Thomas "Vampire" Skeens has been washing windows in Salinas since 1966. by Nic Coury

La Tortuga Mexican restaurant in Salinas offers up traditional torta sandwichs with a large variety of flavor choices. by Nic Coury

Yann Lusseau, who co-owns Parker-Lusseau bakery in Monterey, squeezes out meringue. by Nic Coury

Yann Lusseau pours custard into meled Callebaut semi-sweet chocolate chips for his annual yule log dessert. by Nic Coury

NPS Professor Rodrigo Nieto-Gómez says drugs traffickers provide a unique window into a kill-or-be-killed environment. It’s the cartels’ ability to innovate, skirting ever-changing enforcement policies, that gets him excited about the lessons underground groups can provide for above-board businesses and government. by Nic Coury

Monterey County Chief Probation Officer Manuel Real (foreground) and Nancy Hatton, the county Probation Department’s adult division director, discuss the county’s efforts to keep jail overcrowding to a minimum. by Nic Coury

Monterey County transportation planner Andy Cook says a bike-sharing program in Monterey and P.G. could later expand into Seaside and Marina. by Nic Coury

Monterey Housing and Property Manager Rick Marvin predicts an affordable housing crunch once Peninsula real estate prices recover. The city sold 10 Ocean Harbor House condos for $3.3 million in 2009. by Nic Coury