Green Businesses
PG Planning Commission Reviews Farmers’ Market
By Cameron Douglas
The Pacific Grove Farmer’s Market, struggling through bad weather and a serious economic downturn, faced the Pacific Grove Planning Commission as part of its six-month review on March 5. Sounding like a replay of most other reviews the Farmers Market has faced, the same questions arose: How is the downtown Pacific Grove Farmers’ Market doing? Does it live up to its initial proposal? How is it affecting local businesses? Should it be moved to another location? Would it be better on a different day? Should it be opened up to other vendors in Monterey County? Should it continue at all?
The Many Colors of Green
The meaning of “green” has been enriched in recent years and “organic” is one of the many shades of meaning that can now be included in the green category. But green doesn’t necessarily mean green! The Pacific Grove Farmers Market offers a rich selection of inexpensive, and colorful, organic produce. Here are some close-ups from last Monday’s abundant farmer’s market tables. Photos by Robert Lewis
Cypress Cleaners
Jin Jung and his wife, Karen, have a new little girl named Abby. She isn’t even walking yet, but it’s pretty obvious that she runs the Jung household. “When you have kids, you want to change the world,” says Jin. “I want to leave a better world for her. Jin had worked with his parents for eight years at Cypress Cleaners on Grand Avenue. He went to work in the hospitality industry, for the Westin chain of hotels, and that’s where he met Karen. It’s also where he learned about “green” things that could be done in the industry, particularly with regard to laundry and dry cleaning. When his parents decided it was time to retire (which they haven’t quite yet done!) they invited Jin and his wife to come into the business with them. Jin spent six months researching a green system and the machinery needed to “go green,” and then decided on a system called GreenEarth Cleaning. Most dry cleaning, says Jin, is done with solvents such as petroleum-based perchloroethylene, or perc. Perc is used on the fabric and it lifts out soils and carries them away . . .right into the environment. It is classified as a toxic air contaminant and is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency. Most people are familiar with the odor of perc on their clothing which has been dry cleaned. But the system which Jin chose to use uses chemically inert liquid silicone to carry the dirt and oils out of clothing. It breaks down into water, carbon dioxide and sand. The system, which cost the Jungs more than $100,000, does not have an odor and is more gentle to fabrics than systems which use perc. The Jungs look at the business as more than just a job. Jin has landed the contract to do commercial cleaning for some major accounts, and is looking for more. Jin’s next step is to switch to biodegradable plastic bags. “Currently, the bags most dry cleaners use are reusable, but not recyclable. They hang around for as many as five years.” Jin is looking at a bag that will only last two years, and then will “melt” away. For more information on GreenEarth Cleaning, you can see their website at www.greenearthcleaning.com. Cypress Cleaners is located at 230 Grand Avenue in Pacific Grove. Their hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The offer same day service, and they have a seamstress on staff. You can call them at 375-3111.
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