Dear Readers,

The county’s successful vaccination program was expanded to include teenagers this week, and the turnout shows that they’re already responding in impressive numbers. So much vaccine has been administered here, the number of new cases is one of the lowest in the state. Kelly Nix reports.

Jimmy Panetta was back at the U.S.-Mexico border last weekend, and what he saw was sobering — not only at a crowded holding facility for immigrants, but along the Rio Grande, as well. Kelly Nix has that one, too.

A downtown street was closed for several hours Saturday after a driver told police he had fentanyl in his vehicle, triggering a full hazmat response. Mary Schley reports.

Big Sur residents and the coastal commission have competing visions for a trail to run the length of the county ... competing, as in, they completely disagree. A brand-new version of the Pebble Beach Co’s. par-3 golf course, now called The Hay, opened under sparkling skies on Thursday — and Neal Hotelling’s column this week is about the history of the just-for-fun course. A Monaco billionaire’s plan for a new building at Dolores and Fifth will have its own special hearing in front of the planning commission. The World War I arch on Ocean Avenue will get some protection from passing cars (which have tended to crash into it). A whole new set of rules are under consideration for the special events that take place every year in Carmel’s streets and parks. Some neighbors are worried that a new generator at the Monterey Bay Aquarium will disturb seals at nearby Hopkins Marine Station. Impromptu hot tubs at a popular backcountry camping spot will be no longer be allowed, the U.S. Forest Service says. The city is considering a survey to find out what people think about the future of parklets. Pacific Grove will get a new trail along the coast near the lighthouse. Carmel Valley resident Beverly Cleary, who died April 12 at the age of 104, left behind a remarkable legacy of children’s literature. A downtown hotel’s long overdue (and long considered) remodeling project has been approved. A pair of carport skylights that were installed without permits will have to be removed. A new app is available to see how rising sea levels could affect low-lying parts of the Monterey Bay shoreline. Sober Grad Night is back on, much to the delight of graduating high school seniors. Elaine Hesser runs down the history of writer Mary Austin’s coverage in the early days of The Pine Cone. And my editorial says you can tell a lot about the public’s attitude toward the pandemic by finding out how hard it’s going to be to rent a car this summer.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

To return to the download page for the April 16, 2021, edition, please click here.