Monterey County Weekly

School of Thought

"A lack of good design is inhibiting learning, which is counterproductive," [Thomas Rettenwender] says. "As an architect, my work can influence educational settings." "We want to pass on that courage and motivation to be innovative," Rettenwender says. "We want to teach by example and ensure our children are learning these sustainable concepts." "Many of our children are learning in substandard buildings, and because they don't know any better, they assume it's good or decent design," says Ee...

Leadership Gap

According to one former city employee, [Heidi Burch] is not well equipped to manage the city. "My opinion of the quality of Heidi's work is not high," says Stephanie Pearce, who worked for four years as administrative coordinator under Burch before retiring in 2008, after 30 years of public service in Carmel. "The morale of city employees has been very low," she says. Sources close to [Jane Miller] believe Burch is identified in Miller's civil lawsuit as "Female B," a beneficiary of [Rich Gui...

Discharging Ag

Before 2004, farmers in California were exempt from meeting water quality standards like those that apply to so-called point-source polluters, like factories. That's when the regional water board issued a conditional waiver for agriculture, requiring the region's some 3,000 growers to monitor and report on water quality. The waiver allows growers to report water quality data collectively, rather than individually as point sources do. "There's no question in our minds that now is the time to m...

Water Bondage

County officials rejected Wedbush's proposal and selected Citicorp, although the Board of Supervisors hasn't seen either proposal, says Supervisor Lou Calcagno. "Just because Citicorp is doing the financial analysis doesn't mean the county is going to approve the plan," he says. "We requested it get the board's approval before any financing package would be accepted. The county is doing everything it can, not only to protect itself but to protect the ratepayers."

Fallout Fears

Potassium iodide ("KI" in chemistry shorthand) is a trending Google phrase, popular now due to its ability to block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine. A Pharmaca associate, who did not want to be identified, addressed waiting customers. "We're out of harm's way," she said. "If you're near a microwave you're probably exposed to a lot more."

Gifts of Life

"He rode that bike everywhere," [Joel Parkins] says, "and always in shorts and flip-flops...could be raining, it didn't matter." Almost 500 people "liked" and commented on a memorial Facebook page created by [Kyle Beardshear]'s 14-year-old sister, Kaitlyn. The page is filled with humorous anecdotes about the 6-foot-2-inch "man-child" famous for his "bear hugs" and the over-sized golf umbrella he carried on rainy days- lightheartedly referred to as his "friend maker." [Kim Beardshear] accepts ...

Carmel's Coming Out

"I was flying to L.A. from Monterey on the Warner jet with Clint and Dina," [Lawrence Roeck] recalls. "Clint said to Dina, Ts he ready for this thing?' Dina told me, 'We're going to hire you for this thing.'" [Rios] went to USC Film School, where John Singleton was his senior advisor-"Tut the black guy with the Mexican,'" Rios says, "he's really a genius"- but admits he did one decent movie and a slew of "crappy" sci-fi films before his "first love" for film was sucked dry. Turbulence accompa...

Music Mends

"It's like someone kicking you in the stomach," [George Young] says. "It was one of the saddest days of our life. You don't bury a kid. It's not supposed to work like that." "[[Shane]] was left with no future," Young says. "We really want to help this lad and put some money into the picture so he can go to college." "I feel very blessed that the musicians here are incredible about rallying together when someone's in need," Young says. "It's the connection we have with each other as musicians ...

Names Game

"For Miles," written with the legendary trumpeter in mind, was inspired by his experience working with Davis in the early '80s on The Man with the Horn. There's also the innovative "Clarita"-written for [Barry Finnerty]'s longtime love-an eight-minute synthesis of Weather Report-style fusion, sugary Latin jazz and Manhattan Transfer a capella; a fluttering of effects-laden vocals gives way intermittently to tightly wound, heavy jams fueled by crunchy guitar arpeggios in the spirit of Pat Meth...

Dirty Redux

"We've done the DJ thing for a minute," says new Blue Fin promoter July Barredo. "Now the place's been remodeled to better accommodate music, and we're looking to bring in local bands and try to do more live music." He cites upcoming shows with a local band named Our Hearts Alive, hip-hoppers Binary Star from the Bay Area, and nationally touring funk-hip-hop fusion group Opio. "We're good to go," says Barredo, who got his foot in the musicscene door as a DJ after relocating from the Stockton ...

Slammin' Salmon

"I got bored," he says. "I couldn't fish anymore and that's what I love to do. I wanted to do something I'm good at." "If you haven't tried [[Ron Aliotti]'s] smoked fish, go for it," says Katie Reneker, a former teacher, career foodie, Aliotti neighbor and mother of two. "Serious yum. My kids are addicted." "It's not necessary to know where I buy it, just that I have it," he says. "Everything is always fresh. Anything I have that I don't [sell], I smoke. My loss is minimal because I'm a fishe...