Carmel Heritage Society and First Murphy Park, Carmel, California

In 1976, "born of frustration and nurtured by anger, a grassroots movement sprang up in Carmel with the avowed intent of halting deterioration of the village. The group Old Carmel was conceived and gained notoriety through its efforts to save the Village Corner, long a favored stopping place of local residents.

When threatened with a loss of lease and possible conversion to some other purpose, the Village Corner became a rallying point for residents concerned with the proliferation of tourism as Carmel's chief source of business. With well over 300 members, Old Carmel rapidly established itself as a potentially powerful political movement."

Old Carmel counts the saving of the Village Corner as their first victory. "Ben Lyon, Randy Reinstedt, George Faul, Mindy Faia and several others banded together to help then owner George Rockwood to keep the popular restaurant on the northeast corner of Dolores Street and Sixth Avenue. The group initially named itself The Old Carmel Foundation which eventually evolved into Carmel Tomorrow."

In their first general membership meeting, Carmel Tomorrow leaders, Frank Lloyd a newspaperman, Arthur Strasburger, vice president of Carmel Realty, Leslie Gross former building inspector, and Howard Brunn owner of Carmel Bay Co., raised a set of diverse objectives - from saving the north field at Sunset Center for baseball games to establishing a system of preferential parking for local citizens. Their moto, "It's your town. Start running it." ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).