Month: April 2013

Fracking Workshop

Fracking workshop set for Tuesday

A workshop on the oil and natural gas production method of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, will be held noon to 8 p.m. Tuesday at the Hilton Garden Inn, 1000 Aguajito Road.

The workshop is open to the public and is being held by the California Department of Conservation’s Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources.

The purpose of the workshop is to get input on a “discussion draft” of state regulations that the agency hopes to have in place within about 18 months. The draft is available at CA fracking documentshttp://www.conservation.ca.gov.

The group Progressive Democrats of America will hold a protest outside the Hilton from 4 to 6 p.m.

I am planning to attend at least part of this meeting tomorrow, and busy educating myself before hand. I have read the proposed regs, the background info, the FAQs sheet, and the general information post. The first three are in PDF, so they can be downloaded and saved in iBooks for marking and highlighting. I would suggest that anyone interested in the potential impact, if any, of HF in the Salinas Valley, near Jolon, on the water we drink here in Big Sur, get as familiar as possible. I am finding high school chemistry, only a vague self-education on geology, little hydrology other than to know how it affects the highway and how much my spring produces, to be wholly inadequate to understand this issue. But I am trying.

Living in the Wilderness … With dogs

I had to go to Salinas today … A long story for another day. On the way home, about 2 and 1/2 miles up Plaskett, my tire went flat. The county graded the first 1and 3/10ths miles Tuesday and Wednesday. That kicks up rocks. Probably where the flat came from.

I pulled out my handy, dandy air compressor, and spent about 1/2 an hour trying to pump it up. No dice. No cell signal. So I drove on the rim until I could get cell service, and called my one and only neighbor. Thank god he was home. His vehicle, which had been in the shop for three weeks, was working, and I reached him.

I said I would keep driving, carefully, and slowly, and he agreed to come get me. When we met on the road, I was ready. I had my big bag with my cell phone, my iPad, my charger, my purse, keys, and all that stuff ready, jumped out of my car into his, locking mine, and leaving it behind, a mile or two from my place.

I got home before dark, barely, met by exuberant dogs, who needed to pee and be fed. The peeing was easy. When I went to feed them, I found I didn’t have enough food, I had left the new bag in the car. Damn. I gave them what I had, got each a couple slices of bread, got out the cereal and crackers, and hoped this would hold them until I can get to my Jeep, hopefully tomorrow. If I can’t, I will be cooking up all the beef, rice, and veggies I have, and making my own dog food.

Life on the mountain is always interesting. And life with 5 dogs is even more so! Thank gawd for a wonderful neighbor!

Rocky Creek Viaduct Update #28 – no closures next week

** UPDATE #28 **
HIGHWAY 1/ROCKY CREEK VIADUCT PROJECT CONTINUES WITH DAYTIME ROADWORK AND INTERMITTENT OVERNIGHT CLOSURES

Daytime roadwork on Highway 1 at Rocky Creek continues next week from 7 am to 5 pm Monday, April 29 through Friday, May 3.

NOTE: There will be no night work or overnight closures next week—from Sunday, April 28 through Thursday, May 2.

Work next week will consist of grading the viaduct approaches.

Highway 1 at Rocky Creek has one-way signalized traffic control 24/7. Traffic will be stopped for 10 minutes at a time during daytime roadwork. Full overnight closures will be scheduled five nights a week Sundays through Thursdays, unless otherwise indicated. No overnight closures will occur on Friday/Saturday nights.

Storm not in Big Sur

Monday night, just before midnight Storm picked up a hitchhiker at the San Mateo/Santa Cruz county line, according to KSBW. When he pulled over at a scenic spot and told her he had a knife, she called 911. He took off on foot. Later, a car was reported stolen on Pqge Mill Rd in Palo Alto, that police believe is Storm’s handiwork.

At least it would appear that he is out of our area for the time being.

Big Sur Marathon Highway closure

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact:
Julie Armstrong, Marketing Communications Director
831-625-6226 / Julie@bsim.org

Traffic Delayed On California Highway One
For Big Sur International Marathon

The 28th annual Big Sur International Marathon, a major sporting event on California’s Central Coast, necessitates the temporary closure of California Highway One for a half day on Sunday, April 28. Highway One traffic from north of and throughout the Monterey Peninsula will not be affected.

Thousands of runners and walkers from all 50 states and 35 countries will be heading north on a point-to-point course along Highway One from Big Sur toward the finish line at Rio Road in Carmel. During this time, vehicular traffic will be limited to convoys that travel in CHP-escorted caravans at designated times throughout the morning hours until 1 p.m. when the highway will be re-opened to through traffic.

Southbound traffic along Highway One in Big Sur will be restricted south of the Carmel Highlands beginning at 4 a.m. and northbound traffic will be closed from Big Sur at 6:00 a.m. Highway One will reopen at 1 p.m. For Monterey Peninsula residents and tourists needing to head south, CHP-escorted convoys will leave from the Crossroads Shopping Village at 9:45 a.m. and at 11:40 a.m. For Big Sur residents and travelers from the south, all cars must be north of the Big Sur Post Office by 6:15 a.m. Additional northbound convoys will leave from Pt. Sur at 10:50 a.m. and from Palo Colorado at 12:50 p.m. All times are approximate and subject to delays due to unforeseen circumstances.

Monterey Peninsula spectators wishing to enjoy the excitement of Sunday’s Big Sur Marathon can travel from Highway One onto Carmel Valley Road and south on Carmel Rancho Blvd. to nearby public parking areas. The finish line can be best viewed from the west (ocean) side of Highway One just south of Rio Road. Runners and spectators can also gather in the “Marathon Village” finishers’ area where a variety of participant service tents offering food, massage, medical treatment, awards and more will be located.

The Big Sur Marathon’s JUST RUN! Just Kids 3K taking place on Saturday morning, April 27, will also result in minor short-term street closures and delays in the city of Pacific Grove. The JUST RUN 3K for local school children and their families will take place along Ocean View Blvd. from Lovers Point to the Hopkins Marine Station beginning at 8 a.m. The street and recreation trail will be closed from 6 to 9 a.m. to accommodate the 3,500 children and adults registered for the race. The area surrounding Lovers Point Park will remain closed to vehicle traffic until after the post race festivities conclude at 11 a.m.

For questions on access and travel delays, please contact the Big Sur International Marathon office, 831-625-6226 or info@bsim.org.

Suspect

April 17th – Latest update

9:30 p.m. – Details are a bit sketchy, but a suspect in a Boulder Creek robbery, with warrants out of Sonoma and Monterey County for robbery and burglary, had eluded police so far tonight, but according to my sources has been down here since last night, approaching friends of mine at the Pub last night, pulling a knife on several locals last night and this morning, as well as accosting a couple of women early this morning near Nepenthe.  Current reports are that this fugitive, reportedly Dimitri Storm, led police on a high speed chase, and then went into Palo Colorado Canyon.

At this time, Wednesday at 9:30 pm, reports are still coming in, and information cannot be confirmed, although some of my sources had contact with this individual, and other sources are with law enforcement.

More information as it becomes available.

Rocky Creek Update #27 – no closures the rest of this week and all next week

** UPDATE #27 **
HIGHWAY 1/ROCKY CREEK VIADUCT PROJECT CONTINUES WITH DAYTIME ROADWORK AND INTERMITTENT OVERNIGHT CLOSURES

Daytime roadwork on Highway 1 at Rocky Creek continues next week from 7 am to 5 pm Monday, April 22 through Friday, April 26.

NOTE: The scheduled night closure for tonight, April 17 has been cancelled. There will be no more night closures for the rest of this week and also there will be no night work or overnight closures next week—from Sunday, April 21 through Thursday, April 25.

Work next week will be off the highway and consist of removing form from the bridge deck pour and building viaduct approach slabs and railing for the bridge.

Highway 1 at Rocky Creek has one-way signalized traffic control 24/7. Traffic will be stopped for 10 minutes at a time during daytime roadwork. Full overnight closures will be scheduled five nights a week Sundays through Thursdays, unless otherwise indicated. No overnight closures will occur on Friday/Saturday nights.

The project to construct a permanent viaduct about 15 miles south of Carmel near the Rocky Creek Bridge began on Sept. 4. Completion is scheduled for the end of October, weather permitting. Daily roadwork schedules are subject to change due to weather conditions and other factors so stay tuned for regular updates.

Yet ANOTHER construction project on Highway One

As you can tell by my title, I, and probably many of us here on the South Coast, am frustrated. This is number FOUR, all going on together – that is an additional 40 minutes to go north, for an already long trip. It isn’t just the stoppages, though, it is all the traffic backed up one cannot get around, so one is consigned to the lowest common denominator in terms of miles per hour, which seems to be 30-35 mph, and many times, 15-20 mph. I have 150 things that I can only do north, and no way can I drive six hours round trip and get more than two done. Grrr…

Today’s Date: Friday, April 12, 2013
District: 05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact: Susana Z. Cruz or Colin Jones
Phone: (805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3189

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

HIGHWAY 1 EMERGENCY CULVERT REPLACEMENT BEGINS NEAR BIG SUR

MONTEREY COUNTY – An emergency culvert replacement on Hwy. 1 near Big Sur (postmile 50.36), just north of Captain Cooper School begins next Monday, April 15, Caltrans officials announced today.

Roadwork consists of one-way traffic control from 6 am to 3 pm Mondays through Fridays. Up to 10-minute delays can be anticipated. Work is expected to complete by the end of April.

The purpose of this emergency roadwork is to replace a failed culvert that has caused a large sinkhole.

The contractor for this $40,000 project is Robert J. Frank Construction of Redding.