Carmel Pine Cone, October 2, 2009
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Harvest fest’s Santa Cruz More Golden colorful rockers come Pine Cones offerings to C.V. — INSIDE THIS WEEK BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID CARMEL, CA Permit No. 149 Volume 95 No. 40 On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com October 2-8, 2009 Y OUR S OURCE F OR L OCAL N EWS, ARTS AND O PINION S INCE 1915 $5M REWARD FOR PEBBLE BEACH ART THIEVES CUSD board backs ■ Ransom note surfaces in $80 million heist C.V. incorporation By MARY BROWNFIELD ■ Rancho Cañada housing plan cut to THE MEN who say they lost millions of dollars’ worth of art in a Sept. 180 units, but board’s against it anyway 25 burglary of their Pebble Beach home are offering $1 million for its return intact, and another $4 million for the arrest and conviction of the By CHRIS COUNTS criminals. Meanwhile, crime-scene technicians have examined the house for forensic evidence, and detectives are pursuing several leads, according A PLAN to build 180 houses and create a park at to Monterey County Sheriff’s Cmdr. Mike Richards. In an additional wrin- Rancho Cañada would be a serious health threat to students kle, a ransom note surfaced this week. at Carmel Middle School, according to Glenn Robinson, a “It turned up yesterday, somehow, and was turned over by the victims to candidate for Carmel Valley Town Council. our detective, who put it into evidence,” he said Wednesday of the note. “It His allegation — backed by emotional testimony from his demands money and conveys death threats.” wife, Elizabeth, about their daughter’s struggle with cystic The victims, A. Benjamin Amadio and Dr. Ralph Kennaugh, reported fibrosis — prompted the Carmel Unified School District the break-in Friday evening, Richards said. In combing through the Board of Education to endorse incorporation of Carmel Sunridge Road home to determine what was missing, the men initially Valley Tuesday night as a way to stop the housing project. reported 13 pieces from their private collection, as well as $3,100 in cash The Robinsons’ daughter, and a computer, were stolen sometime between 1:30 and 6:48 p.m. that day. Abigail, is a seventh grader at This painting by Joan Miro was among Carmel Middle School. They See HEIST page 12A the works reported stolen Sept. 25. said there would be “serious Construction risks to pulmonary health,” would cause from fungus, silica and diesel exhaust, if the housing were health problems, Show recalls era when City denies wrongdoing built. The school board seemed an incorporation Bantam cars were big in sex-harassment case to agree, voting unanimously advocate claims to support incorporation of By MARY BROWNFIELD Carmel Valley — a decision ■ Response blames Miller the board made after listening A FLOCK of Lilliputian automobiles that could be for any injuries she suffered to more than two hours of testimony from residents, activists, described as the world’s first fuel-efficient cars will converge two county supervisors and developer Alan Williams, who on the Carmel Valley Village Community Park Saturday, Oct. By MARY BROWNFIELD gave the audience its first look at the latest version of Rancho 17, for the Austin Bantam Society’s 41st Annual Trophy Meet Cañada Village, which has been scaled back by Williams and and show. The society, which includes meet hosts Bill Spear THE SEXUAL-HARASSMENT complaints made by co-owner Clint Eastwood. and Susan Kirkness, boasts members in 48 states and 17 for- human resources manager Jane Miller against the City of “We’ve eliminated 100 units, and we won’t be importing Carmel have no basis in fact, according to the city’s lawyers, a lot of fill, the way the original project did,” Williams said. See BANTAM page 16A and she is therefore not entitled to be paid anything by city In place of 100 houses, he added, a 50-acre park and trail taxpayers. The city’s response to Miller’s lawsuit, filed with along the Carmel River would be created. Fifty percent of the the court in July but not provided to The Pine Cone until this housing units would be reserved for people who work in week, denies that she “has been or will be damaged in any Carmel Valley, Williams said. amount” by city officials. “We’re creating some outstanding recreational opportuni- Carmel’s attorneys are also trying to have Miller’s lawyer, ties for students at the middle school, and providing housing Michael Stamp, thrown off the case because he represented opportunities for the faculty and staff,” he added. the city on related matters in the past. According to Williams, the revised Rancho Cañada pro- Miller, who has been away on leave since last year, filed a ject would create 90 market-rate units and 90 affordable lawsuit in Monterey County Superior Court in June accusing “workforce” units. He said local residents would have the city administrator Rich Guillen of sexual harassment, gen- first opportunity to purchase the affordable units, which der- and age-based discrimination, failure to take steps to would range from about $90,000 to $350,000. prevent discrimination, and retaliation. She also alleged the The original Rancho Cañada plan, by Nick Lombardo, mayor and city council knew but failed to take action against proposed the houses, apartments and townhomes in place of Guillen as he had affairs with employees, and gave them 18 holes of the Rancho Cañada golf course as a way to pro- preferential treatment and pay, while discriminating against and driving others to quit. See BOARD page 27A But attorneys with Liebert Cassidy Whitmore, the San Francisco firm hired to defend the city, deny that Guillen, the They’re rare, cute, economical, tiny — and still manage to BIG ELECTION ISSUE: have room for Gayle, Jennifer and Mike Harrell of Stockton. See SUIT page 8RE WHAT IS RURAL? An invasion and its censorship problem By CHRIS COUNTS By PAUL MILLER Now, with a lot more experience under my belt, and the F THOSE who are debating the pros and cons of Sixth in a series humility that invariably accompanies it, I regret what I did. I incorporating Carmel Valley are to be believed, its resi- Except for the part where I tricked CBS and ABC. That part dents can kiss their rural character goodbye, no matter THE ISRAELI military officer was angry, and he was fun. demanded an explanation, so I gave him one. But what I told what happens. Incorporation supporters warn that without a town him was a lie — one that would have gotten me kicked out of A lot of responsibility government supervising its fate, the Monterey County the country or thrown in jail if he had known the truth. In the In August 1981, having switched networks just the sum- Board of Supervisors will rubber stamp so much devel- view of this very stern soldier staring me in the face, I would mer before, I was suddenly named NBC News bureau chief opment that Carmel Valley will look like a Silicon Valley have deserved harsh punishment for endangering his coun- in Tel Aviv. I was 27 years old, and the assignment was a very suburb. Their campaign signs summarize their feelings in try’s security during time of war. impressive one. The Middle East made front-page news four words: “Keep Carmel Valley Rural.” To myself, my actions were justified because I was pro- almost every day, and NBC’s Israel office was one of its Meanwhile, opponents of the drive to incorporate tecting the integrity of news coverage of an important inter- biggest overseas operations — three reporters, a producer, national story. But looking back, it was really just hubris that See RURAL page 9A led me to lie, and to rationalize doing so. See CENSOR page 32A Get your complete Carmel Pine Cone every Thursday evening in convenient pdf format via email. Free subscriptions available at www.carmelpinecone.com. 2A The Carmel Pine Cone October 2, 2009 ANGRY JUDGE GIVES BERGSTROM SIX YEARS IN STATE PRISON By MARY BROWNFIELD before being assigned to a state prison, did not grant a new trial because of defense whose defense team aggressively questioned according to prosecutor Cristina Johnson. attorney Tom Worthington’s objections to the victim throughout the trial regarding her FORMER DOCTOR Carl Bergstrom “That usually takes about 90 days,” she instructions from the judge before the jury drinking, use of prescription drugs, past will not get a new trial and was sentenced to said. “The counselors interview him and deliberated. behavior and other issues — questioned six years in state prison by Monterey County decide where he should go — if he’s going to “I’m glad it’s over,” Johnson said. Doe’s credibility again during the hearing Superior Court Judge Russell Scott Friday. be a threat, what level facility, if he’s in dan- During the Sept. 25 sentencing, the vic- Friday. Bergstrom, convicted July 27 of the forcible ger of being hurt by other inmates or of hurt- tim, identified as Jane Doe 1, expressed her “I’ve never seen anyone attack a victim in sodomy of a woman in his Carmel Woods ing other inmates.” gratitude to the court and to the jury, and said a sentencing like that,” said Johnson, whose home in April, will spend as long as three Johnson, who also had two other anony- she was thankful the truth was out and jus- office is continuing its investigation of months in the California Department of mous women testify against Bergstrom dur- tice had been administered, according to Bergstrom’s other allegedly criminal activi- Corrections processing facility in Fresno ing his trial, said she was grateful the judge Johnson.