Meet K-9 Alex | PD Attracts Group of New Officers
Body & Mind - Obesity Not Good Economics | Breakwater Gets Face-Lift
Changes to City Attorney's Office | Trash Talk - Reduce Annual Trash
On the Volunteer Front

ON THE POLICE FRONT

Meet K-9 Alex... Now on the Police Beat
There’s a new rookie in town – K-9 Alex.
Look for him out on patrol.
Alex and his handler Officer Dan Smetak, who has been with the Police Department since 2002, are now working in the community after attending a rigorous 4-week training course last December.
A major portion of the K-9 team’s duties are crime prevention and education. They also respond to serious crime calls, building searches and suspect apprehensions.
K-9 Alex takes over for Canto who recently retired. During the last six years, highly trained police dogs have been part of the police team, working alongside officers on the beat. The community played an integral role in securing funding to bring the first K-9s to Monterey and has continued to support the program.
To make arrangements for K-9 demonstrations or public safety education sessions, call the Public Education Officer at 646.3819 or visit www.monterey.org/mpd.

PD Attracts Group of New Officers
An unprecedented number of new officers were hired on the same day by the Police Department earlier this year.
Before hitting the streets, the seven new hires, who came from as far away as Texas, are attending the six-month Alameda Sheriff’s Office Academy and participating in an extensive law enforcement training program to develop the necessary policing skills. Upon their return to Monterey, they begin a four-month intensive Field Training Program (internal team training with a seasoned officer) before taking on solo patrol.
Visit the Police Department’s Web site at www.monterey.org/mpd to learn more about
your public safety team.

BODY & MIND
Obesity Not Good Economics
Raise your hand if you need to lose a few pounds. You are not alone.
Some 190 million Americans are considered overweight or obese. That’s 60% of the entire population. To make matters worse, our children are not better off. Recent estimates indicate that more than half of our children are now obese.
The term overweight or obese is determined by an assessment known as a body mass index (BMI). To estimate BMI using pounds and inches, use your weight, divided by your height squared, then multiplied by 703. Thus, a 164-pound person who is 5’8” has a BMI of 25, which is considered overweight; while a six-foot, 225-pound person has a BMI of 30 and is considered obese.
Okay, so we need to lose weight. What does weight have to do with economics?
From 1987 to 2001, medical bills for obese people constituted 27% of the growth in overall health care spending, according to Emory University researchers cited in the Washington Post.
Treating obese people is 37% more expensive than medical care for normal-weight people. That amounts to an estimated $93 billion a year for treating obesity-related illnesses.
Research shows that obesity can be linked to the double-digit rise in health insurance premiums; the 48 million Americans now without health insurance; and the haggling over how to best solve the health insurance woes of our country.
As a country, we need to lose weight to improve the bottom line.
If you are ready to get started, the Monterey Sports Center (www.monterey.org/sportscenter) focuses on using exercise to reduce weight and encourages you to choose fun activities that keep you excited while burning calories. The Sports Center advocates 20 minutes or more of cardiovascular exercise daily and strength training two to three times per week. Along with a moderate nutritious diet and smaller portion size, the weight lost on this tried and true regime generally stays off.
Consider hiring a personal trainer if it is your first time to the gym or if you’ve been away for a while. Knowing what to do and getting some help as you start can do wonders for your weight-loss goals.

For more info, call the Sports Center at 646.3700.

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Breakwater Launch ramp Gets Facelift, Coast Guard Pier Re-opens
The much-anticipated expansion and remodel of the Breakwater launching area alleviates acute congestion, allows for additional vessel staging and is wheelchair accessible. The improved facility, anticipated for some 10 years, features expanded vessel staging docks and a wheelchair-accessible gangway leading to a large, stable platform.
The Breakwater Launch Ramp upgrades were funded through grants from the California Dept. of Boating and Waterways, the Coastal Conservancy and the City’s Marina Fund.
At the same time, the U.S. Coast Guard pier is again open to the public from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The Coast Guard installed a new fencing system and made safety improvements to the pier allowing public access to the breakwater while maintaining security in the area. The pier is subject to unannounced closures due to operations or rescue missions.
Access is granted at the discretion of the Coast Guard Station Monterey.

Changes to Note at City Attorney, Code Enforcement Offices
The City Attorney’s Office and Code Enforcement Division are here to serve you: new faces, updated roles and all.

• Former Assistant City Attorney Deborah Mall was named interim city attorney by the City Council, after City Attorney Bill Conners retired in December after 25 years of service.
  Mall has been assistant city attorney since 1999 and looks forward to her interim role as the primary legal advisor for the Council and City staff. As a result of the adjustments, there are now fewer staff to respond to community questions and concerns. The process for hiring a City Attorney is moving forward.
• Code Enforcement Officer Al Fasulo joined the City last summer and continues to use education and communication to achieve City Code compliance.
  Please note that Fasulo works on a part-time schedule, however, he is committed to responding to and resolving code enforcement issues as quickly and efficiently as possible.

We appreciate your understanding. To learn more about residential City Codes and how you can keep your City safe and beautiful, review the Citizen’s Guide to Residential Ordinances inserted in this issue of City Focus.

Contact info:
City Attorney’s Office 646.3915
Code Enforcement Officer 646.3750
www.monterey.org/cityattorney

TRASH TALK
Reduce Your Annual Trash Output
It’s tax season, time to review your revenue and expense stream. It’s also a good time to think about how much trash you generated last year and how you might do it
differently this year.
The good news: City residents have diverted 62% of their waste from landfills since 1990.
The bad news: as a community we are generating more trash. Even though we are enthusiastic recyclers, we are also enormous waste producers.
Reducing trash output is key. Let’s review some techniques; incorporate all or try just a few. It only takes 21 days to adopt a new habit, so make it a good one.

• Use cloth bags when you shop, not only for groceries but clothes too. Plastic bags are a peril to the environment and recycle centers. Store cloth bags in your vehicle and take them with you when you shop.
• Wrap gifts with a reusable towel or tablecloth.
• Donate “no longer needed” clothing or toys to a charity (for donation locations check our Web site).
• Less truly is more! Give a special long-lasting gift, rather than several smaller, disposable gifts.
• Buy a reusable Christmas tree this year. Save fossil fuels and reduce the transportation of materials.
• Have clearly marked containers at parties for recyclables. A different colored container with clear signage (RECYCLE CANS AND BOTTLES HERE) next to the trashcan diverts a lot of waste. Remember to empty it often as it fills quickly.
• Crush soda cans and recycle them wherever you go.
• Reuse plastic water bottles by using a water filtering system, and then recycle them eventually.

Remember, millions of people place 40 gallons or more of waste at the curb each week. Do your part and reduce your waste. It’s a good habit to get into this year and beyond.

For more info about recycling in the City, call the City’s Solid Waste Coordinator Angela Brantley at 646.5662 or send an email to brantley@ci.monterey.ca.us. Visit the Web for recycling tips at www.monterey.org/recycle.

ON THE VOLUNTEER FRONT
Dedicated Group of Volunteers Contribute Much Time, Effort
Volunteers support City services and help make them successful.
On average, we welcome close to 1,000 volunteers each year who contribute some 28,000 hours of time. Some include those who participate in Dare to Care Day on April 22 each year .
We also have a core of dedicated individuals who come back week after week, year after year.
This active group includes 237 volunteers who have contributed more than 106,000 hours cumulatively over the years.
In this issue of City Focus we are acknowledging those who have donated more than 1,000 hours of service to the City.

Thank you for your ongoing efforts!

• Sidney Brooks – 1,600 hours
  California History Room
• Fern Ericson – 1,000 hours
  Volunteers in Parks
• Ruth Ann Flowers – 1,000 hours Volunteers in Parks
• Connie Houston – 1,100 hours
  Monterey Public Library
• Joseph Howell – 2,900 hours
  Recreation & Comm. Services
• Malcom McGregor – 1,000 hours
  Monterey Volunteers in Policing
• Ron Rountree – 3,300 hours
  Monterey Volunteers in Policing
• Bob Schwartz – 1,200 hours
  Police, Fire, Presidio Museum
• Jack Storrs – 1,500 hours
  Monterey Volunteers in Policing
• William Wong – 1,006 hours
  Monterey Volunteers in Policing

For more info, call Volunteer Services at 646-3719, email sammon@ci.monterey.ca.us or visit www.monterey.org/volunteer.

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Rev. 02/19/08 L. Huelga  http://www.monterey.org/focus/spring05/news.html