As Concours rolls into town is very disheartening to be asked as a reader, "But do you actually have to visit?" Friends just left after spending a lot of money here this week. The morning paper unnerved them. And new friends are coming into town and will be spending even more money this week. The money that this town depends upon and yet it seems to be funny that people are spending their hard earned money (or their Blue Chip dividends) in town-- with increasingly less or appreciation about the dollar. Carmel is the point of destination of beauty and elegance. When somebody comes for an event like concourse to elegance they want to have a good time. and those fires on the beach that are temporarily banned well perhaps it'll also lessen the number of drug addicts rolling through town on their surfboards. With many loved ones in town for this splendid event , a pall falls as the celebrations begin: the Pine Cone is spinning its wheels to stir pots-o-plenty of strife. The beautiful summer night fires are wonderful in Carmel, but to make fun of them after a father of two has died in a fire makes it not so funny. To seemingly mock a women on the front page of the paper for a serious issue awarding her $125,000 is misogyny and appalling. Not funny. To mock the homeless who have sought refuge in the post office (didn't a homeless woman die under a tree not too long ago in downtown?) and a man also without the privilege of a roof over his head was murdered behind the Monterey library across from the police station. Mocking is just not funny when two people are dead. Or making fun of the Carmel belle lawsuit referring to spying. Again not funny. Just not funny. Didn't the town go through a whole crisis with the raid on a home that ended with a man dropping dead, a widow, and a fatherless 13-year-old girl? Again, not funny. Not funny stuff. To refer to another lawsuit about a woman and her contention alleged mistreatment ("sexist xenophobe") is strong language on the light weekend about to begin with festival and reverie. Carmel was once an extraordinary place. It is hanging on by its nails with allegations of corruption, destruction, and citizens living in poverty as the finest cars in the world role in this weekend and show everyone else just how fabulous it is as long as you're one of us: one of the privileged, one of the rich, one of the 1%. It's just disheartening to read that the beginning of the week is kicked off with a grumpy editorial attacking some very good businesses, people, when perhaps just enjoying Concours de Elegance might be another route (and preferable exit) from so much to angst and usual blight. Sigh. At least the weather is divine! Anyone for albacore, steamed mussels, and a new car? Let the food and shopping begin. read more

I receive this tiny publication by Email every Friday, because it is usually small town entertainment for the local area. I have worked in Carmel by the Sea for years, as well as other areas on the Monterey Bay Peninsula area. It is a Republican bias publication, which suits the local primarily white old retired military residents and the like. Once upon a time, it was comprised of San Francisco bohemian artistic elites, local ranchers and farmers. Sadly, the editorial praised Elon Musk this week: the workaholic with 12 kids from many young females, who has destroyed many lives and companies. They admire this billionaire over the Obamas: criticizing the Obamas common sense remarks at the Democratic convention, as being hypocritical. Shame on you! The Obamas possess magnificent FAMILY values, especially compared to Republican males! Living within your means and understanding you have enough, may threaten unnecessary consumerism for all the overpriced crap, for sale in Carmel: but your negative personal attacks are disgraceful. Grow up! Lack of respect is bad manners, juvenile and hateful. Blessings and prayers, hopefully you will get educated and learn diversity, equality and inclusion makes us stronger! United we stand, divided we fall. We are a democracy of immigrants, not billionaires master/ slaves mind games. Have a nice day. read more

Unfortunately the Pine Cone got it wrong on the Sunset centers bomb scare response . They were fined $21200 in June 2019 for not having proper training on a emergency action plan or an injury illness and prevention plan. The staff did not clear the building, employees of the festival did. Homeland Security has never been called and zero training on a fill in the blank template was only submitted to Kelly Tatum of OSHAs Fremont office. The Sunset Center is not truthful and Mary in the article has not been trained nor any drills ever done. How do I know this? Because I was on stage and provided a report to management in June 2018 and again Nov 2018 and again to City Council June 2019. Written and reported no EAP on file with Mary and Rollie saying they don't have an EAP. Emergency Action Plan. Big Little Lies on this one. Get your facts straight. http://villageinforest.blogspot.com/?m=1 read more

My husband and I visited Monterey for the U.S. Open and I happened to pick up some of the local newspapers, the Carmel Pine Cone included. I must say, I thought it would be a bit more.. how shall I say it? FUN! Instead, it was dry, boring and not even interesting. Lots of negative articles and zero human interest stories. You know, as a visitor? I'd like to read up on local businesses, entertainment, movie reviews, good shopping, etc. I came here to relax; not to read about politics and small town grumblings and grudges. If I wanted news? I'd read Time magazine. Also, in such a colorful setting, why don't they have any color pictures? A very dry, pedantic and uninteresting paper. Maybe I'll use it to line the bottom of our love birds' birdcage once we get home. read more

Gets five stars because it's not left-wing. Paper has a conservative slant, which is very much needed in this area, but also includes opposing opinions. Stories are pretty good. You'll get more actual news from the Pine Cone than you will from the Monterey Herald or the Monterey County Weekly. Mr. Miller, the publisher, has also resolutely opposed the incompetent actions of the county "health director" during this virus thing. He seems to be one of the few, if not the only local media person here with any common sense. Free, whether in hard copy or on line. read more

To call this weekly give-away a newspaper, is like calling a monkey an astronaut. It's an amatuerish effort at best, helmed by a skinny little guy with a chip on his shoulder who wears a beard to hide his weak features and thinks he's Hearst. The writing is just plain bad, as if the same old lady is writing every article under various pen names. Besides that it's great. To try to muckrake in the sleepy little hamlet that is Carmel, takes one negative person, and that's how ridiculous this editor/owner and this weekly hand out are. That's my opinion! Thank you. read more

While in fairness there are some wonderful moments of humor in this paper it is basically a small town Fox news mouthpiece you might find in Texas or Utah. Why a the paper feels the need to run conservative nation news on the front page in such a small town paper is beyond me. It is so sad that Carmel has become such a intellectual desert considering it founding residents.I for one miss the hippies and artists. read more

Publisher Paul Miller is either oblivious to the lack of character he exhibits in both the slanted reporting and his boorish editorials, or he relishes in owning a newspaper that serves as the projected ego of someone whose life has left them with a nasty chip on their shoulder. Hey Paul... Betty White hated you with a passion. And that's saying something, considering that she loved dogs. read more

I USED TO ENJOY this newspaper , BUT feel that the current editor/publisher Paul Miller's views are more personal attacks on the good people of Carmel. I can appreciate personal points of view, but I cannot tolerate an editor using his lofty position to belittle or hurt others when they cannot defend themselves. read more

THANK you Pine Cone for helping us Private Sector Taxpayers fight the corruption with the salary and benefits of these local and state govt employees...shocking to see what the fire dept and library personnel make while they are asking us for more donations..thank you Pine Cone read more

Seems like a small town incarnation of Fox News. Articles are most often slanted in an obvious anti environmental, anti anything not strictly pro business, etc. Also, the editorials often seem to be vendettas against targeted people with subtle smear tactics. read more

HAs become a second rate pulpit for the ugly little man who owns it. Factually deficient, mean spirited, just weird. Avoid it. Choose Monterey County Weekly instead! read more