Dear Readers,

People who live in remote parts of Big Sur are pleading with the public utility commission to get them high-speed internet at low cost. But is that practical? Chris Counts reports.

The neighborhood group that sued over lights at the CHS football stadium has dropped its lawsuit and says it will focus on making sure the lights and other improvements at the school aren’t too disruptive. Mary Schley has that one.

To limit the disruptions caused by profanity and bigotry from anonymous participants, the city council will start conducting its online meetings in a more restrictive way. Mary Schley has that story, too.

MPC says its new DEI department was launched not because of actual problems with racism at the school, but because of a “call to action.” Rep. Jimmy Panetta joined most of his colleagues in condemning calls for the destruction of Israel. A Carmel Valley couple whose son died in jail is suing Monterey County and the county jail’s medical provider. Monterey PD arrested five young people for assaulting and robbing a man on Alvarado Street. Carmel PD nabbed a driver for allegedly hitting someone on purpose during a road rage incident. The Big Sur Land Trust paid more than $8 million for a ranch in the mountains above Carmel Valley. A member of the city’s forest and beach commission resigned over his frustration with the public works department. A parking lot in Pacific Grove could be converted into a temporary skateboard park. A controversial update of the Big Sur Land Use Plan is moving slowly toward completion. Carmel will limit new applications for historic preservation tax breaks. All Saints school has a new headmaster. Marina has lost its appeal of a lower court decision on groundwater. Winter’s coming but Caltrans has no timetable for reopening Highway 1 all the way through Big Sur. The high school girls water polo playoffs are underway, and Dennis Taylor says the Stevenson squad is eager for the competition. Neal Hotelling was on board when the Western Flyer returned to Monterey Harbor, and he has the inside story of the ship’s journey from scrap heap to restored icon. Our Healthy Lifestyles special section has details about Montage Health’s new Ohana youth mental health facility, tips for getting a good night’s sleep, and the latest on the local fentanyl crisis. Jerry Gervase recalls the days when annual showings of “The Wizard of Oz” on network television were major national events. And my editorial tries to bring some common platitudes back to reality.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

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