Is Goldenvoice hiding First City Festival numbers?

Best Coast performs on Saturday at First City Festival 

As someone who attended First City Festival both days two years in a row, I can tell you attendance was down this weekend from 2013.

I think it is noteworthy a potential major tourism draw for Monterey did not get more popular in its second year (probably not a good sign for a music festival), despite arguably better known acts such as Beck and Phantogram.

This is perhaps why concert promoter Goldenvoice has been ducking me for three days. Despite repeated attempts to reach them by phone and email, I keep being told they are too busy to talk. 

This could be some sort of "small town newspaper" scenario. Who cares about the Monterey Herald if you have Rolling Stone on the other line? Yet, last year, I got them on the phone almost immediately. 

In that article, Goldenvoice executive Rick Mueller told me the morning after the festival his company's attendance estimates and its hope for future events. I was told Monday by Goldenvoice they could not talk until Tuesday, told Tuesday they could talk that day but then did not respond to my email, and then this morning told they could talk but did not reply to my response.

The festival drew roughly 10,000 people both days in 2013, Goldenvoice told me at the time. My personal guess for attendance this year was around 8,000 on Saturday and 5,000 on Sunday.

A few estimates were made in other media: SF Weekly said the festival "didn't have a huge attendance," Herald freelancer Beth Peerless said she spoke to someone at Goldenvoice on Sunday who put it at 9,000 each day and the San Jose Mercury News made a Saturday estimate of 8,000.

I'm fine just using what Goldenvoice told us Sunday for attendance (although, I would guess that is a bit high) but, for the newspaper, I would like to ask the promoter what it means and why they think it happened. 

Monterey police have already told me attendance was down for the festival, which law enforcement statistics at least partially reinforce. 

Last year, there were 12 arrests inside the fairgrounds and 23 citations outside during the festival on Saturday and Sunday, Monterey police said.

Lt. Leslie Sonne said there were no arrests inside the fairgrounds this year and just five citations outside.

One person was arrested outside Sunday around 1 p.m. for possession of methamphetamine, Sonne said. There was also a report of a theft of a wallet out of an unattended purse Saturday. 

I happened to be there for all the major acts both years -- and took video. Unfortunately, they both look pretty bad but you can see the Modest Mouse crowd was much thicker toward the front.

Here is Modest Mouse closing the show Sunday night in 2013: 

Here is The National closing the show Sunday night in 2014: 

I guess one could just argue Modest Mouse is more popular than The National, which is another reason why I can't really say for sure what happened on Sunday when attendance appeared to have gone down significantly.

Also, another anecdotal observation that I cannot pin down until I talk to Goldenvoice is the high amount of give-away tickets and last-minute deals on tickets. I ran into three friends that told me they got free tickets and you should have seen my friend Jeff's face (who flew up from Los Angeles and paid full price) when two Santa Cruz women told us they got their tickets for $50.

There are a lot of  factors to consider in the success of the festival. Even attendance may not be a fair analysis if you consider all the free tickets. They also could have made a high profit on concessions after it bought out concessionaire services from the Monterey County Fair.

Rep. Sam Farr on Monterey Downs

U.S. Rep. Sam Farr (D-Carmel) met with veterans earlier this week to discuss issues of note to the community, but the talked veered into other areas such as the proposed Monterey Downs project.

Although Farr has made comments regarding a land-use measure designed to stop the equestrian-themed project (he was against it), he typically steers clear of discussing the project directly.

Downs is a major development proposed for 550 acres of Fort Ord straddling the east side of Seaside. The city of Seaside is handling the project application. Developer Brian Boudreau, a major figure in the horse racing world, unveiled the $750 million project in 2010.

The project is somewhat connected to the proposed Fort Ord veterans cemetery because it is included in Downs' environmental assessment and developers plan to buy a 30-acre endowment parcel north of the 78-acre cemetery to help fund the burial place and its roads.

"The developer has an option on that parcel. If he was really sincere he'd just give you the money" before the project is approved, Farr said.

"That's not part of the (veterans) cemetery project. Monterey Downs rises and falls on its own merits," he said. "It's got to go through tons of political issues. It has so many gates it needs to go through."

He said was not sure what the current status of the project was at but he was "not so keen on it anyway."

Downs calls for 1,280 homes and apartments, a horse track, stables, a 6,500-seat sports arena, a horse park, three hotels, a swim and tennis club, offices, a veterinary clinic and commercial space. There would be 73 acres of habitat preservation area and 74 acres of parks and open space.

AB 52: Federally recognized tribe opposes

A federally recognized Native American tribe based in Shasta County has come out against a bill co-authored by Asm. Luis Alejo (D-Salinas) that is opposed by several Monterey County  unrecognized tribes.

The Pit River Tribe, recognized by the federal government since 1976,  has called AB 52 a "thinly veiled attempt" to cut Native Americans out of the development process in a letter to the main author, Mike Gatto (D-Los Angeles).

"Marginalization and cultural extermination of California's surviving Indians seem to have replaced genocide of past centuries," wrote Dolores Raglin, tribal chairwoman for Pit River.

At issue for unrecognized tribes is the bill's Section 1 (b) which says it will "Establish a consultation process for federally recognized Native American tribes in California in the California Environmental Quality Act."

Unrecognized tribes, such as Monterey County's Ohlone/Coastanoan-Esselen Nation, interpret the bill to mean they will no longer be consulted on projects they consider part of their ancestral land, such as the Fort Ord veterans cemetery.

California currently does not distinguish between unrecognized and recognized tribes, according to an analysis by the Senate Committee on Environmental Quality.

Alejo said last week the tribes have misinterpreted his bill and it would not affect their ability to work with developers. However, Gatto told The Herald the legislation would likely not pass if the state's 78 tribal communities petitioning for recognition were added to the mix.

"We have to bite off what we can chew," he said. ". . . Politics is the art of the possible."

In Raglin's letter, she wrote the tribe was concerned a change to the definition of what a Native American tribe is would further past grievances.

"Given the shameful, historical treatment of California's Native Americans at the hands of the U.S. and State Governments," she wrote, "AB 52's proposed removal of many Indian peoples from the CEQA process puts the State of California in the role of continuing that dark legacy."

Gatto said he actually came up with the bill because of a desire to preserve California's history. AB 52 would elevate federally recognized tribes to the same status as other government entities. Instead of just being focused on finding archaeological artifacts, it would force every project under CEQA to be reviewed by the Native American Heritage Commission.

Raglin also opposes the work required of recognized tribes if the bill passes as "an undue burden and unfunded mandate."

The Pit River Tribe plans to attend the Senate Appropriations Committee in Sacramento on Aug. 4 when it is read again, according to Morning Star Gali, the tribe's historic preservation officer.

There are three local unrecognized tribes. The Esselen territory is mostly limited to Monterey County; the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band is spread across San Benito, Santa Cruz and northern and eastern Monterey counties; the Salinan Tribe is in Monterey and San Luis Obispo counties.

Pit River Tribe letter

Monterey County Sheriff claim continues to fall flat

At the height of the Monterey County sheriff's primary, I made a California Public Records Act request for documents related to a claim that eventually came out in a last minute attack -- That Sheriff Scott Miller had several official complaints against him.

According to my recently-received response, the Sheriff's Office had 11 complaints with the county Equal Opportunity Office. Of these, seven cases were based on race, national origin and/or gender and four cases complained of discrimination based upon disability and age.

The only thing it proves is the office had complaints, not Miller. Also, there is no way of telling what they were about exactly.

The Californians for Law and Order group, run by a former GOP Central Coast leader, claimed in advertisements Miller has had "13 charges filed for sexual harassment and discrimination" against him.

No evidence has ever been produced to validate that claim.

Here is what Miller wrote about complaints against him at the time:

"None have been shown to have any factual merit," he wrote, "Most of them have been abandoned or lie dormant. The majority of the claims were filed by disgruntled former employees."

I figured this was worth a blog post because 1) It likely will come up again in the campaign and 2) for how long it took my request (attached below) to be filed.

I made the request to the County Counsel's office May 14. I did not get a response until last week.

No explanation was given as to why it took 44 business days to get a response, but I did get an apology. I've never had an issue with County Counsel Charles McKee or his staff; They are usually fast and helpful with requests.

Under California law, public entities have a maximum of 24 days to release records, give a date for their release or explain what exemption allows it to not release it.

I made another request for something else related to the campaign on April 24 and have not received the information I asked for. McKee said they are working on it.

Last week, Miller's challenger in the November election, Steve Bernal, received the endorsement of the Deputy Sheriffs Association. Although it is unclear how much that means to voters, Bernal was very pleased and said it would give his campaign momentum.


PRAR - Molnar 07-15-14.pdf

Fort Ord vets cemetery meeting planned

State Sen. Bill Monning

A day after some environmentalists raised a red flag over the state not having a public meeting over the draft Fort Ord veterans cemetery plans, two local politicians have announced a meeting.

U.S. Rep. Sam Farr, D-Carmel, and State Sen. Bill Monning, D-Carmel, will hold a 1-hour meeting Saturday starting at 9 a.m.

The public gathering is at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, Morse B-104, 426 Van Buren Street. If you have questions, you may call Monning's office at 831-657-6315.

Monning's office said the event will be "an informational town hall meeting providing a state and federal update on the status of the California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery."

The public has until next week Friday to comment on the draft plans for the cemetery. The 629-page draft environmental assessment for the cemetery is available online or at the Seaside Library at 550 Harcourt Ave. or Marina Library at 190 Seaside Circle.

Fort Ord vets cemetery: No public meeting planned

There is no public meeting planned to discuss the recently-released Fort Ord veterans cemetery plans, according to the California Department of Veterans Affairs.

The state is not required to hold the meeting, but its absence has increased fear among the Keep Fort Ord Wild, or KFOW, group that the project will get "rubber stamp" approval.

If the state would have done a much longer environmental impact report, instead of an environmental assessment, it would have needed to have a public meeting, according to the California Environmental Quality Act.

KFOW, which plans to ask the state for a full environmental impact report, found about the lack of a meeting through a public records request.

The group gave the response to its CPRA request to The Herald. A few things of note:

• The two agencies who will ultimately approve the environmental assessment are the state Department of Veterans Affairs and the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. 
• The representatives for the agencies are David Gerard, CalVet assistant deputy secretary, and George Eisenbach, director of the VA's cemetery grant services program. 
• All appeals on whatever the state VA decides will be handled by the Governor's Office of Planning & Research.
• The state plans to respond to public comments received during the public comment period (accepted until July 18). 

The public will be able to get updates on the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery in two weeks. The Fort Ord Veterans Issues Advisory Committee meets July 24 at 920 2nd Ave. in Marina. It typically meets at 3 p.m., although an agenda has yet to be posted. 

At the meetings there is always an update on the cemetery and representatives from the state VA, state Sen. Bill Monning's office, Rep. Sam Farr's Office and the Presidio of Monterey attend. 

The 629-page draft environmental assessment for the cemetery is available online or at the Seaside Library at 550 Harcourt Ave. or Marina Library at 190 Seaside Circle. 

After more than 20 years of work, cemetery organizers hope they can meet federal deadlines to begin the project in late fall. Besides KFOW, the only other public opposition to the project has come from the Oholone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation which contends the cemetery land is on its indigenous homeland.

"Ohlone/Costanoan-Esselen Nation objects to all excavation in known cultural lands, even when they are described as previously disturbed and of no significant archaeological value," wrote Esselen chairwoman Louise Miranda Ramirez to the state.

Ramirez said Monday afternoon by phone it sends a similar letter to all Fort Ord projects because it considers the former base part of its land. Its effort to build an 80-room hotel, wellness center and cultural center has stalled out of concerns a casino could be built -- Despite the tribe voting not to build a casino and saying they are willing to sign an agreement with the county it would not build a casino. 

Monterey County sea monster is just a whale carcass

My dream of covering a Monterey Bay sea monster story will have to wait another day.

About a week and a half ago, Michael Bell of Seaside contacted me about a possible sea monster found on the beach off of Tioga Avenue in Seaside.

This is how Bell described it in an email:

"It's about 50ft long &looks as if it had underwater wings :) & it's amazing!! I am unable to tell exactly what it is, yet with Earth's oceans vast greatness, I wouldn't be (sic) suprised if it's an undiscovered creature of the deep seas?!"

Unfortunately for newspaper sales, the good people at Stanford University's Hopkins Marine Station have cleared up the confusion.

Randy Kochevar, a researcher at the station, looked it over with some colleagues and they concluded it was an old, dried up whale carcass.

"You can see the characteristic folds from the underside of the mouth cavity in some of the photos," he said.

I'm sure there is all sorts of crazy stuff out in the Pacific Ocean we have not discovered. I will hold out hope for the next unique thing that washes up on shore.