A SALINAS MAN WAS ARRESTED AFTER HE VIOLATED HIS PAROLE AND MADE A BOMB THREAT LAST NIGHT. 69 YEAR-OLD THOMAS ROBERT PATTON WAS SPEAKING WITH A TELEPHONE OPERATOR WHEN HE DEMANDED PHONE NUMBERS FOR THE DIRECTOR OF THE F.B.I. , AND THE WHITE HOUSE. HE TOLD THE OPERATOR HE HAD C-4 EXPLOSIVE STRAPPED TO HIS WAIST, AND WAS GOING TO START CUTTING PEOPLE?S THROATS TO GET THE GOVERNMENT?S ATTENTION. A POLICE OFFICER CUT INTO THE PHONE CONVERSATION AND CONVINCED PATTON TO EXIT HIS RESIDENCE, AND PATTON (WHO HAD REPORTEDLY BEEN DRINKING HEAVILY) WAS BOOKED INTO MONTEREY COUNTY JAIL. NO EXPLOSIVES WERE FOUND AT THE SCENE.

THE CAL-AM WATER COMPANY IS DELAYING PLANS FOR A PILOT DESALINATION PLANT, WHICH WOULD HAVE BEGUN PRODUCTION IN 2005. THE MOSS LANDING FACILITY WOULD HAVE PAVED THE WAY FOR A LARGER REGIONAL DESALINATION PROJECT. THE STATE PUBLIC UTILITIES COMMISSION, REQUIRED THAT CAL AM SUBMIT A YEAR'S WORTH OF DATA FROM A PILOT PLANT, BEFORE APPROVAL OF A LARGER REGIONAL PLANT. COLLECTED DATA WOULD MEASURE THE SALINITY OF THE BRINE FLUSHED BACK INTO THE SEA, AFTER THE DESALINATION PROCESS. BUT A CAL AM SPOKESPERSON SAID THEIR OVERALL SCHEDULE FOR A LARGER DESALINATION PLANT, WOULD NOT BE AFFECTED BY THE DELAY.

A LOCAL SHARK FOUNDATION WILL BE ON THE DISCOVERY CHANNEL NEXT YEAR. THE SANTA CRUZ-BASED PELAGIC SHARK FOUNDATION WILL SHARE THEIR STUDIES OF WHITE SHARKS (AND THEIR BEHAVIOR) WITH VIEWERS OF THE NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC CHANNEL FOR THE 6TH YEAR IN A ROW. THE GROUP HAS STUDIED WHITE SHARKS AT ANO NUEVO ISLAND SINCE 1992. THIS YEAR THEY ALSO COLLECTED D-N-A SAMPLES IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FROM MAY TO JULY.

THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY SAYS IT IS UNLIKELY THAT THE COAST OF CALIFORNIA WILL SEE A TSUNAMI, LIKE THE ONE THAT HAS KILLED TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA. OF COURSE NO ONE CAN PREDICT SUCH AN EVENT, BUT GEOLOGISTS SAY THERE IS ONLY A 5 PERCENT CHANCE THAT A TIDAL WAVE WILL STRIKE THE UNITED STATES WITHIN THE NEXT 30 YEARS. LOW-LYING COASTAL AREAS ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE THOUGH, AND WOULD RELY ON EARLY WARNING. THE TSUNAMI WARNING SYSTEM (IN THE PACIFIC), COMPRISES OF 26 PARTICIPATING INTERNATIONAL MEMBER STATES, AND HAS STATIONS THROUGHOUT THE PACIFIC BASIN TO MONITOR EVENTS AND DISSEMINATE TSUNAMI WARNING INFORMATION. THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER'S OPERATIONAL CENTER IS LOCATED NEAR HONOLULU, HAWAII. IT PROVIDES TSUNAMI WARNING INFORMATION TO NATIONAL AUTHORITIES IN THE PACIFIC BASIN.