WHERE’S GERRY… Squid rushed to Salinas City Hall on Aug. 25 hoping to hear the charming Irish brogue of Gerry Kehoe. The City Council arranged a special meeting to approve a development agreement for Kehoe’s long-talked-about nightclub and restaurant at 201 Main St. Squid reminisced about Kehoe’s glory days where he repeatedly wooed the City Council to give him more time for his failed hotel-and-condo project in Oldtown. But in classic Kehoe form, the Florida-based businessman was missing from the city meeting.

Like Squid, Councilwoman Janet Barnes was disappointed. “If it were that important, I would have hoped he would have been here,” Barnes said. Councilwoman Jyl Lutes said she wants to see Kehoe fill the vacant bank building, which he has owned for more than seven years. “Quite frankly, if it’s not done in a year then we are probably not going to dance with this dance partner any further,” Lutes said. Despite the stern words, the council unanimously gave Kehoe another shot at his pipe dream.

After the vote, Rick Phinney, who has long represented Kehoe locally, said Kehoe didn’t make the meeting because he had a family emergency in Dublin, Ireland. Phinney said Kehoe was returning from “the far East” but couldn’t specify exactly where. While Squid isn’t planning on ever boogeying down at Kehoe’s sure-to-go-nowhere nightclub, his mysterious travels and disappearing acts will definitely keep Squid entertained.

DELUDED IN DENVER… Squid likes conventions. Squid likes to spill ink on white tablecloths while nibbling spinach croissants with the well-heeled powerful. But since Shawn Bagley thwarted Squid’s dreams of serving as a Monterey County delegate at the Democratic National Convention, Squid will have to make do with Rep. Sam Farr’s daily video blogs at http://montereycountydemocrats.org.

On the first day of the convention, Farr gushed that the Obama family “represents something you don’t see in politics… A vested future. His children are gonna be living in the next 100 years, and his grandchildren. Like most of us here. People my age have grandchildren, and my child has children, and her children are about the age of Barack’s children.”

Squid, too, has children and could relate… if only Squid could understand the Congressman’s point.

The next day Farr predicted, “Hillary is obviously going to make her plea to support Barack.” Squid is reminded of when Mama Squid ordered the Squidlets to pick between her and Daddy Squid– and then to unite as a family.