LA Protests and the National Guard

This may offend some of you, and it may cause bigsurkate to lose followers, but after watching what unfolded over the weekend, I can not be silent.

Several of my retired lawyer friends and I discussed whether we should volunteer, but none of us were immigration lawyers, and that is a specialized field. They are going to protests, and I am posting this here as my way of reaching out to people asking all my friends on whatever side of the aisle or wherever you are on the political spectrum to engage in thinking — critical thinking for yourself. Deflection and distraction is the way the current administration deals with loss of face or any loss or challenge, as with Musk, China, Putin, and even the GOP not passing that fascist spending bill immediately as he demanded. It is all getting out of hand for him, so he does what every bully does: escalates matters. Check all claims for accuracy.

“ Trump and his regime still don’t get it. You cannot build a country on fear, deception, and brute force and expect it to last. You can shout about greatness, parade your soldiers through the streets, jail your critics, and bulldoze every institution that stands in your way—but none of it will hold. Because power built on violence is always unstable. Power built on lies always collapses. You can rig the courts, rewrite the rules, and gaslight the people for a while. But eventually the foundation cracks. And then it all falls.” (Brent Molnar, Voice of Reason)

Don’t think it can’t happen here. We are a sanctuary county with a high population of Hispanic workers in our fields and service industries. They are our friends and neighbors and family. Attend the NO KINGS day protest on June 14th. It is a start, but only a start. Protests will be happening all over the country. It will mar the military parade that the orange ego demands. That’s one reason he started these high profile raids and also so he could have a reason to escalate and push federal armed forces to act against its own citizens. Hopefully, our governors will unite and assert sovereignty under the 10th Amendment.

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We all need to be informing ourselves and preparing for peaceful protesting every time we get a chance, if necessary. Remember, violence is what he wants so that he can claim his actions are justified. Don’t give him that. Keep it peaceful and encourage others to do so as well. As Joyce Vance says in Civil Discourse: “We are in this together.”

Sunday Photo, 7/8/25

Dendromecon rigida, also called bush poppy or tree poppy, is a shrub or small tree of the Papaveraceae native to California and Baja California. This photo is one that is on South Coast Ridge Rd. The young man who does my weed eating found one hidden among the grasses and it is now exposed and getting all the sun it needs.

Looking for a Border Collie/McNab dog?

Allison Sandoval in Templeton says this: “I am looking for people that are looking to foster or adopt a dog. Maybe a 4h kid that needs a dog for a project? These dogs need more time than what I have to offer. Don’t be afraid to ask me more questions.” (Everyone knows I have a soft spot for dogs and especially BCs or GSD.)

Full Overnight Closure, Sunday, 6/8/25

Date:Wednesday, June 4, 2025
District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:Kevin Drabinski or Celeste Morales
Phone:(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237 
  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #45

FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK

SET TO START SUNDAY, JUNE 8 AT 10 PM

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans is continuing with emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel.

Travelers will encounter a full overnight closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek starting Sunday, June 8 at 10 pm. Highway 1 will reopen Monday, June 9 at 6 am.

Crews will take advantage of this closure to erect a crane that spans both lanes of the roadway and which will deliver materials to the shore below as part of a seawall restoration project.

Overnight Traffic Control at Rocky Creek Set for June 22 thru June 26

Travelers will encounter overnight flagging control for five consecutive nights to allow crews to perform final paving and sealing of the lanes of the northbound viaduct structure.

Starting Sunday, June 22, and for five consecutive nights thru Thursday, June 26, travelers on Highway 1 will pass through Rocky Creek under flagged traffic control from 8 pm thru 8 am the following morning. Travelers can expect delays of up to 20 minutes. This flagged traffic control is being implemented in place of any full overnight closures.

The North and South Coast of Big Sur Remain Open and Accessible Via Hwy. 1

Travelers are reminded that over 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remain open and accessible. Travelers from northern California will find easy access to historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities. Travelers from southern California will find that the highway brings them directly within reach of the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders of Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Treebones, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria. Highway 1 remains closed at Regent’s Slide, 40 miles south of Carmel.

The estimate for final completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is summer 2025, with that date dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

Our crews deserve to get home safely too.

Drive slowly and carefully in work zones.

Overnight Closure of Rocky Creek to start Sunday, 6/1, at 10 pm

Date:Thursday, May 29, 2025
District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:Kevin Drabinski or Celeste Morales
Phone:(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237 
  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #44

REMINDER: FULL OVERNIGHT CLOSURE OF HIGHWAY 1 AT ROCKY CREEK

STARTING SUNDAY, JUNE 1 AT 10 PM

MONTEREY COUNTY – Caltrans is continuing with emergency repairs to Highway 1 near the Rocky Creek Bridge, 12 miles south of Carmel.

Travelers will encounter a full overnight closure of Highway 1 at Rocky Creek starting Sunday, June 1 at 10 pm. Highway 1 will reopen Monday, June 2 at 6 am.

Following the successful installation of six concrete girders on May 16 and 17, crews will pour the concrete bridge deck during this overnight closure as work continues to advance on the southbound viaduct structure.

The North and South Coast of Big Sur Remain Open and Accessible Via Hwy. 1

Travelers are reminded that over 100 miles of Highway 1 on the Big Sur coast remain open and accessible. Travelers from northern California will find easy access to historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities. Travelers from southern California will find that the highway brings them directly within reach of the unparalleled views, lodging amenities, and natural wonders of Lucia, the Camaldoli Hermitage, Gorda, Treebones, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria. Highway 1 remains closed at Regent’s Slide, 40 miles south of Carmel.

The estimate for final completion of the Rocky Creek viaduct is summer 2025, with that date dependent on conditions encountered during construction. The contractor for this project is Gordon N. Ball, Inc. of Walnut Creek, CA.

Memorial Day 2025

Just a reminder: People often confuse Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. On Memorial Day we honor those who gave their lives in the fight for our country. We honor our dead. Veteran’s Day, we honor the living.

This post is dedicated to all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our nation and for us…In memory of all of them, in all our many wars. 

No Kings Day, 6/14/25

Join the movement. We’ll have our own parade!

250th Anniversary of the US Army AND Flag day. We can ignore the tangerine toddler’s birthday AND his parade.

Regent’s Slide Update, 5/21/25

Date:Wednesday, May 21, 2025
District:05 – Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo, Monterey, San Benito, and Santa Cruz Counties
Contact:Kevin Drabinski or Celeste Morales
Phone:(805) 549-3138 or (805) 549-3237
  

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

UPDATE #4

CREWS FOCUSED ON SLOPE STABILIZATION AT REGENT’S SLIDE

MONTEREY COUNTY – Crews are continuing with repairs to Regent’s Slide, which closed Highway 1 on February 9, 2024, with crews now focused on slope stabilization efforts.

After gaining one month of improved excavation productivity with the use of traditional and remote-controlled heavy equipment, monitoring devices and field observations identified new slide activity and surface cracking in the slope immediately above the project area.

Crews are in the process of installing dozens of shear dowels, steel bars approximately 60 ft. in length, into the slope above the work area. These shear dowels are drilled into the slope and grouted in place in a 10 ft. by 10 ft. grid fashion. Shear dowels were previously installed in the slope immediately north of the area now exhibiting movement and have been successful there in limiting further slide activity.

Crews installing shear dowels are working seven days a week and extended hours. It is anticipated that excavation activities will resume using traditional and remote equipment in the upcoming weeks once the shear dowel installation has been completed and monitoring equipment and site conditions indicate that it is once again safe to do so.  

Additionally, given the complexities of the site conditions and the priority to complete repairs in a safe and timely manner, Caltrans has engaged an outside professional Geotechnical consulting firm to support the repair effort at Regent’s Slide.

As announced previously, repairs to Regent’s Slide are now expected to keep Highway 1 in this area closed through summer 2025. Caltrans will continue to provide regular updates on progress on these slide repairs and an estimated reopening date.

Big Sur Coast Remains Accessible and Open

Visitors can access more than 100 miles of Highway 1 between Cambria and Carmel, except for the 6.8-mile segment one mile south of the Esalen Institute to two miles north of Lucia.

Travelers from Northern California can still access historic bridges, waterfalls, restaurants, and lodging amenities along the Big Sur coast. Travelers from Southern California can reach the endearing communities of Lucia, Gorda, Ragged Point, San Simeon, and Cambria via Highway 1.

Road information and updates can also be found on Caltrans District 5 Social Media platforms: X/Twitter at: @CaltransD5, Facebook at: Caltrans Central Coast (District 5) and Instagram at: Caltrans_D5.

For more information about transportation projects and funding, visit: Build.ca.gov.