16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY january 25-31, 2024 www.montereycountyweekly.com Water Flow Growers have always supported recycled water efforts—heck, we helped build and pay for the first water recycling plant that is now Pure Water Monterey (“Recycled water to supply Peninsula raises eyebrows from Salinas Valley growers,” Jan. 11-17). But we’re also on the hook for bringing our groundwater into sustainability and that means measuring water use—all water use—to make sure we can meet our state and environmental obligations. Pure Water Monterey is a great project. That doesn’t change the fact that there are major questions about how much water official water agencies say is available for its expansion and the validity of water purchase agreements, including one with the City of Salinas and Monterey County Water Resources Agency that has been on hold since 2022. Ratepayers are on the hook for $77 million-plus of loans for the expansion. Growers are on the hook for groundwater sustainability. We are taking our jobs seriously and asking hard questions. We are grateful for the agencies taking their jobs seriously, too. We look forward to working with Monterey One Water and the Monterey County Water Resources Agency to address outstanding questions so everyone can move toward sustainability. Douglas Scattini | Salinas The farmers absolutely have a point. M1W has been very vague from the beginning about where they actually get their water. Why? Because they import water from the Salinas Valley to the Monterey Peninsula. John Tilley | Monterey Career Goals Thanks for informing us, because this sounds wonderful! (An internship program between CSUMB and Pebble Beach is believed to be the first of its kind,” posted Jan. 16.) d’Aulan Gentry | via email On Strike Please be careful when posting statistics. When you said 95 percent of faculty voted to strike, you failed to clarify that it was 95 percent of those who chose to vote (“A one-week CSU faculty strike is on after administrators walk out on negotiations,” Jan. 18-24). That is very different than 95 percent of all CSU Monterey Bay faculty. Robert Deihl | Seaside School Lunch Free hot lunch really saved me when I was a child. I’m grateful for these options for my daughter as well (“School kitchens are transforming to provide higher-quality, healthier meals for kids,” Jan. 18-24). Rachelle Escamilla | via social media Track Time Ridiculous! (“A nonprofit was set to take over management of Laguna Seca Jan. 1, but the contract remains in limbo,” Jan. 11-17.) A bunch of Karens want to close down a national treasure? Who told them to move in next to a race track? If they can hear cars at Laguna Seca they live in the flight path of MRY—will they try to shut down MRY too? Or is the airport OK because their private jet is parked there? If you don’t like the noise of the racetrack, move away from the racetrack! Steven Swartzendruber | Salinas In the Mail Thank you for both lifting up the need for Valentines for Alliance on Aging, something I was going to look up during these rainy few days, as I have made Valentines for them in the past (“Here’s your invitation to write a Valentine’s card, without the baggage of romantic love attached,” posted Jan. 17). And thank you for lifting up snail mail. I have found that people appreciate it more than many will admit, unless they have never received any. I make new cards out of used cards and other items that catch my eye, having done collage-type things since high school. Alice Ann Glenn | Monterey A Look Back Wonderful article (“Observations on 19th-century culture and wilderness on the Monterey Peninsula,” Jan. 11-17). A photo on p. 17 shows the interior of the Carmel Mission many years after it was abandoned, but before it was restored. You can see several (seven to eight upright, whitish headstones. I was informed by mission staff, 30 years ago or so, that those were burials of the Indians who had been abandoned by the Padres, but still kept the faith. I believe that in subsequent years, they were re-interred outside, in the gravesite currently on the mission grounds. Walter Wagner | Salinas Touch Down I’m a very old lady with zero interest in sports, but you made that memory sound so exciting, I’m sure my heart beat faster! Thank you for the delight (“A bucket-list experience during peak football season,” posted Jan. 19). Go Niners. Marilyn Brown | Pacific Grove Whose Country? I’m sure Susan Whitney feels good about sending in her opinion, but she is totally wrong in her thinking (“Letters,” Jan. 11-17). I would classify her as a Trump hater with Trump Deranged Syndrome. In her mind she can’t see anything clearly, because of her hatred. Our country and the citizens within were much better off under the Trump administration. If she doesn’t realize that, she must or filthy rich, or an idiot. Our country has gone off its rails and the Biden administration continues to make things worse. We need Trump back in the saddle in order to even have an attempt at normalcy within our United States again. People like Susan are part of the problem. Jenn Thompson | Salinas Susan Whitey is SO wrong. Not much has gone right in the past three years compared to the previous four years. President Trump is not even a politician and his record is so much better than the Biden administration’s. I know Trump has his faults, but loving his country is not one of them. We were, without a doubt, better off with Trump as president, which you cannot deny. I understand that you hate Trump, but he is obviously our best choice. Susan Romero | Monterey Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@mcweekly.com. 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