LEAD WEIGHT… As we reported online May 12, one of the oldest condors released in Pinnacles National Monument recently died of lead poisoning at Los Angeles Zoo. Ventana Wildlife Society biologists found Condor 286 in early March sick from eating lead-bullet-contaminated game, just as he was about to begin breeding. They later discovered he’d also been hit 15 times with shotgun pellets. Condor 375, another endangered scavenger found gunshot and lead-poisoned, was successfully treated at the zoo and returned to the wild early this month. State and private investigators are still offering a $40,000 reward for information leading to the people responsible for the shootings. [KA]

CARD CARRIERS… Salinas wrapped up its drive to get a library card in every student’s hand May 19 with an assembly at Washington Middle School. This brought the Salinas Public Library’s distribution of cards to 32,468 students in the Alisal Union, Salinas City Elementary, Santa Rita Union and Salinas Union High school districts, according to a library press release. Mayor Dennis Donohue originally made a request to issue a library card to every third grader in February 2008 as part of the city’s strategy to increase literacy and reduce gang violence. [ZS]

ANOTHER SCORE FOR GHANDOUR… Also online last week, Ed Ghandour, developer of the proposed Monterey Bay Shores ecoresort on Sand City’s shoreline, won another small victory May 7, when the California Coastal Commission postponed the hearing on the resort’s coastal development permit application. The commission’s staff recommendation to deny the permit meant the hearing may not have had a favorable outcome for Ghandour. That’s his second small win after a court ruling in late April ordering the Monterey Peninsula Water Management District to reconsider its denial of his water distribution permit application. The district board may re-hear the permit application in early June. [KA]

LAYOFFS COMING… Monterey City Council agreed to cut altogether, or eliminate hours from, 20 staff positions at its May 19 meeting, which will save the city about $1 million. The cuts come a week before the Council – and the public – gets its first look at the proposed 2010 budget at a 4pm May 27 study session in the Council Chambers. Additional budget news here. [JL]