California Department of Pesticide Regulation to host meeting in Spreckels

The California Department of Pesticide Regulation will host a  workshop in Monterey County to hear ideas on how to notify residents living around agricultural fields when fumigants are applied.

Fumigants are gaseous pesticides injected into the ground before a crop is planted. Increasingly, the public wants to know what chemicals are being applied around them. California grows much of the nation’s produce and growers rely on these chemicals to attack pests that would otherwise destroy their crops.

“People have become a lot more conscious about what chemicals are used to grow their food in the fields that are around them. And it is essential that we take the time to listen about how best to notify them when these pesticides are used,” said DPR Director Brian Leahy.

DPR is now seeking to standardize the notification of these rules on a statewide basis by creating a new regulation. The two workshops will enable the department to gather input from stakeholders to help determine what notification is appropriate for these fumigations.

The new regulation DPR is developing would lay out how people living near areas to be fumigated should be notified. In particular DPR would like to hear:

• When and under what circumstances such notifications should be made;

• What is the appropriate distance, between the treated field and residents, that requires notification;

• What other information the notice should include.

The Monterey County workshop will take place from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on April 12 at the Spreckels Veterans Memorial Building, 90 5th Street, Spreckels. For more information, visit the California Department of Pesticide Regulation here.

Yes on Measure X signs stolen from outside Pacific Grove's Chamber office

Measure X is heating up in Pacific Grove just in time for the city's annual Good Old Days, which draws upwards of 10,000 people to the streets of downtown.

On Thursday, Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce President Moe Ammar provided video evidence of "Yes on Measure X" signs being taken down from in front of the Chamber's office on Central Avenue. The Chamber voiced its support of Measure X and the proposed Project Bella project early on.

The videos (available here) clearly show two incidents of signs being taken and replaced with "No on Measure X" signs.

The Pacific Grove Police Department is currently conducting an investigation and attempting to identify the suspects in the video footage.

According to Project Bella partner Ron Meer, over 100 Yes on X signs valued at $1,200 have been removed or stolen throughout Pacific Grove at both residential and commercial properties.

Salinas libraries celebrate National Library Week

There will be lots of books, cake and celebrations throughout the Salinas libraries during the week of April 10 - 16 in celebration of National Library Week. The events will include:

April 10:
#LibrariesTransform at each branch all day.

April 12:
100th birthday celebration of Beverly Clearly, beloved children's books author, at each branch from 3 - 5 p.m.

April 13: 
National Bookmobile Day at:
El Gabilan Library, 1400 N. Main St. from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.
Cesar Chavez Library, 615 Williams Rd., from 2:30 p.m. - 3:30 p.m., with cake at 4 p.m.
John Steinbeck Library, 350 Lincoln Ave.,  from 4 - 5 p.m.

April 14: 
Book excerpts with Dark Surf author Tina Zmak at John Steinbeck Library from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

April 16: 
Cake at John Steinbeck and El Gabilan Libraries  at 12 p.m.

All the local Library Week events are free and open to all ages. More information is available here.

People in other "Seasides" want their In-N-Out too

James Herrera - Monterey Herald

The interest in the newly opened In-N-Out Burger in Seaside reached readers in Oregon, New York and, especially, New Jersey. Seems people living in other "Seasides" are hungry for their own double-doubles.

Seaside >> The new In-N-Out Burger restaurant at 1350 Del Monte Blvd in Seaside has been open for two weeks now and people on the Monterey Peninsula seem to have settled into a happy daze knowing the prospect of a double-double is just a short drive away.

But from the time an article ran in The Herald announcing the opening day of March 22, there has been a heavy click rate on our website coming mostly from the right coast.

It seems people in New Jersey, New York and even Oregon have inquired about where exactly 'their" In-N-Out can be found. The latest email came in this morning.

"I saw a couple of weeks ago that you wrote an article about In N Out Burger opening in Seaside, NJ. Has there been any updates if it's open yet? Please let me know when you can, I've been dying to try In N Out for years now. Thank you."

Thank you for your email. It's always good to hear from our readers.
Unfortunately I have some good news and bad news for you.

First the bad news. The In-N-Out Burger written about in The Monterey  newspaper and carried on our website is in Seaside, California.

The good news is it has been open for two weeks now and fans of the burger joint, who have waited years for it to finally come to fruition, are happily downing all the restaurant has to offer.

I hope you have a passable alternative to In-N-Out Burger in your area because the family-owned restaurants are only in California, Nevada, Arizona, Oregon, Utah and Texas.

How's Burger 25? (A search named this restaurant the top burger joint in Seaside Heights, NJ)

There are 7 cities with the name Seaside in the U.S. located in California, Oregon, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, New York and Connecticut. Seaside Heights is in New Jersey.