14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY october 24-30, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com End of an Era I can’t see how it could possibly go on without Steve’s involvement (“A major shakeup puts the future of Sand City’s signature event into question,” Oct. 10-16). Too many details for a new person to absorb without him. Sand City City Council truly bungled this by not following up with Steve. RIP West End Celebration. Koly McBride | Gonzales Steve is the bedrock of this event, like Mickey is to Disneyland! As a West End vendor for the last 10 years in the same spot ( #10), this makes me wary of 2025 participation. Cheryl Robinson | Prunedale Low Note Valentina Lisitsa has clearly made a very public choice to deride what she calls “European Ukrainians,” beginning in 2014 with the unlawful Russian invasion and annexation of Crimea. Her vicious tweets are infamous, and sound typically Russian in their imperial claims (“A Russian pianist who’s had international concerts canceled over her social media posts sees Carmel appearance scrubbed,” posted Oct. 11). Though she may have every right to express her views, words have consequences. Like the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and other groups, the Carmel Music Society does not owe her a performance. They made the right decision. Christina Lund | Pacific Grove My first thought was, There must be more to this story. My second thought was, Nope, that’s all there is. Somehow the whole saga collapses into a shrug. With all that in her public history, including her calling herself a slanderer, why would Carmel Music Society book her in the first place? And if there was a legitimate reason to drop her, why not admit it? It’s a mid-level faux pas, like spilling a drink on somebody in Carmel. Skip Seibel | Pacific Grove Four Way I supported Cary Swensen two years ago when she ran against a long-time incumbent (“Politics isn’t pretty—but it’s time for voters to make choices. Our endorsements in local, state and national elections,” Oct. 10-16). She won 42 percent of the vote, an impressive achievement. Once you meet Cary, one can appreciate her integrity and commitment. She is a member of Steinbeck Rotary and of Salinas LULAC. Serving as a member of the Measure G Oversight Committee gives her an inside view of Salinas’ revenue and expenditures. On the day the Salinas City Council interviewed 11 candidates for the interim District 3 appointment, Cary had the largest number of supporters give testimony why she was the right choice for the interim position. The group of supporters were a diverse group of residents of District 3. Laura Solorio | Salinas Empty Seat They brought this on themselves by ignoring the Brown Act. It should have been obvious, and it certainly was to the judge (“Greenfield City Council accepts a court decision deeming Drew Tipton’s appointment illegal,” Oct. 14-23). Walter Wagner | Salinas True Story My dirty secret is that I worked at Fox News for seven-and-a-half years in the research department (“Monterey County’s new Media Literacy Coalition brings attention to how to discern truth,” Oct. 17-23). When I hear people say that Fox makes up news or lies, I have to laugh because, as a researcher, I had to source absolutely everything and put the source in a database. If you make up news, you get sued. Of course, the news division, where I worked, is quite different from the editorial or commentary side, where there can be more gray area. I remember when AP announced it would start explaining the news rather than just providing it. I knew that was a slippery slope. The 24-hour news cycle changed things too, and the internet…well…We all have to be thoughtful as readers and not allow ourselves to buy into conspiracy theories, even if it’s tempting to believe the worst about someone you dislike. Truth must always be sought and defended. Claire Fay | Carmel I was both delighted and appreciative reading about Misinformation Day. I use methods other than what Ben Franklin prescribed in not believing anything you hear and half of what you see. I would love to see more adults become critical in their thinking when hearing, reading and seeing news. Unfortunately, manipulative media appeals to feelings. Deborah Smith-Wotring | Carmel Down the Line The charges are a perfectly timed political hit (“DA charges CUSD board member and candidate with felony election fraud for lying about her address,” posted Oct. 4). In her current at-large position, Anne-Marie Rosen could live anywhere within CUSD. She has two homes, approximately 1.5 miles apart, both in Carmel Valley and within CUSD. One is in District 4, which is where she has lived while serving as the at-large trustee. The other is in District 5 where she is running, and now lives. Both are partially rented to relatives, but they remain her homes, with her personal belongings and furnishings in both. These charges are a travesty of justice and potentially will cause Rosen to lose the election, a great loss to the community and youth that she advocates for tirelessly and not just a “yes man” on the current CUSD board. Alondra Valdez Klemek | Carmel Valley Out of this World I attended and it’s one of the best things that ever happened in Monterey, especially for my generation (“The first Worlds Away electronic dance music festival lands at the Monterey Fairgrounds with an epic day of dancing and DJs,” posted Oct. 14). Will it come back next year? I hope so. Johnny Perez | via email We need more of this vibe on the Peninsula. I’m advocating for more of this energy and experience. It’s horrible to have to travel two hours north for anything decent that can replicate this type of production. Liz Diaz | via social media 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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