Monterey To Hawaii In A Rowboat

Not a repeat of last weeks story of paddling to Pupukea, this trip was successful.

Sami Inkinen, the co-founder of real estate search and information site Trulia, and his wife, Meredith Loring, left from Monterey early Wednesday morning, according to Iniken’s post on Twitter.

They’re planning to row the 2,400 miles across the Pacific Ocean to Oahu, in a 20-foot long, 5-foot wood carbon fiber boat named Roosevelt.

They’re hoping their journey helps raise awareness about the risks of sugar consumption and healthy eating. Donations made to their campaign — which they call Fat Chance Row — will go to the nonprofit Institute for Responsible Nutrition at UC San Francisco.

Monterey To Hawaii In A Rowboat

Pipe Bomb On Recreation Trail

First it was just rouge bicyclists, murderous attackers, robbers and stabbings, now we have pipe bombs to contend with,

Rec Trail Open2

The Monterey County sheriff’s bomb squad detonated a suspected pipe bomb Tuesday night after the device was found at the side of a popular trail, police said.

The bomb squad was alerted after officers went to the bike trail along Ocean View Boulevard near 10th Street and Berwick Park about 7 p.m. to check out the device.

The bomb squad used a remote control robot to secure the device and to fire an explosive charge that destroyed it. There was explosive material in the device, McSorley said.

Pipe Bomb On Recreation Trail

Cannery Row Square Goes To The Fish Jail

More old buildings get torn down and replaced with fake charm.

Cannery Row Square

Julie Packard announced Tuesday that the aquarium has purchased adjoining buildings — both within walking distance of the aquarium — one of which will be transformed into a 13,000-square-foot Ocean Education and Leadership Center for students in kindergarten through 12th grade.

The buildings at 585 and 625 Cannery Row were purchased for $12.4 million. The building at 625 Cannery http://www.montereyherald.com/localnews/ci_25982512/monterey-bay-aquarium-plans-ocean-education-center-students?source=rssRow will be used for the Ocean Education Center, while the purpose for the other building has yet to be determined. The purchase includes the parking lots adjacent to the buildings to provide a drop-off and pick-up area for school groups.

Cannery Row Square Goes To The Fish Jail

Plaza Bocce Ball Courts To Be Torn Out

And replaced with something that can get more use. Like another Maritime Museum?

Bocce ball enthusiasts on the other hand, want to improve the courts so they can get more use and even attract events.
Bikini Bocce

Our plan? We take out the existing courts, shorten the length of courts 1 and 2 to conform to the 86 foot length of court 3, and install the court surfaces that made the Colleoni Sports Facility business the premier artificial court installer in the world. All at our expense.

We tried to accommodate the desires of State Parks, presenting updated requests addressing new questions after answering old ones. To no avail. It was almost as if they already had their answer all along, but gave us hope by allowing us yet another audience with them. Then came their final “no.” Our hopes of having world class bocce courts at the Custom House Plaza are gone.

Footnote: Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Sala told Bob Enea that State Parks Ranger Eric Abma informed him that within 10 years, the existing courts will be torn out and the land put to other use because the courts as they currently are don’t receive the use State Parks would like to see. Quite ironic, I’d say. Arrivederci Custom House Plaza Bocce Courts.

Plaza Bocce Ball Courts To Be Torn Out

Next Time Take The Train

err, a bigger boat?

The U.S. Coast Guard said a man is lucky to be alive after he was rescued 11 days into an attempted kayak voyage from Monterey to Hawaii.

The 57-year-old man was attempting to paddle all the way to Hawaii alone.

A helicopter spotted the man, who had turned back to California, in the Pacific Ocean on Tuesday about 60 miles southwest of Santa Barbara’s Point Conception after he sent a distress call, the Coast Guard said.

A friend of the man said he had left Monterey on May 30 attempting to make the voyage of nearly 2,400 miles to Honolulu in a kayak with a solar panel that charged all his electronic equipment.

Next Time Take The Train

City Modifies Trash Cans To Stop Gull Gluttons

From this:
Old Downtown Trash Can

To This:
New Downtown Trash Can
Still got some human modifications to do there, like empty the cans more often.

“Those cans are working to perfection,” said Moe Ammar, president of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce. One can is on the corner across from his office at Central and Forest avenues. Ammar said he hasn’t seen a gull diving into it.

Residents and employees in the area also notice fewer gull contributions to their windshields and tops of their vehicles, he said.

It’s not a complete solution, Ammar said. There are still private dumpsters where hungry gulls forage, and, “We still have people who think it’s cute to feed the sea gulls.”

The custom-lid cans, so far, have been placed on Central Avenue near the city entrance, along the Recreation Trail, and by the library, museum and post office.

City Modifies Trash Cans To Stop Gull Gluttons

Dumpsters Of Commerce June 2014

Gulls need lots of food to produce the bird poo they leave.

Atop the noodle house
Thai Roof Gull Poop

Sidewalk N/E Corner Lighthouse and Forest
Bratty Corner pooThanks to fine businesses downtown the gulls get free access to yummy sustenance.

Juice & Java never fails to leave the garbage open
Dumpster JuicenJava 2014 0608

And Nader Agha’s Holman Building welcomes the birds too. Is that an antique clock in there?
Dumpster Nader Holmans 20140608

Remember to wash your hands after visiting

As Long As Contractors Want Cheap Labor

They will cheat the system.

Robert Gunn, 70, of Pacific Grove, pleaded guilty to one felony count of failure to register as an employer and one misdemeanor count of failing to secure workers’ compensation insurance. A Department of Insurance investigation found that Gunn had not purchased workers’ compensation insurance prior to an employee’s injury.

“The underground economy is a multi-billion drain on California’s economy and hurts law abiding businesses,” said Commissioner Dave Jones. “Employers that cheat the system by not providing workers’ compensation not only risk employee safety but also contribute to higher costs for businesses and consumers.”

As Long As Contractors Want Cheap Labor

Look! It’s An Open House! Turn Here!

Well, there often is an open house sign on the sidewalk.

Click to see the picture in the Pine Cone

After:
Coldwell Banker Open House

Bert Mendelsohn, 86, and his blind dog were unharmed after he smashed his 1997 Lincoln Town Car into the Coldwell Banker real estate office on Lighthouse Avenue around 2:15 p.m. June 4, but his wife, 93 year-old Lottie Mendelsohn, was taken to Community Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula

Look! It’s An Open House! Turn Here!

P.G.’s Police May Be Understaffed, But They Do Have Lidar

The Pacific Grove Police Department said a lot of drivers are from out-of-town and sometimes they don’t realize the speed limits are so low. So they’re using a special tool called Lidar, to detect speeds before the driver even sees the officer.

It was not Lidar, but a huge building that slowed down an out of town driver last week

Coldwell Banker Open House

Sgt. Lafata pulled over two drivers for speeding, among other violations. Both drivers got warnings this time. He said it pays to own up to your mistakes.

“To be honest with you that’s something that we don’t really get very often in this line of work, so I do like to reward that,” said Sgt. Lafata.

If Lidar isn’t working correctly, Sgt. Lafata said any citations written during its use are thrown out.

P.G.’s Police May Be Understaffed, But They Do Have Lidar