May 11 - 17, 2012
Dear Readers, If you've followed the Pebble Beach Co.'s development plan as it made its torturous way through the permit process, you'll probably be surprised to hear that the plan's final approval came at a coastal commission hearing Wednesday that was a bit like a love fest and which featured a plethora of heartfelt tributes to former coastal commission executive director Peter Douglas — the man who stopped the golf course the P.B. Co. fought so hard to build. Kelly Nix reports. A candidate for supervisor has the backing of the Green Party and LandWatch because he played a key role in a 1995 state cutback order on pumping from the Carmel River. But is Marc Del Piero an environmentalist? Kelly tries to answer the question. The city council made a surprise pick from among ten hopefuls for Jason Burnett's council seat: planning commissioner Steve Hillyard. Mary Schley has that one. Controversy has erupted at the usually tranquil paradise of Esalen amid charges that longtime employees are being fired as the institute's board tries to turn it into a resort. Chris Counts has the details. A full-grown golden retriever had to be carried on the backs of hikers 12 miles along a remote trail last weekend after collapsing during a trip with his family up the Big Sur River gorge. Chris also has that touching story. A piece of steel from the World Trade Center will become a permanent memorial in Devendorf Park. The owner of a bus that crashed in the Salinas Valley, killing French tourists, has been sued by Caltrans for damage done to the bridge it smashed into. A ban on plastic shopping bags should be voluntary, the planning commission recommended this week. My editorial apologizes -- in a manner of speaking -- for a bit of hyperbole I engaged in last Friday. And if you want to know what isn't being reported in the controversy over student loan interest rates, be sure 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. And, as always, you should not hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns. Paul Miller, Publisher |