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CRA News November 2002
Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association
Paid parking opponents, from left, Paul
Coss, Mary Anne Carrigg and Dona Seymour-Smith were
drumming up public opposition in front of the Carmel Post Office. A
petition drive initiated by Diane Wolcott and Brenda Morrison,
with help from Mary Anne Carrigg, resulted in 1114 signatures against
paid parking after two days at the Post Office and some signatures collected
at downtown businesses.
Their letter to the Mayor and City Council said in part, "We believe
the large number of signatures demonstrates that prevailing sentiment
is against any paid parking plan. We do appreciate all the hard work
that went into this proposal ... But, again, we ask that an alternative
method of raising the needed funds for the city to function be explored
and the paid parking plan be dropped."
See article below for more about
paid parking.
CRA Meeting -- The Iraqi Situation
Glynn Wood
| Thursday, Nov. 21 -- CRA Meeting | |
| 4:45 p.m. Glynn Wood - The Iraqi
Situation Vista Lobos Meeting Room, Torres between 3rd & 4th Following the meeting, delicious hot and cold hors d'oeuvres |
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The Iraqi Situation - What lies ahead?
Remember the standing-room-only talk on Afghanistan given a year ago by Monterey Institute of International Studies Professor Glynn Wood? We are fortunate that he has agreed to return for our Nov. 21 meeting, this time to focus on The Iraqi Situation. "The title is broad," he explained, "because things are developing quickly and might be very different by the date of the meeting."
Dr. Wood served with the U.S. Information Agency for five years, with postings to Lebanon, Afghanistan and India. In Beirut he was a State Department officer in the embassy, working on cultural exchanges among other things. He has continued to closely follow events in the Middle East since that time.
Our speaker received a BA from Louisiana State University, an MA from Stanford University and a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He served as Academic Dean and Provost of the Monterey Institute for seventeen years. Previously, Prof. Wood held a faculty appointment at the American University, Washington, D.C., where he also was Dean of the School of Government and Public Administration. While in Washington, he served as South Asia Chairman at the State Department's Foreign Policy Service Institute. Glynn Wood writes and lectures on American foreign policy, South Asian politics and the Middle East.
There was universal agreement, however, that the city staff member, Greg D'Ambrosio, assigned the development of this plan, had done a thorough and professional job in preparing the material and presenting it to the community.
Mary Ann Carrigg, who owns three stores and two residences in Carmel said this: "Many customers said they won't come back if we have paid parking. I am extremely concerned and never would have opened my stores had I known. It will kill us." Window-washing service owner Greg Cole told the council that it would cost him an additional $200 to $300 per month for employee parking and "that, on top of a 100% increase in workers' comp, is asking a lot." Business owner Don Wiese felt that "The parking shortage is overblown. This isn't San Francisco or New York. You can always find a place." Jim Genone was concerned about the walking traffic being disrupted by the pay station in front of his business during the parking demonstration and afraid the stations would adversely impact people coming into stores and buying.
Resident Carla Ramsey stated that having employee-only parking in front of her house would lower her property value. Although employees already park on the streets which would be marked "employee only," the new plan would prevent residents from parking in front of their own homes until after 6 p.m. Allan Paterson pointed out that Carmel "would be an island of paid parking in a sea of free parking at Carmel Rancho, the Barnyard and the Del Monte Shopping Center." Peggy Purchase stated, "Although I am familiar with this type of parking in European cities, I do not see it in a village like Carmel."
A visitor to Carmel approached the mike saying, "Carmel is unique in the entire world and its uniqueness comes from a lack of electronics. I was impressed with the presentation but it makes me want to cry. I can always find a parking place. If I lose the feeling I have when I come here, I'm not going to come back."
When it came time for the council to weigh in, Dick Ely said, "We have to be able to sell this to residents of Carmel. They have to be convinced there are no better alternatives." Paula Hazdovac scolded the audience for not "coming up with solutions," and was unhappy about the negative comments. She sees this as "not about a revenue source," but rather a method to keep employee cars off the streets. "Most business owners are rather selfish. They want to park where they want." Gerard Rose said, "The people I talk to are universally negative. Forcing people to pay for parking will hurt business." Saying he favors a parking garage, Rose also questioned how Carmel's elderly who have trouble with credit cards at the Shell station pumps would fare with the parking pay stations. Barbara Livingston was concerned that "we are giving the public the impression that there are no other means of raising revenue" (i.e. raising the Transient Occupancy Tax). She pointed out that "No marketing money can bring back lost ambiance. It's what Carmel doesn't have that sets us apart. We shouldn't ruin Carmel by cluttering the streets." Finally, Mayor Sue McCloud said that with the amount of time spent on this project it is only fair to give it a complete airing.
Two more meetings on the revenue aspects of the program have been scheduled for Thurs., Nov. 14, and Tues., Nov. 19, both at 4 p.m. in City Council chambers.
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When Sophocles wrote in Antigone,
"None love the messenger who brings bad news," he was describing
a basic human instinct which civilized societies strive to keep
under control. Witness the great courtesy extended to each other
by members of Congress who, while disagreeing intensely with
another's viewpoint, refer to the opponent as "my distinguished
colleague." |
Police stepping up prevention of illegal beach fires
We were pleased to hear from Police Chief George Rawson that he has "directed evening shift officers to begin regular ATV patrols of the beach for purposes of providing increased police presence along our beachfront area. During our patrols of the beach we continue to encounter random nighttime parties and illegal beach fires. A check of our activity log reveals that as many as 16 beach fires are extinguished in any one week. Perhaps another resource to assist us in deterring illegal beach fires will be our future Citizens' Volunteer Assistance Program. I am hopeful that we can develop this program to include volunteer assistance in monitoring the beachfront for this type of violation."
President's Message
by Larry Rodocker
How many members of the Carmel Residents
Association really know what kind of organization they have joined?I thought it might be interesting to visit the bylaws of the CRA and see the express purposes of our organization. In paragraph 3 of the bylaws, they are listed as follows:
"The association shall not be operated for profit or for the purpose of financial benefit to any member, director or any other person or entity. The preamble to the land use ordinance of the City of Carmel, adopted in 1929, states as follows:
" 'The City of Carmel-by-the-Sea is hereby determined to be primarily, essentially and predominately a residential city wherein business and commerce have been in the past, are now, and are proposed to be in the future subordinated to its residential character; and that said determination is made having in mind the history and the development of said city, its growth and the causes thereof; and also its geographical and topographical aspects, together with its near proximity to the cities of Pacific Grove and Monterey, and the businesses, industries, trades, callings and professions in existence and permissible therein.' "
"The purposes of the association are to foster the policies expressed in the above preamble by promoting and implementing the following:
"a. Maintaining Carmel-by-the-Sea's unique quality of life for all residents.
"b. Promoting resident-oriented businesses that serve the needs of residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
"c. Reducing the impact of tourist-oriented commercial activities on the residential quality of life in Carmel-by-the-Sea.
"d. Developing creative solutions to the problems caused by tourism and excessive or intensive development, both commercial and residential, advancing the common interests of residents, property owners and businesses consistent with Carmel-by-the-Sea's residential character.
"e. Preserving Carmel-by-the-Sea's architectural and village character.
"f. Protecting Carmel-by-the-Sea's environmental and open space resources."
After reading the purposes of the CRA, one can see we are positive toward anything which promotes and implements these six aforementioned purposes. We also support actions by city government or other organizations which are beneficial for our city.
Conversely, we should challenge any actions which have an adverse effect on Carmel. If we don't take clear-cut positions on issues which impact Carmel-by-the-Sea, then we have no reason to complain about the consequences after the fact. It is very important that organizations like CRA are available and active in maintaining checks and balances within Carmel-by-the-Sea. Carrying this one step further: with the diverse backgrounds and professional experience of CRA members, we can be a wonderful resource on which the city government may draw and utilize. I would venture to guess that we have the knowledge and expertise on practically any issue which might confront the city. Just think of the fees we could save by not hiring expensive consultant services, but rather utilizing residents of Carmel-by-the-Sea.
Fire Safety Watch
by Carmel Fire Department Captain Mitch Kastros
Winter will soon be upon us, and
by now we have all inspected our smoke detectors, made sure they are
operating properly and changed their batteries.
Now is also a good time to have our annual chimney inspection and
cleaning, and to have spark arresters installed. If you have a significant
buildup of soot inside your chimney, it is a good idea not to light
the fireplace until the chimney is cleaned. You should be able to
easily see the buildup by shining a flashlight up the flue. "Critters"
can be found in a chimney when there is a fire burning and there is
significant soot accumulation. A critter is a spark that sticks to
the wall of the chimney and continues to burn for several seconds,
possibly setting off more sparks. This is a red flag indicating there
is a significant risk of a chimney fire, and that the chimney should
not be used until it is cleaned. Licensed chimney sweeps can be found
in the Yellow Pages under "Chimney and Fireplace Cleaning and Repairing."
If you like to use portable space heaters at this time of year, check
them now to assure they are working properly, the cords and plugs
are intact and that they automatically shut off if tipped over. Always
have a minimum of three feet of clearance from any combustible items
such as drapes, bedding, clothing and furniture.
This month we observe Thanksgiving and the start of the holiday season,
a favorite time of year for many of us. Since September 11th, 2001,
the fire department has received many, many "thank you's" in ways
too numerous to mention in our allotted space here. The media focus
during the height of those events was directed largely to the emergency
response industry. The loss that day of our brothers, sisters and
fellow citizens made heroes out of all of us, according to the news.
We were the ones supposedly helping everyone heal.
Those of us at this end of the country, thousands of miles away from
Ground Zero, felt we had done nothing to deserve such praise and recognition.
However, the thanks and cheers continued to pour in, and all we hoped
for was that we would live up to the task as our brothers and sisters
did and as those who survived are still doing. We recognize the millions
of citizens, deemed not newsworthy, who have contributed so much to
the healing of this country, and to the healing of the emergency services
community. The events of September 2001 touched just about everyone,
not only a select group or certain individuals directly associated
with the attack.
It is now our turn to say "thank you" to all of you, and to challenge
ourselves to be everything you deserve, should you ever need our services.
Only then will your recognition be truly justified.
A chance to ring the bell and make
a difference
Each year the Salvation Army holds
its "red kettle" Bell-Ringing Campaign from the Monday after Thanksgiving
through Christmas Eve. About 500 volunteers are needed to help staff
twenty-five ringing locations on the Peninsula. Volunteers are already
signing up to ring the bell for two-hour shifts and many will be members
of the Carmel Residents Association. Those members who volunteered
last year will be contacted. New members who would like to assist
the program may sign up at the CRA meeting on November 21.
To sign up early, call the area coordinators for Carmel, CRA members
Don and Susie Carr, at 625-1897. Don Carr has once again
organized the entire campaign, finding area coordinators for all volunteer
locations on the Peninsula and providing them with the detailed material
they need to make the drive a success. This is an extraordinarily
complicated and time-consuming job!
To help recruit bell ringers, local artists have volunteered to create
original art that can be used on posters and bulletins. These materials
are sent to service clubs and about thirty local churches. This year,
Bill Stone, the president of the Carmel Art Association, prepared
the poster art, seen on this page, that will be used for this holiday
season's campaign. The last two years' art was prepared by CRA members
Stan Spohn and Frankie Laney and the art for 1999 was
done by popular local artist Bill Bates.
Annual Tree Lighting December 6
The city's annual tree lighting festivities
will be held Friday, Dec. 6. at Devendorf Park. Children's games will
begin at 4 p.m. and the program begins at 5 p.m. There will be music,
Santa, cookies and hot cider from the Red Cross. Immediately following
the ceremony, Carmel Plaza will hold its annual open house.
The median lights on Ocean Ave. will be strung on Monday, Dec. 2,
at 7 a.m. and removed on Monday, January 6. If you are interested
in joining early-rising CBA and CRA members in this fun task, please
call CRA President Larry Rodocker at 626-4179.
Beach Cleanup
Saturday, Nov. 23
10 a.m. - noon
(3rd Sat. because of Thanksgiving)
* Volunteers meet at
foot of Ocean Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and pastries served courtesy of Caffe Cardinale and
Carmel Bakery
11 Years and 8,193 Hours of Community
Service
(Cleaning Carmel Beach)
So read the sign carried in the city's
Halloween parade by the CRA precision drill team. Once again, they
captivated the parade viewers with their now well-known chant: In
this town of pride and beauty, to clean the beach is our first duty.
Join us in our monthly quest. And keep our beach the very best!
Mary Condry was the drill sergeant who made sure everyone stayed
in step and chanted.
Following the parade a delicious barbecue lunch in Devendorf Park,
in honor of the city's 86th birthday, was enjoyed by all.
Kerby-Miller house
officially declared historic
"I don't know that there
are any benefits, but in my heart it feels good," says CRA member John
Kerby-Miller, whose request for official historic designation for
his Carmel residence was approved by the Planning Commission on July 10.
"Carmel is 'one of a kind,' " says John, "We need to preserve its 'good
structures.' Since I came here for summers starting in 1931, I have had
a motivation to keep some of it 'the way it was.' I think my descendants
will appreciate a historic house and Carmel's preservation."
Known as the Norman Reynolds House, the residence of John and Bonnie
Kerby-Miller is located on the northwest corner of Lincoln and Eleventh
Avenue. One story with lapped redwood siding, it was designed by Carmel
architects Wallace Neff and Robert Stanton and constructed
in 1937. This is one of two utilitarian houses designed and built by Neff
and Stanton for sale. Both remain intact today. Their defining features
include symmetrical windows and an inverted trapezoidal chimney. The house
qualified under several criteria for historic designation including: Association
with an important person, architectural distinction, notable construction
and architectural innovation. A staff report by City Planner Chip Rehrig
concludes, "Accordingly, the Norman Reynolds House embodies the distinctive
characteristics of a unique form of housing and association with Robert
Stanton, whose work is distinguished in the field of architecture on the
Monterey Peninsula."
A note from Mayor Sue McCloud thanking John for taking his action
ended, "It sets a wonderful example for the community!"
OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright
Perry Newberry: our one-man band
On
Sir-Cuss Day, in 1923, Perry Newberry was featured as the one-man band,
playing among other things a variety of horns, buckets and saws. As artist,
playwright, musician, dancer, actor, producer, director, designer and
carpenter of Carmel cottages, author of children's stories and mysteries,
city trustee, mayor, editor and co-publisher of the Carmel Pine Cone,
he was indeed a one-man band for Carmel.
Born in Union City, Michigan, in 1870, he early turned to engraving as
a trade, but left that to turn to printing in Chicago, and for the years
1887 to 1897 he was a real estate agent in Chicago. In 1897, he and his
wife Bertha (Buttsky) came to San Francisco, where Perry worked for the
San Francisco Examiner and the Post. He also worked for
the San Jose Sketch, sometimes with a gun on his desk, so contentious
were the politics of that era.
Perry and Bertha came to Carmel in 1910 by stage coach, and Perry almost
immediately became involved with the Forest Theater Society and witnessed
the sole performance of David, the first production of the Forest
Theater. He went on to become actor, producer, playwright and general
dogsbody for that organization.
Carmel accepted Perry as one of their own almost immediately and he became
an instant Carmelite. He identified himself with the "art element," which
was anti-progress, as opposed to the "business element," which favored
development and progress that would have meant turning Carmel into a carbon
copy of every other small town. He was both an environmentalist and a
conservationist. As such, he opposed the paving of Main Street, a cause
which he ultimately lost, but he won against the developers who wanted
to build a large resort hotel at the foot of Ocean Ave. In 1922 he was
elected to the Carmel Board of Trustees and, because he won the largest
number of votes, became the mayor. His campaign literature proclaimed:
"Don't vote for Perry Newberry," and went on to explain that if you favored
progress, development, large houses or money making, he was not your man.
He soon retired because of the press of business, but in 1927 became the
editor and co-publisher of the Carmel Pine Cone, which served as
a platform for his radical views. He denounced the proposed direct route
from the 17 Mile Drive through the Carmel Gate to San Antonio Street and
Highway 1. In 1929 he again successfully ran for City Trustee, and thus,
mayor, on a similar anti-progress platform. His friend, city attorney
Argyll Campbell, reflected Perry's views in Ordinance 96, which defined
Carmel as primarily "a residential city." Similarly, Campbell wrote zoning
ordinances which limited the size of the business district and restricted
the size of houses in the residential district.
Perry Newberry was not successful with everything he undertook. The houses
which he built for himself and others leaked, and the chimneys did not
draw properly. But, as one owner said, "At least, they didn't fall down."
Because he had been gassed during World War I, his health was not always
the best. In later years, he worked in an old chair, wearing a blue bathrobe
and woolly slippers, with a dish filled with hand-rolled cigarette butts
nearby. Although he despised pretension, when he appeared in public he
always wore a long black scarf and his hair was long and flowing.
He died in December, 1938, much mourned by Carmelites.
Samuel G. Blythe wrote in the Pine Cone, "Perry Newberry was Carmel.
The real Carmel never would have come to its present beauty, character,
atmosphere and unique distinction, intellectual cultural and physical
without his guidance, vision and courage. Now that he is dead, Carmel
will do well to remember and maintain his precepts and practices, his
wisdom and his vision, lest some other inferior kind of a Carmel, as it
surely will, takes the place of the present beloved village--a common
Carmel--a conventional Carmel--a dull, deadly commercial Carmel." (December
9, 1938)
Our Favorite Places
Sierra Club Book Store
In our October issue,
we lamented the closing of Books,
Inc. saying there was only one bookstore remaining in Carmel,
Pilgrim's Way.
Vi Fox immediately responded, "There is more than one book store still
in business in Carmel!
"The Sierra Club Book Store, upstairs in the Las Tiendas building,
south side of Ocean Avenue, middle of the block between Dolores and
San Carlos, is open Monday through Saturday, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. They
have a wonderful selection of nature books, especially on species native
to this area. There are also books on great places to hike, both locally
and in other destinations. A best seller is an inexpensive book on day
hikes and bike rides on the Monterey Peninsula. Greeting cards, Christmas
cards and calendars for 2003 are also available. Go up and browse. And,
for a different view, it is also fun to look down on Ocean Avenue."
Vi is a regular volunteer for this unique shop.
The Mischievous Rabbit
Attention all doting grandparents! If you want to find that special
adorable outfit for a birthday, Christmas or a new baby, The Mischievous
Rabbit, west side of Lincoln between Ocean and 7th, is your place.
Owner Sandra Heath has a store full of unique items -- beautiful
handmade dresses, pant and shirt sets for boys. You name it, she stocks
it. Along with the clothing are wonderful gift items, special books,
toys, nursery accessories and collectibles. Just go in for a look. We
promise you will come out smiling.
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
