The 40-year battle over Flanders Mansion has moved to the California Court of Appeals, and the small group of activists who want the city to be forced to keep owning it are foretelling horrible consequences if the city's allowed to sell. I have that byline.

The water board member who's been accused of creating a "hostile workplace environment" by asking too many questions about a proposed desal plant says she actually supports the desal plan. Kelly Nix has that story.

The state's attempt to close numerous parks because of the budget crunch is running into some unexpected obstacles to the closings, but also getting some unusual opportunities to keep the parks open. Chris Counts reports.

One of Monterey County's most dangerous highways has moved to the head of the line for a re-do, and the Peninsula's economy could be the biggest beneficiary. I also have that story.

The man who drove drunk and paralyzed a high school classmate when he crashed his stolen SUV into a tree is asking a judge to reconsider his sentence. A local artist is suing the mayor for not shutting down a gallery he says ripped him off. A Carmel group is headed to Haiti to build a house in seven days. The new conductor of the Bach Fest is promising some surprises when the festival opens in July. A local architect is still going strong at the age of 84. And my editorial asks the question: Are Carmel voters stupid?

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. Don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns about this week's paper. And if you want to who's to blame for the Supreme Court's order that 30,000 felons be let out of prison, be sure to check out my hot Internet links.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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