September 2 - 8, 2011
| Dear Readers, Residents of a neighborhood between the Carmel city limits and Highway 1 are adamantly opposed to a proposed 46-unit condo project and have been campaigning against it for years. Nevertheless, the county planning commission OK'd the project this week, with the 6 "Yes" votes coming from outside the Monterey Peninsula. Is the political/racial/economic split in the county getting worse? Chris Counts has the story. The engineering company that's supposed to spearhead development of a regional water supply, including a desal plant in Marina, has stopped working on the project because it hasn't been paid. Kelly Nix has that one. The State of California has sued a South County property owner for not clearing brush around his home, allowing a fire that started inside the home to spread to almost 4,000 surrounding acres. Kelly also reports this story, which could have implications in many parts of the county. Carmel has named a permanent city manager to replace Rich Guillen. The city has also taken steps to make sure nobody tries to build a home in the downtown business district. Big Sur is mourning the passing of one of its most beloved citizens. Doris Day is releasing a new album, but you practically have to live in England to know about it. Clint Eastwood discloses some fascinating inside information about his next movie, "J. Edgar," which will be released in November. And my editorial asks why, if you've done 1,000 good deeds, you should be criticized for not doing 1,001. If you haven't cast your ballots in the 2011 Golden Pine Cones, please do so now. The winners are really going to appreciate your support. And if you're interested in the possibility -- some would say the inevitability -- of flooding in the Salinas and Carmel valleys, don't forget to visit my hot Internet links. To get this week's complete Pine Cone, please click here. If you have an informed opinion about one of our stories and would like to submit a letter to the editor, please click here. To comment on our Facebook page, click here. Of course, you can also contact me personally if you have questions, comments or concerns about this week's paper. Paul Miller, Publisher |