Category Archives: Monterey Herald

P.G. Police, This Bad?

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PG Cop Car 1980s

P.G. can afford a kooky environmental manager but not a ‘substainable’ police force?

PGPD is in trouble

In my 24 years as a police officer with the Pacific Grove Police Department, I have never seen the staffing levels and employee morale so low. It all starts at the top.

Most able-bodied officers are looking for employment elsewhere. The officers are on a leaderless group exercise and the city is exploring ways to contract out the department.

Look at what eight months of contracting a police chief has resulted in: five officers and one civilian have left and more may go.

If the residents of Pacific Grove want to keep their officers on the street and keep their station open to the public, they have to be heard by city officials and the City Council, or it won’t be America’s last hometown for long.

Richard Sinclair Jr.
Carmel

P.G. Police, This Bad?

Environmental Programs Manager Is Shocked SHOCKED That Residents Don’t Want A Swamp On Their Street

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Save the city more money – Fire Sarah Hardgrave. And it’s pretty stupid to call it’s tracking system a “Surface Water Ambient Monitoring Program” when people are living next to it.

Bridge Over Swamp

The city of Pacific Grove is dropping a wetland-based, clean-water project fiercely opposed by neighbors who said it would create a smelly swamp in a friendly neighborhood park.

“We’re going to take the neighbors’ suggestions … and look to make repairs to the storm drain upstream,” said Sarah Hardgrave, the city’s environmental programs manager, on Wednesday.

Hardgrave, who still sounded shaken by the reception some project opponents gave her at the March 28 meeting, said, “The vehemence of the opponents made it clear the city wasn’t going to successfully” pursue the project.


Environmental Programs Manager Is Shocked SHOCKED That Residents Don’t Want A Swamp On Their Street

Driver In Pebble Beach Crash Has A Record

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13 tickets in 9 years.

Luls that his social networking accounts vanished after the news hit.

Elder was booked into Monterey County Jail early Monday on charges of felony drunken driving and vehicular manslaughter.

He was released from custody about noon after posting $430,000 in bail, a Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman said.

A computer index of Monterey County court records show Elder received 13 traffic citations between 2003 and 2012. Records from a single criminal case dating to November 2000 were no longer available after December 2007, the index said.

Messages touting two after-parties following the Pebble Beach Food & Wine festival, including photos of the crowds in attendance, were posted from ECI Building’s Twitter account several days before the collision.

One dated Thursday, the event’s opening night, read, “After party crazy!!!”

Another was dated shortly after midnight early Saturday.

The festival ended early Sunday afternoon, several hours before the fatal crash, and it is not known if Elder attended that day.

His LinkedIn and Twitter pages were taken down Monday.

Driver In Pebble Beach Crash Has A Record

2 Dead In Pebble Beach Crash

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P.G. man charged with DUI.

A Pacific Grove man was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving after a traffic collision Sunday in Pebble Beach killed two people in the other car.

They were in a 2005 Ford that collided head-on with a 2009 Cadillac driven by Stuart Elder, 30, of Pacific Grove, the CHP said.

The Cadillac was headed south on Sloat Road just north of Bird Rock Road about 7:30 p.m. when, for an unknown reason, it crossed over into the opposing lane and into the path of the Ford, the CHP said.

The victims in the Ford were dead at the scene, the CHP said.

2 Dead In Pebble Beach Crash

Le Normandie Ihors de l’entreprise

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Kick ’em while they are down.

Normandie

Le Normandie in Pacific Grove abruptly shut down two weeks ago, leaving many in the community confused as to why.

The Lighthouse Avenue restaurant in the Holman Building was owned by Christine and Francis Richard — previous owners of now- shuttered Chez Christine in Carmel and Bistro Christine in Monterey — and family friend Nancy Lewis.

“We’re done opening restaurants,” Christine Richard said Thursday. “… I’ve had it.”

Landlord Nadir Agha (who knows a thing or two about lies)

Agha said he made the decision to kick out the owners after he said he found out Christine Richard was lying about the sale of her mother’s home in France — money she allegedly told him she would use to buy the restaurant.

“She still owes us the $40,000,

Here’s a Moe Quote to add to the list of Stupid Things Moe Says:

Ammar believes the Richards are unethical and said in his 20 years with the chamber he has not witnessed “such bad business dealings” as he has with the pair.

Le Normandie Ihors de l’entreprise

Are Public Comments At The Council Meetings Being Moved?

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Most interesting part of the meetings, IMO

The council also will consider whether changes are needed in the “norms and protocols” for council interaction with the public.

City Manager Thomas Frutchey says in a report the issue may need review given “considerable frustration and anger” expressed by small groups of residents over issues like fast-food restaurants and pensions.

Are Public Comments At The Council Meetings Being Moved?

Colossus Of . . . Bronze?

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Statue of John Steinbeck coming to Cannery Row

The Cannery Row Co., which has already won preliminary approval for the sculpture in Steinbeck Plaza, returns to the city Architectural Review Committee on Wednesday for a final review.

The proposed statue would be about 14 feet high, with near life-sized figures seated at various levels around the simulated granite rock. The rock would be fashioned out of molded gunite.

COG At Home

What would Colossus Of Gold Have to say, would he raise his arm (if it were attached) and beg to be part of the sculpture?

Colossus Of . . . Bronze?

Pay $85 A Year And Sustain The Deer

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So, that attempt to nurture a community garden at the old Valley National Bank lot failed. Now it’s moving closer to the forest.

The Pacific Grove community garden, a project of Sustainable Pacific Grove, recently moved to new digs adjacent to Parents’ Place on Ridge Road. Framed by towering Monterey pines and just a flutter away from the Monarch Grove Sanctuary, the garden is set in spectacular surroundings.

Social Justice

Pay $85 A Year And Sustain The Deer

Asilomar Conference Grounds Getting Upgrades

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Asilomar Gardens
Six Flags Over Asilomar failed to be approved again.

Operators of the Asilomar Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove are in the middle of a $20.5 million upgrade and a major component of it should be completed by May.

. freshly-paved roads and new handrails . . part of the improvements are free WiFi, fire pits and the return of a pingpong table on the deck of the social hall.

Whoah, getting kind of risky there with that wi-fi stuff. I think there are two telephones and no TV sets in the entire place.

Asilomar Conference Grounds Getting Upgrades

Oh Those Cute Sea Otters!

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Two otter stories making the news – first is the otters at the Fish Jail get their own PG Remodel.

Mural Otters

After six long months with no sea otter exhibit, aquarium administrators say the beloved endangered species will return for public view Saturday.

The exhibit is one of the aquarium’s most popular, but after 25 years it started to show its age. Among other issues, the rock platform and stones in the water, which otters like to pick up, had become deteriorated by the saltwater.

Yeah, otters. They are amusing and cute. Until the males try and rape sea lions..

Mural Otters

Trying to find refuge from what appeared to be a sexual assault by a male sea otter, the sea lion hopped aboard a kayak in the Moss Landing Harbor.

Powell said she had gathered a group of kayakers into a “raft” to discuss safety before leading them past a dock where sea lions hang out near the Highway 1 bridge last Saturday morning when she noticed what appeared to be two sea otters mating about 50 feet away. Before she could advise the kayakers to move off, what turned out to be a sea lion broke away and made a dash for the kayaks, the otter in pursuit.

Aquarium Reopens Otter Exhibit

Sea Lion Assaulted By Otters