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Volume 95 No. 12 On the Internet: www.carmelpinecone.com March 20-26, 2009

Y O U R S O U R C E F O R L O C A L N E W S , A R T S A N D O P I N I O N S I N C E 1915

Maldonado calls for

From the Stone Age to the New Age limit on sex offenders’
!"‘Spirit nests’
turn heads
access to IDs
By KELLY NIX
By CHRIS COUNTS

EVEN IN Big Sur,

S TATE SEN. Abel Maldonado said he’ll consider
proposing a bill that would prevent registered sex offenders
where the abundance and from working in liquor stores and other businesses where
variety of nature creates a they can check IDs and have access to customers’ personal
constant visual spectacle, information.
Jayson Fann’s eye-catching “Allowing registered sex
“spirit nests” stand out. offenders to view a person’s
Constructed almost driver’s license, thereby
entirely from the branches allowing them to obtain
left over from local tree-trim- important contact informa-
ming projects, Fann creates tion like the person’s
small structures that are easy address, is extremely dan-
to appreciate but difficult to gerous,” Maldonado said.
categorize. Are they Stone Maldonado made the
Age dwellings, or are they comments to The Pine Cone
fine-art installations? Fann, after learning that registered
who owns the Big Sur Spirit Above are two of Jayson Fann’s
distinctive “spirit nests.” At the sex offender and liquor store
Garden, leaves their defini- worker Thomas Pollacci, 49,
right, Fann enjoys the view from
tion open to interpretation. one of his nests. was charged with three
But one thing he does know felony counts of rape stem-
is that they’re turning heads. ming from an April 2008 Accused rapist and regis-
“It seems like every day incident. Pollacci’s family tered sex offender Tom
here at the Spirit Garden, Pollacci has worked at his
somebody walks in, looks up PHOTOS/COURTESY JAYSON FANN
See IDS page 24A family’s liquor store for years.
and says, ‘Oh my God, that’s
the coolest thing I’ve ever
seen,’” Fann said. ideal for what I’m doing.”
The longtime Big Sur resident uses two primary tools Inspired by simple, symmetrical designs, Fann bends
to construct each nest: a chainsaw and a small, portable the branches to create dome-like structures that resemble
THOUSANDS OF
screw gun. He acquires his building materials from Big oversized cocoons. A single structure can utilize a thou-
Sur tree trimmers, who are more than happy to lighten the sand branches and can weigh up to two tons. Screws sink PINE CONES STOLEN
loads of debris they routinely haul off to the county land- easily into the green wood and are difficult to even notice.
fill. Afterwards, he sprays linseed oil on the each struc- ! Distribution racks cleaned out
“What I use is what people would otherwise run
through chippers,” Fann explained. “Those branches are See NESTS page 22A By KELLY NIX

T HE CARMEL Pine Cone is encouraging readers to

Caltrans: Motorcyclist was intoxicated when he hit the pig
By PAUL MILLER and KELLY NIX
A N EMERGENCY-ROOM doctor who treated an
injured motorcyclist at CHOMP in September 2003 testified
Wednesday that the rider was intoxicated when he was
brought to the hospital.
The motorcyclist, Adam Rogers, who remains disabled
after colliding with a wild pig on Highway 1 in September
2003, is suing the State of California for $8 million, claiming
the state had an obligation to keep the pig off the road.
But attorneys for Caltrans brought Dr. David Dansky and
other experts to a Monterey courtroom this week in an
attempt to show that Rogers was responsible for his accident.
According to Dansky, when he was brought to CHOMP,
Rogers had what is considered a “high” level of alcohol in his
bloodstream.
“The lab report indicates he was intoxicated,” Dansky
said.
See COURT page 27A
download last week’s edition from from the paper’s website
after more than 8,000 printed copies were stolen from racks
all over the Monterey Peninsula.
Someone driving a blue pickup truck was spotted at
numerous locations around Carmel taking large stacks of
Pine Cones. Under California law, it is a misdemeanor to take
multiple copies of a free newspaper for the purpose of stop-
ping someone from reading it.
One employee, who didn’t want to be identified, said she
confronted a man who appeared to be in his 30s, who took a
bundle at a Carmel Rancho business.
“I said, ‘You can’t take all of those,’” the clerk said, “and
See STOLEN page 22A

Sacramento lobbying pays off Abused parrot adopted and given new name
for Big Sur bridge activists A
By KELLY NIX

PARROT who lost his feathers and

By KELLY NIX
A STATE board with billions of tax
dollars to hand out agreed this week to free
up $500 million that would allow a crucial
bridge to be installed at Pfeiffer Big Sur
State Park.
The park is losing thousands of dollars
a day because there is no vehicle access to
the popular hiking and camping spot.
Big Sur businesses are also being
severely impacted.
Get your complete Carmel Pine Cone every Thursday evening in convenient pdf format via email. Free subscriptions available at www.carmelpinecone.com.
In December, because of the budget
crisis, the state froze funds for thousands
of infrastructure projects throughout
California, including a bridge which is
necessary for access to Pfeiffer park’s
popular campground.
Big Sur resident Jack Ellwanger, who
has lobbied local politicians to free up
funds to have the bridge installed,
addressed the state’s Pooled Money
See BRIDGE page 24A
was in danger of losing his life after being
neglected by his previous owner has gained
a new family and new name.
The 20-year-old bird, a mitred conure
who has to wear a tiny sweater to cover his
bare skin, was adopted last Saturday by
Beverly Signorelli of Monterey. She named
him Monkey because of his penchant for
mischief.
PHOTO/KELLY NIX
“He’s a bossy little guy,” Signorelli said.
“But he’s cute.” Beverly Signorelli is getting to know “Monkey,”
the abused mitred conure she adopted from
See PARROT page 27A the SPCA last weekend.
22A The Carmel Pine Cone March 20, 2009
tree-trimming project gave him all the materials he needed to
NESTS
From page 1A
create his first nest. The installation proved to be a big hit,
and soon Fann was hard at work creating his second nest. STOLEN
Today, Fann’s nests can be seen at three Big Sur business- From page 1A
ture to help preserve the wood. es: Esalen Institute, the Big Sur Spirit Garden and Treebones
Resort. John Handy, the owner of Treebones, commissioned he really didn’t turn around. I said, ‘Excuse me, you can’t
At first glance, the nests look somewhat brittle, but Fann
Fann to install a nest in his campground. take all those; you can only have one.’ I said, ‘Why do you
insisted they’re quite tough. “I build them to be practical,” he
“We love our nest,” Handy said. “Our motto is “we’re want all of them?’ And he said, ‘Just to have them.’”
said. “They are really solid. They’re not falling over.”
perched lightly on the edge,’ and Jayson’s nest is as close to The man, who was described as about 5 feet 7 inches tall,
Fann’s introduction to his unconventional craft was not
nature as you can get.” with dark brown hair, a goatee and a medium build, drove off
unusual. Like countless youngsters, he built imaginary forts
The nest has become more than just an interesting piece in a blue truck.
in the woods. But when he was 13, he visited the Pine Ridge
of sculpture at Treebones, which offers lodging in 16 yurts “We have received descriptions of several people seen tak-
Sioux reservation in South Dakota, where he helped con-
and features six campsites. “One couple put a tent insid on a ing our newspapers, and we will have them prosecuted and
struct a sweat lodge. The experience fired his fascination for
windy and rainy night,” Handy recalled. “They loved it.” file a civil suit against them as soon as they are identified,”
traditional building methods. Later, he traveled extensively in
At Treebones, guests routinely find themselves drawn to said publisher Paul Miller.
Africa and South America, where he actually stayed in
the nest. Most are content to simply admire the unusual Numerous Pine Cone readers contacted The Pine Cone
dwellings not unlike those he creates in Big Sur.
structure, while others are tempted to take naps, meditate or offices in Carmel and Pacific Grove, saying they had a hard
In 2004, while Fann was managing Esalen Institute’s Art
read books in it. Handy simply marvels at the response guests time finding a copy of the newspaper in their usual pickup
Barn, he proposed staging a summer arts festival. Esalen’s
have when they encounter Fann’s handiwork. areas. Those who couldn’t find one were given a copy or
board of directors gave the event their blessing, but they were
“What Jason created is way beyond what we ever expect- directed to The Pine Cone’s website at
unable to offer much financial support. Fann decided the
ed,” Handy added. “At one point, we thought he was finished, www.carmelpinecone.com.
event needed a couple dazzling art installations, and a recent
but he kept adding to it, like “Why are all the Pine Cones gone from P.G.?” a reader
an artist would add to a said. “I can’t find one anywhere.”
painting. What he came up “People love The Pine Cone, and they’re disappointed if
Lisa Costello with was an artistic expres- they can’t have one,” said an employee at a Carmel super-
sion of what we’re trying to market.
accomplish here. He really “Someone keeps taking all the Pine Cones from in front

2
HANDS 831.728.4002
gave it everything he had.”
If you’re interested in see-
ing Fann’s nests, visit the Big
of Nielsen’s and Carmel Camera Center,” another reader said.
Though Pine Cones were restocked at many of the emp-
tied machines, the thieves went back and stole them again,
some readers said.
cell 408.202.3370 Sur Spirit Garden at Loma
UNLIMITED Vista, which is located on The Pine Cone distributes 18,000 printed copies and
www.two-hands.com Highway 1, about 27 miles about 6,000 online copies in pdf every week.
CUSTOM STONE MASONRY south of Carmel. For more
& OLD WORLD CRAFTSMANSHIP Lic. 627756 information, call (831) 667- Pebble Beach reads The Pine Cone
1300.

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