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Small California beach city torn apart over fate of this 37-room historic family-owned hotel

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Small California beach city torn apart over fate of this 37-room historic family-owned hotel


Battle lines have been drawn over the demolition and planned rebuild of an historic hotel in Carmel-by-the-Sea.

The family-operated Hofsas House hotel, a 37-room inn with views of the Pacific Ocean, has stood since 1949, but has now sparked a fierce proxy battle between two groups of neighbors between those who want to modernize and others who want to preserve history.

One group wants to have the building torn down in favor of a brand new modern luxury hotel – something new for the quaint seaside town known as the Carmel Legacy Hotel.

The new building would be the largest construction project to take place in the town since the 1960s.

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The family-operated Hofsas House hotel, a 37 room inn with views of the Pacific Ocean has stood since 1949, but has now sparked a fierce proxy battle between two groups of neighbors between those who want to modernize and others who want to preserve history

The owner wants to have the building torn down in favor of a brand new modern luxury hotel and something new for the quaint seaside town, known as the Carmel Legacy Hotel

The owner wants to have the building torn down in favor of a brand new modern luxury hotel and something new for the quaint seaside town, known as the Carmel Legacy Hotel

Owner Carrie Theis won unanimous approval in April from the city’s planning commission to demolish and rebuild the Bavarian-themed hotel but those plans are now on hold

But there is another group who are directly opposed to those in the town, who want to see the building preserved for posterity, complete with its nostalgic and historical charm, known for its unique pink exterior.

The conflict has only intensified in recent months after third-generation hotel owner Carrie Theis won unanimous approval in April from the city’s planning commission to demolish and rebuild the Bavarian-themed hotel.

But just as Theis had been gearing up for the demolition, Neal Kruse, co-founder of the Carmel Preservation Association, filed an appeal to block the razing of the building and its rebuild, with the intention of protecting Carmel-by-the-Sea’s traditional architecture. 

Kruse’s appeal has stalled in the final approval stages, frustrating Theis and her family, who were preparing for the hotel to be demolished later this year or in early 2025.

Theis pointed out that the new hotel to replace the Hofsas House would be similar in size and scale to the current property. 

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Some of the hotel's buildings were constructed in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and are long overdue to be replaced

Some of the hotel’s buildings were constructed in the 1940s, 50s and 60s and are long overdue to be replaced

‘I didn’t ask for more rooms to make more money, because I knew I didn’t want to push the envelope. I didn’t,’ Theis said to SFGate about her plans for the new hotel. 

‘I wanted to do everything in the box. And I don’t appreciate that people don’t understand that.’ 

Some of the building’s planned for demolition were constructed in the 1940s, 50s and 60s – and are long past their usefulness.  

The association said that it was committed to ‘safeguarding the charming traditional architecture of Carmel-by-the-Sea.’

Kruse and his organization argue that demolishing Hofsas House would erode part of the unique character that defines Carmel.

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‘I want you to remember what they did and that will tell you what they feel about what the residents need to know about what’s coming,’ he said, airing his concerns.

The Carmel Preservation Association said that it was committed to 'safeguarding the charming traditional architecture of Carmel-by-the-Sea' but does not want the building torn down

The Carmel Preservation Association said that it was committed to ‘safeguarding the charming traditional architecture of Carmel-by-the-Sea’ but does not want the building torn down

The Carmel Preservation Association has described the possibly demolition and reconstruction as a period of 'absolute construction hell' disrupting the serene atmosphere of affluent oceanfront community

The Carmel Preservation Association has described the possibly demolition and reconstruction as a period of ‘absolute construction hell’ disrupting the serene atmosphere of affluent oceanfront community

Theis said she was ‘not happy’ about the appeal, which has now put the family project on hold. 

Several sitting on Carmel City Council want to see the project proceed.

‘I’ve been to that hotel. It’s a labyrinth. It’s difficult. It’s not fixable. I think this will be a great addition to the city when it’s finished,’ Councilmember Karen Ferlito said. 

‘As I see more and more luxury hotels being built in the peninsula, I think this is a much-needed project. We need people who stay here rather than day-trippers who stay out of town.’

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The possible rebuild of Hofsas House is one of a number of other large-scale projects in Carmel that are taking place.

Kruse has described it as a period of ‘absolute construction hell’ disrupting the serene atmosphere of affluent oceanfront community.   

As the debate rages on, the future of Hofsas House is emblematic of the larger question facing Carmel on how to balance growth and modernization with the preservation of its unique historical charm.



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Northern California’s House of Clocks has stood the test of time for 55 years

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Northern California’s House of Clocks has stood the test of time for 55 years


While we may lose an hour of sleep this coming weekend, one clock store in California is gearing up for one of its busiest times of the year: daylight savings.

It’s the House of Clocks, the largest clock company in Northern California, which was recently celebrating 55 years of business.

It’s a place frozen in time. Just visit the store’s 240-year-old grandfather clock. It’s got plenty of stories to tell, dating back to 1780.

“This is the oldest piece we have right now,” clocksmith Joey Hohn said.

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The House of Clocks is on the outskirts of Downtown Lodi in San Joaquin County.

“We have new, we have vintage, we have antique,” co-owner Sandy Hohn shared. “Honestly, it feels like not a day goes by that we don’t get a phone call or an email of somebody wanting to sell something for 100 different reasons.”

The clock store has been with the Hohn family for three generations. It’s all thanks to one family heirloom.

“When the first war started, [my grandparents] left everything and had to move,” Joey Hohn explained. “After the Second World War, my grandpa was stationed in Germany. They went back to the house that had been abandoned and the neighbor who they left the property to said, ‘As far as I’m concerned, everything in the house is still yours.’ They went back and got this, so this is my great-great-grandparents’ clock.”

You can find just about anything in the House of Clocks, from old grandfather clocks to clocks that can fit in the palm of your hand.

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What you can’t find anywhere else is the Hohns’ love for Lodi.

“We’ve made so many friends over the years out of customers,” Sandy Hohn said. “Friends that are just wonderful, that love collecting, and we keep them repaired for their families, which is awesome. They have sentimental value that’s passed down.”

That same love for the city and their community runs in the family.

“We had a customer that wanted to repaint their dial,” Joey Hohn explained. “We told them no because it was her father’s who had passed away. Every time he went to wind the clock, he placed his thumb in the same spot. When we told her that smudge there on the dial was her father, she said, ‘Back away, don’t you dare.’ It was just a good memory we have.”

While you can’t turn back time, what we can do is keep memories alive and treasure the present moment.

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“There’s so many personalities,” Sandy Hohn said. “We just try to find a good home for them.”



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Signs of spring blooming at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve after wet, warm winter

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Signs of spring blooming at Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve after wet, warm winter


It’s beginning to look a lot like spring!

The warm and wet weather this winter has led to the start of a dazzling super bloom at the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve.

“We had an unseasonably warm winter as well, so there’s actually a lot of growth,” said Callista Turney with California State Parks. “We’re having early wildflowers that are already at the park. So if you look at the poppy live cam, it shows a lot of orange already.”

The rain has helped the early blooms, but it’s actually the heat that accelerated the growth of the flowers.

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“It will actually speed up the growth of the plants, so some of them were already blooming and that’s going to cause those blossoms to accelerate faster towards seed production. And the blossoms that are in the process of being formed, those are going to open up soon as well.”

We also sometimes see great super blooms in Death Valley National Park, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, Joshua Tree and the Mojave National Preserve.

“It’s definitely a rare occurrence because we don’t always have the right conditions. It’s gotta be the weather, the wind, the rain, all coming together,” said Katie Tilford, Director of Development and Communications with the Theodore Payne Foundation.

If it continues to stay unseasonably warm, we’ll see a shorter bloom. The key to a longer season is milder weather.


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Republican governor candidate Chad Bianco says he’s the ‘antithesis to California state government’

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Republican governor candidate Chad Bianco says he’s the ‘antithesis to California state government’


We are counting down to the California governor’s race. Chad Bianco, the sheriff of Riverside County, is one of the two biggest names running on the Republican ticket.

In a one-on-one interview with Eyewitness News political reporter Josh Haskell, Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco said, “I am the antithesis to California state government because I am going to take a nuclear bomb into that building and absolutely destroy everything that they do to us behind closed doors.”

Although he’s been elected by the voters twice, Bianco says he’s not a politician — which is why he believes his campaign for California governor is resonating, as reflected in the polls.

“President Trump, in one year, from 2025 when he took over, until now, did absolutely nothing to harm California. What’s harming California is 30 years of Democrat one-party rule that have created an environment here that no one can live in anymore. They’ve only been successful here in California because we vote D no matter what. You vote D or die. I mean, that’s it. Charles Manson would be elected in California if he was the only Democrat on the ballot,” Bianco said.

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Bianco isn’t the only conservative Republican running for governor, and according to polling, he’s neck-and-neck with former Fox News host Steve Hilton.

SEE ALSO: CA governor candidate Steve Hilton says ‘everybody supports’ Trump’s immigration policies

Leading in some polls in the wide-open California Governor’s race as the June primary creeps closer is Republican and former Fox News host Steve Hilton.

“Steve has no chance of winning in November. The Democrats know that I’m going to win in November, and so they have to do everything they can to keep me out of that,” Bianco said.

When asked about the affordability crisis in the state, Bianco said, “Almost the entire issue of affordability in California is because of regulation, excessive regulation imposed by government. Every single regulation can be signed away with the governor’s signature.”

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“It is a drug and alcohol addiction problem that, and a mental health problem,” he said about the homelessness crisis. “Every single bit of money that is going to these nonprofits that say ‘homeless,’ zero money. You’re getting absolutely nothing. I can’t tell you that we would end what we see in the homeless situation within a year, but I guarantee you we would never see it again after two years.”

When challenged on that prediction, pointing to how the state doesn’t have the facilities to treat the number of people living on our streets, Bianco responded, “We have been conditioned to believe that buildings take five years to build. It takes 90 days or less to build a house, but in California, it takes three to five years because the government won’t allow it. The regulations that are destroying this state are going to be removed with me as the governor.”

Bianco also said California jails shouldn’t have to play the role of treatment facilities.

Although he says he supports the Trump administration and wants the president’s endorsement, Bianco has been traveling the state — meeting not just with Republicans, but Democrats and independents as well. He says all of our state government officials have failed.

The primary election is June 2.

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No clear front-runner in race for California governor, new poll shows

A new poll shows there’s still no clear front-runner in the race to replace Gov. Gavin Newsom.

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