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- Feed Preview www.montereycountynow.com - RSS Results in opinion/**,food_wine/**,people/**,news/**,blogs/** of type article
Nagai claims pole for Saturday's Trans Am race at Laguna Seca; rain expected on race day.
Michelle Nagai took the pole, Barry Boes led the TA2 pack, but after the checkered flag fell on qualifying at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca all eyes turned toward the weather forecast.
The tri-county region is more connected than many realize.
Erik Chalhoub here, thinking about how interconnected the tri-county region is, not just on an economic level, but on a personal level for many of us.
Mic’d Up at The Press Club is 11 months old.
Agata Popęda here, very proud. In a month we will be celebrating the one-year anniversary since Mic’d Up at The Press Club returned, in a refreshed format, to the cafe in the Monterey County W...
Twelve are arrested in 'Operation Dead End,' alleging street gang crimes in Salinas.
A federal indictment unsealed on Thursday, May 2 alleges 11 men participated in a series of criminal actions as members of the Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteños street gang.
Trans Am's Western series set to do battle at Laguna Seca.
For drivers in the Trans Am Western Championship, the weekend promises to be a wild one—and not just because a field of muscle car brutes will be tearing around the track.
Salinas begins cracking down on an increased presence of unpermitted street food vendors.
Over the past few months, Salinas residents have seen an increase in street vendors in high-traffic areas, including food trucks. This can make it easy to grab a bite to eat, but also comes with ...
The Salinas Valley Health board is evaluating three candidates for the CEO spot.
The Salinas Valley Health board of directors is getting closer to choosing a replacement for former president and CEO Pete Delgado, who stepped down in October 2023 after 10 years. In a closed se...
Disused office properties on Garden Road are finally turning into something useful: homes.
On a recent morning, the whirs of construction carry through the air at 2300 Garden Road in Monterey, and Brad Slama, a developer, leads the way through a massive former office building that he�...
Letters to the Editor 05.02.24
Musical Chairs
Two recent cookbooks bring recipes from local restaurants to the table, along with family lore.
As the story goes, the Culcasi family was treated to meatloaf every Tuesday. Jim Culcasi Sr., Rosine and their children opened Rosine’s in Monterey in 1980, and the dish sometimes made it onto ...
In the Dark
IN THE DARK… Squid oozed over to the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds on Saturday, April 20 to score a sweet taco wagon party for 50 of Squid’s friends under the sea, as well as for the insatiable ...
Massa Estate showcases the versatility and flavor of Chenin Blanc.
Nothing against Chardonnay, but given Massa Estate’s 2019 vintage, we deserve more Chenin Blanc.
The Buzz 05.02.24
FREE SPEECHFormer President Donald Trump loves to rant about the New York Times’ coverage of him, but he begrudgingly granted the publication several interviews. President Joe Biden, however, h...
Toolbox 05.02.24
POLICE STATION
Supreme Court hears a case about homeless encampments, with huge implications for California.
The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Monday, April 22 in a case that has implications for how much power local and state officials have over homeless camps. The case, originating from t...
Costly rent is forcing All-In Monterey County to look for more affordable options.
For the past four years, All-In Monterey County has helped distribute food, clothing and more to thousands of residents every month. Its volunteers were deployed throughout Pajaro following flood...
State board approves a phased-in 3-percent medical spending increase target.
The California Office of Health Care Affordability Board voted 6-1 on Wednesday, April 24, to set a 3-percent cap on spending increases for hospitals and medical facilities. It will be phased in ...
Laguna Seca’s pace car driver, Greg Garneau, doesn’t mind taking a few hot laps.
The great Mario Andretti logged almost 1,140 race laps around WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. Bobby Rahal – equally legendary – turned 1,550. With practice and qualifying laps, it’s likely...
Miguel Hernandez has turned 50 years of practicing law into a feel-good book.
His story reads like a novel or an old-fashioned movie about gentlemen with hearts of gold. While The Lucky Lawyer: Dreams of Hope and Justice, published in 2023, is a work of nonfiction, everyth...
Brezsny's Astrology • May 02-08, 2024
ARIES (March 21-April 19): The world’s record for jumping rope in six inches of mud is held by an Aries. Are you surprised? I’m not. So is the world’s record for consecutive wallops adminis...
A new media literacy coalition launches with an immersion for students.
Jevin West studies the science of science. His research, in his words, focuses on “turning the microscope on science itself.” A professor at the University of Washington in Seattle (and visit...
Salinas is working to make it easier to get outside and play.
Celia Jiménez here, thinking about the changes Salinas residents are seeing at their local parks.
An investigation into a retirement community reveals deeper truths about aging.
Sara Rubin here, writing as Older Americans Month is set to begin tomorrow, May 1. The idea is to honor and celebrate our elders. But my mind is somewhere else—instead, I find myself thinking a...
Carmel's Rick Allen and Lauren Monroe are on tour to aid first responders.
When the project launched by Lauren Monroe and Rick Allen is compressed into a sentence, it seems rather simple, as if mental health issues suffered by those who put themselves on the line for ot...
Joby Aviation is building for a future in the air, and Marina is an important part of that picture.
Joby Aviation sees the future of mobility as up in the air—not figuratively, but literally.
State health care affordability board approves a phased-in 3-percent medical spending target.
The California Office of Health Care Affordability Board voted 6-1 on Wednesday, April 24, to set a 3-percent spending cap for hospitals and medical facilities to be phased in over five years, wi...
A community of gamers join together for pinball and camaraderie.
Erik Chalhoub here, stepping away momentarily from the bright lights of pinball to recommend you check out this week’s cover story, my first since joining the Monterey County Weekly in February...
For-profit interests clash with seniors’ well-being.
Like the rest of California, Monterey County’s population is aging. Pam Marino here, looking at stats showing that in 2020, 20 percent of the population was age 60 and over. By 2030 the percent...
The Asian Cultural Fair will honor a late champion of Salinas’ Chinatown.
Celia Jiménez here, thinking about the 15th annual Asian Cultural Fair in Salinas that will happen tomorrow, Saturday, April 27 in Chinatown.
Community center construction in Gonzales will start in May.
The City of Gonzales will hold a groundbreaking ceremony for phase one of its community center on Saturday, April 27.
The Brass Tap, Marina's new beer-centric destination, is set to open.
Karl Waller recalls watching the marine layer build over the Peninsula as his flight from Dallas approached Monterey Regional Airport. For the previous three days in Texas, the thermometer had sp...
Citizen scientists can help track a disease that’s killing oak trees.
Pam Marino here, with an idea of how to make an important difference this weekend at the same time you get to enjoy the outdoors. With not a lot of time and effort, you can become a citizen scien...
MPC trustees go round and round over how to handle complaints made against each other.
What could have been a short discussion about creating ad hoc committees turned into an over two-hour argument for the Monterey Peninsula Community College District Board of Trustees on Wednesday...
The Buzz 04.25.24
FREE SPEECHIt’s no secret that local newsrooms are shuttering across the state and country at an alarming rate, causing misinformation to run rampant, especially in an election year. Lawmakers ...
Letters to the Editor 04.25.24
Pedal Power
The new director of the Museum of Natural History has done a lot of everything related to the job.
Rachel Miller seems a perfect match for the Pacific Grove Museum of Natural History. The museum’s new executive director received a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and gender studies and a ...
Soledad City Council will decide how to proceed with district elections after a referendum.
Soledad residents worked for months to bring a referendum to the ballot and motivate voters to reject a five-district map the City Council selected last year. Measure P was rejected by a massive ...
A pump track and skate park concept in Salinas inches forward after years of dreaming.
A BMX pump track and skate park has been on the radar of the Monterey County Board of Supervisors since 2017. On April 16, the board approved moving the project to the Salinas Regional Soccer Com...
Wave Street Studios is finally able to expand programming, enabled by a new type of liquor license.
Wave Street Studios is a perfect place for a party, a performance or even a talk show. Legally speaking, though, that party was never able to truly start without a bar in the venue, according to ...
Seaside staff turnover leaves City Hall with a leadership void.
For the second time in recent weeks, the police chief of Seaside has been appointed as acting city manager. But in an era of high turnover and a series of personnel investigations, doing two jobs...
No Good Deed
No Good Deed… In Squid’s youth, Squid heard a story of a legendary money kelp plant that sprouted dollars. Squid has yet to see such a plant in real life.
Pile-up of sexual abuse lawsuits prompt Diocese of Monterey to contemplate bankruptcy.
Although a letter from Bishop Daniel Garcia of the Diocese of Monterey dated April 18 states that he’s writing “on an important topic: the sexual abuse of minors,” it’s notably about how ...
Pinball is having a moment after a rocky past. Its future is as bright as the flashing lights on the machines.
TODD BRAMMER GRABS A TOOLBOX FROM HIS TRUCK PARKED OUTSIDE HIS SALINAS HOME AND TAKES IT INSIDE TO THE KITCHEN. He sets it on the table, beside various mechanisms that have been pulled from a mac...
Historic or just old? A housing project in Monterey hinges on the answer.
Usually, Monterey’s history is an asset, something to highlight, but in some cases, it’s complicated. History is part of what’s holding up a 42-unit affordable housing project on a 0.5-acre...
Attorney General report on P.G. Senior Living shows residents what they already knew: Change is needed.
Joanne Kelly loved her New Monterey home. “It was magnificent,” she says. But the circular staircase worried her children. So in 2014, she put together $364,000 to buy into what was then call...
Toolbox 04.25.24
CARE CAFE
A Monterey business continues a tradition of making environmentally friendly soap onsite.
Alma Del Mar is part refillery store, where people can buy their everyday home products in bulk, filling reusable containers with laundry detergent or shampoo. There is also a line of handcrafted...
Brezsny's Astrology • April 25-May 01, 2024
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Have you ever gotten your mind, heart, and soul in sweet alignment with the spiritual beauty of money? An opportunity to do that is available. During the next four week...
Salinas City Council decides to fill a vacancy in District 3 by appointment.
Dozens of people showed up at Salinas City Hall on Tuesday night, April 23 to talk about elections even though it is not yet election season. But District 3 residents organized—they received te...
In the winds of change, Monterey County winemakers see a lot of potential.
Although the wind was gusting, the skies were clear and Kim Stemler beamed as she observed proceedings at the Monterey County Vintners and Growers Association Trade Tasting event on Tuesday, Apri...
A 1988 voter-approved measure may bear some responsibility for today’s insurance crisis.
David Schmalz here. One thing I’ve been thinking a lot about lately is that, while most voters frame elections in terms of who wins or loses in a race—president, governor, senator or even a c...
Appointment or election? Salinas will weigh its options to fill a council vacancy.
Celia Jiménez here, thinking about District 3 in Salinas. For the first time in decades, there won’t be an incumbent seeking this city council seat, and it’s already attracting several poten...
There are many ways to ride, and the Sea Otter Classic brings them all to Monterey County.
Dave Faries here, admitting that Gerald Ford was in the White House the last time I rode a bicycle.
The vexing question surrounding Big Tech and local journalism.
David Schmalz here. I’ve spent many hours of my life puzzling over complicated, vexing questions that may or may not even have a right answer. That’s one reason why I majored in economics whe...
A report from the 'mecca of cycling,' aka Sea Otter Classic.
Sea Otter Classic is underway at Laguna Seca Recreation Area, and often-solitary trails all over Fort Ord National Monument are alive with cyclists. Look out over the rolling hills, and where you...
A tour of King City’s historical sites was full of unexpected twists and turns in the countryside.
Agata Popęda here, still thinking about my last weekend’s trip to King City from where, with the San Antonio Valley Historical Association, I—along with 60 people, not discouraged by rain—...
Upheaval in Seaside continues as the city council places the city manager on administrative leave.
Numerous top staffers have left Seaside City Hall in recent weeks, and now it appears City Manager Jaime Fontes might be on his way out too—in a closed session City Council review of his perfor...
Narcan dispensers are now publicly available at spots in Monterey.
To combat the rising number of drug overdoses, the Monterey Police Department and Central Coast Overdose Prevention coalition have installed boxes at three areas in Monterey that dispense lifesav...
The path to a successful career may not always go through college.
Celia Jiménez here, thinking about the post-high school cultural change in education that is happening in front of our eyes.
Two state grants totaling $11.2 million are meant to help South County cities alleviate homeless encampments.
Two grants from the State of California's encampment resolution funding program to the County of Monterey will go toward helping two South Monterey County cities alleviate homeless encampments.
Crab season is over, sort of – new, experimental gear could extend the season until summer.
The abundance of whales in Central Coast waters, something everyone cheers for, has at the same time presented a challenge: How can we create a crab fishery that can coexist with whales? The last...
The Sea Otter Expo is a place to hang out, to buy stuff and to start a potential Olympic career.
“I usually end up buying something I didn’t know I needed”…
Mo Wilson’s brief career and what-could-have-been legacy remembered.
“Each year at the Sea Otter Classic, we are reminded of the fierce, strong and kind woman that Mo Wilson was.”…
The Buzz 04.18.24
FREE SPEECHCalifornia lawmakers are exploring how to make Big Tech pay journalistic outlets for sharing links to the news that journalists report, write and publish. Assembly Bill 886, known as t...
No Logo
NO LOGO… Squid is still miffed that CSU Monterey Bay picked a squid-snacking otter as a mascot over a squid, so Squid stayed away from the big launch party administrators threw to show off a ne...
The 25th Denim Day celebrates progress on ending sexual violence – and reveals how far we have to go.
In 1998, the Italian Supreme Court overturned the conviction of a 45-year-old driving instructor for raping his 18-year-old student because of what she was wearing. The justices determined the ra...
Salinas High School has one of the state’s oldest mountain biking teams, and the sport is growing.
“We are all here for the same reason – we love to ride and we love to race”…
From the classroom to the outdoors, a local ranger repairs bikes so young people can enjoy cycling.
Chavene Simmons has been living in King City since 2021. He traded the classroom, where he taught science, for the outdoors and started working for the U.S. Forest Service at Los Padres National ...
Brezsny's Astrology • April 18-24, 2024
ARIES (March 21-April 19): I suspect two notable phenomena will coalesce in your sphere sometime soon. The first is a surplus supply of luck. I’m not sure why, but the fates will be sending sur...
East Garrison’s ‘Town Center’ is coming, allegedly. But the rollout has been messy.
Will East Garrison, a planned community on the northeastern edge of the former Fort Ord, ever have a “town center,” as envisioned when it was approved nearly 20 years ago? Maybe. But, as alwa...
Infighting on MPC board makes even the most basic tasks impossible.
Monterey Peninsula College is an institution built to support the dreams of thousands of students. The community college’s mission statement captures that spirit, along with some baseline expec...
A sports drink to energize athletes had humble beginnings in a college student’s kitchen.
When Richard Smith was a senior at Cal Poly in 2006, he had a plan. After graduating with a degree in exercise science, he’d go to grad school to become a physical therapist. Meanwhile, he coac...
Letters to the Editor 04.18.24
That’s Politics
Toolbox 04.18.24
FARM FAIR
Carmel Valley residents won a housing unit cap in court. New state laws are going to break it.
In 2010, the County of Monterey approved a master plan that would limit the number of new housing units in Carmel Valley to 266. It was too many for residents’ group Carmel Valley Association. ...
Salinas City Council will decide how to fill a vacancy, through election or appointment.
Salinas City Councilmember Steve McShane brought tomato seedlings to a council meeting on Tuesday, April 9 to give to his colleagues, “to spread goodwill,” he said. Then he announced his resi...
With Planning Commission’s blessing, PacRep moves forward on theater remodel.
Pacific Repertory Theatre amended its Golden Bough Theatre renovation project, resolving all existing issues in front of the Carmel Planning Commission on March 13.
Gravel racing makes its return for the third year at the Sea Otter Classic; the course and community promise arduous fun.
“It started because of that sense of adventure”…
Sea star research takes a Monterey Bay Aquarium team on an Antarctic expedition.
The similarities between the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary and the Southern Ocean are few. However, a keystone species found in both ecosystems brought a team of researchers and divers f...
The voting turnout numbers are official. They are alarming, if not surprising.
Erik Chalhoub here, diving into the certified March primary election reports for Monterey County and the state.
CSUMB offers a 'back-up scholarship' and the state creates a workaround in the wake of major FAFSA delays.
CSU Monterey Bay announced it is offering $4,000 "guaranteed back-up scholarships" to incoming students negatively impacted by delays in the Free Application for Student Aid, or FAFSA, process.
Monterey County has a new Youth Poet Laureate.
The Arts Council for Monterey County (Arts4MC) announced Maram Haddad as the 2024/2025 Monterey County Youth Poet Laureate. Haddad is a senior at Pacific Grove High School who wrote her first poe...
San Ardo taps into fiber internet, with more areas to soon get connected.
Piece by piece, the County of Monterey is closing the yawning digital divide, recently connecting San Ardo and areas of Prunedale to the fiber network.
Gravel biking opens all kinds of possibilities for adventure cycling.
Sloan Campi here, enjoying a cold beer in bike shorts with a bit of mud on my legs. Well-earned after cruising through Fort Ord trails on my gravel bike. A few people still ask me what this bike ...
Google tries to strongarm California into backing down on legislation to save journalism.
Sara Rubin here, thinking about how we get information. As a professional journalist, my team and I here at the Monterey County Weekly spend most of our time developing story ideas and working to...
Carmel Bach Festival hires a new executive director.
The upcoming 87th Carmel Bach Festival is rolling out on July 13 and runs until July 27. Since its longtime executive director Steve Friedlander died in 2023, the festival board was forced to loo...
Pacific Grove City Council to consider hiring Marina's assistant city manager, Matthew Mogensen.
The Pacific Grove City Council will consider hiring the current assistant manager of Marina, Matthew Mogensen, as the town's permanent city manager at its council meeting on Wednesday, April 17. ...
It’s a dangerous time for kelp forests locally.
David Schmalz here. I first wrote about the depletion of kelp forests locally in May 2018, which came to my attention while attending a Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council mee...
Tasting the variety of Mexican cuisine in King City is a mouthwatering experience.
Agata Popęda here with some morning thoughts, and in the process of planning the upcoming weekend (a King City food tour). We’ve reached that point of the year—full spring—when there’s s...
When will Highway 1 reopen in Big Sur? Caltrans projects fall 2024 for passage through all slides.
One scenic stretch of highway through Big Sur, four current blockage points.
This Earth Day, take part in various events to keep our planet beautiful.
Celia Jiménez here, enjoying the beautiful landscapes in Monterey County from rocky coasts to mountains to ag fields. We are lucky to live in an area where we can produce food and enjoy nature.
Coastal Commission votes 9-1 in favor of American Tin Cannery hotel project.
The California Coastal Commission voted 9-1 on Thursday, April 11 in favor of a revised plan to build a luxury hotel at the American Tin Cannery site in Pacific Grove, two years after a P.G. City...
A new documentary captures the complexities of condors.
David Schmalz here. I’ve only seen a California condor sun its wings one time, and though I can’t place the year or month—about seven years ago, I’d guess—I remember precisely which spi...
Big Sur International Marathon will be rerouted due to Highway 1 closure.
This year's Big Sur International Marathon will still see plenty of stunning scenery from the route along Highway 1, but will omit the southern portion and instead be an out-and-back route beginn...
County of Monterey Planning Commission deadlocks on Pajaro farmworker housing project.
A shorthanded County of Monterey Planning Commission was split on its decision over a proposed farmworker housing project in Pajaro on Wednesday, April 10. The 3-3 tie denies the proposal, which ...
At 92, Rabbi Leah Novick can look back at a long life of helping others – and she is still at it.
Many in the community know Rabbi Leah Novick, perhaps because she is ready to communicate with everyone who approaches her. This mother of four was ordained as rabbi in 1987. Since then, she has ...
A little sports card shop in Pacific Grove is also a saving grace for its owner.
Each morning, Anthony Catania arranges cards in a showcase at his little shop in Pacific Grove. The colors are vivid and the names they carry are legendary. Dizzy Dean, Ralph Kiner, Al Kaline and...
The Buzz 04-11-24
FREE SPEECHWhen someone makes a request for a record, a public agency is required to make a concerted search for it under the California Public Records Act. In an October 2023 decision in City of...
Letters 04-11-24
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Astrology 04-11-24
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Now is a favorable time to make initial inquiries, ask for free samples, and enjoy window shopping. But it’s not an opportune time to seal final decisions or sign bin...