On March 27th the Commandant for the United States Coast Guard, Admiral Thad Allen, came to Monterey to deliver the mid year graduation address at the Naval Postgraduate School.  While in Monterey, he visited USCG Station Monterey where he presented a summary of his ‘State of the Coast Guard’ address delivered earlier in the year in Washington D.C.  The NLUS Monterey Peninsula Council President John Sanders and Vice President Susan McLaughlin were honored to have an invitation to the meeting from the station CO, Lt. Mike Kahle. Navy League member and US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla Commander Tony Budlong and US Coast Guard Auxiliary Division Commander Mark McLaughlin also attended.

We learned that the Commandant was tasking the Coast Guard to no longer do ‘more with less’, but to “do your best with what you’ve got”. He talked about the reorganization of the service, and the Cutter acquisition program currently underway, and answered questions from the Station.  He also discussed the importance of social networking in today’s military and informed the audience he has set up a blog, and a Facebook account to help communicate more widely with his command and the public. 

Admiral Allen’s State of the Coast Guard Address can be found at
http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/speeches/docs/Transcript_SOTCG_3-3-09.pdf

His blog , icommandant can be found at http://www.uscg.mil/comdt/blog/

You can search for his Facebook account using thad.w.allen@gmail.com.

Notice from NLUS Monterey Peninsula Board Member, Abel Quinones
MONTEREY COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS, TUESDAY, JANUARY 29, 2008 9:00 AM,
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS CHAMBERS, 168 WEST ALISAL ST, SALINAS, CA
On the Agenda as item 52, a thru d and item 53, a and b. The allocation of
funds require 4/5 vote for approval. It’s a matter of great importance to
call your supervisor to endorse the funding for the cemetery.

RMA – MONTEREY COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY

52. a. Approve and authorize the Chair of the Board of
Directors of the Redevelopment Agency to execute a Memorandum of Agreement
among the County of Monterey, the Redevelopment Agency of the County of
Monterey and the Fort Ord Reuse Authority concerning pre-development funding
related to the Central Coast Veteran’s Cemetery;

b. Approve and authorize the Director of the Housing and
Redevelopment Office to execute a Professional Services agreement with
Royston, Hanamoto, Alley & Abey to provide consulting services for producing
the Master Development Plan for the Central Coast Veteran’s Cemetery, in the
amount of $191,000 and which term will expire January 2, 2009;

c. Approve and direct the Auditor-Controller to increase estimated
revenues and appropriations in the amount of $191,000 in Fort Ord
Redevelopment Project Area Fund 403 Budget Unit 943 to reflect revenues from
FORA, and to fund the Professional Services Agreement (4/5ths vote
required); and

d. Approve an in-kind contribution of up to $25,000 from Fort Ord
Redevelopment Project Area Fund 403 Budget Unit 943 for pre-development
activities related to the Veteran’s Cemetery Project.

53/36. a. Reclassify a loan from the County General Fund to the
Fort Ord Redevelopment Fund 403 Budget Unit 943 as an equity transfer; and

b. Approve and direct the Auditor-Controller to increase revenue and
appropriations in Fund 403 Budget Unit 943 to reflect the reclassification
and to permit the use of the funds. (4/5ths vote required)

Bill Stephens, executive director of the Historic Ships Memorial at Pacific Square (SF) will be interviewed tomorrow morning on KION radio 1460 AM, about the future of the famous WWII-era battleship IOWA. The HSMPS has plans to move the IOWA from the “mothball” fleet in Suisun Bay, to a new home at Mare Island in Vallejo, where she will be the centerpiece of a revitalized waterfront area. IOWA will operate as a museum ship, similar to the carriers Hornet & Midway now retired at NAS Alameda and San Diego.

There are only four IOWA-class battleships and IOWA at Mare Island would be the only one of these historic ships located in the western United States. (Missouri – Pearl Harbor, HI, New Jersey – Camden, NJ, and Wisconsin – Norfolk, VA).

Mr. Stephens will be interview by KION host Mark Carbonaro, tomorrow morning (Thursday, December 6) from 0835 – 0900 PST. You can tune into KION at 1460 on the AM dial.

Monday and Tuesday, October 29 and 30, the United States Coast Guard Station Monterey will host a Halloween Haunted House to raise funds for Coast Guard morale efforts.

Navy Leaguers are welcome to volunteer– if you’d like to, please contact BM1 Jason Oakes at USCG Station Monterey 647-7303. The MWR committee will be constructing scary stations inside the boathouse. They are in need of costumes, construction materials, and decorations. Help is also needed for ticket sales, concessions, admissions, materials donations. Otherwise drop by the boat house on either night, for a good scare!