) were spent in Monterey County—dollars covering medical expenses for patients, and dollars helping medical providers and hospitals cover their costs. Given all that, it is a no-brainer to make commitments to constituents about maintaining California’s health infrastructure. Speaking to a delegation of local elected officials visiting the Capitol on April 9, Addis spoke about the health subcommittee. “We’re not going to make hard decisions on the backs of our most vulnerable communities,” she said, then added: “There could be hard decisions coming.” Those hard decisions are now here. The governor’s deadline to sign a budget bill is June 30, and the Legislature has until June 15 to pass it. The pressure is on, particularly regarding health care. About 20 protesters under the banner of Health4All and organized by the California PanEthnic Health Network gathered in Salinas on Thursday, June 5 outside of Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas’ district office. Their message was clear: Reject Gov. Gavin Newsom’s proposed budget on issues of health. Francisco Rodriguez, CEO of the Monterey Bay Central Labor Council, emphasized prior commitments made by local lawmakers—Addis of Morro Bay and Rivas of Hollister—as evidence they were already on the Health4All team’s side. “They are pro-immigrant and pro-worker and want everyone to have access to affordable health care. We want them to know we are in their corner.” A few days later, on Monday, June 9, a delegation of about 120 leaders with COPA (Communities Organized for Relational Power in Action) visited Sacramento for a rally and meetings with lawmakers. Ana Luz Acevedo-Cabrera of Marina is a COPA leader through her church, Our Lady of Refuge in Castroville, and her day included meeting with Addis’ staff. While the COPA team was holding a press conference outside, legislators were hashing out a plan inside that addressed some of COPA’s demands, including bringing the monthly premium down for undocumented immigrants on MediCal (in the governor’s proposed budget) from $100 to $30; there would be no premiums for those ages 60 and older. A freeze on new enrollments would be deferred until July 1, 2027. The legislative proposal restores dental coverage to Medi-Cal. Acevedo-Cabrera is encouraged, but wants to see more progress. “If they could come down from $100 to $30, then they can come down from $30 to zero,” she says. “That [premium] is a huge vulnerability—this is a very vulnerable population. It’s very un-Californian.” Addis doesn’t disagree—she’s proud of California’s health coverage. While she has tough words for Newsom’s budget proposal (“incredibly draconian”) she says the real lurking fear is Trump. “The agreement threads the needle, with the caveat that we don’t know what we’re facing down with Trump,” Addis says. “What’s happening at the federal level could crush our health care system.” Beyond the dollars, there could be work requirements and changes to the formula for how Medi-Cal is reimbursed by the feds. Addis worries broadly about damage to a health care system in a state where a remarkable 94 percent of the population is now insured. Proposed federal changes would shrink that number. Fewer people with health insurance means more deferred care. More deferred care means more emergency room visits—a backward move that is bad for all of us. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Survival Mode In a tough budget year, Trump’s policies just exacerbate the problems. By Sara Rubin SLIME TIMES…Squid spends a lot of time oozing around the internet to read the news. So Squid was surprised to discover a local site Squid hadn’t previously read, Monterey Times, with stories about gas prices, enrollment data in local K-12 schools, sports scores and an extensive list of homes for sale in Kern County. Wait, what? Squid took a closer look and the site is part of the nonprofit Metric Media, which was “established to fill the void in community news after years of decline in local reporting by legacy media. This site is one of hundreds nationwide to inform citizens about news in their local communities.” Maybe they got their wires crossed between Monterey and Kern counties. Or maybe a bunch of wires got crossed—all or most of the site appears to be AI-generated, with rehashed press releases and only one byline, which is “Monterey Times.” The site has been registered since 2019; the Weekly reported on so-called “pink slime” journalism masquerading as real journalism on this series of hundreds of Metric Media sites back in 2020. That’s a lot of slime, but real human readers just started reaching out to ask Squid what was up. So Squid’s colleague reached out to ask if there are human (or cephalopod) reporters at Monterey Times or just AI, but Squid heard back from neither human nor robot. EXCUSE ME…Squid may never give up on Squid’s quest for a much-deserved Seaside Star, but Squid doesn’t care much about fame—Squid prefers the company of Sammy the sea star to most celebrities. That being said, Squid did ooze over to Moss Landing on June 4 for a potential Erin Brockovich sighting, because even though there’s a movie and title character of that name, Squid had never seen the actual person. And because when a law firm’s publicity team flooded inboxes with a promised in-person appearance from Brockovich at a press conference, Squid figured other media would flock there too, so Squid wanted to see the show. Well, it turns out Squid still doesn’t know what the real Brockovich looks like, as Knut Johnson, senior counsel for law firm Singleton Schreiber—which is representing hundreds of local residents in their lawsuits against Vistra and PG&E for damages relating to the Jan. 16 Vistra fire—announced that Brockovich had “car trouble” and could not make it. So Johnson— who’d flown up from San Diego with other Singleton Schreiber employees for the event—used the opportunity to call out PG&E for a lack of transparency in its attempt to bring its adjacent Elkhorn battery facility back online. (The utility company shut it back down just after turning it on earlier in June.) Squid left after just a few minutes—the celebrity no-show was the news, and everything else was just wasted energy. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “[It] could crush our health care system.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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