Recent: MontereyCountyWeekly.com

[831] 2009 U.S. Red Bull Moto GP - Sunday: Dani Pedrosa takes first place away from Rossi. - Monterey County Weekly

Nic Coury — 2009-07-05

Nearly 47,000 fans watched on Sunday as Dani Pedrosa stole the limelight away from fan favorite and race superstar Valentino Rossi during the 2009 U.S. Red Bull Grand Prix. Rossi finished second at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca where he won for the first time in 2008. His teammate Jorge Lorenzo placed third despite two hard crashes during qualifying on Saturday, which caused a fear the Spaniard would not race in the final. Other favorites, Casey Stoner and Nicky Hayden finished fourth and...

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[831] 2009 U.S. Red Bull Moto GP - Sunday: Monterey Mayor declares July 5 as a local holiday for the city. - Monterey County Weekly

Nic Coury — 2009-07-05

Before all the action on the track got under way, Moto GP superstar and fan favorite Valentino Rossi was awarded a plaque by Monterey Mayor Chuck Della Salla. The mayor declared July 5 as "Valentino Rossi Day" in the City of Monterey. With the two other favored contenders, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo, not at their best shape due to crashes during their qualifying runs yesterday, Rossi is the favorite to win. Follow the Weekly's Twitter feed for up-to-date info and the photographer's...

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[831] 2009 U.S. Red Bull Moto GP - Day 3: Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo both suffer crashes during Saturday's qualifying race. - Monterey County Weekly

Nic Coury — 2009-07-04

In the last laps of their qualifying run on Saturday afternoon, Casey Stoner and Jorge Lorenzo took serious crashes within a minute of each other. Lorenzo was stretchered off the track. During a press conference following the runs, both riders said, though disappointed, plan on racing in Sunday's main event. "I'm quite disappointed," Lorenzo said. "I will see what happens in the warm up (run) tomorrow morning. My worry is the collarbone, (which could hinder) changing...

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[news] Out of Office: Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin resigns. - Monterey County Weekly

Staff — 2009-07-04

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/04/us/politics/04palin.html?_r=1&hp

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[831] 2009 U.S. Red Bull Moto GP - Day 2: The Doctor is in, the lead. - Monterey County Weekly

Nic Coury — 2009-07-04

Some fans waited in the hot sun for nearly three hours, smashed up against a fence, for Moto GP superstar Valentino Rossi to sign a helmet, poster, jacket and loads of other memorabilia following Friday's practice session at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. The Italian racer is considered by most to be the best in the history of the sport, totaling 74 Moto GP wins over his career. He won for the first time at Laguna Seca during last year's race. Rossi made the fastest laps during Friday's...

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[831] 2009 U.S. Red Bull Moto GP: Full coverage of the 2009 Moto Grand Prix. - Monterey County Weekly

Nic Coury — 2009-07-03

In his heavy, classic Italian accent Moto GP fan favorite and superstar Valentino Rossi said at a press conference Thursday he was looking forward to this weekend's race, especially the track's infamous corkscrew where Rossi pulled one heck of a move to pass Casey Stoner for the lead at last year's GP. As known as "The Doctor," Rossi won his first race at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca last season. He won his 100th race last weekend in the Netherlands. Read the Weekly's recent story here. The...

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[cover] Local Heros – Shih Smiles Sweetly : Peace Resource Center leader combines wisdom, compassion and modesty. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-07-02

Perched on a chair in Seaside’s Peace Resource Center, Sylvia Shih sweetly explains why she doesn’t like the word “hero.” “It is really overused,” she says in a clipped Mandarin accent. “If you call me a ‘worker bee,’ that would be proper and right.” She opens her mouth in a silent laugh, and her tiny feet – slippered in light blue socks and Birkenstocks – lift slightly off the floor. As we continue to chat, her small...

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[cover] Local Heros – Hamming It Up : NPS supercomputer saves lives, susses out trouble. - Monterey County Weekly

Mark C. Anderson — 2009-07-02

The hero they call hamming (with a lowercase h) never leaves the same plain room at the end of a long hallway, but he helps save sol diers from lethal accidents before they happen. He has no eyes, but can conjure the slippery condition of distant polar ice caps – and faraway urban battlescapes – with gasp-quality clarity. He has the outward personality of a brick wall, but enough internal charisma to inspire uncommon cooperation. In short, they don’t make many heroes like...

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[cover] Local Heros – Don’t Mourn, Organize : Jose Soto honors his son’s memory by fighting gang violence. - Monterey County Weekly

By Zachary Stahl — 2009-07-02

Before his tears were dry, Jose Soto fearlessly walked Salinas’ most dangerous neighborhoods, determined to not let the death of his son, Jose “June Bug” Soto III, go unnoticed. Wearing a white shirt with his son’s young face on the back, Soto told parents and teens about June Bug, who was shot and killed last May while walking from a convenience store on Marin Avenue. Soto took what would have been just another obituary and turned it into rallying cry for youth to find...

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[cover] Local Heros – Top Shelf : One volunteer has spent 15 years shelving books and helping out at the P.G. Library. - Monterey County Weekly

By Nic Coury — 2009-07-02

At first glance, Dana Otken seems distant, as if lost in a constant daydream. Messy black hair falls oddly in place over ever-thinking eyes. Otken browses a picture book as he sits peacefully on the floor of the children’s section in the Pacific Grove Library. Bright sunlight pours over him through a giant window. He pauses, grabs another book from the cart and shelves it properly by the author’s last name. Otken, 32, volunteered at the library a few days a week since he was in...

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[cover] Local Heros – Farm Aid : Reluctant hero does double duty for ag workers and LGBT community. - Monterey County Weekly

Jessica Lyons — 2009-07-02

Lisa Cisneros says she’s uncomfortable with the whole “hero” label. The bilingual Salinas attorney who got her start as a community organizer has a day job (or two): Offering legal assistance to farmworkers with California Rural Legal Assistance and advancing civil rights for LGBT communities with National Center for Lesbian Rights and she leads Proyecto Poderoso (Powerful Project) a collaborative effort by NCLR and CRLA aimed at improving legal services for rural, low-income...

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

Gustavo Arellano — 2009-07-02

Dear Mexican: Looking back recently on my distant youth in northwest Ohio, I came to the realization that the sweetest, most beautiful girl this gabacho ever went out with (indeed, in my entire senior class) was the pure-blooded daughter of Mexican immigrants. Am I under the sway of 1) simple nostalgia; 2) racist exoticism; 3) premature senility; 4) a deep sense of loss for what might have been? Please help, before I start reading Proust! –Couldn’t Help Wondering Dear Gabacho: None...

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[831] Generous Style : Assembling an outfit that boosts your look and the community. - Monterey County Weekly

Michelle Ngoi — 2009-07-02

Any girl with a true love for fashion knows what it feels like to wear the right pair of scrunched soft leather boots – or a vibrant tweed jacket with velvet details and big gold round buttons lining the front. (Amazing.) What can make an outfit feel even more wonderful, though, is knowing that its purchase helped save an animal’s life or send an underserved student to college. Locally, a range of unique benefit shops make the hunt for an outfit that much more rewarding; the...

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[831] Asked at Compagno’s Market and Deli in Monterey. : What quality do you most admire in your heroes? - Monterey County Weekly

Melissa Cessna — 2009-07-02

Follow-up: What is your Kryptonite? ESTER SOUZA | Manager | Pebble Beach A: Hope, because it’s how we are able to get things done. Concrete Thought: Seeing homeless people on the streets. MIKE DELAY JR. | Insurance Account Representative | Pacific Grove A: Courage. To make a difference you have to be brave enough. Little Pleasure: My daughter. KELLY LAKE | Martial Arts Instructor | Pacific Grove A: Patience and harmony, because they’re the way of life. You can’t...

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[features] Fast Company : Casey Stoner and Valentino Rossi lead the tightest MotoGP fields in two decades. - Monterey County Weekly

John Maynier — 2009-07-02

One of the greatest sporting events on earth returns to Laguna Seca this weekend. MotoGP. Anyone who wants to argue this point didn’t see the race last year. For the last three years, the race at Laguna Seca (which comes mid-season) has determined the eventual winner of the championship, but last year’s race was the stuff of which legends are made. Thirty million people worldwide watched Valentino Rossi’s pass on Casey Stoner in the middle of the corkscrew and it made the...

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[dining] Basil : Sensational Seasonal: Basil Seasonal Dining does wonderful Italian-inspired fare in a tiny Carmel spot. - Monterey County Weekly

Jeanne Howard — 2009-07-02

“Welcome back!” I was surprised to hear this greeting addressed to nearly every customer who arrived at Basil, a new “seasonal dining” restaurant in Carmel. It has only been open since April. My guest and I also met some visitors that said they ask for locals’ recommendations when traveling and that a Carmel shopkeeper had recommended Basil. I was impressed that an infant restaurant, semi-hidden in a courtyard, was able to fill its 22 indoor seats by word of mouth...

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

Staff — 2009-07-02

$220,000 Recent Sale 996 San Gabriel St., Soledad Built: 2004 Size: 2,109 square feet Features: 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2-car garage Amenities: Fireplace, landscaped yard, large kitchen, vaulted ceilings Seller: Deutsche Bank Buyer: J. Ayala Agent: Aaron Chavez, 674-2494 $1,750 /mo For Rent 17985 Damian Way, Salinas Size: 1,550 square feet Deposit: $1,750 Features: 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Amenities: Vaulted ceilings, fireplace, landscaped yard, back porch Agent: Century 21...

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[music] Mother Lode : The Mother Hips headline a 12-act, two-day festival in Big Sur. - Monterey County Weekly

Stuart Thornton — 2009-07-02

In the mid ’90s, the Mother Hips were poised to become the next big thing in the world of rock and roll. Before their core members vocalist/guitarist Tim Bluhm and vocalist/guitarist Greg Loiacono had graduated from Chico State, they were signed to American Recordings, a major label run by famed producer Rick Rubin. Even more incredible is that Bluhm, who spoke to the Weekly from Point Arena – where he was “looking for a couple of little waves” – says he had only...

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[music] Going Global : 2009 Esalen International Arts Festival packs mad multicultural punch. - Monterey County Weekly

Brett Pallastrini — 2009-07-02

At Esalen, the weekend that celebrates America’s Independence belongs to the world. Set against the beautiful backdrop of Hot Springs Canyon and the shimmering Pacific Ocean, the annual Esalen International Arts Festival is so stuffed with art exhibitions, musical performances and dance workshops from all over the globe that it might be the most culturally diverse event in Monterey County all year. With subjects like drum, dance, singing, art, writing, poetry, filmmaking and general...

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[music] P.B. Jamming : Peanut Butter Wolf appearance at Hippodrome is a coup. - Monterey County Weekly

Walter Ryce — 2009-07-02

the year 1986 was a good one in hip-hop. It saw the releases of Run DMC’s Raising Hell, Salt-N-Pepa’s Hot, Cool & Vicious, and the Beastie Boys’ License to Ill. The Juice Crew were steady battling Boogie Down Productions on wax and New York’s influential hip-hop radio station Hot 97 was launched, originally as Hot 103. (Yo! MTV Raps and The Source magazine were coming soon.) Those heady early developments reverberated from New York to San Jose, sparking the germ of...

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[news] Police Presence : Cops crack down on Castroville gangs, some community members say it’s excessive force. - Monterey County Weekly

Zachary Stahl — 2009-07-02

Cops and medics surround Francisco “Frankie” Torres in front of the Castroville fire station. His face bleeds after Monterey County Sheriff deputies arrested him at his nearby home. The Sheriff’s Office says Torres is a Norteño gang member who ran from deputies and resisted arrest. The pack of deputies and county Gang Task Force members surrounding the bloody 25-year-old, however, fuels anger among the crowd of onlookers. Torres’ family shows up at the scene crying and...

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[news] Office Space : Rich Guillen is still at Carmel City Hall – but laying low. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-07-02

In the morning of June 26, Carmel-by-the-Sea’s headquarters are calm. Administrative Coordinator Becky Reisdorf takes calls by City Hall’s service window. Employees occasionally cross the hall from the planning department, silently dialing their security codes to get into the administrative side. Barely a week ago, City Administrator Rich Guillen was accused of systemic sexual harassment, discrimination and favoritism toward two female subordinates with whom he allegedly had...

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[news] Tax Me, Please : County explores the hottest trend in clean energy financing. - Monterey County Weekly

Kera Abraham — 2009-07-02

Sign up for higher property taxes. It’s good for your wallet, your county and the planet. That’s the message from supporters of a local “clean energy revolving fund,” a pot of money used to finance local energy efficiency and renewable energy projects. The idea is to knock down the most common hurdles to small-scale energy improvements: the high up-front cost and the concern that the investment might not pay off before selling, explains Jason Burnett, a former...

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[news] Road to Nowhere : Cypress Knolls sues Marina for cost of extending California Avenue. - Monterey County Weekly

Zachary Stahl — 2009-07-02

The senior housing developer Marina kicked to the curb is coming after the city for cash. Cypress Knolls LLC is suing Marina for more than $320,000, the amount the company fronted for a road construction project extending California Avenue. In a lawsuit filed June 22, Cypress Knolls says it has been asking for reimbursement for more than a year. The city originally contended it was waiting on the Fort Ord Reuse Authority to cough up the dough. The developer’s lawyer, however, argues...

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

Staff — 2009-07-02

7|2 THURSDAY City Econ | MARINA – Economic Development Commission meets. 6:30pm. Council Chambers, 211 Hillcrest Ave., Marina. Free. 884-1278. 7|4 SATURDAY TEA WITHOUT TAXES | MONTEREY – Monterey County Tea (Taxed Enough Already) Party hosts a rally with talks by economics professor David R. Henderson and Monterey City Councilman Jeff Haferman. 11:30am, Window on the Bay Park, Monterey. Free. www.montreycountyteaparty.com 7|5 SUNDAY CIVIL LIBERTIES AND OBAMA | BIG SUR –...

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

Squid — 2009-07-02

CUTTING COSTS… As California continues its death march – toward issuing IOUs for the first time in 17 years, toward financial bankruptcy and falling off this proverbial cliff that lawmakers like to talk about – legislators from both houses met all day and well into Tuesday night, long past Squid’s bedtime, which is unfortunate because Squid likes the circus. “The 1992 version of this melodrama ended badly, with drunken shouting, a fistfight, and a mysteriously...

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[opinion] The Jackson One : The king is dead, long live the king. - Monterey County Weekly

Greg Beato — 2009-07-02

F or many performers, top billing at the county fair is as good as the comeback trail ever gets. Michael Jackson had bigger ambitions. Two years ago, London’s Daily Mail reported that the singer was not only planning to go on a 250-date reunion tour with the Jackson 5, he was also going to build a Las Vegas casino and hotel. And a museum. And a sports stadium. And yet as grandiose as Jackson’s career renovation plans seemed, they had a certain plausibility. He’d won 13...

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[news] Quick hits on previously reported news: Updates - Monterey County Weekly

Staff — 2009-07-02

SHOVEL READY… Monterey County’s first federal stimulus project has broken ground, or, more accurately, been installed in the ground. It’s a traffic signal at Oak and Front streets in Soledad, a busy intersection congested with more than 12,000 vehicles a day. The new signal and right turn lane will improve traffic flow and allow pedestrians to cross safely, say Transportation Agency for Monterey County officials. The project cost $650,000, with $524,000 coming from federal stimulus funds, and...

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[cover] Local Heros - More in Store : John Wiseman saved businesses, helped old friends. - Monterey County Weekly

Walter Ryce — 2009-07-02

This year’s collection of Local Heroes are an unusually diverse group. They include a veteran Seaside peace activist, a Latina LGBT rights advocate and a businessman who, like a Frank Capra movie, decided to buy his picture frame stores back because he didn’t like the human consequences of shooting it down. There’s an anti-gang activist who is walking the walk to stop the violence to honor the memory of his late son. There’s the volunteer children’s librarian in Pacific Grove who gives...

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