VolumeThe 103 No. 1 Carmel On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com Pine Cone January 6-12, 2017 TRUSTED BY LOCALS AND LOVED BY VISITORS SINCE 1915 As storms stack up, Panetta sworn in, challenge of job begins Big Sur residents By KELLY NIX prepare for the worst REPORTING FROM WASHINGTON WITH HIS father, Leon, and two young daughters, By CHRIS COUNTS Siri and Gia, by his side, Jimmy Panetta took the oath of office at the U.S. Capitol Tuesday, becoming the IF THE predictions of weather forecasters come true, Big Monterey Peninsula’s congressional representative and Sur could be buried in mud by this time next week. embarking on a two-year term that promises to be highly That’s because a strong Pineapple Express is headed this eventful as Republicans and Democrats jockey to advance way — and it appears to have the Monterey County coast in their agendas with a very unpredictable President Donald its sights. Trump in the White House. “By Saturday, moderate to heavy rainfall could return to The 47-year-old Panetta, an attorney and Democrat Big Sur,” said Matt Mehle, a meteorologist for the National who handily defeated Republican Casey Lucius last Weather Service. “That’s going to continue Sunday, and pos- November, succeeds Congressman Sam Farr, who retired sibly, into Monday.” after two dozen years in the role. In an interview with The Mehle told The Pine Cone that so far this season, Big Sur Pine Cone in a very noisy corridor just outside the floor residents have been fortunate. With many of its hillsides of the House of Representatives Tuesday afternoon, stripped bare of vegetation by last summer’s Soberanes Fire, Panetta talked candidly about his first day as a lawmaker, the risk of mudslides is great. and weighed in other topics, including the Affordable “We’ve seen no major problems so far,” Mehle reported. Care Act, Trump, immigration, and working with “We’ve had a few storms, but in grand scheme of things, Republicans. we’ve been pretty lucky.” But that could change if the next storm brings enough rain. A humbling moment “The ground is saturated, and we’re going to be putting a Panetta said being sworn in as a member of the 115th lot more rain on top of it,” explained Mehle, who said 10 Congress — in the same chamber that has hosted some of inches of rain was recorded over a 36-hour period at a Big the most momentous legislative events in the nation’s his- Sur weather station earlier this week. tory — was “humbling.” His mother, Sylvia, wife, Carrie, So far, Big Sur residents have experienced fallen trees, and his in-laws also watched the ceremony. falling rocks, clogged culverts, power outages, flooded park- “It was a proud moment individually, and it was a ing areas and road closures as heavy rains battered the coast. proud moment for my family, my father, and most of all, “There’s either a train passing in Palo Colorado, or it’s my daughters,” who are 10 and 12 years old, Panetta told raining really hard,” resident Jeremy Slate posted Jan. 4 on The Pine Cone. “What is amazing is you see them quickly learn and develop a knowledge about what is going on politically and party-wise.” See STORMS page 25A PHOTOS/KELLY NIX (TOP), CSPAN No longer a “member-elect,” Panetta — whose new office is in Room 228 of the Cannon Building next to the (Top) New Congressman Jimmy Panetta poses for a photo outside his office Capitol — said the realization he’ll play a part in creating, in the Cannon Building in Washington Tuesday with his wife, Carrie, and daughters, Siri, 12, and Gia, 10. Earlier (above), CSPAN was broadcasting See PANETTA page 12A live when Leon Panetta introduced his son to House Speaker Paul Ryan. Tomasi, a 20-year veteran, becomes police chief By MARY SCHLEY University Monterey Bay and in Citrus Heights before being hired as a sergeant by Carmel in 2008. He was promoted to PAUL TOMASI officially became chief of Carmel commander in January 2013, and when Calhoun was serving Police Department Friday, when his wife, Amy, pinned the as interim city administrator following Doug Schmitz’ retire- new badge to his chest during an informal ceremony at city ment in October 2015, Tomasi was effectively running the hall, and outgoing Chief Mike Calhoun attached the “stars police department. He also oversaw public works for several and bars” to his collar. Tomasi took the formal oath of office months, until Rob Mullane was tapped to run it. and then “spoke about his leadership tenets: trust, respect and At the ceremony, Tomasi said he described the “three pil- love,” city administrator Chip Rerig said. “It was a very spe- lars I follow for success,” which he developed throughout his cial event.” career. PHOTO/LUCAS HANDY With his ascent to the top police job, Tomasi became the See CHIEF page 25A After a boulder landed on Highway 1 in Big Sur Wednesday, a city’s 11th chief in its 100-year history, and with that, tourist tried valiantly — but futilely — to move it. But more-experienced Calhoun — who followed Chief George Rawson — officially help soon arrived and the rock was dispatched. With more storms retired. predicted, the rain of boulders will no doubt continue. Tomasi worked in law enforcement at California State Rio Road speeder damages five cars, lands in yard By MARY SCHLEY A 44-YEAR-OLD San Francisco man was arrested for DUI early Saturday morning after he hit a parked car so hard that it landed upside-down on top of another vehicle about 70 feet away. The driver’s BMW then crashed through a fence before coming to rest against a hedge in the front yard of a home on Rio Road. Police estimate Gautam Barua was dri- ving between 50 and 60 mph when he missed a turn while heading eastbound toward Highway 1. “When I first pulled up, I figured somebody was dead,” said Carmel Police Sgt. Chris Johnson, who responded to the crash with Cpl. Rachelle Lightfoot a little after midnight Dec. 31. Johnson said that when he arrived, he hadn’t immediately realized there were more cars involved than the two crushed PHOTO/DAVID JEDINAK vehicles in the road. Then he found Barua, who showed him the mangled 2016 BMW M235i he’d been driving. He was PHOTO/KERRY BELSER These two cars had been parked on the side of Rio Road until a San the only person involved in the crash. City administrator Chip Rerig congratulates Paul Tomasi, who Francisco man hit them while driving an estimated 60 mph down Rio became Carmel’s 11th police chief at a swearing-in ceremony in city Road Dec. 31. He was arrested for DUI. See CRASH page 19A hall Friday morning. Have the complete Carmel Pine Cone delivered every Thursday evening to your iPad, laptop, PC or phone. Free subscriptions available at www.carmelpinecone.com 2A The Carmel Pine Cone January 6, 2017 Sandy Claws By Lisa Crawford Watson But no two dogs are the same. Big baby Zephyr, rescued from a breeding and hoarding sit- uation, started out by hiding under a table when peo- ple came to visit. But she has taken him to a lot of ZEPHYR IS a big, black German shepherd- training classes and has been slowly but surely work- Newfoundland mix who has just turned 2. Since he is ing to reassure him and take him out of his fears. the same breed as the big, sweet, lovable family dog Zephyr loves to go to Carmel and Asilomar beach- his person had before, when she brought home the es, and heads straight for the water upon arrival. He little puppy with the cute face and big paws, she watches other dogs from afar and then, once he gets thought she would also be getting the same person- used to them, joins right in the fun. He’s the same ality. with people. Once they become familiar, his person But Zephyr only looks similar to his predecessor. said, he’s just a big baby, all mushy and cuddly. Now 80 pounds, he’s strong and imposing, but also Most of all, Zephyr loves his person. Plus his secu- nervous, neurotic, skittish an scared. rity toy, a stuffed fish. So much so, his person bought Zephyr was adopted from a rescue organization in him two. “I’m scared that if one goes missing, he’ll just Southern California. His person picked him because die,” she said. she was preparing to move to a house in Monterey with a large yard and plenty of room to raise a big dog. Bee talk at “At first, I wanted a dog whose temperament I could already tell, so I knew I could easily take him everywhere with me,” she said. “And, when I saw Carpenter Hall Zephyr’s picture, I absolutely fell in love with him.” IF YOU’RE interested in helping out your friendly neigh- borhood honey bees, come on down to Carpenter Hall at Sunset Center on Wednesday, Jan. 11, for a talk by UC Berkeley biologist Gordon Frankie. The lecture, titled “Bees and Blooms, A Guide for Gardeners and Naturalists,” will address California’s remark- able 1,600 species of wild bees, pollination and Colony Collapse Disorder — the mysterious demise of entire hives Invitation to Consign that scientists have been tracking since the early 2000s. ocean & junipero, carmel-by-the-sea Frankie has been documenting bees and their behavior for more than 20 years.