CRA News March 2007

Selected articles from the newsletter of the Carmel Residents Association

The historic Flanders Mansion, seen above, has a new lease on life. See editorial below.

CRA Meeting:
The Wonderful, Exciting World of Jazz

CRA Member Outings

Saturday, March 31, "School Days," U.C. Santa Cruz Double Header: visit the Arboretum, which features the flora of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and our Central Coast in four glorious sites overlooking the bay. Bird life is spectacular! After lunch, we'll mosey over to the Long Marine Lab's Seymour Center, a working marine research center with an aquarium, touching ponds, exhibits and a panorama of Monterey Bay. Form carpools at Vista Lobos at 9 a.m. No charge for Arboretum; Marine Lab is $4. Bring a bag lunch.

Sunday, April 15, Community Day at Stanford University: Imagine Stanford tuition free! Fifty featured activities including music, dance, art, faculty lectures, a health fair and a first-ever shuttle visit to the highly-restricted Jasper Ridge Regional Preserve. Take a docent-led tour and see their state-of-the-art green building. You can browse the bookstore, gaze at the largest collection of Rodin sculpture outside of Europe and then follow student directions to Memorial Church, Hoover Tower and other campus delights. Meet at Vista Lobos at 8:30 a.m. for carpools. The event is free. You can bring your own lunch or buy it on campus.

President's Message
Maintaining the essence of Carmel

by Roberta Miller

As Monte and I walk around town each day, we are very aware that Carmel is a city in which you can step back in time, revel in its history, traditions, life style, streetscapes and natural beauty.

One of the reasons Carmel is so special is that, for years, Planning Commissions and City Councils have created policies and rules to preserve this village. It is our job to be stewards of these long-held tenets, which are institutionalized in our city code. A commitment to uphold these rules will protect Carmel now and in the future.

I'm hoping that this look at policies, and regulations will be helpful to our new residents and a reminder to old timers. Unique (some), quirky (of course), desirable (all).

We choose the fanciful and unconventional. There are no street addresses in Carmel-by-the-Sea. We enjoy giving geographical directions, for example, Torres 7 SW of 10th Avenue. Many choose to give their houses names like Sticks and Stones, Tickety-Boo or Will of the Whisp. Because of our unique addresses, we do not have mail delivery. Long-time residents value their daily trip to the post office for mail and for visiting with fellow Carmelites.

We choose to have a pristine beach. Fires are allowed between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. south of 10th Avenue. Smoking is not allowed anytime. (Our monthly Beach Clean-up volunteers appreciate this one). Alcohol is prohibited after 10 p.m. Dogs can run free on the beach, but must be on a leash on the upper beach pathway. And owners must pick up after their pets and deposit the bags in a trash receptacle. Even an occasional horseback rider can be seen trotting by.

We choose nature's gift. A natural setting, open space, an urban forest with trees, trees, trees. Private landscaping and the public right of way should be designed to blend together in order to preserve significant trees and perpetuate the forest. Native species -- Monterey Pine, Monterey Cypress and Coast Live Oak are encouraged.

We choose uncluttered streetscapes. Plants should be drought tolerant and native, informally arranged. Allowed landscaping in the right of way can include trees, low shrubs, leafy ground cover, plain dirt or pine needles, but no gravel or boulders. Meandering pathways can be made of dirt, decomposed granite or other soil material.

We choose unique fences and walls. They can be constructed of natural wood (grape stakes are encouraged for that higgledy piggledy look), wrought iron or masonry made of mortared natural granite, shale, sandstone. Fence heights are limited to four feet adjacent to a public street and to six feet elsewhere. This is to avoid a "tunnel effect" and allows passersby to enjoy the beauty of our neighborhoods and a village-in-the-forest ambiance.

Trash pick up in the residential district is once a week. Your containers will be taken from their normal place (away from the streetscape), emptied and returned to the original location.

We choose to be in the dark. We fancy our clear view of the night sky without interference from man-made lighting. Our residential outdoor lighting code requires 25-watt light bulbs per fixture. Walkway or landscaping lights are limited to 15 watts. Floodlights are not allowed (e.g. motion detectors) on trees, fences or walls. Holiday lights are permitted from the 15th of November until the 10th of January.

We choose tranquility and peaceful village living. Therefore, home construction in residential areas is only allowed from 8 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Normal neighborhood sounds of power mowers, home workshops, vehicle repairs, etc., are allowed only from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Only electric leaf blowers are allowed.

The late Bob Campbell once remarked that, "the special charm of Carmel-by-the-Sea depends as much upon what it doesn't have as upon what it does have." If we choose to honor our codes and take responsibility for compliance, we will contribute mightily to keeping our identity and remain true to our founders. What an opportunity to do something that is absolutely right.

Tom Parks returns to Cherry Center

Carmel's own Tom Parks is returning to the Carl Cherry Center with a new musical production, Give my regards to Broadway, George M. Cohan. The show is written and performed by Parks as George M Cohan with pianist John Harris as musical director.

The late, great icon of the American musical stage, the playwright, song and dance man and most famous performer of his day will delight audiences with an evening of songs and reminisces.

Parks has written and produced three previous widely-acclaimed shows on the Monterey Peninsula: Something for the Boys; Marlene -- Berlin to Hollywood to Berlin; and Say It with Music -- Songs of the Golden Age of Broadway with John Harris.

The show will run March 23 through April 15, Friday and Saturdays at 7 p.m. and Sundays at 2 and 5 p.m. Call 320-5001 for tickets.

Beach Cleanup

CRA PROFILES
by Kay Ambro

Magdy Ibrahim -- adding charm and ambiance to Carmel

Magdy Francis Ibrahim was born in Cairo, Egypt, where he lived until his late teens. His parents and grandparents were well read and instilled in Magdy, at a young age, a love for books.

"When I was growing up," said Magdy, "I had my own study desk with a glass top and my parents put a large colored map of the United States under the glass. I would study the map and dream of traveling to the United States."

That dream came true for him during his late teen years, when he had the opportunity to visit relatives in Canada and the Los Angeles area. After only two visits he decided that the United States was where he wanted to live.

"I've always felt very comfortable here, from the first time I visited. When I first read about the United States, I knew intellectually that this was the place I wanted to live. I admire the system, the traditions, and the culture."

So in 1980, he packed his bags and headed for Los Angeles, where he stayed for a week with relatives. But like many of us, the smog and traffic got the best of him and he decided to give San Francisco-by-the-Bay a try.

"I always had a vision of the town I wanted to live in. But after three months in San Francisco I knew it still wasn't what I had in mind," he said.

Magdy decided to travel down the coast to the Monterey Peninsula. Things were starting to look much better, but it wasn't until he actually got into Carmel-by-the-Sea that he finally found the quaint village atmosphere he had always envisioned.

After living in Carmel for a year, he discovered that the Monterey Institute of International Studies offered a degree in international policy studies. "I always considered international studies a hobby and was excited to find that they actually offered a degree in that subject," said Magdy.

While working toward that degree, he found gainful employment in the hospitality industry and became the director of catering at the new Monterey Plaza Hotel. This experience was soon to play a big role in his future.

After receiving his B.A. degree in international policy studies, Magdy thought seriously about joining the international diplomatic corps. But realizing the likelihood of having to move from Carmel-by-the-Sea, he decided that it was too great a price to pay, considering the time it took to discover this unique village, which was indeed what he had envisioned so long ago.

One of his favorite places in Carmel was the Pâtisserie Boissiere Restaurant, with its friendly European atmosphere, and he soon became a regular customer. However, a tragic automobile accident took the lives of owners Mr. and Mrs. Boissiere in 1987. Stunned by this turn of events, not only Magdy, but also all of Carmel-by-the-Sea mourned the loss of this wonderful couple and their restaurant, which had become a village institution. Fate was to step in, however, when Magdy Francis Ibrahim took the knowledge he had honed from his experience working in restaurants and the hotel industry and decided to apply it to his own restaurant. He bought the Pâtisserie Boissiere Restaurant and Bakery in May, 1989. Five years ago, he added a business partner, Lynn Wood.

"Since it is a unique operation and a Carmel institution, I have tried to maintain the European living-room experience that the Boissieres instilled, along with the same type of menu. Recipes have been added and subtracted through the years, but always with a sense of the history built from the Boissieres' reputation," he said.

And indeed, he has definitely made the Pâtisserie Boissiere a crown jewel in Carmel-by-the-Sea. "My business partner, Lynn Wood, has taken it to the next level of esthetics, making a patron's visit a 'feast for the senses,' " remarked Magdy.

Since living in the United States, Magdy has traveled to many states including Minnesota, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, Tennessee, and Nevada. "I enjoy the skiing in Nevada, not the gambling," he said, "but I'm always glad to come back to Carmel."

He's certainly living in the perfect spot for his other hobbies, jazz and classical music. What better place to live than the home of the Monterey Jazz Festival and the Carmel Bach Festival? Another favorite pastime is jogging along Scenic Road, which Magdy tries to do a couple times a week. And, of course, as an avid reader, you can often find him at the library.

If you haven't had a chance to eat at Pâtisserie Boissiere, I would highly recommend it. They have an excellent website at: www.patisserieboissiere.com. And be sure to seek out Magdy Ibrahim at the next CRA meeting, for just as his restaurant is warm and charming, he too is a pleasure to meet.

Native Plant Sale

On Saturday, May 12, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Carmel Middle School Habitat, 4830 Carmel Valley Road, a wide selection of native plants will be available from nurseries throughout California. In addition, students will be selling native seed packets, organic flowers and select vegetable starts.

Only cash and checks will be accepted. Be sure to arrive early for the best selection.

Fire Chief explains Insurance issues

In response to a CRA Board question a month earlier, Fire Chief Andrew Miller, at the Feb. 6 City Council meeting, explained about how and when the city would be reevaluated by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), whose rating affects our insurance rates.

Since 1994, the city has been a Class 4 -- a good rating. In 2002, when the Fire Department filled out an ISO outreach questionnaire, no changes were made. A new questionnaire will be submitted soon and, since there have been many changes in Fire Department management, the rating could change.

The city is now contracting with Pacific Grove for fire chief and duty chief services. In previous years, Carmel had its own fire chief and assistant fire chief.

Miller said that ISO used to do field surveys every ten years, but now they only come out if there is a reason.

According to Miller, "Lots of good things have happened recently, including a much more extensive training program." And, a plan is in place to fix the out-of-service fire hydrants.

Not all insurance companies use the ISO rating, Miller explained. "Some pick out pieces of it."

Finally, Chief Miller said that if you have a question about how this will affect your policy, you should call your own insurance company.

A developing management issue
Just as the Carmel Fire Department has settled into a good, workable arrangement with Pacific Grove, which is reflected in high staff morale, it was recently announced that, because of budget shortfalls, Pacific Grove is going to contract with Monterey for fire-management services. This new development, therefore, raises questions about what Carmel will do since Pacific Grove Fire Chief Andrew Miller is serving as our chief also. The City Council plans to discuss this at their March 13 meeting, which is after we go to press. Watch local papers for information.

Library committee is meeting in public

It took a lot of persuasion by two citizens, but the meetings of the ad hoc committee appointed by Mayor Sue McCloud to analyze the recent consultant study on library operations and make recommendations to the City Council will be open to the public. The committee is composed of City Administrator Rich Guillen, City Clerk Heidi Burch, Acting Library Director Janet Cubbage, Library Foundation representatives Carol Nordahl (executive director) and William Tyler, Library Board member Fran Vardamis and David Evans, former Library Board member. The Council agreed that there would be two current Library Board members but Evans was appointed instead.

The group had a preliminary meeting on March 2 and will meet again on Friday, March 16, at 10 a.m. in the conference room at City Hall.

Apparently, ad hoc committees constitute a "gray area." However, in the spirit of all recent open-meeting and sunshine-law legislation, the guiding principle is that the public's business should be done in public. A more rather than less open government is almost always the best alternative.

Friends of Sunset make culture more accessible

Since 1983, the Friends of Sunset Foundation has been providing support for Sunset Center, staffing and managing the Center's refreshment booth and dedicating the proceeds to fund special projects. A new program makes tickets for Sunset events available to low-income seniors. The Friends' board also hopes to include tickets for the visually and hearing impaired and for students from low-income families who show promising ability in the performing arts. Funding for this project comes from special events presented by the Friends in cooperation with Sunset Cultural Center, Inc., the non-profit entity that manages the theater complex.

The Friends' third benefit concert, on May 2, will feature the great singing star of Broadway, film and television, Maureen McGovern. Tiffany of Carmel is donating a Bernardus-catered pre-concert party at their store for patrons who purchase a Golden Circle ticket package, which includes a premium theater seat, admission to the party and a surprise gift from Tiffany. This is an event not to be missed!

The Friends of Sunset Board hopes that CRA members will take special interest in attending this exciting event. Tickets are available at the Sunset box office or online at www.sunsetcenter.org. If you have questions, call 620-2048.

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 and fervent opponent of progress, business and development, he was indeed the one-man band for our city.

Born in Union City, Michigan, in 1870, he early turned to engraving as a trade, but left that for printing in Chicago. For the years 1887 to 1897, he was a real estate agent there. In 1897 he and his wife Bertha, whom he married in 1892, came to San Francisco, where they moved into the Montgomery Block building with artists' studios of a raffish nature. There they became Coppans, Bohemians and friends of George Sterling and other members of the Carmel gang. Perry worked for the San Francisco Examiner, the Post, and in San Jose, for the Sketch. Sometimes he worked with a gun on his desk, so contentious were the politics of the era.

In 1910 Perry and Bertha came to Carmel by stagecoach, escorted by Harry Lafler, a fellow Coppan, who introduced them to Frank Devendorf, who almost immediately sold them two city lots on Carmelo, where they built a house. Perry became involved with the Forest Theater Society and witnessed the performance of David, the first production of the Forest Theater, in which Bertha had a small part. Perry went on to become actor, producer, playwright and general dogsbody for that organization.

Carmel accepted Perry as one of its own almost immediately, so he became an instant Carmelite. He identified himself with the "art element," which was antiprogress, 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 (Ocean Avenue), a cause which he ultimately lost, but he won against the developers who wanted to build a large resort hotel at the foot of Main Street at the beach. In 1922 he was elected to the Carmel Board of Trustees and, because he won the largest number of votes, he became mayor. His 1922 campaign literature read: "Don't vote for Perry Newberry," and went on to explain that if you favored progress, development, larger 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," a framed copy of which hangs above the council dais at City Hall. Similarly, Campbell wrote zoning ordinances which limited the size of the business district and restricted the size of houses in the residential district.

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, he always wore a long black scarf when he appeared in public and his hair was long and flowing.

Perry Newberry died December 8, 1938. The whole town shut down in his memory.

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

Homescapes is honored

For the second year, an award was presented during the Dallas International Gift and Home Accessories Market to Homescapes Carmel for being the best furniture and accessories business in the Western States. In competition with a number of much larger retailers and manufacturers, owners Thompson Lange and his brother, Beau Finklang, received this award not only for the quality and display of their merchandise but also for their community involvement.

SPOTLIGHT ON MEMBERS

Artist Eleen Auvil's Egyptian Show

CRA member, and well-known artist Eleen Auvil was featured in February at a Carmel Art Association show. Influenced by a recent trip to Egypt, she made paper and constructed models of Egyptian barques patterned after traditional papyrus reed boats. According to Eleen, "Because the Nile is the basis of all life in Egypt, boats are the life lines for Egyptians. They have been used since prehistoric times in Egypt to depict the journey of souls accompanied by the gods. The works in this show represent journeys in barques." In addition to the barques, the exhibit included abstract monotype prints, which also carried out the Egyptian barque theme.

A past president of the Board of Directors of the Carmel Art Association, Auvil has degrees in fine arts from the University of Washington and Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Her charming, joyful sculptures and monotypes can be seen at the Art Association, in its front garden and in the Cherry Center sculpture garden recently finished under her guidance.

READABLE READS

Good reading suggestions

The Herald recently ran a story on a campaign sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts -- The Big Read -- with the goal of having more Americans read good books. Monterey County has chosen to emphasize our own John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath.

Other titles suggested by the program are: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury, A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway, The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, My Antonia by Willa Cather, The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett, The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton and Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. Get going, all of you readers!

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