JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREYCOUNTYNOW.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT READING RAINBOW 5 | SHIFTING INTO OVERSIGHT 6 | PORCHLIGHT IS ON 30 | TIERRA FITS 38 Spin Class Famed floreo de reata performer Tomás Garcilazo brings his brand of artistry to the action, style and crowds that make up the California Rodeo Salinas. p. 18
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 • ISSUE #1981 • ESTABLISHED IN 1988 Christian Pepe (Leica Q2) Street numbers go up at Carmel Bakery on Ocean Avenue in Carmel for the first time in the establishment’s 127-year history. MONTEREY COUNTY PHOTO OF THE WEEK Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@montereycountynow.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Celebrated charro Tomás Garcilazo has performed across the U.S. and the world. He returns to California Rodeo Salinas for the first time in almost a decade. Cover photo: Andrea Kaus 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 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 On Earth Nominations open July 9 - 26 The Bestest Show Cast your Vote: MontereyCountyNow.com/BestOf Best of Monterey County®
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH For 15 years, Joel Feder, a journalist with The Drive, an automotive news website, has reviewed press vehicles from manufacturers as his career. So it was just another Sunday afternoon when he was testing a $155,000 Range Rover, until four police cars came “flying out of nowhere and boxed us in,” he wrote. Turns out, the Plymouth Police Department in Minnesota had been tracking his movements for days via Flock license plate cameras, which had erroneously marked the vehicle as stolen in Los Angeles. After a tense situation, with officers keeping their hands on their weapons, Feder learned that the vehicle’s license plate number was similar to the plate in question, yet the cameras began alerting local police. The kicker? The Los Angeles vehicle wasn’t stolen at all—its plate had just been “misplaced” during an earlier photo shoot. “Whether you’ve actually stolen a car or are just rolling down the road having done nothing wrong, like me, once these systems have you in their crosshairs, there’s pretty much only one way it can go,” Feder wrote. “Welcome to the future. It’s scary out there.” Good: Parks in South County got a little more inclusive for all families. Seven parks, including Orchard and San Lorenzo parks in Soledad and King City, respectively, will have communication boards, which are visual signs with words, images and symbols that will help non-verbal park-goers and speech learners to communicate with others. The initiative was sparked by a Soledad resident, a mother who has three children on the autism spectrum who used similar boards at a park in Fresno. She reached out to the Soledad City Council, with Councilmember Fernando Cabrera advocating for them. County Supervisor Chris Lopez’s office funded the boards using District 3 discretionary funds. On July 20, Soledad will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the communication boards. “Having this tool can help them to socialize with their peers,” Soledad City Manager Megan Hunter says. Great: Some big news for our fearless leader here at the Monterey County Weekly was delivered on Thursday, July 9, when the national Association of Alternative Newsweeklies (AAN) recognized Erik Cushman as Publisher of the Year. “I love the business of newspapering,” Cushman said while accepting his award at AAN’s annual conference in Palm Springs. “I love the people who work in this business. I love the spirit of journalists, the egos, the competitiveness, the intelligence and the passion.” He talked about some of the secret sauce that goes into sustaining a successful news outlet during these tough times including a diverse advertiser mix, a collection of six glossy Best Of Monterey Bay® magazines annually and working with the best vendors in the business for back-end needs. He also, of course, shared his tagline: “Good journalism is good business.” GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY 61 That’s how many instances of a new type of PG&E scam have been reported in Monterey County so far in 2026. The scam has callers posing as PG&E and threatening disconnection if a payment isn’t made at a convenience store. Source: Pacific Gas & Electric QUOTE OF THE WEEK “You want to help your developer friend.” -Carmel City Councilmember Alissandra Dramov, speaking to Mayor Dale Byrne, claiming he was against a housing plan because a developer wants to build a luxury hotel on the Sunset Center parking lot. Byrne denied the allegation (see story, montereycountynow.com/news).
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 831 What did Monterey County’s LGBTQ+ community do for connection before Pride festivals, Instagram and dating apps? There were bars, sometimes. There was Santa Cruz, just up the road. And there was the gay press—small, homemade and essential. “Papers are reflections of their times,” says Kathy Lo, local history librarian at the Monterey Public Library, standing over a reading table in the California History Room, tucked in a corner of the upper floor. Spread across the table are archival issues of two publications: The Paper, a bi-monthly magazine that ran from 1994 to 1998, and Manifesto:—the colon is part of the title—a monthly that followed from 2000 to 2004. “I like to look at the advertisements,” Lo says, flipping through a feature called “The Gay Tribe,” about the community’s interest in body modification, and a report on CSU Monterey Bay’s gay club, All in the Family, whose slogan read: “Closets are for clothes; come on out!” There’s a travel agency, Four Winds Travel, urging the Peninsula to “get used to it” while advertising a Mardi Gras trip to Sydney and “lesbian cruises.” There’s a hair salon called Heads Up. There are movie reviews, poetry, tattoo art, a profile of Bill Clinton, and an interview with now-State Senator John Laird, one of California’s first openly gay mayors. “You can really get a sense of what businesses chose to advertise,” Lo says. “Grassroots publications, by the community for the community. They were started because there was an authentic need.” The collection—more than 60 issues between the two titles—was passed to the library in 2025 after the death of Joe Johnson, a longtime local librarian who retired in 2014. CSUMB holds an overlapping collection as part of its own digital exhibit on local LGBTQ+ history, though Lo says the library’s holdings run deeper. The Paper began under the Monterey County AIDS Project, funded by a grant from the State Office of AIDS as part of an HIV risk-reduction campaign. Its mission statement, printed in volume 1, issue 1, promised “to inform and give voice to the concerns of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender groups and individuals of Monterey County in order to contribute to the growth, stability and cohesiveness of that community to the benefit of all its members.” For years, it was the region’s only gay newspaper— news, opinion and poetry about AIDS and LGBTQ+ life on the Central Coast. In 1996, MCAP’s grant funding lapsed and The Paper split off as an independent commercial newspaper. Wes Kashiwagi took over as publisher that year, also serving as co-managing editor. Under him, the operation shrank to something close to a oneman show. He later republished the paper’s back issues online at kashiwagi.com. Both The Paper and Manifesto: were distributed free. This year, the California State Library awarded $750,000 statewide to preserve and expand access to California’s LGBTQ+ history. Monterey Public Library received $6,418 of that to digitize The Paper and Manifesto:, opening the archive up to researchers, students and anyone invested in the region’s queer history. By the 2000s, LGBTQ+ publications like these were migrating online, and for the Central Coast’s homegrown gay press, that migration was effectively the end. “Monterey is so important for history,” Lo says. “The early collections here are part of the country’s foundation. And now, we will find space for these publications, as part of history.” The presence of the collection in the California History Room and its digitalization open doors for future scholars of local LGBTQ+ history, providing evidence that those people and the places they patronized were here. Lo hopes that soon she will start receiving questions about the collection. There’s a line in The Paper’s January/February 1998 “Publisher’s Note” that reads almost like a time capsule. Praising what currently is the Monterey County Weekly, the editors wrote: “The Paper bows to the editorial team at the Coast Weekly, whom our editorial team openly envies for their willingness to cover topics that make even our toes curl. When a mainstream publication beats the gay press to the punch on a topic as hot as gay dating, we can’t help but smile.” Nearly three decades later, it’s this alt-weekly’s turn to return the favor. Out and About Local LGBTQ+ newspapers of the past testify to the long history and strength of this community. By Agata Popęda “Papers are reflections of their times.” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE MELISSA MEJIA Kathy Lo (right), local history librarian, and Avery Allen, assistant librarian at Monterey Public Library, browse issues of The Paper and Manifesto:, which were donated to the library in 2025.
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com NEWS The news in May of a felony animal abuse investigation into a “no-kill” animal rescue facility in Humboldt County spread worry among staffs at dozens of shelters in California that sent animals there, including Hitchcock Road Animal Services, a joint facility of the County of Monterey and the City of Salinas. Between 2020 and March of this year, HRAS sent 85 dogs to the rescue in hopes it would give the dogs a better chance at finding homes. In the wake of the investigation by the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office and state and federal officials, HRAS staff traveled to Miranda’s Rescue on June 14 and successfully retrieved three dogs sent there in March: Kat, Zorra and Skipper. All three were in good condition. On July 8, they learned the fate of two more dogs, Hana and Mary, who were transferred in February. Humboldt County Sheriffs informed HRAS that both dogs were found deceased during a recent warrant search on the property. Animal Services Administrator Cindy Burnham says Miranda’s Rescue founder, Shannon Miranda, lied to HRAS, claiming that at least one of the two dead dogs had been placed in a home. “This is obviously a huge breach of trust because we trusted them to save these dogs and provide them a forever home, then we were lied to—that hurts,” Burnham says. She has arranged for staff and volunteers, many of whom worked with the dogs, to access counseling with the Monterey County Behavioral Health Bureau. Working for a shelter comes with the reality that some animals won’t make it, but the nature of the Miranda’s Rescue situation felt like more support was needed. The criminal investigation is ongoing. Rescue Fail Two dogs from Monterey County’s shelter are found dead at a Northern California facility. By Pam Marino Three yearsˆ after members of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors first raised the potential for independent oversight over the County Sheriff, on July 7, they approved the creation of an office of the inspector general with a community advisory committee. “It would give us the ability to ask better questions of the sheriff and provide the public with more transparency about what some of those policies and practices are,” Supervisor Wendy Root Askew says. This includes policies, overtime management, jail practices and more. Francisco Lopez, director for District 12 of the League of United Latin American Citizens, applauds the decision. “We believe it will strengthen public trust,” he says. Trust in the sheriff’s office was at a low when Root Askew first brought the issue forward in 2022. Thensheriff Steve Bernal was publicly reprimanded by the board that year for neglecting to address sexual harassment within the department. In 2021, he was censured for misuse of funds. State Assembly Bill 1185, passed in 2020, allows counties to create committees to oversee sheriffs and their departments, which led Monterey County to form an ad hoc committee comprising supervisors Root Askew and Glenn Church. They held a public meeting in 2023, then went quiet for three years. Askew says the issue resurfaced after the sheriff’s office released its latest Truth Act report, a mandatory annual update in which local law enforcement agencies share data on inmates released to ICE, and subsequent meetings where the board discussed immigration issues. Several residents spoke up to demand the creation of an oversight committee. Currently, the sheriff’s office is undergoing a financial audit by GGP Analytics, requested in 2025 by the board. Church says the delayed audit was a setback on formalizing an oversight process earlier. “We were hoping we were going to get information before we made a decision, but that has taken quite a bit of time,” he says. Sheriff Tina Nieto says she will follow the board’s decision but wonders if it is fiscally responsible; County staff estimate it will cost $500,000 annually. “This is a cost to taxpayers and I don’t think this is money the county should be spending right now,” she says. Nieto adds she’s been open. “Up to this point, whatever the supervisors have wanted to see, I’ve presented to them,” she says. She has been under scrutiny since taking office in 2023, including recently for data showing the release of 21 individuals, out of 9,200 people booked in county jail, to ICE in 2025. Chris Barrera, a LULAC president who supported Nieto during her campaign, argues Nieto hasn’t been transparent. “She expressed how she was going to support civilian oversight committees,” Barrera says. Allyssa Victory, senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Northern California, says oversight benefits the community: “It increases transparency and communication.” Victory says sheriffs in general haven’t been held accountable for misconduct. “They’re funded by public dollars. They serve the public, and so they should be accountable,” Victory says. In order to effectively oversee a Sheriff’s Office, committees and inspectors general need subpoena powers, Victory adds: “That is a critical power for them.” Monterey County Sheriff Tina Nieto was elected in 2022 to a six-year term. Of the creation of an office of an inspector general, she says, “It’s political theater.” Police Power County supervisors approve the creation of an inspector general to oversee sheriff’s office. By Celia Jiménez Hana, a 1-year-old husky mix, was one of two dogs previously in the care of Hitchcock Road Animal Services that were found dead at Miranda’s Rescue. A microchip confirmed their identities. “We believe it will strengthen public trust.” DANIEL DREIFUSS COURTESY COUNTY OF MONTEREY
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 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. ENDS July31
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The wine industry continues to wobble, as evidenced by the 2025 crop report, which showed Monterey County wine grapes declined in gross value for a second consecutive year, falling 25 percent. Local leaders hope reviving the Agricultural Winery Corridor Plan could help change that. Originally requested by the now-disbanded Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association in 2001, the plan was intended to find ways to keep the local wine industry economically viable. “We understand that the wine industry has been impacted since the adoption of the 2010 General Plan,” Assistant Planner Katie Scariot told the County Planning Commission on July 8. “We hope the implementation of the Ag Wine Corridor Plan can help support the industry better.” The plan aims to encourage agricultural and winery-related development within three areas of unincorporated Monterey County: along River Road, Metz Road in the Central Salinas Valley and Jolon Road in South County. The plan identifies where winery-related businesses could locate, what types of facilities and how many would be allowed, clustering businesses intended to help growers diversify their revenue streams. One goal is to move beyond grape production by creating higher-value wine experiences. Uses include artisan wineries with small, on-site wine production, tasting rooms and restaurants. Hospitality uses also include the creation of inns and venues for occasions like weddings, release parties and industry events to increase foot traffic. Commissioners debated how to craft an ordinance that supports the wine industry without being so exclusive that it locks out broader agritourism opportunities. Some also questioned whether a wine-centered plan remains relevant today given the decline in wine consumption as a whole. “People are not drinking like they used to,” Commissioner Francisco Mendoza said at the July workshop. “It would be a good idea to concentrate on some of the other ways they can generate revenue, which are your hotels, maybe loosen it where it makes it easier to have events.” The Planning Commission is set to hold a public hearing on the proposal on Aug. 12. To meet mandates of the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act, three options have emerged to achieve groundwater sustainability. In August, the board of the Salinas Valley Basin Groundwater Sustainability Agency will select one of these portfolios to recommend to the state’s Department of Water Resources for review. A hurdle is the cost. “We’ve had some real struggles,” Advisory Committee Chair Curtis Weeks told the board on July 9. “They see a number and they can’t talk about the merits of the project.” The project portfolios all incorporate some amount of demand management (reduction in pumping), optimization of the Castroville Seawater Intrusion Project, and use of a Monterey County Water Resources Agency permit to divert water from the Salinas River. Both Portfolios 1 and 3A utilize a brackish groundwater restoration project (BGRP), each at different scales, affecting both cost and outcome. Portfolio 1, the most expensive option, projects $1.3 billion in capital costs and $117 million in annual operating costs. It includes a large-scale BGRP, Salinas River recharge in Castroville and the East Side subbasins, CSIP improvements and 10-percent demand management. Portfolio 3A would be $1 billion with annual operating costs of $74 million. It would scale back BGRP and add infrastructure to deliver treated water to Salinas, Marina and Castroville to reduce urban pumping. Portfolio 4 is considered the low-cost option with an estimated $600 million in capital costs and $8 million in annual operating costs. It has the highest demand management, at 20 percent. Portfolio 1 would meet seawater intrusion targets by 2040 and 2042, while Portfolio 3A reaches them over a longer period, according to technical consultant Derrik Williams. Portfolio 4 would not meet state requirements. “It’s a hard puzzle,” says Piret Harmon, SVBGSA’s manager. “We could just pick a project that works for seawater intrusion in 180/400 Subbasin and not worry about the others, but the holistic approach in the end will [be] the most cost-effective.” Wine Wave Winery Corridor plan seeks to boost a struggling agricultural sector. By Katie Rodriguez NEWS PUBLIC PROCESS Gonzales City Council meets to conduct regular city business. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Monday, July 20. Council Chambers, 117 Fourth St., Gonzales. Free. (831) 675-5000, gonzalesca.gov. FOR A VIBRANT ALISAL Learn about the City of Salinas’ Alisal Vibrancy Plan. The Community Development Department will share information on the plan during this presentation. 6-7pm Wednesday, July 22. Cesar Chavez Library community room, 615 Williams Road, Salinas. Free. (831) 758-7096, tinyurl.com/Alisal2026. GET THE MESSAGE Seaside Planning Commission meets to consider recommending an ordinance that allows electronic display signs for places of worship and meeting facilities on residential streets. Public comment is accepted. 6pm Wednesday, July 22. City Council Chambers, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. Free. (831) 899-6707, ci.seaside.ca.us. CLEANING UP The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will have a booth set up at the North County Farmers’ Market with information about the ongoing cleanup of the Vistra battery energy storage facility in Moss Landing. English and Spanish speakers will be available. 2-7pm Thursday, July 23. North County Recreation Center, 11261 Crane St., Castroville. Free. epa.gov/ca/mosslanding-vistra-battery-fire. RUN FOR OFFICE The candidate filing period for the November election is now open. Candidate forms will be available only during this period. Deadline to submit forms is 5pm Friday, Aug. 7. Free. (831) 796-1499, countyofmonterey.gov/elections. NOT TOXIC The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry recently released a report evaluating contamination levels in the drinking water at Fort Ord from 1985-1994, concluding there was no health risk to those who used the water. The public is invited to weigh in on the report. Comments due Aug. 22. Free. bit.ly/ FortOrdATSDR. WOMEN’S VOICES The Women of Monterey County 2026 Survey is now available. The survey, conducted by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women, asks women for their priorities and concerns. Survey is ongoing in English and Spanish at countyofmonterey.gov/csw. Project Push Salinas Valley officials weigh three groundwater sustainability project portfolios. By Katie Rodriguez The tasting room at De Tierra Vineyards is one example of the industry’s presence in Carmel. The proposed plan would support similar projects in rural Monterey County. E-MAIL: publiccitizen@montereycountynow.com PUBLIC CITIZEN “People are not drinking like they used to.” DANIEL DREIFUSS
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 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. 17506 Sugarmill Road, Salinas Beautifully Updated Home in Las Palmas Karen Katz 831.915.8153 KKatz@CarmelRealtyCompany.com Broker Associate DRE#01921747 Mel Rosen 831.594.8767 MRosen@CarmelRealtyCompany.com REALTOR® DRE#01864929 Welcome to this beautifully updated home in the highly desirable Las Palmas I community. Thoughtfully designed for comfortable living, this inviting home features an open floor plan with a spacious loft that’s perfect for a home office or media room. Step outside to a sunny backyard with pergola above the paver patio, an ideal peaceful outdoor retreat. Contact us for a private showing today! 3 beds, 2.5 baths ■ 2,117 sq. ft. ■ $998,000 ■ 17506SugarmillRoad.com World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay July Dinner Event “The Cuban Tragedy: Whither Washington and Havana?” Friday, July 31st, 2026 Dr. Richard Feinberg Professor Emeritus University of California, San Diego Richard Feinberg is Professor Emeritus in the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego where he taught graduate classes on U.S. foreign policy, U.S.-Latin-American relations, the Cuban economy and politics, and corporate social responsibility. He will discuss the roots of this crisis off the coast of Florida, a unique combination of domestic politics and global strategic calculations. He will explore paths forward that could include a bilateral bargain over significant economic and political reforms, a humanitarian military intervention—or continuing drift, impoverishment, and massive emigration by frustrated Cuban youth. www.wacmb.org or call (831) 643-1855 5:30pm Registration • 6pm Dinner • 7pm Program Reservations Required • Registration closes on Friday, July 24th, 2026, 5pm $50 for members • $65 for guests - WACMB will accept auditors to this event Hilton Garden Inn - Big Sur Room 1000 Aguajito Road, Monterey Visit our website www.wacmb.org for information and reservations World Affairs Council of the Monterey Bay Area September Lunch Event “Reflections About Israel, Iran & the Gaza War” Friday, September 26 Professor Avner Cohen Senior Fellow, James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies Middlebury Institute of International Studies Avner Cohen, widely known for his path-breaking history of the Israeli nuclear program, is an Israeli-American author and expert on nonproliferation issues, focusing on the Middle East. He will discuss how the October 7 HAMAS attack on Israel, the Israel – Iran War, and the ongoing Gaza War are re-defining conflict and security in the region. Professor Cohen is not an armchair commentator. He was in Israel most recently when Iran fired missiles at Jerusalem after the Israeli and American attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities this past June. www.wacmb.org or call (831) 643-1855 11:30am Registration • Lunch 12 noon • 12:45pm Program Reservations Required • Registration Closes on Friday, September 19th, 2025 $55 for members • $65 for guests - WACMB will accept auditors to this event Monterey Marriott - Ferrante’s Bay View Room Visit our website www.wacmb.org for information and reservations
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com The designs for 22 inclusionary single-family homes got the green light on July 8 from the Monterey County Planning Commission in a 10-0 vote, 16 years after the homes were approved by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as a condition of approval for a 73-unit, market-rate luxury home development in Carmel Valley. Previously known as September Ranch, the project has since been renamed ONE Carmel. Of the 22 in the neighborhood dubbed “ONE Grove,” 15 will be for moderate-income households and seven will be considered workforce/ affordable housing. Eligible moderate-income buyers can earn up to 120 percent of the area median income at the time of sale, the workforce housing will be for those earning up to 150 percent of AMI. Meanwhile, the nearby future luxury homes for “high-net-worth buyers” start at $15 million. “Trophy compounds” start at $25 million. Homesites are available starting at $6 million. Lots range from 2.5 to 12 acres. Design approval by the Planning Commission put the inclusionary units another step closer to actual construction, bringing much-needed affordable housing to Carmel Valley. The County only recently gained “statutory compliance” of its housing element from the California Department of Housing and Community Development for the years 2023-2031 and has yet to have a fully certified element more than two years after it was due. The County must plan for a total of more than 3,300 units from very low- to above moderate-income by 2031. The ONE Grove homes fall into the moderate-income category, of which the County has only realized 12 units out of 420, according to the state. “I move approval of inclusionary housing because I’m thrilled to have it,” said Commissioner Martha Diehl before the vote. “My comment would be how soon can we have it because I would really like to see it happen after all these years.” How quickly those units come online depends on how fast sales and permitting of the luxury units take place. Each individually designed luxury home will be reviewed and approved by the County’s Housing and Community Development Department. Housing Program Manager Darby Marshall told commissioners that the development agreement requires that half of all the inclusionary housing building permits must be issued prior to the 12th market-rate building permit being issued. The remaining 11 units must be constructed prior to the 41-st market-rate permit issued. The farmhouse-inspired inclusionary homes will each come with a covered carport. The development also includes two small parks for younger and older children. Both ONE Carmel and ONE Grove sit on 891 acres, 90 percent of which will remain permanently protected. The developers are promising a “reimagining” of September Ranch’s public equestrian center. The iconic red barn has been preserved and will be used for equestrian events, art exhibitions, performances and other events. All For One Affordable home units come closer to fruition in Carmel Valley as part of a pricier development. By Pam Marino The inclusionary home designs by LADC, an architectural, building and construction management firm based in San Jose, include natural materials and darker colors to blend into the landscaping. NEWS “I’m thrilled to have it.” LADC The Monterey Peninsula is a leader in water conservation. Thank you for your commitment to being water wise! Learn more at: montereywaterinfo.org/events JOIN US FOR FREE CONSERVATION WEBINARS Join us for free, interactive workshops in July, August and September, presented by Green Gardens Group via Zoom. Wednesday, July 22 Change Your Landscape Without Breaking the Bank 6–7 p.m. Thursday, September 3 You Can Design Your Own Garden 6–7:30 p.m. Tuesday, September 15 Remove Turf, Get a Meadow 6–7 p.m. Thursday, August 13 Art in the Garden: The Sculpted Landscape 6–7 p.m. Insured by NCUA 1The dividend rate and Annual Percentage Yield (APY) are accurate as of 07/14/2026. The dividend rate and APY may change at any time. There is no minimum balance required to earn the stated APY. The minimum deposit for the 19-month certificate special is $500. The APY is based on an assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal or transfer reduces earnings and there may be penalties for early withdrawal. This certificate is not extended to organization accounts. Rates and terms are subject to change without notice. Call 1-877-GOLDEN 1 (1-877-465-3361) for current rates. 0726-MTW Visit a branch, call 1-877-465-3361 or scan to learn more Limited-time offer 4.15% with a Term Savings Certificate Earn up to APY1
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com Since Greenfield High School opened its doors in 1999, residents have been asking for all of its TK-12 schools to be part of the same district. Nearly 30 years later, this goal is one step closer to becoming a reality. The California State Board of Education unanimously approved district consolidation in South Monterey County on July 7 and directed the Monterey County Office of Education to hold an election on Nov. 3. Monterey County Superintendent of Schools Deneen Guss says they want the process to move forward as soon as possible since uncertainty hinders district planning and makes it challenging to retain and recruit personnel. Currently, there are three school districts: Greenfield Union and King City Union, both TK-8, and South Monterey County Joint Union School District, which operates four high schools, including Greenfield and King City high schools. Now it is up to the voters to decide if they want to merge three school districts into two TK-12 school districts. Voters in Greenfield and King City, as well as nearby rural communities such as San Lucas and San Ardo that feed students to King City High School, will decide. The unification petition has been ongoing for the past decade and has faced some challenges along the way. An effort failed in 2018 after the Monterey County Committee on School District Organization rejected the idea, citing financial challenges. It reached the state level and gained traction in recent years with community meetings and presentations with the impacted districts. It was denied once again in 2025 at the state level, citing similar reasons as the county committee, such as unpaid loans from the South Monterey County district. In July, however, the tide changed after the consolidation idea expanded to include three districts, instead of two, adding King City Unified. (Guss says Greenfield residents have shown strong support for district merging but in King City response has been quieter.) “It’s more fiscally responsible to have one district where we can really align all of the resources to the needs that our students have,” GUSD Superintendent Laura Cortez says. Guss, who moved to the area when Soledad and Gonzales school districts underwent a unification process, says there are several benefits including all students having the same calendar. “You don’t have to readjust to new boards, new policies, new schedules,” Guss says, noting that sometimes parents make inquiries to the wrong school districts. If voters pass consolidation, the process would take 18 months. During that time, the parties will negotiate division of assets, liabilities and staffing. Classified staff members would be guaranteed to keep their positions for at least two years, Guss adds. The new districts would operate starting the 2028-2029 school year under new names Greenfield Unified School District and King City Joint Unified School District, eliminating SMCJUSD. School Bell Voters will decide if they want school district consolidation in South County. By Celia Jiménez Greenfield Unified Superintendent Laura Cortez supports transitioning from three districts to two. “It’s going to allow us to create a cohesive learning program for our students,” she says. NEWS “We can really align all of the resources.” DANIEL DREIFUSS (831) 424-9003 1135 Westridge Pkwy, Salinas www.OasisCharterSchool.org An experience as unique as your child NOW ENROLLING! Oasis is a tuition-free Charter school that serves K-6th Grade. We feature enrichment and speciality classes including art, music and drama. Oasis is a non-profit public school not affiliated with any religion. If your child doesn’t fit the traditional model, try Oasis! sport coats soft coats outerwear shirting sweaters trousers carmel plaza carmel-by-the-sea new fall arrivals “I brought my Subaru to Hartzel on advice of a friend and I was so pleased with the service & attention I got from them. Not only finished on time, but under the estimate I was given. Very rare these days. So pleased with the whole experience & great peace of mind knowing it was done correctly. Highly recommend this guy.” —David F., Seaside 2/14/19 510 California Avenue | Sand City | 394.6002 hartzelautomotive.com EXPERT SERVICE WHEN YOU NEED IT. Subaru Mazda Lexus Infiniti Saab vintage MG SCHEDULE YOUR NEXT SERVICE ONLINE TODAY
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Copyright © 2025 Marina Station. All rights reserved. Homes and community information are subject to change without notice. Photos are for representational purposes only. CA DRE license #01871677. Equal Housing Opportunity. Realize Your Dream Home on the Monterey Peninsula The Marina Station Real Estate Team, in partnership with Monterey Coast Realty With 19 thoughtfully designed floor plans and single-story or two-story homes available, there’s a home for every lifestyle. Every detail has been crafted with care, creating spaces that feel modern, welcoming and unmistakably like home. Sales Office and Model Homes Open Daily 10am to 6pm Visit us at 381 Cortney Lane, Marina 831.620.6160 • www.LiveMarinaStation.com DRIVE CUSTOMERS TO YOUR BUSINESS PUBLICATION DATE: August 7, 2026 AD DEADLINE: July 20, 2026 FOR MORE INFO: 831-394-5656 sales@montereycountynow.com DURING CAR WEEK Published by BEST OF MONTEREY BAY® Haven HOME & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE 2025-2026 FREE FINE LOCAL WINE DECORATING WITH ANTIQUES SEASONAL SPA TREATMENTS GOING BOUTIQUE AUTOMATING THE HOME cover_HAVEN_25.indd 3 7/24/25 11:51 AM Welcome to the Best Of Monterey Bay® Haven, where your business can be showcased next to lifestyle trends amid the luster of Car Week.
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 16-22, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com POLICING THE POLICE Long overdue! (“The Board of Supervisors ‘make a statement’ on immigration policies,” posted July 8.) Jose Mendoza | Salinas Note: Mendoza is a retired commander from the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office. They should have shown oversight when the Monterey County sheriff was driving like a maniac and was caught multiple times with zero consequences. Casey Nielsen | Atascadero The Monterey County Board of Supervisors placed ideology ahead of what I believe should be its first responsibility: protecting public safety. The board elevated the interests of incarcerated undocumented immigrants over the safety of law-abiding undocumented immigrants, documented immigrants and U.S. citizens. The board also chose to forgo approximately $650,000 this year and $1.2 million next year by rejecting federal reimbursement for the costs of incarcerating undocumented immigrants, despite no evidence that the SCAAP program has been used to facilitate ICE enforcement actions. That decision strikes me as driven more by political concerns than by facts or sound fiscal management. On this, I agree with Supervisor Luis Alejo: Balance is needed, along with common sense, data-driven decisions, and erring on the side of public safety. Peter Szalai | Salinas It is the duty of every chief public safety officer to make every effort to reduce the public’s liability. The public demands this oversight committee because they are tired of prisoners dying in jail. The supervisors are tired of losing lawsuits. Ron Smith | Bradley Thank you supervisors Wendy Root Askew and Kate Daniels! Esther Malkin | Monterey WATER WAY This was such an important and excellently reported story that I have kept it for future reference (“It’s a critical year to pick a solution to save Monterey County’s aquifers. The questions are how, and who pays?” June 25-July 1). Love the Weekly. Thank you. Hannah Priestley | via social media How about stop giving permits to giant hotels, and giving incentive for farmers that use sustainable forms of production on their land? The less water we pump, the less [seawater] gets sucked into the aquifers. Paula Caetano | via social media Obviously, the ag industry must pay. Jim Safranek | via social media BRAIN DRAIN The City of Seaside is adopting artificial intelligence faster than it can govern it (“Squid Fry: City Search,” July 9-15). On July 2, the City Council renewed a Placer.ai location analytics subscription and unveiled an AI search assistant built with Common Sense AI. The Police Department already runs Flock license plate readers. Yet the city has no adopted AI policy or ordinance. Meanwhile, the Building and Planning Departments still lack functioning permit tracking software, a basic tool residents and applicants rely on daily. That says something about priorities. Before buying more AI, the Council should fix the systems it already depends on and adopt clear rules for transparency, privacy and oversight, with public input. Pacific Grove just took up an AI policy. I urge the Council to clearly think it through first before making more AI software purchases. Jose Torres | Seaside FIRE SALE I’d be shocked if they got $45 million for that place (“Moss Landing Commercial Park goes on sale, to the tune of $45 million,” July 2-8). Joey Espinoza | Monterey BIG STAGE The article highlighting Miranda Lambert’s upcoming performance reads like a celebrity promotion while ignoring the troubling reality of the event itself (“With a new album on the way, country legend Miranda Lambert kicks off the rodeo,” July 9-15). Whether intentional or not, celebrating performers at the California Rodeo Salinas also promotes an event that many view as built on animal suffering. Calf roping, steer wrestling and bucking events subject animals to fear, stress and injury for entertainment—practices that deserve scrutiny, not free publicity. Lambert is widely respected for her dedication to animal welfare, making her participation especially disappointing. Her appearance lends credibility to an event increasingly opposed by those who believe compassion should extend to all animals. Monterey County Weekly has long been willing to tackle difficult issues. I hope it will devote the same attention to examining the documented animal welfare concerns surrounding rodeo, rather than simply promoting the entertainment built around it. Dee Pinder | Salinas WATCH PARTY Beautiful story, thank you (“Trailblazer Mayra Gomez brings global experience to Salinas Regional Soccer Complex,” July 9-15). Having lived in Brazil and enjoyed the World Cup for half a century including today, very timely! Steve Endsley | Aptos BIRD DOWN Sooo sad (“A mortality signal prompts a quest into no-man’s-land in search of a very special condor,” posted July 13). Thank you everyone for giving Iniko a great life. Buff Benson | via email VIRTUAL REALITY Very cool. Thanks for the great article (“Pacific Grove resident Karen Owen turned her knowledge of computer technology into public art,” July 9-15). Derek Dean | Monterey CORRECTION A story previewing a race (“The MotoAmerica Superbike Speedfest brings America’s top motorcycle racing to Laguna Seca,” July 9-15) misstated Mathew Scholtz’s team and bike. He was riding the Strack Racing Yamaha, not the Warhorse HSBK Ducati. LETTERS • COMMENTSOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@montereycountynow.com. Please keep your letter to 150 words or less; subject to editing for space. Please include your full name, contact information and city you live in.
www.montereycountynow.com JULY 16-22, 2026 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 A fact that should be shocking in the 21st century in the United States of America: It is not safe to drink the tap water in the South Monterey County community of San Lucas, and it hasn’t been since at least 2011. That’s when public health officials first issued a “Do Not Drink” order due to an unsafe level of nitrates in the water. “We are requiring the use of bottled water or water from an approved source for drinking or cooking,” a July 7, 2011 notice from the Health Department read. “Research is being done to find another water source.” Fifteen years later, it looks like that research—and the funding needed to accomplish it—is finally here. On Tuesday, July 7, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to accept a $4 million construction grant from the State Water Resources Control Board, reflecting funding that was earmarked by the State Legislature to serve this rural community of roughly 325 people served (theoretically) by 100 water connections. Along with federal funding, it reaches the nearly $8 million—roughly a quarter of what’s needed to finally build a solution. (This solution—installation of two wells, a new water treatment system, and necessary infrastructure improvements including pipeline improvements— should last. Despite a new well drilled in 2014, that solution was short-lived and a second “Do Not Drink” order issued in 2016 has remained in place ever since due to the high volume of nitrates, manganese and iron in the water.) All this time, residents have relied on deliveries of bottled water for drinking. Imagine, once the work is finally done, the ability to simply fill up a glass of water or a pot to boil pasta in the sink—something so basic that most of us forget to appreciate it. “In the last few years, we’ve had some incredible milestones,” County Supervisor Chris Lopez says. “This is not the end, but it signifies we are on the right path, and the state and federal government are investing in the solution together.” For years, the Board of Supervisors has ranked it in their top priorities when it comes to advocacy at the state and federal level. Finally, it seems the long game is paying off. A much faster timeline to success also received unanimous support on July 7, when the board voted 5-0 to approve an ordinance requiring that pet dogs (older than 6 months) and cats (5 months) are spayed or neutered, modeled on a similar ordinance adopted in 2024 in the City of Seaside. Supervisor Luis Alejo said two high school students in his young supervisors program first raised the issue last August. Here it is less than a year later, and those young people were there to testify before the board urging final adoption of an ordinance they helped brainstorm. “It’s the first time in recent county history that high school students have successfully proposed a county policy change,” Alejo said. “What impressed me is they didn’t just identify a problem, they became part of the solution.” That solution is meant to help minimize the number of the 1,000-plus animals that are euthanized each year at Hitchcock Road Animal Services in Salinas. The young leaders who brought this forward include Eli David, a co-founder of the Paws Club at Carmel High School, who spoke on July 7. “While approaching our animal overpopulation problem can be complicated, the issue itself is simple: Our status quo is broken, our status quo is causing unnecessary suffering of animals countywide,” he said. “We came together and said enough is enough, and we made change for the better by adopting this ordinance. You have shown us young leaders of tomorrow that we can make change today.” Of course, this ordinance alone won’t solve an animal overpopulation problem—access to low-cost spay and neuter clinics is a necessity, and enforcement will be another obstacle. But in a world where ideas hit obstacles (cost is just one of many) or imperfect solutions fall apart due simply to their imperfection—or because a project as essential as getting a community safe drinking water takes upwards of 15 years—it’s too easy to become cynical. Some days, local government gets to say yes to solutions. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@montereycountynow.com. Staff writers Celia Jiménez and Katie Rodriguez contributed to this report. Slow Flow Two local government success stories, one slow and one fast. By Sara Rubin COOKIE-GATE…Squid salivates over savory, shrimp-flavored snacks but on July 7, it was a box of sweet treats that got Squid’s juices flowing. The treats arrived during a Carmel City Council meeting, putting councilmembers in jeopardy of a delicious conflict of interest. Former councilmember Victoria Beach stepped up to the podium to speak in favor of an amendment to the city’s housing plan, one that she and other residents from the group Affordable Housing Alternatives helped city staff craft in a bid to prevent use of the city’s parking lots for low-income housing. The amendment instead spreads most of the units throughout downtown. Before Beach spoke, she handed a box of baked goods to Acting City Administrator Brandon Swanson, encouraging him to pass them to councilmembers. Swanson seemed unsure what to do. “Is that OK, Brian?” he asked City Attorney Brian Pierik. No answer can be heard or seen from Pierik on the video of the meeting. The box remained with Swanson. Beach called the gift “congratulatory sweets,” for the council’s work. The box sat with Swanson for another 30 minutes until the 3-2 vote to approve the amendment. It was at that point Pierik spoke: “Mayor, you may want to thank Victoria Beach for the cookies and then return them.” Crisis averted, the sweets were handed out to the audience. LEAN BEEF…Squid tends to keep to Squidself, but Squid admits there’s some beef with pufferfish—with only so much space to ooze over, they puff up and take more than their share. Squid found there’s beef on land too, cattle grazing land, to be specific. In February, the Monterey County Regional Park District put out a request for proposals for a grazing lease at Palo Corona Regional Park. The RFP attracted five applicants in a neck-and-neck bid. MPRPD selected Renz Livestock as the winner by a hair, in a process other applicants argued lacked transparency and had an ambiguous scoring process. In response to the outcry, the park district has said they are going to start the RFP process all over again. While officials maintain confidence in the scoring process and their use of MidPen consultants, they agree some of the process had some ambiguities that should be corrected. They also acknowledge that the process will be…the same as before. Squid wonders how they’ll grade everyone’s test given they’ve already seen the answers—the bids and scores of all applicants have all been released thanks to a California Public Records Act request. This is the park district’s first official grazing lease process, and they say they want to get it right. But Squid’s not sure an open-book test is the best way to do that. THE LOCAL SPIN SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “They didn’t just identify a problem, they became part of the solution.” SEND SQUID A TIP: squid@montereycountynow.com
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