June 30, 2012
Papaver somniferum, the opium poppy, in one of its many guises (Photo: publicphoto.org)
We’re making opium poppies our Wildflower of the Week due to an article on page 11 of this week’s Carmel Pine Cone concerning an alert Carmel police officer who discovered an opium poppy growing on a city easement along the side of a Carmel street. The offending plant, you’ll be glad to know, was seized before it could further damage the town’s moral character. After the plant tested positive for morphine, down at the station, it was renditioned to a federal crime lab for “further analysis.” The article concludes by noting that “it’s unknown who planted the illegal poppy.” Your tax dollars at work. Read the rest of this entry »
3 Comments | 
Big Sur, Courts, Plants, Politics, Wildflowers | Tagged: drug laws, drug war, opium, papaver somniferum | 
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Posted by xasauan
December 15, 2009
Los Padres ForestWatch and the California Chaparral Institute today filed a lawsuit seeking to force the Forest Service to comply with federal law and allow meaningful public input into Forest land use decisions. Far from inviting public participation, the Forest Service, as we have often pointed out, usually attempts to conduct planning in total secrecy. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Courts, Politics, Santa Lucias | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
May 10, 2009
The little apples: How manzanita got its name. Woollyleaf Manzanita (Arctostaphylos tomentosa) grows along the side of the “Parcel B” trail.
The Right to Hike folks, who’ve been working to maintain public access to the trail connecting Veterans and Quarry Parks in Monterey, have been in a mood to celebrate since the recent court decision confirming the public’s right to use the trail and the surrounding “Parcel B” for recreational purposes. Read the rest of this entry »
1 Comment | Courts, On Foot | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
March 20, 2009
Just over two years ago, on February 9, 2007, our friend Daniel Vasquez was riding his bike home from work. He didn’t make it. Charles Seaborn, a man who’d been cited for drunk driving in the past, was once again driving drunk. Seaborn hit Daniel so hard that Daniel’s bike ended up embedded in the front of Seaborn’s Range Rover. But Seaborn didn’t stop. He left Daniel dying beside the road.
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9 Comments | Courts, Cycling | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
March 7, 2009
Back in May, we took a look at the misguided efforts of some nearby homeowners to exclude the public from a Monterey trail that’s been in use for longer than anyone can remember.
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7 Comments | Courts, On Foot | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
December 31, 2008
Well it’s been an interesting year, here at Xasáuan Today. We’ve looked at the Monterey Peninsula’s water supply problems and picked apart the county’s transportation dilemma. We’ve questioned development on eroding beaches and dissected the Light Brown Apple Moth. We’ve chimed in on local political issues. We’ve gone on some bike rides, examined some mushrooms, and even found time for a visit to Pat Springs.
But nothing gets attention quite like a fire. Read the rest of this entry »
Leave a Comment » | Big Sur, Carmel River, Coastal Development/Erosion, Courts, Cycling, Fire, Flood & Apocalypse, Fungus, History, Insects, Living Wage, On Foot, Politics, Santa Lucias, Transportation, Water | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
June 4, 2008
Life on the beach: Monterey’s Ocean House Condos
We’re thinking of starting a betting pool. Exactly how much money will owners of doomed Monterey Beach properties like the Ocean House Condos and the Monterey Beach Hotel spend on trying to save them – and how much time will that money buy them – before they’re forced to throw in the towel?
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4 Comments | Coastal Development/Erosion, Courts | Permalink
Posted by xasauan
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