Hands to Help Seniors

View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

Pebble Beach has some of the most expensive real estate in the entire nation and squabbles amongst neighbors are not uncommon, particularly when someone is building a new structure or changing an existing structure.  It's all about preserving the view and the serenity of living in such a beautiful place.  However, the debate over the 24 two and three bedroom condos which are to be built by the Pebble Beach Company (PBC) on Congress and S.F.B Morse Drive is reaching record heated levels.  At a recent Pebble Beach Land Use Advisory Committee so many people showed up they couldn't fit them all inside.  It was mostly neighbors complaining about the affordable housing project that is a requirement for PBC in order to build their new resort.  They may build outside of Pebble Beach, but if they do so they will have to pay a $5 million fee.  Neighbors were not at a loss for words at the meeting.  The one closest to the project is James McClure, who said it will be a general nuisance.  According to the Carmel Pine Cone, he said, "Right now, I have the smell of pines in the morning and quiet.  I'm going to have cars parked at my back fence, it's going to smell like a meth lab and be as noisy as a drag strip."  Another resident, Jon Pariser, said, "I believe the Pebble Beach Company has the humanity to stop this project from happening and causing a new urban environment, another New York City."  I wouldn't count on it.  This is the last major resort that is being allowed to be built in the Del Monte Forest and there is a huge amount of money at stake.  There's a dearth of affordable housing on the Peninsula, and I doubt if there is any in Pebble Beach.

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.

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View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

Veterans and their families owe a huge thank you to the David & Lucille Packard Foundation, as well as another icon on the Monterey Peninsula.  I wrote Thursday on my blog about the possibility of The Packard Foundation possibly lending $450K towards the development of land for a local VA cemetery, and it looks like this transaction will go through.  Ted Balestreri,  the CEO of the Cannery Row Company, also stepped up to the plate according to the Monterey Herald, giving a $150,000 loan to the vehicle which will fund the Veterans Cemetery on the old Fort Ord base.  I was stationed there when I served in the military and I think it's a fitting use for the land.  The Fort Ord Reuse Authority has received a Federal grant of $6.7 million towards the development but unless they can come up with $2.6 million by October 15 they may have to turn it down.  There is a loan that Governor Brown has until the end of next week to approve for $1 million, and the other $1 million is coming from a "mystery source" which the Herald had previously reported was a state agency as well.  For more information, go to the Central Coast Veterans Cemetery Association web site.

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View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

I am happy to hear that billionaires like Bill Gates and Warren Buffet have committed to giving the majority of their wealth to charity.  They are helping to solve huge problems in our society and their money is being put to good use.  There was a nice story in Fortune Magazine about Warren Buffet's  grandson Howard W. Buffett and Grand Nephew Alex Rozek who are carrying on this tradition.  They founded the non-profit Learning by Giving Foundation which has what they call a massive open online class which then funds the best ideas developed during the class.  It's great to see this younger generation picking up philanthropic habits.  "Why do anything other than work to make the world a better place, especially with the amazing benefits we've been given?" Buffett told Fortune.  I agree. 

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.

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View From A Nonprofit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California

I wrote Wednesday on my blog about the difficulty that a local non-profit is having raise $2.6 million in the next two weeks which will be necessary in order to get a federal grant of $6.7 million for the construction of a veterans cemetery on the old Fort Ord Base.  The state of California only has until October 15 to tell the Department of Veteran Affairs whether it will accept the funds.  If backers of the cemetery don't come up with the shortfall by October 15, the grant would probably have fallen through.  However, there is hope that this can happen.  Governor Brown is said to have committed $2 million towards the project and it was reported in the Monterey Herald that the David & Lucile Packard Foundation is going to loan $450,000 to the project.  They may also approve a $100,000 grant, which would be such a blessing.  It's great to see that after all of this hard work it looks like the Veterans Cemetery will become a reality. 

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of Hands to Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.

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