8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY MARCH 19-25, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS Beside the 100-yearold barn with freshly painted lettering that reads “Reservoir Farms,” two people stand next to a table with a tray of small cameras and wires, along with a photo of a head of lettuce blanketed in a range of neon colors. The colors depict the stress of the plant, nutrient deficiencies and its overall health, explains Ray Lok, founder of Agtom, a Hong Kong-based company that moved to Salinas earlier this month. His company is one of the 12 now at Reservoir Farms, an innovation center in Salinas aiming to bridge the gap between ag tech and local agricultural needs. “Our members have had a seat at the table from the very beginning to make sure this isn’t innovation for innovation’s sake, but rather innovation focused on solving the labor, cost and sustainability pressures,” said Walt Duflock of the Western Growers Association at the grand opening on March 16. Lok and the other startups will use the barn, owned by the Tamagni family, as a prototyping studio, as well as 24 acres of dedicated farmland for commercial testing leased by Tanimura & Antle. Most agricultural robotics companies need around $50 million to $100 million to reach commercialization, Duflock added, while Reservoir aims to cut that cost in half by saving roughly two years of development time, allowing startups to test immediately in real-world conditions. One company aims to use steam to solve soil disease challenges; another is creating smart valves and sensors in irrigation systems to track water usage in real time. While it offers promise, Norm Groot of the Monterey County Farm Bureau says, “The biggest challenge will always be: How are growers going to be able to afford it?” Innovation Station Reservoir Farms is officially open for business, with 12 ag tech companies setting up shop. By Katie Rodriguez Every day since a fire tore through the Casanova Plaza apartment complex in Monterey on Monday, March 9, sending six residents to the hospital and leading to the death of a 95-year-old woman, resident Brooke Falk has returned to the area to search for her lost 10-year-old cat, Sassy, who reportedly leapt from a third-story balcony during the fire. Falk recounts her experience from around 3:40am that morning, when she was awakened by the beeping of a smoke detector outside of her thirdfloor apartment and then a banging sound. “At the same time, my cat, who was sleeping on the bed, sat up very fast and her ears went flat and then she immediately went underneath the bed,” says Falk, who then got up and walked to the hallway. “The second I opened the door, there was a voice that said, ‘Give me your hand, Brooke. Give me your hand. The building is on fire.’” A billow of smoke rushed into her apartment and Falk was taken aback, but she held onto the hand of who she soon realized was her neighbor, Lino Chavez. “He is my guardian angel,” Falk says. “He saved my life.” In the hallway, as it filled with smoke, Falk remembered Sassy, hiding under the bed, and fled back to her room without Chavez. “I got on my hands and knees because I knew she had gone under the bed, but I could not reach her,” Falk says. Chavez pleaded with Falk to go. As smoke filled her apartment, Falk, barefoot and in her pajamas, realized she had to leave without Sassy. She found Chavez in the darkness and the two neighbors felt their way down the hallway, hand-in-hand, by staying close to the wall. They soon found the stairwell and escaped the burning building. Falk and Chavez were transported to the hospital along with others and treated for smoke inhalation. She was later released and checked into the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel where Falk and the other displaced residents were temporarily given lodging and food. After she settled into her room, Falk went back to Casanova Plaza to search for Sassy and found that her apartment was destroyed, the roof burned away. “I assumed Sassy was dead because she was trapped in there with no ventilation,” Falk says. But a neighbor witnessed the cat leap from the balcony and told Falk that she landed on her feet, and then collapsed. After a moment, Sassy ran away. The 84 surviving residents of Casanova Plaza are currently being housed in the Country Inn and Suites in Marina or staying with family, while the Housing Authority of Monterey County and the Monterey Fire Department continue to assess the building. (For the 74 in the hotel, HACM is covering the cost.) Monterey Fire Chief Patrick Moore says the cause of the fire is still unknown. “The immediate focus is on resident safety and determining when units may be safely reoccupied,” says Zulieka Boykin, executive director of the Housing Authority. “We expect to have more information later this week regarding when residents can return to the building and what additional steps may be needed. Longerterm decisions will depend on the outcome of inspections and any necessary repairs.” “I’ve been to the property every day, three times a day, looking for her, calling for her and I’ve yet to find her,” Brooke Falk says of her missing cat, Sassy. Searching for Sassy After a devastating fire in Monterey, a death and displacement haunt former residents. By Aric Sleeper Local agriculture industry representatives and elected officials attended the grand opening celebration of the new research hub on Monday, March 16. “He is my guardian angel. He saved my life.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
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