The Weekly Tally 03.09.17

WHO’S IN TOWN?

You’ve heard the joke about why the mushroom got invited to all the parties? Now the fun guys (and gals) of the fungi world are gathering at Asilomar for the29th Fungal Genetics Conference. The event covers “all aspects of fungal genetics with a focus on filamentous fungi and encourages communication and collaboration between researchers interested in genomics, gene regulation, cell biology and development, evolutionary biology, fungal-host interactions and biotechnology,” according to the Genetics Society of America’s website. Pre-conference meetings and workshops cover aspergillus (a type of mold), Ustilago-smut (a parasite on grasses and corn) and rust. The keynote is Jay Dunlap from Dartmouth University’s Geisel School of Medicine.

Mon-Sun March 13-19. Asilomar Conference Center, 800 Asilomar Ave., Pacific Grove. $320-$670. (301) 634-7300, genetics-gsa.org/fungal/2017.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT

The Buzz 03.09.17

Readers ask what’s up with the cut trees on the sidewalks along Broadway in downtown Seaside. They were recently slashed to make way for the West Broadway Urban Village Infrastructure Project, which seeks to revitalize downtown by widening sidewalks and narrowing the street from two lanes to one lane in each direction. Construction is expected to start in April and last a year.

FREE SPEECH

Journalists and members of the public can access many court records – unless a judge signs a protective order keeping them sealed. Assemblyman Mark Stone, D-Scotts Valley, has introduced a bill designed to reduce secrecy in litigation in California. AB 889 would prohibit court agreements that conceal evidence of a “danger to public health or safety.” Stone cites a case in which a 9-year-old Montana boy died in an accident due to a defective Remingtontrigger – despite prior secret settlements. Stone points to other examples like defective tires, failing airbags and explosive fertilizers that were litigated and manufacturers acknowledged product dangers – all in secret.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

GOOD:

Good – and big – things are happening at the Monterey Regional Waste Management District facility in Marina. In January, the district’s compressed natural gas fueling station came online and is now providing Greenwaste Recovery’s fleet with a clean-burning fuel source, and in mid-February, construction began on the district’s new materials recovery facility. The new facility – in industry lingo, called a “MuRF” – will cost about $18 million and be completed in October. The old facility – now gutted of its old machinery – primarily processed construction and demolition waste, but the new one will have state-of-the-art machinery that pulls recyclables of all types out of the waste stream without even being touched by human hands. Organics, meanwhile, will be taken out of the waste stream by a series of screens and then put into an anaerobic digester to produce energy.

BAD:

As post-storm recovery efforts continue, it’s been a bad few weeks for outdoor access to public lands. The Monterey County Health Department announced all county beaches were closed Feb. 21 due to runoff concerns, then reopened beaches on March 3, but some parks remain closed or have limited access.Mission Nature Preserve in Carmel has been closed since Feb. 19 due to downed trees and poles blocking entrances, according to City Forester Mike Branson. Jacks Peak County Park had been closed since Feb. 27 due to fallen branches and trees, and reopened this week. The picnic area at Toro Park has also reopened, but trails remain closed.

 

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