CRA News May 2006

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

The April 6 Carmel Residents Association outing to the Filoli Estate in Woodside was a great success! The bus trip was relaxing, the lunch delicious and the estate, grounds and flowers spectacular. Above, from left, are Filoli guide Grover Cleveland (actually a descendant of the president), Mary Taylor, Anne Bell, Nancy Collins and Roger Fremier. Photo by Suzanne Arnold.

"Celebrating the Artist Amongst Us"

Art Exhibit • Readings • Music • Refreshments

Summer Activities

CRA Summer Beach Cleanups
Saturday, June 24, July 22 and August 26
Cleanups begin at 10 a.m. at the foot of Ocean Ave.

Fourth of July Community Celebration
CRA will continue its tradition of cooking and serving hot dogs for this event. If you would like to help, please call Gene McFarland at 624-1781.

Twilight Members' Barbecue at Indian Village Thursday, August 24
This is one of CRA's most popular events. Headed again by Susie and Don Carr, it will be another festive evening. A flier with details will be mailed to you in early August.

Have a relaxing summer!

City budget meetings
What are your priorities?

The City Council has begun the annual budget process and will be finalizing its priorities for the 2006-2007 budget. There has been one workshop but you still have the opportunity to let your representatives know what you would like to see prioritized in the next budget. (See editorial below.)

During the recent campaign residents were told to make known their concerns at the budget hearings. All meetings will be held in City Council Chambers at 4:30 p.m. Here is the schedule:

Tuesday, May 23, Special City Council meeting: City Administrator Rich Guillen will present the council with the draft budget and his budget message. The public may speak.

Tuesday, June 13, City Council workshop & public hearing to review/adopt budget

Thursday, June 22, City Council workshop & public hearing to review/adopt budget

President's Message
Heart of the Matter

by Sherry Shollenbarger

"What are your hopes and fears for this community? What is it exactly that lies at the "heart of the matter" for you? Whether you live here as a full-time resident or own a second home, the decisions about to be made by the City Council will have an impact on the quality of the residential, business and aesthetic reality of Carmel-by-the-Sea.

At the "heart of the matter" for me is the integrity and discretion exhibited by the City Council in determining the use of our available funds. As with all systems, balance is crucial. The projected increase in spending for the business community must be balanced with funds available for the infrastructure of the city itself. I include in this not just clean public rest rooms, repaired potholes and reforestation, but care for the richness of our resources and history. I am speaking of the quality of life in Carmel. Whether it is your beloved home, planned for your retirement, or an investment, my hopes are that you remain informed about the ways that you can preserve this unique village; that you value the rich cultural heritage, and that you desire to protect our unique ambiance of sea and forest, as mentioned in the membership letter.

Any fear that I have regarding inevitable change here in Carmel I choose to greet with the knowledge that this organization, the Carmel Residents Association, is a blend of local and away homeowners, of diverse political persuasions and with valuable historical knowledge. This organization creates an environment to share ideas and concerns, and to give back to the community. Our newsletter informs and educates. Any fear that I have of apathy settling in is removed by the awareness that our organization is growing rapidly and is full of heart. And, that is the "heart of the matter" for me!!

May you all enjoy a happy, safe summer.

Carmel Residents Association Board welcomes four new members

DID YOU KNOW?
Stiletto heels are not only awkward but illegal!

Carmel-by-the-Sea is proud of its quirkiness. Among its more unusual ordinances is one that requires a permit to wear shoes with heels which measure more than two inches in height and have less than one square inch of bearing surface. Since part of Carmel-by-the-Sea's charm is its urban forest, walking here may be more difficult than in other settings. As such, the ordinance was passed for liability reasons, but is rarely enforced. Nevertheless, it has become part of the Carmel-by-the-Sea tradition.

The information above can be found in the Municipal Code on the city's web site -- 8.44.020 Permit Required -- and in Carmel-by-the-Sea from A to Z.

• Nine in 10 Californians think the condition of the beaches and ocean is important to their overall quality of life as well as to the state's economy.
  
  
• A large majority of Californians, 85%, feel that coastal pollution is a problem, and 64% of state residents are strongly opposed to opening up our coast to oil drilling.
  
  
• When asked about the California Coastal Commission, only a tiny 10% thought the Commission was too strict. In fact, 44% said it was not strict enough in controlling coastal development, while 27% thought the current controls are about right.
  
  
• 87% of respondents thought that pollution of our beaches and oceans from storm-drain pollution is a problem. [An issue Peninsula cities are now facing.]
  
  
• 74% think that too much growth and development on the coast is a problem.
  
  
• The report says that "Many Californians give negative ratings to ocean conditions along the California coast today," but Northern Californians are more optimistic than our Southern neighbors. And, while all think that over the past two decades conditions have worsened, 25% think the state of the ocean will improve in the next 20 years and 24% think conditions will remain about the same.

• Always keep your front door locked. When you are away, use a dead bolt. Solid-core doors are harder to kick in than hollow ones.
  
  
• Don't open your front door for strangers and make sure that uniformed service people are who they say they are.
  
  
• Keep your front entrance well lit.
  
  
• Always lock your car and keep valuables out of sight.
  
  
• Even small dogs can frighten burglars.
  
  
• Home alarm systems stop burglars -- if they are on.
  
  
• Cell phones are safety measures in cars -- if you don't drive and talk at the same time.

• Use the elevator rather than stairs in buildings which have enclosed, isolated stairwells.
  
  
• Look into the back seat and the floor of your car before getting into it.
  
  
• After returning to your car, lock the doors, especially if you do not intend to leave immediately.

• When returning home, if you think someone is illegally in your house, do not go inside. Instead use your cell phone or a neighbor's phone to call 911.
  
  
• If you are accosted by a robber, stay calm and be cooperative. Most robbers do not harm victims. Try to remember as much as possible about the suspect, the vehicle description, license plate and direction of travel. In some cases, if the suspect asks for your wallet and/or purse, you can comply by tossing it away from you. Chances are the robber will be more interested in your money, giving you the opportunity to run in the other direction. Call 911 as quickly as you can and give the dispatcher as much accurate information as you can.

• Make a detailed list of valuable items in your house including serial numbers and digital photos, if possible, so that in the case of fire or theft, you will be able to remember what was lost.
  
  
• Make photocopies of the front and back of all credit cards, driver's license, etc. in your wallet and keep them in a safe place. Also leave a copy at home and carry a separate copy of your passport when traveling abroad.
  
  
• Consider having only your first initials printed on checks. If your checkbook is stolen, the thief won't be as sure how to sign your name. Don't include any more printed information on the checks than necessary.
  
  
• Instead of signing credit cards on the back, write "Photo ID Required" so your signature is not available to a thief. o When paying your credit card bill, never write more than the last four digits on the "For" line of your check.

OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright

Louis Slevin -- Postmaster and Photographer

Louis Slevin first came to Carmel in 1903 and bought for $325 a lot on Ocean Avenue on a site formerly occupied by Spencer's Stationery. His store was soon built and in 1904 he became the first postmaster and express agent for Carmel. Mail delivery was on the honor system. The mail was simply laid out on the counter and each selected his or her own. The store soon became a focal point for Carmel residents.

In addition to his duties as postmaster, Slevin was also Carmel's first photographer. His collected photographs run into the thousands. His store sold his photographs, made up as souvenir post cards for tourists. The store also sold magazines, artists' materials, fishing tackle, Kodak cameras and photographic supplies, developing and printing equipment, newspapers and innumerable other materials.

His photographs are an invaluable record of Carmel's historical past -- 1903 to 1935. Initially unpaved, dirt roads were the means of getting around; most transportation was by horse. The city was very rural in its character. Slevin's photographs also depict Frank Devendorf, Frank Powers, M.J. Murphy, early Carmel builder, and Gus Englund, first Carmel peace officer. He also took well-composed photos of Carmel Beach, the seashore, the Pine Inn with its guests' tents for overflow, La Playa and threshing in Carmel Valley, among other things. This collection was offered to the Carmel Library, which refused it. It is now housed at the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley.

Slevin also left a written record of his impressions of Carmel in the Carmel Cymbal. In the early days, he tells us, if you wanted rabbit for dinner, you went around the corner from Ocean onto Lincoln and shot a few with your shotgun.

Slevin was conservative politically and, according to him, Carmel was not simply and solely a haven for intellectuals and artists that it is sometimes represented as being. The Carmel Development Company, for example, was delighted when a new store opened and Slevin himself was not happy when there were four-foot gullies on Ocean Avenue. He favored paving. The Development Company wanted the Trolley Car Company to extend the line over the hill to Carmel, which he also favored.

Slevin served as the first city treasurer, running for office with the slogan: "Safe, Sane and Conservative." He was also a member of the Arts and Crafts Club, a forerunner of the Carmel Art Association, and is shown in Dutch costume playing a banjo, in a photograph of the marching band of the Dutch Fair, a fund-raiser for the Arts and Crafts Club.

Slevin married his wife Mabel soon after he came to Carmel in 1903. She died in 1943, shortly after they had moved to San Jose. He died there in November, 1945.

OUR FAVORITE PLACES

Home delivery if you need it

Clayton Anderson writes: "Just a week ago we were able to assist a friend who needed to pick up some drugs and, of course, we were very happy to do this. But it made us start thinking about others who at some point might need some help and we decided to check out the stores in Carmel that deliver.

"Carmel Drug Store (624-3859) has free delivery Monday through Friday. Deliveries are made after 3 p.m.

"Nielsen Brothers' Market (624-6441) also provides home delivery with any purchase of $25 or over. This service is available every day except Wednesday and Sunday. Orders should be placed before noon for that day's delivery.

"Bruno's Market and Deli (624-3821) will deliver orders of $35 or over Monday through Friday. Orders should be called in by noon for delivery after 1 p.m.

"This is another example of why we are so fortunate to have these local resident-serving businesses in Carmel and why we should support them," says Clayton.

SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBERS

Congratulations to Enid Sales on being named Preservationist of the Year by the Alliance of Monterey Area Preservationists. A consultant and preservation advocate, Enid was one of the first women in California to be a licensed building contractor. She is executive director of the Carmel Preservation Foundation and serves on the Monterey County Historic Resources Review Board.

READABLE READS

You'll think you are reading a biography rather than a novel when you read Harriet Doerr's Stones for Ibarra, winner of a National Book Award. Doerr, with her spare writing style, weaves a spell of the beauty and spirit of Mexico as Sara and Richard Everton, who speak no Spanish, more to Ibarra, a remote village on the Mexican Central plateau. The village and its customs seem very strange as Richard resurrects his grandfather's copper mine. After they are told that Richard has only six months to live, the Evertons become more and more integrated into the village, finding such strong support among the people that they ultimately feel this is their world.

Doerr studied in the Stanford writing program under Wallace Stegner and this book is reminiscent of his Angle of Repose (which we also recommend!).

Harriet Doerr graduated from Smith College in 1927, received a B.A. from Stanford twenty years later in 1977 and wrote this first novel at age 68! She is the granddaughter of the late railroad tycoon Henry Huntington of Pasadena.

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