Monterey Against STRs

Second paragraph here – Greed they call it.

AirBB Poop

To thwart homeowners from renting out their houses for short periods of time and consequently taking them off the market for long-term renters, the Monterey City Council is continuing its beefed-up enforcement of its short-term rental ban.

The short-term rental industry in Monterey sprung from owners of second or third homes renting out the houses for vacationers and others for a price they could never charge long-term renters.

Monterey Against STRs

Seagull Solution: African Cats

The City of Virginia Beach posted a picture of an African serval cat, believed to be Rocky, wearing a tracking collar, standing in the 2300 block of Shore Drive about 80 miles from his home.

Brian Hankins, of Kitty Hawk, says he owns Rocky, and he has posted pictures of the spotted cat lounging with the family dog.

Animal Control officers theorized that having plenty of seagulls to eat along the way may have helped Rocky on his journey.

Seagull Solution: African Cats

Traffic Is Bad, Oh What Will We Do?

Lighthouse Ave Traffic

Every year one side talks and pays traffic consultants and the other side woos more tourists. Dont’t you think they should get together over some taquitos and sangria down at Tia Maria and settle it?

Monterey is looking at making upgrades to Lighthouse Avenue and Del Monte Boulevard that would ease the congestion on two of the city’s main through ways.

  • incorporating smart traffic lights
  • constructing so-called “bulb outs” shortening the distance pedestrians must walk
  • making Lighthouse and Foam streets one way streets

and my favorite discovery this year::

  • there are only two lanes available through the tunnel

Traffic Is Bad, Oh What Will We Do?

Seals Off To Good Start, Expect More Sharks

Mister Jaws

Akeman and her husband visit the seals almost daily and track their numbers, conducting a Harbor Seal Census annually. This year the pair are predicting 55-60 live births based on how things are going with Koala and her pup and their count on pregnant moms.

2018 was a very good year for the colony and Baynet recorded 70 births. The population has been in recovery mode since 2014 when changing ocean temperatures in the bay depleted food sources. In 2016 just 16 pups were born in the Monterey area.

Seals Off To Good Start, Expect More Sharks

We Are All For Bacteria And Germs

Caused by poorly washed metal straws.

P.G. has already instituted a voluntary effort for restaurants to stop serving plastic straws, but “we’re looking at a broader scope than just straws,” Garfield said. “We are ratcheting down the use of all single-use plastic.”
The voluntary effort was led by the P.G. Chamber of Commerce and Sustainable Pacific Grove. Jeninni never had plastic straws from the day it opened five years ago. Owner Thamin Saleh said he didn’t know about metal straws when he opened so he didn’t serve any. Today he uses metal straws.

“It’s a personal belief,” Saleh said. “I don’t believe in waste. It has an unnecessary impact on the environment and our oceans”

We Are All For Bacteria And Germs

City Approves Diseases From Restaurants

Not only do the restaurants substain the gulls, now clean sterile food wrappers are being eliminated.

Cynthia Garfield, city councilwoman for Pacific Grove, said Wednesday that its version of a single-use plastics ban is being crafted in the city’s planning department and will come before the City Council this year.

P.G. has already instituted a voluntary effort for restaurants to stop serving plastic straws, but “we’re looking at a broader scope than just straws,” Garfield said. “We are ratcheting down the use of all single-use plastic.”

City Approves Diseases From Restaurants

Michael Balesteri, Monterey’s Master Criminal

Michael Balesteri

Stolen cars, drugs, counterfeit money, hit and run, running from police. Still got caught.

On March 27, detectives spotted Balesteri in Monterey driving another Acura sedan that was stolen out of Seaside.

Baleseteri was contacted after parking the car and was arrested without incident.

Police found tools used to commit vehicle thefts, methamphetamine, and counterfeit U.S. currency on Balesteri.

Police searched his home on the 800 block of Belden in Monterey found evidence he was creating counterfeit currency including a computer, printer, specialized paper, and additional counterfeit currency.

They also found property stolen from the Acura involved in the vehicle pursuit and crash on March 17, drug paraphernalia, and methamphetamine.

Michael Balesteri, Master Criminal

76 Year Old Man Arrested For Child Pornography

Thomas Hennessy

KSBW Photo

Thomas Hennessy, 76, of Pebble Beach was arrested by the Monterey County Sheriff’s Office on March 27 and charged with possession of child pornography.

Prior to Hennessy’s arrest the department had learned that someone at a Pebble Beach home on Sawmill Gulch Road was uploading and viewing child pornography over the internet.

76 Year Old Man Arrested For Child Pornography

Flora’s To Reopen

But only as a residenceKalisas 1

A building that was at one time the second biggest bordello on Cannery Row will be getting a face lift that will feature a residential unit above a restaurant.

In reality the building of the 1930s could also be considered mixed use. The bottom floor was a restaurant, bar and kitchen while the top floor served as a brothel from the early to mid-1930s until 1941 when California’s attorney general closed all brothels in the state, according to several books provided by the National Steinbeck Center’s archivist, Lisa Josephs.

Flora’s To Reopen

T.V. Stations Switch To Digital

Don’t be surprised if your barely watchable station does not come in anymore. Digital is yes or no, not kind of fuzzy but watchable.

Rabbit Ears

Television owners who use antenna to watch programming in the Monterey and Salinas areas will need to rescan their sets between now and July 2020 in order to continue to watch TV.

The Federal Communications Commission is conducting a nationwide effort to disseminate consumer information about the more than 1,000 television stations, including KDJT and KMMD in the Monterey-Salinas area, that have or will be transitioning to new frequencies to make room for new 5G and other mobile broadband.

T.V. Stations Switch To Digital