JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT FOR SALE IN MOSS LANDING 8 | DON’T TOUCH THE SEA LIONS 13 | SIRENS SONG 32 | MAC ATTACK 38 In mythologizing America’s history, we miss the bumpy, divided and often ugly past that makes this country great. p. 18 By Dave Faries BANNER YEARS
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com JULY 2-8, 2026 • ISSUE #1979 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Sara Rubin (iPhone 17e) Mayra Gomez of Salinas shows off her World Cup manicure at the Salinas Regional Soccer Complex during a tailgate for the MexicoCzechia game on June 24, which Mexico won 3-0. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Many flags have been flown by Americans to make statements on women’s rights, police officers, inclusivity, peace and Black lives, as well as secession and colonial patriot flags appropriated by modern political movements. Cover collage: Karen Loutzenheiser etc. Copyright © 2026 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, pre-paid. 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) SENIOR STAFF WRITER Pam Marino pam@montereycountynow.com (x106) STAFF WRITER Celia Jiménez celia@montereycountynow.com (x145) STAFF WRITER Agata Pope¸da aga@montereycountynow.com (x138) STAFF WRITER Katie Rodriguez (California Local News Fellow) katie@montereycountynow.com (x102) STAFF WRITER Aric Sleeper aric@montereycountynow.com (x127) STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Daniel Dreifuss daniel@montereycountynow.com (x140) DIGITAL PRODUCER Sloan Campi sloan@montereycountynow.com (x105) EDITOR/SALINAS VALLEY NOW Joseph Treviño joseph@salinasvalleynow.com STAFF WRITER/SALINAS VALLEY NOW Royvi Hernandez royvi@salinasvalleynow.com (x140) CONTRIBUTORS Nik Blaskovich, Rob Brezsny, Robert Daniels, Tonia Eaton, Jesse Herwitz, Luz Rimban, 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. NEWS • ARTS • ENTERTAINMENT • FOOD • DRINK • CALENDAR Subscribe to the newsletter @ montereycountynow.com/subscribe READ MORE NOW ONLINE NEWSLETTER Go to montereycountynow.com LOCAL NEWS EVERYDAY AT MONTEREY COUNTY NOW
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 www.MontereyWaterInfo.org/WaterChallenge 2 High Efficiency Clothes Washers 1 High Efficiency Dishwasher • 4 Apple iPads 2 Gift Certificates / Local Nursery • 2 Monterey Zoo Family Tickets 4 Cinemark Movie Gift Cards • 1 0 Visa Gift Cards 25 PRIZES! NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. Void where prohibited. The sweepstakes is open only to California-American Water Company water customers in the Monterey County District of California who complete and submit a Summer Splash Water Challenge Giveaway entry form (“gameboard”) with correct answers by mail postmarked by July 31, 2026, to MPWMD Summer Splash, P.O. Box 85, Monterey CA, 93942 or online at www.montereywaterinfo.org/waterchallenge by July 31, 2026 and who are at least 18 years of age as of the date of entry. Start: 12:01 a.m. PDT on 7/1/2026; deadline: 11:59 p.m. PDT on 7/31/2026. Two (2) Winners will receive a High Efficiency Clothes Washer (ARV $900), one (1) Winner will receive a High Efficiency Dishwasher (ARV $700), four (4) Winners will receive an Apple iPad (ARV $470), two (2) Winners will receive a $200 gift certificate/card to a local plant nursery (ARV $200), ten (10) Winners will receive a $100 Visa Gift Card (ARV $100), two (2) Winners will receive a Monterey Zoo Family Ticket (ARV $160), four (4) Winners will receive a Cinemark Movie Gift Card (ARV $50). SPONSORS: The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District, 5 Harris Ct, Bldg. G, Monterey, CA 93940 and California-American Water Company, 511 Forest Lodge Road, Pacific Grove, CA 93950. July 1-31
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH The Federal Communications Commission ordered early license reviews for eight ABCowned stations a day after President Donald Trump called for late-night host Jimmy Kimmel’s firing in April. The FCC is also investigating ABC’s The View after claiming it is subject to the federal “equal-time rule,” as the show regularly questions the actions of the Trump administration. The Disney-owned company is asking its viewers to show their support for the station and the show, airing an ad urging supporters to write in through a public comment period that ends July 29. Tens of thousands of viewers have submitted comments since the ads began. “The View has welcomed your favorite guests and covered the issues you care about for nearly 30 years,” an ad airing during the talk show stated. “Now the FCC wants to control who is allowed to appear on the show.” FCC Chair Brendan Carr called it a “campaign of misinformation” and vowed the agency will “apply the law” during its investigation. Good: Taylor Farms, the Salinas-based producer of salads and fresh-cut vegetables, has awarded $575,000 in scholarships to students across Monterey County this year. The $7 billion company launched its scholarship program in 2008, and since then, it has awarded $5.3 million in funds. Each scholarship is valued at around $7,500 with recipients eligible to renew their award for up to four years. In 2026, the program awarded 32 scholarships, including 20 to support students pursuing degrees at universities, nine to encourage academic and career development at junior colleges and trade schools, and three to support Taylor Farms team members in advancing their education goals. The Taylor Farms annual scholarship application and award process is administered in partnership with the Community Foundation for Monterey County. GREAT: It’s a great week for the Ohlone/ Costanoan-Esselen Nation (OCEN), which is receiving 84 acres of ancestral homeland from the Big Sur Land Trust “in a landmark act of conservation, partnership and restorative justice,” BSLT announced on Monday, June 29. The land is located along the south side of Highway 68 near Del Rey Creek, across from Monterey Regional Airport. The nonprofit acquired the land in 2024. “Today is about much more than land conservation. It is about respect, relationship, healing and the recognition that Indigenous peoples have been the original stewards of these lands for thousands of years,” said Jeannette Tuitele-Lewis, president and CEO. OCEN has been working with BSLT for 16 years, noted Louise J. Miranda Ramirez, the tribal chairwoman. They intend to use the land to educate the community about their culture, language and history. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY That’s how many of the 218,662 eligible voters cast a ballot in the June 2026 primary election. It is a slight improvement over the previous primary in 2022, when only 31 percent voted. Source: Monterey County Elections Department 38.5 percent QUOTE OF THE WEEK “The atmosphere, all the fans chanting for the team, was amazing.” -Jonathan Torres Contreras, 14, who was among a group of seven teens from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County to attend a World Cup game in Santa Clara (see story, montereycountynow.com/newsletter).
www.montereycountyweekly.com JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 INSIDER SQUID SAYS: THIS 4TH OF JULY SUPPORT LOCAL & INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM HOW TO JOIN Go online at insider.montereycountyweekly.com Or by mail: 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955 Your contribution level: $500 $150 $50 $20 $15 $10 Other $_ ______ Contribution schedule: Monthly Annual One-time Name_________________________________________________________________________ Address_ ______________________________________________________________________ City, State_ ____________________________________________________________________ Email_ __________________________________ Phone________________________________ May we include your name in public acknowledgements? Yes How would you like your name to appear?__________________________________________ No, I would prefer to be anonymous Payment: Credit card number_ ____________________________________________________________ Expiration date __________________________CVV code_ _____________________________ Name/Billing address (if different from above)_ _____________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ The holiday that honors this nation’s founding is a perfect time to take stock of the freedoms we enjoy. Here at Monterey County Weekly, we put the freedom of the press at the top of our list of things to celebrate. It turns out, however, that a free press is an expensive enterprise. Our editorial department is the largest of any media operation covering Monterey County and the costs of providing professional, trustworthy journalism are substantial. Please join over 3,000 of your friends and neighbors and become a Weekly Insider today. We are asking the people who appreciate our local and independent journalism to help fund the operation. We designate all those who contribute as Insiders. Scan the QR code to become an Insider. In honor of Independence Day, the Weekly is offering an Insider incentive program. If you sign up to give $15/month from now through July 15, or make a onetime contribution of $150 or greater, we’ll send you a Squid tote bag. JOIN YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS AND BECOME AND INSIDER 070226
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com 831 Spread over a table in the Colton Hall Museum, inhabiting a sizable portion of the room, is a red, white and blue flag with the stars and stripes. Only this flag has 26 stars. Its fabric is shredded throughout, and creases line the stripes, a result of being folded up and stored in an archival box for decades. Brian Edwards gingerly lifts a corner of the 8-by-12-foot flag to show the stitching. “It’s very delicate,” he says. It may be delicate now, but what it was used for during its time was anything but. In 1846, U.S. Army Captain John C. Fremont and his regiment climbed Gavilan Peak (now Fremont Peak) near San Juan Bautista, overlooking the Salinas Valley and the Monterey Bay. Tensions between the United States and Mexico were high, although Fremont was granted permission by Mexican authorities to map a route west through Mexican-controlled California. But Fremont was only permitted to travel through the San Joaquin Valley, not the Salinas Valley. When word reached Mexican Commander Jose Castro, he viewed Fremont’s expedition to the peak as a threat and ordered his regiment to leave California. Fremont and his men ignored the order, and instead built a camp on the peak and flew the American flag, a provocative move that led to a threeday standoff. Mexico and the United States eventually went to war two months later. That flag, donated to the City of Monterey in 1948, is part of a display of historic flags and other artifacts at the Colton Hall Museum as part of celebrations of the United States’ 250th anniversary. “It’s the perfect time to put them in public view,” says Edwards, Monterey’s library and museums director. That includes a small slice of the last Mexican flag flown at Custom House in Monterey in 1846, taken down before U.S. Navy Commodore John Sloat’s warships landed in Monterey. Don Jose Vallejo took possession of the flag that year and brought it to his home at Mission San Jose, and the story goes that his children used it to cover a playhouse until the red color had nearly faded away. The red strip of fabric, with its frayed edges, is surrounded in a case by letters, including a 1961 handwritten note by Samuel Pearson donating it to the City of Monterey and a typewritten response by Colton Hall curator Pauline McCleary thanking Pearson. There’s also a Mexican flag from 1823-1846 that’s on loan from the Monterey History and Art Association and a 31-star constellation flag from 1850 that recognizes California becoming the 31st state. “It’s pieces of history where in very few places you will see something like this,” Edwards says. Replica flags that are significant in Monterey’s history, flags that fly at the downtown Simoneau Plaza, and a watercolor painting of the bear “Samson” by Charles Nahl that forms the basis of the current California flag, round out the exhibit. Throughout Monterey’s history, there are many examples of small groups of people making major impacts in the history of the United States that’s helped lead the country to where it is today, Edwards notes. “I think people underestimate the role of Monterey in the history of California and the history of America as well,” he says. The flags will be on exhibit through July 31, and in the instance of Fremont’s flag, it’s a rare opportunity to see it out of storage. To have it on display permanently requires it to be in a carefully controlled environment. It had been 180 years since the flag was at Gavilan Peak, until recently. Edwards, on a trek through Fremont Peak State Park with his son and nephew, carried the flag in a box (“Very cautiously,” he adds) to a monument commemorating Fremont’s expedition. It was the first time the flag had been carried through the same grounds as that defiant expedition had done nearly two centuries prior. The magnitude of the moment was not lost on the group, Edwards says. Old Flags of Monterey. On display daily 10am-4pm through July 31. Colton Hall Museum, 570 Pacific St., Monterey. (831) 646-3933, monterey.gov/library. Flying High Monterey’s history, in the midst of the country’s 250th anniversary, is told through a collection of flags. By Erik Chalhoub “In very few places you will see something like this.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS Monterey Library and Museums Director Brian Edwards shows a flag U.S. Army Captain John C. Fremont raised on Gavilan Peak in 1846, defying the Mexican government and causing a historic standoff. The flag is part of a new exhibit at the Colton Hall Museum. A NEW FREE, DAILY, DIGITAL NEWS SOURCE. • Telling the stories of Salinas and Salinas Valley • Community news, professionally crafted, available in Spanish ANNOUNCING Visit SalinasValleyNow.com to sign up for the newsletter to be delivered for free via email or WhatsApp
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 THE U.S. OPEN RETURNS TO PEBBLE BEACH PEBBLE BEACH GOLF LINKS JUNE 14 - 20 WEEKLY TICKETS ON SALE
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS The Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway, which began construction in August 2024, is cruising along and slated for completion by October. It is part of the larger 28-mile FORTAG project, which is intended to provide pedestrians, bicyclists and people with disabilities with a safer route in and around the former Fort Ord. According to Community Outreach Coordinator Theresa Wright with the Transportation Agency for Monterey County, key elements completed or substantially constructed include the Highway 218 undercrossing, the switchback trail and connection to Carlton Drive, the trail segment adjacent to Carlton Drive and Plumas Avenue serving Del Rey Woods Elementary and the Butterfly Garden rest area. “Del Rey Oaks will no longer be bifurcated by [Highway] 218 and people can walk or bike from one side of the city to the other safely using the undercrossing,” Wright says. Currently, construction crews are working at Fremont Boulevard and Canyon Del Rey on trail construction and related improvements, such as new sidewalks, curb ramps and traffic signals. “The project is currently moving forward and is on target,” Wright says. “However, as with any construction project, there are always unforeseen issues that need to be dealt with.” Wright says that TAMC is working on the design for two upcoming FORTAG segments: the California Avenue segment, which will begin construction in 2027 and run from Patton Parkway in Marina to Imjin Road, and the Jerry Smith segment from Imjin Road to the Jerry Smith Trailhead, scheduled to begin in 2028. Cruising Along The Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway nears completion. By Aric Sleeper The Moss Landing Commercial Park, a 200-acre site that houses cannabis operations and a hydrogen production plant, is on the market for $45 million. The listing for the property at the corner of Highway 1 and Dolan Road in Moss Landing went live in February by Tim Allen Properties and CBRE. Owner Nader Agha purchased the property in 2003 for $7.2 million, according to county assessor records. Agha says he has “reached a stage at my age where I have to work on things for the family estate,” leading him to list it. The County of Monterey assessed the property at $17.3 million, but Agha says the $45 million asking price is “very, very low.” “It was appraised two or three years ago for $250 million, but who’s going to buy it?” he says. “You go with reality, you don’t go with imagination.” A majority of the 34 buildings on site are dedicated to cannabis cultivation and manufacturing, while the rest are various research and development labs and storage space. In total, the property has nearly 300,000 square feet of building space. Verdagy has operated a hydrogen plant at the Moss Landing Commercial Park since 2021. In its first four years, the company estimates it produced more than 200 tons of hydrogen. The property was used by Kaiser Aluminum Refractories and later the National Refractories and Minerals Corporation, from the mid-1900s until 2002, producing magnesium oxide for products such as refractory brick. During World War II, it produced magnesium metal for war efforts. Calera Corporation operated for a number of years until 2015, researching and producing “green” cement. In a 2009 flyer promoting the commercial park, Agha is quoted as saying the property is an “unbelievable opportunity.” “I want to make Moss Landing Commercial Park into something that everyone will benefit from, something wonderful for the community and the county,” the quote reads. It’s been a rocky road since then. In 2014, Agha prevailed in court in a foreclosure battle. Cannabis operators began setting up shop in 2015. That included Grupo Flor, which leased multiple buildings onsite. But things later soured, with both sides suing the other over rent disputes. In 2019, after a three-week jury trial, a Monterey County Superior Court judge ruled that neither side would receive money. Both parties appealed, and in 2024, the Sixth District California Court of Appeal upheld the decision. Since the cannabis facilities went live in 2015, they had been operating without a coastal development permit. The Monterey County Planning Commission agreed in 2023 to grant an “after-the-fact” permit. The listing for the property states that the current ownership is working with the Moss Landing Harbor District for the use of two pipelines that bring seawater into the property. The district’s board has been holding closed-session meetings on an easement agreement with the Moss Landing Commercial Park, most recently on June 24. Agha has long envisioned a desalination plant on the property. Sara Rubin contributed to this story. The Moss Landing Commercial Park is highly visible along Highway 1 and neighbors the iconic smokestacks of the power plant. On Offer Moss Landing Commercial Park goes on sale, to the tune of $45 million. By Erik Chalhoub While most major elements of the Canyon Del Rey segment of the FORTAG trail network in Del Rey Oaks are complete, the trail is not yet open to the public. “You go with reality, you don’t go with imagination.” DANIEL DREIFUSS DANIEL DREIFUSS
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10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The U.S. Supreme Court rejected President Donald Trump’s effort to end birthright citizenship in the United States in a ruling issued on June 30, allowing millions of Americans to breathe a sigh of relief about their status. But a national crackdown continues, with local implications; city and county officials have passed resolutions urging the federal government to stop proceeding with an immigration detention facility in Gilroy. But some residents and elected officials are looking for a clearer line between local government and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. On Tuesday, July 7, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors is set to discuss whether to implement local rules that go beyond state law in limiting interaction with ICE. They will deliberate on whether to prevent the use of county resources, buildings and staff for immigration enforcement; terminate the sheriff’s participation in federal reimbursement program called State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP), which provides payments to carceral facilities housing undocumented immigrants; expand on the information provided under California’s Truth Act; amend the county’s outside-employment and conflict-of-interest policies with an eye toward employees moonlighting for ICE; consider implementing potential independent oversight of the Sheriff’s Office; and urge the sheriff to stop all cooperation with ICE. “I’m hearing on a regular basis that there’s a desire from the public for the county to take a stronger and more formal position on some of these items,” Supervisor Wendy Root Askew says. Sheriff Tina Nieto has spoken about various elements of these issues to the board, but declined to be interviewed about the upcoming hearing. “The Sheriff’s Office will not make any additional comments ahead of the scheduled meeting as we do not know what specific questions or direction may come from that meeting,” Cmdr. Andres Rosas says via email. (Root Askew maintains that no action the board takes would be meant to limit the sheriff’s authority. “We do not want to in any way do anything that would compromise her ability to perform her functions,” she says.) Through SCAAP, the County was reimbursed over $600,000 last year to cover costs associated with housing undocumented inmates in the jail. While Nieto has not yet presented on the details of SCAAP publicly, she did send an email to the Board of Supervisors saying she thinks there was a misunderstanding on the data-sharing scope. “Participation in SCAAP does not require the Sheriff’s Office to notify ICE when someone is booked into jail, when they are released, or where they live or work,” she wrote. “The information provided is limited to basic booking and conviction data that already exists within national criminal justice databases accessible to law enforcement agencies nationwide.” The Truth Act report is a mandatory annual update in which local law enforcement agencies share data on inmates released to ICE. Back in January, Nieto, Undersheriff Keith Boyd and Corrections Bureau Chief Timothy Lanquist presented 2025 data, showing that of more than 9,200 people booked in the jail, 21 individuals were released to ICE custody. The agency denied most of ICE’s 295 requests to access incarcerated individuals. In April, Nieto returned to provide additional information on the 21 who were released to ICE. “These are not minor offenses,” Nieto said. “These individuals pose a potential danger to the community if released.” Eight of the 21 people had not been convicted, prompting some of the supervisors to raise concerns. “I believe this sort of collaboration is the definition of extrajudicial,” Supervisor Kate Daniels said during the discussion in April. “The safest thing to do is to let the judicial system play out and ensure violent criminals are convicted and sentenced.” Law enforcement in California isn’t required to share information with ICE, but they may cooperate with ICE agents at their discretion, such as transferring individuals with serious crimes or sharing information that is already publicly available. Root Askew is suggesting the County consider ending cooperation with ICE entirely—something that supervisors Chris Lopez and Luis Alejo have raised doubts about. “[State law] is very pro-immigrant, but we have to balance,” Alejo said in April. “Big picture, are we making our communities, especially Latino communities, safer? I don’t think we are,” Lopez said, noting undocumented immigrants are also crime victims. Adriana Melgoza, executive director of the Watsonville Law Center, says residents want clearer answers from law enforcement in an area that allows for discretion. If collaboration with ICE is happening, she says, “That needs to be said to the community, so that the community is aware of exactly how it’s happening and when it’s happening and what the county and the sheriff are doing and standing for.” She says a lack of transparency creates distrust among immigrants. “We’ve seen ICE in the community,” Melgoza adds, “and they target community members outside of the jail, so that’s giving them access.” Melgoza says it’s concerning individuals were handed over without being convicted. “When we violate the rights of one individual, we are all at risk of our rights being violated, regardless if we’re citizen or non-citizen.” Fine Lines County Board of Supervisors to revisit policies on county’s relationship with ICE. By Celia Jiménez NEWS INFO ON INFRASTRUCTURE Salinas Mayor Dennis Donohue and city staff host a meeting on public safety and infrastructure. Learn about recent and upcoming projects. 6-7:30pm Thursday, July 2. Bread Box Recreation Center, 745 N. Sanborn Road, Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7166, karina.silva@salinas.gov. ICE AND JAIL Monterey County Board of Supervisors discuss possible policy changes related to interactions between the County of Monterey and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Public comment is accepted. (See story, left.) 1:30pm Tuesday, July 7. Board of Supervisors chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas. Free. (831) 755-5025, countyofmonterey.gov. DOWNTOWN DETAILS Marina City Council meets to discuss amendments to the Downtown Vitalization Specific Plan. Public comment is accepted. 6:30pm Tuesday, July 7. City Council Chambers, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. Free. (831) 884-1278, cityofmarina. org. PLANNING UNITS Monterey County Planning Commission considers approving construction of 22 affordable housing units for the September Ranch subdivision in Carmel Valley (see p. 15). Public comment is accepted. 9am Wednesday, July 8. Board of Supervisors chambers, 168 W. Alisal St., Salinas. Free. (831) 755-5025, countyofmonterey.gov. ELECTION SEASON Monterey County Elections Department hosts a seminar for candidates interested in running for office. The seminar includes an overview of filing dates and other requirements. 5:30-7:30pm Wednesday, July 8. Government Center, Cayenne Room, 1441 Schilling Place, North Building, Salinas. (831) 796-1499, tinyurl.com/ CandidateSeminar2026. WATER WAYS Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency Board of Directors meets to set groundwater sustainability fees for the upcoming fiscal year. 2pm Thursday, July 9. Government Center, Saffron Room, 1441 Schilling Place, Salinas. Free. (831) 471-7519, bit.ly/SVBGSAfee2027. GREEN SPACES Help shape urban greening and open space preservation in the City of Monterey. A survey helps inform the city’s general plan update. Survey is open through July 24. Free. monterey.gov/COSsurvey. County Supervisor Wendy Root Askew brought forward a slate of policy proposals to eliminate cooperation entirely between county government and ICE. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@montereycountynow.com PUBLIC CITIZEN “This sort of collaboration is the definition of extrajudicial.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 AND BACKYARD FOOD FEST CELEBRATION 4TH OF JULY AMERICA’S 250 COLTON HALL LAWN Free admission FOOD FUN LIVE MUSIC 580 PACIFIC STREET MONTEREY SATURDAY 4JULY 10:45AM – 4:30PM 2026 Monterey's Big THE CITY OF MONTEREY PRESENTS 10:45–11:45AM SAMZ SCHOOL OF MUSIC YOUTH BAND 12:00–1:30PM NEW MOON ON MONDAY 1:30–3:00PM CHICANO ALL STARS 3:00–4:30PM FOREVERLAND A variety of delicious food options will be available for purchase or you can bring a picnic lunch. Join us at this fun-filled, alcohol-free event! Animals prohibited (except guide/service dogs). SCAN HERE for updates, more details, and food vendors or visit MONTEREY.GOV/JULY4TH
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 2-8, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The Monterey County Board of Supervisors is considering throwing a lifeline to a few community preventative mental health programs amid California’s shifting priorities for addressing behavioral health issues. Since voters approved Proposition 1 in 2024, the state’s focus has turned away from purely preventative programs to those that treat serious illnesses, and toward housing interventions. That shift left some programs without funding as of July 1, including Alliance on Aging’s senior peer counseling program and The Village Project’s programs aimed at Black clients in need of preventative therapy. The Village Project needs $310,000 to support after-school, therapy and equine healing programs for the 202627 fiscal year. “That dramatically impacts our ability to deliver basic services,” says Claudette Carroll, interim chief operating officer of The Village Project. Supervisor Wendy Root Askew said on June 16 that she wanted the County to come up with one year of funding for The Village Project, as well as Alliance on Aging and Center for Community Advocacy. Each provides a unique service that should be preserved until new funding for the programs could come about a year from now, she said. “The Village Project ties directly back to some of the tremendous disparities that exist for our Black community members on the prevention side, when we have arrest rates that are four times higher for our Black residents than we do for other residents. We’re making connections back to mental health needs,” Root Askew said. The supervisors directed County staff to come back with a proposal to provide bridge funding to the three nonprofits, along with others providing unique services, based on the potential for future funding. That funding is derived from changes to CalAIM (California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal), which shifts behavioral health services reimbursements to counties away from a cost settlement model to a fee-for-service model. In theory, the County could save money by delivering services at a lower cost than state reimbursement. The goal, says Melanie Rhodes, Behavioral Health Bureau chief, is to work more efficiently and reinvest the savings back into the system. The total potential savings from this “productivity funding,” as it’s called, is still being worked out. Of the 22 local organizations impacted by the Prop. 1 changes, 12 were able to be partially funded to the tune of $5.5 million because some of their programs qualified as treatment, not strictly prevention. The remaining 10 groups do not qualify under the new rules. Agencies that no longer qualify are able to apply for state grants to support behavioral health, with $35 million available this year and $45 million next fiscal year. The Board of Supervisors is scheduled to consider the bridge funding proposal on Tuesday, July 7. Bridge Crossing County supervisors consider funding to save unique mental health prevention programs. By Pam Marino The Village Project offers equine healing to clients for free. Bridge funding from the county would allow the program to continue until new funding begins after a change in state policy. NEWS “We’re making connections back to mental health needs.” THE VILLAGE PROJECT, INC. EARN3.50APY*% 9-MONTH CERTIFICATE LIMITED-TIME OFFER 831.647.1000 www.montereycu.com APY = annual percentage yield. Minimum opening deposit $10,000. Maximum $20,000,000. Limit to one promotional share certi cate per member. O er available for limited time starting 06/16/2026 and subject to change or cancellation without notice. Early withdrawal penalties apply. Recreation Office 211 Hillcrest Avenue Marina, CA 93933 (831) 884-1253 www.cityofmarina.org /MarinaRecreationCenters @marinarecreation BLOCK PARTY JULY 4TH 4TH FOOD TRUCKS KIDS ACTIVITIES BEER & WINE GARDEN MORE! FEATURING SATURDAY, JULY 4, 2026 | 3:30–9:00 PM MARINA AIRPORT – 3240 IMJIN RD, MARINA, CA 93933 Scan for more information! ONLY SAFE & SANE FIREWORKS ARE ALLOWED IN THE CITY OF MARINA, AND ONLY FROM JUNE 28 AT NOON THROUGH JULY 4 AT 11:59 PM. THE USE OF ILLEGAL FIREWORKS—INCLUDING AERIALS, MORTARS, AND EXPLOSIVE-TYPE DEVICES— IS STRICTLY PROHIBITED. VIOLATORS WILL BE CITED AND FIREWORKS WILL BE CONFISCATED. CITY OF MARINA RECREATION & CULTURAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT SENSORY TRIBE THE SOL BAND SHANNON AND THE NIGHT DIVERS
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 2-8, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Over the last couple of months, the team at the Marine Mammal Center has been noticing a concerning new pattern: strandings and rescues are trending higher on average, with 40-45 percent of rescues from Mendocino to San Luis Obispo occurring in Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. “Right now we’re seeing a pretty high volume of malnourished sea lion pups born last June,” says Giancarlo Rulli, spokesperson for the nonprofit. “The state of malnourishment is impressive; they’re either dying in transport or they’re having to be humanely euthanized.” California has experienced unusually warm ocean temperatures over the last nine months, according to Nate Mantua, a climate scientist at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center in Santa Cruz. The warm water suppresses normal upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water that fuels the marine food web. Marine Mammal Center staff note this may be forcing sea lion mothers to travel farther to find fish, leaving pups more vulnerable to starvation. At the same time, another marine event is unfolding. Domoic acid, a neurotoxin produced by blooms of the algae Pseudo-nitzschia, has recently been detected in high levels in Monterey Bay fish. On June 26, the state’s Department of Fish and Wildlife issued a health advisory after samples of anchovies and sardines tested high for the neurotoxin. Domoic acid accumulates up the food chain, attacking the brain and heart of larger marine mammals and causing seizures. Scientists at UC Santa Cruz determined that two humpback whales stranded in the region in June died from exposure to the toxin. Marine Mammal Center staff worry the combination of starving animals and domoic acid poisoning may cause problems as summer crowds return to local beaches. “Del Monte Beach has been a top hot-spot for these interactions for years now, and that bears out in the data that we’re seeing,” Rulli says. “You have hundreds, if not thousands of people on the beach. When you’re dealing with an outbreak like domoic acid poisoning, where you have unpredictable behavior, approaching an animal could induce a seizure. That’s where it elevates.” Compounding these concerns, an El Niño is underway in the tropics, according to Mantua. Combined with an already unusually warm ocean, it could exacerbate conditions that favor marine heatwaves and harmful algal blooms. Mantua says the current conditions are “similar but not identical” to those that preceded “the Blob” in 2015, which devastated marine ecosystems and fueled toxic algal blooms. “Big El Niños have always been part of the Earth’s climate that messes with California in a very big way,” Mantua says. “What’s different about those big events of the past is they didn’t always come on top of an already near record warm ocean. We’ve got this higher baseline that these El Niño cycles are riding on, impacting what happens on our coast.” Turbulent Waters A confluence of deadly factors lead officials to urge the public to avoid stranded marine mammals. By Katie Rodriguez Volunteers at the Marine Mammal Center in Castroville load up sea lion carcasses to be transported to the nonprofit’s headquarters in Sausalito for necropsies. NEWS “They’re dying in transport.” KATIE RODRIGUEZ
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