16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY March 30-April 5, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Water War Who does the Cal Am takeover benefit? (“Monterey Peninsula Water Management District moves forward with an attempted public buyout of private water utility Cal Am,” posted March 22.) This is a hostile takeover of a private company by a public agency, and regardless of whether you think that is a good thing or a bad thing, it isn’t going to be quick, easy or inexpensive. The one guarantee is lawyers are going to make a lot of money. The district needs to operate Cal Am’s current activities more efficiently than Cal Am for this to actually be a benefit to ratepayers, so the burden is on the district to outline clearly to ratepayers and the community how exactly they are going to accomplish this. Five years ago a group of advocates were successful in getting a ballot initiative passed. It is now their and the district’s responsibility to make the case clearly that this initiative is in the best interests of the community, and not just an effort to put a corporate trophy on their shelf. John McPherson | Salinas Having served as executive officer of four LAFCOs—Ventura, Santa Barbara, Contra Costa and San Benito—and provided professional services for 20 others such as preparing municipal service reviews, spheres of influence and local government reorganizations, I continue to have an interest in local government organization throughout the state. I have pretty much ended my consulting business and certainly don’t have a dog in this fight. I commend you on your writing style and your ability to keep local government organization issues in perspective. The overarching question for all LAFCOs should be what is in the overall best public interest. Water supply, water quality and water distribution issues in California are becoming much more relevant, or at least much more apparent. Bob Braitman | Ventura Doctor Done Thank you Dr. Hulstedt for having the integrity to be educated and truthful about the harms vaccines are causing our children. You are truly a hero (“A Monterey doctor loses his license for anti-vax views that factored into a deadly custody case,” March 23-29). Heather Chang | Seaside Doctors take a Hippocratic Oath to vow to defend the health of their patients, which includes defending them against Big Pharma’s for-profit model that overrides common sense. It is a disgrace that Dr. Hulstedt has lost his license, and all the pharmaceutical-pushing doctors keep theirs. It is a disgrace that media has sided so blindly with Big Pharma’s cascade of lies. We live in a backwards world. “Trust” the “science,” indeed. Chad Balester | Monterey Screen Time We loved the theater, but it desperately needed an update (“The family who built and owns Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove is determined to give it another go,” March 23-29). The bathrooms were pretty disgusting. Updated seating, a new state-of-the-art screen, new bathrooms and some new paint and flooring—it would be a gem. If the theater were updated, I think they could charge “normal” prices as well. It doesn’t have to be a discounted experience. Fingers crossed they can revive this space. I think it would be a huge hit. Curt Konrad | Pacific Grove Though it is not the closest screening venue to my home, I have opted to see films at the Lighthouse 4 whenever I could because it offers a neighborhood theater vibe that a mall cineplex cannot. It also retained open seating, which became essential to me given that I am severely immuno-compromised and must avoid crowds. While I appreciate the need for expanded housing options on the Peninsula, the Enea sisters’ commitment to maintaining a family business when they could probably sell the building to a developer for a princely sum demonstrates a personal investment that is disappearing as fast as movie screens. Fingers crossed. Elizabeth Bowditch | Seaside Weather Report I had just moved to Monterey from Santa Barbara in 1998 and it was a crazy wet year (“Where does this winter stack up in terms of historical rainfall?” posted March 21). Same for the ‘82-’83 winter. But in 1998, it was more like drenching, tropical El Niño rain. Lots of wet storms followed by another wet storm. What definitely feels different about this winter—and I have lived in California since 1970—is the amount of intense wind. This year, it seems every atmospheric river is more windy than it is wet. That’s what is causing so many of the healthy trees to fall over. It would be good to know the combination of wind gusts and rainfall totals. Bill Douros | Carmel Into the Woods It is reassuring that someone else has the same questions I do, and that I’m not just some old crank (“The U.S. Forest Service’s approach to storm damage denies public access,” March 9-15). If U.S. Forest Service or other agency liability is the concern, then laws and regulations have to be changed. [Ventana Wilderness Alliance] has a good website that describes trail conditions and that should be good enough. What feel like arbitrary closures can be frustrating and lead to non-compliance with other regulations that are important. Henrik Kibak | Seaside Nice article. I could not agree more, and I also find it very frustrating. Dave Erickson | Corral de Tierra Taco Time Love this place, glad we found it! (“A first-time restaurant owner finds success at Mission 19 Taqueria in Monterey,” March 16-22). We go two to three times per month and take new customers. Monica Iribe Rivera Cisneros | Salinas Correction A story (“The family who built and owns Lighthouse Cinema in Pacific Grove is determined to give it another go”) incorrectly reported when the theater first opened. It was 1987, not 1988. Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.com. Please keep your letter to 150 words or less; subject to editing for space. Please include your full name, contact information and city you live in.
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