Salinas to present plan for a greener city

Salinas city officials will unveil their plans to create more green spaces on Monday, June 27 at 6 p.m. The public is invited to attend event.

The Neighborhood Vibrancy-Urban Greening Plan was prepared for Creekbridge, Alisal and Maple/Monterey Park, which were chosen for their physical and cultural diversity.

"Great cities have great neighborhoods," Mayor Joe Gunter said in a statement. "Our intent is to make our neighborhoods great by making them more walkable, greener and safer. We want to create places that connect people with each other and with nature. More parks and street trees will help us achieve that."

The Greening Plans took two years to create. A twelve-member Plan Advisory Committee, comprised of local community groups and technical experts, worked to put it together utilizing community involvement.

The presentation will take place at 6 p.m. Monday, June 27 at the Salinas City Hall Rotunda, 200 Lincoln Av. For more information about the Neighborhood Vibrancy-Urban Greening Program, call Salinas City Hall at (831) 758-7450.

Monterey planning commission unanimously approves aquarium's ed center

The Monterey Bay Aquarium's proposed education center was officially approved this week by a unanimous vote from the Monterey City Planning Commission.

Designed by San Francisco-based architectural firm Mark Cavagnero Associates, the new four-story $30 million dollar building will include five learning spaces/labs, a multipurpose room, office space for 35 staff members and a video lab. It will also feature an event center located on the top floor and have many features that qualify as “environmentally responsible,” such as solar panels on the roof. It's targeted opening date is for 2018.

“It was a big project approval,” said Kimberly Cole, Chief of Planning and Environmental Compliance for the city. “It's really taking the center of Cannery Row, which is a little dilapidated, and giving it new life.”

Cole said there was quite a bit of discussion at the planning commission meeting Tuesday, with most of it positive. She noted there were seven letters of support and one letter of concern from the New Monterey Neighborhood Association. Concerns centered mainly around the building's height.

“Concerns were about the fourth story height of the building and there was quite a bit of discussion whether the building would be set back from Hoffman Avenue or not,” said Cole. “Those were the two key issues that the neighborhood association was concerned about.”

As Cole explained, the bridge between the two buildings will actually be demolished, opening up the view corridor down Hoffman and the new 25,000 square foot building will be shorter than the current structure.

“What really swayed the planning commission was that the proposed new building will be smaller in height than the existing building that's there now,” she said.

Cole noted that the general mood during the meeting was one of excitement and anticipation for the education center.

“This is something that we've been waiting for for a really long time,” said Cole. “That heart of Cannery Row – we need a center to it.”

Carmel Film Festival moves Filmmakers Beach Dinner to Pacific Grove

At Pacific Grove's city council meeting Wednesday, the council approved Carmel Film Festival’s request to hold their Filmmakers Beach Dinner at Lovers Point Park this year. Organizers of the event requested that fire pits be placed on the beach and that alcohol would be allowed for the event. Pacific Grove’s municipal code prohibits both. 

“We approved it to go ahead but we need to review some aspects of events like that,” said Kampe. “We’ll need to look at city ordinances.”

The Pacific Grove Chamber of Commerce also hopes to shift additional festival events in the future.

Festival organizers say they will pay for all needed city services in addition to rental fees for city parking lots and park areas and will utilize the city’s businesses for managing, catering and equipment rentals. 

While Pacific Grove Mayor Bill Kampe noted he didn't want to speculate, he said the change in venue was most likely due to space issues.

"I think they are just finding that the events have become very large for Carmel,” said Kampe.  

The event, which draws some 300 people, will held on Oct. 22.

FORA executive officer attends National Security Seminar

Photo courtesy US Army War College

Michael Houlemard, Fort Ord Reuse Authority executive officer, (first row, third from left) poses with seminar colleagues from the U.S. military, Mali, Peru and Macedonia during the Army War College National Security Seminar. He was invited to join the special academic seminar and exchange thoughts about national security topics in the capstone phase of the graduate program.

Michael Houlemard, executive officer of the Fort Ord Reuse Authority was one of 160 business, government, academic and community leaders selected from across the country to take part in the week-long US Army War College 62nd annual National Security Seminar in Carlisle, PA last week.

Attending with students of the Army War College, Houlemard represented fellow American citizens in discussions with the next generation of senior leaders of the US Armed Forces giving the leaders a deeper understanding of perspectives across the American society they serve, according to a press release.

The National Security Seminar was the capstone event of the Army War College's 10-month curriculum, just before the class of 2016 graduated with the Master's degree in Strategic Studies.

The NSS forum was structured around a daily presentation about an issue of significance to the nation's security, followed by extended and candid discussion of the topic within one of 24 seminars. Featured speakers for this year's NSS included Ambassador Ron Kirk, a former U.S. Trade Representative in the Obama Administration;  Ambassador Ryan Crocker, a career ambassador within the U.S. Foreign Service and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom; Dr. Dan Drezner, professor of international politics at the Fletcher School Tufts University; and Michele Flournoy, former Under Secretary of Defense for Policy and Senior Fellow at Harvard's Belfer Center for Science & International Affairs.

Mr. Houlemard became a member of USAWC Seminar 6, comprising Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force officers at the rank of colonel or lieutenant colonel, a senior federal civilian, and three international officers, representing Mali, Peru and Macedonia.  He was invited to share perspectives, background and experiences in the capstone event in the Strategic Studies graduate program.

The U.S. Army War College resident class of 2016 includes 380 students who represent a cross-section of the joint military, federal agency and multinational security environment: 218 Army officers, 11 Navy, 26 Air Force, 16 Marine Corps officers and one Coast Guard officer of the Active, Reserve/ National Guard forces.  The class includes 79 international officers from 73 countries, and 29 senior civilians of federal agencies.

The U.S. Army War College educates and develops leaders for service at the strategic level while advancing knowledge in the global application of land power.

Established in 1901 in Washington D.C., the Army War College relocated in 1951 to historic Carlisle Barracks, Pa. and today, it educates more than 1500 senior leaders and strategists annually through a variety of specialized strategic education programs.
Learn more about the U.S. Army War College and the National Security Seminar at www.carlisle.army.mil or www.facebook.com/usawc.