SQUIDFRY 12.08.16: Drinking Games…

DRINKING GAMES… A few weeks back, Squid’s boss hosted folks from alternative weeklies across the West for a conference. Squid likes having guests; it’s a chance to learn, network and show off the lair to out-of-towners.

Part of that is a cherished tradition is taking visitors to Del Monte Beach in Monterey for a bonfire and beer. Unfortunately, the Monterey City Council voted 5-0 in August to ban alcohol consumption on city beaches without a permit.

The city originally wanted to charge residents $50 for a permit and nonresidents $65 with additional proof of insurance, but stumbled when it came to implementation. Squid’s colleague at theWeekly called the city to get a permit and was informed there was still no policy on issuing them, so went ahead and threw a beach party – with no cops. While the City Council and Police Chief Dave Hober don’t seem to object to laws they don’t enforce (e.g. medical marijuana deliveries, a sit/lie ban, panhandling restrictions), it was clear no one – probably not even city staffers or cops – would spend $50 to have a six-pack of beer on this beach with friends.

On Dec. 6, the council approved a different fee: $10 for a public consumption permit for 10 or fewer. Squid did the math: It’s about the price of a craft six-pack. Squid will drink a beer for every citation issued in 2017 in one sitting. Squid expects that even after that, Squid will still be sober.

WATERY WAGER… Until recently, Squid had considered becoming an organic farmer, and using all the horse dung from Monterey Downs to fertilize the fields. Squid won’t get that opportunity now that Seaside City Council, in a stunning reversal, rescinded its prior project approvals, because developer Brian Boudreau got cold feet and refused to cover the city’s legal fees.

Another controversial development might have a better legal defense fund in store. The County Board of Supervisors approved Ferrini Ranch in December 2014, paving the way for 185 homes on 860 acres along Highway 68. Activist groups LandWatch and the Highway 68 Coalition promptly sued, but Ferrini developer Mark Kelton has an ace up his sleeve to pay for the litigation: water. Kelton had a well put in on the project site after the lawsuits were filed to help offset his legal fees, and when driving by the project site today you’ll see rows and rows of strawberries – worth their weight in legal fees.

An hours-long hearing Dec. 5 in Monterey County Superior Court touched on only a single issue – traffic – before being continued to Feb. 21, when other legal issues will be heard.

When Squid checked in with Kelton last year, he was primed for a long fight: “I’m only 61,” he said. “I think I’m going to live to see the light at the end of the tunnel.”