ORGANIZATIONS WITH COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO APPLY FOR MORE THAN 85 THOUSAND DOLLARS IN GRANTS. THE NEIGHBORHOOD GRANTS PROGRAM OF THE COMMUNITY FOUNDATION FOR MONTEREY COUNTY HAS 87 THOUSAND 500 DOLLARS AVAILABLE FOR SUCH PROGRAMS. APPLICATIONS MUST BE POSTMARKED BY FEBRUARY 25TH. THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT THAT CAN BE REQUESTED FOR ANY 1 PROJECT IS 4 THOUSAND DOLLARS. FOR MORE INFORMATION CALL AMY AT (831) 375 - 9712 OR 754 - 5880.

A RALLY FOR PEACE IS BEING HELD TODAY IN MONTEREY. ORGANIZERS HAVE ASKED PARTICIPANTS TO BRING CANDLES, AND SIGNS WITH POSITIVE MESSAGES TO THE AFTERNOON EVENT IN THE WINDOW ON THE BAY PARK. THE 3:30 TO 6 P.M. RALLY IS PARTLY IN PROTEST OF THE WAR IN IRAQ, AND PARTLY IN PROTEST OF PRESIDENT BUSH?S INAUGURATION.

THE SANTA CRUZ CITY COUNCIL SAYS THEY WILL VOTE ON THE CONTROVERSIAL COAST HOTEL AND CONFERENCE CENTER PROJECT NEXT TUESDAY. THAT AFTER SEVERAL HUNDRED PEOPLE SHOWED UP AT LAST NIGHT?S MEETING, AND THE COUNCIL HEARD MORE THAN 3 HOURS OF PUBLIC COMMENT.

THE CALIFORNIA COASTAL COMMISSION WILL MAKE THE FINAL RULING ON THIS PROJECT.

GILROY CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS HAVE UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED THE 100-PLUS PAGE HECKER PASS SPECIFIC PLAN. ITS THE 1ST AREA-SPECIFIC PLAN ADOPTED BY THE CITY. A TASK FORCE (CHARGED WITH DEVELOPING THE GUIDELINES) WAS FORMED IN THE LATE 1990?S, AFTER GILROY ACQUIRED THE 423-ACRE HECKER PASS AREA, AS (PART OF THE BONFANTE GARDENS ANNEXATION). CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS UNANIMOUSLY APPROVED A DOCUMENT THEY HOPE WILL PRESERVE THE AREA?S RURAL CHARACTER FOR GENERATIONS TO COME. AS PART OF THE PLAN COUNCIL MEMBERS DEVISED A HOUSING FORMULA THAT REDUCED THE TOTAL NUMBER OF HOMES TO BE BUILT FROM 530 TO 506, BUT A NUMBER OF THESE HOMES COULD BE IN EXCESS OF 6 THOUSAND SQUARE FEET A PIECE. A FINAL, BOUND COPY OF THE HECKER PASS SPECIFIC PLAN, WHICH COUNCIL MEMBERS SAY WILL ENSURE DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES THAT WILL PROTECT LARGE SWATHS OF FARMLAND ALONG THE CITY?S WESTERN APPROACH ON HIGHWAY 152, WILL BE AVAILABLE AT GILROY CITY HALL IN THE NEXT MONTH.