This Week on the Central Coast
Pacific Grove votes to keep live music in downtown, MBARI begins constructing a new research vessel, and a new bus line is coming to Monterey.
This week, the chunk of road that washed out on Highway 1 in Big Sur was repaired ahead of schedule. The Sunset Center in Carmel, which plans to reopen in the fall, said that it would be very difficult to reopen at anything less than 100% capacity. Also in Carmel, local artists will be painting heart sculptures as part of a temporary exhibit called "The Heart of Carmel". Two Carmel-by-the-Sea residents will be judging the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show this summer.
Pacific Grove will keep live music in downtown
The Pacific Grove City Council voted unanimously to keep live music in downtown for at least another year. Councilmembers believe the music helps the outdoor dining atmosphere and, consequently, attracts more customers to other local businesses symbiotically. The outdoor dining scene has unexpectedly helped attract tourism to Pacific Grove’s downtown shopping area. The ordinance allows music to be played from 10 AM to 10 PM every day.
The Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute will begin constructing a new research vessel.
The ship will be constructed in Spain and is set to be completed by 2023. The ship will allow researchers to explore depths of 3,300 feet via a remotely operated vehicle. This will allow even further exploration of the Monterey Canyon (nicknamed “The Blue Grand Canyon” due to its size). MBARI’s CEO said in a press release: “MBARI’s mission to explore and understand the ocean is more important than ever, especially in light of the growing threats of climate change, overfishing, and pollution ... This new state-of-the-art research vessel will expand MBARI’s reach and enhance our research, engineering development, and outreach efforts.”
Flixbus is a national bus company that will be testing a route to Sacramento from Monterey. The test route will begin in May and will continue if it is successful. The busses would leave Monterey at 3:10PM on Thursdays through Mondays. Stops along the way include Santa Cruz, San Jose, Redwood City, San Francisco, Oakland, Davis, and Old Sac. Bus fares start at $4.99.
