Aw, heck. I can't get the article to paste. I know the Marines care little for the protesters. And the opening of the fishing season will most likely lead to the picture of a drunk fisherman in a skiff with a shotgun telling a battleship to get the hell out of his way (and that picture I will post!) but lest you think the LOCL* contingent is powerless, search for Hatton Canyon Freeway and Carmel River Dam.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/1999/03/12/MN87157.DTL

Marines Meet Resistance From Coastal Commission Advisory vote could scuttle weekend invasion

*LOCL = Little old Carmel Lady. Not a negative term. For an explination, e-mail me.

-- Annie O'Dea (tarotmaid@yahoo.com), March 12, 1999

Answers

Annie,

Posted some articles yesterday that may help ...

Urban Warrior Exercises In No. California May Face Showdown, or Not

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id= 000b9U

Also sent an e off to a Chronicle reporter in case he hadnt see the developing stories from your neck of the woods. Hope it triggers more investigative reporting.

Look forward to your observations tomorrow!

Stay, high and dry!

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 12, 1999.

For educational purposes only -- Usual disclaimers...
 
 
San Francisco Chronicle
 
Marines Meet Resistance From Coastal Commission
Advisory vote could scuttle weekend invasion
 
Michael McCabe, Henry K. Lee, Chronicle Staff Writers
 
Friday, March 12, 1999
 
 
Just two days before the start of a combat training exercise in Monterey, the California Coastal Commission concluded yesterday that the operation could bother the region's gray whales, sea otters and birds.
 
The commission's 7-to-0 advisory vote in Carmel caught many observers by surprise and could result in the cancellation of the Monterey exercise, which was scheduled for tomorrow.
 
Top officials with the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory were meeting last night to discuss their options in Monterey, said spokesman Tim Jones.
 
The Marine training operation, called Urban Warrior, was to continue Monday in Oakland and Alameda, where protesters also have voiced discontent over the lack of public hearings about the exercise.
 
About 800 Marines and sailors had planned to conduct an amphibious landing tomorrow at the Naval Postgraduate School beach in Monterey. They were then hoping to neutralize a simulated weapon of mass destruction as F/A-18 Hornet jets screeched overhead and Navy ships assisted from offshore.
 
The commission deals with policies related to public access to coastal marine environments. It has no legal powers to stop Urban Warrior, but its opposition could help any efforts to seek a court injunction.
 
The panel rejected the military's environmental impact report, which stated that gray whales, snowy plovers and sea otters would not be affected by Urban Warrior.
 
Peter Douglas, the commission's executive director, said he thought the military might proceed despite the ruling. ``It would be very difficult to stop the invasion at this point,'' Douglas said. ``The only way to do that would be to get a court order . . . and I don't see that happening, logistically, given the time.''
 
However, news of the commission vote was greeted with jubilation by protesters planning extensive demonstrations today and tomorrow.
 
``This means the Marine Corps ought to cancel its Urban Warrior exercise here,'' said Gordon Smith, co-chairman of the local chapter of Veterans for Peace in Monterey.
 
``The Marine Corps absolutely failed to satisfy the commission with a proper environmental assessment,'' Smith said. ``And they failed to do any of the paperwork in a timely manner.'' The commission's vote came after several hours of discussion and public testimony from more than 40 speakers, with all but three lambasting the planned military exercise.
 
Douglas said the commission was ``clearly frustrated'' at being asked to sign off on the invasion given the information it had and the limited time available.
 
The commission's action ``by inference'' means that the Marines should submit more documentation before the invasion tomorrow, said Mark Delaplaine, the commission's supervisor of federal consistency.
 
``The Marine Corps still has to notify us how they plan to proceed,'' Delaplaine said. ``They are free to disagree with us, but they have to explain why, and how they will not affect the environment.''
 
Smith said protest plans will continue if the military decides to go ahead with Urban Warrior.
 
Demonstrations will begin at Window on the Bay Park on Del Monte Boulevard at noon today near the planned invasion site and continue into the evening with a candlelight vigil, Smith said. Legal overnight camping will be available tonight for protesters at the lower parking lot at Monterey Peninsula College, just off Fremont Avenue, Smith said.
 
If Urban Warrior proceeds, the state Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Coast Guard will be monitoring the area to make sure the invasion does not interfere with migrating gray whales, sea otters, harbor seals or large groups of birds.
 
Many local fishermen in the Monterey area are also in an uproar over the invasion's timing: Tomorrow is the opening of the sport salmon season.
 
``This is one of the busiest boating days on Monterey Bay,'' said Mike Watson, president of Bay Area Regional Fishermen. ``There will be hundreds of small fishing vessels on the water before dawn. I can't believe the Marines would pick this of all days to hold their exercises.''
 
Opposition from the National Park Service in December led the military to throw out its original plans for an amphibious landing at San Francisco's Presidio and Baker Beach.
 
(c) 1999 San Francisco Chronicle Page A19
 


-- Dan (DanTCC@Yahoo.com), March 12, 1999.

Dan,

The military is never liked or understood until the time comes for them to fight and defend. Much talk about the military siding with the bad guys to over rule us. Not likely! My family has close to 100 years of military service to its credit since WWII, due to the numbers of men in my family and my fathers years in the military, includes reserves etc., and none of us would lift a finger against the American People.

Now I have two sons in military and neither of then would lift a finger against US.

Could be that the military sees problems on the horizon and are training to that point.

Father and mother were in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor time. Father was an infantry captain and was responsible to protect miles of beach front with a scaled down rifle company. As I recall the story he had thirteen men in his company, one 30 caliber machine gun. That was it!

My experience in Germany sometimes left me as a corporal E4, doing the job of an E6. More than once it was me as gun chief and a one man crew to load and lay the gun. M109, 155 mm howitzer, self propelled. The Army called for a twelve man gun crew. Chief, gunner, assistant gunner, # 1 cannonier, etc. Been a while but thems the facts as I recall. Gun Bunnies we were.

Lighten up on the military, they have a thankless task in peace and hell in war.

I did not go to war, just training.

-- Mark Hillyard (foster@inreach.com), March 12, 1999.

Well Mark,

Did send a message to the Military this a.m. ...

Urban Warrior Advanced Warfighting Experiment (AWE)

http:// www.mcwl.quantico.usmc.mil/

Tim Jones, Public Affairs jonest@mcwl.quantico.usmc.mil
Webmaster gill@mcwl.quantico.usmc.mil

Marines, et. al.,

Just letting you know I read with great amazement this morning's article (below) at the SF Gate web-site that the Marines actually honored Monterey's delicate coastal environment!

Kudos!

Now if you can do as well during "Y2K season" across this country, I'll be doubly impressed.

Thanks for the sensitivity, even though, behind-the-scenes, I'll bet there was LOTS of grumbling.

Diane

Article...

Military cancels seaborne assault through Monterey Bay
WILLIAM SCHIFFMANN, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, March 13, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/03/13/national0055EST0412.DTL

(03-13) 00:55 EST SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- The Pentagon has agreed to ferry hundreds of Marines from ship to shore via helicopter instead of launching a practice amphibious assault through the sensitive waters of Monterey Bay.

The Pentagon decided to cancel today's planned Hovercraft assault after the California Coastal Commission objected. Instead, the Marines will be helicoptered from transport ships to Monterey Peninsula Airport, then bused or trucked to training sites.

The Commission had unanimously rejected a report from the Navy and Marines that claimed the Hovercraft wouldn't disturb gray whales, snowy plovers and sea otters in the bay.

``We have abided by that decision,'' Marine Lt. Col. Jenny Holbert said Friday. ``We're as concerned and committed to the environment as they are, so we decided to abide by that decision and go with helicopter landings instead.''

Two environmental groups, Arc Ecology and the Fort Ord Toxics Project, nevertheless attempted to scuttle both the Monterey operation and a second landing off the Alameda County coast on Sunday. But U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins ruled late Friday that they had failed to prove their claims of environmental damage.

The $4.5 million Urban Warrior Advanced Warfighting Experiment -- one of a series of exercises held around the nation in recent years -- is designed to test the Marines' ability to handle a coastal urban conflict, natural disaster or large-scale humanitarian effort.

Plans had called for a beach landing in Monterey today, where hundreds of personnel would practice a response to terrorists possessing ``simulated biological or chemical weapons of mass destruction.''

Holbert said using the Hovercraft was simply a way to get the Marines from ships to land and was not actually part of the exercise, which will otherwise be unchanged.

``It totally eliminates any impact on coastal resources, and directly addresses the concerns the commission had,'' said Peter Douglas, executive director of the coastal commission.

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), March 13, 1999.

Mark:

Understood. However .. don't shoot the messenger. I merely posted a copy of the article.

By the way .. I'm ex-mil too.. ran a MARS station.

Dan

-- Dan (DanTCC@Yahoo.com), March 13, 1999.

Apologies in advance for the topic drift. I haven't seen this posted, but this BB is getting so many new threads, it's hard to be sure. Anyway, didn't want to start yet another new thread, in case it's redundant, so at least it will be in the right state here. The following is from the Calif. Governor's Office for Emergency Services website. It is a Y2K Potential Impacts Matrix.

----------SNIP----------

Purpose

The Y2K Impacts Matrix explores potential disaster problems within the emergency management community and provides an initial overview of the disasters that could be precipitated by, or exacerbated by, the Y2K computer crisis. Methodology

This matrix does not represent empirical data, and as such should not be used to predict actual Y2K impacts. Y2K impacts will be different in every community and will depend on the success efforts to address Y2K vulnerabilities. The information in this matrix is based upon input from the OES Planning and Technological Assistance Branch staff, and Information Technology, Law Enforcement, and Fire and Rescue branches.

Matrix Headings

Category - Represents a general area of potential problems Potential Problem - Specifies a particular consequence resulting from a computer failure Potential Impacts - Identifies potential disasters or emergency response problems Interested Agencies - Agencies likely to have a primary interest

----------SNIP----------

URL to matrix Here

-- Wanda (lonevoice@mailexcite.com), March 13, 1999.

Diane,

Here's the quote from the AP article you posted that got my attention...

[snip]

The $4.5 million Urban Warrior Advanced Warfighting Experiment -- one of a series of exercises held around the nation in recent years -- is designed to test the Marines' ability to handle a coastal urban conflict, natural disaster or large-scale humanitarian effort.

[snip]

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), March 13, 1999.

Well, folks, you didn't miss much. Let me give you a rundown:

8:00 am. Met on front porch with Constant Companion and G, an old friend and 20 yr vet with SE Asian experence. As we sipped our coffee and ate our bagles several helicopters left from a point on the bay shrouded in fog. G identified them as Chinooks. The went to points at DLI, NPS, and the Monterey airport. Score one for the Snowy Plover.

10:30 am. We were within 2 blocks of the NPS most of the morning, at various used car lots with G, who was shopping. We had been hearing gunfire off and on, G reported that it sounded like blanks. Sometime between 10:30 and 11 the troops began to move to the DLI. This involved a series of school busses, tour busses, minivans, fleet cars, and two guys even caught a cab. It was the highlight of the day. Constant Companion and I left G off at the Windows on the Bay park. He wanted to hassle the protestors.

3:30 Constant Companion reports gunfire from DLI. It is not loud enough to disturb my nap.

Night. DJ Mike reports that a number of Marines have invaded on the town. Aparently, while they have courage and valor, they cannot dance.

-- Annie O'Dea (tarotmaid@yahoo.com), March 15, 1999.