CRA News February 2002

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

CANDIDATES' NIGHT

A surprised and happy Frankie Laney displays the lovely watercolor by Margaret Roberts, awarded to her when she was named 2001 Citizen of the Year.

As he built up the suspense, Master of Ceremonies Howard Skidmore said, "Our Citizen of the Year for 2001 is honored today because that person has an exceptional amount of two qualities that make an individual worthy of this treasured recognition. Our honoree has a big heart. It is expressed in many hours of organized voluntary effort to advance the vital causes and projects which make this area an exceptional place to live. Much time is devoted to those less favored who need help. And, our honoree has the intelligence and organizational skills necessary for a leadership role in achieving important civic goals. As we all know, committees and commissions can be inert bodies without a spark. Our honoree has been and is a motivating force in these conclaves." As he started through the long list of activities the nominee had participated in, the audience began to suspect that he was talking about Frankie Laney --

• Carmel Community and Cultural Commission, chairperson
• Design Traditions Steering Committee
• An accomplished artist and a Carmel Art Association board member and officer
• Carmel Residents Association board member and chairperson of the Issues Committee
• Project St. Bernard board member and zone chairperson, and
• Volunteer in all manner of humanitarian activities, from ringing the Salvation Army bell, working at the Yellow Brick Road to providing food and gifts for a migrant family at Christmas.

According to Skidmore, two nominators said that Frankie works behind the scenes without calling attention to herself and "through selfless effort and involvement in many activities has enriched the lives of the citizenry of Carmel."

He pointed out that Frankie's "several years of prior experience as the head of a building committee for a large conference center at Lake Tahoe was particularly helpful in Community and Cultural Commission activities related to the Sunset Center renovation. As a member of the Commission, she worked hard to see that the Scout House and the Forest Theater developed a master plan that would protect them as an important part of Carmel history."

While on the Cultural Commission, Frankie was instrumental in getting the Committee on Art in Public Places up and running. She also helped with the outdoor art fair the city put on annually at Sunset Center and one year entered a watercolor in the competition. To her surprise, she won first place.

On the Design Traditions Steering Committee, Skidmore said Laney "worked effectively to help create a town plan favoring both residents and businesses without hurting the small village atmosphere. She loves this town and has great joy in living here" Rendered speechless by the announcement, Frankie later said she was sorry she didn't tell the audience that "I'm just a girl who can't say no." Now, if only she had some time to paint!

The day's events were expertly managed by Jean Southern and co-chair Laurel Whorf. Guests were greeted as they arrived with beautiful Jalisco harp music by Frank Faulkner of Mariachi Mixtlan fame. Delicious hors d'oeuvres catered by Gwen Romano were enjoyed by all as was the cake from CRA member Magdy Ibrahim's Patisserie Boissiere. Those who helped to make the day a success were Nanette Lee Fisher, Carolyn Hardy, Linda McFreely, Merrill Leslie, Trudi McEwen, Frank Wasko, Diane Flanders, Mary Condry, Barbara Livingston, Larry Southern, Lisa Budlong, Kay Kuffner, Nina Bayer, Shirley Humann, Monte Miller, Larry Rodocker, Sally Williams, Lalorie Chung, Carol Hilburn, Helen Dietz, Mellanie Moran, Judith Wasko, Roberta Miller, Peggy Purchase, Suzanne Paboojian, Richard Peterson and Lou Ungaretti. Roger Fremier chaired the Selection Committee.

At the beginning of the program, President Monte Miller recognized Clayton Anderson as the founder of the Citizen of the Year Celebration in the fall of 1988.

With two major elections on the horizon, it is important to be sure you are registered to vote. If you recently moved and have not re-registered, you must do so. The March 5 Primary Election includes candidates for Congress, state offices such as governor and lieutenant governor and for State Assembly and State Senate. The deadline for registering for this election is Feb. 19.

The April 9 Carmel-by-the-Sea Municipal Election includes two candidates, Barbara Livingston and Sue McCloud, running for mayor, and four candidates, Paula Hazdovac, Gerard Rose, Ken White and Jim Wright, running for two positions on the City Council. March 25 is the registration deadline for this election.

If you have moved into Carmel-by-the-Sea, even if from just outside the city limits, you must re-register to vote in this election. The Monterey County Election Department has a very helpful web site, including on-line registration. The address is: http://bob.tmx.com/monterey/index.htm, or you can pick up a voter registration card at Carmel-by-the-Sea City Hall, Monte Verde Street between Ocean and 7th.

President's Message
Let's set the record straight

by Monte Miller

Once more at election time, as in recent years, Carmel's weekly newspaper and a few individuals with dubious intent have tried to divert the public's attention from the real community interests and issues. They do this by trying to shift the focus on to the Carmel Residents Association.

These tired attempts at divisiveness, intended to muddy the campaign waters, are harmful to our community and could turn individuals away from political participation. Good people may disagree on issues, but it is not necessary to be disagreeable. The sad ritual has begun again, with disparaging comments in a Pine Cone editorial about positions the CRA has allegedly taken over the past year. Regrettably, there are several errors of fact.

• The residents association did not adopt a policy of not endorsing candidates "a few weeks ago." Rather, the decision was made in June, after discussions over several months. Our members, including both residents and those in the business community, are well equipped to make up their own minds as to which candidates to support. The CRA is a diverse group with many points of view.
  
  
• Rather than proclaim support of candidates, the CRA feels it provides a more valuable service to its members--and other citizens who may choose to listen--by identifying issues of general concern. We discuss these issues in our monthly CRA News and present our views at such meetings as those of City Council and the Planning Commission.
  
  
• The Carmel Residents Association could never claim to speak for all residents. No more could the Carmel Business Association claim to speak for every Carmel business--only its members. Those CRA board members who speak at public meetings are careful to say they represent the views of the CRA board. It is significant, however, that in a recent poll of CRA members, they resoundingly supported board positions.
  
  
• Unlike what the Pine Cone implies, the CRA does not hold that 50 years of age creates an historic structure, nor would it support anyone who made that claim. It is a simplistic and unrealistic view.

The following are among the issues in which our members are vitally interested --

• Preservation of our city parks
• Preservation of Carmel's historic character, both residential and commercial
• Preservation of our urban forest and beautification of our streets, including traffic calming

As president, I am very proud of the ways in which CRA serves the interests of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Our monthly Beach Cleanup is in its eleventh year, providing over 7,700 hours of volunteer effort, which the city values at over $100,000. In addition, our money-raising efforts have produced gifts to the city of over $54,000 for such necessities as special equipment for the fire and police departments and books for the library. Our "Dines Out" program supports local restaurants and we award Certificates of Appreciation to worthy businesses. Our annual Citizen of the Year Celebration honors a worthy participant in local civic life.

The CRA's monthly meetings with speakers on timely topics--the police chief and city administrator shared the platform at the last meeting--are open to the public. This is a cordial invitation to all to watch for an announcement and to attend if interested.

The CRA will, as in the past, sponsor an impartial Candidates' Forum on Thursday, February 28. A representative of the League of Women Voters will chair the event, assuring impartiality. (See details above .)

• Working with other community groups and other city departments.
• Paying attention to traffic and pedestrian safety. He has acquired a "stealth radar" to help assess traffic speed on individual streets.
• Hiring appropriate people who understand community policing.
• Working with Neighborhood Watch. There is a problem with so many seasonal occupants.
• Having officers on foot patrol. Rawson has been walking the business district every Friday with City Administrator Rich Guillen.
• Instituting a bicycle patrol. (One local bank employee was so surprised to see a bicycle-riding policeman that he called the department to verify that the officer was not an imposter!)
• Emphasizing volunteerism, which will involve a citizens' patrol program, continuation of the Citizen Academy and a possible chaplain program to help people in times of crisis. The Chief is initiating a K-9 program with a German Shepherd named Dax, who could help track lost children or elderly adults who wander away. And, he also feels that an enhanced animal control program would be an asset to our community.

Beach Cleanup

Saturday, February 23
10 a.m. - noon

* Volunteers meet at foot of Ocean Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and pastries served courtesy of Caffe Cardinale and Carmel Bakery

Three CRA members named "Unsung Heroes"

CRA members Cavan Hardy, Vi Fox and Kay Prine were honored by the City Council as "Unsung Heroes" at its Feb. 5 meeting. CRA President Monte Miller also presented the women honorees with flowers and candy for Cavan.

According to the certificate, Kay Prine is a "walking/talking history book of Carmel-by-the-Sea and was the originator of the Carmel-by-the-Sea walking tour." Kay also volunteered for years at the Local History Department of the library and did extensive research of Carmel history on a microfilm reader, looking through old issues of the Pine Cone.

Cavan Hardy "was a cochair of the Carmel Residents Association mail delivery program, and extended the scope of his services to include visiting with the house-bound-helping one person with bookkeeping, buying and preparing meals for another, arranging for the longtime care of a widow by locating her relatives and driving her to them in Southern California. One woman confided to him, 'You are the only friend I have.' "

Vi Fox "is always the first to raise a hand to volunteer for any task, whether cleaning up after the City's birthday party at Devendorf Park, or taking blood pressure readings at the Red Cross and Carmel Foundation." She also helps at book sales at her church and works at the poll on election day.

We are all extremely proud of these outstanding individuals!

OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright

Charles Sumner Greene and His Studio

When Charles Sumner Greene moved with his family from Pasadena to Carmel in 1916, he effectively ended his relationship with the architectural firm of Greene and Greene, which he had founded with his brother, Henry Mather Greene. The firm had become one of the most distinguished practitioners of the Arts and Crafts style in the United States, limited almost entirely to domestic architecture. The firm's most renowned project, the D.G. Gamble house in Pasadena, was called "the ultimate bungalow." In the firm, Charles was the designer, not only of houses but also of gardens, outbuildings, furniture, rugs, windows, lighting fixtures and even the covers of books. The materials for the houses which he designed were expensive, and the houses were for the very wealthy. It became increasingly difficult to find clients who could afford these works of art.

Charles (1868-1957) and his brother (1870-1954) were educated at the Manual Training School of Washington University, in St. Louis, and in the architectural program at MIT. Charles became interested in the Arts and Crafts movement in Boston. Briefly, the movement opposed the standardized, mechanized products of the Industrial Revolution "Grandrapidization" in favor of natural materials treated with respect for their natural qualities. The brothers moved from Boston to Pasadena in 1893; on the way they visited the World's Colombian Exposition in Chicago where they saw the "Ho-o-den" pavilion of the Japanese government, three half-size Japanese temples. This experience, and others with Japanese art, were to have a profound influence on Charles' style.

In addition to the fact that his firm was not receiving commissions, Charles had become increasingly disenchanted with what he perceived to be the materialism of Pasadena, and told a friend that he "was prostituting his art." When he arrived in Carmel, he found a more congenial company: Robinson Jeffers, the architects John Galen Howard and Louis Christian Mullgast, the socialist Lincoln Steffens and the artists William Ritschel, Mary DeNeale Morgan, Armin Hansen and many others.

Charles became involved in Carmel civic life, designing the World War I Memorial (1921) on Ocean Avenue and becoming a member of the Planning Commission in 1922. In 1918 he met D.L. James, a wealthy businessman, and received a commission to design one last spectacular house, "Seaward," in Carmel Highlands. From the wooden structures of his previous homes, Charles turned to stone and built a sort of ruined castle or English manse on a spectacular site overlooking the Pacific. Of native granite and sandstone, there are no straight lines in the construction. The roof lines are uneven and imperfectly joined together. Chimneys arise leaning at various angles.

In contrast to this monumental work of art, Charles' own studio (1923), located on Lincoln between 13th Avenue and Santa Lucia, is a small, perfect work. With uncharacteristic frugality--he was paying for it himself--the studio is built of used brick from a demolished Pacific Grove hotel, lumber‚ teakwood and oak, donated by a San Francisco firm. The roof tiles and marble scraps were leftovers from the James project. The grout was partly removed from the brick to provide material for the front wall of the studio, which becomes the front fence of the property. The brick was set in a modified Flemish cross bond, with a dappled effect from the partial removal of the grout. The roof line of the facade is asymmetrical, the south side being longer and lower than the north. The windows are of varying sizes and irregularly placed. Charles did a great deal of the work himself, including carving the design of a tomato vine on the exterior of the teakwood front door. He had become increasingly more spiritual throughout his life. His earlier designs include representations of the four elements, sun, fire, air (smoke and clouds) and water. Before building the studio, Charles had begun very seriously to study Theosophy, which describes an occult and mystical path to self awareness. The tomato vine on the door seems to represent earth and the lowest order in the process of spiritual understanding. When one opens the door and enters the studio, it is to a life of a higher order, represented by carvings of a crab, wave forms and a spiral shell. The studio is thus a representation of a spiritual progress. It is here that Charles studied Theosophy and Buddhism in the company of like-minded people, including a fellow Planning Commissioner.

Like a Japanese temple, the studio with its surrounding pine trees is perfectly sited. Its exterior gives an impression of order and irregularity; in this sense it is finally enigmatic. Given the nature of this small masterpiece, it is with some horror that one learns that the studio was once slated for demolition and escaped from the developer only at the last moment. Now the structure is listed on the Carmel Register of historic places.

A rare opportunity to see Weston photographs

The Harrison Memorial Library Board and Carmel Public Library Foundation are sponsoring Edward Weston A Carmel Legacy from March 16 to 20 in the Local History Room of the library's Park Branch. Over the years, Harrison Memorial Library has received various gifts of Edward Weston photographs from donors who knew of Weston's hope that his work could be viewed locally. This is a wonderful opportunity to see these outstanding prints of one of the world's most preeminent photographers. The exhibit will be open Saturday and Sunday, March 16-17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and weekdays March 18, 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Our Favorite Places

Tita's Cafe -- A great place for locals!

"Tita's Cafe, which serves homestyle Mexican cuisine, is a new favorite lunch place for us," write Barbara and Steve Brooks. "Everyday there is a special. If you don't see it posted, just ask. It is usually a reasonable $6.95. The food is fresh and just right for our tastes, but there is always the salsa for those who want to spice it up. Tita's is in Paseo San Carlos Courtyard across from Wells Fargo Bank in the space formerly occupied by Cafe Gringo. They have dog-friendly patio dining, too, complete with water dish and a biscuit for furry friends. Owners Khaled and Rocio Sellami are especially happy to welcome locals to their cozy restaurant."

Do you want to improve the quality of your life?

"Massage therapy is a good way to start and it has many pluses for your health and well-being.

CRA member Frances Martin is a massage therapist with much experience, working on the Monterey Peninsula at spas, tennis clubs and in private practice. Swedish is her basic technique with special attention to specific problems. There is a 15% discount for CRA members, so call for an appointment in your home. Frances furnishes everything--natural products of aromatherapy or unscented. "Has table--will travel!" You can call Frances at 624-1057.

Remember that your City Council is on T.V.

City Council meetings are taped and re-broadcast
Sundays, 8 a.m. - 12 noon on
KMST Channel 26