The Carmel Pine Cone May 9, 2014
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VolumeThe 100 No. 19 Carmel On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com Pine Cone May 9-15, 2014 TRUSTED BY LOCALS AND LOVED BY VISITORS SINCE 1915 County supes oppose Loving life Council to PG&E: Measure O, but ‘Out of the Box’ Why’d it take so long CRA endorses it to stop gas leak? n Felton resident says Cal Am takeover in her town was a mistake By MARY SCHLEY PG&E CAME under sharp criticism from the city By KELLY NIX council Tuesday for the company’s slow response to the March 3 gas leak that caused a house at Guadalupe and CALIFORNIA AMERICAN Water is using the Third to blow up. The explosion happened almost 40 min- power of regret in a new TV commercial aimed at defeat- utes after the leak occurred, and gas continued to flow for ing a June ballot measure that seeks to turn the water an hour before the utility managed to cut it off. company into a government operation. One council member also said PG&E still hadn’t In the TV testimonial, Felton resident Beth learned its lesson. At her family’s downtown hotel, the Hollenbeck urges Peninsula water customers to vote No company took five hours to respond after being called on Measure O, saying she voted for a similar acquisition about a gas leak, Carrie Theis said, and then shut down the of Cal Am there in 2005 and her rates are now higher than inn’s north wing for the weekend. ever. At Tuesday night’s council meeting, a consulting com- “If I knew then what I know now,” Hollenbeck says in PHOTO/COURTESY, LIFE OUT OF THE BOX pany, Exponent, said the cause of the March 3 leak was the ad, taking her water bill from a mailbox, “I wouldn’t lack of knowledge of the condition of the pipeline at the Life out of the Box founders Jonathon Button (left) and Quinn have voted for it.” time workers tapped into it, in part due to old, outdated Hollenbeck goes on to say in the 30-second ad that Vandenberg (right) worked with kids in San Juan Del Sur, Nicaragua, giving them school supplies. The children who attend the after-school maps of the lines. program learn how to speak English. See story Page 8A. See MEASURE page 24A See PG&E page 23A COPS NAB SUSPECTS IN HOME BURGLARY SPREE Forest Theater to By MARY SCHLEY ing a fence and entering the rear area of a home, which turned out to be his. Officers get quick fix A THREE-MONTH investigation into contacted Scully at the house and found an outbreak of residential burglaries in the “numerous stolen items inside the residence, By MARY SCHLEY city culminated Tuesday afternoon when along with illegal narcotics and narcotic Carmel P.D. detective Greg Johnson and paraphernalia,” according to White. SHOULD THE abrupt closure of the historic Forest Monterey County Sheriff’s deputy Fernando “When they contacted him, he was in pos- Theater a couple of weeks ago serve as an opportunity to White arrested 27-year-old Ryan Scully on session of stolen property from a burglary he overhaul the venue, or should the immediate problems — suspicion of breaking into numerous homes committed on Monday on Junipero Street, particularly, electrical and structural issues — be repaired as in the city and elsewhere in the county. and from a case that just occurred in the soon as possible so the theater can be reopened, with other Scully, who lives on Fisher Place in Mission county,” CPD Cmdr. Paul Tomasi said. improvements made in the off season? Fields, was also found in possession of hero- “During the interview, he revealed he was The general consensus at a city council workshop Monday in. responsible for at least eight of our burglaries night was in favor of a quick fix. The arrest came after sheriff’s deputies that have happened since Feb. 5.” “What can we do instantly to get that place reopened?” were dispatched to a report of a possible As Johnson investigated about a dozen councilman Ken Talmage asked. “Is that possible?” prowler in the area of Fisher Place, White Council members and the public still don’t know the See ARREST page 7A reported, when a passerby saw a man jump- Ryan Scully specifics of what caused city officials to shut down the the- ater April 23, when they chained the gates and asked PG&E to cut off the theater’s electricity after inspectors found “seri- Wild condor being treated for lead at Oakland Zoo ous structural and electrical issues.” The inspection was part of a review of all city-owned properties, and according to By CHRIS COUNTS area 17 years ago. Last week, she became the first condor to be treated for lead poisoning in a new recovery center at the See THEATER page 22A SEVEN YEARS ago, a female condor named Ventana Oakland Zoo. became of the first of her species to be raised in the wilds of Luckily, researchers caught Ventana in the early stages of Big Sur since the endangered birds were reintroduced to the lead poisoning, and her prognosis looks good. The condor and five others were recently captured at Pinnacles National Farmers market Park and tested for lead poisoning, which is the leading cause of death for the condors. While the others tested fine, Ventana showed high levels of lead in her body, and an X-ray moving to Devendorf revealed what appeared to be a small metallic object inside her. By MARY SCHLEY Ventana was taken to the Oakland Zoo, which recently opened its Steve and Jackie Kane Condor Recovery Center. THE FARMERS market held in the north lot of She became the center’s first patient. Sunset Center since last June can relocate to Mission To remove the lead from her body, Ventana is receiving Street and Devendorf Park for a test period running daily treatments of chelation therapy, which was first used to through early July, the Carmel City Council decided treat soldiers suffering from poison gas attacks during World Tuesday night. The vote came after impassioned testi- War I. Those treating her are keeping an eye on the object, mony from merchants and residents for and against the which they hope she will soon pass or regurgitate. She is move, lengthy discussion and a pair of failed motions. expected to be hospitalized for a week or two. The market’s for-profit organizer, the West Coast “While we never like to see sick or lead-poisoned birds, Farmers Market Association, requested the change fol- today is really a fantastic day for Oakland Zoo because the lowing the success of the March 27 market, when the zoo’s condor care team is now able to put their skills and spe- farmers and other vendors were displaced by cial training into helping save this magnificent bird,” veteri- GourmetFest at Sunset Center and therefore used narian Dr. Andrea Goodnight of the Oakland Zoo said May Mission Street between Ocean and Sixth and part of the 1, when Ventana arrived. park. Condor researchers are pulling for Ventana who, in many “The farmers market was very successful that day. ways, symbolizes the success of the condor recovery effort. According to executive director Jerry Lami, the market PHOTO/JOE BURNETT “She represents the future of the recovery program and the saw 10 times its normal foot traffic, and market vendors A 7-year-old condor, shown as a juvenile in a Big Sur redwood, is See MARKET page 14A receiving treatment for lead poisoning at the Oakland Zoo. See CONDOR page 30A 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 May 9, 2014 By Lisa Crawford Watson OPPLETON’S Sandy Claws Outdoor & Garden Happy landing JASMINE LOVES to run along the sand while the waves crash and recede and leave behind a row of briny bubbles. She sniffs and bites at the bubbles, and then rolls around in the sudsy surf as if to make sure she’s smashed them all. The little white West Highland terrier, now 10, actu- ally began her life in the care of her person’s grand- daughter. But when the young woman left for college four years ago, the pup went to live with her father. Proving too much for him to weave into the demands Fine Furniture & Antiques, Unique Gifts & Accessories of his day, the little Westie went to live with Grandma. FULL INTERIOR DESIGN SERVICE Now Grandma can’t imagine giving her back. “Jasmine is a gorgeous white Westie,” she says. “The 299 LIGHTHOUSE, MONTEREY 831 649 3083 transition to our home was so easy. We just love her, www.poppletonshome.com and she loves us. Actually, she seems to love everyone. She’s a people person.” Jasmine particularly likes meeting the people she encounters while walking in Carmel and along the long stretch of sand at Carmel Beach. “This is such a dog town,” says Grandma, “and peo- ple are so warm and welcoming to our little Westie. When we take Jasmine to the beach, we have to make sure we have time to talk to everyone, and then take her directly to the groomer to have a bath.” JAMES E. RHEIM, M.D. • JOSEPH R. RHEIM, M.D. Jasmine’s family recently adopted a second dog, and and want to go everywhere with me. Each has her own she’s not happy about it.