NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT AQUARIUM TAYLOR MADE 8 | A HOTEL FOR SALINAS? 12 | NEW HOMES FOR VETERANS 15 | GOING BIG 38 FIRST PLACE GENERAL EXCELLENCE • 2025 CA JOURNALISM AWARDS • The stars of past hit films take to the road in a trend that is packing movie theaters. p. 20 By Dave Faries BRINGING THE ROOM TOGETHER
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com Schedule a meeting to learn more here! MPUSD Teacher Residency at Alder GSE IMAGINE To apply visit www.aldergse.org/apply For more info please email Sebastian Franco at sfranco@aldergse.edu or to schedule a phone call use QR code Becoming a highly effective educator through a supportive teacher-training program with an emphasis on social justice and equity. Earning your Master’s Degree and Teaching Credential in just one year from Alder GSE. Pairing theory with practice in a yearlong apprenticeship alongside a Mentor Teacher. COST - $23,970 for 2026-2027 cohort BENEFITS Living stipend provided to all residents State/federal grants Up to $49K in federal financial aid/loans Master's Degree and Credential in 1 year Tuition Reimbursement Priority hiring upon completion of program MPUSD Low-Cost Student Housing Bachelor's degree earned by June 2026 2.65 min (can appeal if your GPA is lower) Eligible to work in the U.S. ADMISSIONS REQUIREMENTS To learn more contact: Sebastian Franco sfranco@aldergse.edu Applications open (the first of 3 rounds): September 1, 2025 Why apply at the first deadline? Sometimes certain grade levels/subject areas can fill up after the first round. Applying in the first round means no subject/grade level is filled yet!
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 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.
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 • ISSUE #1945 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Mike Sheehan (Nikon D850, 600mm lens) A lone coyote on a North County hilltop silhouetted against a picture-perfect sunset. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Jeff Bridges answers questions from the audience at Golden State Theatre after a showing of the cult classic The Big Lebowski earlier this year. The downtown Monterey theater has hosted a number of such events. Cover image: Courtesy of The Well Creative Agency 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 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 NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Questions about vacines? Talk with your doctor or healthcare provider, or scan the QR code. We Believe VACCINATIONS SAVE LIVES. Some childhood vaccines don’t just protect your children, they can also help keep grandparents, older adults, and family members who are sick from getting very ill. Vaccinating children is one of the best ways to protect the whole family. Salinas Valley Health providers, staff and members of the Board of Directors
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)
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 Join us at The Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa for a bountiful buffet of seasonal favorites specially prepared by Chef Michael Rotondo on Thanksgiving Day, or take home one of our thoughtfully prepared dinners available for pickup. THANKSGIVING BUFFET THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 27TH 12:00 PM - 7:00 PM $145 ADULTS $49 CHILDREN (Ages 6-13) Free for children under 6 Tax and service not included THANKSGIVING TO-GO Available for pick-up Thanksgiving Day PICK UP 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM $365 FOR A DINNER SERVING 6 GUESTS For reservations and to order To-Go https://montereyplazahotel.com/dining/thanksgiving-dining-2025 Celebrate Thanksgiving 400 Cannery Row, Monterey montereyplazahotel.com (831) 645-4058 ENJOY HANDS-ON LEARNING AND STEM-THEMED ACTIVITIES AT THIS FREE EVENT DESIGNED FOR THE ENTIRE FAMILY! FUN ON MPC’s MONTEREY CAMPUS! Learn More! Sponsored by: WOW! Smiles Cal. State Monterey Bay Monterey County Free Libraries FUNDRAISER For Literacy RAISE A GLASS 12:30 -3:30 Carmel Vaey Hacienda, Carmel Valley $75 Vist FMCFL.org For More InformatioN Monterey County Free Libraries FUNDRAISER For Literacy RAISE A GLASS 12:30 -3:30 Carmel Vaey Hacienda, Carmel Valley $75 Vist FMCFL.org For More InformatioN Monterey County Free Libraries 12:30 -3:30 Carmel Vaey Hacienda, Carmel Valley
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Monterey County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew was sitting in a darkened movie theater on Friday, Oct. 3 watching Taylor Swift: The Official Release Party of a Showgirl, a limited theatrical release coinciding with Swift’s new album, Life of a Showgirl, when the self-described Swiftie—the nickname for any hardcore Swift fan—spied the mega-star singer wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with sea otters. “Immediately when we saw she was wearing a sea otter shirt, everyone in the theater was like, ‘Oh, sea otters, yeah!’ We all know that Travis loves his sea otters,” says Root Askew, referring to Swift’s fiance, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce. Kelce once talked about his favorite animal on the podcast New Heights. Swift was wearing a belt the first time the shirt appeared. The next time the belt was gone and the audience instantly erupted. “You could see that it said ‘Monterey Bay Aquarium’ and everybody was like, ‘Oh my god! Did you see that!’” she recalls. “We all started yelling. It was super exciting. We all knew then that this was a big deal.” Root Askew immediately began texting people at the Aquarium. She wasn’t the only one: Director of Content Strategy Liz MacDonald says the fans were immediately tagging them on social media and asking them to bring the shirt back. They also saw a sudden influx of $13 donations—representing Swift’s favorite number—for the Aquarium’s Sea Otter Program. Swift is well known for throwing meaning behind even the smallest detail and often includes hidden features, known as “Easter eggs” in her songs and videos. “We know that [the shirt] was intentional,” Root Askew says. The shirt was a big topic of conversation on Taylor Swift Facebook pages that night, while at the same time counterfeit shirts were popping up. Root Askew urged Aquarium officials to respond publicly to shut them down. Aquarium employees were already scurrying for answers on their end, wanting to leverage a major pop culture moment to bring attention to the Sea Otter Program. They rooted through files and old boxes that weekend looking to see if they might have the original artwork. “It really became an all-hands effort to find the shirt,” MacDonald says. They emailed former staff members and former designers trying to find the shirt’s origin. They discovered it was from 1993, created by a small, independent company called Harborside Graphics. That company was in turn subsumed into Liberty Graphics, an employee-owned company based in Maine. Liberty shared similar values to the Aquarium, using water-based ink (better for the ocean) and 100-percent cotton fabric that won’t release microplastics into wastewater. Liberty’s owners knew right away that they had the original 1993 design— it was hanging on their wall. It was quickly decided by Aquarium officials to have the shirt reproduced and distributed as a thank you gift for a $65.13 donation. Thursday, Oct. 16 was the date set to offer the shirts, with a goal of raising $1.3 million, further leaning into Swift’s lucky number 13. On the morning of Oct. 16, Aquarium workers brought in a Life of a Showgirl-themed cake. By the time they cut the cake at 10:30am, they had raised the first $100,000. A ticker at the top of the shirt’s webpage kept surging across the page all day, tracking every dollar raised. At some points during the day, they were hitting around $100,000 every 15 minutes. They made the $1.3 million goal by 5pm, and the ticker kept scrolling. When they reached $2.3 million raised, more than 35,000 shirts, they paused the fundraiser. Liberty is a small company, with only two presses. MacDonald says there is no decision at this point to re-offer the shirt. “What we’re most excited about is the opportunity it’s given us to talk about sea otters and their comeback from the brink of extinction,” she says, adding that otters aren’t just cute, they have an important place in the ocean’s ecosystem. All in all, Oct. 16 was “The Best Day,” as Taylor Swift sang on her Fearless and Fearless (Taylor’s Version) albums, for the Aquarium and for the otters. The Best Day Behind the scenes of how a T-shirt worn by Taylor Swift translated into $2.3 million for otters. By Pam Marino “We all knew then that this was a big deal.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Pop star Taylor Swift wore a vintage Monterey Bay Aquarium T-shirt in a scene from her theatrical release, prompting the Aquarium to reissue the shirt as a fundraiser. Ad sponsored by Monterey Bay Whale Watch www.GoWhales.com Things to love: approx. 5 years old - 7 lbs - Female - Chihuahua mix www.GoWhales.com Ad Sponsored by Monterey Bay Whale Watch Paws for Veterans Open Every Day Except Monday Sunday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm 10:00 am - 5:00 pm Paws for Veterans 50% o entire store for Military, Retired Military and Spouses 223 Grand Ave, Suite 1 Paci c Grove (831) 312-8991| www.POMDR.org BENEFIT SHOP The Situation Want to meet The Situation? Please ll out our online volunteer application. If you’d like sponsor our next ad, give us a call. 831-718-9122 | www.POMDR.org He is a mellow, lovable companion who enjoys daily strolls and quiet cuddle time. He gets along with dogs and enjoys being close to his people. This easygoing guy brings calm energy and seeks a ection without asking for much in return. Chihuahua Mix | ~12 years old | 11 lbs
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 SAVE TARPY FLATS! HWY 68 CANNOT HANDLE A CATASTROPHIC INCREASE IN DAILY TRAFFIC! Tarpy Flats is the unspoiled mix of fields and woods across from the airport, running along the south side of HWY 68 from Olmsted Road (where the airport is) to Canyon Del Rey (where Tarpy’s Roadhouse and the 7-11 are). If you commute on HWY 68, you pass it every day. Do any of us who live on the Monterey Peninsula or in Salinas want to see the traffic on HWY 68 go from bad to worse? Does anybody who commutes daily want to face a far greater burden of traffic congestion than they endure already? And do any of us want the scenic beauty and wildlife habitats of our incredible community to be sacrificed for ill-advised development and personal profit? Once it’s gone, it’s gone forever. At this very moment developer Bradley Slama, in partnership with the Saucito Land Company, is seeking permits to turn Tarpy Flats into a sprawling housing development. They want to jam as many as up to 1,300 homes, condos, and apartments into this beautiful and irreplaceable wilderness habitat. The Monterey City Council and the Monterey County Supervisors are doing nothing to stop this… in fact, shockingly, they have so far voted in its favor. Nobody argues against the need for additional housing on the Monterey Peninsula. But we strongly argue that Tarpy Flats is by far the worst possible place for it. Here’s why: Consider: HWY 68 is one lane in each direction. It is the only commuting corridor between the Monterey Peninsula and Salinas. HWY 68 was designed to handle 16,000 vehicles a day. It currently handles about 25,000 vehicles a day. This proposed development would burden HWY 68 with thousands of more vehicles a day. (One estimate suggests a total over 30,000 vehicles a day.) This increase would have a disastrous effect on our community’s ability to function, for locals who depend on that commuting corridor and for visitors to the Monterey Peninsula. It would also interfere with access to our airport, interfere with access to medical and other facilities at Ryan Ranch, and severely impede needed emergency and other services along Hwy 68. Consider: The HWY 68 corridor is at severe risk from wildfires. Adding any housing development along 68 will only increase that risk to potentially catastrophic levels. Again, consider thousands of extra cars in this area. If an evacuation is called for due to wildfire, do we want to see traffic absolutely gridlocked with cars trying to leave the danger zone as happened in Southern California recently, where countless cars were abandoned to burn and then became a significant obstacle to fire trucks and other emergency vehicles seeking access to the fire areas? Consider: There is no infrastructure for such a development. No existing utilities. No sewer infrastructure. Even worse, there is no water for any development of Tarpy Flats, let alone a possible 1,300 dwellings. We all know that water access is a serious issue on the Monterey Peninsula, it is the most precious diminishing resource we have. Where do these developers and our local government officials expect the water to come from? Consider: The Tarpy Flats site fails to meet California’s own guidelines for RHNA (Regional Housing Needs Assessment) use. Development would violate Federal regulations protecting land such as this. Yet these developers are still trying to push this plan through, and our local government representatives are helping! Consider: Tarpy Flats is an unspoiled nature habitat. Wildlife of all sorts depend upon it for their very existence. Anybody who cares about our local wildlife and the irreplaceable natural beauty of this incredible community we are all blessed to call home will surely agree that developing this land would be a tragic and disastrous mistake. IF YOU AGREE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD: 1 Go to our website SaveTarpyFlats.org and sign our petition. Add your name to the growing list of local residents who demand that Tarpy Flats be permanently removed from consideration for any future development. This land should be deeded in its entirety to the Big Sur Land Trust and officially designated a protected wildlife sanctuary. Our website will also give you more detailed information about Tarpy Flats, the disastrous effects of any proposed development, and the legal battle we’re facing to stop it. 2 Write polite but firm letters to local and State government representatives voicing your opposition to any development of Tarpy Flats. Our website will provide those names and addresses. Hold them responsible! 3 DONATE! We need your help to pay necessary legal expenses to fight this development. So far only a handful of local families have contributed financially. Now we need everyone’s help in order to succeed. THANK YOU ALL for listening and considering our position. Paid Advertisement
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Paper is a poor system for keeping voter rosters, but for a long time it was the only choice for Monterey County Elections. Thanks to a grant from the California Secretary of State, Monterey County poll workers used a new, electronic voter poll pad called KNOWiNK for the special election on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Before the KNOWiNK poll pads, poll workers were required to call in to check if someone arrived to cast a provisional ballot or register day-of on paper rosters, which then needed to be reconciled on election night with over 16,000 pages of records. “It’s very obvious that the technology is going to make it a lot more efficient for the voter and for the people running the polling location,” says William Harry, a seven-year veteran poll worker. “I’m glad we can finally bring this to our county,” Monterey County Registrar of Voters Gina Martinez says. “It’s a goal we’ve eyed for several years.” Martinez explains that most counties in California already have an electronic voter roster. Monterey County Elections piloted the poll pads in five locations in March 2024 to test in case of a mass evacuation during an election. The department planned to implement the system countywide beginning June 2026, but when Proposition 50 made it onto the ballot, they decided to move it up to 2025. The state grant covers two-thirds of the cost to implement the technology at every polling station in Monterey County this year; the department has budgeted $488,000 to lease the technology for three years. Prop. 50—which redistricts to favor House Democrats—won handily, with 63.8 percent of the vote as of press time. Power Polls Monterey County Elections rolls out electronic voter rosters for special election. By Sloan Campi California has been here before. The fight against gas and oil development began in the 1970s, with the last oil and gas lease offered within southern California’s federal waters in 1984. Ten years later, the California State Lands Commission made the entirety of California’s coast off-limits to oil and gas. More recently, during President Donald Trump’s first administration, threats to open up California’s coastline to oil and gas resurfaced, but ultimately failed. Now, plans are simmering once again behind the scenes, with a leaked draft of the Five-Year Outer Continental Shelf Oil and Gas Leasing Program proposing to open California’s coast to new offshore drilling and seabed mining. “Monterey County and 26 cities and counties still have their ordinances in place from the 1980s, [requiring] a vote of the people for zoning changes related to onshore support facilities,” State Sen. John Laird, D-Santa Cruz, told the Big Sur Multi-Agency Advisory Council on Oct. 24. The leaked proposal, which has not yet been made public, is a part of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s five-year plan, with the Central Coast planning area slated for lease in 2027 and 2029. As a direct response to the proposals during the first Trump administration to open up vast areas of the Pacific to offshore drilling, two California bills—AB 1775 and SB 834—were signed in 2018 banning new state leases, easements or permits for infrastructure that would be needed to transfer oil from offshore to onshore. However, not all parts of the coastline are protected equally, and the Monterey County coastline has more robust environmental, regulatory and financial guardrails than other parts of the state, according to former U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta, who played a key role in legislation that established the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary in 1992. “We included language that said there would be no oil drilling in the sanctuary. It’s one of the few sanctuaries that has a direct limitation,” Panetta says. “The concern we all have is that this administration doesn’t necessarily pay a lot of attention to the laws.” Monterey County has 17 marine protected areas—more than any other county in the state—as well as deep waters that pose challenges for offshore drilling. Panetta notes there isn’t much oil in many of the protected areas, let alone space onshore for infrastructure that would be needed. Tourism boards and locals also provide a strong buffer, he says. On Wednesday, Oct. 29, U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Carmel Valley, and other local leaders held a press conference in Santa Cruz, speaking to the significance of voter-approved Measure M—a grassroots ordinance first passed there barring gas and oil development. Still, with a new Supreme Court and a shifting tone in decisions during the current administration, local officials remain on the defensive to maintain the “blue wall.” “What is different this time is that California’s environmental framework and its public resolve are even stronger,” says U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, D-San Jose. “Beyond those legal safeguards, [our] economy depends on conservation, recreation and sustainable tourism, not extraction. Those financial and environmental guardrails reinforce one another.” “I absolutely take any and all threats by the Trump Administration to pierce our coastline protections very seriously,” U.S. Rep. Jimmy Panetta says. Gas Leak A federal proposal threatens California’s coastlines once again, but Monterey County may be safe. By Katie Rodriguez The KNOWiNK poll pads used by Monterey County Elections on Nov. 4 have been certified by the California Secretary of State and the Federal Elections Assistance Commission. “We included language that said there would be no oil drilling.” KATIE RODRIGUEZ DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 FOR RESERVATIONS CALL (831) 647-4018 Thanksgiving Gatherings NOVEMBER 27, 2025 | COMPLIMENTARY TWO HOUR VALET PARKING THANKSGIVING LUNCH FERRANTE’S BAY VIEW ROOM 11AM - 5PM | Complimentary Champagne Toast MONTEREY MARRIOTT MONTEREY MARRIOTT 350 CALLE PRINCIPAL MONTEREY, CA 93940 MENU HIGHLIGHTS THANKSGIVING DINNER FIN + FIELD RESTAURANT & BAR 5PM - 8PM Feast a bountiful buffet overlooking the beautiful Monterey Bay SEAFOOD DISPLAY OMELET & EGGS BENEDICT STATION FARM-TO-TABLE SOUPS & SALADS PRIME RIB & TURKEY CARVING STATION HOMEMADE CRAB CAKES DESSERT DISPLAY AND MUCH MORE! SCAN FOR FULL MENU MENU HIGHLIGHTS FARM-TO-TABLE SOUP & SALAD BUFFET CLASSIC THANKSGIVING PLATED ENTREES HOMEMADE TRADITIONAL DESSERT BUFFET SCAN FOR FULL MENU Gather to enjoy a three-course classic Thanksgiving dinner “We as a family are grateful to Hijos del Sol Studio for giving us the opportunity to open their doors to us so that my son can learn and have his freedom of expression. They have earned our trust, admiration, and gratitude for everything they have done and built in my son. They have become family, a second home where he feels protected and loved. As a mother, I feel satisfied and confident knowing that my son is there. I know he has fun and gains knowledge from great teachers. I am totally grateful to the entire work team, led by Maestro José, for everything they have done for the children and for all the people who come to the studio, where there is an atmosphere of harmony and creativity, where we can be transported to another world and leave behind the chaos of daily life. It is there that we become children again, full of creativity. Thank you—endless thanks. God bless you.” -Andrea, Andi’s Mom. Hijos del Sol Arts Productions (HDS) offers a safe, welcoming, free, open art studio in East Salinas where children and teens find their magic. Led by founder and artist José Ortiz and a team of caring artists who grew up in the program.
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com In the decade since the Salinas City Council approved a plan to revitalize downtown, the changes have been aplenty: the burnt-out Bruhn building has become apartments and commercial space, the building at 301 Main St. is now a brewery and studios, there are new trees and sidewalks, and even an arch spanning the street proudly proclaiming the name of the city, among other things. Many of these projects can be linked to investments made by Salinasbased vegetable processor Taylor Fresh Foods, which bought and renovated properties throughout downtown, including opening its own headquarters on Main Street. Now, Taylor Fresh Foods is set on another downtown project: transforming two worn-out but well-used parking lots around Salinas City Hall into housing, retail space and a hotel. The parking lots, owned by the City of Salinas, are located along West Gabilan Street at the intersection of Lincoln Avenue, across from the Salinas Transit Center. Parking Lot 12, as it is referred to, has 120 spaces currently used for jurors serving in the nearby Monterey County Superior Court as well as for city vehicles, while Parking Lot 8 offers 63 spaces of permit parking. At one point eyed for a parking garage, these lots were outlined in the 2015 Downtown Vibrancy Plan as future redevelopment sites. In 2021, the council rezoned the properties to allow for mixed-use developments, putting them up for sale, drawing interest from Taylor Fresh Foods. On Nov. 5—after the Weekly’s deadline—the Salinas Planning Commission was set to review a development agreement between the city and Taylor for the properties before it heads to the council for approval. Parking Lot 12 is slated to include 67 units of workforce and low-income housing, says Taylor Fresh Foods spokesperson Mindi Mayhew. A hotel and commercial space is proposed for Parking Lot 8. A report to the Planning Commission states there is no specific timeline for when construction finishes, only estimating it will happen within the next decade. Under the draft agreement, Taylor Fresh Foods must seek city approval for developing Parking Lot 12 within a year of the agreement being finalized, while for Parking Lot 8, that deadline is within five years. What Taylor Fresh Foods will pay for the properties will be determined by an appraisal that has yet to take place, according to the agreement. When voters passed Proposition 1 in March 2024, replacing the Mental Health Services Act with the Behavioral Health Services Act, it heralded a major shift in behavioral health services in California, one that focuses on helping people with severe mental health and substance use disorder issues and getting them into housing. It also means a big shift in how counties spend behavioral health funds. As counties figure out that shift, and in the leadup to the BHSA going into full effect in July 2026, the County of Monterey is seeking input from behavioral health nonprofits and agencies through the newly formed Monterey County Behavioral Health Transformation Collaborative. The goal is to create a space where the partners can connect and participate in the planning and decision process, says Fabricio Chombo, assistant Behavioral Health Bureau chief. Ultimately they want to align efforts and build a system where residents can access care from any point, rather than having to reach out to various agencies, says consultant Dustin Anderson of ThoughtLink, who specializes in understanding the nuances of the BHSA. The first Collaborative meeting in October introduced BHSA requirements. There are four additional meetings scheduled through March, in time to meet the deadline for a required report to the state detailing how the County will implement the act. Beginning July 1, 2026, the state will keep 10 percent of Prop. 1 funds for statewide prevention efforts. Counties will be required to spend 35 percent of the funds they receive on full-service partnerships focused on prevention efforts (previously 79 percent), 30 percent on housing interventions and 30 percent on services such as workforce education and early intervention, with 51 percent focused on early intervention for those age 25 and younger. Some nonprofits may have to realign programs— Chombo says they are analyzing future funding impacts. Rising Up Taylor Fresh Foods plans to turn two Salinas parking lots into housing and a hotel. By Erik Chalhoub NEWS MOBILITY MATTERS Share your thoughts on transportation needs in Monterey County by taking part in the Community Mobility Forum. County officials also present early plans for shared mobility projects. 5:30-7:30pm Thursday, Nov. 6. Castroville Library, 11160 Speegle St., Castroville. Free. tinyurl.com/ MontereySharedMobility. PARKS AND REC Salinas Recreation-Park Division hosts a workshop to gather feedback on the future District 5 Recreation Center. Design options will be presented. 6-8pm Thursday, Nov. 6. El Gabilan Library, 1400 N. Main St., Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7328, anaa@ci.salinas. ca.us. BE PREPARED With winter on its way, now is the time to prepare. Carmel Prepares offers storm safety tips and hands-only CPR instruction, along with breakfast and raffle prizes. 10-11am Saturday, Nov. 8. Sunset Center, Carpenter Hall, San Carlos and 9th, Carmel. Free. (831) 620-2020. READY FOR ANYTHING Learn tips on emergency resources during the Pajaro Emergency Preparedness Fair. Local first responders and organizations will be on hand to answer questions and help residents prepare for a disaster. 10am-3pm Saturday, Nov. 8. Pajaro Middle School, 250 Salinas Road, Pajaro. Free. estradaa1@countyofmonterey.gov. SALUTE TO SERVICE Honor local veterans at ceremonies throughout Monterey County. 11am Tuesday, Nov. 11: Central Coast Veterans Cemetery, 2900 Parker Flats Cut Off Road, Seaside; Seaside American Legion Post 694, 33007 Marina Drive, Marina; American Legion Post 512, Devendorf Park, Ocean and Junipero, Carmel; Point Pinos Lighthouse, 80 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove. 11am-4pm: Salute to Veterans Jamboree, Veterans Transition Center, 220 Twelfth St., Marina. 11:11am: Monterey County Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Veterans Way, Salinas. 1:11pm: American Legion Post 41, 1110 Veterans Drive, Monterey. 2pm: Greenfield Veterans Day Parade, El Camino Real between Apple and Elm streets, Greenfield. LISTEN UP County Supervisor Chris Lopez’s listening session for San Lucas has been rescheduled. Attendees are invited to share their thoughts about the community. 6pm Thursday, Nov. 13. San Lucas Elementary School, 53675 San Benito St., San Lucas. Free. (831) 755-5033, district3@countyofmonterey.gov. Talk Therapy Better access to behavioral health services is the focus of a new county collaboration. By Pam Marino A housing project is proposed for this parking lot on the corner of West Gabilan Street and Lincoln Avenue in downtown Salinas. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX The parking lot is slated to include 67 units of housing. ERIK CHALHOUB
www.montereycountynow.com NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 1,700 Tattoos treated for Removal 33,624 Individuals reached through Immigration Legal Services $4,000,000 In Disaster Response and Recovery funds distributed in four counties @CatholicCharitiesMonterey 7,472 Children & Adults received Nutrition Education Services Thank you for helping change the lives of more than 65,000 people this year across Santa Cruz, Monterey, San Benito, and San Luis Obispo counties Donate a Gift Host a Bin Volunteer Build a Team Christmas Angels Gift & Toy Drive Spread Christmas joy to children and families in need by joining us in making the season brighter through our Christmas Angels program. GIVE HELP GET HELP WHERE COMPASSION LEADS, TRANSFORMATION FOLLOWS. 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14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 6-12, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com For the first time since the pandemic, the Hartnell College Gallery at the college’s main campus in Salinas is fully open. That happens after a Covid-19 hiatus, immediately followed by a two-year-long renovation of the Visual Arts Center (Building J), where the arts department and the gallery has been housed since 1977. During the renovation, art classes relocated to two venues (mainly to Building N), while the ceramics class was moved to the college’s Alisal Campus. The grand opening took place on Oct. 2, marking the beginning of a new academic year, with a pop-up exhibit, Roots to Horizon, that looked back at the achievements of the Visual Arts’ former staff and alumni. Another exhibit, José Ortiz: Retrospective, opens Thursday, Nov. 6 (4-6pm) and will remain on display for two months. Ortiz was chosen for the first large exhibit after the renovation due to his outsized role as a Salinas artist and a community leader. The original Hartnell College Gallery was established in the 1960s, when Hartnell art instructors Joe Bragdon and Robert Butterbaugh set up a gallery in the Works Progress Administration building on Homestead Avenue. One notable event was an exhibition and workshop by Ansel Adams. Since the gallery moved to Building J in the 1970s, exhibits had been organized regularly until the renovation, and even during the building’s closure, the community of artists that grew around the Visual Arts department sporadically used the space, opening to the public on an appointment basis. The $8.5 million building renovation was funded through Measure T, a $167 million bond approved by voters in 2016, with support from the Monterey Peninsula Foundation, an anonymous donor, the Burrell Leonard Art Gallery Endowment and other private donors through the Hartnell College Foundation. The reopening marks the 90th anniversary of Hartnell’s Art Department (established in 1936) and the 50th anniversary of the building. The renovation brought a new heating and ventilation system, as well as LED lighting. The gallery itself kept the original floor plan, but proper storage space for the collection was created, and a new entrance with a 15-foot-long glass section that makes it possible to look inside. The reactivation of the space comes with a new gallery director, painter Marshall Sharpe, who has been serving as assistant professor of art at Hartnell since August. As a gallery director he replaced Gary Smith, a long-time faculty member who retired in the 2000s as an instructor, but remained in charge of the gallery until Sharpe’s arrival, trying to keep the space alive and the exhibits going. “The gallery is a wonderful part of the arts program,” says Smith, who is delighted the venue is finally fully open. “It really serves the community well.” The Visual Arts Department has two faculty members at the moment, with plans to add at least one more. Art Class After two years of renovations, Hartnell’s art gallery is back. By Agata Popęda Marshall Sharpe plans to start with four exhibits (two each semester) in the main gallery each year, then expand to utilize the foyer for up to 16 smaller exhibits annually, focusing on student work. NEWS “The gallery really serves the community well.” DANIEL DREIFUSS We’re proud to be ranked among the top-performing banks in the nation by American Banker, Bank Director, Newsweek, S&P Global and the Independent Community Bankers of America. Now that’s strength you can bank on when you put your money where your life is. 300 Bonifacio Place | Monterey 480 S. Main Street | Salinas 831.457.5000 | wccb.com Local Strength. National Recognition. From the Central Coast to Silicon Valley, businesses trust West Coast Community Bank because we deliver. Jorge Reguerin VP SBA Business Development Officer Lillian Mulvey AVP Loan Portfolio Manager Vern Horton Client Relations Manager 2025 Orbea Rise LT & SL Open Tuesday ThrOugh saTurday In Downtown Santa Cruz – 585 Pacific Ave, Santa Cruz See website or phone for details • 831-621-2309 • www.currentebikes.com EvERy BikE incLudES: • Free LiFetime tune-ups • proFessionaL assembLy • assistance with sizing & adjustments • discounts on accessories, racks, etc. • compLete post saLe service mention this ad For an additionaL $50 off any BIKE In stocK eLectric bicycLes
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