ROYAL SCOLDING… Over on Ragsdale Drive, Monterey County Herald Editor Royal Calkins wrote an editorial Jan. 17 in which he acknowledged non-journalist Mike Dove (who along with non-journalist Don Buraglio wrote the paper’s “The Running Life” column) lied in a November column when he said the Big Sur International Marathon was going to do doping tests on elite runners. (It was stated as fact on the marathon’s website, but Dove, who sits on the BSIM Board of Directors, knew it was part of a clever ruse to scare runners.) How did Calkins find out? Dove sent an email to the marathon’s board explaining, unapologetically, what he did and why he did it. Someone printed the email and sent it to Calkins. 


Calkins solicited reader opinion on whether to keep or cut the column. (There’s another blunder, Squid thinks – Squid never seeks other opinions.) The ruling: Calkins will announce the column’s end on Thursday. Dove, who resigned from the BSIM board, fired off an email Monday in which he claims Calkins was abusive, called him names and said he lacked integrity. “I am surprised to have been publicly censured for this attempt to keep our sport clean,” Dove writes. “Apparently some think it lacks journalistic integrity.”


On one tentacle, Squid can empathize with anyone who’s been on the receiving end of Royal’s rage. But on the other tentacles, Squid wonders why in an effort to keep the marathon clean, Dove chose to muddy a paper’s reputation instead.


DINING RIGHT… Squid gazes longingly into fine restaurants, wishing Squid had a little more cash. Now Squid is jealous someone’s found a way to eat out, extensively, with someone else’s cash – someone at the Monterey County Republican Central Committee. Perusing the GOP’s itemized receipts filed with the Federal Elections Commission for 2012, Squid discovered one right-winger makes frequent stops at Sea Harvest. Another fave is Rio Grill, and someone likes spendy sushi, with a handful of Akaoni bills. There are plenty of meals at La Bicyclette, The Bench in Pebble Beach and Il Fornaio. Approaching the June primary, there were tabs from Knuckles Sports Bar, Maha’s and Red’s Donuts. 


These excursions, which at times account for up to about 40 percent of monthly expenses, get filed under “Federal Election Activity,” accompanied by this vague disclosure: “Fundraising – not for a specific federal candidate.” Questionable ethics to Squid, as people give to those campaigns thinking it’ll mean more mailers and door knockers, but even more questionable strategy, given the fact they lost so many races, leaving Republican donors hungry for far more than the swordfish at Sea Harvest.