VolumeThe 101 No. 37 Carmel On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com Pine Cone September 11-17 2015 TRUSTED BY LOCALS AND LOVED BY VISITORS SINCE 1915 Photos reveal terrible Backyard yields second body n Jailed killer in P.B. Suzanne Kay Nixon, Powell is the prime sus- pect in the killing of 32-year-old Sandra state of Mehdipour house murder is prime suspect McGee, whose remains were identified by the coroner’s office this week, according to By KELLY NIX been at the forefront of a land-use battle By KELLY NIX and MARY SCHLEY Monterey Police Lt. Jeff Jackson. McGee for several years. went missing in late 1982. EW PHOTOS of an oceanfront Though Mehdipour purchased the N THE GRISLY discovery last week of a Shortly after a landscaper found the house in Pebble Beach at the center of a home, which is practically next door to long-missing Seaside woman’s decomposed remains while working in the backyard Sept. land-use debate show a decrepit struc- the Cypress Point Club, intending to remains at the home where a Pebble Beach 2, Monterey officers, along with members of ture that’s being temporarily supported tear it down and build a much larger woman was found murdered 32 years ago may the Monterey and Santa Cruz county coro- so it doesn’t “fall on someone.” house in its place, preservationists, cit- finally bring resolution to an unsolved homi- ners’ offices, the sheriff’s office and the FBI, Silicon Valley tech mogul Massy ing the significance of the architect’s cide in which the property’s former tenant, Mehdipour’s house — designed by arrived to begin searching the grounds. Alfred Powell, has long been a suspect. “They found some remains and were not Richard Neutra and built in 1958 — has See page 31A MEHDIPOUR Currently serving a life sentence in Solano really sure exactly what they were,” Jackson State Prison for the 1983 murder of 30-year- old former Pacific Grove High School student See KILLER page 5A The remains of Seaside resident Sandra McGee (far left) were discovered buried in the back- yard of a home on Third Street in Monterey last week — 32 years after a man was convicted of the 1983 killing of Pebble Beach resi- dent Suzanne Nixon (left) and hiding her body in a toolshed at the same home. McGee disap- peared in 1982, and her where- abouts were a mystery until a landscaper accidentally found her Sept. 2. FBI investigators (below) searched the yard after the discovery. Because Massy Mehdipour’s house on Signal Hill in Pebble Beach was falling into the dunes (left), she had a contractor shore it up with cribbing (above). While she wants to tear it down to build a new house, people in the neighborhood say she shouldn’t be allowed to. PHOTOS/COURTESY SATEEZ KADIVAR Pot shop proposed Latest gas-line break reignites criticism of PG&E for Mouth of Valley By MARY SCHLEY He said that fell short of the pledge the company made last year to respond to incidents in Carmel as quickly as pos- By CHRIS COUNTS AFTER A backhoe operated by a plumbing contractor sible. struck a gas line on Santa Rita just south of Ocean Avenue PG&E spokesman Nick Stimmel responded that, while COUNTY PLANNING official Mike Novo told The last Thursday morning shortly before 10 a.m., PG&E took sometimes the company doesn’t meet its goal of a 21-minute Pine Cone this week that he has received an application to almost half an hour to get to the scene, according to city open a marijuana dispensary at the mouth of Carmel Valley. administrator Doug Schmitz — once again highlighting See SAFETY page 18A If approved, the business would be located at 26555 problems with the utility company’s safety practices. Carmel Rancho Blvd., Suite 3. According to Novo, the appli- PG&E has been under heavy scrutiny since a gas main cant is Salvatore Palma. Calls to a Monterey man of the same blew up in the City of San Bruno in 2010, destroying 38 Stolen tote pops up all over name were not returned. homes and killing eight people. And last year, a small gas A nearby business owner who asked not to be identified leak caused by a PG&E crew blew up a house in Carmel at confirmed a dispensary is going into the building. Guadalupe and Third. the place — but where is it? “It’s clear that they’re moving in,” the resident told The The continuing series of gas-pipe problems underscores Pine Cone. “The building and the neighborhood seem unsuit- the importance of the decision of the Public Utilities By KELLY NIX able for such a business. It would be nice for the community Commission two weeks ago to “initiate an investigation into to know about this so they can decide if they want it.” the non-safety practices of PG&E,” Schmitz told The Pine THE THEFT of Monterey resident Carrie McWithey’s Monterey County 5th District Supervisor Dave Potter’s Cone this week. belongings outside her apartment wasn’t unusual — some- aide, Kathleen Lee, said the county staff is “carefully review- On Aug. 27, the PUC launched its formal investigation one broke into her car and stole a large crocheted bag filled ing” the application for the dispensary. “into whether Pacific Gas and Electric Company has corpo- with handmade items. What’s strange is what transpired “We want to make sure any work is done with proper per- rate governance, clearly documented organizational goals afterward. mits, and we want to make sure it fits the zoning,” she said. and objectives, and work procedures that prioritize and On Aug. 27 at about 3 a.m., someone stole McWithey’s “Staff is also looking closely at the application to see if it was improve safety.” one-of-a-kind wool and mohair bag containing jewelry, cro- submitted before the moratorium went into effect. We’re anx- In the Sept. 3 Santa Rita Street incident, PG&E’s first cheted hats and other items she makes and sells at local farm- iously awaiting to see the results of the review.” truck arrived 28 minutes after the leak was reported, and the ers markets. The merchandise was worth more than $3,000, gas was shut off at 10:50 a.m., 53 minutes after the initial See POT page 12A report, according to Schmitz. See STOLEN page 15A 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 September 11, 2015 JANIE ROMMEL-EICHORN, MFT LIC#MFC28062 KIMBERLY DRINKER, LCSW LIC#LCS9727 Sandy Claws By Lisa Crawford Watson …are pleased to announce that they are now sharing an office at When Quinto 26485 Carmel Rancho Blvd., #4, Carmel came home They each have over 25 years of experience treating children, adolescents, adults, couples LAST YEAR, when firefight- and families with the myriad issues that arise ers responded to a call in during the life cycle. Riverside, they found more Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, Attention Issues, Substance than a cat up a tree. The blaz- Abuse, Codependency, Grief and Loss, Coping with Cancer, ing building housed 61 Communication, Couples Therapy, Parenting, Family Therapy, Divorce, Meditation, Shetland sheepdogs. Their 90- Spiritual Development, Sandplay Therapy, EMDR year-old owner, a former Some Insurances accepted breeder of Shelties, had PLEASE CALL TODAY AND LET US ASSIST YOU become a bona fide hoarder WITH YOUR NEEDS! and was required to surrender Janie (831) 625-9676 57 of her dogs to animal serv- ices. Kimberly (831) 620-1650 This is how Quinto came to live with his family, a couple whose experience with whose breeder had retired her to the care and com- four other Shelties moved them toward the head of a panionship of her couple. line of more than 100 people hoping to adopt the res- At first, she didn’t know what to do about Quinto cued dogs. and his entitlement and aggressive way of pushing “Shelties are kind of particular,” says his person. her out of the way to get attention. Yet lately Mallory “We understood that, so they decided we would be has begun to show a little more moxie. the best household for this dog. Quinto came to us Every summer, for the past 11 years, the couple has with kennel cough, which developed into pneumonia, come to Carmel for a week during the Carmel Bach so first he spent five days on oxygen, in intensive Festival. Their Shelties always accompany them on JAMES E. RHEIM, M.D. • JOSEPH R. RHEIM, M.D. care.” the family vacation. When Quinto came home, he was fully recovered “They seem to enjoy Carmel,” says their person, Lift Your Spirits! and back to being a typical little Sheltie – boisterous, “But they’re not so sure about the beach, so they stay Resolve to pamper yourself and your skin! Enjoy our Cosmetic verbal, active. As far as he’s concerned, says his per- close to us. Shelties, as a breed, tend not to like water, specials or treat yourself to one of our many product lines. son, the universe revolves around him. but the sand seems OK, so they just trot along very For our new and existing patients, enjoy BOTOX® at $11 per The couple already had Mallory, now 10, a Sheltie happily.” unit, a minimum of 20 units. Continue pampering yourself and receive an additional $100.00 off per syringe of Juvéderm ® Ultra Plus.