SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREYCOUNTYWEEKLY.COM LOCAL & INDEPENDENT RON DESANTIS IN SALINAS 15 | AN ASTROLOGER’S PAST—AND FUTURE 30 | VILLA AZTECA’S SPINOFF 32 David Sand is one of 26 people to die in Monterey County Jail since 2015. That’s despite a court settlement to protect the health and safety of incarcerated people. p. 16 By Rey Mashayekhi JAILHOUSE FAIL
2 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com september 14-20, 2023 • ISSUE #1833 • Established in 1988 Pam Marino (iPhone 14pro) A gnarled old tree and a craggy coast are the foreground for a spectacular view of Carmel Bay where it meets the Pacific Ocean, along Cypress Grove Trail in Point Lobos, on a sunny morning in late August. Monterey County photo of the week Send Etc. submissions to etcphoto@mcweekly.com; please include caption and camera info. On the cover: Eric Sand holds a picture of his son David, who died at Monterey County Jail in November 2022 at age 29. Neutral monitors inspecting the jail found that the facility’s health care staff overlooked David Sand’s documented history of schizophrenia, which led to his death by acute water intoxication—caused by the excessive and compulsive drinking of water. Cover photo by Daniel Dreifuss etc. Copyright © 2023 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: $120 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.montereycountyweekly.com. Audited by CVC. Founder & CEO Bradley Zeve bradley@mcweekly.com (x103) Publisher Erik Cushman erik@mcweekly.com (x125) Editorial editor Sara Rubin sara@mcweekly.com (x120) features editor Dave Faries dfaries@mcweekly.com (x110) associate editor Tajha Chappellet-Lanier tajha@mcweekly.com (x135) Staff Writer Celia Jiménez celia@mcweekly.com (x145) Staff Writer Pam Marino pam@mcweekly.com (x106) Staff Writer Rey Mashayekhi rey@mcweekly.com (x102) Staff Writer Agata Pope¸da (x138) aga@mcweekly.com Staff Writer David Schmalz david@mcweekly.com (x104) Staff photographer Daniel Dreifuss daniel@mcweekly.com (x140) contributors Nik Blaskovich, Rob Brezsny, Sloan Campi, Jesse Herwitz, Jeff Mendelsohn, Steve Souza, Jacqueline Weixel Cartoons Rob Rogers, Tom Tomorrow Production Art Director/Production Manager Karen Loutzenheiser karen@mcweekly.com (x108) Graphic Designer Kevin Jewell kevinj@mcweekly.com (x114) Graphic Designer Alexis Estrada alexis@mcweekly.com (x114) Graphic Designer Lani Headley lani@mcweekly.com (x114) SALES senior Sales Executive Diane Glim diane@mcweekly.com (x124) Senior Sales Executive George Kassal george@mcweekly.com (x122) Senior Sales Executive Keith Bruecker keith@mcweekly.com (x118) Classifieds business development director Keely Richter keely@mcweekly.com (x123) Digital Director of Digital Media Kevin Smith kevin@mcweekly.com (x119) Distribution Distribution AT Arts Co. atartsco@gmail.com Distribution Control Harry Neal Business/Front Office Office Manager Linda Maceira linda@mcweekly.com (x101) Bookkeeping Rochelle Trawick rochelle@mcweekly.com 668 Williams Ave., Seaside, CA 93955 831-394-5656, (FAX) 831-394-2909 www.montereycountyweekly.com We’d love to hear from you. Send us your tips at tipline.montereycountyweekly.com. We can tell you like the print edition of the Weekly. We bet you’ll love the daily newsletter, Monterey County NOW. Get fresh commentary, local news and sundry helpful distractions delivered to your inbox every day. There’s no charge, and if you don’t love it, you can unsubscribe any time. SIGN UP NOW Sign up today at montereycountyweekly.com/mcnow
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 3 Join our Relay for Life team on September 23 as we walk and celebrate life, while supporting the fight against cancer. Pioneering Excellence in Cancer Care Facing a cancer diagnosis is undeniably challenging, both physically and emotionally. Our team of dedicated doctors, nurses, and support staff is committed to easing this journey. We offer personalized, compassionate care that goes beyond medical treatment, providing holistic support every step of the way. For more information about our cancer care services, visit: SalinasValleyHealth.com/cancer or call Salinas Valley Health Cancer Care at 831-755-1701. UNITE TO FIGHT
4 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH In late 2021, the Monterey County Board of Supervisors created a new county communications program “in recognition of the need to improve overall internal and external communications across a variety of media platforms,” according to a Sept. 1 report by the County’s chief public information officer, Nick Pasculli. The team’s first annual report—on the period July 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023—shows the public some data points on how they are doing. The report relies on data from public relations firm Cision, and generally sticks to a PR lens. For instance, it breaks down sentiment of coverage, and shows 43 percent of stories were negative, 39 percent were neutral and 18 percent were positive. There were a total of 32,589 “mentions” over the one-year time period. The County’s social media presence grew by 58 percent, with 24,433 followers across Facebook, Instagram and YouTube. That corresponded to nearly 5.1 million “likes.” Good: The Conservancy for the Range of the Condor, a nonprofit land trust, acquired a 48-acre property for $630,000 so that it can be preserved in perpetuity and provide a buffer between Garland Ranch Regional Park and the Robles Del Rio neighborhood. Don Gruber, the land trust’s board chair, says the property won’t be open to the public, but that legal protections will be put in place to keep it open space, whether or not the conservancy owns it “forever.” The acquisition brings the amount of land the conservancy owns in Carmel Valley and Big Sur to about 450 acres. Per the Range of the Condors’ website, the land trust’s directors “believe that large swaths of open space and wilderness are an essential contributor to the balanced well-being of the modern human, and most certainly to the survival of the many animals and plants that inhabit our land.” GREAT: It’s a great week for fighting against housing discrimination, which unfortunately is still a problem and needs to be combatted on behalf of people being denied places to live due to race, color, religion, sex, disability and more. In the fight is California Rural Legal Assistance Inc., headquartered in Oakland with 16 district offices across the state, including in Salinas. CRLA received $425,000 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development through its Fair Housing Initiatives Program, HUD announced on Aug. 31. CRLA will be using the money for its private enforcement initiative, to test rentals and home buying practices in the field and when necessary file complaints with HUD or equivalent state and local agencies to enforce the U.S. Fair Housing Act. All told, 57 organizations in the U.S. received $24.2 million to enforce the act, now in its 55th year. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Estimated annual cost to manage a rental registry in the City of Monterey, which will be paid for by property owner registration fees. The registry, approved 4-1 by City Council, will create a database with information on things like number of bedrooms per unit and monthly rent. Source: Monterey City Council discussion, Sept. 5, 2023 $400,000 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “We pushed too much and ended up in the wall, which was not ideal.” -IndyCar champion Alex Palou discussing a Thursday test session on the newly resurfaced WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca ahead of the Sept. 10 season finale. The Chip Ganassi Racing driver finished third (see story, mcweekly.com). JOB FAIR September 23, 2023 | 10 AM - 2 PM Tech Connection, 1222 Leahy Road, Bldg. 444, Monterey Naval Support Activity Monterey FFR is hiring multiple full time & part time positions Same day interviews and potential job offers on site A child activity room is available during the application and interview process. Hiring positions for Child Care, Golf, Fitness, Special Events, Hotel, Dining, and more! NSAM provides competitive salaries, comprehensive benefits, and extensive professional development and training. For more information, scan the QR code. Employees may be eligible for: Access to the Transportation Incentive Program (TIP). Members of the TIP program commute at no cost or greatly reduced fares! Aetna Medical (PPO) Dental and Vision Retention Incentive Program; eligible to earn up to $1750 in your first year Access to dining facilities for breakfast, lunch & dinner at a variety of locations on base Discounted tickets for area tours, attractions, museums, amusement parks, movie theaters, ski lift passes, and more! Access to discounted items at all Navy Exchanges such as food, gas, haircuts, and car care (except at commissaries)
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 5 Federally Insured by NCUA | Equal Housing Lender 831.479.6000 or toll-free at 888.4BAYFED, ext. 304 www.bayfed.com/HomeLoans 1524 N. Main Street | Salinas From renting to owning – we can get you there! Our First Time Homebuyer program is designed to make financing your first home simple. Is now the time to buy? We can help. License #270700110. COA #082. *Monterey Herald Reader’s Choice, 2021 and 2022. Job # / Name: CVM-435 Monterey County Weekly-Paradise-Ad-ME01-091423 Date: 09/12/23 Publication: Monterey County Weekly io# 40102 Due at pub: 09/12/23 Issue date: 09/14/2023 Ad Size: Bleed: NA Trim: Live: 9.5 x 5.57 in Sign Off: AD: IL Proofer: SR/JG AE: SR/JG Voted best retirement community 2 years in a row.* If you’re 65+, you can enjoy exceptional healthcare, attentive service and 3 delicious meals daily, as well as a fitness center and acres of lush gardens with a pool and putting green. For a tour of our newly renovated campus, call Angie at 1-800-544-5546 or visit cvmanor.com CELEBRATING 60 YEARS It’s like a luxury cruise docked in a coastal paradise If you’re 65+, you can enjoy exceptional
6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com 831 It’s a misty, gray morning in late July—the kind where the ocean blends into the sky at the horizon, with hardly any features to distinguish the two. It’s Monday, the first day of the last of nine weeks of surf camp at the Wahine Project. The campers show up at Del Monte Beach in Monterey in ones and twos, dropped off by parents, often a little shy at first. They’re sorted into groups according to age and gender—each group with its own plot of sand, instructors and dry-erase board advertising this as “Mindful Monday.” (Each day of the week has a theme at camp: There’s also Trash Tuesday, Waterwoman Wednesday, Thankful Thursday and Aloha Friday.) In the 7- to 10-year-old girls group, it’s not long before everyone is playing. The game involves using boogie boards to slide down a small sand bank. Some do this on their bellies while others, braver, run and jump onto a perfectly positioned board, riding it down the incline like a skateboard. Over at the older girls camp, meanwhile, there’s a volleyball circle happening. Eventually, the instructors gather up the excited, wiggling campers to begin the week. Instructor Sean Crowe in the 7- to 10-year-old girls group begins by asking who’s new and who has been to camp before. Most of the group of about 20 girls are seasoned surfers, it turns out. But about five raise their hands to signal this is their first time. (A couple of girls raise their hands for both options.) “Who is a little nervous?” Crowe asks. Two forthright youngsters raise their hands. This leads the group into a collaborative conversation about what one might possibly be nervous about in the ocean, if one was perhaps nervous, hand raised or not: sharks, jellyfish, waves, falling, rip currents—all eminently logical things to be afraid of. Crowe addresses these dangers one by one in a calm manner: The only jellyfish here are moon jellies and they’re safe, he says, but this might not be true at another beach. Rip currents, though not particularly strong on this Mindful Monday, are everywhere and definitely a thing to watch out for—a seasoned water person knows not to fight the current but swim parallel to the shore to escape its grip. “The ocean can be scary sometimes. But once you get familiar with it, it becomes less scary,” Crowe tells the gathered small surfers. This is essentially the mission statement of the Wahine Project (Hawaiian for woman or girl), founded in 2010 by Dionne Ybarra. “I was raised to really fear the water,” says Ybarra, who grew up in East Alisal. But she found a way to get past that fear, and it changed her life. “When I finally [surfed] it was the most incredible experience.” Wahine focuses on bringing diverse kids from all across Monterey County, some who have never been in the ocean before, to the Pacific to break down barriers to ocean sports. Another goal is to foster better environmental stewardship through an appreciation for the ocean. These days, what started as a summer camp for girls has grown into a community nonprofit offering camps for all (starting as young as age 4), school year programs, women’s surf trips and more. In a given year, about 2,000 kids pass through Wahine programs. The organization offers scholarships for families who need them. Alice Aguillon began as a camp mom when her son joined Wahine. The Castroville native didn’t necessarily feel like surfing was for her—“Surfing is a man’s sport, and it’s dominated by white people,” she observes. But then she met Ybarra. “Oh my god, she’s a woman and she’s Latina—I gotta do this,” Aguillon remembers thinking. Now an instructor and Wahine’s operations manager, Aguillon enjoys shepherding others, especially teens, through this same process of discovery. “This is a public place, anyone can come out here and have fun,” Aguillon says of the beach. “The feeling once you catch your first wave is amazing. Surfing forces you to live in the moment…there’s a lot going on in the ocean and you have to be aware.” Learn more about The Wahine Project at thewahineproject.org. Surf’s Up The Wahine Project brings kids to the ocean to learn lessons in mindfulness and environmental stewardship. By Tajha Chappellet-Lanier At the Wahine Project surf camps, kids learn a healthy respect and admiration for the ocean. Plus, there’s plenty of fun to be had in the waves and on the sand. “Anyone can come out here and have fun.” tALes FrOm tHe AreA CODe DANIEL DREIFUSS Meaningful Partnerships, Community Connections At the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce, we are connectors, providing our members with valuable introductions to new customers and referral sources. If you're looking for a platform to initiate important conversations and grow your business, we invite you to join our business association today. Join Today! • montereychamber.com • info@montereychamber.com • 831.648.5350
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 7 *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of May 30, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawal. The minimum deposit for this 12-month certificate is $1,000.00. Does not Automatically renew. NMLS# 786119 Members Save More! Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Members Save More! Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com NMLS# 786119 Members Save More! Certificate Special At CCFCU, Membership Means More Become a Member Today 4.10% APY* 18-Month Term *offer limited to new deposits of $10,000+ *Terms and conditions apply. Annual Percentage Yield (APY) is accurate as of January 17, 2023. The Dividend rate and APY may change at any time. The APY is based on the assumption that dividends will remain in the account until maturity. Any fee, withdrawal, or transfer reduces the earnings and there are penalties for early withdrawals. The minimum deposit for this 18-month certificate is $10,000.00. Does not automatically renew. Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 900 S. Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Rd. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com Call 831-393-3480 or visit your local CCFCU branch to take advantage of our Special Certificate rate. Seaside: 4242 Gigling Rd. | Salinas: 1141 S Main St. | Soledad: 315 Gabilan Dr. | King City: 510 Canal St. centcoastfcu.com Certificate Special Become a Member Today 5.00% APY* 12-Month Term Offer limited to new deposits of $1,000.00+ FLEXIBILITY “I knew I wanted to create a fund and specify the areas I wanted to support. A flexible fund like this allows me to change my giving according to future needs.” – Leslie Mulford, Leslie Mulford Fund of the CFMC Leslie used her IRA Qualified Charitable Distribution (QCD) to benefit her areas of interest: at risk youth, elderly services, music in schools, literacy and disaster relief. Design your giving plan. We can help. Donor Advised Funds • Charitable Estate Planning • Charitable Gift Annuities • Charitable Remainder Trusts • IRA Qualified Charitable Distributions • Family Philanthropy Scholarships & More Read her story: cfmco.org/Mulford 831.375.9712 | cfmco.org | OCT. 7 & 8, 2023 GET YOUR TICKETS NOW salinasairshow.com LET’S TURN & BURN
8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com news Four months ago, the 55-unit Pueblo del Mar sober living community in Marina was at risk of closing and displacing six families after the Housing Authority of the County of Monterey lost rental support funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Officials from HACM, Monterey County Behavioral Health, Sun Street Centers—the service provider for over 25 years—and other agencies scrambled to find money to keep it open. They pinned their hopes on winning a Behavioral Health Bridge Housing Program grant from the California Department of Health Care Services, designed to create transitional housing with services for people dealing with substance abuse or mental health issues or experiencing homelessness. The money would be used to refurbish the units that had been sitting vacant for years due to disrepair. On Thursday, Sept. 6, their hopes were realized when it was announced that Monterey County Behavioral Health would receive $11.3 million. Bureau Chief Kathryn Eckert says they will issue a request for proposals in the next few weeks, inviting nonprofits to compete for a contract to provide services. They hope to move in new residents later this fall as repairs are ongoing. Sun Street’s executive director, Anna Foglia, says the nonprofit is waiting to see the RFP before deciding to apply. If the new program’s mission does not include sobriety “that’s going to be an issue for us,” Foglia says. “It would be great to continue to use [the property] to support families experiencing alcohol and drug addiction, which is worse now more than ever.” Bridge Crossing The county receives $11.3 million from the state to restore homes for people at risk. By Pam Marino In 2021, the Central Coast Regional Water Quality Control Board issued an order, after years of public hearings and review, calling for a limitation on runoff from agricultural fields. It instantly became a matter of controversy. Agricultural groups filed a petition to the State Water Resources Control Board urging them to find the order too stringent. Environmental and public health groups also petitioned, arguing it was too weak. Now, two years later, the State Water Board is scheduled to weigh in on Wednesday, Sept. 20, at a meeting in Sacramento. In a proposed order released on Sept. 8, staff are asking the board to amend the order, weakening in significant ways. At the heart of the matter is regulating how much nitrogen growers can apply to fields, and that can run off into waterways. Excessive application of nitrogen—i.e. fertilizer that is not absorbed by crops—percolates in the soil and eventually reaches groundwater and is toxic to humans. The original version of the Central Coast Water Board’s policy was first approved in 2004. Its fourth iteration was approved in 2021. Nearly the entire county relies on groundwater for its water supply—residents and growers alike—and that pollution can put lives at risk. On the other side, however, are the agricultural interests. As the State Water Board’s report, which advises that the board weaken the Central Coast Water Board’s restrictions, states: “The issues are especially complicated because the same activities that are essential to producing a crucial, reliable food supply—e.g., pesticide use to control pests, nitrogen to fertilize crops, irrigation to water crops—also underlie many of the critical impacts.” One of the places where those critical impacts have been felt is in the San Jerardo housing cooperative south of Salinas, which is surrounded by agricultural fields. Since 1990, the community has been drilling one well, and then another and another, and since 2010, has been living off water from a fourth well, two miles uphill from the community. The reason those wells continue to be drilled is because of nitrate contamination. “It’s frustrating that the state, instead of trying to strengthen this order, it’s trying to weaken it,” says Ileana Miranda, general manager of the cooperative, where there are 64 homes. Even with the new well, she says, residents can develop rashes. “We just want people to be healthy.” Miranda says about a dozen of the cooperative’s 250 or so residents will be heading to Sacramento for the hearing to advocate for their health. Also attending will be Chelsea Tu, executive director of Monterey Waterkeeper, a nonprofit devoted to ensuring communities have drinkable and fishable waters. Tu is deeply concerned about the proposed changes. “It’s literally killing people. Without the enforceable limits, growers are not going to significantly change. The only way they’re going to change is if the State Water Board maintains these limits to protect our waters.” If approved, the changes would essentially take the teeth of the Central Coast Water Board’s 2021 version, Tu says: “The limits are like speed limits on highways, and these limits have to be enforceable. You have to understand there are real consequences—it’s like having speed limits without the cops to make sure people are really slowing down.” Ileana Miranda of San Jerardo Housing Cooperative, which joined Monterey Waterkeeper, California Sportfishing Protection Alliance and others in an appeal. Not So Well The State Water Board seeks to weaken regulation on fertilizer application. Lives are at risk. By David Schmalz Former Pueblo del Mar resident Amy Otten, seen in her old neighborhood, says the sober living community run by Sun Street Centers helped in her recovery. It may get a new operator. “We just want people to be healthy.” Daniel Dreifuss Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 9 AN OCEAN OF GIFT- GIVING OPTIONS Visit the new Monterey Bay Aquarium Store at 585 Cannery Row. Members receive a 10% discount. SEPT 16 OCT 3 THROUGH LOCATED BEHIND THE PORTOLA HOTEL & SPA | COMPLIMENTARY PARKING (831) 649-2699 | PETERBSBREWPUB.COM OKTOBERFEST CE L EBRAT E FOOD & DRINK SPECIALS + Wear your Lederhosen during Peter B's Oktoberfest and receive an additional 15% off food montagehealth.org/ohana
10 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Cannabis retailer Urbn Leaf’s Seaside dispensary is the latest to fall victim to the challenging business conditions facing the industry after shutting down late last month. Statehouse Holdings, Urbn Leaf’s parent company, decided not to renew the Seaside location’s cannabis license and closed the store, at 680 Broadway Ave., on Aug. 26, according to Statehouse’s second-quarter financial statements. Urbn Leaf was one of three dispensaries on Broadway Avenue and one of six in Seaside and neighboring Del Rey Oaks, making the area a local hotspot for cannabis purveyors since Seaside began permitting dispensaries in 2017. Urbn Leaf and its landlord had invested around $1 million into building out a sleek storefront and 6,400-square-foot retail space and upgrading the building’s infrastructure, says Peter Baird of Mahoney & Associates, the property’s landlord and listing brokerage. Yet Statehouse has been dealing with many of the same headwinds that have impacted the cannabis sector at large—namely, overproduction that has hurt prices, illegal-market competition that has hindered sales, and taxes and regulations that industry players claim have made it difficult to turn a profit. In its second-quarter earnings report, Statehouse disclosed quarterly revenues that were down 27 percent year-on-year, including retail revenues that fell 30 percent from the previous year. The San Diego-based company reported a net loss of $2.1 million in the quarter, which coupled with a heavy debt load has seen its publicly traded stock sink to under $0.07 per share. (Representatives for Statehouse did not return requests for comment.) Statehouse’s challenges are in no way unique, according to its competitors. “Nobody is going to survive this— it’s an armageddon,” says Mike Bitar, co-founder and CEO of Salinas-based cannabis company Grupo Flor. Grupo Flor’s East of Eden dispensary chain recently closed its Moss Landing location; while the chain still has four locations open, Bitar says, “We’ll be lucky to have maybe two [open stores] by the end of the year.” Grupo Floor laid off 120 employees this spring and cut back operations at its Salinas processing facility, he adds. “Financially, it’s just hard—there’s no capital, vendors aren’t paying [each other], people are behind on taxes and rent. The whole industry is imploding,” Bitar says. “I’m getting calls once a week where operators are saying, ‘Here are my keys, take over my dispensary.’” The City of Marina needs a new city hall. It also needs a new fire station and ladder truck. And a new police station. But given that the cost to do all of that is an estimated $52 million, the City cannot afford to build them. On Tuesday, Sept. 12, the Marina City Council was set to discuss a matter to address that: directing city staff in an effort to initiate a ballot measure—a bond paid for by Marina residents, essentially a tax of $29 per month for every household—that would pay for it. Central to the discussion was how to sell it to the public. Locke Paddon Park, which is owned the Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, was identified as an optimal civic center location in a city report. There was pushback from councilmebers who thought a more central location would be better, but City Manager Layne Long said that identifying a location wasn’t necessary for a ballot measure to secure funding. The City has hired a consulting firm to research the feasibility of floating a bond measure to pay for it all, as well how to communicate it to the public. A ballot measure would require a two-thirds vote to pass. Per a city report from 2022, the estimated cost to build a new city hall is $20 million. An adjacent police headquarters is estimated to cost $12 million and a new fire station in the north of the city near Vince Dimaggio Park is in the $10 million to $15 million range. The aim is not for bells and whistles: Marina’s current city hall is built in portable buildings that were not intended to be used long-term, but that are over 45 years old and are not ADA-compliant. The proposed new fire department in the north of the city is needed for adequate response times for the Marina Station development. There was no vote taken on Sept. 12. Long told Mayor Bruce Delgado he had adequate direction from the council to proceed, after some councilmembers made cutting comments about the state of city facilities. Dead Leaf Dispensary closures highlight the cannabis industry’s ongoing struggles. By Rey Mashayekhi news In Park The City of Monterey is celebrating international PARK(ing) day by taking over parking spaces downtown with a range of resources. Meet officials from the Sports Center, Public Library, Police Department and more. Giveaways include free tree seedlings, library cards and, of course, a chance to envision a downtown without parked cars. 10am-2:30pm Friday, Sept. 15. 400 block of Alvarado Street, Monterey. Free. 646-3860, monterey.org. Home Team Seaside’s Homeless Commission hosts an event to listen to residents who are experiencing homelessness and consider possible solutions they can offer. 5:30-7pm Tuesday, Sept 19. Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Free. 899-6800, ci.seaside.ca.us/643/ Homeless-Commission. Charge Up If you have questions or concerns about lithium ion battery storage in Moss Landing, this town hall meeting is a chance to learn more. Both Vistra and Pacific Gas & Electric operate battery facilities here; each will have representatives available, along with local public safety agencies, as well as District 2 County Supervisor Glenn Church’s office. 6:30-8:30pm Wednesday, Sept. 20. North County Recreation Center, 11261 Crane St., Castroville. Free. To submit a question in advance, email District2@ co.monterey.ca.us with subject line “Moss Landing BESS community question.” For more, call 755-5022. Active seniors The Soledad Recreation Department has started a senior traveling club. Participants will explore Monterey County,visiting museums, gardens and more. Outings include transportation, a light lunch and guided tours for small groups. Bilingual, in Spanish and English. Registration closes Friday Sept. 15. First outing takes place 11am-6pm Friday, Sept. 22 to a location TBD. Register at Soledad Community Center, 560 Walker Drive, Soledad. $20 per outing; must be 55 or older. 223-5250, soledadparksandrec.com/seniors. Work Force Young people looking for a job opportunity can join a Green Cadre program from the Monterey County Workforce Development Board. Participants learn new skills while working in community gardens, food distribution, healthy eating and more, earning $18/hour. Registration closes Friday, Sept. 22; the next program runs Oct. 2-Dec. 1. For ages 18-24. MCWDB-greencadre@ co.monterey.ca.us, bit.ly/greencadreoct2023. Hall Pass Marina’s buildings are in bad shape. It will likely take a bond measure to change that. By David Schmalz Urbn Leaf’s decision to close its Seaside store leaves the cannabis brand with eight California dispensaries. Industry sources believe more local dispensaries will follow suit. e-mail: publiccitizen@mcweekly.com TOOLBOX “Nobody is going to survive this.” Daniel Dreifuss
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 11 PROGRAMS FOR ALL AGES THE CITY OF MONTEREY FOR MORE INFO + REGISTRATION MONTEREY.ORG/REC (831) 646-3866 SCAN ME! play! MONTEREY PRESCHOOL ADULT & SENIOR PROGRAMS ADULT ULTIMATE FRISBEE GYMNASTICS YOUTH DANCE CLASSES SCHOOL BREAK CAMPS YOUTH FLAG FOOTBALL LEAGUE AND MUCH MORE! NORTH FREMONT BUSINESS DISTRICT OF MONTEREY EVERYTHING YOU NEED IN JUST ONE MILE! Free Ring Cleaning and Inspection Custom Designs Gold, Silver, Platinum Repair and Alterations Lapidary and Jewelry Supplies Monterey Jade Family Owned and Operated Since 1977 Peninsula Gem and Jewelry Supply WE BUY GOLD! Tue-Fri 10 – 5 • Sat 10 – 4 2245 Fremont Street • Monterey • 375-3027 ‘09 Best Jewelry Repair Open Tue-Sun 11am-9pm and Mon 4-9pm Or order to-go,and take it home 2149 N. Fremont St. • Monterey • 831-642-9900 MontereyCookHouse.com What s Cooking Authentic Italian Am ican Cuisine At the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Enjoy the beautiful sights and attractions of Monterey. Book online at montereycountyfair.com or call the RV O ce at 831.717.7167 to reserve your spot today. PARK AMENITIES: Full hook-ups Showers Coin Laundry Wireless Internet Handicap Access Children and pets welcome 10% discount for military and 65 years old campers CALL THE RV OFFICE AT 831.717.7167 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940 BOOK NOW! At the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Enjoy the beautiful sights and attractions of Monterey. Book online at montereycountyfair.com or call the RV O ce at 831.717.7167 to reserve your spot today. PARK AMENITIES: Full hook-ups Showers Coin Laundry Wireless Internet Handicap Access Children and pets welcome 10% discount for military and 65 years old campers CALL THE RV OFFICE AT 831.717.7167 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940 BOOK NOW! At the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Enjoy the beautiful sights and attractions of Monterey. Book online at montereycountyfair.com or call the RV O ce at 831.717.7167 to reserve your spot today. PARK AMENITIES: Full hook-ups Showers Coin Laundry Wireless Internet Handicap Access Children and pets welcome 10% discount for military and 65 years old campers CALL THE RV OFFICE AT 831.717.7167 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940 BOOK NOW! At the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Enjoy the beautiful sights and attractions of Monterey. Book online at montereycountyfair.com or call the RV O ce at 831.717.7167 to reserve your spot today. PARK AMENITIES: Full hook-ups Showers Coin Laundry Wireless Internet Handicap Access Children and pets welcome 10% discount for military and 65 years old campers CALL THE RV OFFICE AT 831.717.7167 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940 BOOK NOW! At the Monterey County Fair & Event Center RV Park. Enjoy the beautiful sights and attractions of Monterey. Book online at montereycountyfair.com or call the RV O ce at 831.717.7167 to reserve your spot today. PARK AMENITIES: Full hook-ups Showers Coin Laundry Wireless Internet Handicap Access Children and pets welcome 10% discount for military and 65 years old campers CALL THE RV OFFICE AT 831.717.7167 2004 Fairground Road, Monterey, CA 93940 BOOK NOW!
12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Like thousands of other Californians in July, Monterey Councilmember Alan Haffa found himself caught up in a wave of Covid-19 infections that began in June and continued climbing in August. Haffa got better, but two days after testing negative he noticed numbness in his feet. Then the numbness began traveling up his body. He went to the emergency room at Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula, where he was admitted and spent 12 days undergoing intensive therapies to reverse the severe condition. “It was a rare reaction to Covid in which my immune system attacked my spinal column,” Haffa says. “It was very scary. You don’t know if you’re going to walk again—or worse,” he says. Now he’s back teaching English at Monterey Peninsula College. He’s also back on the campaign trail, competing for the District 5 seat on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. Covid and the severe reaction cost him five weeks of campaigning for the March 5 primary election. From his hospital room at CHOMP during a Monterey City Council meeting on Sept. 5, he urged people “to take whatever precautions they need to protect themselves during this Covid surge as the complications can be serious.” Since July 1, the seven-day average test positivity rate in California has tripled, from 4.4 percent to 13.7 percent as of Sept. 5, according to the state’s Department of Public Health. However, test positivity is a less accurate measure now due to the use of home tests, says Monterey County Health Officer Dr, Edward Moreno. “We are focusing on the indicators that are most reliable,” he says, including hospitalizations due to Covid and people who come to hospitals for other ailments and then test positive for Covid. Like the rest of California, new hospitalizations in Monterey County jumped in August, peaking on Aug. 25 at 2.9 admissions over a seven-day period, compared to 0.7 reported Aug. 1. In some potentially good news, the rate was back down to 0.7 admissions per seven-day period as of Sept. 2, the most recent available data. Deaths continue to trend downward, as the latest strains have been less lethal. There have been 838 confirmed Covid deaths since the start of the pandemic. The county’s Health Department is also tracking wastewater surveys, and similar to hospitalizations in the county, the concentration of the SARSCoV-2 virus peaked in late August at the Carmel Area Wastewater District’s treatment plant, but showed a decrease by Sept. 6, although still higher than the start of August. Experts are expecting another “tripledemic” this fall and winter of Covid, influenza and Respiratory Syncytial Virus. On Sept. 11, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration authorized emergency use of a Covid booster that targets the XBB.1.5 variant, the most dominant strain this year. Those shots could be available within the week. A new RSV vaccine for people aged 60 and up is already available, as are flu shots for all ages. Information about the three viruses, testing and vaccinations is available on a new county webpage at bit.ly/MCFallWinterViruses. No End Covid-19 still poses a real threat, but there’s a new vaccine on the way to join flu and RSV shots. By Pam Marino Alan Haffa, shown after he was released from a 12-day stay in the hospital for treatment of complications due to Covid19. He is much improved “and getting stronger every day.” NEWS “It was very scary.” DANIEL DREIFUSS A SPA AND WELLNESS LOCAL GETAWAY Offering Facials, Body Massages, Body Wraps, Body Scrubs, Eyebrow Tint, Eyebrow Lamination, Lash Lift, Lash Tint, Waxing, Couples Massage and Slimming Body Treatments. OFFERING 15% OFF WITH FIRST SERVICE. 700 MUNRAS AVE CASA MUNRAS GARDEN HOTEL & SPA 831.372.1829 DESUAR.COM/MONTEREY
www.montereycountyweekly.com SEPTEMBER 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 13 Every morning, the parking lot at the Harvest Moon Apartments in Salinas, a 13-acre farmworker housing community, is buzzing with people getting ready to harvest crops in Salinas Valley fields. These agricultural workers are in the United States on temporary H-2A visas, specific to agriculture, that require employers to provide lodging and transportation to and from work. Instead of buses, many get to the field in white vans that are parked outside their homes every night. These vans are part of the California Vanpool Authority, a public transit agency that operates in 16 counties in California, as well as parts of Arizona and Nevada. CalVans has a fleet of 800 vehicles; up to 300 of those operate in Monterey County during harvest season transporting farmworkers—mostly H-2A workers—from home to work and back. Last month, CalVans’ board approved the purchase of more than 403 electric vans for a total of $40 million. It’s a move Steve McShane, a Salinas City Council member and CalVans board member, supports. “We are moving toward a fully electric fleet,” he says, adding that the vans in general are more efficient and environmentally friendly than individual vehicles, and that farmworkers save money since many employers subsidize the rides partially or fully. The agency charges $1.45 per mile. Employers apply for CalVans service, and can choose to subsidize their workers’ rides. For a 30-mile round trip with 15 passengers, the cost would be $2.90 per person. CalVans provides the vehicles and insurance, as well as maintenance and responsibility for repairs. The drivers are volunteers; to qualify as a driver, one needs a driver’s license, a good driving record, to pass a basic physical exam and must be at least 21 years old. Local contractors using CalVans include Fresh Harvest Inc., a farm labor contractor in King City, and Foothill Packing in Salinas. Steve Scaroni, Fresh Harvest Inc. founder, says they have used CalVans for over 10 years. The company uses about 50 CalVans vehicles to transport 750 workers everyday. “It gives us flexibility to safely transport our workers,” Scaroni says. CalVans started over 20 years ago in Kings County, and was primarily for correctional officers and residents who needed to travel to remote areas without public transit. In 1999, it expanded after 13 farmworkers lost their lives when an overloaded van collided with a tractor-trailer in the San Joaquin Valley. Another decade after that, it expanded to other counties and in 2011, became a joint powers authority. About 90 percent of people who use CalVans today are farmworkers, but in Fresno and Kings counties, prison guards and nurses also use the service. Teresa Rodriguez, who manages the CalVans office in King City, wants to expand CalVans to other industries. “I don’t think people realize that CalVans is for everyone,” Rodriguez says. She notes many workers in South County commute for work to Paso Robles, Salinas and the San Francisco Bay Area, and CalVans could be an affordable, efficient transportation option. Van Pool CalVans, serving hundreds of Monterey County farmworkers, plans to add electric vehicles to its fleet. By Celia Jiménez CalVans vehicles carry eight or 15 passengers each directly to agricultural worksites, like this strawberry field near Watsonville. NEWS “I don’t think people realize that CalVans is for everyone.” DANIEL DREIFUSS PRESENTED BY
14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 14-20, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com The Rent is Too Damn High A rental registry will not produce one more rental unit nor will it lower the cost of renting a home (“Monterey City Council is set to vote on a proposed rental registry,” posted Sept. 4). Quite the opposite. It doesn’t take a graduate degree in economics to understand the concept of supply and demand. The City of Monterey has failed to keep up with the need for rental housing. A rental registry will decrease the availability of rental units on the market. Rental units will become more scarce and rents will increase. As one Monterey City Council member said publicly, “I am not an economist. I don’t really understand this.” Passing a rental registry ordinance confirms his ignorance. Kelsey Sayer | Monterey I’m not understanding what the property owners’ argument is against the registry nor how it would lead to rent control. It seems like it’s saying this apartment complex, owned by _____, has 86 units with 40 being one-bedroom and 46 being two-bedroom, etc. What’s concerning about that? Yvonne Martinez | via social media I’m having a hard time understanding what problems this solves. This is a program that ends up costing the landlords, which will definitely be passed along on top of the already ludicrously high rents, but then it doesn’t do anything to help the landlords or the renters and just exposes both to a lack of privacy? I don’t get it. There’s definitely a rent and real estate issue locally, where costs are high and short-term rentals and vacation properties are a big problem. This doesn’t solve any of those problems. At best it goes toward concretely identifying market prices, but I’m not sure how useful that is. Frederick Jack Nelson | Seaside Mind the Gap It’s interesting that the only sitting politician mentioned in this story, Utah’s Republican governor, Spencer Cox, just gutted the state’s annual Pride proclamation by removing all reference to LGBTQ+ people (“Braver Angels brings people together from across the political divide to get us to do a seemingly simple thing: talk to each other,” Aug. 31-Sept. 6). This is what gets lost in each of these routine, unimaginative articles about partisanship: Real people are causing real harm, and no amount of decorum will change that. The problem isn’t the way we listen to each other; it’s the sclerotic government that doesn’t listen to any of us. When he introduced his “Disagree Better” initiative in July, Cox said he would urge Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, to “be nicer” as though manners— and not the mountains of malicious legislation he’s signed—were the problem. Alec Barton | Monterey I loved this article! Please try to emphasize more like this. My best friend for life and my nephew are staunch Trump fans. I despise Trump. But reading this article will seriously help me maintain a better relationship with my friend and my nephew. John Haller | via email Outside the Lines This is so wrong (“Soledad City Council moves forward with a five-district council map, prompting community outcry,” posted Sept. 7). Kat Deering | via social media Scrambled Eggs This isn’t the area to try and put a chicken farm (“A planned chicken farm in Corral de Tierra is facing fierce community opposition,” Aug. 31-Sept. 6). This is where homes and lots can exceed $4 million. There are areas where this would make much more sense. They should have understood the surrounding area when they bought into it a few years ago. This can potentially be something that causes surrounding areas to lose value. I don’t want a neighbor that potentially could cost me money. Joe Ash | Prunedale People suck. All the beautiful, rich ag land on this side of the Peninsula has been ruined and zoned residential. More local farms and farmers please! People complain about the quality of food, then do everything possible to dissuade people from actually being able to farm. Don’t move to the country if you don’t like the county. Can we complain about what an eyesore a housing development is? Iris McGilloway | Carmel Valley Losing a Leader I enjoyed your piece on Lou Calcagno and how his passing represents the end of an era (“It’s the end of an agricultural era as we bid farewell to one of Monterey County’s last dairymen,” posted Sept. 6). Lou was a mentor to me, but most importantly, he was my friend. He was essentially responsible for my appointment to LAFCO in 2003 and he took flak for it. At the time, appointing a real estate developer to LAFCO was like the “fox guarding the henhouse.” But Lou knew I would be a custodian and not a “yes” person for development. I recall with fondness a time in the mid-2000s when Lou arranged to have a pilot friend of his fly us up and down the Salinas Valley in a Cessna, during which Lou pointed out various swaths of land from Salinas to King City and had an encyclopedic knowledge of the significance of each. He stressed the importance of conservation and LAFCO’s role in adopting responsible spheres of influence, a lesson I took to heart. Despite him being very busy, I was always able to call him for advice or a last-minute lunch—it was a side of him few people saw beyond the local headlines. Vince DiMaggio | San Diego Music to the Ears I loved hearing Aga Popeda interview Cindy Wu with thoughtful, well-chosen questions, and Cindy sharing her entertaining stories with honesty, at the Press Club (Mic’d Up at The Press Club event, Sept. 7; “Violinist TienHsin Cindy Wu is rethinking what Monterey County’s classical music scene can be,” Sept. 7-13). Thanks, Monterey County Weekly. Christian Mendelsohn | Seaside Correction A story (“The design for an affordable housing project on Laurel Drive in Salinas moves forward,” Sept. 7-13) inaccurately stated construction is set to start in 2025. It is actually 2026. Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.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.montereycountyweekly.com september 14-20, 2023 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY 15 Agribusiness companies are no strangers to politics. From the local level to Washington, D.C., the farming industry is deeply involved in advocating for policies that leadership see as good for farming. From state-level regulations on water quality (see story, p. 8) to subsidies for certain crops to federal border policy that impacts the ability of farmworkers to travel between California and Mexico, growers have a stake in policy. So it comes as no surprise that local agribusiness leaders are politically engaged. But what is surprising is to see some industry leaders throwing their weight behind a polarizing presidential candidate who has positioned himself as an enemy of policies that enable the local agribusiness workforce to exist. Where former president (and current Republican candidate) Donald Trump wanted a border wall, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to build the same wall but better and faster. DeSantis’ platform includes banning sanctuary cities in the U.S. (Salinas sued Trump after his administration threatened to take away the City’s federal funding over a designation meant to protect undocumented immigrant residents). DeSantis supports a system called E-Verify to affirm legal status, something local ag leaders have long opposed—it could blow up an open secret that Monterey County’s agricultural workforce includes many people without papers. But never mind that list of problematic policies. Local ag leaders are hosting a brunch with DeSantis on Thursday, Sept. 28 (address provided only upon RSVP; I reached out to the organizer, Republican fundraiser Ann Kramer, and did not hear back about the event details). The cost to attend is $3,300 per person or $5,000 per couple, a donation to the campaign. The host committee includes a who’s who of leaders in local Big Ag: Linda and Bruce Taylor (Taylor Farms); Sandy and John D’Arrigo (D’Arrigo Bros.); Shelly and Steve Barnard (Mission Produce); Susan and David Gill (Rio Farms); Steve Church (Church Brothers); Pam and Bardin Bengard (Bengard Ranch). Maybe they are supporting DeSantis because he’s less outwardly toxic than Trump. But he’s promoting a platform that would be awful for Salinas Valley agricultural workers— and, therefore, awful for the companies that rely on them. Besides those policies, DeSantis is also proudly anti-“woke”— code for opposing any policy that makes a workplace more accepting and inclusive. He’s opposed to vaccine mandates, while the Salinas Valley ag industry led the way in offering vaccination clinics and protecting essential workers during the Covid-19 pandemic. What signal are they trying to send by supporting DeSantis? Sometimes leaders give to candidates in opposing parties, perhaps trying to curry favor and influence no matter who wins. In June, Bruce Taylor gave $3,300 to DeSantis, according to Federal Election Commission records. Three months earlier, he gave $3,300 to a Democrat, U.S. Rep. Zoe Lofgren, whose district includes Salinas. David Gill has given to congressional Democrats Lofgren and Jimmy Panetta, and also Republicans Kevin McCarthy, Devin Nunes and Jeff Denham. Church, meanwhile, gives to both Panetta and the Monterey County Republican Party. In 2020, Bardin Bengard gave $437.50 to Trump, and in 2016, gave him $2,000. One member of the host committee who did take my call, public relations professional David Armanasco, says his mind isn’t made up yet on DeSantis. “I thought it would be a good idea for me to meet him in person and see what I think of him,” Armansco says. “My purpose is to meet him and make up my mind. Nobody is in love with Trump —that’s why there is interest in seeing who this guy really is. I am not really happy with the choices that we have at this point.” I’m sure a lot of locals would be interested in meeting candidates face to face, but $3,300 is a little steep. There may, however, be other locals in attendance. A coalition is considering planning a protest. Salinas community organizer Corina De La Torre says: “We are deeply concerned about our ag leaders inviting such a divisive candidate to Salinas, and call upon them to reconsider their support and invitation.” A protest may send a signal to local leaders, but it may not be needed on the national stage. Polls show DeSantis flailing. Sara Rubin is the Weekly’s editor. Reach her at sara@mcweekly.com. Bite the Hands that Feed Us Salinas ag leaders host Ron DeSantis for a campaign fundraiser. By Sara Rubin Walled Off…For three years, Squid has watched the push-and-pull between Carmel and landowner and developer Patrice Pastor of Monaco, who has two big projects for his company Esperanza Carmel that he wants to build in the village—Ulrika Plaza at Fifth and Dolores, and the JB Pastor Project near Seventh and Dolores. Pastor finally received approval from the Carmel Planning Commission for the Ulrika multiuse design last month, after three tries. The proposed JB Pastor building, also multi-use, is another story. Pastor was thwarted by the city in his original plans to demolish a former bank community room to make space for the entire project, so he agreed to build around it. But that meant covering up a decorative aggregate concrete exterior wall panel designed by the “father of stamped concrete,” Brad Bowman of Carmel Valley. Pastor proposed moving it and the Carmel Historic Resources Board approved the idea in July. That didn’t sit well with city councilmembers Karen Ferlito and Alexandra Dramov, who appealed the decision. It went to the Carmel City Council on the evening of Tuesday, Sept. 12, just after the Weekly’s deadline. Squid isn’t sure Pastor will win favor on this one. Not long before the council convened, it was discovered that a crew working for Pastor installing story poles stepped in it: Workers drilled poles right into the top of the panel itself. Oops. Math problem…Squid isn’t a numbers genius, but as Soledad City Council prepared to cast a divisive vote on Wednesday, Sept. 6, Squid was ready with shrimp-flavored popcorn. The question for the council, as they transition from at-large elections to districts: Should they have four council districts with a mayor elected at large, or five districts with a rotating mayor? Of course, the 3-2 battle fell on predictable lines—members voted in their own interests and the five district map was approved. As the battle began, there was one rule shared with people in the packed City Hall: No personal attacks. Of course, that didn’t last. An enraged Gloria Ledesma (wife of former mayor Fred Ledesma, the architect of the map that eventually prevailed) shouted her comments and called Mayor Anna Velazquez, her husband’s political rival, a hypocrite. While the approved map means that Velazquez lost—she cannot run again in 2024—Squid thinks perhaps she’s the biggest winner. She will no longer have to endure a hostile environment in council chambers. Or maybe things will change before the 2024 election cycle. Velazquez’s supporters were already talking about a recall effort before the council meeting even ended, although City Clerk Darlene Noriega hasn’t yet received recall documents. Squid will make more popcorn. the local spin SQUID FRY THE MISSION OF MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY IS TO INSPIRE INDEPENDENT THINKING AND CONSCIOUS ACTION, ETC. “Nobody is in love with Trump.” Send Squid a tip: squid@mcweekly.com
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==