Morrie Fisher Settles ‘Free Golf For Life’ Lawsuit

Posted on by

According to the agreement, Fisher will be allowed to purchase an annual golf pass at a fee not to exceed half of the regular senior citizen annual rate of $635 for unlimited golf.

Fisher had used a free golf pass signed by former City Manager Gary Bales for nearly 15 years before the council revoked what he said was a lifetime privilege and he filed suit to recover the benefit after the City Council rejected his claim.

The city contended that Fisher’s golf privileges were not authorized or enforceable, and that they ended along with privileges enjoyed by others in the past.

Letters From The Editor – the next day

Slow news day?

The front page for Morrie? Hard to believe that the news is so slow that we have to worry about the former mayor of Pacific Grove’s golf benefits.

On the other hand, it’s a good example of how the “good old boys” got our city into the mess it is now.

Charles Lee
Pacific Grove

A candidate for airline ad

Morrie Fisher and his good old boys got Pacific Grove into the financial situation it is trying to get out of and then he wins in a lawsuit he brings against the town. For all the money he has cost Pacific Grove, I don’t see how he can show his face around here or on the golf course.

Maybe he will be on the next Southwest Airlines commercials that get you out of town quickly and cheaply for making such stupid blunders.

Vicki Illgner
Pacific Grove

Morrie Fisher Settles ‘Free Golf For Life’ Lawsuit

Joy Colangelo vs. The Civilized World II

Posted on by

The opinion piece begins with a protest over noise.

Honk if you hate peace and quiet.

Noise trespasses into your quality of life. It changes your health every time a lawn mower runs at 90 decibels (85 decibels damages hearing). You may enjoy a motorboat ride, but you probably shouldn’t. From 50 feet away, motorboats, at 80 eardrum-pounding decibels, are louder than a semi.

We have 20 million leaf blowers whose only mission is to move your leaves next door, where your neighbor blows them back over again. What we’re left with is audible litter and leaves that never really go anywhere. (By the way, gas leaf blowers are prohibited in Pacific Grove, so cut it out.)

Most leafblowers in PG are used by gardening services for weekender homes or people that have to work long hours to afford to live here. But anyway, ok it’s a plea to be aware that your noise is not everyone’s noise. OK.

But then the tone shifts . .

While Vancouver is quieting the cars, some cities are eliminating cars altogether, making for quieter, walkable streets. Rome has closed more than 100 streets to cars. Copenhagen and Toronto were leaders in going car-free through the “pedestrianization” of their streets. There are more than 30 pedestrian, car-free outside malls in the United States, which have become thriving tourist centers. People flock to Santa Monica’s carless downtown, and if they miss it, they pay good money to visit Disneyland’s and Universal Studios’ carless artificial downtown Main Streets. We long for it. We’ll buy an admission ticket to see it.

So let’s see which will be the first enlightened city in Monterey County to eliminate cars from a street and not just during a farmers market. Every day. How about Pacific Grove, the first to sign the Environmental Accords? Picture Lighthouse Avenue closed to traffic like a perpetual, thriving, smaller Good Old Days. If 20,000 people can come to Good Old Days and find parking even though Lighthouse is closed, a few thousand can do it every day.

What? Cars are not the biggest noise makers. But Joy’s agenda is to ban them. Why not start with the street SHE lives on? See if her silence is not everyone’s silence.

Part of American’s freedom is the right to move about unabated. Becoming mobile was a part of the great revolution in freedom. Joy wants to put a stop to it.

Joy Colangelo vs. The Civilized World II

Traffic! Open Up The Presidio?

Posted on by

I always thought that the Presidio would be a better site for CSUMB and Fort Ord would be better for the Defense Language Institute.

Fred N. Nielson writes:

One solution would be to move some of the functions to Fort Ord, but such an expensive option shouldn’t be necessary. There are military bases all over the world with civilian roads running through them. A number of roads through DLI could effectively serve the same purpose.

A cursory study of the map reveals that Corporal Ewing Road and Artillery Street could be opened to civilian traffic without damaging the Presidio’s integrity. Lawton and Rifle Range roads could also serve as easily protected routes through the Presidio. Just opening two routes through the Presidio would increase traffic flow by nearly double.

There are solutions to this problem. New roadblocks, literal or otherwise, are not helpful. Let’s help our merchant friends in New Monterey and Pacific Grove. Contact your local officials and voice your concern.

Traffic on the high road
68 At Chomp

Traffic on the low road
Lighthouse Ave Traffic

Traffic! Open Up The Presidio?

Letters From The Editor

Posted on by

The proposed Pacific Grove parcel tax of $120 per year costs less than dinner for four at Passionfish, two pairs of shoes from Orlando’s, three fill-ups at Shell, four bags of groceries from Grove Market or Trader Joe’s, a new sweater from Prim & Proper or a new do from the beauty shop.

Put in perspective, this is a small annual amount to help our town recover from commitments and mistakes made on our behalf by prior elected officials and previous administrators.

Please vote yes on all three tax measures to help stabilize our town’s financial situation.

P.S. to Ron Schenk: Thank you for voting to hire Jim Colangelo.

The P.S. refers to the blame-shifting letter that the ousted city councilman sent to all the papers apologizing for hiring Colangelo.

Letters From The Editor

Tide Pool Nazis Attack Needed Taxes

Posted on by

“The city needs to look at another source of revenue,” said Jim Willoughby, who, along with his wife, Lee, has led the anti-tax charge. For the past several weeks, the couple has stood in front of the Pacific Grove post office collecting signatures in opposition of the tax measures.

It that the Willoughby’s old Mercedes parked in the handicapped parking all day? I know they have a right, but gee, they are making it hard for other disabled people to go about their business. But I guess the Willoughbys are nothing but grade A MFFYs.

Tide Pool Nazis Attack Needed Taxes

Gay P.G. Cop Sues City

Posted on by

A gay Pacific Grove police officer has filed a claim with the city after enduring what he says has been nearly 10 years of “discrimination, harassment and retaliation” by fellow officers, a former police chief and others.

In a lurid six-page claim filed in August, Sgt. Darrin Smolinski, who began working at the department in 1997, alleges he was repeatedly turned down for several promotions, including the positions of detective and commander.

Although he doesn’t identify them by name, Smolinski also accuses his coworkers of harassing him. “Smolinski has been the subject of verbal comments on the size of his genitals,” the claim outlines, “asked about association with the Rainbow Coalition and sexual orientation relative to his male roommate during public meetings on the police department premises.”

Gay P.G. Cop Sues City

New Monterey Police Blotter – October 2007

Posted on by

10/1/07 Vehicle vandalism while parked at 32 Cannery Row.

10/1/07 Traffic accident versus a deer at Lighthouse and Pvt. Bolio.

10/1/07 Found Motorola cell phone, 2 cell phone chargers, and black Guess wallet in the 700 block of Spencer.

10/2/07 Citizen was found in a business during a building search of a burglary alarm, located on Cannery Row. The subject was later determined to be an employee who fell asleep at the end of his shift, and was locked within the building.

10/2/07 Civil problem 200 block of Lighthouse.

10/2/07 LUNA, JASON transient was arrested for public intoxication at 865 Lighthouse.

10/2/07 Traffic accident with a pedestrian in the 600 block of Lighthouse.

10/4/07 Citizen 2300 block of David reports the theft of a CDL, ID, miscellaneous cards, business cards and $5 in change from his unlocked vehicle.

10/4/07 HERNANDEZ, BARNABEE was arrested for public intoxication at Prescott and Cannery Row.

10/4/07 LARRY REYNALDS and DANIEL JEWETT were cited for drinking in public in the 200 block Prescott.

10/5/07 MPD towed a black 1993 Nissan Pathfinder on Spencer for expired registration over six months.

10/6/07 COLLINS, CARL was arrested being in possession of cocaine base and drug paraphernalia during a traffic stop at Reeside and Foam. COLLINS was also charged with giving false information to a police officer during a lawful traffic detention.

10/6/07 MCSO was aided in the arrest of COLLINS, CARL on a no bail warrant for robbery, domestic violence, and burglary during a traffic stop at Reeside and Foam.

10/7/07 MPD reports finding .22 oz of marijuana in the 400 block of Oak.

10/7/07 Citizen reported having lost her wallet, containing miscellaneous cards, while visiting the Cannery Row area.

10/7/07 MCCAFFERTY, RICHARD was arrested for possession of stolen property (K2 Bike) on Prescott at Laine.

10/9/07 MPD towed a Cadillac Coupe De Ville from the 500 block of Belden for the registration being expired over (6) months.

10/10/07 MPD towed a green 1975 Ford F-250 from 600 block Oak St for registration expired over six months.

10/11/07 Citizen reports being battered by three unknowns at the intersection of Foam and Reeside.

10/15/07 Citizen 400 block of Belden reports vandalism to her parked vehicle.

10/17/07 CANNERY ROW DELI 100 block of Drake reports malicious mischief to their delivery vehicle parked in the rear parking lot.

10/17/07 ROCKEFELLER, KENNETH was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance, and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs on Lighthouse and Dickman. ROCKEFELLER was additionally charged with driving on a suspended license.

10/17/07 San Luis Obispo County was aided in the arrest of ROCKEFELLER, KENNETH on at $15,000 traffic warrant.

10/19/07 FINAN, KELLY was arrested for possession of a controlled substance, being under the influence of a controlled substance, possession of less then one ounce of marijuana, possession of a switchblade knife and driving under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs at Scott and Pacific.

10/19/07 Graffiti spray painted on the playground equipment at Hilltop Park.

10/19/07 Citizen advised that a dog b attacked her dog while in the 700 block of Lighthouse.

10/19/07 Citizen reports unknown to have stolen watches and cell phones from his unlocked residence in the 600 block of Hawthorne.

10/21/07 Jose JIMENEZ, Christopher FRANCIS, and Edwin FRANCO were cited for Trespassing at 484 Cannery Row.

10/22/07 TRAYLOR, Larry was cited for being in possession of less than one ounce of marijuana at the Coast Guard Pier.

10/24/07 Vehicle burglary at Lighthouse and Hoffman.

10/24/07 Citizen reports unknown to have struck his Dodge truck while parked at Prescott and Belden.

10/26/07 SCHUMACHER, BROOKE was arrested for driving under the influence of alcohol at Foam and Drake.

10/28/07 Citizen reports a vandalism that occurred at 600 Block of Lighthouse, located on the sidewalk were three 24 inch planters with 7 foot high plants. The planters were kicked over and smashed on the West side of the street.

10/28/07 MPD reports finding a black luggage bag hanging from the Rabobank sign in the 500 block of Lighthouse.

10/28/07 Suspicious circumstances in the 400 block of Archer, regarding second hand information that someone had struck a vehicle.

10/28/07 Citizen reports being battered with serious injury at Bruce Ariss Way.

10/28/07 Citizen reports an unknown individual to have pushed him to the ground in the 200 block of the Recreation Trail

New Monterey Police Blotter – October 2007