Superturd

I don’t care for a million dollar car. I can’t help but stare and think of all the other things I could buy. I could buy 400 Canon 5D Mark IIs. Or maybe my own studio. Possibly three good days in Vegas. Either way, the level of wealth that surrounds Pebble Beach and the Concours d’Elegance can be hard to witness. Watching a $6 million car go to auction is arduous on someone that may never make that much in their lifetime.

So I enjoy cars like the Renault LeCar. Or an oddball rusted out Model T Ford. Or a VW Bus that a bear died in. These are the kind of awful cars that I enjoy. Each is an oddity with a story, and I would rather hear a good story behind it.

My favorite part about the Monterey peninsula’s car week is this tongue-and-cheek car show, the Concourse d’Lemons. The ‘Lemons celebration of truly horrendous vehicles brings together an incredible cast of characters, and it makes me feel a little bit better about my own four wheeled transport.

Here is a quick video I put together looking at some of those characters.

Characters at the Concourse d’Lemons from Conner Jay on Vimeo.

Rodeo Legends

To celebrate the California Rodeo Salinas’ 100 anniversary, I was assigned to find characters with a deep history in the rodeo. My basic premise for the project was to interview a local man and woman who had participated in some of the major rodeo events. And they had to be over 80.

Finding characters from a rodeo is no problem. You are guaranteed to find a wealth of interesting people, but finding older folks can be a challenge. The cowboy life is a hard life. And as many people pointed out to me, not many true cowboys live that long. But after quite a few calls and searching, I found two people that stood out.

The first is Patricia Garlinger who was named Miss California Rodeo in 1940. She is a wonderfully warm woman with a subtle sense of humor.

The second is Bobby Jones who is California rodeo legend for roping calfs. He is greatly inspired with a young man’s energy, still roping at the age of 82.

Below are the two videos we posted with their profiles during Rodeo Week.

Ms. California Rodeo 1940 from Conner Jay on Vimeo.

California Rodeo Roping Legend from Conner Jay on Vimeo.

The city is sweating

Last week Salinas witnessed 11 shootings, five victims and four homicides in five days. Police chief Louis Fetherolf went on record this morning as saying over 70 shots were fired in the city during this short period. Violence between Norteño and Sureño subgroups appears to have reignited, ironically (or not ironically) on the exact dates of last year’s deadly summer stretch that left seven dead in eleven days. This also comes after a relatively quiet year with only three prior homicides and the implementation of a ceasefire program between warring gang factions.

Here are a few photos, each from some of shootings and from a Peace Rally in response.

EMTs try to save the life of a 16-year-old Frank Sanchez was fatally shot to the head Wednesday night along Capitol Street in Salinas. Sanchez’s death was the first incident in a spike of recent violence in Salinas, including five shooting and three other murders this week.

Salinas police officers investigate the scene where two teens were shot, one them suffering fatal injuries, Wednesday night along the 100 block of Prado Street in Salinas. 

An ambulance transports the victim of a shooting Friday night along Dennis Street in Salinas. According to Sgt. David Crabill, the incident is gang related and possibly connected to the other shootings through the week.

Barbara Cristobal, 3, looks up at a picture of her 15-year-old brother Rodolfo Cristobal during a peace rally Sunday in Salinas. Rodolfo was shot and killed in a gang related shooting last Oct. 14 on Archer Street in Salinas