If the state is too broke to keep some of our most valuable parks open, couldn't we just take them over ourselves? That's the suggestion that came this week not from activists or malcontents, but from the very state parks officials who say they can no longer afford the job. Chris Counts reports.

The costs for the City of Carmel of finding a new city administrator are mounting, and Mary Brownfield has the grand total ... with no end in sight.

If San Clemente Dam is to be torn down under orders from several government agencies, should taxpayers bear the cost? Or water users? Or the owners of Cal Am? Kelly Nix has the details.

Are Monterey County residents too biased against Tom Pollacci to give him a fair trial? His lawyer and her consultant say the answer is, "definitely yes," and argue that his next rape trial must be moved. Prosecutors disagree. Whichever side is right, one thing's for certain: You are paying the bill for the entire, costly debate. Kelly Nix has that story, too.

A local museum isn't sure what to do with a rather disconcerting item found in its basement. Our unusual spring rain caused some major troubles for Caltrans crews trying to clear Highway 1. A famous Big Sur gallery is about to be auctioned off, and the owner says a bank is to blame. The city manager of Pacific Grove has apologized for insulting the city's former planning staff. And my editorial answers the question: Is California the worst state in the country to open a business?

To get this week's complete Pine Cone, please click here. If you have an opinion about one of our stories and would like to submit a letter to the editor, please click here. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns about this week's paper. Please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns about this week's paper. And if you want to know why a former president doesn't know what he's talking about, be sure to visit my hot Internet links.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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