Is The Police Department Merging With Monterey?

PGpd Oob

Money is tight for Monterey and Pacific Grove police departments. “These days with budget situation being so tight everywhere looking for ways to stretch administration cost, “said Don Rhoads with the City of Monterey.

Monterey’s financial directors said there has been talk about merging both police stations, but nothing has been confirmed.

Is The Police Department Merging With Monterey?

Police Chief Engles Buckles Under Pressure

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His department has been pounded by a steady drumfire of public comments, criticism, complaints and threats about salaries, benefits, job security and possible city bankruptcy. All that has made it difficult to recruit officers to fill the three vacant positions on the force.

“I’m not the guy to carry on,” Engles said.

“oh it’s too hard” Same things echoed by quitter Jim Colon-Jello. The city has to quit hiring people that are in the sunset of their life and hire people that want to work.

Police Chief Engles Buckles Under Pressure

Former City Manager Goes Back To Hippydom

Jim Colon-Jello found running P.G. too stressful. Work is only what you make of it.

His last council meeting was in December 2008. After retiring, Colangelo began loosening up his appearance. He replaced his subtle stud earring with a hoop. He now often puts his shoulder-length curly hair in a ponytail or covers it with a floppy hat.

“I tried becoming an alcoholic,” he said jokingly, “but it didn’t work.”

Update – Looks like that he succeeded at the alcohol thing.

Former City Manager Goes Back To Hippydom

Power Outage – Pelican Takes The Blame

Reddy Killabird

A pelican flew into high tension power lines near Cannery Row in Monterey about 10:30 a.m. today, causing a brief power outage and electrical surge.

Pacific Gas & Electric spokeswoman Jennifer Zerwer said the bird knocked out power to 44 customers in the New Monterey and Cannery Row area. Service was restored to all affected customers by 11:40 a.m. after a fuse was replaced, Zerwer said.

Power Outage – Pelican Takes The Blame

Dog Drivers Win Back Parking Spaces

Dog owners “who use the space to exercise themselves and their pets” using the car to get to a place to walk the dog.

Ever thought about walking yourself and the dog to the park?
Head In Barking

The council voted 6-1 to rescind its June 17 action prohibiting parking at Rip Van Winkle Open Space in the wake of protests by dog owners who use the space to exercise themselves and their pets.

Councilwoman Lisa Bennett dissented, voicing her objection to cutting down two oak saplings to provide space to park along Congress Avenue near David Avenue.

Dog Drivers Win Back Parking Spaces

Fisherman’s Wharf Cracks Down On Signs

Better yet is my idea to legalize them and license them – after all they are advertising on public property.

Wharf signs

Officials and restaurant owners hope clearing the thoroughfare will lessen the amount of “chowder barking” — the practice of loudly offering free cups of clam chowder to visitors — on the wharf. The intrusive practices of chowder samplers are a major point of contention among competing wharf restaurant owners and the subject of visitor complaints.
. . . .
A local businessman gave Sabu Shake, who died in 1998, the life-size wooden statue of himself wearing a white cowboy hat and white suit.

“It’s been there a long time,” said Bob Massaro, the administrator for the Fisherman’s Wharf Association. “Folks stand beside it and get their picture taken. He was sort of a character, wore a cowboy hat all the time. Just a nice congenial person.”

Tom Gawel, general manager of Rappa’s Seafood Restaurant on the wharf, said he was asked to removed flower pots from the front of his restaurant. He plans to comply.

Fisherman’s Wharf Cracks Down On Signs

Hold The Door! Police Chief Wants Out, Too

I don’t think there are good days ahead . .

PGPD Help Wanted

Engles’ resignation announcement comes just two weeks after Mayor Dan Cort announced his intention to resign by the end of this month. Former City Manager Jim Colangelo retired in January and Wiseman has been performing those duties while the City Council continues efforts to try and recruit a new chief executive officer for the city.

No selection has been made.

Hold The Door! Police Chief Wants Out, Too

Jellyfish Out For Revenge

Hundreds of thousands of Chrysaora jellyfish feeding in the bay waters Monday damaged a filter screen on the aquarium’s water intakes, said Eric Quamen the aquarium’s facilities systems supervisor.

“From an operations standpoint, it’s a big deal. From the aquarium standpoint, it’s a minor inconvenience,” Quamen said. “The public would never notice.”

The jellyfish forced the aquarium to cancel its Ocean Explorers program Tuesday for fear that children participating could be stung, said aquarium spokeswoman Karen Jeffries.

“It’s like a bee sting and everyone reacts to it differently,” she said.

They all thought it could never happen here . . .
Sting Of Death

Jellyfish Out For Revenge

Letters From The Editor – Feast Of Lanterns – Fun Or Racist II?

Writer sets it straight.

It started as the closing celebration of the Methodist Chautauqua, before the Chinese were burned out. So it is Methodist. It became quite popular at the turn of the 20th century until World War I, more as an Obon festival, as at that time there was a Japanese tea garden at Lovers Point. So it is Japanese. Then it became a bathing beauty contest event, and after World War II it was revived as a pseudo Chinese-themed festival.

It is speculated that the Chinese were burned out by competing fishing interests, which has little to do with Pacific Grove.

So you can be offended in several different ways or you can embrace the quirky history of the festival, a charming, family-oriented affair.

Letters From The Editor – Feast Of Lanterns – Fun Or Racist II?