February 24 - March 1, 2012
Dear Readers, Are you ready to start paying the water district's expenses via a surcharge on your property tax bills? After being rebuffed by the CPUC over its user fee, the water board hopes nobody will object to its latest effort to keep the money coming in. Kelly Nix reports. The election for Carmel's next mayor and city council is off to a pretty quiet start. Mary Schley has the latest from the candidates, and my editorial explains why the lack of uber controversies means voters have their work cut out for them. A home that set the record for a Monterey County sale 12 years ago at $28 million turned out to be worthless, according to its latest buyer, who tore it down. Shocking? You bet. Kelly also has those details. A controversial federal building in Pacific Grove may about to be declared surplus property. A piece of steel from the World Trade Center will soon be on its way to Carmel, where it will become a 9/11 memorial. Big Sur residents are facing unusual danger from winter wildfires because of our dry weather. Sentences have been pronounced in two notorious local crimes. One of Carmel's most noteworthy tasting rooms won't have to get rid of an expensive bronze sculpture even though some people considered it a sign. And my hot Internet links point out somebody who's an even bigger hypocrite than newspaper people who pretend to be tree-huggers. 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. And, as always, you should not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns. Paul Miller, Publisher |