Best Of 2010 - Around Town

Tiger Woods

What can we say? He was just too perfect. Too aloof. Too many championships. Too independent to seem to embrace the human flaws the rest of us embody. But embrace he did, apparently, and l’affaire Tiger couldn’t have come at a better time to distract us from our insoluble national neurosis. All hail the tabloids, the texts and the 9 Iron jokes. Even Tiger’s sheepish apology helped feed the frenzy. The reaction to his transgressions seems to divide along gender lines, but for us, we’ll welcome Tiger back into the fold—and wouldn’t want him to pretend to be a bit more folksy than suits his nature. Here’s hoping he makes it to the U.S. Open—and keeps providing the late night shows with comedic fodder.

BEST ARCHITECTURAL TREASURE 

San Carlos Borromeo de Carmelo Mission 

3080 Rio Road, Carmel 624-3600, www.carmelmission.org Established June 3, 1770, in Monterey, founder Father Junipero Serra moved his favorite Mission the next year to Carmel to distance it from the military presence of the Presidio of Monterey. Originally made of mud and wood, local Esselen and Ohlone Native Americans were enlisted to grow crops and herd cattle on premises, and rebuild the structure in adobe brick. In addition to being a satellite of the atthe-time-ever-expanding Roman Catholic Church, it also served as headquarters of pre-California

California (when it was called by the Spanish, Alta California). Privateer Hipolito Bouchard destroyed the Mission in the early 1800s; it was left in ruins until Father Angel Casanova began to restore it in 1884. Today it’s on the National Registry of Historic Places and is a U.S. National Historical Landmark, as well as a favorite venue for choral and symphonic performances coming from the powerful reverberations of its arched Crespi Hall. They’re currently showing historical photos of missions Serra founded in Mexico before the California missions— precursors to Carmel Mission—which ends this weekend. Another reason to explore the hallowed halls and courtyard.

BEST BEACH

Carmel Beach 

Ocean Avenue, Carmel-bythe-Sea Turquoise water, white sand and majestic sunsets are the definition of contentment. If people can’t be happy with a glass of rosé, the view and good company, something is wrong. South of Ocean Avenue lies a captivating view of Point Lobos, untouched by development. To the north sits Pebble Beach, which is lined with cypress trees that resemble oversized bonsais. The sight of bulbous bull kelp floating on the placid Pacific mixed with sounds of breaking waves become etched in the brain.

BEST SURF SPOT 

Asilomar 

Sunset Drive, Pacific Grove Territorial surfers have been studying this break for decades. The hierarchy is most evident when the waves are in the shoulder to head high range. When the waves are bigger, during the winter months, crowds aren’t a factor. Rip currents are strong enough to make professional distance paddlers panic. Cold water, sharks and rogue waves are likely to make beginners quit surfing. For those still interested, remember: When in doubt, don’t go out. Show up by yourself and keep your distance from other surfers—it’s a big beach, so don’t be a snuggle bear. This is a consistent wave, so don’t get banished.

BEST GOLF HOLE 

18th at Pebble Beach 

1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach (800) 654-9300, www. pebblebeach.com This goes beyond golf. Pebble’s some 530 yards of singular sand, grass and cypress might be the Best Piece of Property in Monterey County. Fortunately it’s public and not cordoned off by private plots, though its value keeps appreciating with added foreplay. To all its hallowed history—from the alpha golfers to the Pebble Beach Concours’ Alfa Romeos—the 18th adds another chapter that may be as intensely suspenseful as it is intensely beautiful this June, when the 2010 U.S. Open hits the fairest fairway in the land.

BEST PUBLIC GOLF COURSE 

Pebble Beach Golf Links, Pebble Beach 

1700 17-Mile Drive, Pebble Beach (800) 654-9300, www. pebblebeach.com Next month, if you’re lucky, you’ll get a more than deserved tax refund. Need to upgrade your washer/dryer? Repair a cracked windshield on your Toyota? Install some new gutters? Well, fahgeddaboutit. What better way to blow $495 than on an unforgettable round at the world-renowned Pebble Beach, cart included. When your time comes to enter the pearly gates, wouldn’t you rather share (exaggerated) tales of how you played the topranked public course in

America while taking in magnificent views of Carmel Bay and Point Lobos, sharing with any who will listen how you birdied number 7, successfully drove over the cliffs on number 8, and eagled the coast-hugging 543 yard number 18. The magnificent course opened in 1919, will host the U.S. Open Golf Tournament in June with treacherous hazards to humble the world’s golf pros. With tall fescue grasses awaiting you in the rough, gusting Pacific winds, and views that bring you to your knees, these links caress you even if your ball goes awry. For who cares whether you have your best round at Pebble Beach—you’ll savor the moment, and want more.

BEST PLACE TO WATCH THE SUNSET 

Carmel Beach 

Ocean Avenue, Carmel www.carmelcalifornia.com Dogs get too much credit. This perennial winner is more than pooch heaven, though it’s known the world over for its offleash friendliness. Weekly readers also love sparking bonfires along the southern stretch on summer nights, breathing into yoga poses while the tide rolls in, paddling into monster waves when the wind is right, and—cue our category—watching the sun sink into a blushing horizon, perhaps with a matching glass of Carmel Valley rosé in hand.

BEST ParK 

Dennis the Menace Playground 

777 Pearl St., Monterey 646-3866 It is magic. Dennis the Menace Playground really can turn that frown upside down. Walk past the locomotive, rub the toe of the bronze statue of Dennis and voilá: instant second childhood. This place reigns supreme because the features are first rate and varied. There is the suspension bridge, the hedge maze, and the many slides, but even more it’s the vibe of a whole city on recess that makes readers peg the park named after native Hank Ketcham’s iconic troublemaker as the best.

BEST LIBRARY 

Monterey Public Library 

625 Pacific St., Monterey 646-3932, www.monterey. org Oh, faithful library. How do we love thee? Let us count the ways. 1) Open daily (still). 2) The Internet. No need to walk all the way over to the stacks of books. 3) Wi-Fi. Just like Starbucks. 4) A book-centric blog that it started in 2006 and, unlike 98.8 percent of blogs started in 2006, is still going. 5) Databases and online portals with whimsical names like Kids InfoBits and Mango Language. 6) DVDs. 7) e-Books and e-Audiobooks that actually selfdestruct in your Kindle on the expiration date. 8) Children’s storytime—get ’em while they’re young. 9) We love a good acronym, like the library’s motto: inspire, delight and educate all—I.D.E.A.

10) Bookmobile, not to be confused with the Batmobile. 11) A functional and unstylish website with links worthy of O’Hare International and remote login to the catalog that allows you, from the comfort of your home, to search for, reserve, and even have sent to you, that book by that author whose name you only occasionally remember. 12) The Teen Zone, where teens actually hang out. 13) Self checkout years before SaveMart had it. 14) The California Room. Just you and troves of historical and archival material locked in a climatecontrolled room until one of you is exhausted. 15) A corps of dedicated librarians to help you navigate this community treasure.

BEST HIKING

TraIL Garland Ranch Regional Park 

8.6 miles east of Highway 1 on Carmel Valley Road 372-3196, www.mprpd.org With park managers continually stitching easements and acquisitions into its hikable boundaries, the 4,500-acre Carmel Valley playground just keeps expanding—but that’s only one reason Weekly readers garland this gem their favorite year after year. Mushroom hikes, star-gazing parties, historic ag tours and doggie dates are others. We love that no matter how often we come to the park, we always find some new trail to tromp by foot, paw or hoof. (The park’s open to horses as well as pups.) Mesa Pond perches on a grassy plateau; Garzas Creek trickles through a redwood canyon; and if you score a permit online, the Kahn Ranch addition offers oak-andmaple majesty.

The big payoff after a glutebusting ascent, Snively’s Ridge, reveals 360-degree awesomeness: the soft curves of Carmel Valley to the northeast, Ventana Wilderness’ condor country to the southwest, and peace all around.

Best Place to Bike/Mountain Bike 

Fort Ord 

www.bim.gov Fort Ord’s vast network of single-track trails and meandering roads is a biker’s gold rush. Where soldiers once marched and Army Jeeps drove, mountain bikers dash under oak trees and cyclists climb to stunning vistas. Access to the 83-plus miles of trails couldn’t be easier: Salinas riders pass through the new electronic gate at Creekside Terrace or venture off of Highway 68.

Monterey-area mountain lovers have Gigling Road or Laguna Seca saddling points. It’s nearly impossible to tread through all the unmarked trails, and every ride offers some new revelation into the former military base’s bounty.

Best Place to Walk the Dog 

Carmel Beach 

Ocean Avenue, Carmel Carmel Beach is for the dogs. That’s a good thing for well-behaved canines and those who love them. Unlike state beaches, this city-owned cove does not require leashes. Sure, it’s tense at times, with animals going berserk over the thrill of freedom, but mostly this purebred-andmutt show is pure joy.

Water bowls are placed at most entrances, and if you didn’t notice the worldclass beauty, it’s time to get a life beyond your dog.

Best Volunteer Organization 

Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula 

375-4454, www.mowmp.org For more than three decades, Meals on Wheels of the Monterey Peninsula has been helping older adults maintain their health and independence. The organization gets its name from its home delivery program, through which volunteers deliver daily meals right to the doorsteps of adults who can no longer provide for their own nutritional needs. Meals on Wheels volunteers also facilitate daily group dining at six locations throughout the Peninsula, providing older people with an opportunity to socialize and develop a sense of community. As if this were not enough, the organization’s space at the Sally Griffin Center hosts classes in a wide variety of subjects from WiiSports Bowling to Quilting and Textile Arts; the classes are offered for free or at minimal cost due to the generosity of professionals who donate their teaching time.

Best Local Place to Work 

Community Hospital of Monterey Peninsula 

2365 Holman Highway, Monterey 624-5311, www.chomp.org CHOMP is known for its friendliness and cutting edge technology.

The hospital’s mission to deliver “innovative health care with a human touch” means employees can work with CHOMP’s many top-of-the-line resources and receive reimbursement for education expenses. To ensure its employees (some of the friendliest and most efficient on the Peninsula) can provide proper care for patients, the hospital takes care of its workforce, offering comprehensive benefits packages, shuttle service and an employee suggestion program that offers financial incentives.

Best Place to Get Married

Lovers Point 

Ocean View Boulevard and 17th Street, Pacific Grove 648-3100, www.ci.pg.ca.us Lovers Point is a nobrainer as the perfect site for a fairytale wedding or a small, intimate gathering of nature lovers. Blooming ice plant flowers, crashing waves, rocky beaches and striking cypresses are a perfect backdrop for wedding photos. The lush, 4-acre lawn and vibrant atmosphere make it family friendly, and the east-facing lawn also offers beautiful afternoon lighting or a chance to catch the sun rise over the water.

Best Hangout for Teens 

Del Monte Center 

1410 Del Monte Center, Monterey, 373-2705 www.delmontecenter.com/ Checking Facebook feeds on your computer gets old.

Besides, it’s way more chic to be doing that on your phone, at the mall, sipping a Starbucks decaf-orangemocha-nonfat-ventifrapuccino. After enough brainstorming shopping strategies with buddies, motivation arrives, shopping commences and fashion ideas materialize: These shoes rule. These shoes suck. I know, they are like s-o-o-o-o last season. These shoes cost $500…let’s get ’em! Some prefer to movie hop and smuggle their own candy stash. If a film’s not on the agenda, there are other ideas. Hungry? Scarf a slice at Pizza My Heart. Sweet tooth? Coldstone Creamery. DMC’s the deal.

Best Hangout for Seniors 

Carmel Foundation 

Lincoln and Eighth, Carmel 624-1588, www.carmelfoundation.org Grandpa is kick-ass, and not just because he once arm-wrestled a mountain lion half-hammered off moonshine or beat Chuck

Norris in liars dice for a piece of Texas property on peyote. He’s wise from Carmel Foundation’s chess and yoga classes, cultured by its San Francisco tours, energized by the Wednesday lectures. No hip replacements needed here—his wickets are strengthened by fitness classes, ballroom dancing and Tai Chi—just a dude made more timelessly hip by the ever-popular classes at the increasingly popular Computer Learning Center.

Best Local Website 

Monterey County Weekly 

www.montereycountyweekly.com Humble as we are, it’s a tad uncomfortable for us to write about ourselves, and our own success. But when duty calls, we can only say (humbly, of course): Thank you readers, for recognizing our website as the county’s best. We love your love.

We were the first local newspaper to go online back in 1996, and we had no idea then how far and wide this technological revolution would take us (and you). Last year, after more than a year of yelling, screaming and crying, we unveiled version 3.0 of www.montereycountyweekly.com, and even though we lost all our hair during its construction and almost stopped talking to each other inside the Weekly web team meetings, we did make progress. Search for over 400 restaurants on our website or on your phone. Watch movie trailers and buy movie tickets as you search the movie times. Read local blogs and immediately post your comment. Track the aggregated news as it streams live from a bunch of local news sources. Scour 831classifieds for our free (and local!!!) classified website. Follow our daily buzz postings, our amazing calendar of events, and add them to your iCal (or e-mail them to your friend). Version 4.0 is coming, too, with more fun, cool, web stuff.

Best Radio Station 

KPIG 107.5 FM 110 

Main St., Suite 16, Watsonville 722-9000, www.kpig.com KPIG is the only local radio station that could pull off a song set that includes The Band’s “Shape I’m In,” Stray Cats’ “Look at That Cadillac” and Booker T’s “Hey Ya.” There may be no rhyme or reason for the songs KPIG pairs together but its listenership doesn’t complain. Along with its quirky mix of music, KPIG offers live music shows every Sunday at 10am plus news commentary from the feisty Travus T. Hipp. Who said radio is dead?

Best RADIO DJ 

Sam Diggedy 

102.5 KDON The leader of the pack in the morning madhouse (weekdays from 5:30am to 10am), Diggedy mixes it up with hip-hop, metal and psychobilly for hardcore devotees who dig his group of straight-up style, including interviews with everyone from the Santa Cruz skate crowd to skydiving to the likes of Rowdy Randy Piper. Forget Howard Stern, check out Diggedy’s madman antics on YouTube, Twitter, or the oldfashioned radio pipeline for some really deranged music and comedy stylings that keep you awake—and doubled over with laughter—in the hours that you might be nodding off.

Best TV NEWS 

KSBW 

As the television motto goes, if it bleeds, it leads. But along with the blood, guts and carnage coverage on KSBW, look for tough interviews with Dennis Donohue on the violence in Salinas, and a jointly jaundiced eye on Sheriff Mike Kanalakis and challenger Fred Garcia. Little known fact: It was 2000– 2010 formerly owned by Elisabeth Murdoch, daughter of the famed tabloid king. But this is the most reliable— and enjoyable—source of daily news entertainment in the county, with a surprisingly expert take on matters from the criminal courts to the cognoscenti.

BEST TV ANCHOR 

Dan Green 

Past winner of the Edward R. Murrow Award from the Radio and Television News Directors Association, Green and co-anchor Erin Clark always seem to be presenting their stories with the slight sense that the news of the world is a little ridiculous—and it usually is. In the immortal words of local rollerderby queen Lulu Lockjaw after Green did a segment on her team: “Dan Green is hilarious. I watch the 11 o’clock news just because of him. He has this dry, sarcastic sense of humor. Like me! Oh, and he’s my friend on Facebook!”

BEST PROFESSOR 

Bill Martin 

Some would call Professor Bill Martin a master of leisure, but he can’t be coined lackadaisical by any traditional definition of the word. The man is monarch in the world of accommodation; he’s been a consultant to the likes of PepsiCo, Holiday Inn and Weston Hotels and Resorts, and is currently guiding CSUMB undergrads to enlightenment in matters of Hospitality Operations, Human Resource Management, and Service Marketing. The author of six books devoted to the finer points of customer service remarkably finds time for his own R and R, which he spends swimming, cycling, and adding his own personal panache to educating his students.

BEST LOCAL POLITICIAN 

Congressman Sam Farr 

1100 W. Alisal St., Salinas 424-2220, www.farr.house.gov Sam is our man in Washington, although he travels nearly every weekend from the nation’s capitol to stay connected to his home in Carmel (and our district), despite what we imagine is Sam’s disdain for airplane food. Sam, a life-long Democrat, is extremely likeable and has a long history representing our community, from his days on the county board, to his 12 plus years as a state assemblyman, and has served in Congress since 1993. A reliable progressive vote, Sam is an expert on the oceans and one of D.C.’s most knowledgeable politicos when it comes to ocean conservation, and has a near perfect record when it comes to environmental votes. It’s hard to say Sam wasn’t born to be a politician. After all, how many people do you know who were born on July 4?

BEST GREEN/ ECO TREND 

No Styrofoam 

It’s one of the most ubiquitous forms of litter on our world-famous sands, and it’s sinister, too: poisoning birds, marine animals, and thanks to chemical leaching, even us.

That’s why Weekly readers support the contagious regional ban on take-out polystyrene, despite bully tactics from the American Chemistry Council that bring to mind the tobacco lobby in Thank You for Smoking. With leadership from across the political spectrum—envision Carmel Mayor Sue McCloud and former P.G. Mayor Dan Cort intoning omtogether on a clean beach—most Peninsula cities have joined the tidal roll-back: Carmel, Pacific Grove, Monterey, Del Rey Oaks, Seaside and likely soon, the unincorporated county. With public support like this, we expect the antifoam wave to wash over Marina, Sand City and Salinas, too.

BEST LOCAL DO-GOODER 

Nancy Costello 

Six days a week, for a total of 55,000 miles a year, Nancy Costello is on the road managing a flat bed truck stocked with coolers, boxes, and bags of day-old food donations. Her destinations are the fields and farmhouses of Salinas and Greenfield, the migrant workers of Monterey. What began as a onewoman ministry has, over the course of 40 years, developed into a nonprofit organization—Nancy’s Project—that enlists the help of local churches and community members.

BEST EVENT 

AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

649-1533, www.attpbgolf. com Big-hitting twentysomething Dustin Johnson claimed his second straight title here last month. But hey DJ, that’s small beans, at least compared to the dominance the AT&T claims in this category. One major reason the most popular Pro-Am on the planet skunks the field, even against the lofty likes of the Jazz Festival and Pebble Beach Food & Wine: the Dustin dramas and fairway flamboyance of Bill Murray—last seen guzzling a lady’s glass of red at Spyglass’ 6th and calling it cranberry juice— are just the edge of the social eventfulness that arrives with it, and the $6 million it clears is funneled to the Monterey Peninsula Foundation and its legion local grantees, making it an event whose amplitude approaches everlasting.