10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 11-17, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com At least 13 people in Monterey County have been sickened after consuming what are believed to be highly toxic death cap mushrooms since Thanksgiving week, prompting local officials to sound an alarm about the dangerous fungi on Dec. 2. A few days later, the California Department of Public Health reported 21 cases in the state identified by the California Poison Control System, some resulting in severe liver damage with one death reported. After the clusters of cases in Monterey County and the Bay Area, officials are advising the public statewide to forgo foraging altogether this year. With recent fall rains, the mushrooms are proliferating in forests, parks and backyards, particularly around oaks and other hardwood trees. “Because the death cap can easily be mistaken for edible, safe mushrooms, we advise the public not to forage for wild mushrooms at all this high-risk season,” Dr. Erica Pan, CDPH director and state public health officer, said in a statement. Five of the 13 in Monterey County were treated at Natividad Medical Center, with two hospital admissions, both since released. Of the eight remaining patients seen by emergency doctors at Salinas Valley Health, several developed signs of liver damage and even fulminant liver failure, which includes brain dysfunction in someone with a previously healthy liver. At least two people who consumed the mushrooms showed no symptoms. The remaining six required hospital admission, according to Dr. Kimberly Moulton, an emergency physician at SVH. To protect patient privacy, Moulton described their ages as starting from pediatric age through middle age. As of Dec. 9, some of the six were making a recovery after intensive treatment, some were still hospitalized. “It’s expected when we see that many cases that someone will require a liver transplant, and it would not be unexpected to see a death,” she says. The fatality rate is at least 10 percent. People who become ill can feel like they’re improving and delay seeking treatment, while serious damage is actually underway, Moulton warns. Symptoms include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and watery diarrhea. “If people do develop symptoms they need to seek treatment right away,” she says. Washing, cooking or freezing the mushrooms does not eliminate the toxins. Students in Youth Orchestra Salinas had been busy getting ready for their winter concert on Friday, Dec. 12 when organizers learned they would need a new venue less than two weeks before showtime. The original venue was a popular multi-purpose space owned by the City of Salinas, Sherwood Hall. The 50-year-old venue has folding seats on moveable risers so that it can transform from a theater to an open floor plan and host different types of events from cultural performances with a stage to community gatherings with small group tables, and more. YOSAL’s show needed a theater-like seating configuration, but city staff discovered issues with the riser seating as they prepared to get the venue ready. “It got stuck as the staff was making a shift from a full riser to a flat floor,” says Kristan Lundquist, Salinas’ library and community services director. Lundquist says the city’s team contacted about five event organizers that had rented the venue in December and January, including YOSAL, to inform them about the issue and aid them to find a different venue. (YOSAL successfully relocated to the Fox Theater downtown, and is set to perform at 5pm on Dec. 12; see details on p. 30.) This isn’t the first time the city had issues with the seating in Sherwood Hall. A similar situation happened in 2017 and was repaired a year later. Lundquist said those repairs guaranteed another 10-15 years of use. While city officials wait for a contractor to evaluate the issue and find out what repairs are needed now, the venue won’t be able to host large gatherings. “The events that are really impacted are the largescale kind of events that need that theater seating,” Lundquist notes. With the risers, the center can host events with up to 1,500 people. Any event larger than 700 people gets a theater-like setting, for a temporary size limit. The site is still available for floor events that don’t require a stage, such as the State of the City address or Breakfast with Santa. Toxic Taste Officials warn against foraging potentially dangerous mushrooms. By Pam Marino NEWS HOUSING RIGHTS A panel of experts present on rights related to housing. Learn what documentation must be included in a rental termination notice, and whether relocation benefits must be offered. 6-8pm Thursday, Dec. 11. Salinas City Hall, 200 Lincoln Ave., Salinas. Free. (831) 566-0824, echofairhousing.org. ISSUES UPDATE This District 5 community meeting provides North Salinas residents with updates on the police department, fire department and code enforcement. 6-8pm Thursday, Dec. 11. Kamann Elementary School, 521 Rochex Ave., Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7306, monica. sardina@salinas.gov. PROTECTING THE PUBLIC The North County Fire Protection District Board of Directors meets to discuss district business. Public comment is accepted. 10am Tuesday, Dec. 16. Castroville Branch Library, 11160 Speegle St., Castroville. Free. (831) 633-2578, ncfpd.org. ON THE DAIS Marina City Council holds its regular meeting to discuss city business, including extending a temporary prohibition on new firearms businesses. Public comment is accepted. 6:30pm Tuesday, Dec. 16. Council Chambers, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. Free. (831) 884-1278, cityofmarina. org. COASTAL LIVING The City of Monterey is updating its state-mandated plan that guides development in the coastal zone. Members of the public are invited to take a survey to share how they use the coast and what they would like to see in the future. Survey ends Dec. 31. Free. bit.ly/ MontereyCoastalSurvey25. THE BIG GIVE This year, 213 local nonprofits are part of Monterey County Gives! Read about their Big Ideas and donate to help their efforts. Donations accepted through midnight on Dec. 31. montereycountygives.com. WATER WISE Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency offers free home water efficiency assessments for rural North Monterey County residents. The assessment could include installing water-efficient shower heads, irrigation controllers for the garden and more. Assessments are free. (831) 471-7519, SVBGSA.org. Show Must Go On Riser problems at city-owned Sherwood Hall lead to canceled or relocated Salinas events. By Celia Jiménez The proliferation of death cap mushrooms this season prompted state health officials to ask the public to forgo foraging for any wild mushrooms. E-MAIL: toolbox@montereycountynow.com TOOLBOX “The death cap can easily be mistaken for safe mushrooms.” SHUTTERSTOCK
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