DNA of one of two brothers charged with the 1997 murder of Kristopher Olinger was found on the steering wheel of Olinger’s car, according to testimony in a grand jury transcript released Tuesday afternoon.
Department of Justice criminalists matched DNA found in the horn area of the steering wheel to Angel Ruelas, 26, of Soledad. The car was stolen from Olinger, 17, when he was stabbed to death along the Pacific Grove Recreation Trail. It was later found abandoned in the Willow Glen neighborhood of San Jose.
Monthly Archives: January 2007
Great White Shark Set Free
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water the Monterey Bay Aquarium today released a 6 foot 5 inch, 171-pound white shark into Monterey Bay.
The shark had been on display at the aquarium’s Outer Bay since September. Approximately 600,000 aquarium visitors saw the shark during the 137 days he was on display, according to aquarium officials.
Free Bruce!!
(Bruce was the name given to the mechanical shark in the movie “Jaws”)
Phil Bowhay Flashback – P.G. Fire Horn
Our punctuation in P.G. was the fire horn. Mounted on top of City Hall, which was also the fire station in those days, it was part of our identity, our signature of sound, unlike anything else in Western civilization. It was harsh, raucous, insistent and serious in intent.
In Pacific Grove, the horn was part of the fine volunteer tradition. We all had posted in our homes the code telling the approximate location of the fire. “One, One, Three” meant Forest and Lighthouse, etc., and there was a chalkboard in front of the station with the address of the blaze.
Living on Grand Avenue, the horn was the lunchtime alarm. I’d champion to keep it, but I’m sure some of the Come Heres would object.
Griggs Nursery Closing
. . owners of Griggs Nursery in Pacific Grove plan to shut the business and sell the land for eight homes. The city’s planning commission has recommended amending the city’s general plan so the houses can be built.
Allowing for homes to built on the property at 1021 David Ave. would not only benefit the Griggs, who could sell the water-ready lots for $465,000 to $495,000 each, but would be an advantage to the city since it would receive property tax revenue, Silkwood said. And the neighbors would benefit as well, she maintained.
Hikers Find Skeleton In South Coast Cave
Sgt. Mike Richards said hikers on Thursday found the remains in a cave near Highway 1, two miles north of the county line. Richards said the bones of a nearly complete skeleton do not appear to be of recent vintage.
The remains could be from a Chinese worker who helped build Highway 1, he said.
Pilchards On The Beach
Several hundred small fish washed up dead on the beach between Lovers Point and Esplanade Park on Monday morning, state Department of Fish and Game officials confirmed.
The officials said it was unclear how the fish, likely sardines, ended up on shore, but it was possible that they were thrown from a fishing boat. Throwing dead fish off a boat would be violation of state law, according to associated marine biologist Travis Tanaka.
Hear that? Is casting bait considered throwing dead fish?
Ice Plant Killed For Native Weeds
Five years ago, a wallflower that grows only on the sand of local dunes nearly disappeared.
Only five Menzies wallflowers held out, the rest snuffed out by decades-old patches of ice plant in the ground at the Point Pinos Lighthouse in Pacific Grove.
But today, more than 130 of the flowers are growing at the city’s golf course. Another 250 will be in the ground soon.
Ahh! Food for deer, attracting more mountain lions.
Transient Dies On Lighthouse Avenue
A man’s body was found Tuesday near 275 Lighthouse Ave. in Monterey, police reported.
John Knudsen, a transient known to local police for years, was found dead at 4:05 a.m. Monterey police officers said they didn’t know Knudsen’s age.
Don’t Call It East Salinas
Call it Alisal, the New Alisal or El Nuevo Alisal de Salinas — but don’t call it east Salinas.
That term no longer is appropriate to describe the cluster of neighborhoods that make up roughly one-third of the city, generally east of Highway 101 and south of Constitution Boulevard, community leaders say.
They want to replace the moniker, which they say has come to evoke images of crime and negative racial and socio-economic stereotypes on the eastern side of Salinas, with a term free of any damaging stigma.
What ever it’s called will still be known as the ‘bad side of town’. Better to clean up the filth and criminals. Make “East Salinas” a name to associate with working families that take pride in their homes.
Pacific Grove City Council Approves One Time Cuts
But there was time and money to kill the ice plant that prevented erosion.
Facing a projected half-million-dollar shortfall by June, the Pacific Grove City Council approved one-time cuts to nearly all of the city’s departments on Wednesday to balance the budget while avoiding layoffs.
Vacancies in the police department, $320,000.
Delay in the completion of storm drainage work, $75,000
Eliminating a winter youth basketball game, $1,500
Spring adult sports, $1,200
Part-time shelver at the library, $8,000
Maintenance of ocean-front turnouts, $6,000
Items on the list include maintenance of trees, recreation trails, sidewalks and streets; competitive pay for police officers and firefighters; and restoring Sunday and night hours twice a week at the library.