Pacific Grove at 5 P.M

IF YOU HAVE TO EXERCISE, MAKE IT FABULOUS HEALTHY THE MAGAZINE VolumeThe 106 No. 04 Carmelwww.carmelpinecone.com Pine ConeJanuary 24-30, 2020 T RUS T ED BY LOCALS AND LOVED BY VISI T ORS SINCE 1 9 1 5 State law changes ‘at risk’ to ‘at promise’ CHP says it caught By KELLY NIX use those two words in 2020 and you’ll be on the other side of a new state law. the projectile guy MONTEREY COUNTY has its share of students Jan. 1 saw the rollout of Assembly Bill 413, legislation who are “at risk” — a term used to describe children who that requires the phrase “at risk” to be replaced in Califor- By MARY SCHLEY are likely to fail at school or run afoul of the law. But dare nia’s education laws with “at promise.” For example, the law forced state educators to A GMC pickup truck gave investigators their first remove the old term from Education Code section real lead in trying to find the person responsible for shat- Even a lizard can get a 42920 and replace it with the new one: “Pupils in tering the windows of at foster care represent one of the most vulnerable and least 69 vehicles traveling academically at-promise pupil groups enrolled in on highways 101 and 156 massage at the SPCA California schools.” during the past 11 months with “projectiles,” the Cal- ‘Same meaning’ ifornia Highway Patrol an- Confused? According to Los Angeles state As- nounced at a press confer- semblyman Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer, Sr., ence Thursday afternoon. who authored the legislation, “at promise” is sup- Charles Lafferty, 52, was posed to mean the same thing as “at risk” but with- arrested Wednesday on out the “negative terminology and stigma.” nearly two dozen felony “Children can hear the term ‘at-risk’ used in ref- counts for using a slingshot erence to them and can misinterpret and internalize and glass marbles to shatter its meaning,” Jones-Sawyer explained in a Jan. 10 the windows of passing ve- article on his website. “This can have a weighting hicles. He was also found effect rather than uplifting the potential they each in possession of a silenc- have in working toward a brighter future through er, which is a felony, too, persistence in the classroom.” though investigators said Charles Lafferty The Democrat from Southern California has there was no evidence he also said that using “at promise” focuses on a shot at any of the cars. PHOTO/COURTESY SPCA FOR MONTEREY COUNTY “child’s immense potential to succeed in all aspects After spates of attacks that escalated in number over of life,” while the former “comes from a mindset the past few months, including one against a school bus Volunteer Susan Breiden, using a technique called reiki, helps a cat at the SPCA adjust to its surroundings by transferring “energy” to it. The cat may See ‘PROMISE’ page 19A See ARREST page 17A seem skeptical, but such “alternative therapies” are popular with humans. n And it’s not as crazy as it seems PENSION COSTS: JUST HOW BIG A PROBLEM? By CHRIS COUNTS By MARY SCHLEY they would be. “Back in the ’90s when a lot of these benefit pack- THE WORDS “spa treatment” and “massage” have in recent TAXPAYERS ARE on the hook for annual pen- ages were negotiated, they were fairly aggressive in- years been applied to an array of alternative healing practices like sion costs that will rise from $2 million this year to $3 vestment assumptions, and the stock market was earn- reiki, aromatherapy and cranial sacral therapy that have gained million in five years, a consultant told the city council ing double-digit returns,” he said. “Over the last 20 popularity in recent decades, as any spa’s list of offerings can at its Jan. 7 meeting before outlining possible ways to years, there has been sluggish investment growth under confirm. Despite skepticism, some have even been accepted by manage the skyrocketing expenses. 6 percent.” medical professionals. But Nobel Prize-winning economist Bill Sharpe, See COSTS page 13A Now those same practices are making their way into some of who lives in Carmel, says the actual number is much the most unlikely of places, including the SPCA for Monterey higher if more realistic projections for future returns First mention — County, where a bearded lizard can get a relaxing and rejuvenat- on CalPERS’ investments are used. ing session with a volunteer therapist. The consultant’s estimates of current and future At the SPCA, practitioners like Susan Breiden and Lynda pension costs include annual contributions to employ- A model citizen Richardson work as volunteers using their skills to improve the ees’ retirement funds and payments required to cover lives of dogs, cats, horses and other animals in the SPCA’s care. a shortfall in the California Public Employees Retire- from an early age As anyone who has been around such a shelter can attest, life ment System. Because pensions are based on a percentage of what By ELAINE HESSER See MASSAGE page 16A an employee’s salary was, not on how the market does, taxpayers have to make WHEN PINE Cone readers first met Sue Mc- up any shortfall. The Cloud, it was June 2, 1944, and the youngster was mak- worse CalPERS does, ing an appearance in a Four masked men Is the city’s the more cities and coun- fashion show to raise obligation ties in California have to money for the local rob pharmacy pay. Service Wives’ Club. $23 million or Ideally, the state Breathlessly reported $70 million? would have all of the over three pages (be- n Police asking for surveillance footage assets it needs to cov- ginning on page 1), The er monthly retirement Pine Cone’s story said By MARY SCHLEY checks. In reality, its re- “Susan McCloud wore tirement fund is only about 68 percent funded, and the a yellow dress from I. MEN WEARING masks and hoods stormed Central Avenue city’s share of the burden has doubled, from $11.4 mil- Moffett’s.” Pharmacy in Pacific Grove at 5 p.m. last Tuesday, making off with lion seven years ago, to $22.9 million now. The state Although the for- a small amount of cash but no drugs, PGPD spokesman Rory expects the city to pay down those costs over the next mer mayor and CIA Lakind said this week, and police are asking the public for help 30 years. Carmel’s overall pension costs have tripled operative’s modeling catching them. Investigators hope anyone who might have seen since 2015. career hasn’t received or heard anything will contact them. They are also hoping nearby Mike Meyer of NHA Advisors, a financial firm the much attention since, homes and businesses might have captured images of the robbers city has worked with for several years, explained the it was predictable that with security cameras. government ended up in this untenable situation be- her initial moment in Sue McCloud in 2002 Lakind said the four men walked into the pharmacy and start- cause CalPERS returns were robust, at more than 10 the public eye was at a ed yelling at everyone, and one of them jumped over the count- percent, during the 1990s, providing more than enough community fundraiser. er. “They demanded money and drugs,” he said. “They got some money to cover retirement costs. But in the years that Her mother, Gladys, and her father, Walter — a naval followed, the markets declined considerably, putting See MASKED page 17A investment returns far below what the state predicted See McCLOUD page 13A Attention readers: Don’t forget that you can have the complete Carmel Pine Cone delivered every Thursday evening to your tablet, laptop, PC or phone — with no banner ads, popups, click bait or paywalls. We also don’t harvest your data or make you create an account or password. Free subscriptions available at www.carmelpinecone.com. 2A The Carmel Pine Cone January 24, 2020 Sandy Claws By Lisa Crawford Watson Happy girl new EVERY MORNING, when her person comes down the hall, Cali hops off the pillow where arrivals she was curled up for the night and greets her as if sport coats it’s been years. It has. Even though the yellow Lab- rador retriever is 14, she has been jumping up and soft jackets down — unable to contain her morning excitement outerwear — for years. Cali was a long time in coming home. Her per- sweaters son, who grew up with pets, was marrying a man shirts who had three very young children. She believed a puppy would be the perfect complement to the pants family, a pet who could grow up with the kids. Her shoes husband believed they had their hands full and said, “Talk to me in ﬁve years.” & more “Five years to the day, I told my husband we were going to look for a dog,” Cali’s person said. “He was a sport about it and went with me to Ca- sio Farms in Hollister. We came home with 8-week- january old Cali, our California girl.” True to her name, Cali’s favorite place has always clearance been the beach, where she’s spent many hours rac- continues ing in and out of the waves or splashing her way down the shoreline. “It’s been about a year since I took Cali to the @khakisofcarmel on instagram beach,” her person said. “Now that she’s older, I JAMES E. RHEIM, M.D. + JOSEPH R. RHEIM, M.D. don’t want to have to save her.

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