Local News
February-November 1997

News! (12-19) It's been really really cold! There is surfing at Lover's Point. The ocean is 65 degrees! This is due to a body of warm water present off the coast (Before El Nino [Spanish, 'the boy,' because it comes around Christmas time.]). No wet suits are needed. Enjoy it while it lasts! Happy Holidays!

A bunch of stuff that happened in the last couple weeks: One sexual assault at Asilomar State Beach (Unsolved, kept quiet), 15 year old girl at Pacific Grove Middle School alleges sexual harassment by two teenage boys & the City legalizes driving golf carts on city streets, 25 mph (or less). Our main street holiday lighting looks like Disneyland, yes, really.

Community Calendar for December: December 1st: Tree Lighting, December 9th, Christmas at the Inns (408-373-3304)

December 18-20: Living Nativity (408-372-5875)

What was Thanksgiving like in Pacific Grove? Quiet. Most of the stores were closed. Liquor and chain stores were open. Mostly people walked around Pacific Grove and the sea. It was a mild 60 degrees & sunny. Sometimes the kids got a bit rowdy or the cops decided to show relatives around by driving them through Lover's Point park, over the trails, grass & other areas out of limits for that sort of thing.

Visit your Sheriff's office for information regarding the number of Registered Sex Offenders in Pacific Grove that are listed on the new Registered Sex Offenders cdrom.. Neither the local police department or the sheriff's office can say how many there are if you call them. The zip code to search is 93950. E-mail us, handy@redshift.com, if you find out how many there are.
The secretive, very reserved Pacific Grove Police Department is due for a monumental change within the next couple of months. This is due to a change in personnel at the highest levels [See, http://members.aol.com/eharriger/friends.htm ]. The citizens of Pacific Grove get immediate attention when 911 is called. However, the over whelming consensus from local interviews is that the police department is over-funded, the officers are well known for their bad attitude toward the local citizens and that it is a very secretive, closed group. http://members.aol.com/eharriger/friends.htm shows the top two policemen, Ed Harriger and Jon Reither, who are leaving and their wives. From interviews with local citizens, the police officers who generate the most complaints are Lt. Carl Miller, Capt. Ed Harriger and Officer George McGovern. This does not reflect the opinion of pacificgrove.com, it's members or any other associates.

December 9th, Christmas at the Inns. Pacific Grove [Apparently the Chamber of Commerce could not find enough Inns in Pacific Grove, so this year they are also including some in Monterey]. Inns, hotels and motels open their doors to the public. Refreshments. Admission required.

Pacific Grove Middle School Board elects three new members. Violations of the Brown Act and how to resolve them were the major focus of this election.

Pacific Grove Triathlon results: http://www.tricalifornia.com/pgtri/results7/1997.htm

Dorothy Marie Tea Company closes. Serenity Alley opens. Falvarallo's restaurant opens.

John Denver, singer, 53, whose songs ``Rocky Mountain
High'' and ``Take Me Home, Country Roads'' perished when his experimental plane
crashed into Monterey Bay in front of Point Pinos Lighthouse on October 12th, 5:27pm. He was 53. This location is the same as the K.Olinger stabbing.

The First Noel and Designer Loft Furniture are now open on Lighthouse Ave.
Monarch Butterflies have officially arrived! Butterfly Parade (kids) is October 11th.
Victorian Home Tour-2nd Sunday of October.

Local Slaying dims city safety. Friday, Sept. 19th, the body of a 17 year old Monterey High School student, K. Olinger, was found at the north end of Asilomar Blvd, in front of the golf course lake, by a local jogger. The student was stabbed and the motive seems to be money and his car. The car was a silver 86 Honda. This is unsolved at the moment. This land is federal property and the FBI is doing this investigation. In October, the victims car was found in San Jose, California. Monterey, California, Baskins 31 Ice Cream, 406 Lighthouse Ave, store raised $1,700 for the family of the victim during the week of Oct. 8th.

Pacific Grove is not becoming Furniture Town USA, like the Chamber of Commerce has been quoted as saying. It's still and always going to be, Butterfly Town USA.

Custom Cabinet shop is due to open on Forest soon.

Cubby Hole is due to open soon. S.F. style furniture and design store. Right next to Furniture Loft which is the same type of product and due to open soon. Both are on Lighthouse. Oddly enough, they are located where a similar furniture store closed after about a year.

Triathlon is September 13, 1997.

The Butterfly Grove Inn is closed due to a massive fire on August 3rd. Should be open now.

The Monterey County Fair is August 19-24th. There are special admission days for children, seniors and the handicapped. Every year they say it'll be much better than the year before. After going for 25 years, we can assure you that it's the same old Fair every time. But still a lot of fun!

St. Mary's Episcopal Church Antique Show July 11-13. 26 Exhibitors, Lunch daily. Admission $3.50.

Pacific Grove does not have a Fourth of July Celebration that includes pyrotechnics or fireworks. We have them at the Feast of Lanterns July 26th, which is actually a culmination of week of celebrations, exhibits, Etc, that begins around July 21st. The firework display is pretty modest--about $5,000 worth compared to the Monterey fireworks on July 4th, which is about $20,000 worth. However, we take great pride in our modest display and have belly dancers and lots of cute princess's. Ironically, the pageant and display overlooks the Chinese fishing village, which is now Hopkins Marine Station, which burned down under suspicious circumstances around the turn of the Century and the City Council would not let the Chinese rebuild. The Feast of Lanterns is based on the old legend of Chinese boy and girl who are in love with each other but forbidden to be with each other and so they turn into butterflies. Through the years, a lot of extra stuff was added to it.

Pacific Grove Government Internet site changes to: www.pacificgroveca.com

International Antiques closes. (June)

Feast of Lanterns Pageant and FIREWORKS (July 26th 8-9:30pm) July 21-26th

Susan Goldbeck becomes Editor/Owner of the The Pacific Grove Beacon Newspaper.

Hedy's Bakerei [German Bakery] Expands into next door taking over the old upholstery shop.

As Is Resale closes and is replaced by another resale store. May

Designer Loft (Furniture) Takes over the old 5-10 store on Lighthouse. Application Submitted.May

Bronx Pizza Opens. May

Application submitted for The Bronx Pizzeria at the old Brazillia location (April)

Frank Delahany's Upholstery closes (Let's hope they recover)

Everlasting Gifts closes [Goes to Carmel]

The Vandon closes (A trendy fancy fine art store)

Brazillia closes (A coffee/smoothie cool joint)

Timbrook closes and goes to Monterey.(A fancy furniture store)

The Pacific Grove Beacon Newspaper is sold (Eric Colby sells the Beacon). No major changes are planned.

The Carmel Pine Cone is sold (To a couple from Carmel Valley)

Good Old Days is April 11 (Wood Shaft Golf Tournament),12,13, 1997 (Our local street fair on Lighthouse Ave, PG)

New Board Membership of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce March

Connie Perry is made main volunteer director of the Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce (Congraduations Connie)