14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY september 19-25, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com out for delivery Don’t lose farmlands to Amazon’s Darwinian toxic culture (“Amazon is coming to Salinas. What does that mean for the future?” posted Sept. 14). More than 31 million acres of U.S. agricultural land have been irrevocably lost to urban expansion since 1982 and an additional 175 acres of farm and ranchland are lost every hour to make way for housing and other industries. The land that is being lost is some of the most productive agricultural land in the country. Michael Manzano | Pacific Grove For god’s sake leave the massive Amazon project for elsewhere (“Roadwork is set to begin as Amazon prepares to build a warehouse in Salinas,” Sept. 12-18). Be forewarned of one monster breeding others. We’ve lived it in onceopen orange groves, strawberry fields, and small homes with horses, riding trails, small ranches with local produce and eggs, etc. Monterey County is on a very slippery slope here and does not need this. Once you allow just one you are doomed to become another “L.A.- ized” monster. Once you lose it, it’s gone forever. Put the brakes on. Leslie F. Rice | Garden Grove, Calif. Weapons of War Ban assault weapons. Those are for only the military (“A law that takes guns away from potentially dangerous people is picking up steam—but not in Monterey County,” Sept. 5-11). Anthony Johnson | via social media Thank you Erik Chalhoub and Sara Rubin for your excellent articles on the use of guns and statistics. I have been peripherally involved since 1993 when a student at Gilroy High shot another student during PE class. As a City Council member, I sponsored a very successful gun turn-in day soon afterward. In recent years, Gilroy and Morgan Hill have had two gun turn-in days (also successful) where those who submitted their weapons were paid by funds through the District Attorney’s office. As you noted, Santa Clara County has also been fairly successful using gun violence restraining orders. Connie Rogers | Gilroy School Dues The last bond measure is costing me $600 per year in property tax (“Local school districts are asking voters to approve 14 bond measures for upgrades,” Sept. 5-11). Now this one will be another $600 more per year. With rising costs I can’t afford another tax increase. Fifty percent of the state’s budget is spent on education and they still need more money. California public schools rank one of the lowest in the nation with student proficiency. After spending $128 billion on education last year, we should have one of the best programs in the nation. These politicians and superintendents need to be held accountable for the mismanagement of our tax dollars. Only way to prevent them from spending is to stop giving it to them. Reggie Owens | Seaside As a third-generation Toreador, I am so proud of all the progress being made at Monterey High. The Science Innovation Center is state of the art and looks like a building you would find on a college campus rather than a high school. The new lower field and lights will provide safety for students. The small theater is now a great place to watch young performers on stage. The one thing on campus that remains a relic of the past is Monterey High’s pool which was built in the 1920s. It is an embarrassment that we can’t host home swim meets or water polo games. It is shameful that my kid will have to swim in the same pool her grandparents swam in 50-plus years ago. I support Measure A to keep the progress going and finally redo the pool at MHS. Heather Sever | Monterey To Health I’m especially interested and appreciative of the work Pam Marino and colleagues are doing to cover this critical beat (“A state hearing about health care prices puts local hospitals under the microscope,” posted Aug. 30). I just wanted to register my strong interest, and encourage you to keep the spotlight on this fraught topic. Mary Jane Perna | Monterey Ride into the Sunset When I was at Carmel High I worked at the stables in the summers (19571959). Dick Collins, my godfather, ran the stables then. I shoveled out stalls, fed the horses and rented out horses at $2 an hour. Riding those trails down to the beach and on the sand dunes is something I will never forget (“The Pebble Beach Equestrian Center is demolished after efforts to save it fail,” posted Sept. 13). Where are residents going to keep their horses now? [Pebble Beach Co.] did not need to do this. Who on earth came up with a bid of $15 million to fix the place up? Was each horse to have its own boudoir with room service, breakfast in bed and a five-piece bathroom with gold faucets? Richard Douglas Varlay | Alamogordo, N.M. Doctor’s Orders My son had a sinus infection when he was 10. His pediatrician prescribed an antibiotic and a few days of boogie boarding at the beach. Saltwater and Vitamin D were just what the doctor ordered (“A program that prescribes park visits for better health gets a booster shot,” Sept. 12-18). Valentina Rosendeau | via social media Open Seat Vote for Jean Rasch for Monterey City Council District 3 (“Monterey’s mayoral and council hopefuls will share their ideas during a panel discussion,” posted Aug. 26). You can count on her to do everything in her power to defeat attempts to remove control from our neighborhoods. Jean has shown commitment serving as our president of the Monterey Vista Neighborhood and as representative on the Neighborhood Community Improvement Program. Jean fought to prevent wireless cell towers next to our homes. She’s a relationship builder who listens to us. Jean’s a smart, thoughtful leader with a law degree. She puts residents first! Giovanni Adamo | Monterey Correction An image that appeared in the Visuals section (“Hot Picks,” Sept. 5-11) was not the correct image described and attributed to artist Joan Lewis. It was a piece by artist Jose Ortiz. Letters • CommentsOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@montereycountynow.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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