Category Archives: Coast Weakly

City Bends Over To Political Correctness

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Suspicious that this is the reason that the traditional campy Feast Of Lanterns is now held indoors to ticket holders?

Low-Sabado hasn’t forgotten that history, but the city has done little to recognize it. P.G.’s annual Feast of Lanterns replicates Chinese squid-boat lights and adopts a generic Asian theme, but doesn’t acknowledge the Point Alones village – an omission that was the focus of a recent Stanford dissertation.

Low-Sabado takes particular offense to the event’s annual play about a fictional Chinese princess, in which the audience boos the mandarin. (This year’s celebration will be scaled back; organizers cite budgetary reasons.)

Toms Cafe Tribune 750101
P.G. Tribune, 1974

City Bends Over To Political Correctness

He Said WHAT? Mo Ammar Has Orgasms

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Orgasms when he screws the Farmers Market out of it’s downtown Monday location.

Moe Ammar Dont Buy American

“We all had orgasms! It was heavenly,” P.G. Chamber of Commerce Moe Ammar jokes. “Like, ‘I can’t believe that this problem is solved.’”

Everyone’s Harvest director Iris Peppard initiated the March 2 get-together with hopes of heading off controversy at the March 3 City Council meeting. Peppard and an Everyone’s Harvest board member squared off with Ammar and two members of the Downtown Business Improvement District, who’d been complaining the market hurt their Monday night sales. They all agreed on moving the market to a city-owned parking lot south of Lighthouse Avenue on Saturday mornings.

He Said WHAT? Mo Ammar Has Orgasms

Feast Of Lanterns Is Celebration Of Burning Down Chinese Camp

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Words from Sandy Lydon, elitist historian.

The May 17, 1906 blaze that swept through most of the Chinese village at Point Alones seared not only the landscape of the Monterey Peninsula, but the memories and histories of its people. The fire continues to loom as some kind of Original Sin whenever there are discussions about this remarkable Chinese village tucked into the cove on Pacific Grove’s eastern boundary.

What emerged was a festival that replicated the lights of the squid boats that had been driven away. Some members of the Chinese community find the resulting festival offensive. The Feast of Lanterns folks respond that their event has nothing to do with the Chinese village.

Feast Of Lanterns Is Celebration Of Burning Down Chinese Camp

Giving It All Up For Tourists – Residential Area Weekend Rentals Approved

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Hey – there’s a solution for the homes that Canterbury Woods owns on Spazier Avenue but cannot occupy, rent them out to transients. How’s that for a keen idea for the NIMBYs that opposed CW from letting employees and guests stay in them?

The tune is different in P.G., where the City Council recently changed a 1993 law prohibiting short-term rentals. Under the new deal, vacation rentals are legit if landlords collect a 10 percent TOT and pay a $200-per-year licensing fee. The cash-strapped city expects about $200,000 annually out of the deal.

Giving It All Up For Tourists – Residential Area Weekend Rentals Approved

New Tsunami Map Shows Who Goes

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Cannery Row, John Denver’s plaque, Michelle Knight’s bladder house and other mini mansions on Ocean View. Kiss ’em goodbye.
Tsunami Map

Catastrophic waves could flood as far inland as Window on the Bay Park in Monterey and almost to the intersection of Fremont and Canyon Del Rey boulevards in Seaside, according to new maps by the California Geological Survey, California Emergency Management Agency and University of Southern California.

The new maps replace an older set that shows even greater potential tsunami damage, with flooding almost to North Salinas. “It’s actually a rosier scenario,” Yenovkian says. “Once you have the extent of the tsunami threat analyzed, you can prepare for it.”

New Tsunami Map Shows Who Goes

Developer Agha Inches Ahead Toward Monstrous Hotel

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Holman Hotel

Bennett, Garcia, Huitt – yay. The rest of the elected officials, tar & feathers.

Kampe thinks the new agreement on the marketing feasibility study will spell out the specifics of Agha’s proposal and allow both parties to move forward. “We need some way to fundamentally break an impasse in terms of action on the site,” he says.

But the vote was a tight 4-3. Councilwoman Lisa Bennett, who joined Mayor Carmelita Garcia and Councilman Robert Huitt in opposition, says the agreement is premature.

While the city’s tentative support encouraged Agha to take the building off the market, he’s disappointed the agreement didn’t get unanimous backing. “Anyone who has the best interests of Pacific Grove in mind will go out of his way to support any healthy project,” he says. “Economically, this project is going to be the best thing ever to happen to Pacific Grove.”

He really means the best thing ever to happen to Nader Agha.

Developer Agha Inches Ahead Toward Monstrous Hotel

P.G. Mayor Options – Who Will The Next Fool Be?

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Do Not Want Cat

With the title of temporary mayor, Stilwell seems like a shoo-in to succeed Cort. But she says she’s not interested in the post for personal reasons.

 

Her pick for mayor is Councilman Bill Kampe. “He would be a great mayor,” she says, citing Kampe’s dedication, financial savvy, business background and time available for public service.

 

Kampe, for his part, plays modest. He says he was leaning toward appointing Stilwell mayor, but since she’s not interested, he’s willing to serve. “I’m flattered,” he says of Stilwell’s endorsement. “I got into this to serve the city as best I can.”

 

Councilwoman Lisa Bennett may be a candidate for mayor. Bennett couldn’t be reached, but she has previously told the Weekly she doesn’t plan to run for another term.

P.G. Mayor Options – Who Will The Next Fool Be

Cort Stands On Decision To Quit

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City Hall Help Wanted

The droning swarm of gadflies done him in. He failed to get public comment put to the end through Joy Colon-Jello. Also had no spine – Costello would cut people off at the 3 minute limit.

Cort says his decision to resign is still firm: “I’m not changing my mind.”

While Dilworth’s recall threat isn’t the only reason he’s throwing in the towel, he says, it’s a “symptom” of a persistent lack of civility at P.G. City Council meetings. “I want this to be about respect and dialogue in government,” Cort says. “Meeting after meeting, a small group of people comes and disrupts and threatens our council. It really makes it difficult to get our work done. This insulting, demeaning behavior is something that’s gotta end.”

Cort Stands On Decision To Quit

The David Dilworth Approach To Dating

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Ha ha, it’s just like his political approach. Hand out fliers. LOL.

Although it does remind Squid of Dilworth handing out flyers (printed on paper made from 35 percent post-consumer fibers, of course) at gallery openings back in 2003. “Glass slipper awaits? Tigger wants to settle down with a partner and grow a family,” read the flyer. Tigger, aka Dilworth, was looking for love.

The Dilworth Approach To Dating

Dilworth Holds Press Conference To Launch Attack

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In a press conference in front of the P.G. post office Aug. 4, activist David Dilworth is the second to sign a petition to recall Mayor Dan Cort and three council members. The first to sign was Dilworth’s right-hand man, former P.G. Councilman Terrence Zito.

Pacific Grove Mayor Dan Cort has announced his surprise resignation, effective Aug. 31, in response to the threat of a recall.

In an email to Cort sent before 6pm August 3, P.G. activist David Dilworth informed the mayor he planned to begin gathering recall signatures at 11:45am Aug. 4—unless Cort promptly resigned.

Dilworth Holds Press Conference To Launch Attack