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CRA News Nov. 2006
Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association
 Whatever Jean White and Wayne Kelley were talking about after the October Carmel Residents Association meeting, it must have been hilarious. |
CRA Meeting -- The quirks of Carmel, as seen in those Bill Bates' cartoons
| Thursday, Nov. 16 | |
| 4:45 p.m. Bill Bates Vista Lobos Meeting Room (Torres between 3rd & 4th) |
|
No one has done a better job of capturing the spirit
and essence of Carmel than talented artist, cartoonist and caricaturist
Bill Bates. No matter how often we stand in line at the Post Office, Bates'
cartoons always make us smile.
The Carmel Residents Association's Nov. 16 meeting will feature a lively,
illustrated discussion by Bates on Carmel's history and how he has managed
to capture its quirks in his cartoons. The artist is a former CRA board
member. He was born in Texas, coming in the Sixties to San Francisco's
North Beach where he worked as a book illustrator and free-lance commercial
artist. He started his successful cartooning career with a comic strip,
PING, in the San Francisco Examiner. His cartoons can now
be seen weekly in both the Carmel Pine Cone and the Monterey
County Herald. In addition, Bates has published several volumes of
cartoons as well as books with drawings of people from some 133 countries
sketched during round-the-world cruises where he served as shipboard artist.
Bill and wife Lei Lei are former owners of Bates Carmel Cafe on Mission
between 5th and 6th. These days he can be seen roaming the aisles of Trader
Joe's in Pacific Grove, where he produces the many colorful signs which
grace the store.
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Cheers and Chides With respect
for the Herald's Rants and Raves, from time we will
run our own version -- Cheers and Chides. Cheers -- We
were proud to see Carmel Beach named one of the Seven Wonders
of Monterey County by the Herald! And we appreciated
their mention of the nearly 15-year-old Carmel Residents Association's
Beach Cleanup in the article. A year ago the City Council voted
to ban smoking on Carmel Beach and the beach walkway, an action
which demonstrated that Carmel-by-the-Sea is a forward-looking
city which cares deeply about protecting its unparalleled natural
resources. The signs asking the public to comply with this ordinance
are finally moving through the system. They have been approved
by the Planning Commission, but still need Coastal Commission
approval. A future issue will be addressing the charcoal which
mars the beach. |
President's Message
The Rest of the Story
(See last "Chides" above)
by Roberta Miller
As a Carmel citizen, I feel it is important to
attend monthly City Council meetings to gain a better understanding of
the issues facing our city, to be involved in our political process and
feel the spirit of community that our small town offers.
While reading a newspaper account of the October 3 City Council meeting,
where the council voted 3-2 to demolish the Burde bank building on the
corner of 7th & Dolores, I was struck by what was missing from the article.
For the most part, only the City Council members' views were reported.
In reality, a large group of residents also participated in our community's
democratic process by either speaking or by just being interested listeners
seeking information and providing moral support. The following are excerpts
of what some residents said about the demolition of the Burde bank building
and the historic importance of Barnet Segal to our community. Citizens
standing up to be counted. Citizens wanting to do the right thing.
Olof Dahlstrand -- resident, architect, former City Councilman,
former Planning Commission chair, Carmel Residents Association Citizen
of the Year: "This building is widely recognized in the design profession
as an exceptionally fine piece of architecture and an important element
in not only Carmel's character, but also that of the entire Monterey Peninsula.
Its loss would result in another slip into our becoming more like Anytown
U.S.A."
Ken White -- resident, former mayor, former Planning Commission
chair: "When you talk about demolishing that building you are talking
about demolishing the only example of that type of architecture.
It's not the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 10th style like that. Another question is
what is going to replace it?" Talking about the new design, White went
on to say, "It's starting to border on a theme park design where you have
chunks of buildings with different facades. I'm not sure Carmel is ready
for that."
Elinor Laiolo -- resident, former City Council member, Historic
Resources Board member: "I stand before you today to reiterate the fact
that Barnet Segal was a person of outstanding stature in the history of
Carmel-by-the-Sea. As people walk about the city today, they will find
recognition of his importance at the Barnet Segal house and entry gardens
at the senior housing complex at 5th & Dolores, the Carmel Art Association
and in the reading room at the Harrison Memorial Library."
Anne Bell -- resident, retired realtor, former member of Carmel's
Historic Preservation Committee: "Consider the fact that numerous AIA
architects attested to the uniqueness of the architecture and that Walter
Burde was a distinguished award-winning architect, along with the fact
that three historic preservation professionals also attested to the building's
qualities, even the head of the State Office of Historic Preservation,
Wayne Donaldson, a noted architect in his own right, who viewed the building
as an outstanding example of the Second Phase Bay Area style worth preserving."
Erling Lagerholm -- resident, member of Historic Resources Board:
"What should have more weight in providing guidance for an important vote-the
architectural opinion of laypersons who happen to be City Council members
or the architectural opinion of professionals in the field of architecture?
The answer could be found in the June 9, 2004, submission of the Board
of Directors of the Monterey Chapter of the American Institute of Architects
where they unanimously stated that the building in question was an outstanding
structure designed by an outstanding architect and should be preserved."
Carmel Residents Association Board of Directors (excerpts from
a letter submitted to the City Council): "In our opinion, ample evidence
has been submitted making the case that this building, although under
50 years of age, is well qualified to be a part of the city's Inventory
of Historic Resources. There is a nationwide trend to preserve important
examples of the 'recent past.' One of the often-cited hallmarks of Carmel-by-the-Sea's
unique character is the diversity of its buildings, both in the residential
and the commercial districts."
Even City Administrator Rich Guillen weighed in on this topic:
"It's the citizens who define the community and you have citizens who
appeared here tonight and previously and architects who feel passionate
enough to say this person [Barnet Segal] was significant to this community
... a former mayor and council member appearing, supporting this should
carry some weight in the community ... I think a lot of people showed
up here to basically state that [Segal's importance]; and then you had
the architects who also gathered together to state that and maybe that's
your test in some way."
I urge all of you to join us at City Council meetings and have the opportunity
to judge for yourself what issues are important and relevant to you. From
the above quotes you can see what you might miss by not attending the
council meeting (or viewing it the following Sunday on Ch. 26 at 8 a.m.).
Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "Democracy is not a static thing. It is
an everlasting march." Our organization will continue to participate
in community service and city affairs. We will continue to find avenues
of communication, cooperation and mutual respect.
DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS
Mayor Sue McCloud asked us to correct our statement
in the September CRA News referring
to the June 22, 2006, budget meeting: "The addition of funds for more library
hours was supported by Council members Mike Cunningham, Erik Bethel
and Gerard Rose." She pointed out that at the end of the meeting,
when the entire budget was adopted with the inclusion of $35,000 for library
services, the motion by Councilman Rose was seconded by Council member Paula
Hazdovac and passed unanimously.Our statement referred to discussion about the library earlier in that meeting. We will quote the Pine Cone's July 7 report of this exchange which, we were told, was not disputed by anyone at City Hall:
"After library director Margaret Pelikan recommended opening the children's library for four hours on Saturdays (it's currently closed weekends and Mondays), councilman Mike Cunningham proposed spending $35,000 to staff those hours as well as four hours at the main branch on Sundays.
"Councilmen Erik Bethel and Gerard Rose supported the idea. 'We need to send a message to the community that this is a priority,' Rose said.
"But Mayor Sue McCloud said statistics should determine when the libraries are open, and councilwoman Paula Hazdovac called for a study. 'We're flying blind here,' she said. 'I would really like more concrete information.'
"Guillen said the council should not budget the money until he's studied the matter, which would take at least 30 days. He also complained the library board 'basically said, Take a hike,' two years ago when he suggested the city handle the library's accounting to save it about $16,000 per year. He warned the council against hiring more employees who might later have to be fired if the city discovers it can't afford them.
"But the simple majority decided to dedicate $35,000 to the libraries and let Pelikan and Guillen decide when each branch should be open. Guillen said he would need 90 days to make that determination."
Beach Cleanup
Saturday, Nov. 18
10 a.m. - noon
(3rd Sat. because of Thanksgiving)
* Volunteers meet at foot of Ocean
Avenue
* Please bring gloves
* Coffee and cookies served courtesy of Caffe Cardinale and Safeway
Stores, Carmel
The Scout House -- a large part
of Carmel Residents Association history
Written by Beth Wright for the Carmel Preservation Foundation
and printed with their permission
For nearly 100 years Carmel-by-the-Sea has been
shaped by the presence and influence of resident groups. In April, 2007,
the Carmel Residents Association will celebrate its 20th anniversary,
becoming the longest-lived residents' organization in our village. As
an organization that vigilantly defends the preservation of our architectural
and village character, the natural site selected for its annual community-wide
events was the historic Scout House.
The first Carmel Citizen of the Year Celebration was held at the Scout
House on Feb. 5, 1989. This annual event was soon a celebrated tradition
which continued at the site until the building was closed. It was such
a warm and inviting venue, located in the heart of the village, that the
Carmel Residents Association also chose the facility for its "Leon Panetta
Day." The congressman and future White House chief of staff reported to
the community on the latest developments in our nation's Capitol. The
popular event continued as "U.S. Representative Day" with our dedicated
Congressman Sam Farr, who continues to fight for the protection of our
marine sanctuary and our treasured coastline.
The Scout House ambience was conducive to a one-on-one with our leaders,
asking questions and receiving direct answers. The informal setting with
its hand crafted stone fireplace, warm wood-paneled walls and lofty ceiling
provided for a cordial neighborhood gathering, stimulating discussions-a
vivid reminder of our traditions and heritage.
For these reasons, we must preserve the Scout House for the enjoyment
of the ages -- young and old!
Carmel Fire Department Water
Supply 2006
by Captain Mitch Kastros and Engineer August Beacham,
Carmel Fire Department
Water is the most basic element
used in firefighting. It is fundamental in the control and extinguishment
of almost all fires. The responsibility for supply of water lies with
the local water company, while delivery of the water to the fire is
the fire department's charge.
Water supply can be broken down into many areas, but from a fire department
view, the most important are storage, delivery and hydrants. In addition
to water supply, fire departments are also concerned with fire flow.
This is the amount of water that can be delivered to the fire ground.
The larger the fire, the more fire flow is needed. The two variables
that affect fire flow are the pressure and volume of water delivered
to the hydrant. A drop in either leads to a decrease in fire flow and
less effective fire control efforts. A fire department with an inadequate
water system is essentially worthless.
The Carmel City water system is owned and operated by the California
American Water Company. This water system also serves as the municipal
water supply for Carmel by the Sea. The same water that is used for
residential and commercial buildings in Carmel also doubles as the water
supply for the fire department. Hydrants found throughout the city are
tied directly into the municipal supply, ready to be used for fire operations.
Because of the important nature of water systems and fire hydrants,
fire departments throughout the United States make annual inspections
of fire hydrants. This inspection is basic and involves making sure
the hydrant operates, is clearly marked and not obstructed. A second
and more thorough test occurs on a 5 year cycle, which involves the
flowing of the hydrant and determining fire flow. Most departments conduct
this test on 20% of their hydrants a year so that in a 5 year cycle,
all hydrants are completed. This tests the current capability of the
hydrant and pipes supplying it to deliver water, both in volume (gallons
per minute) and pressure. A significant drop in a hydrant's rated performance
indicates that the pipes feeding that particular hydrant have been compromised
due to being clogged or damaged.
The test involves the use of many gallons of water for each hydrant,
but this water use is necessary in order to assure that each hydrant
is capable of operating properly, and that the water being delivered
to your home or workplace is clean. Before we can turn off a fire hydrant
(connected to your water system) after conducting a flow test, we must
continue to flow the hydrant at a low rate until the water runs clean
enough to drink. If we turn off the hydrant before the water runs clean,
the water will back up into your pipes and you will receive dirty water.
There have been a few times that we have been forced to turn off a hydrant
before the right time, mainly due to intense complaints about the water
flow in the streets or fears of water doing damage to property. If your
water becomes dirty, run your water until it runs clean enough to the
point you would want to drink it.
In order to conduct hydrant flow tests, the fire department needs to
have permission from the water company, based primarily on available
water (i.e. not during a drought). With the exception of special circumstances,
a local water company representative needs to be on hand while fire
department personnel conduct the tests. If there is not sufficient water
to allow hydrant flow testing, this may delay the completion of the
necessary tests within the designated 5 year cycle.
As you may have heard by now, a significant amount of older pipes supplying
Carmel's fire hydrant system are no longer delivering the proper amount
of water in gallons and pressure. What this has required us to do is
throw out the 5 year cycle plan and test flow all of our hydrants this
year. While this is presenting a challenge to the fire department, we
have made the necessary preparations to assure that water supply is
not compromised to the point where we cannot do our job. We have placed
additional hydrant supply fire hoses on our primary-response engine;
plus our neighboring fire departments are prepared to send extra resources
into areas that may be temporarily compromised during the time antiquated
supply pipes are being replaced.
The additional hydrant testing is resulting in a larger impact to the
community. A lot of water is running in the streets, something none
of us likes to see, but at this time, is necessary. In addition, the
streets can become messy and some water may enter private property.
What we do before we flow any water is to make sure to direct the flow
of water in such a way that will minimize the impact. If we do happen
to make a mess on private property we will make every effort to clean
it up to the occupant's satisfaction. Public Works is assisting us in
keeping the streets clean by following up after a flow test within a
reasonable amount of time.
We appreciate your patience and understanding during this project as
we try to maintain the water system for your fire protection.
OLD CARMEL
by Connie Wright
Francis Whitaker, Blacksmith
Francis Whitaker was born in
Boston in 1906. At fifteen he was an apprentice, unpaid, in the
workshop of Samuel Yellin, a very fine architectural blacksmith,
who had learned blacksmithing all over Europe. A blacksmith is a
worker in black metal (iron). Francis said, "The first time I took
a piece of iron from the fire and started to beat on it, I knew
that was what I wanted to do with my life." Again unpaid, he worked
for three years for Julius Schramm, one of the best blacksmiths
in Germany. In 1927 he came to Carmel where he first worked for
M.J. Murphy and was in charge of his blacksmith shop. Murphy laid
Whitaker off during the Depression, but Francis opened his own business
in John Catlin's garage in 1933. That garage contained a small blacksmith
shop which Catlin called the Forge in the Forest. It was located
where Bruno's Market now stands. Francis later moved it to a location
at Junipero and 5th, where a restaurant of that name now stands.
In addition to his craft as a blacksmith, Whitaker became involved
in city and local politics. In 1942 he was among those who stopped
the military from using Point Lobos as a practice target, and with
Senator Fred Farr and others stopped the building of Highway 1 as
a four-lane highway which, on the original plan, came down Junipero
Avenue.
In the meantime, he was a drinking buddy of John Steinbeck and an
accomplished photographer. Whitaker served on various city commissions,
and in 1952 he began serving on the City Council. A reporter from
the Monterey Herald regularly dropped by for City Council
news. He also had other visitors to the forge, such as Jean Arthur
and Margaret Owings. He served on the City Council for a total of
eleven years, but stepped down twice. In 1963 he packed up and left
Carmel, which had become too "stodgy." He was particularly outraged
at a devious action by the other members of the council.
Whitaker then moved to Aspen, Colorado, where he served on the Aspen
City Council, did a lot of skiing and established the Village Forge.
He moved to Carbondale, Colorado, because Aspen had become too upscale.
There he founded the Francis Whitaker Blacksmith School.
At the 1976 meeting of the Artist-Blacksmiths' Association of North
America (blacksmithery's Woodstock), Francis was the star
attraction. Because there were no courses given in the United States
on blacksmithery and the secrets of the art were almost lost, Francis'
European training and his intense devotion to his craft made him
the person to learn from. People followed him during the meeting,
even into the bathroom, trying to pick up information.
Whitaker published three books on the art and craft of blacksmithery,
was the subject of an article in the Smithsonian Magazine,
a profile in the New Yorker and in 1995 he was elected a
fellow of the American Craft Council. In 1997 he received the Living
Treasure Award from the National Endowment for the Arts. He also
received honorary doctoral degrees from the University of Colorado
and the University of Illinois. Francis Whitaker died in Carbondale
in 1999 at the age of 92.
Locally, the work of this famous artisan can be seen at the Harrison
Memorial Library, the Pine Inn, La Playa Hotel, the chapel of the
Santa Catalina School, the Old Custom House, Flanders Mansion, Hugh
Comstock-built homes and in many private houses.
|
Memorial
Service for J.S. "Jim" Holliday
A community memorial service to honor the life of California historian and Carmel Residents Association founder and first president, J.S. "Jim" Holliday, will take place Saturday, December 2, at 4:00 p.m. at All Saints Church, 9th and Dolores, Carmel. Jim's family invites Carmel Residents Association members to attend. |
READABLE READS
Attention Yannis Lavonis fans! Vardamis has a new book!
Vermont Sea Glass by well-known
author and Carmel Residents Association member Frances Diem Vardamis
has just been released. This action-packed fourth book in her popular
Yannis Lavonis detective series confronts many current
issues including international and domestic terrorism, racism and immigration.
This time, however, the scene has switched from Europe to Vermont, where
Police Captain Yannis Lavonis and his family are on a sabbatical from
his work in Athens (in a house supplied by the CIA) and Yannis is helping
out with the local police department.
Your enjoyment will be even greater if you have read Vardamis' previous
books, especially Pity the Children, as there are many references
to prior events and more than a few familiar characters turn up in Vermont.
For a lively read with interesting characters, wonderfully-written descriptions
of Vermont's natural beauty and lots of action, this is a book for you!
We'll leave it to the reader to discover how there could be sea glass
in land-locked Vermont.
Copies of this novel can be obtained at Carmel's only book store, Pilgrim's
Way, on Dolores near Fifth, at Works (formerly Book Works),
in Pacific Grove, or at Borders.
|
"When we lose historic resources,
we lose a part of our collective selves. These touchstones with
our past provide a connectedness and a window into important lessons.
Books will never interpret the past like a walk through a historic
neighborhood or building. Historic tourism is a proven economic
driver. Such visitors are better educated, stay longer, and spend
more money. The historic character of our local communities, each
unique, is a valuable resource we all need to recognize, respect
and share in the responsibility to maintain." |
Rita Coolidge at
benefit for
Friends of Sunset Center
The Friends of Sunset Foundation is presenting two-time Grammy winner Rita Coolidge in its second annual Gala Christmas Benefit Concert, Monday, Dec. 11, 8 p.m., at Sunset Center. Proceeds will fund the Foundation's program for providing tickets to low-income seniors and students who otherwise would not be able to enjoy the cultural enrichment offered at Sunset Center. The concert will open with a selection of Christmas music sung by the choir of the Greater Victory Temple Church in Seaside. Tickets are $57 each and may be purchased from the Sunset Center Box Office, 620-2048, or on-line at www.sunsetcenter.org. A pre-concert cocktail party begins at 6:45. Tickets for this holiday mixer are $20 per person at the box office.
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
