CRA News March 2006

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

From left, Lucia Dahlstrand, Citizen of the Year Olof Dahlstrand and Carmel Residents Association President Sherry Shollenbarger display the lovely Alicia Meheen watercolor presented to Olof by the CRA. An accomplished artist himself, Citizen of the Year Dahlstrand said that Meheen, a fellow member of the Carmel Art Association, is one of his favorite artists. See below for more about the Citizen of the Year.

A Conversation with the Candidates

Looking Forward

Thurs., April 6, all-day bus trip to Filoli in Woodside. Cost (approx. $50) will include bus transportation, lunch on the grounds, plus a one-hour walking tour through the gardens and one-hour tour of the house. Group will depart at 10 a.m. from Black Bear Diner area. For members only.

Thurs., April 27, monthly meeting featuring Public Safety Director George Rawson and Fire Chief Andrew Miller (Details in April newsletter) - open to the public.

May, date t.b.a. -- Tour of Carmel Mission and Museum led by expert docent and Carmel Residents Association board member Mary Condry. For members only.

Thurs., May 25, Celebrating the Artist Amongst Us to be held at the Carl Cherry Center for the Arts. This is a repeat of the popular event showcasing Carmel Residents Association artists, writers, poets and musicians--a new addition this year.

Future outings planned for members: Stanford's Hopkins Marine Station, Stanford's Cantor Art Museum and Rodin Sculpture Garden, deYoung Museum, a fall wine tour and a special tour of Robinson Jeffers' Tor House.

Illegal fire pits darken the beach and the mood of volunteers

In January, after hauling over 100 pounds of charcoal from an illegal fire pit, beach cleanup volunteers Ali McDaniel, Peggy Purchase, Henry Hinds and Wayne Kelley were steaming, not only from perspiration but from frustration that there are so many illegal fires left for volunteers to clean up.

It's not just a matter of the charcoal darkening the white sand. Many of these fire pits contain nails from burned palettes, broken bottles, beer cans and live coals, all of which are extremely dangerous, especially for barefoot children.

By law, beach fires are only allowed south of 10th Avenue. We know that our police officers have a multitude of duties, but the city needs to address this problem.

Ali McDaniel, who has tackled more fire pits than most, suggests that the city install paid parking in the Del Mar area and use the revenue to hire a beach patrol officer. Residents with stickers on their cars would be able to park free. A dedicated beach officer could be a good-will ambassador, sharing information about the beach and native flora and fauna as well as monitoring fires, reminding people to pick up after themselves and their pets and pointing out that the beach and walkway are tobacco free.

In an August 29 Los Angeles Times article, Niall Ferguson of Wales lamented that "for all our professed love, we simultaneously treat the sea with the utmost contempt ... "

Ferguson's solution for the increasing litter is similar to Carmel's: "So what is to be done? I have agonized about this during all the hours I have spent this summer filling bin bags with other people's rubbish. And I have come to a pleasingly simple conclusion. I am already doing it--as are the volunteers who have joined me ... It is in short, the old story: If you want something done in this world, do it yourself."

So for now, we'll continue to dismantle the remains of illegal beach fires ourselves. But, as McDaniel points out, "We're getting too old to haul all that weight up the hill."

President's Message
A Reminder

by Sherry Shollenbarger

Last month, I wrote about something of value--our village of Carmel-by-the-Sea. Now, I write about something precious, something not only pertaining to Carmel, but to every citizen in the United States of America. I am referring to our greatest privilege--one person, one vote--something so precious that people the world over die for it.

And so it is that in our present political environment, the question of a candidates' forum arose. "Who cares?" "Why bother?" are often-heard sentiments. There appeared to be little interest and some element of skepticism regarding the public's participation. I almost succumbed to this disinterest myself, except for the fact that I was fortunate enough to be reminded that we are responsible, accountable even, for our responses to the particular environment that we find ourselves in now--a lackluster election period.

Our choices appear to be ignoring, succumbing to or changing these sentiments. Thus, I am proud as president of the Carmel Residents Association and with the support of the Board of Directors, to open our general meeting on March 23rd to the candidates and to the public. We will host a "town hall" meeting. You are invited to come with your questions and suggestions. Come with your finest civic demeanor and meet those who are running for office. Learn more about the challengers and the incumbents. These candidates have had the courage to come forth and run for office, and we ask that the public demonstrate their respect for them by asking intelligent and thoughtful questions.

I have had the gift of a "reminder," which I share with you. Here in our small village we can honor the very foundation of our country, our democracy. Let us not succumb to apathy and let us not assume anything about the status of this election year. Bring a friend and participate in the future of Carmel.

Library Lecture - "Happy Birthday, Frank Devendorf!"
Monday, March 20, 2 p.m. in the Library's Park Branch

Preservation Alliance Annual Meeting set for March 15

• Carmel City Council member
• Chairman of the original Traffic and Safety Committee
• Member and chair of the Planning Commission under two different mayors [Murmurs of "Olof" began running through the audience]
• Member of the General Plan Committee

Recycling--Carmel has a problem

Every week as our large recycling bin, overflowing with newspapers, cans, cardboard--everything we can possibly cram into it--is emptied, we smile smugly, thinking that if everyone else in Carmel is doing the same thing the city will easily exceed state requirements. As you will see, however, this might not be the case.

What are the state's recycling requirements?

Assembly Bill 939 was passed in 1989 as a response to an increasing shortage of landfill capacity throughout the state and an upsurge in interest in conserving California's natural resources. It required all cities and counties within the state to reach a 50% waste reduction goal by the year 2000 using 1990 as a base year for waste-generation data with a slight margin added for economic growth. The penalty for non-compliance could be as high as $10,000 per day. In 2004, Carmel's waste reduction was at 50%. However, according to William Merry, general manager of the Monterey Regional Waste Management District (MRWMD), unofficial numbers for the 3rd quarter of 2005 show the city slipping back to 48%.

We are all recycling, so what's the problem?

Merry says the problem is that a great deal of the 1,000 tons of waste which goes into the landfill each year from Peninsula cities is debris from construction and demolition. And, since there is so much remodeling in Carmel, contractors need to recycle. "If I cut one wall out of my house," he pointed out, "all of that debris on a weight basis would be more waste than my family generates in a year."

It is far easier for workers to throw everything into a dumpster and haul it away. MRWMD staff try to recover as much recyclable material as they can but when there is a jumble, say from Mr. Merry's hypothetical wall, of insulation, concrete, wiring, fiberboard, pipes, windows and siding, it is extremely difficult if not impossible to sort.

Can the construction-debris problem be solved?

The county has sent a draft C and D Ordinance (construction and demolition) to all Peninsula cities with the hope that there can be a coordinated approach to limit contractor confusion. "If we can do a little more at the source," Merry suggests, "without making it too onerous on contractors or too expensive for homeowners, we should do a little more."

The ordinance would require that 100% of inert solids, i.e. concrete, fiberglass, steel reinforcing bars, asphalt, plaster and clay, and 50% of the remaining demolition debris be recycled. Without proof of compliance from MRWMD, a Certificate of Occupancy would not be issued. Residential projects with a value under $2,000 and commercial projects under $5,000 would be exempt. City Building Official Tim Meroney says that because the city does not have enough staff to police recycling, this ordinance would be a great help. Mayor Sue McCloud says "the C and D Ordinance is being worked on and we had hoped to bring it to Council as early as March. However, William Merry has asked that the MRWMD review this before it goes forward to ensure that others can use it as well. But it will happen sooner rather than later!"

Does the Carmel Post Office recycle waste paper?

There are signs above blue plastic bins throughout the Post Office asking customers to recycle. But the fate of the metal waste cans next to the sorting areas is less clear. Post Office Supervisor Tony Cortez insists that everything from all of the metal waste cans is recycled along with the contents of the blue bins. But when asked about the logic of the signs only referring to the blue containers, he said he didn't know--that the signs have been there for years. So, to be absolutely sure that the papers you throw out at the Post Office are recycled, we recommend using the blue bins. We would also encourage the Post Office to clarify its signage indicating exactly which containers are for recycling. There should also be a specific container for "wet garbage," i.e., food items, which, if mixed with recycled material, make it unusable.

DID YOU KNOW?

As adorable as that raccoon family is, you can't give them food!

According to City code, "it is unlawful for any person to feed, offer food, or in any manner provide food as sustenance or to encourage domesticity to any non-domesticated animal, including raccoons, deer, beechy ground squirrels, grey squirrels, or pigeons, on private and public property, including any public way, street, or park, within the city limits of the City of Carmel-by-the-Sea .. "

Exceptions to the above are feeding birds on private property or in parklands. However "distributing bird food or large quantities of bread or similar foods intended as bird food on municipal property within the business district, or any sidewalk, pathway, planter box or street within the city limits is prohibited."

You also can feed injured or sick non-domesticated animals to sustain life or ease suffering while waiting for the city's animal control officer to take possession of the animal(s).

OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright

Sydney Jones Yard, Tonalist Painter

Not all of Carmel's earliest residents were Bohemians like George Sterling, the King of Bohemia. Sydney Yard, one of Carmel's earliest painters, was born in Rockford, Illinois, in 1855. He studied in New York City, then in Britain under Sutton Palmer, a distinguished British watercolorist. Yard became a master of English watercolor technique, a very great accomplishment. In 1882 he moved to California and became a business partner of photographer Andrew Putnam Hill, with studios in San Jose and Palo Alto. In 1897 and 1898 he exhibited in the winter exhibitions at the Mark Hopkins Institute of Art in San Francisco, and his watercolors, Coast near Pacific Grove and In the Santa Cruz Mountains, suggest that he was acquainted with the Monterey Bay area before he moved here. Possibly he was drawn by the quality of the muted light. In 1899 he married Fannie M. Estabrook in San Jose.

In 1904 he established the third artist's studio in Carmel after Jane Gallatin Powers and Jessie Short, Yard's student, had established theirs. His studio was located on Lincoln and 7th Avenue, next to the Cypress Inn.

Yard was a plein air watercolorist (he painted outdoors on site), and a tonalist. Tonalism is a type of California Impressionism which uses a color palette of muted colors, all toned to a dominant color--gray or brown. The mood produced is reverie and contemplation. Yard painted seascape and landscapes with great subtlety and restraint.

The Arts and Crafts Club of Carmel, a forerunner of the Carmel Art Association, was founded in 1905. In 1906 Yard was appointed to a committee to raise funds to purchase a club house site.

Yard worked very hard at his money-raising duties. On two occasions he participated in the International Dutch Market, a fundraiser for the Arts and Crafts Club. There were booths with a variety of goods including peanuts, popcorn, flowers and Dutch chocolate, plus donkey rides. All the participants wore costumes of the nation which they represented. In the 1907 Dutch Market, Sydney was part of the marching band, beating a drum; Frank Devendorf played the bass drum; Louis Slevin, postmaster and photographer, the banjo. They and other musicians marched up Main Street, each playing a different tune. On another occasion Sydney was costumed as a Dutch burgher with a long pipe, wooden shoes and pantaloons.

Yard died unexpectedly of heart failure January 1, 1909, at the age of 54. A very great talent, he was much missed.

One of this great painter's landscapes hangs behind the check-out desk, to the right, at the Harrison Memorial Library. It was given to the Library in memory of Sydney and Fanny by their granddaughter, Helen.

An unsolicited but timely comment

We just received an e-mail from Washington, D.C. friends, who visited last week, thanking us and talking about a walk they took on their own to look for birds. Hard to believe this is an unsolicited comment, but it truly is.      Your editor

"One of the more pleasing aspects of Carmel was had by walking the Mission trail, taking the trail up to Flanders, crossing the lawn while taking in views of that handsome building and then continuing out to view the Mission snuggled into the hillside, with waves foaming behind it on the opposite shore. That scene stays with me as a cherished memory."

READABLE READS

Gene McFarland highly recommends Phillip R. Craig's The Vineyard Mysteries. He writes, "If you enjoy Carmel's special wackiness, then come explore Martha's Vineyard--its culture, customs and quirks via this addictive series featuring the rich characterization of one J. W. Jackson--fisherman, Bohemian, sleuth and a darn-good cook who shares his island recipes with the reader. Yum! Before long, you'll feel just like a neighbor and also sense the subtle and fragile elements that make his world and ours, worth the most relentless and vigorous efforts to preserve."

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