Council Votes To End CALPERS

Posted on by

Notice the color changing on the roof of city hall?
Poopy City Hall Roof

Wednesday the City Council voted 5-0 — Councilmembers Vicki Stilwell and Scott Miller were absent — in favor of a resolution of intent to terminate Pacific Grove’s contract with CalPERS, the first step in the process of looking into ending use of the system to fund city employee retirement benefits.

Since the dot-com stock market crash in the late 1990s, the city’s annual contributions to the retirement system jumped from $100,000 then to $2.6 million this year, according to city management and budget director Jim Becklenberg.

CalPERS-guaranteed benefits are mostly financed by income from its investments, which tanked in the market crash, he said.

Council Votes To End CALPERS

Amateur Radio Field Day

Posted on by

Good people, ham radio operators.
Amateur Radio

The Naval Postgraduate School Amateur Radio Club will hold its annual field day involving ham radio operators and an open house 11 a.m. June 28 to 11 a.m. June 29 on the lower Presidio at Pacific Street and Lighthouse Avenue.

Demonstrations include digital and satellite capabilities, voice communications and Morse code.

Amateur Radio Field Day

Bumper Stickers Equate To Anger, Road Rage

Posted on by

Interesting, but true in experience.
Bumper Stickers

A compelling but puzzling finding from Colorado State University says motorists who put bumper stickers on their cars are more likely to show aggressive road rage than those who don’t.

The key apparently lies in the idea of territoriality, according to the report, which is being published in several scientific journals.

Drivers who personalize their cars using bumper stickers, window decals and vanity plates, the researchers claim, see their cars in the same way as they see their homes and bedrooms — as deeply personal space, or primary territory.

Bumper Stickers Equate To Anger, Road Rage

Newspaper Racks Chain Themselves To Pole In Protest

Posted on by

The runaway racks chased away from the front of the post office back in April have been spotted gathering in the parking lot on Forest Avenue by the Grove Market.

The rusty or sun-faded dispensers of that obsolete media called newspapers and other pulp goods of dubious value are taking a stand this time. They have chained themselves up to signposts and trees in the traditions of UCSC and UC Berzerkley.News Rack Chained

Steinbeck Family Home For Sale

Posted on by

Home of the Colossus Of Gold. This P.G. fixer-upper can be yours for just $695,000

Family home owned by John Steinbeck’s parents and grandmother, with a studio that John Steinbeck helped to build. You’ll be fascinated with this authentic embodiment of our local history; listing includes antique wringer washer, icebox and cast iron stove. Home also has features that highlight John Steinbeck’s interests in King Arthur. This is a home with a colorful past, ready for restoration and a bright future!

Cog House

Steinbeck Family Home For Sale

Farmers Market Might Be Dead As Evening Business Is

Posted on by

Pacific Grove farmers’ market, scheduled to debut in July, will be delayed for at least two weeks — and could be called off altogether this year — because of an advertising blunder in the Monterey County Herald, city officials said.

Scheduled to debut July 7, the farmers’ market will be set back because the Herald failed to print a public hearing notice for last week’s city council meeting in which the market was discussed.

“It’s too bad it will be delayed,” P.G. Mayor Dan Cort told The Pine Cone, “because we are all so excited about the farmers’ market.”

Well, if you can’t buy some vegetables, we can always find you some toast and noodles for about $30 . .

$8 toast at Joe Rombi
8 dollar toast

$21 for a plate of noodles, not even any meat!

20 Dollar Noodles

Farmers Market Might Be Dead As Evening Business Is

Susan Goldbeck Wants To Return To Council

Posted on by

Just when we were starting to turn the corner on the “city in trouble” thing she wants to come back and return it to the way it was when she was in office.How About No Bear

Former Pacific Grove City Councilwoman Susan Goldbeck has announced her plan to run for City Council—again. Goldbeck served on the council from 2002 to 2006 but lost her 2006 bid for mayor.

“Pacific Grove has been having some pretty tough seas lately,” says Goldbeck, a local attorney.”Maybe I can help get our little ship of state right again.”

Some Goldbeck stories from the past:

Don’t vote for her, please.

Susan Goldbeck Wants To Return To Council

Sustainable P.G. – Noble Cause Or Ego Trip?

Posted on by

The discrepancy between SPG’s big presence and small volunteer pool has caught the attention of P.G. sisters Pat and Sally Herrgott. “I’m confused about what kind of an organization they are,” Pat Herrgott says. “They’re just a loose group of people with similar objectives. To me, they seem more like a political action committee than a nonprofit.”

At only 2 years old, Sustainable Pacific Grove has taken up a big public presence: hosting eco-booths at Good Old Days; running green cleaning and worm composting workshops; developing criteria for the new P.G. Farmers Market; lobbying for a regional ban on polystyrene take-out containers; and outfitting the eco-hub known as The Green Spot with an edible garden, fog collector and cisterns.

Edible Garden? The Brown Green Spot is a collective of weeds, garbage and fire hazards.

Three foot high weeds and discarded coffee cup (not a styrofoam cup!)green spot trash

Broken glass to play with.green spot glass

Using old news as moisture barrier? Looks more like litter.
green spot news

The collective of rubbish and unsafe lead acid storage batteries.
green spot dump

Sustainable P.G. – Noble Cause Or Ego Trip?

Liquor Store Owner Opposes Farmers Market

Posted on by

What’s behind Ron’s Liquors? A huge free parking lot. People in need of liquor, cigarettes and porn will not be slowed down by a bunch of veggie lovers.

On June 4, the Pacific Grove City Council approved an ordinance allowing public gatherings on Lighthouse, a prerequisite for the farmers market.

But Lighthouse Avenue merchants say the market will hurt them.

“It was supposed to come to town and be something positive for the city,” said liquor store owner David Pollacci.

Instead, he said, it will take business away from merchants.

His business, Ron’s Liquors at 613 Lighthouse Ave., loses 30 percent to 40 percent of its business on days when the street is closed — Good Old Days, the Butterfly Parade, car rallies, the Christmas Parade of Lights and similar events. Pollacci said he doesn’t mind giving up sales from time to time, but shutting down the street once a week would be too big a loss.

Rons Liquors

Liquor Store Owner Opposes Farmers Market