Senior Life LIVING NOW IN THE MOST BEAUTIFUL PLACE ON EARTH — A SPECIAL SECTION INSIDE! April 13, 2012 Volume 98 No. 15 On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com April 13-19, 2012 Y OUR S OURCE F OR L OCAL N EWS, ARTS AND O PINION S INCE 1915 Voters pick Burnett, Talmage and Beach by huge margins By MARY SCHLEY MAYORAL CANDIDATE Jason Burnett and council con- tenders Ken Talmage and Victoria Beach were elected with big majorities in Tuesday’s municipal election. The trio will be sworn in at Carmel City Hall April 17 and get to work tackling the budget, as well as finding someone to fill Burnett’s vacant council seat, a week later. The winners were known just a few minutes after polls closed at 8 p.m. when more than 1,100 mail-in ballots — more than two-thirds of the eventual total — were counted in the council chambers. After the initial, but decisive, numbers were announced by city clerk Heidi Burch, Burnett, Talmage and Beach hugged each other and beamed as the sizable crowd cheered. With lots of reporters, fam- ily members, government officials and even political consultants on hand, the election night festivities included balloons and a huge, PHOTOS/PAUL MILLER patriotically decorated sheet cake. (Left) At city hall Tuesday night, Jason Burnett, Ken Talmage and Victoria Beach had a brief but enthusiastic celebration when the first returns showed all three of them clearly headed to victory, while mayoral hopeful Rich Pepe (center) maintained his enthusiasm despite his disappointing showing at the polls. As the returns were coming in, council candidates Bob Profeta and Tom Leverone chatted with former council member Gerard Rose (right photo). Final Election Results PHOTO SHOWS DRUG GANG MEMBER WITH AK-47 For mayor — Jason Burnett 1,159 73.4% n Assault rifle carried on MoCo trail property adjacent to public land in an area Houser would Rich Pepe 398 25.2% only identify as South Monterey County. By KELLY NIX “We knew about drug problems there before,” Houser For city council — Ken Talmage 1,037 65.7% See GUN page 20A A SHOCKING photograph of a suspected drug car- Victoria Beach 1,005 63.6% tel member carrying an assault rifle through South Monterey County backcountry has prompted sheriff’s Tom Leverone 361 22.9% officials to step up enforcement. A home-grown Bob Profeta 356 22.5% The image, snapped automatically by a camera deployed by a property owner to look for wildlife, caught star at PBF&W Percentages based on 1,579 ballots counted the image of a man apparently en route to check a pot field in an undisclosed remote location. By MIKE HALE “A local landowner had trail [cameras] on his proper- When the poll vote had been tabulated and announced, the cele- ty and brought us a picture of a Hispanic male adult with AT AGE 34, Alpana Singh is a Master Sommelier, brations continued at Sunset Center, where several hundred enthusi- an AK-47 or AK-47 clone tucked into his body, where a television show host, an author and a businesswoman astic people gathered in a first-ever post-election party that included some marijuana was being cultivated,” Monterey County about to open Chicago’s most anticipated new restau- all the candidates, along with former Mayor Jean Grace, U.S. Rep. Undersheriff Max Houser told The Pine Cone this week. rant. Sam Farr and other dignitaries. Law enforcement officials, including the Monterey She owes much of her success to a failed job inter- Mayor-elect Burnett addressed the crowd, thanking his supporters County Sheriff’s Office, have long known that Mexican view and a temper tantrum. and contributors, and telling him their work wasn’t through. drug cartels maintain pot gardens in the county. Fresh out of Monterey High School, Singh applied “I have a very good memory, and I’m going to be calling on you But capturing the image of a drug trafficker with a for a server position at wine-centric Montrio Bistro. for help,” he said. semi-automatic assault rifle could be a first. His opponent, Rich Pepe, was conciliatory and predicted Burnett The area where the image was taken is on private See STAR page 13A was going to be a “great mayor.” “That was so nice. It was a huge cross section of people, with a lot Inquiring minds want to know: See ELECTION page 23A Why is Dina Eastwood doing a reality show? After the ballots were By PAUL MILLER counted, the candidates — winners and losers alike — headed to Sunset WHEN WORD leaked out in Holly- Center, where about wood earlier this year that Dina Eastwood 250 people had gath- and her family might be featured in a real- ered in the lobby to ity show on the E! network, you could cheer them on. During almost feel the skepticism and disbelief his remarks to the crowd, around the Monterey Peninsula. Mayor-elect Jason “Why would she do that?” was a ques- Burnett shook the hand tion on many lips. It seemed hard to fath- of his former rival, om that the famously down-to-earth former Richard Pepe, and TV news anchor, who’s been married since thanked him for running 1996 to one of the world’s most celebrated a “respectful, courteous movie stars and is mother and stepmother campaign.” Pepe said to two teenage girls, would even think of he was surprised to lose, but called Burnett a “bril- joining the ranks of people like the liant, brilliant man,” and Kardashians and the cast of “Jersey Shore.” PHOTO/COURTESY E! ENTERTAINMENT, BUNIM/MURRAY PRODUCTIONS predicted he would be a “It started with Overtone,” Dina “great mayor.” Familiar people in an unexpected setting: Frannie, Dina and Morgan Eastwood Eastwood told The Pine Cone during a in a publicity still for their upcoming reality series, “Mrs. Eastwood & Company,” which debuts May 20 at 10 p.m. on the E! channel. See DINA page 20A 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 April 13, 2012 Crews to begin major By Lisa Crawford Watson Sandy Claws project in Big Sur park Ball boy n Bridge to somewhere By KELLY NIX COSMO GREW up in a Carmel art gallery, CONSTRUCTION CREWS in Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park but not much of the aesthetic rubbed off on will begin a long-awaited project next week that includes the him. Instead, he has perfected his lounge act installation of a new bridge officials say will make access to in a wicker chair, his lethargy offset by exu- its campground more accessible to the public. berant bursts of energy any time someone In fall 2008, the California Department of Parks and comes through the door. His enthusiasm Recreation removed two bridges at the popular park and tends to fade quickly unless the guest is a campground after studies indicated they could be under- child. Cosmo loves kids and seems to believe mined by mudslides caused by erosion from three wildfires in summer 2008. it is his job to entertain them while their par- The bridge removals also forced the closure of the camp- ents admire art. ground and a big loss in tourist dollars. But what he’d really rather do is go to the Though a temporary bridge was installed in 2009, the beach. The 10-year-old, parti-colored cocker agency has waited since then for a permanent solution. Next spaniel in buff and white with a few freckles week, armed with a new contractor and access to $4 million is all about the beach ball. for the project, crews will begin the work. “All I have to do is say the word, ‘beach,’ “April 15 is the day they will start moving a lot of dirt,” and Cosmo has a meltdown until he sees the state parks superintendent C.L. Price told The Pine Cone. The project includes relocating the entrance station fur- sand,” says his person, who sneaks out of the ther into the park, which officials say will relieve traffic con- gallery one day a week to take Cosmo to gestion near Highway 1 and make visitor check-in easier. A Carmel Beach. “He really is good once we get new 90-foot-long vehicle bridge to the campground spanning there. His favorite thing is to fetch the ball, the river will be also be constructed. but he’s a bit of a maniac. When he was a The work, expected to be finished by summer 2013, will baby, he had so much energy, he would just also include the installation of two pedestrian bridges at the run big laps around the sand; now he’s all front of the park and another at the back of the park. about going out and back after a ball.” Next week, crews will begin major infrastructure work, That is, until she sits on the sand, and then he after her elderly cocker spaniel, Topper, had died. She including finishing abutments for the bridges — work a pre- vious contractor started before the company had a dispute becomes her watch dog, guarding his most precious had gone down to the beach for the first time without with state officials on how much the work should cost. The possession. him when she came across the cutest cocker she had new bridges should be finished by August. She met Cosmo when he was 10 weeks old, just ever seen.