Recent: MontereyCountyWeekly.com

[opinion] Squid Speaks: Squid Fry - Monterey County Weekly

Squid — 2009-11-05

WHAT A RUSH… Despite a recent posting from a local conservative blogger opposed to the Weekly’s dangerously socialistic support of the P.G. library, Squid is unaccustomed to Monterey County making it into rantosphere. (The blogger also claimed, wrongly, to know the secret identity of Squid’s multi-tentacled self.) But David Henderson’s riposte paled next to major-league blowhard Rush Limbaugh’s recent descent into the Salinas/Measure K brouhaha. After a bit of...

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[831] Opinion: One man’s take on his culture’s stereotypes : ¡Ask a Mexican! - Monterey County Weekly

Gustavo Arellano — 2009-11-05

Dear Mexican: Why do beaners or gabachos deliberately try to ignore white people and act like they’re not there, or when you’re walking by, the lady beaners laugh so hard with a repulsive fake laugh that makes you want to just punch them? Not only I have noticed this, but a lot of other people say the same thing. Is it their secret way of saying, “Hey notice me, I can have fun too!” It’s just plain, right-out rude, and I wish these gabachos or beaner girls would...

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[831] Asked at at Francesca’s Fresh Eats and Sweets. : What does patriotism mean to you? - Monterey County Weekly

Michelle Fitzsimmons — 2009-11-05

Follow-up: What are three great items to include in a care package to the troops? SANDY MRAULEE | Retired Librarian | Crowley Terra A: Being loyal and standing behind your country, being appreciative of all you have and doing your share to help your country. Must Reads: A good novel. Some warm clothes. It’d be nice to have a collection of letters of appreciation. MARIJANE FLAGG | Accountant | Monterey A: Patriotism means believing what your country stands for. Freedom of speech and...

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[831] Troops, Tilapia and Three E.T.s : Local couple survives cancer, raises fish, comforts soldiers and adopts aliens. - Monterey County Weekly

Greg Tomascheski — 2009-11-05

Cindy Stanley and Jerry English have sent thousands of cards and care packages to overseas American soldiers on a shoestring budget. They’ve raised hundreds of tilapia in their backyard in a homemade tank. And they’ve adopted three green aliens who sit on their windowsill. By themselves, these achievements are unlikely and inspiring. The fact they did it all while coping with two debilitating bouts with cancer only amplifies that. With each mission they devised a simple plan based...

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[news] The News Continues: Updates - Monterey County Weekly

Staff — 2009-11-05

Wet Blanket…The Monterey Peninsula Water Management District isn’t taking no for an answer. On Oct. 27, the water district filed suit in Monterey County Superior Court to halt the implementation of the state water board’s Oct. 20 cease-and-desist order, which cuts back the Peninsula’s water supply. [KA] Un-Ordinary Burning…The U.S. Army is gearing up for another controlled burn on Fort Ord this week. Fire crews burned vegetation in a Nov. 3 "blacklining" operation in which crews "incinerate...

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[news] Get Involved: Public Citizen - Monterey County Weekly

Staff — 2009-11-05

THURSDAY 11|5 SEASIDE POLITICS | SEASIDE – City Council receives updates on its street-naming policy (paving the way for Obama Way?) and the development of Seaside’s first off-leash dog park. 7pm. Council Chambers, City Hall, 440 Harcourt Ave., Seaside. 899-6737. www.ci.seaside.ca.us HIGHWAY 1 WORKSHOP | BIG SUR – Locals discuss Highway 1 issues, from trash to Caltrans’ Big Sur Coast Highway Management Plan. 5pm. Big Sur Lodge, 47225 Highway 1, Big Sur. 667-2025. ...

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[news] Flanders Finale? : Voters OK sale, but court fight may continue. - Monterey County Weekly

Robin Urevich — 2009-11-05

Carmel voters said a resounding ‘Yes’ to the sale of the Flanders Mansion Tuesday. The landslide 64 percent approval of Measure I is a victory for Carmel Mayor Sue McCloud and the City Council in their decade-long dispute with ardent preservationists. The seven-bedroom English Tudor Revival, located in Carmel’s Mission Trail Park, was built in 1924 by San Francisco architect Henry Higby Gutterson. It’s one of just two city properties to appear on the National Register...

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[news] Oh G : Carmel Valley incorporation measure goes down swinging. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-11-05

It’s 8pm on Election Night, and some 75 party-goers at Hola!, a Mexican restaurant in the Carmel Barnyard, nosh greasy appetizers and sip neon margaritas. “It’s gonna be close,” says G supporter Chris Roberts. Town council candidate Karin Strasser Kauffman isn’t willing to guess the outcome. “I’m not a gambling woman… and I wouldn’t gamble with Carmel Valley,” she says with a laugh. “I really hope it goes well tonight....

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[news] Best of the Rest: Library, Water Board and School District results trail in. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham, Zachary Stahl & Robin Urevich — 2009-11-05

Measures K (the Salinas sales tax hike), G (Carmel Valley incorporation, with its related town council race) and I (Carmel’s Flanders Mansion saga) stole the show on an off-year Election Day that saw only 23 percent voter turnout in Monterey County. But 20 other contests did take place, and each is important to the community it affects. Here we zip through most of the results, as of 9am Nov. 4. P.G. Library Pacific Grove residents have been through the wringer in recent years, as a...

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[features] Real Estate: By The Numbers - Monterey County Weekly

Adam Joseph — 2009-11-05

$950,000 Recent Sale 25420 Knoll Ln., Carmel Built: 1986 Size: 4,060 square feet Features: 4 bedrooms, 4.5 bathrooms, 3-car garage Amenities: Hardwood floors, beamed ceilings, wrap around deck, stone patio Seller: C. Varjian Buyer: Brenner Trust Agent: Tim Allen, 214-1900 $950/mo For Rent 315 The Alameda, San Juan Bautista Size: 900 square feet Deposit: $1,000 Features: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom Amenities: Top floor of an old Victorian style house, large front porch Agent: Dick...

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[dining] Tasty Places : Pacific Grove native Erik Johnson’s fresh sandwich empire adds an outpost in Monterey. - Monterey County Weekly

Adam Joseph — 2009-11-05

After 36 years, Erik’s DeliCafé locations continue to stack up like the meats on their sandwiches: On Monday, Nov. 2, the Monterey Peninsula Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in downtown Monterey at the recently opened 28th location on Munras Avenue in the Trader Joe’s center. The 27th outpost opened in Seaside’s City Center last year; Salinas claims the area’s most venerable shop in the Santa Rita Plaza across from Northridge Mall. A major reason the chain keeps adding...

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[music] Battle Tested : Long-touring WAR thunders into Carmel’s Sunset Center. - Monterey County Weekly

Adam Joseph — 2009-11-05

The year 1969 was a time of anti-Vietnam war protests and civil rights marches, which made it a perfect platform for WAR, an eight-piece, Los Angeles-based band featuring a multicultural lineup of musicians playing songs popping with socio-political lyrics. WAR prided themselves on their musical experimentation, constantly crossing over into different genres. They fused jazz, reggae, funk, Latin and rock, winning fans of all ethnicities, and earned a spot on par with the likes of Earth, Wind...

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[music] Amazing Met : Metropolitan Opera’s live and global simulcasts are a high-definition hit. - Monterey County Weekly

Walter Ryce — 2009-11-05

The Metropolitan Opera opened its 2009-10 season with Giaccomo Puccini’s Tosca on Oct. 10, with Swiss director Luc Bondy taking over the reins from legendary film and stage director Franco Zeffirelli, and adding some interpretations of his own. At the end of the performance, the audience erupted with applause for the performers, but when director Bondy appeared on stage, many booed. That sound instantly reverberated across the world – it was also broadcast live by high-definition satellite to...

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[news] Firing Back : Seaside police union targets city manager, interim bosses. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-11-05

The Seaside Police Officers Association is holding a vote of no confidence in City Manager Ray Corpuz, Interim Police Chief Steve Willis and his second-in-command, Interim Deputy Executive Officer Don MacQuarrie. The union adopted the motion at its Oct. 22 meeting and expects the ballot results Tuesday or Wednesday, Nov. 10-11, according to POA President Nick Borges. The vote comes at a volatile time for the department: SSPD Chief Steve Cercone placed three officers on administrative leave...

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[cover] Summoned : Testimony from a reluctant Monterey County juror. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-11-05

Water bill, wad of Red Plum ads, charity mailings, Netflix video, Monterey County Superior Court – dammit. “YOU ARE SUMMONED TO APPEAR FOR JURY SERVICE… Failure to respond to this summons will subject you to a fine, a jail term, or both.” Last time I used the student excuse; now I needed a new one. Didn’t meet the specs for disqualification or excusal, but postponement for “business” looked promising. The next line asked for a week I’d be available within the next 90 days… Procrastinate,...

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[cover] Thank You, Excuse You : There are plenty of ways to wriggle out of service, but some excuses just don’t stick. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-11-05

If you’re summoned to jury duty, don’t freak: Chances are slim you’ll actually serve. You may not be called from assembly into a courtroom; and if you are, you may not make it into the jury box. Once there, you have three escape routes: You can convince the judge that serving would be an undue hardship. You can turn off an attorney enough that s/he uses one of 10 “peremptory challenges” to thank and excuse you without cause. And if you show that you can’t be...

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[cover] Lunch on the Per Diem: Jury duty breaks are a fine time to taste downtown Salinas. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-11-05

Reimbursement for jury duty is pretty skimpy, at $15 per day beginning on the second day, plus one-way mileage. But I found abundant options for lunch on that budget, all within walking distance of the courthouse. And if there’s extra time to digest before the afternoon session, Main Street offers plenty of other diversions: I popped into The National Steinbeck Center for a dose of Salinas history, and Head Over Heels for a dose of shoes. Here’s my menu for a week of service....

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[news] Striking Out : Measure K supporters mourn loss of police-funding plan. - Monterey County Weekly

Zachary Stahl — 2009-11-05

measure K supporters huddle around checkered-tablecloth tablesat Casa Sorrento Pizzeria in Salinas. Jose Gil, an Alisal High School basketball coach decked out in Lakers gear, holds up his daughter Nallely on the polished wood bar. Gil, one of a few Alisal residents in the largely south Salinas crowd, is hoping Measure K, a 1-cent sales tax, can help save some lives. An Alisal student who was shot two years ago died today from the bullets inside him, Gil says. Earlier this morning a...

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[music] Pure Bulisa : Cash’d Out, Darktown Rounders and others play a benefit at Blue Fin. - Monterey County Weekly

Walter Ryce — 2009-11-05

Local promoter Tobin Peregrina has booked some of the coolest indie acts at Jose’s Underground Lounge and, recently, Woody’s and Blue Fin. Local business owner-turned-do-gooder Bill (along with his wife Heidi) Sullivan, meanwhile, are rehabilitating a hurting community’s health center in Uganda. The two join forces behind a stellar music fest at Blue Fin this Saturday that admirably supports the Sullivans’ nonprofit Bulisa Project. First, the music. An all ages daytime show assembles local...

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[music] Web Extra : More of the interview with Bulisa Project co-founder Bill Sullivan - Monterey County Weekly

Walter Ryce — 2009-11-05

Where did Bulisa Project start? In 2006, my wife and I met a person, an American priest [Jim Short] who lives in Uganda. He said mass [at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Monterey]. We met with him afterwards and started talking. We told him our plans were to do missionary work. He said there’s plenty of stuff to do in Uganda. One thing lead to another. We were going to do a project with the Episcopal Diocese in Uganda, but it got bureaucratic, with red tape. We met a government...

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