Category Archives: Pacific Grove

P.G. Looking For A Full Time Lawyer

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City Hall Help Wanted

To haul itself out of financial quicksand, the City of Pacific Grove has slashed jobs and shrunk services. Now, city leaders are looking to lighten legal costs by hiring a salaried city attorney.

David Laredo reckons his firm is giving P.G. a good deal. For the past year, he says, De Lay & Laredo has billed the city a flat monthly retainer fee for basic legal services, including attendance at City Council and Planning Commission meetings, reviews of city contracts and ordinances, and responses to public record requests. This fiscal year the city will pay about $130,000 in retainer fees, by Colangelo’s estimate. But if the firm had billed the city for every hour worked, Laredo says, the total would have been closer to $200,000.

Despite P.G.’s high payout to contracted lawyers, Laredo questions the cost-effectiveness of hiring a staff attorney. On top of salary and benefits, he says, the city would have to pony up legal library fees, malpractice insurance, postage, copying, state bar fees and continuing education costs.

P.G. Looking For A Full Time Lawyer

Central Ave Bakery On The Deathwatch List

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Central Ave Bakery Final Week

The water pollution control agency later cut the bakery’s outstanding sewer fees in half, according to business co-owner Tina Thompson. But the high water bills, coupled with slower business, have driven the young bakery to near-bankruptcy, she says. Thompson expects Central Avenue to close its doors in about a month unless investors or a surge in revenue revive it.

Central Ave Bakery On The Deathwatch List

Voters Approve Tax

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$300,000 difference on items sold but not delivered in the city. Art Galleries most likely the dead weight on the economy.

The 1 percent that the city already gets as its share of the sales tax brings in $1.6 million a year, he said, noting that the $300,000 difference is because of sales orders placed and delivered outside the city that are not subject to the increase. Becklenberg described Measure U as a “district” tax applicable only to transactions within town borders.

Vehicles purchased outside the city but registered in Pacific Grove will be subject to the tax, City Attorney David Laredo said.

Voters Approve Tax

More P.G. Dogs In Trouble

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Dogs doing what dogs do, either being social or defending their territory. It’s crazy to think that they will obey voice commands.

In the December attack, the two German shepherds, Lola, 2, and Bear, 11, owned by Monty Reitz, jumped Reitz’ 4-foot fence and ran toward Tule, a 2-year-old female Labrador owned by Casey Conover Houston, and began biting the dog, according to Davis’ report. Houston had been visiting her parents, the Conovers, who live next door to Reitz on Crocker Avenue.

In order to protect her dog, Houston said she “threw herself on top of her dog and screamed for help,” Davis wrote.

Although Tule didn’t suffer any lasting injuries, Houston said since the attack, the dog has had a difficult time socializing with other animals. “She acts a lot more scared now,” Houston said.

Could the dog be scared that whenever another dog comes near that a person is going to dive on top of her and scream? And when the rescue dogs try to drag her out from under the screaming woman, the woman fights off the rescuers?

More P.G. Dogs In Trouble

They Gave It All Their Heart And . .

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Heart & Soul. Mix of beauty parlor and requisite art gallery and jewelry store.

Lasted little less than 5 months

Beginning of year:

Alexis Everett says she has always been interested in hair styling and finally decided to bring her “Heart And Soul” to Pacific Grove and open her own business
PG Hometown Bulletin, 1/2/08

Heart and soul

Today:
Soulless

Sign in window, early April. Knew it was a loser back then, eh?no failure

They Gave It All Their Heart And . .

Council Approves Old Bath House Restaurant Remodel

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admin’s concept:
Old Bath House Wienerschnitzel

The plan also calls for expansion of the restaurant from 92 to 128 seats, the addition of a 570-square-foot outdoor seating deck and ADA improvements within the restaurant, including a wheelchair lift, bathrooms and seating configuration.

The Old Bath House shut down in November 2005 after the city decided not to renew the lease with longtime operator Dave Bindel, who got behind about $30,000 in rent.

The concept also includes demolishing the Lovers Point public restrooms, which mayor Dan Cort called an “eyesore,” and installing new ones on the first floor of the restaurant.

So the thousands spent on repairing the fire damaged cinder block restrooms were a waste of money?

The kiddie pool at Lovers Point would also be removed and in its place a year-round picnic area would be built.

There goes another thing that the residents use, to be replaced by another picnic area where weddings take place.
Old Bath House Kiddie Pool

Council Approves Old Bath House Restaurant Remodel

Washington Park Suicide Was In The Restroom

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Alicia Austin used a handgun to end her life at about 8:05 p.m. May 16 in a bathroom at George Washington Park, according to Pacific Grove Police. Numerous young children and teenagers were in the park at the time.

“We received a call of a shot heard in the area of George Washington Park,” said police Cmdr. Tom Uretsky. “As one of our officers was responding to that, he saw some juveniles running out of the park. They had gone into the restroom and had found the victim there.”

Uretsky declined to say what type of gun was used. He also wouldn’t say whether the woman died in the men’s or women’s restroom for fear it would become a “tourist attraction” for curiosity seekers.

Washington Park Suicide Was In The Restroom

Asilomar Deals With ADA Compliance

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Ada Virgin Sacrifice Brevity

On Tuesday, the California State Parks began accepting proposals for a 20-year contract to manage Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds. The hospitality management company that gets chosen, once the bidding process is closed in August, will oversee the development and management of the conference center and its lodging facilities.

A major part of that development, said Mat Fuzie, Monterey district superintendent for the state Department of Parks and Recreation, will be to bring the Pacific Grove facility into compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Asilomar Deals With ADA Compliance

Downtown Burglars Strike Again

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In Letters To The Editor, Jane Roland Writes

I manage the Animal Friends Rescue Project Treasure Shop in Pacific Grove on 17th Street. On May 8, I went into the store as usual shortly before 10 a.m. After the preliminaries involved with preparing for the day, a customer arrived. I removed the cover from the cash register and discovered the drawer open and the money gone. The machine was broken and the keys taken. Everyone was alerted, the police were called and business resumed. The next day the same thing occurred. While it is considered a break-in, all of the locks were changed and further precautions were taken.

Not a new MO. There was a gang of teens burglarizing businesses at one time.

Downtown Burglars Strike Again,