AN UNDERCOVER PROSTITUTION OPERATION NETTED 4 ARRESTS IN SALINAS YESTERDAY. A 19 YEAR-OLD ELK GROVE RESIDENT, A 19 YEAR-OLD SACRAMENTO RESIDENT, AND A 54 YEAR-OLD SALINAS RESIDENT WERE BOOKED INTO MONTEREY COUNTY JAIL. THEY WERE ARRESTED ON RIANDA, GRIFFIN, AND EAST ALISAL STREETS.

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.

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 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.