Central Coast nonprofit for women seeks success in challenge on Huffington Post
Rising International is turning to the community to help it win an important Huffington Post competition by June 6. Out of a group of more than 250 applicants, Rising International is proud to be one of the non-profits selected to compete for cash awards and international attention in the RaiseForWomen Challenge launched by Huffington Post and its partners on April 24. Currently, there are more than 100 organizations in the running from at least 150 cities in more than 35 states.Rising International, headquartered in Santa Cruz, is the only California Central Coast organization participating in the Challenge. Read the rest of this story »
We’re leaving for Nicaragua Feb. 14: What are you doing Valentine’s night?
T.A.S.K 4 U & ME ~ Together Achieving Successful Kindness along with members of Monterey Pacific Rotary will be traveling to Nicaragua for the fourth straight year along with eight students from Pacific Grove. The group will be returning to Nicaragua, servicing five cities in six days!
In a 4-year period these two programs together have connected hearts not just in Nicaragua, but right here in our own country. Read the rest of this story »
Taylor Jones/Trudeau Publishing Interview on Andy Warhol and Popism
Taylor Jones/Trudeau Publishing interviews the curator of the Monterey Museum of Art, Karen Cruz-Hendon, on the occasion of their display of the Andy Warhol show in February, 2012.
Click here to listen to the interview
Pretty Old the Movie is Pretty Wonderful
By Marge Ann Jameson
“So many people have so many stories,” says Walter Matteson, himself a teller of stories. “Verité documentaries often start out as one thing, and life happens. You’re constantly adjusting and developing as the story unfolds.”
He is the director of a feature-length documentary film, “Pretty Old.” It’s about contestants in the Ms. Senior Sweetheart Pageant, held in Fall River, MA. He says it took him a little less than a year to find his characters and their stories.
But Matteson doesn’t tell their stories. They do. They tell them through their actions at the 2008 pageant and their frank discussions with the camera, and thus with us. We see them donning their sequined evening gowns and their talent contest costumes, and we hear about their aspirations and the roadblocks life has put in front of them. We watch them from the day they arrive at the Hampton Inn where the event is centered, and we go backstage as they practice their dance routines and have their hair and make-up done. We learn about their motivations and their pasts . . . and we fall in love with them – and the pageant — much as Walter Matteson must have. That much is obvious as we watch the camera caress these adventuresome ladies strutting their stuff on the pageant stage.
He concentrates on four of the 30 women, who range in age from 67 to 81, going to their homes which include the Virgin Islands, Houston, TX, and St. Paul, MN and and following them through the days of the tournament.
Phyllis lost her husband to Alzheimer’s and has had a heart attack. She speaks frankly about her relationship with her late husband, saying they were “married lovers,” and describes his final weeks, and how she climbed into his hospital bed to receive a heartfelt late kiss from him, on her arm.
Francis has been diagnosed with late stage ovarian cancer. She has faced it before, and continues to fight it, saying that she is not afraid of dying but worries about her 94-year old mother and her developmentally challenged son. She is a tap dancer.
“You’ve got limits now, so what are you going to do?” one contestant asks. Tap dance, you want to answer. Don a Betty Boop costume and do a little boop-boop-e-do. Read the rest of this story »
When we die
The following entry was made by Steve Hauk on his author’s blog on Redroom.com. With his permission, we reprint it here.
If you missed the articles by Les Gorn, they are on our website at www.cedarstreettimes.com under the “Features” tab, as a single PDF. Or you can read them in situ in “Past Issues” which are filed by date.
I read something the other day that destroyed my comforting delusion that if I died suddenly my unproduced or unpublished manuscripts would eventually be discovered and produced or published and my genius hailed.
Novelist and teacher Les Gorn (“The Anglo Saxons’’), writing for the Cedar Street Times, is doing a series on Monterey Peninsula writers over the years, and they are many.
Not just the John Steinbecks, Henry Millers and Robinson Jeffers, but some other very fine artists who are lesser known but important nonetheless, such as Jean Ariss (“The Shattered Glass’’ and a close friend of Steinbeck’s) and Saul Alinsky (“Reveille for Radicals’’). Gorn writes that Alinsky, who lived in the Carmel Highlands, is “believed to have inspired both Barack Obama’s years as a community organizer and his 2008 campaign strategy for the Presidency.’’
But it was the entry on Robert Bradford that brought me up short.
Bradford lived in Pacific Grove. He was, as Gorn describes him, a writer and activist. He was co-author with another Peninsula writer, Ward Moore (“Bring the Jubilee,’’ 1953, an acclaimed novel supposing the South won the Civil War), of a novel titled “Caduceus Wild’’ as well as the author of “numerous articles in left wing journals.’’
But, writes Gorn, Bradford’s best work was a novel that was turned down by several prestigious publishers. Gorn read it many years ago and writes that “its characters still live vividly in my memory, a century and tons of manuscripts later, one true test, I think of literary merit.’’
The payoff then, one would think, is that the manuscript has been rediscovered and will be published and Bradford’s literary career resurrected.
It is here that Gorn destroys the delusion of literary justice, for, he writes, the manuscript has been “unaccountably lost.’’ Even Gorn has forgotten its title, if not its characters.
There are other tragic stories in Gorn’s essay for the Cedar Street Times, the paper founded and edited by Marge Ann Jameson. One is of writer and singer Richard Farina (friend of Thomas Pynchon and Peter Yarrow and author of “Been Down So Long It Looks Like Up to Me’’).
Shortly after the publication of that novel, Farina (see photo), in a celebratory mood, took a ride with a motorcyclist out to the wilds of nearby Carmel Valley. The `cycle hit 90 miles per hour rounding a bend and leaving the road, according to authorities. The driver lived, Farina was dead at age 29. “Farina’s grave,’’ Gorn writes, “marked with a peace sign, is in Monterey City Cemetery.’’
Joan Baez, who for a time made her home in the Carmel Valley, wrote and recorded the song “Sweet Sir Galahad’’ to commemorate Farina’s life.
So, very sad, but at least Farina’s best work is still with us. It would be nice if we could say the same about Bradford’s. Or even knew what he had titled it.
We Pass This Way But Once
Many of you have asked for a reprint of the serialized feature by Les Gorn, We Pass This Way But Once. We have made it into a single PDF. You can find it here: http://www.cedarstreettimes.com/newpdf/WePassThisWayButOnce.pdf
Message for the new year, 2012 from Amy Coale Solis
Dec 2011 Personal note
Greetings! I hope you are enjoying the most wonderful time of the year. I have set an intention to truly enjoy the holidays this year. Hiking through the giant redwoods with my husband, father, mother, and grandmother has for sure been my favorite outing this season. I feel fortunate to live in such a lovely place and get to show my family the special trees and sites when they come to visit. Being from southern Illinois we love to gaze at and experience the sacred giants sequoias every chance we get.
Behind the scene there is really special stuff happening. With my earnings from the handmade basket deliveries, I have been able to invest in a mentor to support me in 2012 as a spiritual entrepreneur. To guide me while growing into the person and business I wish to be, by expressing and sharing my true essence and fulfill my propose in order to make a great living. I have always known I would be reaching for support and now the time has come. I cannot believe how quickly and amazingly things are unfolding. I am so grateful and look forward to sharing the plans ahead with you. Say tuned for all the new growth and plans in 2012.
Below I have included my most personal article and writing ever. It’s all about my past, my journey and my story. I have never shared anything like this before with anyone. I hope it is helpful to you and helps you to know and understand a little more about me.
Until next year 2012…. I wish you a holiday filled with enjoyment or whichever special intent you have set for yourself. Blessings and Enjoyment to each of you.
Transformation story
I am Amy Solis, a holistic health practitioner specializing in herbs and nutrition. I also run a small farmstead herd-share. I live in the beautiful Santa Cruz Mountains with my true love, my husband Reev. We are living our dream of a quiet, healthy, holistic lifestyle. I work from home supporting others through nutrition, herbs, and a natural holistic lifestyle. I get to be at home and take great care of my husband, our home, and myself. I get to be with my organic dairy goats each day and look out the window of my office at my organic garden and the beautiful trees and mountains, just as I have always wished and dreamed. My family is proud of me, I am healthy without medication, happy, pain free. I have energy naturally and I am being the woman I have always wanted to be.
But things were not always this way . . . in fact, if I’m really honest with you, you’ll see that my journey has been quite traumatic and challenging.” What I want to share is a bit about my path because as you look and hear about my life now I think it’s important for me to share how it has not always been this way.
I had a traumatic childhood. I was hospitalized twice as a little girl; first over dosing on my mother’s medication and nearly losing my life. Then again after being attacked by my father’s dog. Along with this, we (my family) did not have an understanding about nutrition, its effects on health and the body, or a realization about the way food makes us feel. There definitely was not a connecting or relating about good nutrition, health, concentration or quality of life. Health problems seemed to be normal. My mother suffered from constant health problems. This was very hard for me while growing up and a difficult thing to watch my mom go through. Now please before I continue let me say I am not ungrateful or blaming anyone about this, if anything, it’s the opposite. I’m thankful for these learning opportunities.
With this background of trauma and poor nutrition, by the time I got to school I was struggling with concentration and focus. I remember reading and not remembering the sentences I had just read. By my teenage years I began to struggle with pms and severe menstrual cramping, every month going through this same horrible episode of pain, vomiting and shaking. I remember having to leave school and getting home just in time to throw up in so much pain from menstrual cramping. Another time this happened while out at the movies and I needed to call home to get someone to come and get me so this would not happen in public. The movie office said they would not call home for me and that they would only call the ambulance. I had to go in the ambulance. I was given Vicodin in the emergency room at the hospital.
It was not helpful when the doctors would tell me that nothing was wrong and give me a look as if I were wimpy or that all woman have to deal with it and I was not any different, ending with me being sent away with birth control pills and huge tablets of ibuprofen. Making things worse to say the least. There were times while going through this I wondered if my life was even worth living if I had to go through so much pain each month.
This was not the only health issue I was struggling with… digestive issues, ulcers, acne, depression, and serious bronchitis that would require me to take antibiotics at least two times a year. I had major low self-esteem, I did not like who I was, how I looked, and I had no idea what direction to head in. Over all, this had pretty much left me as a lost, unhappy young adult and an unhealthy, unbalanced young woman.
I thought this is just what God wants for me and how life is for me, full of suffering, and I felt this was just the card I had been dealt, so I began to “party” and use this as a way to feel good, connect with others, and feel good about myself, overall resulting in a DUI.
Then, when I turned 18, I was taken off my parent’s insurance plan and it hit me. Something deep down, I knew I was not going to have the antibiotics, the amoxicillin, the major ibuprofin, the Retin-A acne cream, the tagiment ulcer treatment or any of the many other prescriptions that had been sustaining my health through my childhood up until then. It was scary but I knew I had to learn to take care of myself and take my health into my own hands and responsibility if I was going to make it or even have a chance of living a healthy life.
I got a job at a local nutrition center in the town where I was living and began to study nutrition and herbs. I began to get healthy and I started a positive path of supreme health and self care. I began to work with and study under a nutritionist/herbalist, a naturopathic doctor and an aromatherapist at the nutrition center. I became like a sponge and took in all I could learn from these mentors. They supported, encouraged, trained, sponsored, and influenced the practitioner and the person I am today. They taught me everything they know and I live and work still to this day with integrity as if I am a member of this team, in all I do.
Following this I followed my heart, moved to Monterey Bay to be with my husband and took a position at a small nutrition center as their in-house herbalist. Here I worked for four years until 2010 when I began to focus on working from home while tending our holistic farmstead herd-share in the Santa Cruz mountains, truly stepping into, living and loving a natural holistic-lifestyle while practicing and honoring what I teach.
If you would like to speak with a Master Herbalist I will be happy to answer your questions, work with you, your family, your health, and your natural-holistic lifestyle. I also am happy to offer a free, first time phone consultation.
If you have a question or would like to schedule a FREE, first time phone consultation, contact: (831) 262-6522.
Church celebrates 100 years with an organ concert: Organ installed in 1916
By Cameron Douglas
Technically, the Mayflower Church has been around in different forms and denominations for 119 years; but on Nov. 14 it will celebrate 100 years in its current building. The massive brick-faced structure on the corner of 14th and Central went up after a fire destroyed the original wooden church in 1910.
These are just some of the organ’s 1,200 pipes. Some are made from redwood.
Known today as the Mayflower Presbyterian Church, it stands as solid as ever. On Sunday, Nov. 14, a centennial celebration will include social gatherings, a Sunday service and a free organ concert featuring several area church organists.
The church’s elegant pipe organ is something of a local celebrity in itself; standing as the oldest, intact, originally installed pipe organ in Monterey County. The California Organ Company built the original organ, installed at Mayflower in 1916. That organ was later “married” to another organ built by Murray Harris. Some specs on the organ: “Romantic-Symphonic” design; 1,200 pipes (for now); Two percussion stops; 20 ranks (for now)
Organist Tom DeLay reports more pipes will soon be added and the organ’s rating will increase to 32 ranks, or ranges. The instruments it can mimic include trumpet, oboe, clarinet and “every shape and size of flute you can imagine,” says DeLay.
Where: Mayflower Presbyterian Church, 141 14th St., PG
When: Sunday, Nov. 14 starting at 9 am. Services at 10:15. Organ concert at 2 pm. Everyone is welcome.
Police log
A good son?
The word was that a young man from Pacific Grove had acted poorly toward his mother. The subject had struck mom in the head, causing injury. After a PGPD officer arrived and gave the subject an order, the young man refused to comply. Eventually, a jolt of pepper spray was required to get the subject in line. The young man was then transported to Monterey County Jail where he is being held in lieu of bail. Whether mom would be interested in posting bail is questionable.
Faulty alarm?
PGPD responded to a business alarm. After arrival on site, officers toured the area, inspected the building, and found … nothing. They reported the incident as a false alarm. And then came a second alert. Better to respond and be right than to not respond and be wrong. Off went the officers, with the same results. Asking to have the alarm repaired may be next on their list.
Need to listen while we play
A mother called PGPD in behalf of her daughter. It seemed that the family car had been broken into during the night. The daughter was most concerned about what had been stolen. It was the young lady’s iPod. In another break-in, the victims also reported a theft. This time is was a Nintendo.
Need more security?
A woman called who identified herself as a full-time care provider. She works for a disabled individual who is confined to a wheelchair. The provider pulled on an apron and prepared to fix dinner. She lit a fire, and then stepped out of the kitchen for a minute. While she was absent, the kitchen filled with smoke and an obnoxious smell. She called the police. Working with the caretaker, officers discovered that chili peppers had been placed on and around the burners. The provider was as surprised as were the officers. PGPD offered the provider suggestions for improving home security.
We were just talking … again!
PGPD responded to reports of a quarrel taking place between a man and woman who are married. The man was located standing on a corner near the given address. He said he had left his home to get away from his wife. But he also said that the couple had just been talking, and their dispute had been only verbal, a heated discussion of work-related problems and stress. After being contacted, the wife agreed. She admitted having had a drink, but was not obviously intoxicated. The couple admitted to having experienced a similar incident, several years ago.
Ladies only
A female caller complained about a male “Peeping Tom” who had been standing outside her apartment at about four o’clock that morning watching while the woman used the toilet. She advised police that another apartment dweller had experienced the same thing. After contacting a knowing informant, police learned that all residents in the apartment complex are female.
All’s well that ends well
A mother telephoned PGPD to advise that she was very worried. Her son, who was on probation for another matter, had not returned before the hour set by terms of his release. Later, mom called again. Everything was okay. The lad had returned home … just a little late.
Gone missing
A juvenile requested and was granted permission to participate in a party. The youngster was dropped off at Forest Grove School at about 11:30 a.m. Unfortunately, the lad failed to return home at the appointed hour. He is still missing. He whereabouts are unknown.
On the lam
Another mother reported that her son had run away from home. She also reported that the boy was out later than the terms of his probation allowed.
Make certain adult has not been drinking, too?
A concerned citizen reported that a male subject had been at an Ocean View address, drinking. In spite of being intoxicated, the subject departed on foot. While searching the area, the subject was found. He was too drunk to care for himself. Officers transported him to the station where he was held until a sober adult could be found to take custody.
Too many pills
A husband telephoned to report that he was concerned about his wife. She had taken too many prescription pills and was now lying on the floor, semi-conscious. Officers summoned AMR to take the subject to CHOMP for treatment and mental evaluation.
Want the entire building mailed?
Vandals got busy the other night. They decorated the side of the U. S. Post Office with graffiti that read: “Donkeys for Life!” No stamps were attached.
Was it your imagination?
A woman from a residential home telephoned PGPD and stated that she had been alarmed after hearing two loud noises that might have been gunshots. Then she reported seeing a male, about 50 years of age, dressed in blue jeans, a blue shirt, and white tennis shoes. She said the man appeared to be “retarded.” A search of the area revealed nothing. Staff at the home said no one had been “missing” right then, nor was there a resident who answered the woman’s description.
Didn’t want to hear it
Officers were summoned to Prescott Lane to check on a verbal domestic dispute in progress. Rather than communicate with police, the male half of the dispute turned and walked away. The subject had to be physically restrained so that the investigation could be finished.
Retrospective
When we set out to start a weekly newspaper, we did it because we believe that Pacific Grove needs and wants an unbiased, locally-run, Pacific Grove-oriented newspaper. We weren’t running for City Council, we weren’t backed by anyone who was; we just wanted to provide Pacific Grove with straight news, photos, and events coverage. We didn’t reckon on an economic meltdown, either locally or on a national level, but we’ve been able to keep our heads above water.
Cedar Street Times has been very well received. We have more than doubled our original press run and we have picked up a number of subscribers to our email version. We have a number of contributors, regular and not-so-regular, who offer us news of interest to the city’s population of all ages and interests.
We’re pleased to offer a regular “Green Page” on ecology and nature issues and a regular page on arts events. We have provided, joyously, space for student poets, writers and photographers. We have reported on every City Council meeting and many committee meetings. We’ve offered profiles of local businesses and reviews of restaurants, plus regular food columns on cooking. We responded to requests for a police log, and we happily provide a look in Pacific Grove’s past on a weekly basis. We’ve offered some outstanding photo essays, if we do say so ourselves.
We’re proud of what we’ve done and how far we’ve come, and we look forward to a long and . . . is “interesting” the word we want? . . . tenure.
The following are examples of the stories we covered during our first six months, though this is certainly not the entire gamut. We hope you will join us in our future endeavors.
Where I Call Home
by Jade Hage
Pacific Grove, deemed by some as the “Last Hometown,”
Where I can wander through downtown,
Running into everyone I know.
Pacific Grove, where all of the students can
Fondly recall elementary school music class with
Ms. Sanfort;
And where every student has had the experience
Of Mr. Bell as their principal, and Ms. Anton’s
Riveting exploration through world history.
Pacific Grove, where the innate rivalry between
The Otters and the Falcons can be noticed even
At the high school;
And where Breaker pride is thick in the air on
Every spirit day, and at every athletic event.
Pacific Grove, where the sweet aroma of kettle
Corn wafts through the brisk April air at the
lively Good Old Days celebration;
Where the Feast of Lanterns and its Royal Court
Are the highlight of the fog-blanketed summers;
And where each kindergartener marches through
Town dressed as a proud monarch butterfly in the
Lively Butterfly Parade.
Pacific Grove, the sweetest little town, where I call
Home.
Jade Hage is a member of the PGHS Young Writers Club which submits its best poetry during the school year to grace the pages of Cedar Street Times. We thank all the students as we use Jade’s poem for our retrospective.
Retrospective: The first 6 months
Vol 1 Issue 1, 09/05/08
Ikana plane helps on the Basin fire
Reservoir could solve some of PG’s water woes
Candidate profiles: Carmelita Garcia, Deborah Lindsay
Steve Hauk: Steinbeck’s conceal/carry permit
Vol 1 Issue 2, 09/12/08
City finds water for most on Water Waiting List
Introducing Daniel Gho at the golf course
Anne Meyer Cook joins Gateway Center
Recidivist great whites
Candidate profiles: Bill Kampe, Richard Ahart
Feature on Sparky’s Root Beer
Profile on the Herzog family’s summer vacation in their Winnebago
Vol 1 Issue 3, 09/19/08
Police equipment grant
Progress on Breaker Stadium
Profile of Lori Mannel, PG Museum’s new director
Mountain lions seen in town
Lectures on climate change
Photo essay: Triathlon
Candidate profiles: Daniel Miller and Ken Cuneo
Blake Russell back from the international Olympics
On our website 09/26/08
B’s Coffee profile
PG Alumni annual meeting 9/20
Heritage Bird House contest
Firefighters get to see the AMA free
Letter Jim Willoughby on public nuisances
Butterfly etiquette
Vol I Issue 4, 10/03/08
Fire department merger with Monterey
AFRP gets 4-legged victims of Katrina
Asilomar cleanup stats
Picture essay: Heritage houses for the birds
Council candidates David Dilworth and Susan Goldbeck
Rags to Riches car show quits PG
Vol I Issue 5, 10/10/08
Museum financial woes
Picture essay: Butterfly parade
Leatherback turtles in the bay
Candidate profiles: Mark Hood, Todd Hornik
Vol I Issue 6, 10/17/08
Tagging Monarchs, growing milkweed
Fiction: Lady G of PG
Bath House lease
Farmers Market review
NOAA’s mural
Coyotes
Candidate Profile: Dan Cort, Ted Hollister
On our website 10/24/08
Rods on the Wharf benefit for Gateway
Patron’s Show is coming to the Art Center
Process for hiring a new city manager
Monarch Update introduced
Vol 1 Issue 7, 10/31/08
Reconfiguration of grade schools not happening
Rec Trail repairs
Measure X
MST rate increase
Gardening Angels
Carmel River Steelhead Association
Art Center’s show
Vol. I Issue 8, 11/7/08
Election results: Dan Cort, Bill Kampe, Carmelita Garcia, Deborah Lindsay
Citizens want to get out of CalPERS
City’s budget update
Young Writers corner begun
Big Sur Half Marathon
Seafood Watch profile
Deep Sea photography exhibit
Online issue, 11/14/08
Meet Pierre Dulaine – Dancing classrooms
Downtown Holiday schedule
Proposed raises for city staff
Parking on Ocean View Blvd.
Measure Y, Measure Z
In lieu water fee
Vol I Issue 9, 11/21/08
McIndoo Bequest apportioned
Staff pay raises denied
PG Liquors
Half Marathon
Review: Henry’s BBQ
Julian Collingwood handmade chocolates
Patron’s Show
Vol. 1 Issue 10, 11/29/08
Phil Bowhay’s book on growing up in Pacific Grove
Wearable Art at Back Porch Gallery
Annie Holdren, new Education & Volunteer Manager at PGMNH
Poetry House – repairs to begin
Charlene Wiseman staying around as interim city manager
A Celtic Winter’s Eve
Revisions to the Museum’s Mission Statement
Vol. 1 Issue 11, 12/05/08
Nov. 4 election votes certified, new council seated
Exit interview with Jim Colangelo
Introducing High Hats & Parasols
Mad about Monarchs Museum Event
Frank Penner, Association’s new president
Tsunami zone in PG
Garland Thompson: PG’s Poet in Residence
D.A.R.E. students visit police department
Vol. 1 Issue 12, 12/12/08
Holman Building up for sale
Holiday activities downtown
Jayne Gasperson goes on an airship ride
PGPD breaks up a mail theft and check fraud ring
PG rotary fixes up the gazebo
Vol 1 Issue 13, 12/19/08
Snow in Pacific Grove
Reservoir update
Ad hoc water committee established
Introducing Max Perelman and Jeff Edmunds as commissioners
Holiday goings-on
Vol 1 Issue 14, 12/26/08
Early morning fire tests the new consolidated fire department
PG Art Center’s new exhibits
Monarch tagging
All the committee and commission members
Vol 1 Issue 15, 01/02/09
PGPD joins regional “tactical team”
Guy Cheney joins as rain gauge person
A look at PG’s economy
Breaker Stadium progress
Ice cream parlor v. the military
Vol 1 Issue 16, 01/09/09
Emergency funding for the library
Coyote on the loose
Arrests in counterfeiting ring
Mike Nilmeier profiled
Lunchroom recycling begins
Feast of Lanterns looking for a volunteer craftsperson to make a sedan chair
Vol 1 Issue 17, 01/16/09
Dog park
City will hire CalPERS consultant
Profile: Cypress Cleaners green machine
More on the coyote
Vol 1 Issue 18, 01/23/09
Grand Jury report
The mayor goes to the inauguration
Dot program lauded by Grand Jury
New Committee and Commission members: Michael Kapp, Sarah Lewis, Tony Prock
Road trip to look at butterfly sanctuary
Vol 1 Issue 19, 01/30/09
Gang activity in PG
History of the Lighthouse
PGHS Honors concert
Workday at the Green Spot
Photo essay on Farmers Market
Vol 1 Issue 20, 02/06/09
School budget cuts
Chamber sets up Business Attraction Task Force
Intern Anna Spade writes on the Obama inauguration
Photo essay on the lighthouse
Sudz profiled
Operation Yellow ribbon
Vol 1 Issue 21, 02/13/09
Lilly Clements and Mock Trial
Celebrating volunteers: Bruce Cowan on the cover and many more on the center spread
Darwin exhibit at the Museum
Charlsie Kelly profiled
Steinbeck house on the market
Vol 1 Issue 22, 02/20/09
Butterfly Criterium race revived
Tony Marino, PGPD get Chamber awards
Museum garden passes council, work begins
State schools supe lauds Dot program
New commissioners: Kathy Anderson, Steve Honneger, Jim McCord
Photo essay on the Bay by Skyler Lewis
Vol 1 Issue 23, 02/27/09
60-day report card on Charlene Wiseman and the consolidated fire dept
Young entrepreneurs awards
AT&T films a commercial in PG
History: The 1909 death of Violet Maya Neill
Natural succession from Monterey pine to live oaks
Vol 1 Issue 24, 03/06/09
City budget woes
Schools budget woes
Dorothy Dean Stevens Dancing Through Life
- Marvin Sheffield comes on board to write about wildlife
Harbor seals
Vol 1 Issue 25, 03/13/09
Review of the Farmers Market
Snick ‘inherits’ the golden Steinbeck statue
PG Hot shots trophy
The monarchs are gone for the season
PGHS students take honors in culinary competition
Railroad right of way and the Rec Trail
Vol 1 Issue 26, 03/20/09
Businesses of the year: Tessuti Zoo, Pacific Gardens Inn, Adventures by the Sea, Petra, Rabobank, Prim & Proper
Tom Pollacci turns himself in after an 11-month investigation of rape allegations
New ad hoc water subcommittee members: Michael Bekker, Bob Davis, Regina Doyle, Alan Tegtmeier
Raising the flag
by Ashley Cameron
February 19, 1945
The day of invasion…
Staring at the battleships swarming the harbor of Iwo Jima,
Overcome by fear,
He tries to get her out of his mind – but fails!
Intricate tunnels underground, enable an “element of surprise”
Volcanic ash fills his lungs, making matters worse.
Pictures of her flash through his mind, refusing to dissolve.
His vision obscured,
His defenses weakened,
He refuses to give up.
Flamethrowers shoot death into the air while grenades fly like metal birds -
The atmosphere – a blur of confusion.
He watches as countless lives wither into crimson pools,
Into dust and smoke.
Ghosts advance slowly, risking what the day will eclipse.
His breathing deepens.
His heart pounds through his chest.
The image of her remains,
Not in his mind,
Amidst the confusion of death, and blood, and artillery,
But in his pounding heart,
As he fears not death,
But life without her.
Compelled by this love, he drifts forward with remaining troops,
The sinews of their hearts woven together
To create a force strong enough to vanquish this enemy,
To bring down the Rising Sun,
To watch it set behind the hills of Mt. Suribachi
On February 23, 1945.
He never wanted to let her go.
The tears he cried,
While watching his comrades stab his country’s flag into the soil
Of the mountaintop -
A star-spangled banner,
Standing proud above the sunset -
Were tears of hope,
For the daughter he left behind
On this triumphant day.
Green Building Starts at Home: Max Perelman’s, to be exact
By Cameron Douglas
At a time that many see as a financial downturn, there are also many who see nothing but opportunity for long-term growth through a commitment to the environment. Green building, graywater irrigation, storm water reclamation, improved forest management, lower carbon footprint, solar power, wind power and incentives for green industry are terms we are going to hear more and more. On the Monterey Peninsula, a grass-roots movement is pushing for our area to lead the way in sustainable living. One of those dedicated individuals lives in Pacific Grove. His name is Max Perelman.
For a young man, Max Perelman has a long list of titles: LEED-accredited professional; MBA; graduate student; member of the Pacific Grove Planning Commission; president of American Environmental & Agricultural, Inc.; husband and dad. Read the rest of this story »
Are we saving the environment for people and wildlife?
Some of the most fascinating landscapes I encountered were in southern Utah.
Family members had regaled me with the unique features of the landscapes in Capital Reef National Park decades ago, when it was still classified as a National Monument. I arranged a trip there, and also to the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in mid October.
Whirling snow greeted my arrival, although I had noted the scudding cloud formations on my drive there. I stayed at the only ranch located within the Monument, owned by some great folks, Lurt and Alice Knee.
The first few days I did my birding from the back of their Arabian mare, and also took many slides of the wonderful sandstone rock formations and enjoyed viewing the cake like layers of reddish brown Navaho sandstone alternating with the greenish Chinle sandstone layers and intermediate shades of buff and cream sandstone.
Lurt Knee’s delightful weimaraner dog Smokey, virtually acted as a guide in the wilder areas, which were easy to get lost in; but Smokey led the way back always.
From Capitol Reef, I went on to the Grand Staircase -Escalante National Monument.
To see Dippers again, those songbirds which can dive into turbulent running streams or rivers, and walk on the bottom, had been a compulsion of mine. Dippers are 7- 1/2 inch long, plump, short tailed, long legged, charcoal gray birds that feed on aquatic insects and tiny fish which they catch in swift running waters . They hold their breath longer than seems possible for such small songbirds, and they never emerge from the water where you expect them to. My rancher hosts in Capitol Reef suggested that I try the Paria River Canyon, in the Monument as the most likely place to see Dippers since the water level was high enough that year.
Arriving at the Paria River Canyon, I encountered a group of ORV [Off-Road-Vehicle] drivers who seemed to be either drunk and downright reckless, or both. Predominantly young, but including many others much older, they seemed annoyed over the fact that I guided my rental jeep carefully around rocks and any water filled depressions on the canyon floor. They deliberately drove into and out of the riparian habitat so the rear wheels of their vehicles hurled broken branches, mud and rocks helter skelter. They crowded my jeep, trying to force me into the river. I had no option but to hug a sheer wall of the canyon, until these crazies moved on.
Any Dippers that might have been further upstream would have quickly departed as soon as these noisy, water-churning, destructive vehicles approached nearby.. Reluctantly, I turned back, and decided to report this illegal activity to the BLM.
The BLM official I spoke to was cordial enough, if extremely nervous. Glancing around to see if any of his co-workers were within earshot, he suggested we get some coffee, then selecting a small room, started to question me, to determine if I was a member of any special organization. I showed him some ID and told him that I really was there for some wildlife and landscape photography; but wanted to report my harassment from the ORV group. His responses were guarded until I informed him that I was a career environmentalist, and favored protections for endangered wildlife, including their habitats. When I mentioned the destructive roiling up of the riparian habitat by these ORV drivers, he nodded in agreement , and then very softly told me that he was a member of Ducks Unlimited, the Izaak Walton League; and none of his co-workers knew that. He also pointed out that his job would be terminated immediately, if his superiors in the BLM found out about his secret affiliations. He went on to tell me that the large groups of ORV members and the retailers of the ORV’s , were lobbying to convert faint deer trails and hikers’ tracks in roadless areas ( the R.S. 2477 maps ) into county roads; and they had the full support of of the Kane County Commissioners, so that it would open more forested wildlands to ORV usage.
Very recently I discovered that ORV proponents already had an existing 1000 miles of motor vehicle routes in the Monument’s 10 year travel plan; and the Paria River is not one of them, as it is a river, not a road!! It also is part of the Paria-Hackberry Wilderness Study Area, and merits inclusion for the National Wild and Scenic River System. For eight years the Bush Administration’s BLM, spinelessly did not enforce the ORV travel plan, or even make a casual attempt at enforcement. The BLM states that it relied upon “voluntary compliance”, which is hypocrisy at its worst; since the BLM had previously documented the destructive impacts from illegal vehicular use, with the attending loss of critical wildlife habitat for fish, amphibians, reptiles , birds and mammals.
In early May of this year, in a fit of motorized mass dementia, several hundred ORV riders illegally drove their machines up the Paria River in the Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, in open defiance of the BLM’s laissez-faire attitude re: travel compliance in ecologically sensitive areas. The BLM had known in advance of this forthcoming illegal invasion, as the rider’s had already trumpeted the ride; however the BLM virtually acted as a welcoming committee when they did not issue citations, or take any legal action against the participants and organizers of this destructive ride.
How sad it is to think that the very people who so vociferously proclaim their love of the outdoors, as in this situation, are the same ones who cannot wait to trash such sensitive environment. Hopefully we may be able to enlist the help of the Secrtaryy of the Interior, Ken Salazar, to terminate this lawlessness once and for all.
The Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance, to which I have been donating, has issued a report on the relationship if any, between televised hype from ORV retailers, and the vigilante driving tactics of too many ORV owners, with the help of Responsible Trails America ( RTA). Based upon a five-year period of surveys, RTA found “troubling parallels between the advertising rhetoric, and reckless, even violent behavior taking place on off-road vehicles throughout the country.” Three of the four companies —Arctic Cat, Suzuki, and Polaris had televised ads that were the most aggressive, and were most likely to incite very aggressive, anti-social behavior and lawlessness in ORV buyers.
There are of course decent and law abiding ORV owners; however their numbers are overshadowed by the ones who commit the rapes of the very ecosystems we need to scrub our air from airborne pollutants, and to prevent the enhancement of global warming. It should also be noted that conservation of wildlands protects human communities, as well as wildlife in the forests.
News from 1888
Wagner dies of his wounds
The angry excitement over the shooting of E. W. Wagner at Monterey by Charles Hawes of Pacific Grove on the 9th of July grows every hour. Sheriff Horton of Salinas came over to Monterey and concluded it to be wise and prudent to remove Hawes to the County Jail. This he did, last Saturday, assisted by Deputy Sheriff Walter who quietly took the prisoner out by a back street where the two men boarded a carriage and drove away, one of these men in irons.
Wagner, whose life was despaired of from the moment his wounds were first examined, sank rapidly, and he breathed his last on Sunday evening. His wife and two children had hurried from their home to be by Wagner’s side as soon as they heard of the shooting. The incident grew from a simple quarrel, a disagreement that might have been settled other that by force of arms.
Our sympathies go out most fervently to Wagner’s bereaved widow and orphans. And in the aftermath of his tragedy, where the innocent must always suffer anguish, there is another one for whose wounded spirit and crushed heart the balm of condolence will be extended. It is the wife of Charles Hawes, the shootist. His wife is so young, a mere girl, so delicate and refined. It seems hard to understand how her young life can be linked to this terrible tragedy, and to the verdict which a jury is likely to render against her husband. It is a heavy cross for one so gentle to bear. Will the Grove, where she is known and highly regarded, become a fountain of sympathy for her that can never run dry.
Constable Walter of Monterey has presented a warrant from Judge Westfall ordering the prisoner to the first hearing of the case.
The prisoner is to be housed in Salinas. Officials fear that if the man is brought back to Pacific Grove, angry citizens will surely lynch him. The sum of $255.25 has been collected for presentation to the family of the slain man.
How Arroyo Grande views Pacific Grove
Pacific Grove is a pretty, but odd place. The Methodistical rules are stringent, and new comers are kicking up fusses over them. Business places are not allowed in residence blocks. Boarding and lodging houses are not businesses, but the butcher and baker are. One can roller skate in Pacific Grove, but no one may dance. One can play croquet, but not billiards. A quiet, private nip is frequently taken, but public drinking is not allowed. Pacific Grove, in the view of Arroyo Grande, is a very good place to be away from, and that is an opinion with which the Arroyo Grande Herald agrees.
Talk the matter up
Now that summer is upon us, with its long evenings, something should be done to provide entertainment for our people-young and old. A literary society or lyceum has been suggested. The Pacific Grove Review endorses both ideas. These are good suggestions. By next week, we hope to announce a meeting to consider this matter further.
Water connections prove growth
The following figures furnished by the collector of water rates for the Pacific Improvement Company show the relative growth of Pacific Grove for the past three years. During 1886, 87 water services were connected. During 1887, that number rose to 132. And in 188, there are 355 services. These figures indicate that as a place of winter residence, the Pacific Grove is increasing more rapidly than its buildings.
Around the marketplace…
- Teeth can be extracted quickly and without pain by Dr. J. V. Horner.
- Delicious pies with extra mince are on the shelf at the El Carmelo Bakery.
- The Pacific Grove Circulating Library will be open on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 2 until 4.
- Fresh candy and fine cigars can be purchased from the Avenue Store, opposite the Post Office.
- The most popular boot and shoe dealer for those in Pacific Grove and Monterey is G. Bertolds, footwear.
- Harter’s iron tonic is the fastest way to good health and abundant energy.
- We will deliver a complete chamber set anywhere in Pacific Grove for $20. A. Lewis & Co.
- The Carmelo Bakery is offering 13 ten-cent loaves of milk bread for $1.
Police log through 06-06-09
No hard feelings
A resident came to the PGPD office to lodge a complaint. There is a car that is parked on the street near his home. It appears that someone is inside the car virtually 24 / 7. The complainant does not know if the subject is homeless or if he just likes to spend a lot of time in vehicle … often with a compamion. What he does know is the subject plays music too loudly and smokes who knows what most of the time. The complainant wanted information on how to best handle the problem.
Slick thief
A gentleman decided to have lunch at the 17th Street Grill. He left his cell phone unattended for a few minutes. When he went to get the phone, it was no longer there. No employee had noticed the phone. The owner reported it stolen.
Burglarizing cars getting popular
Several vehicle owners reported that their cars were broken into and vandalized during the night. One owner also reported that his wallet, which he left in the car, had vanished. The other owner said that $12 in quarters had been removed. Another owner reported that his car door and its glove box had been opened, but that nothing appeared to be missing. Still another owner reported that her car had been opened and a black briefcase stolen. Still another reporter revealed that a flashlight had been taken from his vehicle.
One but not both?
A disgruntled dad spent some time with one of his two daughters. Mom grew tense and said that dad could not spend time with one daughter without including the second girl. Dad produced his divorce document which does not require him to see only both daughters. He asked that a copy of the agreement be kept on file.
Three car crack-up, one disappears
A white Cadillac was waiting at an intersection to make a left turn. A green Toyota pickup pulled up behind the Cadillac. A red Honda followed, but failed to stop. The collision caused the Toyota to ram the Cadillac. The red Honda backed up and drove away without stopping. PGPD issued a BOL (Be On the Lookout) for the car.
Waving his weapon
PGPD officers were dispatched to a location where a man had been allegedly brandishing a firearm. Shortly thereafter, they had the suspect under arrest. He was cited, then released.
Just a friendly call
A complainant said that a Hispanic, male teenager had knocked on his residence door shortly after 1 a.m. When the caller was told that police were on the way, he departed.
Not too healthy, eh
PGPD received report of a house that was alleged to be a health threat. A check revealed that the home was piled with garbage. The owner said that he was not happy with the situation, but that the occupant would be moving out shortly. He was particularly distressed by the excessive mildew. PGPD plans to notify the county health department.
Strange bedfellows
A resident complained that an on-going feud between two neighbors is so loud that it disturbs the entire area. He complained about the situation, and is now afraid that the former “feuders” may now turn their ire on him, out of “payback” for his actions.
No wonder, really
When an officer arrived at the scene, it required little time at all to understand why the prone man was unresponsive. An informant had observed while he drank 1/3 liter of vodka backed up with a twelve-pack of beer. Oxygen and sternum rubs brought him into consciousness, where upon he began vomiting. AMR transported him to CHOMP for evaluation.
Nice party, wrong age
Officers were dispatched to an address to check out a noise complaint. They found a party underway … with one problem. Alcohol was being provided to minors. Citations were issued.
Pacific Grove News from 1909
A word about Lighthouse Avenue
Lighthouse Avenue, surely one of the most graceful and beautiful attributes of our grove, has become quite a scenic attraction. This stately passage now extends from the lighthouse to 12th street. It has become almost as revered as the Del Monte’s Seventeen Mile Drive, which begins at the Del Monte Hotel flag and wends its way to the Lone Cypress.
Alas, the sea embankment followed by Lighthouse Avenue is crumbling. If unattended, the embankment may deteriorate and a significant portion of Pacific Grove could be washed away. That would be quite a sad happening for a city that spends considerable money advertising its charms.
Our board of trustees, aided by Civic Club members, should be encouraged to lay this matter on the table for discussion. Of topics, there should be at least three: 1) what work, and in what priority, does the Lighthouse Avenue and its embankment require, 2) how much will this work cost, 3) and from where will the money come?
After salvaging the embankment, thought should be given to its beautification. There are several good suggestions that have been put at hand, but one stands out. That is the planting of mesembryanthemum. We have plenty of this durable plant already on hand, our cemetery being overrun with it.
Whatever investment we make, the improvement of Lighthouse Avenue will be advantageous to current residents, visitors, and future generations. Let’s leave our children and grandchildren a bit of beauty.
Nichols Antone Barrymore dead at 95
One of Pacific Grove’s most beloved story-tellers has succumbed to the ravages of age. Nichols Antone Barrymore passed peacefully during the night while in bed at home. Barrymore was born in San Jose in 1814, and was considered one of the most senior of living California residents. Barrymore told many tales about being in California under three flags: Spanish, Mexican, American. He also joked about his birthing having been tended to by a contingency of monks at the San Jose mission, referring to the padres then in charge. Barrymore moved to the Peninsula when he was 25.
Girls chide boys
A group of girls have banded together in a league that will be dedicated to the proposition of promoting refinement among young men. Among the methods adopted are resolutions to marry no man who is known to drink, smoke, swear, or chew. Another attribute to be considered before marriage is a paid-up subscription to the local newspaper. Anyone who does not read the newspaper on a regular basis, as evidenced by a subscription, is suspected of being not very bright and of a parsimonious nature.
Lincoln stamp released by post office
Pacific Grove’s post master, Mssr. R. Stansbury, has announced that our post office has received a block of 10,000 anniversary stamps celebrating President Abraham Lincoln. The stamps may be purchased for one penny each. Discounts not offered.
Tent burns at reservoir
Two men were hard at work on the Pacific Grove water company’s new reservoir when it happened. A tent, lived in by these workmen, ignited and went up in flames. Total destruction was wrought on the tent and all of its contents. Cause of the conflagration is unknown.
Mammoth Stables go up in smoke
Pacific Grove had another lucky escape from a general conflagration on Friday evening. Only the favorable weather condition and the heroic work of volunteer fire fighters prevented the destruction of the entire business portion of the city.
The fire was discovered at about eight o’clock in the evening by Prof. L. Lange. Lange was walking home with his son after a visit to the Carmelito Bakery. The pair had reached the corner of Lighthouse and Fountain when flames were seen issuing from the Mammoth Stables. Lange and his son quickly filled the air with cries of “Fire”! Lester Johnston and Elwin Jenkins heard their cry and rang the fire alarm bell.
Mr. A. F. Bullene, proprietor of Mammoth Stables, was working in his office. Hearing the alarm and smelling smoke, Bullene called on the six employees still on duty to join the volunteer fire fighters. In a short time, Chief W. E. Parks of the Monterey Fire Department arrived with several members of Monterey’s department to assist. Hearing the excitement, members of the community also stood ready to lend helping hands.
In spite of the best efforts of all concerned, the stable was soon engulfed. Several animals were turned out, but a horse belonging to R. Bennett, a Pacific Improvement Company employee, was burned to death. Firefighters then gave their attention to turning the skimpy hoses on Steinmetz’s blacksmith, the wood yard belonging to Parkhurst and McPike, and the W. H. Varien residence, hence corralling the flames. Also saved were the businesses of W. W. Gibbons (harness maker), C. J. Moyes (stationer), C. F. Brown (tailor), and Daniel Freeman (photographer).
The stables were valued at $12,000, but insured for only $3,000. The property was owned by Thomas Luke.
The people of Pacific Grove feel very grateful to the firefighters from Monterey for their help in saving our downtown community.
From the Marketplace
• If you want to double your money on an investment of $3,500, contact the editor of the Pacific Grove Review. We have prime oil-drilling properties.
• Air-slacked lime will be given away to any who call for it at the Loma Prieta Lumber Company.
• Rent temporary lodging at 117 Nineteenth Street. Can accommodate 7 to 10 people.
• Purchase eye glasses so you can see how good our price is. These are right in fit, quality, and cost at the W. H. Hare Optical Company.
• Dr. DeWitts Carbolized Witch Hazel Salve is especially good for piles. Sold by Long & Gretter.
• We have high-quality green peas. Ten cents a bag. Johnston Brothers and Campbell.
Their mascot says it all: You show the world. You are the Phoenix.
They come to Pacific Grove Community High School for many reasons, but they’re all going places when they graduate. On their last day of high school, they were finishing up their yearbook and looking forward to the summer vacation. Younger students were working on the computers, painting banners, reading. The students are self-motivated and have diverse skills and aspirations, and the best part is that they all seem to be friends.
L-R front row: Jenna Rambo, Joey Davies, Persis Tomingas, Kyle Sumpter. L-R, back row: Chris Butler, Mikey Selbicky. Top, Michaela Miller. Bottom, Petika Hilton.
Pacific Grove History, The news from 1912
High Hats and Parasols
By Jon Roland Guthrie
Grove teams defeated
The high school girls and boys who traveled to San Jose did so for the purpose of playing basketball against the boys and girls teams from State Normal School. The journey proved to be of little avail. The boys played a close game, which the school from San Jose won 27 to 25. The State Normal girls defeated its Grove counterparts by a score of 40 to 10.
Country club organizing
The Del Monte Golf and Country Club has filed articles of incorporation in the office of corporations in the office of county clerk T. P. Joy. The principal place of business is Del Monte. The club’s purposes, as set forth in the articles, are to acquire, improve, and maintain a club house for social intercourse among its members under such rules and regulations as may be established. Directors are H. R. Warner, Emett S. Husted, and Thomas Lee of Del Monte; E. H. Hotonu of Pacific Grove; and W. O. Teaby of Monterey. As pecuniary benefit is not an object, the corporation has no capital stock.
Chinese prisoners unable to put up bail
Mah Tin Leh, Gal Wong Chin, and Lei Unima have been charged with conspiracy to violate the immigration laws of the United States. The men were given preliminary hearings. They are suspected of being involved in the operations of the smuggling launch, Comrade, which drops anchor at night along the beaches at Monterey and Pacific Grove to discharge its human cargo. Pending the hearings, the Chinese had been at liberty due to the postings of nominal bonds. After the preliminary hearing, Commissioner Daugherty raised the bond amount to $7,000 for each man. The prisoners will probably be shipped, shackled, to Los Angeles for federal trial. If found guilty, the men may be imprisoned or sent back to China.
Card party at hotel
The assistant manager of the Pacific Grove Hotel, J. W. Foster, believes it necessary to acquaint more people with the presence and services of the hotel for which he works. Foster has therefore organized a free card party to which all are invited. Refreshments will be served throughout. Mr. Foster will serve as host.
Two Grove stores burglarized, crooks nabbed
The Pacific Grove stores, Cummings Jewelry and McEachren’s Furniture, have been burglarized. Thanks, however, to the fast work of PG Constable Phil Oyer, the men have both been captured and placed behind bars in this city’s lockup. One military man, from the Presidio, and one civilian have been captured and accused. The arrested are Private J. Gundy and Mister I. Smith. Both men have confessed and have relinquished all their loot. Most of the loot was buried in the ground near the Presidio gate. Chief of Police Englund praised the work of Oyer profusely.
Popular Pacific Grove girl marries
Miss Carolyn Macauley, daughter of Rev. and Mrs. J. P. Macauley, was married yesterday. The young man of her choice was Clayton Pierce McGuire, who has been living in Auburn, Pacer County. Miss Macauley had been dwelling with her parents on Spruce Avenue in Pacific Grove. The couple said that they planned to reside in Auburn. The parents indicated they approved of the match and the move, Rev. Macauley adding that he considered the groom an exceptional chap. The ceremony was performed in the parsonage of the Methodist Church by the Rev. Wm. Burchett. Check-ins at the Pacific Grove Hotel J. L. Blair (San Jose), J. P. Weir (San Francisco), B. W. De Ross (Pacific Grove), H. Benjamin (San Francisco).
From the market place…
You may leave an order to have your chimney swept at the office of the Pacific Grove Review. The work will be accomplished within a week by a skilled team of Japanese sweepers.
Paul’s Furniture Store is offering beautiful, handmade section tables at special pricing for a short time only.
A good mare with foal is being offered to the right buyer. The horse and her colt may be seen at 226 Cedar Street.
If you covet a piano on which to make beautiful music, visit Wright’s Hardware Store.
PGHS Class of ’09 Valedictorian: Jeehee Cho
By Cameron Douglas
In the summer before her seventh grade, Jeehee Cho moved from Pleasant Grove, Utah, to Pacific Grove, California. Since then, her academic and athletic achievements have accelerated to the honor of class Valedictorian for 2009. Jeehee took time out from her busy schedule to stop in and chat with Cedar Street Times.
CST: What motivates you?
CHO: Education is a big part of the Korean culture. My dad came to the U.S. to go to graduate school at Brigham Young University, and decided to stay because there are so many educational opportunities in this country. He wanted his children to have that. Education has been a really big part of our family. My parents have always supported me through it. They’ve never pressured me. They just told me to do my best. Going off to college, I take that same idea. I want to gain a better understanding of everything that’s going on. I want to have enough education to educate my children as well.
CST: Are you thinking of home schooling at some point? Read the rest of this story »
Scholarships, honors for PGHS 2009 graduates
At a special reception on May 19, 2009 for seniors, their parents and guests, a number of scholarships and awards were presented to graduating Pacific Grove High School seniors. The awards were presented by the donors, faculty and staff. We are pleased to present the list of donors and recipients.
Pacific Grove Rotary Club Scholarship …………………………Anna Spade & Alexander Spears
Presenter: Stephanie Lee
A T & T Pebble Beach Junior Golf Assoc. Junior Golf Scholarship ………..Michael Yanoska
Presenter: Ted Hollister, DVM
Granite Construction Company Golden Rule Leadership Award ……………..Lillian Clements
Presenter: Spencer Wright
C.L. & Mary Dean Kier Scholarship…………………………………… …………………..Sarah Dennis
Presenter: Ms. Lou Godfrey & Mr. Sam Kier
Pacific Grove Masonic Lodge Scholarship #331 ……………………… Alison Lord, Anna Spade
Presenters: David Salinger & Kurt Ferguson
Monterey County Association of Realtors Scholarship ………………………….Brandon Cepress
Presenter: Ms. Noni McVey
First United Methodist Church …………………………………………………Uri Hong & Jeehee Cho,
Presenter: Sam & Betty Kier Read the rest of this story »
“Tiny Treasures” Miniatures Show and fundraiser at PG Art Center
Donations have been received from Juanita Anderson, Robert Armstrong, Jo Dean Axline, Carolyn Berry, Carole Bestor, Joanne Bevilacqua, Meg Biddle, Beverly Borgman, Patricia Borgman, JoAnne Perrault Boulger, Al Brevard, Josie Anne Cameron, Fred Carvell, Clark Coleman, Alex Collier, Noriko Yoshikawa Constant, Debra K. Davalos, The Estate of Dianetha, Phyllis Donohue, Charlene Doran, Tom Dornbach, Michael Duffy, Renee G. Eaton, Sandra Eckhart, Gene Elmore, Edward Eyth, Mark Farina, Snick Farkas, Rene Flippo, Jane Flury, Caroline Gordon, Jacquelyn Haag, Julie Heilman, Mary Hill, Peter Hiller, David Hohmann, Art & Cindy Horning, Peggy Hutton, Rama P. Jama, Barbara Johnson, Cheryl Kampe, Anita Kaplan, Ruby Katayama, Michaela Kempton, Cleo Kent-Davy, Joann Kiehn, Mary Kay King, Carole Klein, Anne Kmetovic, Santoshi Lama, Jim Lambert, Francyne Laney, David Lazarony, Ed Leeper, Brooks Leffler, David Leonard, Jeanne W. Lilly, Laura Lockett, Janet K. Long, Karen Mahaney Low, Elaine Mackoff, Jim Maraccini, Rick McGarrity, Pat McKitrick, Alicia Meheen, George Menasco, Elizabeth Meyer, Barbara Monning, Steven F. Munsie, Delphie Myron-Russell, F Nguyen, Nancy Nix, Arlene Vonnegut Nolan, Barbara Norton, Helen Ogden, Demaris L. Olson, Claire Oppenhuizen, Marie O’Rielly, Andrew Passell, Corazon T. Patricio, Connie Pearlstein, Rita Pescatore, Michelle Pisciotta, Peter Plamondon, Marcia Poroy, Maria Prince, Nancy Raven, Cynthia Ricketts-Wasley, Marybeth Rinehart, Alice Geller Robertson, Paige Robertson, Gary Shallcross, Gloria Shaw, Yana Shevchenko, Peter Silzer, Rebekah Sisk, Susan T. Reith, Patricia Skinner, Tim Sloan, Lesley Anne Spowart, W. F. Stone, Jr., Colleen Sundquist, Pamela Takigawa, Gretchen Taylor, Sheila Tanguy Tracey, Julie Terflinger, Robin Way, Al Weber, Sally Weil, Laura Williams, Don Wobber, Fay Wu, Terrence Zito, Patricia Zobel, Helma Zeuge, and several Anonymous Donors.
Each piece of art is displayed above a box, into which ticket holders may place raffle tickets. Ticket sales will begin at 7 pm on opening night, Friday, May 29, 2009, and will continue through the drawing at 7 pm on Wednesday evening, July 8th. Tickets are $3 each, or 10 for $25. This is a great opportunity to do some shopping for gifts or for a little something to adorn your own walls. Support the Art Center and have fun at the same time!
Trees that should never be planted in Pacific Grove
By Bruce Cowan
BLUE GUM EUCALYPTUS (Eucalyptus globulus)
There are roughly 600 species of eucalyptus, all from Australia. While some, such as red flowering gum, make satisfactory landscape trees, the one most common locally is definitely a problem tree.
Problems include:
Huge size and rapid growth–witness the two by the Pacific Grove Post Office, much too large for most yards.
Branches can break and fall at any time. Trees can blow over in strong winds, endangering life and property.
Bark and leaves litter the landscape and poison soil for other vegetation. Round seed pods scattered around can cause sprained ankles.
Extremely invasive–in the forest it crowds out native plants, including pines and oaks. Under dense groves of blue gum, little will grow but numerous eucalyptus seedlings and poison oak.
Extremely flammable; Eucalyptus forest fires in Australia are the hottest in the world.
Cut down for removal, or after a fire, blue gum resprouts and grows quickly with many new trunks.
Note: While honored as a home for overwintering monarch butterflies, the monarchs actually seem to prefer clustering on pines and cypress at P.G.’s Monarch Sanctuary. Strong winds can blow butterflies more easily out of eucalyptus than out of pines or cypress, increasing monarch mortality.
ACACIAS
Acacias seen locally are all from Australia. All have proven to be invasive in our forest, spreading by seed that can last for decades in the soil. All have flowers full of allergenic pollen; the pollen is what provides the yellow color. Most are considered shrubs, not trees.
BLACK ACACIA (Acacia melanoxylon) is a truly fast growing tree which can be deceptively attractive in early spring with its handsome form and cream colored, pollen-laden flowers.
Invasive in the forest and in landscapes, it spreads not only by seeds but by suckers that arise from the roots, like bamboo. One tree can eventually become a dense grove. No respecter of property lines, black acacia suckers will come up and grow quickly in neighbor’s yards, in shrubs, against home foundations where they will eventually cause considerable damage if not pulled out. Pulling is a temporary solution, as new suckers rise quickly. An unwanted black acacia that is cut down for removal soon sprouts even more suckers that quickly become a forest of fast growing acacia trees.
Blue gum eucalyptus and black acacias are problem trees, not only for the property owner but to neighbors as well, and are a threat to the natural forest.
A Timeline: Del Monte Hotel and Naval Postgraduate School
1880. Charles Crocker, railroad magnate, opens the first Del Monte Hotel. Three thousand would-be guests more than Crocker has space for apply for rooms that first week of operation.
1887. The hotel burns and must be entirely replaced. One firefighter loses his life during the fire. The Seventeen Mile Drive opens, wending its way from under the flag at Del Monte to the Lone Cypress in the wilderness park known as Pebble Beach.
1909. The school of Naval Marine Engineering opens at Annapolis. Only ten students are enrolled, but this school is the forerunner of the Naval Postgraduate School.
1919 – Crocker interests are facing difficult times, financially. Samuel F. B. Morse gets support and buys the Del Monte. Hotel property comprises 20,000 acres.
1924 – Hotel Del Monte again burns. Its wooden roofing, siding, and framing fuel a second conflagration. Two wings survive this blaze.
1926 – Hotel Del Monte reopens. The hostelry is constructed of non-wood materials so that the structure won’t burn again.
1943 – Owner Sam Morse offers his hotel to the U. S. Navy after the Japanese attach Pearl Harbor. The structure houses a pre-flight training program for naval aviators. Its football team, competing against civilian schools, becomes the terror of the Pacific Coast.
1951 – The Naval Postgraduate School moves from Annapolis to Monterey. The long string of canvas-covered trucks resembles, according to one spectator: … another westward migration in Conestogas.
1954 – The campus master plan is determined. Seventy distinct programs eventually evolve. NPS becomes a degree-granting institution.
1956 – Hotel Del Monte is renamed Herrmann Hall in honor of the admiral in charge of moving the navy’s school. Much of the hotel’s ambiance is retained.
2005 – The navy is presented a federal historic preservation grant for work on Herrmann Hall.
2009 – The Naval Postgraduate school celebrates 100 years. This year’s Concert on the Lawn (Monterey Symphony) and other Memorial Day activities stress the centennial.
The Naval Postgraduate School: For 100 years, a shrine to excellence
Because it’s housed in a historic hotel, spirits of former guests linger to celebrate
By Jon Roland Guthrie
Barbara Unger, a public information employee volunteering for service as a Memorial Day tour leader, saved the very best for … well, dead last.
That’s when the guide mentioned that in addition to several decades “as the finest resort hotel in the world” plus a half-century housing first the United States Preflight Training Center and then the Naval Postgraduate School, NPS had one little piece of history that should not be left unentombed.
This venerable structure, formerly the Del Monte Hotel, serves as home to several ghosts.
“Three of these haunts are most popular,” Unger said. “These three are named in descriptive terms. There’s the fireman, the spirit of a person who lost his life battling one of the two conflagrations that swept the facility. There’s Gentleman in Gray. And Woman in White.” Read the rest of this story »
Southeast Asia: A Cook’s Paradise
As the number of Thai and Vietnamese restaurants on the Monterey Peninsula will attest, Americans love Southeast Asian cuisine. According to www.cuisinet.com, Southeast Asia stretches east from India and Bangladesh to the southern border of China, encompassing the mainland countries of Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam and the island countries of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. Each country has dishes influenced by its history. For example, in Indonesia and Malaysia the prevalence of Islam has virtually eliminated pork from the diet. Vietnamese food retains the flavors of centuries of French occupation and Filipino food is enhanced with Spanish and American accents.
All Southeast Asian cuisines, however, share many staple ingredients and methods of cooking. A standard Southeast Asian meal strives for a harmonious balance of textures, temperatures and flavors: hot (spicy), sour, sweet, salty and bitter (optional). These cuisines are known for their liberal use of fresh, not dried, herbs and spices. Fresh cilantro leaves, ginger, lemongrass, chilies, mint and garlic are typical ingredients.
Lemongrass: Exotic but Locally Available
Melissa’s Great Book of Produce reports that lemongrass, widely used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking, is used like an herb to add citrusy tartness and fragrance. It looks a little like an elongated, sturdy green onion. Lemongrass is fibrous and somewhat woody. Most often it’s the cream-colored bulb at the base that’s used to flavor sauce, soup and curry or in stir-fries and marinades for grilled meats.
Buying and Storing
Melissa’s advises to look for firm, unblemished, wrinkle-free stems. The fullest bulbs are most desirable. Store in a plastic bag in the vegetable drawer of the refrigerator up to 4 weeks. Keep dry as moisture causes deterioration. Or freeze finely minced, peeled bulbs (see Preparation) in an airtight container up to 3 months. Scoop out portions as needed and use frozen.
Preparation
Trim off a tiny bit of the bulb’s base if tough. Use the bottom portion, just 2 – 3 inches of bulb. (The upper portion stalks can be cut into 3-inch pieces, crushed and used to infuse broths and curries. The stalk is removed before serving.) Remove and discard 2 or 3 tough outer layers of bulb. Place the remaining bulb in a mini food processor and pulse to finely mince.
Availability
Lemongrass is available domestically year round. On the Monterey Peninsula lemongrass is sold at Grove Market in Pacific Grove, Nob Hill on Lighthouse in Monterey, Whole Foods in Del Monte Center and Star Market in Salinas.
Lemongrass-Speared Grilled Chicken Satay with Thai Peanut Sauce
Recipe courtesy www.globalgourmet.com/food/kgk (Kate’s Global Kitchen food blog)
This unusual and exotic presentation yields appetizer-size servings. For a main course, double the recipe and serve with rice.
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
Marinade and chicken
½ cup canned coconut milk
¼ cup freshly squeezed lime juice (2 large limes)
¼ cup peanut oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon minced garlic
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 4 ounces each)
4 lemongrass stalks (about 9 inches long)
Sauce
1-1/2 cups canned coconut milk
6 tablespoons smooth peanut butter
3 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons Thai red curry paste
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh lemongrass
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon minced lime zest
½ cup minced fresh cilantro leaves
3 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Instructions:
Place the coconut milk, lime juice, oil, cilantro, ginger, sugar and garlic in a mixing bowl and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cut each chicken breast lengthwise into 3 strips and let marinate in the refrigerator for 3 or 4 hours. Remove the outer leaves of each stalk of lemongrass and cut the thinner end at an angle to make lemongrass skewers; set aside.
To prepare the sauce, place the coconut milk, peanut butter, sugar, soy sauce, onion, curry paste, garlic, lemongrass, vinegar, lime zest, cilantro and basil in a large saucepan. Bring just to a simmer while stirring but do not boil. Continue cooking until the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and strain the sauce before serving.
While the sauce is cooking, thread the marinated chicken strips onto the lemongrass skewers and grill over direct medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Serve with the warm peanut sauce.
I found that by soaking the skewers for a little while in water they worked better when threading the chicken.
Betsy Slinkard Alexander provides freelance writing and public relations services with a focus on the food industry.
She welcomes your ideas for future columns and can be reached at (831) 655-2098 or betsyslinkard@sbcglobal.net.
East Garrison: the book and its author
By Jon Roland Guthrie
A Book Review
Gwyn Weger says that her newly released book, East Garrison, was conceived while she was standing at the deeply tinted window in her office, musing while she stared outside into a world shrouded in heavy fog. She wondered what it would be like for someone to be stranded somewhere-anywhere-on the vast outlands of the former Fort Ord, an abandoned military base. She remembers shuddering.
Gwyn’s mind slipped into the past, to her growing up with an alcoholic father who was fascinated by Nazi ideas, Hitlarian ideals, and WWII memorabilia … counterfeit or not. At one time, Gwyn recalled, her father required his daughter to help fashion fake Nazi mementoes for resale as the genuine articles.
Her father gradually fleshed out as one of the leading characters for Gwyn’s nascent novel. Read the rest of this story »
Meet Molly Speacht: PGHS Salutatorian
By Cameron Douglas
When the Pacific Grove High School Class of 2009 holds its Commencement, the Salutatorian will be Molly Speacht. (For those who don’t know her, it’s pronounced “Speck.”) Salutatorian is an academic achievement akin to winning a silver medal at the Olympics – no small accomplishment. It’s the latest in a string of successes for Molly, who served as Princess Amethyst in the 2007 Feast of Lanterns Royal Court. Cedar Street Times managed to catch up with Molly and her very busy mom, Lisa Maddalena, of the Pacific Grove Library. Read the rest of this story »
Be Careful What We Wish For—-becoming a green society too often has its unintended pitfalls.
Its many important uses propel paper into the forefront of why we must limit its use, and aim to use as much of it in a recycled form as possible. The remnant Boreal Forests in the Northern States, and the larger ones in Canada are rapidly being depleted as they are being felled for making paper pulp. The numerous species of songbirds and both small and large mammals that inhabit these green and beautiful habitats, are losing their homes too rapidly. Many of our so-called winter birds breed in these evergreen coniferous forests, before they migrate here. Species such as Mountain Caribou already severely endangered, are precariously low in numbers in the northern Rockies, and even in Canada, they exist minimally better. Read the rest of this story »