14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY november 2-8, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com Home Free No senior citizen should be evicted from his/her home without a court hearing (“A Salinas man suffering from dementia lost his home. His family is trying to get it back,” Oct. 19-25). I would recommend a law that requires all HOAs to have contact information for the families of elderly residents so that they can be notified of late payment of dues before the HOA forecloses on the home! Jim Catalano | via social media This situation is troubling on so many levels. First, why are the HOA fees so high? How much effort did they make to reach the homeowner? If he didn’t respond to mail, find another way. If someone spends 20 years paying fees on time and suddenly stops, efforts should have been made to find out what was wrong. It is also beyond troubling that a person living alone progresses into dementia without anyone assisting him. Let this be a lesson to us all that plans are in place for someone to be our advocate should anything happen. This is a terrible story. Celia Bosworth | via social media $570 a month for HOA fees is the real crime. That’s ridiculous. Jaylean Elizabeth Arellano | Salinas It’s so awful that the HOA and Hero Homes could evict this poor elderly man with dementia, this should not be legal! And that “Hero Homes” claims to help homeless veterans while heartlessly evicting and ignoring the pleas of a veteran they made homeless, profiting off his misfortune. Danielle Egan | Mill Valley Ghost stories Thank you for your work about the late Monterey County historian Randy Reinstedt (“Randall ‘Randy’ Reinstedt built a self-publishing empire on disguising history as spooky tales,” Oct. 26-Nov. 1). During the many years that I was a reporter and editor at the Monterey Herald, Randy was a constant fount of history about this area. He was eager to share his knowledge as well as being approachable, friendly and also gracious with his time. We learned much from Randy that helped make for more comprehensive reporting. His works occupy a special place on my bookshelves. Through his writings, he will live on. Lewis Leader | Carmel Valley I have almost all of his books! He made such an impact on local history and lore. I appreciated how historically minded and journalistic his approach was. His legacy will no doubt live on! Jennifer Ruiter | Long Beach I had the pleasure of taking a local history class from Randy. Absolutely fascinating! I have numerous signed books of his. A wonderful, personable man! Veva King | King City I met him when I was a kid and he signed his book for me! I still have it to this day and always loved it. Sorry to hear of his passing. Nicole Cleary | via social media Verdict is In This is so sad and infuriating—and a lot of other outraged feelings (“The difficulties of covering a murder trial without cameras in the courtroom,” posted Oct. 25). You and your fellow journalists are heroes. Marilyn Brown | Pacific Grove It’s baffling to read of Judge Rafael Vazquez signing an order aimed at shutting down press coverage of the Gustavo Morales murder trial. Media agreed not to film or photograph anybody for safety reasons. So what’s up, Judge Vazquez? You owe your community an explanation. Michael Lojkovic | Monterey I appreciate your reporting on your experience covering the murder trial. The shifting guidelines, a bailiff making arbitrary decisions, the press being banned and/or sent to an inferior viewing spot? Outrageous! I hope you send your article to the Judicial Council for the State of California, the State Bar and whomever else oversees judges. I’m so sick of Monterey County acting like it’s the 1950s, with a lack of sophistication covering for incompetence. Banning the press from the courtroom—isn’t that against the law? Like constitutional law? It’s a big deal. Protest LOUDLY please! Thank you for imparting such important information to your readers. Susan Layne | via email Safe space Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County will never stop working to keep kids safe, and we take any allegation that might impact the well-being of the young people entrusted to our care very seriously (“A woman who was sexually abused by a Big Brothers Big Sisters mentor is suing,” Oct. 26-Nov. 1). Our organization is aware of a civil claim regarding allegations of abuse that date back more than 20 years ago and involve a former Big Brothers Big Sisters of Monterey County volunteer. The claims do not involve our organization as the alleged perpetrator has never been associated with BGCMC as an employee or volunteer, and our organization never merged with BBBSMC. Regardless, abuse of any kind runs counter to everything our organization stands for—no harm should come to any child under any circumstance. Our hearts are with the victim and their family. Ron Johnson | via email Note: Johnson is President & CEO of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Monterey County. On Trail As much as the people in the photo and the person who took the photo appreciate nature and Point Lobos, as docents we see people who are oblivious to the ground under their feet, unknowingly trampling native plants as they leave the trail to take photos (“ETC. Photo,” posted Oct. 26). When Monterey County Weekly features this photo, you inadvertently encourage others to also leave designated trails and damage fragile habitats. Volunteer docents are dedicated to teaching guests to behave in a manner that preserves and protects Point Lobos State Natural Reserve for future generations. Photos like this should not be the example. Donita Grace | Marina Note: Grace is docent administrator at Point Lobos. 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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