On the Road Again

ON THE ROAD AGAIN… Squid’s travels in the old jalopy often take Squid over Highway 68 between Pacific Grove and Highway 1, aka Holman Highway. It’s an easy way to get over to Carmel or avoid Monterey traffic on Lighthouse Avenue – that is, if there is no construction with one-way controls that bring traffic to a halt, and that’s been happening a lot lately.

Squid was tooling over the hill recently only to be stopped again, prompting Squid to throw Squid’s tentacles up, writhing in despair. Even more maddening, it appeared workers were tearing up new pavement laid just last year. So Squid’s colleague reached out to a Caltrans spokesperson, and discovered there are two forces in conflict: planned maintenance vs. “reactive safety.” The paving that took place from 2022-23, at $6.38 million, was planned in 2021. But then it was determined that highway curves were banked too high and could lead to collisions. Reactive safety projects happen outside of the planned schedule. Thus, there went millions of new paving work for a $2.3 million safety project.

Squid’s spitballing here, but maybe Caltrans could check for safety issues before scheduled paving? By the way, don’t get too comfortable once the safety project is complete. In 2025, a year-long culvert repair project begins along Highway 68 from Salinas to Pacific Grove.

FACES OF HISTORY… Squid is never sure what to do with all the photos on Squid’s phone. Just text them to Flapjack the Octopus years later for a nostalgic moment? Print one as a fridge magnet? The same problem seems to apply for old-fashioned, printed photos: Specifically, for the Monterey County Historical Society, what to do with thousands of archival images collected by the late Pat Hathaway?

At least some of the effort includes digitizing the collection – and some of that includes commercializing it. Fine Art America is a third-party company that enables you to order whatever you want – a greeting card or a coffee mug with an image printed on it. Options from the collection include old photos of downtown Monterey and Carmel, and also a portrait of John Steinbeck. You can get the author’s face, circa 1938, emblazoned on… a yoga mat for $61. It takes up the full 24-by-72-inch mat, so you might end up with a knee to Steinbeck’s eyebrow while doing cat-cow, or a foot on his mustache while in downward dog. It’s all quite awkward, in Squid’s opinion.

Historical Society Executive Director James Perry says the platform generates about $300 a month in royalties from its deal with Fine Art America. “It’s modest,” he says – but it’s something for the enterprising nonprofit. Perry didn’t know about the Steinbeck yoga mat until Squid’s colleague asked. “I am taken aback, I must say,” Perry says. No word if he’s going to begin a yoga routine.