Bull-whacked
Once in the chute, the mellow bull becomes true to his nature.
With red-rimmed eyes, Rotten Nanners stands in a small enclosure at King City’s Salinas Valley Fairgrounds, lazily munching on alfalfa beside a dark bull named Black Twister. A 5-year-old, 1,500-pound bull, Rotten Nanners has a ...
Around the Horns
How a steer wrestler flies from his high-speed horse to collar cattle.
Charles Harris is practicing the art of visualization. In the next 10 seconds, he must wrestle a steer three times his weight to the ground while moving at a speed of roughly 30 mph. Sitting ...
Hoofin’ It
A local barrel racer prepares for her big chance at California Rodeo Salinas.
With dirt flying from under the hooves of her horse and her teeth gritted, Shannon Shade looks as if she might topple over with Saty, her 11-year-old, dark-brown quarter horse. Together, they go almost full-circle ...
Getting Tossed
A reporter goes toe-to-hoof with a half-ton bull.
It’s the Running of the Bulls, only backwards, and in Salinas, not Spain: I’m sprinting straight at a bull. He watches me, unmoving, 1,000 bovine pounds of potential energy and anger, thick saliva dangling from ...
Issues / 2008 / Jul 17
Fields of Plenty
Agriculture farm land for row crops and vineyards shows increased values in Monterey County
As former Weekly contributor Kate Campbell reports in a story for the California Farm Bureau, the trend for Monterey County row crop land values is either stable to increasing over the past five years. But ...
Hanging by a Thin Line
To protect turtles, state legislators pass a resolution to ban long-line fishing. The federal fisheries council may not care.
A modern-day battle of state versus federal rights is underway and the outcome may determine the fate of a frequent visitor to the Monterey Bay. Right now, the feds have the power, and a bystander ...
Out of sight, but not out of mind
Oil in the sunken tanker Montebello could threaten the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary.
In 1941, a Japanese submarine sunk the oil tanker Montebello off the coast of Cambria with a single torpedo. While the hull of the 1923 ship remains relatively stable on the sea floor, the oil ...
State parks in Big Sur push to reopen
http://travel.latimes.com/daily-deal-blog/index.php/big-sur-bounces-back-2285/
Tassajara Road Reopens to residents
Cachagua and Jamesburg residents permitted to return —Road passes to be issued to locals by Cachagua Fire or CHP
On Thursday July 18th the U.S. Forest Service announced that the mandatory evacuation order has been lifted for Tassajara Road, as of 7:30pm. The lower Cachagua area was downgraded from a mandatory to voluntary evacuation ...
On West Side of Highway One
Six National Forest picnic areas on Big Sur coast to reopen July 18.
http://www.co.monterey.ca.us/PR_OES/MRD_fireclosure_reduced_july1608.pdf
Wowza Is Right
A surprising fitness pioneer calls Monterey County home.
In the crowded health and fitness industry, Carmel Valley’s Elisa Lodge stands out– in large part because she has created a cohesive new system that exercises the emotions as well as the body. But there ...
It’s time for anger to replace whining over the economy.
Phil Gramm, the senator-banker who until recently advised John McCain’s campaign, got it right about a “nation of whiners,” but he misidentified the faint-hearted. It’s not the people or even the politicians. It is Wall ...
A Star Is Reborn
Carmel Bach Festival spotlights Baroque music pioneer.
In 1618, a series of declared and undeclared religious and political wars broke out in central Europe. Before the “Thirty Years War” ended with the Peace of Westphalia, in 1648, it had engaged the powerful ...
Oldtown Secession
Café owner leads a revolt against the Oldtown Salinas Association.
Jim Sang, co-owner of Sang’s Café in Salinas, recently led a one-man petition drive to stop downtown businesses from having to shell out assessment fees to the Oldtown Salinas Association. After a month and a ...
Public Citizen
ONGOING BIG SUR JOBS | BIG SUR– Because of the Basin Complex fire and resulting mandatory evacuation, hundreds of Big Sur residents and employees need short-term employment. Post short-term employment opportunities at www.surfire2008.org/joboffers.php on the ...
Even if unfinished, the process could bring the country together.
According to a top aide, John McCain recently endorsed President Bush’s right to wiretap American citizens without court approval, despite the clear requirements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). Clearly, McCain has learned nothing ...
Food Chain
Still Cookin’
FIGHTING BACK… As the wildfires and blistering heat scorch the world around us, we here in idyllic Never-Never Land by the Sea remain seemingly oblivious to the plight of others less fortunate in their choice ...
Home Page
New Monterey house and lot have potential for the right buyers.
This house holds the history of one devoted family that now wishes to relinquish it to its future owners. The most likely scenario suggests it will be torn down to be reincarnated as a dwelling ...
Upstream Battle
Steelhead enthusiasts rescue fish from the drying Garzas Creek.
It’s a balmy Wednesday night in Carmel Valley, and five locals can think of nothing better to do than to wade into a mosquito-infested creek and stun little fish. Strapped up in hip-waders, the volunteers ...
Speed, Freaks
Both the MotoGP and its fans (including the author) are something to behold.
It was 5am on a tiny little island, and we were still up. The latest MotoGP race at Assen in Holland was about to begin. The sheets were soaked, and I was sweatily stumbling about ...
Too many horses, not enough adopters
SPCA of Monterey County sees record horse intakes.
“Horses are not 1,000-pound dogs,” says Gary Tiscornia, executive director of the SPCA for Monterey County. Apparently this comes as a shock to some local horse owners. Horse abuse and neglect complaints– and instances of ...
Encounters At the End of the World
Bottom’s Up: Werner Herzog’s latest doc brings Antartica to the fore.
I have an idea for a terrific new board game– for kids of all ages! It’s called Where in the World Is Werner Herzog? Players will roll spherical dice (I’m thinking of making them the ...
¡Ask A Mexican! for Jul 17, 2008
One man's take on his culture's stereotypes
Dear Mexican: Why are there Mexicans in the Border Patrol? What a hypocritical thing to do to our people. –Carne Asada Carlos Dear Wab: Not only are Mexicans in the Border Patrol, but la migra’s ...
Brezsny's Astrology
Free Will Astrology
Aries (March 21-April 19): After studying your astrological omens for the upcoming weeks, I got really excited. There was so much I wanted to tell you. I popped a chunk of organic, fair-trade, cruelty-free, espresso-tinctured ...
News Updates: The not so public East Salinas police substation; Rubio's unfettered ambitions; Mehia's resignation.
MEET THE NEW NEIGHBORS… Last May, we reported how the Salinas Police Department was lagging on opening an East Salinas substation– even though the department was renting the 31 S. Sanborn Road office for $1 ...
Squid Fry for Jul 17, 2008
Squid Fry for Jul 17, 2008
I HEART WAL-MART… Bring in the cheerleaders and the tickertape parade: A Wal-Mart Supercenter is coming to Soledad. Yay! Everyone is thrilled! So says Wal-Mart, with a little help from Armanasco Public Relations (the PR ...
Rastafari Out
Eek-A-Mouse and Don Carlos top an impressive bill at Fox benefit show.
The title track of Eek-A-Mouse’s 1996 album Black Cowboy begins with a military drumroll followed by a cacophony of gun shots being fired, horses braying and cowboys yelling “Yee haw.” Then the revered reggae artist ...
The Dark Knight
Unbalanced Ledger: The Dark Knight delivers more than a menacing farewell performance.
Here is the ugly truth nobody at Warner Bros. can possibly utter aloud: The death of Heath Ledger will be good for The Dark Knight’s bottom line. Make no mistake, the movie was going to ...
Letters to the Editor for Jul 17, 2008
HERE’S HOW IT WORKS Since I’m a volunteer and director of the Carmel Red Cross response efforts to the Basin Complex Fire, Squid’s comments [July 10-16] caught my eye. Yes, the Red Cross is bound ...
No Bologna
Two chefs help The Garlic Festival roar into its 30th year with more flavor than ever.
As Magic 63 radio hosts Mike Cleary and Kevin Kahl cluck their way through a live broadcast, Miss Gilroy Garlic Festival Ariele Combs looks on, her smile a string of pearls, her head a tall ...
Art Listings for Jul 17, 2008
Art Listings for Jul 17, 2008
OPENING THIS WEEK gallery i fine art Contemporary paintings, sculpture and art glass. SW corner of Mission and Ocean, Carmel. 626-1617. george stern fine arts New works by Jesse Powell; opening reception 5-8pm, 7/19. 2 ...
Speaking In Numbers
The Weekly Tally
5 Million The estimated amount of extremely eco-friendly 2,000-square-foot homes that could be built with the straw that is incinerated each year in the U.S. This weekend, Chartwell School in Seaside hosted a straw bale ...
Local Control
Big Sur volunteer firefighters break ranks to save “indefensible” home.
Fire officials told Kate Healey her house was indefensible. Monterey County sheriff’s deputies told Healey she’d be arrested if she didn’t leave. So on June 22, Healey reluctantly left the upper Partington Ridge home and ...
Phat Burger
Totally Stacked: Seaside’s Phat Burger puts together a great thing with good beef and glorious condiments.
The Weekly policy is to wait at least three months to review a new restaurant. The philosophy is simple: Starting up a restaurant is damn hard, and it’s only fair that we give owners of ...
Real Estate
By The Numbers
$1,350,000 Recent Sale 4021 El Bosque Drive, Pebble Beach Built: 1952 Size: 2,331 square feet Features: 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, ranch style Amenities: Master bedroom has fireplace and sliding glass doors leading to a landscaped ...
Who would you like to see ride a bucking bull?
Asked at Coffee Mia in Marina.
Follow-up: What public figure would would you make a rodeo clown? LARRY KINGSLAND | Web Designer | Marina A: I would love to see Dick Cheney thrown off of his high horse. It would be ...
Big Sur Basin Complex Fire Report
The fires of 2008 — A collection of Monterey County Weekly's stories and links.
A collection of Monterey County Weekly's stories and links.
