Latest news with #Barnacle
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Kona drivers: Watch out for this scam
KAILUA-KONA, Hawaii (KHON2) — Kona residents are being warned about a possible parking violation scam at the top of Napoʻopoʻo Road near the Hawaiʻi Belt Road intersection, Hawaiʻi Island Police said. Officials have received multiple reports of a parking enforcement device known as 'The Barnacle' being placed on the windshields of parked vehicles on the road. Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival to celebrate māhu stories The device says the driver must call or visit a website in order to pay a fine to receive a code to remove the device from the windshield, but police say this is a scam. Those who have fallen victim to the scam or have any information on it are urged to contact Community Policing Officer John Harvey at (808) 326-4646, ext. 258. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
I tried Paul Askew's new street food venture and drew some confused looks from strangers
There's not many bigger names in the Liverpool culinary world than Paul Askew. The chef-owner of The Art School in the Georgian Quarter, who has been at his flagship restaurant on Sugnall Street for over a decade, moved to the city from Sunderland when he was four years old and has since been involved in developing some of its most notable food experiences, including the London Carriage Works. More recently, in 2021, Askew, who is known by the nickname 'Porky' to many in the hospitality industry, opened 'Scouse brasserie' Barnacle in Duke Street Market. However, it left the venue earlier this year. Despite this, the Barnacle name lives on, currently with a street food stall on the Royal Albert Dock. The stall, which opened last week and trades from a blue shipping container close to the dock's south entrance, serves up dishes which include burgers, pies and oysters. READ MORE: Beloved Bold Street restaurant returning after note left in window READ MORE: I used to spend hours shopping on Bold Street now its unique identity is dwindling before our eye It was a grey Tuesday at the waterfront when I took myself for lunch at the new Barnacle stall, which was receiving noticeably less custom than its competitors in the vicinity. The Albert Dock has seen a massive improvement in the offering of its street food in recent years. A decade ago it was limited to Mr Whippy ice cream and the odd poor-quality burger, while now, there's a Greek, a Mexican, a Turkish - and now Barnacle. Unlike some of its counterparts, Barnacle has no tables or chairs outside for people to sit and enjoy its food, but there are some grass benches around the side that could do the job if you want to sit. I ordered a coffee at Costa a few metres down and sat on the benches there. As I settled in, I couldn't help but notice a few confused looks from passers-by, who probably didn't expect to see someone dining al fresco with a side of oysters. But hey, that's what makes street food fun, right? The three oysters, pickled in cornichon juice, dill oil and buttermilk dressing (£9), were presented as well as possible considering they were in a takeaway box. Brilliantly fresh, they were creamy and slightly acidic - without being too much so. Garnished with some fresh herb on top, the oysters served as a wonderful, refreshing snack while sitting and gazing at the waterfront. Barnacle offers what it calls a 'luxury smash burger' (£12.50), made from Cheshire venison and pork, with shredded lettuce, red onion jam, cheese and pickles on a brioche bun. The meat was juicy, good-quality and flavourful while the cheese melted perfectly without splitting. A brioche bun added a sweetness which paired well with the pork but the added sugar from the onion jam made it all a little too sweet, slightly overpowering the burger's taste. That said, all in all, it was a perfectly decent sandwich. Perhaps greedily, I also ordered a croque monsieur (£9), filled with a good amount of grilled gammon topped with a rich and creamy mornay cheese sauce. On toasted sourdough, it was served with fresh Wirral watercress. Barnacle's street food van on the Albert Dock serves up quick and well-executed dishes while the use of ingredients such as Wirral watercress and Cheshire venison signal a prioritisation of local produce. It's staff are friendly and talkative, the destination is beautiful and the food isn't too dear - in spite of its location. It stands as yet another splendid addition to the area's food scene.
Yahoo
13-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
‘Barnacle' windshield blocker crackdown targets parking-ticket scofflaws in Scranton
SCRANTON – Parking scofflaws in Scranton will soon get stuck between a 'Barnacle' windshield blocker and their unpaid ticket citations. Grow America, which is the outside operator of the city's street parking spaces downtown, plans to start using in summer a vehicle-immobilization device called a Barnacle that sticks to a windshield and blocks a driver's view, as a crackdown on motorists who rack up unpaid tickets, a representative of the operator told Scranton City Council on Tuesday, according to an Electric City Television simulcast and video of the meeting posted on YouTube. A Barnacle parking enforcement device is installed on a windshield. The nonprofit National Development Council, which leases the city's street parking kiosks and parking garages, has been reviewing the device as a way to reduce a large backlog of unpaid parking tickets. (FILE PHOTO / COURTESY OF CHRIS D'ANTUONO OF BARNACLE) The nonprofit Grow America, formerly known as National Development Council when it took over the city's parking system in 2016, first raised the idea of using a Barnacle for parking enforcement a few years ago. But it never got implemented because the parking operators did not know whether a person with unpaid parking tickets filed in a magistrate's office perhaps had a payment plan worked out with the magistrate to resolve the arrears, Grow America Director David Trevisani told council. Now, Grow America and the firm it uses to manage the system, a company called The Car Park LLC, as well as a magistrate's office, have had technology upgrades such that the parking operators can access magistrate records to get current information and be able to finally deploy the Barnacle, he said. 'We haven't been able to collect the revenue that folks owe,' Trevisani said of persistent scofflaws. Previously 'not being able to do this (immobilize a vehicle), there's just a lot of abuse by folks who know they can game the system because they know it (immobilization) is not going to happen to them.' David Trevisani of Grow America, which is the outside operator of Scranton's parking system of street spaces/payment kiosks and garages, speaks during a Scranton City Council caucus on Tuesday, March 11, 2025. (IMAGE SCREEN GRAB/ ELECTRIC CITY TELEVISION VIA YOUTUBE) Motorists parking on streets downtown pay for time at kiosks or via the Pango mobile app. The system operators use a license plate recognition system to monitor parked vehicles for enforcement. The Barnacle will be used for enforcement in three situations: for vehicles with three or more unpaid parking tickets; for vehicles parked illegally in a disabled-accessible space; and for unregistered vehicles parked in a city-monitored space, even if the allotted time was bought and has not expired, he said. The Barnacle only gets removed once fines are paid. Aptly named, the Barnacle clings to a windshield with 1,000 pounds of force. Resembling a large laptop, it opens up flat to block a driver's view. Once a Barnacle is deployed, the motorist must call to have it removed. Then, he or she is told how much is owed in unpaid parking tickets. Once arrears are paid, a code is given to enter into the device to remove it and the driver is directed to return the device to a designated drop box. If a Barnacle is not returned, the motorist's credit card would be billed for the cost of the device, which is around $3,000, Trevisani said. There are around 100 persistent parking scofflaws who game the system, Trevisani said. 'We're not doing this to penalize anybody, but this is a system now I think is going to be a deterrent and it's important for any parking system to be able to operate successfully,' he said. Scranton monetized its parking system in 2016, when it turned over operation of street spaces and garages to the NDC under a 45-year concession lease between the city, the Scranton Parking Authority and NDC's local affiliate, Community Development Properties Scranton. NDC/CDPS initially used a different firm, ABM Parking Services, to manage the system. NDC later changed its name to Grow America. In April, Grow America brought on The Car Park LLC to replace ABM as the system manager. Trevisani also told council that Grow America/CDPS needs to restructure and refinance the debt it incurred to pay for the lease of the parking system. A debt payment due in January was paid and the next one is due in July. Bondholders sought a refinancing and the plan is to restructure bonds and hopefully have a closing in June. Bondholders have recognized that Grow America/CDPS 'will not likely be able to pay off' all of the bonds, he said. 'The bondholder recognizes that they're going to have to take what I call in the industry a 'haircut.' They are not going to be able to receive all of the payments that they have expected to make,' Trevisani said. So, the city also now looks to hire a special counsel for parking matters. During its regular meeting Tuesday, council voted 5-0 to introduce a resolution authorizing a fee agreement with the Dilworth Paxson LLC law firm as special counsel for the parking matters.
Yahoo
07-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
San Marcos to use Barnacle to address parking violators
SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — The City of San Marcos said it was implementing a new tool to help curb habitual parking offenders. Beginning March 10, the city said its parking enforcement personnel would be using the Barnacle, a vehicle immobilization device that attaches to a car's windshield. 'Unlike traditional boots, the Barnacle provides a more efficient process for both drivers and parking enforcement. Using the Barnacle, drivers can make payments and remove the device without onsite assistance from parking enforcement personnel,' the city said. The Barnacle will be used on the vehicles of parking offenders with three or more unpaid citations, according to the city. A bright orange sticker on the vehicle will notify the owner, and after 10 days, if the fines remain unpaid, the vehicle becomes eligible for the immobilization device. 'There are currently tens of thousands of dollars' worth of unpaid parking citations in San Marcos, and each citation represents an impact to parking availability throughout our community,' said Parking Coordinator Samantha Deyo. 'Updating our parking enforcement strategy to include use of the Barnacle enhances efficiency and effectiveness while encouraging access to parking for everyone.' Drivers can check for and pay outstanding citations by visiting the San Marcos Citation Portal. Once the Barnacle is placed on a vehicle, the fines can be paid by scanning a QR code, clicking here, or by making arrangements with the Municipal Court by calling 512-393-8190. Once a payment is received, drivers will receive a release code to remove the device themselves. According to the city, the Barnacle must then be returned within 24 hours to the drop box near the front entrance of the San Marcos Police Department to avoid additional fees. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Barnacle device clamps down on illegal parking in Franklin County
FRANKLIN COUNTY, Fla. (WMBB) – Drivers might see something bigger than a parking ticket on their windshield. It's called 'The Barnacle,' and it saves sheriff's deputies the time of writing parking citations. 'The deputy rides through, or they get a complaint about an illegally parked car, they'll just pull the barnacle out of the back of their truck, put it on the windshield, drive away,' Sheriff A.J. Smith said. Smith says parking tickets haven't been effective in stopping drivers from illegally parking, especially at the Alligator Point beach access. There are only 45 parking spots, and during spring break and peak season, they fill up fast. Many people park illegally, creating a safety hazard. That's where the barnacle comes in. Florida PSC reviews potential electricity rate hike proposal The bright yellow device sticks to your windshield using powerful suction cups. It blocks the vehicle's windshield so violators can't drive until it is removed. It can't be ignored like a parking ticket. 'You can't remove the device. And you can see this one is engaged, you can't move it, try to tamper with it. The alarm will go off and also sends us a message to our phone saying that somebody is trying to tamper with the device,' Franklin County Sheriff's Office Col. Dwayne Coulter said. To remove the barnacle, drivers must scan the QR code and pay a $108 fine. They also pay a $300 deposit until the barnacle is returned to the designated drop box at the Old Alligator Point fire station. County commissioners bought 6 barnacles at a total cost of more than $5,000. Sheriff Smith believes it will help deliver the intended message. 'When somebody comes up from the beach after a long day on the beach and they're getting to their car and they see the barnacle, it's going to be quite a shock. Don't park where you're not supposed to, and then you won't have to worry about being barnacled,' Smith said. Deputies have already written more than 50 citations in the last two days. Smith says they'll be strictly enforcing traffic citations as the season gets busier. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
