Seaside Stall…At latest count, mayoral challenger Felix Bachofner was still ahead of three-term incumbent Ralph Rubio, but Bachofner isn’t claiming victory until all the remaining ballots are counted. As of Nov. 5, Bachofner held a 114-vote lead. [KA]

Neck and Neck…A razor-thin margin still separates attorney general hopefuls Kamala Harris, the Democratic San Francisco district attorney, and Republican Steve Cooley, Los Angeles’s top prosecutor. Hundreds of thousands of votes remain to be counted statewide. [RU]

September in November…The County Board of Supervisors approved September Ranch by a 3-2 vote Nov. 9, with Jane Parker and Dave Potter dissenting. The controversial Carmel Valley development has been in and out of the courts for years, recently over the issue of water.  [KA]

Sun Juice…The U.S. Army is going even greener with the recent award of an $8.3 million contract to a San Jose construction firm to build a 1-megawatt solar project at Fort Hunter Liggett in South County. [MD]

Hotel Bump…The economy is still at a crawl, but at least people are vacationing in Monterey County. The county’s transient occupancy tax was up 12 percent from July through September compared with the same quarter in 2009, according to the Treasurer/Tax Collector Lou Solton’s latest report. [KA]

Child Care Reprieve…Thousands of former welfare recipients who have recently entered the job market were set to lose state-subsidized childcare to budget cuts in the coming weeks. But an Alameda County judge has ordered the cuts restored until she can hear the case. [RU]

The High Life…Last weekend’s Big Sur Food & Wine Festival served up fantastic wines and delectable bites of the finest food around. Savor the pics and an exclusive video at www.mcweekly.com/photoblog. [NC]

Parting Shot…Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger told Jay Leno Nov. 8 that smoking pot in Californita is now an infraction—like a speeding ticket—thanks to SB 1449, which the guv has signed into law. Schwarzenegger says the new law might have contributed to Prop. 19’s failure at the polls.