24 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY OCTOBER 9-15, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com are great memories, the one thing that truly defined the next phase of our youth was the arrival of arcade video games. That 25-cent obsession really took over our spare time for a while. We pooled every spare cent we had for games like Pac-Man, Asteroids, Dig-Dug and Tron. If I see one of those old cabinets today, I’m still dropping a quarter in. Do you still have a BMX bike? I do still own a bicycle and ride for exercise, but I’ve traded the backyard BMX tracks for state or county mountain biking trails. As for the actual BMX I rode back then, that’s a story: One of the kids I grew up with stole it. But many years later, as adults, he replaced it for me. I still have that bicycle—a physical memory of that era— hanging in my garage. How competitive do you get? When playing Follow the Leader, it was more about challenging myself, but there was still a fierce competition to be the most daring leader. Even the little bit of Marbles we played required a focused eye and a steady hand—it was a low-key but intense challenge to knock my friends’ marbles out of the circle. I’ve channeled that energy into my professional life today. Have you ever been caught cheating on a game? We didn’t cheat, but we certainly bent the rules! The easiest way was during Follow the Leader on our bikes. If the leader pulled off a tricky move—say, riding a thin curb without falling—and you crashed, you’d often just shout, “I made it! My foot didn’t touch!” to avoid being called out. In Marbles, we’d argue every shot, too, of course. Are you a sore winner and/or sore loser? The biggest disappointment came when losing to a buddy on an arcade video game. Losing a game of Asteroids or Pac-Man meant shelling out another quarter immediately for a rematch, and those quarters added up fast! Eventually we learned that we had to respect the outcome, win or lose. Even today, I still try to be a good sport. Honestly, I still feel a bit bad that as a society we moved so quickly from all that physical activity to the digital world. Hillary Theyer Monterey County Free Libraries Director What was your favorite game growing up? I grew up playing with a large family of a variety of different ages. Cards can be played anywhere (including at a picnic, in a tent, or on the floor) and Uno can be adjusted widely to compensate for the ages of those playing. Do you still have it and play with it? I still have a worn deck (one of many) and we taught people the game and played many rounds at my most recent family reunion. Jose Luis Barajas Salinas City Councilmember What was your favorite game growing up? I was very much into Avatar: The Last Airbender. It’s a cartoon; you’re just mimicking something happening in the show. It was similar to pretending we were wizards, but in this case, you’re a waterbender or a firebender, etc. Really, it was me running around in a park doing random martial arts type motions. I used to basically force my brothers and sister and cousins to play. I was always from the Water Tribe, someone was from Earth Nation, etc. Why did you like it so much? Out of all the games we could possibly play, that was the only game that really forced us all to really be involved at all times, because we were all constantly “fighting” with one another. It was a fun opportunity to get more folks involved—if we were playing tag or hide-and-seek, it’s just one person. Do you still play it? I do not, but I’m an uncle now [to two 1-year-olds and a 9-yearold] so I just have to roll with whatever they’re in the mood to do. As of late, it’s been the Bluey craze. How competitive do you get? Definitely not competitive. I’m more there for the camaraderie that comes from playing games. Have you ever been caught cheating on a game? Not that I can recall. Are you a sore winner and/or sore loser? I wouldn’t say so. Like I mentioned, I’m just there for the spirit of the game, the fun of the game. Win or lose, I’m going to have a good time. Elsa Jimenez County of Monterey Director of Health Services What was your favorite game growing up? Jacks and Marbles. They were not expensive to buy and entertained us for hours. Do you still have it and play with it? No, I no longer have the sets. Natalia Corazza La Neta Murals Co-Founder What was your favorite game growing up? One of my favorite games was probably Candy Land. I think it was my favorite because I didn’t have it at my house, and only got to play it at my godmother’s with my siblings and neighbors. It was a colorful board game with different characters with different personalities and we liked to invent gossip for them while playing the game. Do you still have it and play with it? I no longer have the game, my godmother passed, and I haven’t played it in probably 15 years. How competitive do you get? I’m usually not competitive, but occasionally with trivial games like these, I can be. Have you ever been caught cheating on a game? I most certainly have been caught cheating on a game, especially as a child. We all occasionally cheated, or changed the rules as we went along to make things more interesting. Zoe Lofgren U.S. Representative, District 18 What was your favorite game growing up? Canasta. Why did you like it so much? My grandfather, who taught me to play, let me win. I thought I was winning on my own! Do you still have it and play with it? No. How competitive do you get? I hate to lose. Have you ever been caught cheating on a game? My husband and I stacked the deck when playing bridge with our children as a joke—but they didn’t laugh! Are you a sore winner and/or sore loser? I don’t get sore except from riding horses. Maia Carroll County of Monterey Administrative Office What was your favorite game growing up? Sorry! and Mousetrap which was fun until you lost all those darn pieces. Go Fish and Gin Rummy card games. Card games were used a lot as you could take them anywhere and play anytime. Do you still have any of those and play with them? I have a fun little collection of decks of cards from vintage airlines, Lego brand to Palace of Versailles. I don’t play often anymore but I made sure my kids got in on the next generation of board and card games. They have their own game nights with friends. Todd Fisher The Meatery and Bear + Flag Roadside Chef and Owner What was your favorite game growing up? Monopoly. Why did you like it so much? I wanted to own everything. And I still can’t help myself. I could kick the shit out of that red, rubber, bouncy ball. -Jimmy Panetta, U.S. Representative, District 19 I’m a born winner! -Norm Groot, Monterey County Farm Bureau Executive Director
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==