SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT NOTES FROM PRISON 6 | OSIO THEATER REVIVAL? 8 | VACCINE SEASON 13 | OKTOBERFEST BEERS 43 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • Christian Sands, this year’s Monterey Jazz Festival Commission Artist, riffs on the jazz masters, Bruce Lee, bird songs and cappuccino. p. 18 Fall Arts Issue INSIDE: 2025 Fall Arts Guide p. 26 SOUND OF SANDS
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 • ISSUE #1939 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Steve Zmak (DJI Mavic 2 Pro with 28mm Hasselblad lens) The view from above of the railroad trestle running over the Salinas River (between Marina and Moss Landing) makes for geometric shapes and shadows. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Pianist and composer Christian Sands is the Commission Artist for the 2025 Monterey Jazz Festival, writing six original songs that will debut at the festival. “I started with my experience with Monterey Jazz Festival,” he says of his creative process. “And then, what are people’s experiences with Monterey or Monterey Jazz? And then I write from there.” Cover image: Anna Webber 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 Annie Cobb annie@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 SEPTEMBER 25- OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 If you know Community Hospital, you know Montage Health. montagehealth.org The fact is, we’ve always been here. You’ve just known us by a different name. The people at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula created Montage Health to deliver exceptional care to more people, by expanding our services beyond the hospital. Today, we’re urgent care centers, wellness centers, primary care doctors, health insurance plans, and a groundbreaking mental health program for youth. Still independent, nonprofit, locally owned, and accountable only to the community we serve. Montage Health_Weekly_Ad_2025.indd 1 9/19/2025 12:52:13 PM
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH The Monterey County news landscape lost a local television newsroom on Tuesday, Sept. 23. A representative of Missouri-based corporate owner News-Press & Gazette Company announced that the Salinas newsroom was dissolving, and all 13 members of the news team—including reporters, anchors, meteorologists and producers—were laid off. Those laid off include Spanishspeaking Telemundo-23 anchor Sandy Santos, marking an end to the Spanish-language local news channel as well. San Francisco-based CBS station KPIX has taken over Channel 46, and announced the change in a joint statement with News-Press, never acknowledging the layoffs in a press release about the new “partnership.” “Viewers in Santa Cruz, Salinas, Monterey, and Carmel will now see local reporting and weather coverage delivered by CBS Bay Area,” they wrote. Former KION Managing Editor Jeanette Bent says, “It’s going to change the landscape of news coverage in this area…It’s a disservice to this community and we’re all heartbroken.” Good: Good news for Gonzales residents and first responders. The city has a new fire truck to serve its residents and beyond, adding reliability to the fire department’s aging fleet, which is in need of constant repairs. The fire truck has a $750,000 price tag and it was purchased using funds from a County of Monterey Community Development Block Grant and Gonzales’ Measure K (a half-percent sales tax increase approved by voters in 2014). The city celebrated the truck’s arrival on Sept. 18 outside the fire department’s office. “The new engine underscores Gonzales’ commitment to safeguarding the community by ensuring first responders have the tools they need to protect residents and businesses and respond swiftly in times of crisis,” the city’s announcement states. The new addition is a step forward toward modernizing the fire department’s infrastructure. GREAT: When Cal Fire hazard maps were released in March, suddenly neighborhoods on the Monterey Peninsula that had never been identified as high risk for wildfire were colored red for just that possibility. Firefighters and inspectors from the Monterey Fire Department went house-to-house to educate property owners about reducing risk through creating defensible space zones. Many property owners may find themselves short of cash to make the changes. Enter the Monterey Firefighters Community Foundation, which recently launched the Defensible Space Grant Program, in partnership with P.M. Landscaping. The grants are specifically for those with defensible space violations and who are in need of assistance. The focus is on seniors, veterans, disabled individuals and low-income households. Applications for the grant program are available at montereyfirefighterfoundation.org. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s the total number of vehicles that went in and out of Big Sur in August. The Community Association of Big Sur is now tracking this traffic data, made available to the public at the beginning of September. Source: Community Association of Big Sur 190,261 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We hope they’ll follow their conscience.” -Justin Loza, president of the Monterey chapter of Veterans for Peace, when several members stationed themselves outside of the Naval Postgraduate School to spread that message to workers who may be faced with orders that violate the law and the Constitution (see story, montereycountynow.com). birdschoolproject.org/festival Free Event! Sand City Art Park 525 Ortiz Ave. Sand City, CA Birder’s Night Market October 11, 2025 4-8 pm How to Draw Birds Workshop Bird Poetry Workshop DIY Screen Printing & Button Making Music, Food, Vendors Giveaways
www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Emergency Care or Urgent Care? WHEN TO SEEK URGENT CARE Urgent care is treatment for a condition that requires prompt attention but does not pose an immediate, serious health threat, such as*: • Colds, coughs, sore throat, sinus infection, upper respiratory infection, flu, fever • Minor injuries such as sprain, minor cuts including need for stitches, minor burns • Vomiting and/or diarrhea • Minor bone fractures • Allergies, rashes, ear and eye infections • Childhood illnesses • COVID testing and treatment • As directed by your doctor WHEN TO OBTAIN EMERGENCY CARE Emergency care is treatment for a condition that requires prompt attention and imposes an immediate, serious health threat, such as*: • Chest pain • Any loss of consciousness • Deep cuts, bleeding that will not stop • Signs of stroke including facial drooping, arm weakness, slurred speech or difficulty forming words. • Difficulty breathing, severe allergic reactions, choking • Bone fractures with open wounds • High fever that doesn’t improve with medication • As directed by your doctor Choosing between emergency care or urgent care can be a difficult decision. Your reason for needing medical attention will help you select between the two. If you are having difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, an injury that threatens your life or limb, or signs of stroke or heart attack, call 911. Do not drive yourself to the Emergency Department. *Scan the QR code to view a more complete list of symptoms for each situation. SalinasValleyHealth.com Rakesh Singh, MD Chief of Staff and Emergency Medicine Physician
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 It started as a volunteer program, Empathy in Action, that takes civilians inside the Correctional Training Facility, a Level II prison in Soledad, to engage in raw and honest conversations and educational activities with inmates—those determined to work on themselves by participating in this long-term, weekly exercise. A couple of years in, the initiative’s leader, Megan McDrew, was able to not only produce (with the help of Humans Being Media) the first part of an eight-part mini-documentary series about the experience, but also create a physical location for the initiative: the Transformative Justice Center in downtown Monterey. Her goal is to make people realize that those in prison are just like us, usually victims of their past and circumstances, and that they deserve not to be ignored. If you have walked down Tyler Street in Monterey since mid-November, you may have noticed a green sign announcing the center. That’s where McDrew meets with future volunteers who will join her for meetings with inmates in prison, people who have close ones in prison and anybody who is curious about the nonprofit. There’s an inspirational mural on the welcoming wall inside, painted by local artist Hanif Panni, that shows a bridge, metaphorically joining the inside of the prison with the society outside. The space offers an abundance of chairs, inmate-made art and brochures on resources for those who recently left the prison and those who want to understand what prison really does to people—retraumatizing them instead of creating change. There’s even an actual cell inside, taken straight from the CTF in Soledad, to help visitors imagine the experience of being locked up. Soon, the center will offer programs to help people who’ve been recently released to connect with prospective employers. “The grant we had for the last few years expires and we need more funds,” McDrew says after giving a tour of the center. “But I know we will be fine,” she adds quickly, marvelling over unexpected checks from private donors touched by the group’s mission. She has also received checks from former inmates, many of whom participated in the Empathy in Action program while incarcerated. Now, 10 months after opening the physical space, the documentary series is available. When watching the first part of the Time Together series, it’s hard not to believe the participating inmates’ determination to change their lives. It shows in their faces in a way that cannot be faked, with muscles trembling from tears hidden deep inside, such as in the case of William, one of the Brothers in Blue—as the program refers to the inmates—who recites a poem, written for the 15-yearold boy he killed when he himself was a very young man. It’s unbelievable, he says, how a verbal altercation can lead to a murder. “There’s no reason for it,” he continues. “You died in my hands. I’m the reason for all this pain,” referring to the countless lives affected by his actions. The film consists of the inmates’ stories, many of them tragic childhood stories, many of finding themselves in prison and getting ready to leave with new purpose, such as Keith, now a certified alcohol and drug use counselor. “When we were young, we numbed our pain with alcohol, drugs or violence because no one taught us how to reach out,” he says, adding that he plans to stick to counseling once he’s released. He says he finally knows what his life will be like after he gets home. In the Transformative Justice Center, McDrew has meetings all day long. She mostly talks to members of the public who volunteer their time every week for eight weeks to participate in the Empathy in Action program. On the other side, in Soledad, there’s a waiting list of inmates who want to participate. But perhaps, before we get brave enough to venture inside—deep inside the hearts and minds of prisoners— watching this documentary is where the journey should begin. Time Together screening takes place at noon on Saturday, Sept. 27 at Lighthouse Cinema, 525 Lighthouse Ave, Pacific Grove. $5-$10 donation suggested. Transformative Justice Center is located at 439 Tyler St., Monterey. transformativejusticecenter.org. Think Brave The upcoming screening of a prison documentary can change the way you think about life on the inside. By Agata Popęda It shows in their faces in a way that cannot be faked. TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Megan McDrew, founder of Empathy in Action, in the Transformative Justice Center in Monterey, where a mock prisoner’s cell is installed. All of its elements come from the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Shop Fresh, Shop Local at our weekly farmers’ markets PLUS - Join us for Seaside Summer Sessions every 3 Thursday with live music and a beer garden! rd All markets accept CalFresh/EBT & provide a 60% discount on all EBT purchases up to $30 ($30 = $75!) through Market Match SERVING FAMILIES IN MONTEREY COUNTY SALINAS SEASIDE PACIFIC GROVE MARINA Sunday Marina 10am-2pm Monday Pacific Grove 3pm-7pm Tuesday Alisal 11am-4pm Wednesday Natividad 10am-2:30pm Thursday Seaside 3pm-7pm Friday SVH 11:30am-4:30pm www.everyonesharvest.org for more info!
www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 THE ORIGINAL SINCE 1988 WINNING HANDS REVEALED OCT 9 ’25 ’25 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® ’25 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® ’25 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® ’25 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY® ’25 BEST OF MONTEREY COUNTY®
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Since last December, Monterey Jazz—the organization that oversees the Monterey Jazz Festival—has been in a period of management changes and transition. Former artistic director Darin Atwater served just one year, overseeing the 2024 festival, and it’s still not clear why he departed. An interim director, Bruce Labadie of San Jose Jazz, was brought on to book acts for this year’s festival, which runs Friday, Sept. 26-Sunday, Sept. 28. On Tuesday, Sept. 16, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that according to “inside sources,” Gerald Clayton, long-time director of Monterey Jazz’s Next Generation Orchestra, would be named artistic adviser of the festival. A Monterey Jazz spokesperson says the information is “very premature” and can provide no new information, but Clayton confirms the report. “I’m stepping into a new role and helping however I can in terms of curation and a vision for how we can move the festival forward,” Clayton says. He’s already looking ahead to next year. “First and foremost it’s about maintaining the high level of artistry that the Monterey Jazz Festival has always presented, so it’s digging into my playlist and picking some of my favorite artists who I think would be great for the festival, for the audience, for the crowd,” he says. Clayton also says he wants to find ways to engage with other creative people within the local community. “I’m personally really passionate and interested in bringing together like-minded people,” he says, suggesting pulling people from other artistic areas for collaboration. “Stay tuned and stay tapped in because I’m really excited for the future of the festival and what’s to come,” Clayton says. New Arrangement Monterey Jazz appears ready to announce one of its own as its next artistic adviser. By Pam Marino Only a couple of decades ago, there were a lot of places in Monterey to see a movie. Not anymore. Locals seem to particularly miss Osio Theater, which enjoyed its golden era in the early 2000s, specializing in independent, foreign and arthouse films. With beloved Café Lumière in the building, Osio was a downtown fixture until it closed in 2020, seemingly for good. (Before that, there was the 2015 closure and a revival a year later. In 2019 Osio owners turned the business into a nonprofit, among other attempts to survive.) Now, some fans of the Osio are ready to give it another go. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, a retired teacher, Brant Wilkinson, organized a gathering at Los Laureles Lodge in Carmel Valley to form the Osio Arts Foundation and create a new board to apply for nonprofit status. “Brant is the man of the hour and the heart and soul of this whole crazy scheme to get the Osio back open,” said Patrice Parks, also a retired teacher and now a founding board member. Gerard Massimer, the president of Carmel-based company Glastonbury, which offers audio-visual services, became the board’s chair; he was previously on the Osio’s board. The seven-member board consists of several people previously involved with cinema or performing arts. “For me, the arts are not extra, they’re essential,” Parks said. “It’s what makes us human beings—to have [Osio Theater] go fallow seems criminal.” Monterey Mayor Tyller Williamson was present at the meeting. “Carmel has a lot of venues and opportunities,” he said. “Monterey has to do better. I am excited to get rid of blight in the city.” (Williamson declined to explicitly endorse the project since the City of Monterey owns the land under Osio Plaza.) The building owner, San Josebased Green Valley Corporation, was represented by Nicholas Greenup of Cushman & Wakefield, who attended as “an olive branch.” Green Valley representatives did not respond to a request for comment. Wilkinson said he would like Osio to be not only a venue for movies, but also live performances, music and visual arts, “a place where our default is to say yes.” He added he’s been in touch with the Tribeca Film Festival. “We would have a West Coast version of Tribeca,” Wilkinson said. While the movie theater would be nonprofit, the cafe space would be for-profit, with rental income and a percentage of profits going to the theater. (The space has only one liquor license, which could go either to the concession stand or the cafe.) On Saturday, Sept. 20, the board and supporters toured Osio Theater, led by Greenup. Nobody could find a way to turn on all the electricity so members of the group had to shine flashlights from their phones to see inside the theaters. In the concession area, old popcorn was still in a box under the popcorn machine. Carmel restauratuer Ken Spilfogel joined, curious about the cafe area, but declined to open one refrigerator: “There could be a monster in there so I didn’t open it.” Still, he adds of being in the space: “It feels good.” It will take time to revive Osio; talks with the landlord continue and a budget is being put together. “I know it’s a long shot but it has to start somewhere,” Wilkinson says. “We can do it only if the community stands behind us.” Posters from films that were showing at the Osio Theater still appear on the interior and exterior walls of the building, which has been closed since 2020. Screen Time A nascent nonprofit is angling for another revival of downtown Monterey’s Osio Theater. By Agata Popęda Gerald Clayton conducting the Next Generation Orchestra at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 2023. He confirms his role is being expanded to artistic adviser of the entire festival. “I know it’s a long shot but it has to start somewhere.” STEVE SOUZA CELIA JIMÉNEZ monterey Jazz festival
BIG THINGS HAPPENING IN SAND CITY! Scan the QR code to sign up for our newsletter Stay tuned into the most creative town on the Monterey Peninsula. www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 SAVE-ON Mon-Fri 7am-7pm • Saturday 7am-6pm Sunday Closed 840 Playa Ave Sand City 831.394.3161 35 Plaza Cir. Salinas 831.757.3535 SAME DAY SERVICE in by 10am, pick-up 4pm 3 Doors Down from Costco Limited Time Special CLEANERS $4.25 $3.25 Pre-paid cash only. expires 10/31/2025 Excludes leathers, downs, gowns, and jumpsuits. Any Garment Dry Cleaned Any laundry shirt Find us at your local Farmers Market The Barnyard Tuesdays 9-1 Del Monte Shopping Center Fridays 8-12 Aptos at Cabrillo College Saturdays 8-12 Carmel on Ocean Avenue Thursdays 10-2 465-D Olympia Ave, Sand City sweetelenas.com 831.393.2063 Open Monday-Saturday from 8am-4pm Phone orders available AUTUMN IS EARLY THIS YEAR CELEBRATE WITH PUMPKIN PIE! ’24 Best Restaurant Sand City Service and Repairs on: VOLKSWAGENS TOYOTAS HONDAS JUST ANDY Satisfying Local Customers for 30 Years! 394-4212 465-A Olympia, Sand City (Back exit of Home Depot) 490 Orange Ave, Unit D Sand City P: 831-582-1724 www.UntamedFire.net
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the U.S. Department of Education ended grants for HispanicServing Institutions and Minority-Serving Institutions, resulting in $350 million in cuts affecting 615 colleges and universities nationwide. That includes 167 colleges in California, the largest number in the country. In Monterey County, CSU Monterey Bay, Monterey Peninsula College and Hartnell College all hold this designation, with an over 50-percent Latino population at CSUMB and MPC and 83 percent at Hartnell. The HSI designation means that at least 25 percent of undergraduates are Hispanic or Latino, making institutions eligible to apply for federal grants aimed at increasing student support, scholarships and programs. Locally, HSI grants have provided stipends for STEM students to enroll in internship programs, increased dual enrollment and created pathways between community colleges and CSUMB facilitating a teacher career pipeline. “It would negatively impact our students, because state funding that the college receives doesn’t allow us to meet all of the needs and provide these types of creative and innovative programs and services that really address their needs outside the classroom,” says Beccie Michael, vice president of advancement at MPC and executive director of the MPC Foundation. The Trump administration claimed this funding was discriminatory. “To further our commitment to ending discrimination in all forms across federally supported programs, the Department will no longer award Minority-Serving Institution grants that discriminate by restricting eligibility to institutions that meet government-mandated racial quotas,” U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon said in a press release. While the grants had an HSI tagline, programs and funds benefited colleges and universities as a whole. CSUMB has five active HSI grants; two are in their final year and won’t be affected. At MPC, an E=MC2 STEM grant is still active; they are unsure whether they’ll receive the remaining $823,700. “We’ve been able to embed tutors in math classes—that obviously helps all students in those classes,” Michael adds. Hartnell has two active grants. Ganas—a five-year, $3 million grant focused on job placement and transfer opportunities—will continue; the Ánimo grant—aimed at improving student success—has been suspended, meaning $1.2 million will no longer come to Hartnell. There’s still no word about what’s going on with the next farm bill, even among those leading the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) and Resource Conservation District (RCD) of Monterey County’s local work group meeting on Sept. 18. Ramon Salazar, district conservationist with the NRCS, presented the priorities and programs funded by the 2018 Farm Bill, a major federal agricultural spending bill passed every five years. The most recent farm bill was extended for one year and is set to expire on Sept. 30, 2025. Under the current bill, a total of 209 contracts are funded in Monterey County, 149 of which are currently active. Over $11 million has been allocated to projects, with $4.5 million in active contracts. The work group’s aim is to flag the upcoming application deadline on Nov. 21 for federal assistance opportunities for the coming fiscal year (Oct. 1, 2025Sept. 30, 2026). NRCS programs funded by the farm bill include the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Regional Conservation Partnership Program and the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, as well as conservation innovation grants. These programs prioritize funding projects to enhance and protect natural resources, typically through multi-year contracts that last around two to five years. EQIP is NRCS’ flagship conservation program, which aims to help farmers, ranchers and forest landowners integrate conservation efforts into working ag lands, and it receives the largest share of the funding with more than $10 million from the current farm bill. Countywide, the top conservation practices by funding requests have been cover cropping, improving soil organic matter, irrigation, water quality and erosion control, Salazar told the group. “We’ve been getting a lot of requests for compost application for farmers to improve their soil quality,” he said. What will be prioritized in the next federal farm bill remains unknown. School Age Hispanic-Serving Institution grants are ended, impacting all colleges in the county. By Celia Jiménez NEWS IN REMEMBRANCE Seaside Police Department observes National Day of Remembrance for Murder Victims with a community gathering. The event also supports surviving family members affected by violent crime. 6-8pm Thursday, Sept. 25. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6857, ci.seaside.ca.us. PUBLIC PROCESS The North Monterey County Unified School District Board of Trustees meets and accepts public comment. 6pm Thursday, Sept. 25. North Monterey County High School media center, 13990 Castroville Blvd., Castroville. Free. 633-3343, nmcusd. org. PEOPLE POWER The MEChA Club at Hartnell College hosts Union Remembrance Day, commemorating the 55th anniversary of the march to Hartnell led by Cesar Chavez. The event includes a march, art exhibits and speakers. 5-8pm Friday, Sept. 26. Hartnell College, 411 Central Ave., Salinas. Free. mecha2025@gmail.com, bit.ly/ MEChA2025. BRIDGING THE GAP Dorothy’s Place and the Community Foundation for Monterey County present a screening of Beyond the Bridge. The documentary highlights approaches that communities across the country have taken to reduce homelessness. 5-8:30pm Tuesday, Sept. 30. Sherwood Hall, 940 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. RSVP at 578-4198 or bit.ly/ BeyondtheBridgeSept30. LOBO LEGENDS Monterey Peninsula College seeks nominations for the Lobo Hall of Fame Awards. The categories are Distinguished Alumni, Outstanding Alumni-Athlete, Distinguished Retiree and Rising Star. Nominations accepted through Tuesday, Sept. 30. mpcfoundation.org, MPCFoundationInfo@mpc.edu. DISCOUNTED WATER Qualifying seniors who live in the City of Gonzales can receive a 5-percent discount off their annual water bill. Deadline to apply is 5pm on Nov. 14. 675-5000, gonzalesca.gov. OUT WITH THE OLD Monterey Bay Air Resources District’s Wood Stove Change Out Program is now taking applications. The program gives residents cash incentives to replace wood-burning heating devices with cleaner alternatives. Funds available on a first-come, firstserved basis. 718-8030, mbard.org/ wscop. Farm Funds Local agricultural leaders gather to discuss future Farm Bill priorities. By Katie Rodriguez CSUMB President Vanya Quiñones notified the campus of the cuts by email. “The timing is especially disappointing as we celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month,” she wrote. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “It would negatively impact our students.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 One voice can be the di erence for a child or youth in foster care. Be that voice. Over 50 local children are waiting. Become a CASA volunteer. casaofmo 831.222.3965 nterey.org Insured by NCUA 1The dividend rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) accurate as of 08/01/2025. The dividend rate and APY may change at any time. 4.40% APY, 8-month Term Savings Certificate must be opened by phone or in-branch with new money. New money is defined as funds not on deposit at Golden 1 in the 30 days prior to the certificate account opening. There is no minimum balance required to earn the stated APY. The minimum opening deposit for this 8-month certificate is $500. The APY is based on an assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal or transfer reduces earnings and there may be penalties for early withdrawal. Call 1-877-465-3361 for current rates. We reserve the right to change or discontinue this program at any time. Rates and term are subject to change without notice. 0825-MTW 4.40% APY1 for 8 months Visit a branch, call 1-877-465-3361 or scan to learn more Limited time offer Earn more with a Term Savings Certificate Sherwood Hall 940 N Main St, Salinas Sept 30, 2025 5:00 - 8:30 pm Catering provided by Dorothy’s Place This is NOT just another film about homelessness - it's a community collaboration experience. Beyond The Bridge provides a comprehensive and often entertaining analysis of the issue, and leaves audiences inspired and motivated to get to work. This powerful documentary is less about the problem and more about solutions, real approaches that communities across the country are using to drastically reduce unsheltered homelessness. It’s an urgent, hopeful message that our community needs right now. No cost admission. All are welcome. BEYOND THE BRIDGE a solution to homelessness There are many ways to RSVP 1.Call (831) 578-4198 2.Visit http://bit.ly/45XC09a 3.Scan the QR Code: Sherwood Hall 940 N Main St, Salinas Sept 30, 2025 5:00 - 8:30 pm Catering provided by Dorothy’s Place This is NOT just another film about homelessness - it's a community collaboration experience. Beyond The Bridge provides a comprehensive and often entertaining analysis of the issue, and leaves audiences inspired and motivated to get to work. This powerful documentary is less about the problem and more about solutions, real approaches that communities across the country are using to drastically reduce unsheltered homelessness. It’s an urgent, hopeful message that our community needs right now. No cost admission. All are welcome. a solution to homelessness There are many ways to RSVP 1.Call (831) 578-4198 2.Visit http://bit.ly/45XC09a 3.Scan the QR Code: Sherwood Hall 940 N Main St, Salinas Sept 30, 2025 5:00 - 8:30 pm Catering provided by Dorothy’s Place This is NOT just another film about homelessness - it's a community collaboration experience. Beyond The Bridge provides a comprehensive and often entertaining analysis of the issue, and leaves audiences inspired and motivated to get to work. This powerful documentary is less about the problem and more about solutions, real approaches that communities across the country are using to drastically reduce unsheltered homelessness. It’s an urgent, hopeful message that our community needs right now. No cost admission. All are welcome. There are many ways to RSVP 1.Call (831) 578-4198 2.Visit http://bit.ly/45XC09a 3.Scan the QR Code: This is NOT just another film about homelessness—it’s a community collaboration experience. Beyond The Bridge provides a comprehensive and often entertaining analysis of the issue, and leaves audiences inspired and motivated to get to work. This powerful documentary is less about the problem and more about solutions, real approaches that communities across the country are using to drastically reduce unsheltered homelessness. It’s an urgent, hopeful message that our community needs right now. No cost admission. All are welcome.
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Things are finally happening at Caruso’s Corner on North Fremont Street in Monterey, just not what was envisioned in recent years. Lakshmi Hotel Partners, which purchased the property in December 2017 for $3.05 million, abandoned their plans for an approved, 42-room boutique hotel at 2101 North Fremont St., home to the shuttered Caruso’s Corner restaurant and Casa Verde Inn motel. On Sept. 5, Lakshmi sold the property for $3.13 million to Isabella LLC. New owner Chris Shake has plans to remake the property within existing structures. Lakshmi’s proposed hotel came before the Monterey Planning Commission in 2021 and faced swift neighborhood pushback and threats of litigation over parking, so the developers paid for an environmental impact report. Concurrently, the city added an economic incentive of reimbursing the developers up to $550,000 after building the hotel. Monterey City Council approved the hotel and EIR in November 2023. Kim Cole, Monterey’s community development director, says building permits have been ready to be issued for the project since June 2024, but were never pulled. That won’t change anytime soon, as Shake says he has no intention of using them—he says the plans didn’t pencil out for the prior developer. Shake is planning to brand the corner Isabella Monterey, named after his mother, who with Shake’s dad, Sabu, opened the Old Fisherman’s Grotto on Fisherman’s Wharf in 1950. “I bought the property for an investment,” Shake says. “I thought it was a great location, a prime piece of real estate on North Fremont—I would say one of the best locations in that area.” Shake plans to do a “major renovation…to make it closer to a boutique motel.” He adds, “When people check in, I want them to get the impression, ‘Gosh, this is a room I have in my home.’ That kind of feel. I don’t want them to feel like it’s an ordinary hotel.” Shake is planning to lease out both the restaurant and motel—at 18-21 rooms—and hopes both will be up and running by late spring. He plans to start recruiting would-be tenants soon. While Shake plans to brand the corner Isabella Monterey, he says the names of the restaurant and hotel will be at the discretion of the new tenants. And while it’s just a makeover, it’s still the most significant commercial redevelopment the corridor has seen since the Monterey City Council adopted the North Fremont Specific Plan on April 1, 2014. That plan calls for a walkable, “mixed-used village” that would reduce vehicle trips and “improve the quality of the pedestrian experience” in the North Fremont corridor. Today, North Fremont Street looks much as it did then, with one notable exception—a rarely used bike lane now runs down the median, unconnected to any other cycling arteries. Shake has no grandiose visions for the property—he’s just planning to make what’s already there better. He promises it will be something that the “neighborhood will be proud of.” Shake Up A new owner and new plan takes over on the Caruso’s Corner property in Monterey. By David Schmalz Chris Shake (left) and his son Austin Shake bought the shuttered Caruso’s Corner motel/restaurant property on North Fremont Street with aspirations to remodel it within its existing footprint. NEWS “I thought it was a great location, a prime piece of real estate.” DANIEL DREIFUSS WE’RE HIRING Be a part of the reopening of Stillwater Restaurant at The Lodge! Exciting news, we are reopening Stillwater in November and are looking for experienced individuals to join our team! Hiring for all positions: Bartenders, Bussers, Cooks, Hosts, and Servers Highly competitive and comprehensive benefits package Apply online at pebblebeach.com/careers or call 831-649-7657 WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EEO/AA EMPLOYER M/F/D/V. SEPT 30 2025 3PM-7PM Human Resources Office 2790 17-Mile Drive WE’RE HIRING Be a part of the reopening of Stillwater Restaurant at The Lodge! Exciting news, we are reopening Stillwater in November and are looking for experienced individuals to join our team! Hiring for all positions: Bartenders, Bussers, Cooks, Hosts, and Servers Highly competitive and comprehensive benefits package Apply online at pebblebeach.com/careers or call 831-649-7657 WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EEO/AA EMPLOYER M/F/D/V. SEPT 30 2025 3PM-7PM Human Resources Office 2790 17-Mile Drive Exciting news, we are reopening Stillwater in November and are looking for experienced individuals to join our team! Hiring for all positions: Bartenders, Bussers, Cooks, Hosts, and Servers Highly competitive and comprehensive benefits package Apply online at pebblebeach.com/careers or call 831-649-7657 WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EEO/AA EMPLOYER M/F/D/V. SEPT 30 2025 3PM-7PM Human Resources Office 2790 17-Mile Drive Be a part of the reopening of Stillwater Restaurant at The Lodge! Exciting news, we are reopening Stillwater in November and are looking for experienced individuals to join our team! Hiring for all positions: Bartenders, Bussers, Cooks, Hosts, and Servers Highly competitive and comprehensive benefits package Apply online at pebblebeach.com/careers or call 831-649-7657 WE ARE PROUD TO BE AN EEO/AA EMPLOYER M/F/D/V. SEPT 30 2025 3PM-7PM Human Resources Office 2790 17-Mile Drive
www.montereycountynow.com SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 In the wake of confusion caused by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control under the Trump Administration recommending limited access to the Covid-19 vaccine, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and the governors of Oregon, Washington and Hawaii made things simpler for their states’ residents with an announcement on Sept. 17. Leaning on proven science, they released a set of vaccine recommendations that make access open to anyone who wants a vaccine. “In the face of federal leadership that has completely failed us, the West Coast is taking action,” Newsom said in a recorded statement, referring to the West Coast Health Alliance (WCHA), which was formed by the governors earlier this month. “Grounded in evidence, safety and transparency issuing new recommendations for our residents starting with a winter schedule for the winter virus season.” Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 144, which authorizes California to base future immunization guidance on credible, independent medical organizations, rather than on the “increasingly politicized” recommendations of the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. AB 144 also directs health care plans to cover preventative care, including immunizations, if the care was recommended by federal agencies as of Jan. 1, 2025, or is recommended by the California Department of Public Health. That means health insurance plans must cover Covid-19 vaccines in California. At the federal level, the confusion continued on Friday, Sept. 19 at a contentious meeting of the Advisory Committee on Immunizations. That committee was gutted in June by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., after he fired all 17 members and replaced them with his own picks. The committee backed away from a previous suggestion to require a prescription for a Covid vaccine, instead voting for a process of “shared decision making,” basically requiring patients to have a discussion with a doctor about the risks and benefits. It was not immediately clear how the process would work. Under the WCHA, “all who choose protection” is the bottom-line recommendation for the Covid vaccine. That includes children ages 6 months and up and all adults. The CDPH is also recommending the flu vaccine for anyone 6 months or older. For RSV, the recommendation is for babies younger than 8 months, all babies with risk factors between 8-19 months, pregnant women between 32-36 weeks, plus anyone age 75 and older, or anyone 50-70 with risk factors. Community-based flu vaccine clinics in Monterey County will soon be underway, beginning Wednesday, Oct. 8, running through Oct. 30. A complete list of times, dates and locations is available at bit.ly/ FluShotsMontereyCounty. Over 2,370 people in California died from Covid during the 2024-2025 season, with over 1,600 dying from flu and 232 people dying from RSV, according to the CDPH. The majority of deaths were in people ages 65 and up. Shot in the Arm Western states band together to make Covid vaccines available side by side with flu and RSV. By Pam Marino In 2021, special clinics drew lines to get Covid vaccines (above). Now anyone can walk into a pharmacy. CDPH recommends it for anyone with risk factors, and anyone who is pregnant, postpartum or lactating. NEWS Health insurance must cover Covid-19 vaccines in California. JOEL ANGEL JUÁREZ
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FRONT LINES Lots of love for these brave heroes (“Veterans for Peace urge servicemembers to ‘Follow Your Conscience’ outside NPS,” posted Sept. 19). Zoya Scholis | Seaside A soldier is only obligated to follow a lawful order and must refuse an unlawful order. There is no legal protection to follow conscience based on objections to a specific war, as the option is to be a conscientious objector against “war in any form.” Following an unlawful order can have legal consequences, but disobeying a lawful order is a serious offense. Where is a soldier going to get legal information on the battlefield? Scott Cunningham | Arroyo Grande Knowing that killing people indiscriminately is wrong does not require a law degree. It is simply wrong. Everyone in the approval chain for the killing of people out driving a boat without any investigation or trial is an illegal assassin and should be tried for murder. Phil Candreva | via social media TO LIFE Thank you for your piece about the priest in Salinas advocating for the abolition of the death penalty in California (“A Salinas reverend joins in a statewide campaign asking to end the death penalty,” posted Sept. 15). I wholeheartedly support this letter and your coverage of it. I come from England which abolished capital punishment in the 1960s. The continuation of this immoral punishment in the U.S. is an abomination. Thank you for your journalism and for covering these issues. Sarah Cook | Carmel Valley ALL ABOARD? Thank god that State Parks tried to stop this yet another wasteful project, benefiting nobody but increasing California prices of everything for everybody (“State Parks complicates plans for Monterey-Salinas Transit’s ever-evolving SURF! busway,” Sept. 11-16). Who will be riding these buses? They will be half-empty at rush hours and empty during the rest of the day, as all other MST buses are. It would be so much cheaper to subsidize an Uber/Lyft ride for an occasional rider. But why should [MST General Manager Carl] Sedoryk want it? He wants to build up his empire, which does not make any money, just wastefully loses money on expanding the supply for service where demand is very low. Keep just a few lines, delegate the rest to Uber/Lyft/taxis and subsidize qualified passengers. Jerry Juskie | Marina How do handrails on a highway overpass solve the entrance conflicts at the tunnel entrance? And why continue with more backroom deals that facilitate a boondoggle like the SURF! busway that may never reach its ridership projections? Tina Walsh | Marina BUSINESS PLAN In the past two decades, I’ve seen the loss of the Village Business Association and Carmel Valley Chamber of Commerce (“Carmel Valley winemakers look to form an organization to support its wine community,” Sept. 18-24). Both were met with barely a whimper, and some celebrated becoming part of the Carmel Chamber of Commerce. The Village of the ’50s and ’60s featured all the services of a self-contained and functioning civic structure. But the move toward consolidation of what became the Carmel Valley Master Plan Area started the trend of those services constantly shifting toward the coast. The Village of today looks more like a classic “bedroom town” and has been reduced to just an extension of the greater Carmel area. The lowest point was the 2007-08 Great Recession, where commercial space vacancies shot through the roof and the Village began to look like a ghost town. The only reversal to that trend has been the wine tasting industry. So it does my heart good to see four of the best advocating for the health of this industry and the Village. We all need to support them and this industry, which has become a big part of the lifeblood of this town. Paul Ingram | Carmel Valley IN FUR I love Augustina’s. That law is draconian and ridiculous! (“Carmel boutique owner is fined $150,000 for illegally selling new fur products,” posted Sept. 18.) Barbara Irvine | Carmel If they didn’t know, they should have. Brooke Lewis | via social media SEEING STARS Thank you for the excellent coverage of MIRA, the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy (“Serious science is happening at the Monterey Institute for Research in Astronomy,” Sept. 11-17). I was an original Friend of MIRA and attended the meeting in Ansel Adams’ home you referred to. I served on the initial committee for a short time. Obviously an article on MIRA’s work can’t fully cover all that they do, but you did a great job of conveying the excitement and pioneering spirit. For those who want to learn more, go to mira.org and explore the history and detailed explanations. Don’t forget to join Friends of MIRA and support this unique institution! Brian Ashurst | Soledad GONE SURFING Great story. I was just telling friends about the wave and venue (“Local surf shop owner Kelly Sorensen celebrates his birthday on the waves—in the Central Valley,” Sept. 18-24). Karen Lessard | via social media Happy birthday Kelly! Justin Ridgely | Honolulu WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS I would like to nominate Tom Tomorrow for a Nobel prize for being the best political cartoonist in the universe! Christo Soper | Pacific Grove CORRECTION A photo caption inaccurately identified the people pictured in Exhibit 1 in a story (“DNA technology is transforming criminal investigations and helping families find answers in cold cases,” Sept. 18-24). It showed George and Anna Smith with their daughter, JoAnn Holland, not with Anna’s mother, Eva Thompson. 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 SEPTEMBER 25-OCTOBER 1, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Sometimes, the process works. In the case of Salinas City Council’s community sponsorship program—with a modest $150,000 budget to support events that enrich the cultural, athletic, artistic or entertainment value of Salinas— it worked quite smoothly on Tuesday night, Sept. 23. Thirty-seven applicants sought a total of $1,062,263 in funding from the $150,000 pot to support community projects and events. City officials used a scoring rubric to assess each application and ranked them everywhere from 0 to 16 out of 20 possible points. City staff recommended the top seven— $6,000 for the cultural fair hosted by Asian Cultural Experience, $40,000 to the Arts Council for Monterey County toward First Friday art walks, $5,000 toward the 15th annual Salinas Valley Pride and so on. That means 30 organizations seeking funds will receive a no. But city council listened to the process, trusted the scoring rubric and voted unanimously to approve the recommended recipients. It all happened quickly and openly and without favoritism. Councilmember Andrew Sandoval described it as a successful evolution from what used to feel like a series of handshake deals. It was also a notable departure from what could have become a flagrant violation of the church-and-state divide. One applicant, Compass Church, was seeking the maximum allocation of $50,000 for its Fourth of July celebration—a worthy and well-attended event— despite also functioning quite unambiguously as a church event. The “Celebrate America Fireworks Extravaganza” featured all the essentials of a patriotic day: a plane flyover, colorguard, fireworks. But it also featured sermons masquerading as speeches. In his remarks that day, Army Chaplain Maj. Abraham Sarmiento of the Defense Language Institute offered a Christian prayer. “Lord, we lift the city of Salinas to you…Lord, as we commemorate the birth of this great nation, we acknowledge that true freedom comes from you alone,” he said. Lead Compass Church Pastor Todd Anderson referenced the theme of the secular American holiday when he said, “Freedom doesn’t come from fireworks or celebrations—true freedom comes from faith and faith in an Almighty God.” The church hosted what was by all accounts a festive, if religiously inflected, July Fourth event. They came to City Council in August seeking a retroactive sponsorship, despite the fact that the eligibility criteria in the city’s own sponsorship policy states, “The City will not award sponsorships to any religion, church, creed or sectarian organization to promote religious purposes.” Council punted on that decision and decided instead to roll in Compass Church’s request to this formal sponsorship application process. “Compass Church should be applauded for stepping up,” Mayor Dennis Donohue said at the time. But, he added, “The City Council wants to be sure to respect the policies and procedures it has put in place.” It’s a good thing they did. Compass Church scored 0 out of 20 possible points. “The government cannot subsidize certain religions or dispense special financial benefits to religious organizations or ministries,” Samantha F. Lawrence, staff attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, wrote in a Sept. 8 letter to council urging them to reject sponsorship of the event. “The City of Salinas should devote public funds to endeavors that are inclusive and welcoming to the entire community, not just community members who adhere to a particular faith.” On Sept. 23, they did. And perhaps not coincidentally, Kimberly Bryant, who speaks during every single public comment period to recite the Lord’s Prayer at council meetings, did something different on Sept. 23. Still within her First Amendment rights, wearing a Jesus T-shirt and using her allotted 90 seconds at the microphone, she offered blessings to council members, firefighters, police officers—but she did not recite a religious prayer. There’s no rubric for that, but when a community member can exercise their First Amendment right without subjecting everyone to a prayer they may or may not believe in, a balance has been struck. And to that I say: Amen. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com or follow her at @sarahayleyrubin.bsky.social. One for All Salinas City Council uplifts community, not religion, in event sponsorships. By Sara Rubin ME FIRST…Given that there’s a shade of beige named after Monterey, the word spicy is rarely used to describe anything in it. But for those paying attention—and Squid has been—Monterey City Council meetings have occasionally gotten pretty hot under the collar in recent weeks, and Sept. 16 was no different. The council was considering whether to form an ad hoc committee to sign off on language in the recruiting brochure for a new city manager, which is being drafted by a recruiting firm hired by the city. Councilmember Jean Rasch was willing to move forward without an ad hoc committee—she was confident in the hired consultant, she said—but was adamant about serving on a committee if there was one. Staff reiterated it was the consultant who recommended the creation of the committee, and Mayor Tyller Williamson asked the council if they were open to having just one councilmember review the language, not a committee. “As long as it’s me,” Rasch said. But Williamson replied with his own one-person committee idea: “I think it is probably best suited for the role of the mayor to serve in that capacity.” The council voted 3-1 to have Williamson work with the consultant as a committee of one, with Rasch dissenting. BUILDING TRUST…Squid keeps on oozing over to Sherwood Recreation Center in Salinas, hoping to get some reps in. The facility is being remodeled from a municipal swimming pool into a rec center focused on youth sports. The current phase concentrates mainly on exterior upgrades. The city received three bids in July and Otto Construction, Inc. was the lowest bidder at $2.7 million ($88,000 below the engineer’s estimates and $180,000 below the next-highest bidder). According to the municipal code, the city must grant the contract to the lowest bidder. Simple enough. But members of Sheet Metal Workers’ Local Union No. 104 expressed concerns due to previous wage theft violations by B&M Civil, an Otto subcontractor. City staff reviewed both contractors’ records at various agencies, including the Department of Industrial Relations and the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, to check if they were on the blacklist, and they weren’t (if contractors rectify violations, they don’t appear on the list). But as the conversation lingered—first on an agenda for Aug. 26, then Sept. 9—Councilmember Gloria De La Rosa moved to reject all bids and restart the process. “This is about public trust,” said Councilmember Jose Luis Barajas. “If we ignore clear violations, we weaken the integrity of our policies and erode the trust in city government.” In the end, council voted 6-0 to start over, with a new bidding deadline of Oct. 14. Squid’s not sure that builds trust as much as it wastes time, not to mention money in bypassing the lowest bid. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “The government cannot subsidize certain religions.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==