Right now, Us is me and a couple of volunteers. I am a bit overwhelmed right now.

As the former editor and publisher of the P.G. Beacon newspaper for a number of years, with a paid staff, and as a former Planning Commissioner, and P.G. City Council member, I have long been aware that having no meaningful, regular news coverage of our town is really a bad situation. You just can’t have a dynamic town without an informed public. Some folks call P.G. the last hometown. I say that without news coverage, it is more likely to become the last of our hometown.

So, with some help from other concerned citizens, we are starting this Pacific Grove Beacon website/blog to keep our residents, business owners, and visitors informed as to the important local issues of the day. People in Pacific Grove care about their town and want to know what is going on here. The new Beacon will have many of the same features as the original Beacon newspaper, but some will be in abbreviated form.

It is not primarily an opinion site but rather an informational one, to tell folks what is going on in P.G. We will strive to give you the facts and offer all sides a chance to give their opinions. There will be no ranting. This issue will have some empty sections to give you an idea of what will be included when we are fully up and running. You may have some other ideas, and we sure want to hear about them.

Help! Volunteers are needed. The Beacon cannot continue without them. The jobs are fun and don’t take too much time. Photographers are welcome to contribute photos of P.G. life, such as the Butterfly Parade, kids at a lemonade stand in front of P.O., etc. We need folks to pick up and type things like The Police Blotter, Real Estate Sales listings, and things like that.

Milestones posts, such as births and death statistics, must be typed and edited. We need people to write, edit, and place obituaries. Tech assistance is needed too. Articles are always welcome if they pertain to P.G. There are many small tasks that anyone can do. We need readers to edit to catch and fix mistakes, where appropriate, as well as do the editing where there is too much repetition or blathering on. We need book and play reviewers and a cartoonist.

Opinion writers are encouraged to contribute, including our Mayor, City Council members, and City staff. Business owners and community organizations are welcome to submit a regular column or articles. The old Beacon had Club Corner, a column from the City government, New from Sally Griffin which we will try to revive, and as time goes on, there will be other new features. And of course, everyday people are encouraged to post their thoughts as well. Poets and writers have a great opportunity to contribute. And how about a school news reporter?

The Beacon will post mostly twice a month on a Monday after Wednesday’s Council meeting, the dates of which are listed on the City’s website. We may move to a once-a-month format depending on whether we can get volunteers and raise a bit of money to keep this going. Next month, there is only one Council meeting in August (20th), so there will only be one Beacon in August. (Editor’s note: The City Council recently voted to cut down the number of Council meetings a year.)

We encourage suggestions for improvement as we get up and running. If you don’t like to write, if you can jot something down, we can redraft it and work with you.

We are always open to talk about your business, new projects, creative work you would like to share, ideas about future articles, and generally how we can help you, our town, and of course, to improve The Beacon. For now, contact me at [email protected], or telephone me at 831 375-6858.

(Magic Carpet photograph by David Dilworth, InspiringLandscapes.com)