Fighting Words

FIGHTING WORDS… Squid gets the warm fuzzies seeing kids get involved. So the Salinas Police Activities League, with its sports programs and car show, feels warm and fuzzy.

But not so fuzzy after a member of Salinas City Council started asking questions about the nonprofit’s finances. Council historically appoints a member to serve in a non-voting, advisory role. In 2023, that was Tony Barrera with Andrew Sandoval as an alternate. Sandoval – famous for asking questions and putting people in the hot seat – wanted information on PAL’s finances, although the independent nonprofit is under no obligation to produce its records publicly. On Sept. 18, board chair Danny Garcia wrote to Sandoval to say he would not be turning over records. Meanwhile, on Aug. 8, Garcia and PAL President/CEO Jeff Lamb wrote to Salinas city leaders, notifying them that they were firing the city from its board: “We feel that Sandoval’s inappropriate inquiries do not particularly have PAL’s best interest in mind, and as a result we feel it is best to discontinue the advisory relationship effective immediately.” (Squid viewed the letters thanks to a Public Records Act request; IRS records show that at the end of 2020, PAL had $575,380 in the bank.)

Treasurer Thom Taft tells Squid’s colleague the choice was unrelated, and it was just time to end the non-voting seats, including that of the police chief. Now Sandoval is asking for an audit of PAL. Meanwhile, the kids just wanna play.

PHOTO SHOOT… Squid loves a wedding among marine creatures, but Squid knows planning can bring out the prickly urchin in any of us, like the time a sea star bride asked Squid to get genetically modified to match the color theme.

Some wedding requests are less extreme, like requesting a product you already paid for. Oscar and Janet Roque, a Salinas couple that got married last summer, hit a snag after their big day – getting photos. On Oct. 12, the newlyweds filed a small claims lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court against wedding photographer Aidelena Martinez. The couple says they hired Martinez (for $1,200) to photograph key moments, not for her artistic opinion. Photos she provided include details like shoes and bouquet that aren’t important to the bride. Not included are their favorite images of exchanging vows, which they saw in thumbnails.

Martinez says the three photos in question “are unworkable” and she only wants “the best of my quality work to be out there,” adding that the Roques signed a contract specifying poor-quality photos won’t be released.

The Roques are seeking the missing images or a refund. They’re set to appear in court on Dec. 7. Squid is just glad to be able to ink Squidself out of photos.