Late-night surprise: Mountain lion charges into woman’s bedroom By CHRIS COUNTS was reading in bed, ” recalled Jane Chanteau, who lives off “I hit him, and I yelled really loud,” she explained. Palo Colorado Road. “I woke up when my cat let out a horri- Much to the 73-year-old grandmother’s surprise, a lion SECONDS AFTER a late-night encounter with a moun- ble scream. It sounded like a cat fighting, only much louder.” pulled its head from beneath the bed. tain lion this week, a Big Sur house cat did the most logical Opening her eyes in the dimly lit bedroom, Chanteau “He jumped up on a box about four feet away, sat down thing possible — it scampered under its owner’s bed. thought she saw a dog chase her cat, a black and white 11- and just looked at me,” she said. “He wasn’t aggressive at all. Unfortunately for the cat, the mountain lion — following year-old named Bearli, under the bed. The intruder’s head He was calm.” close on its heels — tried to do the exact same thing. was also under the bed, so Chanteau gave him a good whack “It was about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, and I dozed off while I on his behind. See LION page 9A BULK RATE U.S. POSTAGE PAID CARMEL, CA Permit No. 149 Volume 94 No. 38 On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com September 19-25, 2008 Y OUR S OURCE F OR L OCAL N EWS, ARTS AND O PINION S INCE 1915 Fierce advocate for historic buildings dies at 86 Kenney’s sentence to be By MARY BROWNFIELD with, because she had definite ideas about how she wanted things done,” said former Carmel City life without parole ENID SALES — a dedicated preservationist Councilwoman Barbara Livingston, who met touted as a hero by some and vilified by others for Sales more than 50 years ago when both were liv- ■ Convicted of two murders her fierce fights against the demolition of historic ing in the San Francisco Bay Area. “In the end, of and ‘special circumstance’ buildings — died Wednesday at Community course, she was always right. She had a wonderful Hospital of the Monterey Peninsula of respiratory sense of aesthetics and ethics and would never failure. She was 86. By PAUL MILLER “She could be a maddening person to work See SALES page 9A HE ADMITTED he killed his neighbors, claiming it was in self- defense. But a jury decided John Enid Sales in front of Kenney’s story was a lie and convict- the Carmel City ed him of two counts of murder Council in 1999, Wednesday — second degree for receiving an award killing Mel Grimes after a confronta- from Mayor Ken tion over a boulder Kenney had White. Sales, who placed on a shared driveway, and first often battled with the degree murder for shooting Elizabeth city in court and in Grimes as she tried to get help for her front of the California Coastal Commission, mortally wounded husband. died this week at the After three days of deliberations, age of 86. the jury also decided the double mur- John Kenney’s ders were a “special circumstance” mugshot (right) which, under California law, means after he was Kenney will get life without parole arrested for PHOTO/PAUL MILLER when he is sentenced Nov. 3 by killing Elizabeth Monterey County Superior Court and Mel Grimes (above) Judge Stephen Sillman. in January The jury acquitted Kenney of 2007. This “lying in wait” — another charge week a jury which, combined with the murder convicted him City to try free MST trolley next summer verdicts, could have brought a sen- of two murders. tence of life in prison without parole. By MARY BROWNFIELD city on the MST board and helped spearhead the But because the jury decided on the “There were two ways to get the idea, said the free trolleys would serve three groups special circumstance of multiple mur- sentence of life without parole,” THE THIRD time was the charm for supporters of customers: businesses and their workers, visitors ders, the acquittal doesn’t lessen the Brannon said. “It was a very just ver- of a free cable-car-style trolley to shuttle tourists, and people who live in town. penalty Kenney faces, according to dict. workers and residents in a loop that will include “I think we all know that people who are parking Assistant District Attorney Berk Carmel Beach, Sunset Center, Vista Lobos, in front of their stores and moving their cars every Brannon. See KENNEY page 11A Carpenter Street and much of Ocean Avenue. After two hours are eliminating some of their own busi- rejecting two earlier proposals for a trolley, the city ness,” she commented. Instead, they could park in council decided last week to try out the Monterey- the free city-owned lot at Vista Lobos and hop a Salinas Transit trolley between Independence Day shuttle in the morning. Latest Internet scam: Fake and Labor Day next year. Council members said they preferred the new No uphill climb C.V. rental on Craigslist plan because the trolley would not leave Carmel. Visitors could similarly leave their cars in a downtown lot all day and still go to the beach with- By CHRIS COUNTS lord” calling himself Calvin Gore Free up parking out having to climb back up Ocean Avenue, while replied to her inquiry: “This concept is expected to increase the amount residents could use the trolley for running errands, THE THREE-BEDROOM “I am in Greenville, South of time tourists stay in our city, which is an impor- visiting friends or getting to Scenic Road. house with lots of amenities was Carolina, now where my company tant factor of economic revitalization, as well as “Gas prices are high, and we’re trying to reduce offered for just $1,300 a month, has transferred me to,” the scammer improve the availability of visitor parking in the our carbon footprint,” Guillen said. “We should and all you had to do was send your emailed. “Unfortunately, I would business area,” city administrator Rich Guillen said encourage mass transit, even if it’s just within one first month’s rent and security not be available to show you the in his report Sept. 9. square mile.” deposit to somebody in South home.” Councilwoman Karen Sharp, who represents the Two prior failed propositions had the shut- Carolina. Instead, Calvin asked the poten- tles traveling into town but also serving other “The house is perfect and I am tial renter to fill out an online appli- areas, such as Pebble Beach. In May 2006, looking for a tenant who will take cation. the council decided not to test a trolley tar- very good care of it,” said the list- “After approval, I would send geting tourists, and in June 2007, the council ing on the Internet site, Craigslist. you the keys and agreement docu- voted 3-2 to reject a plan for one in and about The dream-come-true house ment via FedEx,” he continued. town, even though the Carmel Chamber of was supposedly located at 8040 To close the deal, all Brooks Commerce and the Crossroads Shopping Carmel Valley Road, the website needed to do was send $1,300, plus Village would pay for it. said. a $500 security deposit, to the land- With those proposals, people were con- “I drove out to the house, and it lord. cerned the buses would take people out of was not the one pictured in the ad,” Brooks was livid after discover- Carmel rather than bring them in. said Sheryl Brooks, who responded ing the scam. MST administrator Hunter Harvath dis- to the Internet listing by email, but “Let’s hope this creep can be cussed the proposed city-only route, which quickly realized the rental didn’t stopped,” she wrote. “It really makes would incorporate MST bus stops and exist. This MST trolley will carry tourists, residents and workers According to Brooks, a “land- See SCAM page 10A around Carmel for free next summer. See TROLLEY page 10A 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 September 19, 2008 Burghardt gets his $60K contract for ‘economic revitalization’ By MARY BROWNFIELD 1 last Tuesday. During two prior meetings, the council debat- “Even though we recognize that marketing can go hand in ed renewing Burghardt’s $60,000 contract. It contemplated hand with economic revitalization, we felt it would be clear- MONTEREY ADVERTISING executive Jeff his accomplishments and goals, and the potential overlap er to eliminate projects that were already incorporated in the Burghardt’s job as “economic revitalization manager” is between his jobs as ER manager and as the city’s marketer Anda Burghardt marketing contract,” Guillen reported to the intact until next summer, the Carmel City Council decided 4- and publicist, for which his firm, Anda Burghardt, receives council Sept. 9. $128,750 per year. According to his “scope of services,” Burghardt, who will City administrator Rich Guillen said the third version of spend a minimum 10 hours weekly on his ER manager tasks, Burghardt’s work plan focuses on a few tasks slated for com- will develop an economic revitalization plan detailing how to pletion in 2008/2009. attract and retain quality businesses. He pledged to research demographics and analyze market Carrigg’s trends, develop goals and objectives, and create a timeline OF CARMEL and budget for implementing them. He will also create a “market profile” highlighting oppor- tunities, trends and pertinent information about Carmel in khaki’s .