http://www.montereyherald.com/mld/montereyherald/news/local/13819849.htm

Posted on Wed, Feb. 08, 2006 Foghorn's 'on' switch stuck Herald Staff Report

Hey, did you hear that? There it goes again.

Why is the foghorn going off in the middle of the day anyway, you ask? Especially when there's no fog?

Because it's broken. Its switch is stuck on "on." And nobody locally can fix it, said Boatswain Mate First Class Lance Benedict of the Coast Guard on Tuesday.

So it wails. Every few minutes. Nonstop.

The foghorn in question is at the end of the Coast Guard Pier off Lighthouse Avenue in Monterey. It and the accompanying light are meant to prevent water travelers from running into the breakwall, Benedict said.

When conditions were foggy a couple of nights ago, the horn was turned on. But now it won't go off. And the guardsmen, stationed in Monterey, don't know how to fix it.

"We are just a search-and-rescue part of the Coast Guard," Benedict said.

The Coast Guard's repair staff, the Aids to Navigation Team, based in San Francisco, has been notified. It's unclear when the team will arrive, Benedict said. Calls to that office weren't returned.

One woman who called The Herald said the repetitive drone has kept her awake. A few complaints have flowed to the Coast Guard, but the Monterey harbormaster hasn't received any.

Benedict said he and his fellow guardsmen don't mind the repetitive drone. They're used to the horn.