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.
Asilomar Deals With ADA Compliance
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.
Suicide in Washington Park
Alicia Austin’s body was discovered by teenagers at about 8 p.m. Friday at the park after they heard a gunshot, according to police. A handgun was found with the woman’s body and an investigation concluded that she took her own life, police said.
Downtown Burglars Strike Again
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.
Slow Down On Lighthouse Avenue
Remember when there was more common courtesy in downtown P.G? Now with tourists unfamiliar with the 15 MPH limit, diagonal parking and crosswalks we need more signs.
Reader submitted – Thanks!
Gay P.G. Police Officer Suing City
A gay Pacific Grove police officer – who claims he was subjected to jokes and ridicule and was turned down for promotions because of his lifestyle – has filed a lawsuit in federal court.
In the April 3 lawsuit filed against the police department, former police chief Scott Miller and current chief Darius Engles, Sgt. Darrin Smolinski claims for about 10 years he was the target of harassment and discrimination, and that little was done by supervisors to stop it.
“Smolinski was told that there is disapproval of his lifestyle within the department” and colleagues “have made remarks relating to Smolinski’s anatomy in relation to his sexual orientation,” according to his suit.
The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court in San Jose, parallels a claim Smolinski filed with the city in August 2007, in which he said he endured a hostile work environment. The officer was hired by the department in 1997
Is This Why Teachers Need More Money?
To support cocaine habits? The next time you get a letter from skool asking for permission to drug test your children, say “only if the faculty goes first…”
Greenfield police and officials from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office raided the north Salinas home of Raul Herrera-Arteaga on Tuesday morning, removing computers, animals and other items. When he returned to his home Tuesday afternoon, police said they found two bags of cocaine in his right sock and arrested him on suspicion of possession of a controlled substance.
Herrera was lodged at Monterey County Jail with bail set at $10,000.
No Tornadoes, But The Cellar Door Is Barred
Why Do They Call It The Green Spot?
Looks real brown to me.
Substainable P.G. cannot get enough gray water to sustain a few weeds. It’s been there a month, and there never seems to be anyone there. There really is not much interest in this sustainable stuff beyond the small cult of Agenda 21 followers.
For the past several months, three groups have been working to render the neglected little spot green. The one-room building’s 650 square feet are rather drab at first glance, but it’s a work in progress. Applied Solar employees have hung photos of local photovoltaic installations along one wall. Sustainable PG’s Joy Colangelo painted waves, stars and a jellyfish over the bullet holes in the window.
Ultimately, the G-Spot’s enthusiasts envision the space as a magnet for eco-oriented meetings, potlucks and live music – a place for the community to experiment in shades of green.
Hear-Old Says Yes On “U”
Public safety salaries and pensions have lost touch with private sector wages and benefits partly because city councils and boards of supervisors were not as frugal as they should have been, but even more so because cities and counties are competing from a shrinking pool of candidates. Fixing the too-costly pension system in California will require a systematic, statewide approach, not anything city by city.
Measure U on the June 3 ballot would raise sales tax from 7.25 percent to 8.25 percent. It doesn’t apply to groceries or other major expenses such as rent. It would provide the city about $1.3 million each year, much of it paid by tourists and visitors. On average, the additional tax is expected to cost each resident less than $5 per month.
It would provide the city about $1.3 million each year, much of it paid by tourists and visitors.
Tax the Tourists!!