Dear Readers,

Mayor Jason Burnett is having a really busy January, and one of the things he's working on is getting officials in Sacramento to help solve the Monterey Peninsula's water crisis, instead of being an impediment. Kelly Nix has the story.

Many city employees were very well paid last year — and when you read the list you'll wonder why I didn't say, "extremely." Mary Schley has that one.

A homeowner learned the hard way what can happen when you respond to one of those "rebates" the government offers from time to time for doing what it wants you to. Food scraps from local restaurants won't be going into the landfill under a new plan to turn them into compost and methane. If you call 911 because of a medical emergency, shouldn't the closest ambulance be sent to your aid? The answer seems obvious but, as with many things in politics, it isn't. A local museum is offering the opportunity to have a staring contest with a whale. Joe Livernois has the poignant story of why he didn't exactly tell the truth to an immigration officer when he recently returned from Mexico. Tony Seton profiles one of Monterey County's most interesting law-enforcement officials. Did you know that it's getting harder and harder to find someone to make a wedding cake? We have a special section with that and lots of other local insights for anyone who's planning to get married soon. And my editorial offers a suggestion for state lawmakers who are really serious about making California work better.

To get this week's complete Pine Cone, please click here. If you have an informed opinion about one of our stories and would like to submit a letter to the editor, please click here. And please don't hesitate to contact me if you have questions, comments or concerns.

Paul Miller, Publisher
paul@carmelpinecone.com

To return to the download page for the January 25, 2013, edition, please click here.