6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH How important is getting the small details right in grammar? In the case of a Times of London reporter, it’s everything. Bevan Hurley, a reporter for the British newspaper, emailed a man named Bill DeBlasio, thinking he was former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, asking for his take on mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani’s policies. DeBlasio, a wine importer who later said he figured the reporter contacted the wrong person, responded to the email anyway, criticizing Mamdani. The former mayor, de Blasio, told CNN that it was “surreal” to see the quotes, adding that what he thinks of Mamdani is exactly the opposite of what was printed. The Times pulled the story and apologized to de Blasio. The wine importer, meanwhile, told online news outlet Semafor that he used AI to write his response, thinking that the Times would catch the mix-up before it went to print. “I’m Bill DeBlasio,” he said. “I’ve always been Bill DeBlasio. I never once said I was the mayor. He never addressed me as the mayor. So I just gave him my opinion.” Good: Tatum’s Garden in Salinas, an accessible playground for children of various abilities, had been looking a little worn since it opened in December 2013. That’s a long time in playground years, with countless hours of wear and tear while also dealing with the elements. Thanks to donations, the playground is now looking just as shiny as it did when it first opened. Tatum’s Garden underwent a complete rubber resurfacing of its grounds, restoring its soft play surface that is the centerpiece of its play structures. “Thanks to this renovation, every inch of our playground now meets the promise we made years ago: that every child should be able to play, explore and grow without barriers,” said Amanda Bakker, founder of Tatum’s Garden. A re-opening ceremony is scheduled for Thursday, Nov. 6 at 5:30pm. Volunteers are also welcome to help clean up the playground the first Saturday of every month. GREAT: Two local libraries are the recipients of $10,000 each from the Carnegie Libraries 250 Initiative, supported by the Carnegie Corporation of New York: Monterey Public Library and Pacific Grove Public Library. Both libraries have philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, a Scottish immigrant, to thank for their early development. Carnegie funded the construction of 1,681 libraries across the U.S. between 1886 and 1917. Pacific Grove’s library, constructed with Carnegie funds, opened in 1908. Monterey’s library, established in 1849, was able to open as a city-run library in 1906 through a Carnegie grant. The initiative celebrates the upcoming 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, as well as honors roughly 1,280 Carnegie libraries still open. “Carnegie believed libraries were ‘cradles of democracy’—places that help every citizen, grow, learn and connect,” the P.G. announcement states. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY The estimated number of families All-In Monterey County serves every week. The volunteer organization, which distributes food and other necessities, expects that number to rise during the ongoing federal government shutdown. Source: Tanya Kosta, president of All-In Monterey County 600-800 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “George Washington likely had it right— sometimes one needs to leave before it’s time to go.” -Carmel City Administrator Chip Rerig, announcing that he is leaving his post at the end of 2025 (see story, montereycountynow.com). THAT I DON’T HAVE TO COOK Order your Thanksgiving Dinner from Elroy’s grateful thankful & blessed OVEN-ROASTED TURKEY BREAST Seasoned with orange, black pepper & cinnamon (GF, DF) ROASTED TURKEY GRAVY (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) APPLE SAGE STUFFING (NOT VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS: GLUTEN, EGGS, BUTTER) STRING BEAN CASSEROLE With shiitake miso cream sauce and crispy shallots (GF, VEGETARIAN, CONTAINS: SOY) GINGERED SWEET POTATO CASSEROLE (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) RAW CRANBERRY ORANGE RELISH (GF, VEGAN) BUTTERMILK WHIPPED POTATOES (GF, CONTAINS: DAIRY) DINNER ROLLS Served with sorghum pumpkin butter (CONTAINS: DAIRY, GLUTEN) @ELROYSFINEFOODS WWW.ELROYSFINEFOODS.COM 15 SOLEDAD DRIVE (831) 373-3737 MONTEREY, CA 93940 To place your order visit www.elroysfinefoods.com or scan this QR CODE! Quantities are limited, so order soon! Order Deadline: Thurs, 11/20 Pick Up Dates: Tues, 11/25 & Weds, 11/26 $150 per order (feeds 2 people)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==