14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 24-30, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com EXTRA SPECIAL Enjoyed your article (“They are probably the most accessible yet least noticed governmental bodies—special districts tasked with delivering essential services,” July 17-23). As someone new to public office I have enjoyed learning about things like this and also being part of it in my work with the City and the Regen board. It’s a big responsibility running a complex and important agency. It is also a bit of a concern to me that the board is made up of people who may have had little knowledge of their business when joining the board. Big decisions are made at every meeting, including long-term strategic planning issues. It blows my mind to think about how many cities and special districts there are and that each of them have to do what we have to do as a city. Lots of moving parts and it never stops! Add in having new participants that have voting powers coming in every two years, and it gets even more complicated. Dale Byrne | Carmel Note: Byrne is mayor of Carmel. Fabulous article! I had no idea we had so many special districts in the county. And so many opportunities for people to contribute! Glen Grossman | Pacific Grove SPRAY DOWN I spent several hours of my precious summer break before my junior year at Greenfield High attending the court hearing on fumigant pesticide use near Monterey County schools that Sara Rubin wrote about (“Pesticide permits go on trial in a case that could change the ag industry,” July 17-23). I admit I couldn’t understand most of what the attorneys and judge were saying—very technical. However, I was listening the whole time and never heard the County, State or growers’ attorneys say a word about what I thought was supposed to be the most important issue: protecting the health of kids like me. Instead, what I heard was it’s just too hard to write down the conditions to prepare for hazardous pesticide applications, because there is such a huge number of these applications. Alexia Rangel | Greenfield This story covers the “stakes” for Big Ag regarding fumigant pesticide use, but avoids the costs to our farmworker communities. In the profits over people struggle, Big Ag interests whine about the money they would lose if the County and State actually enforced permitting laws, but for the People, the stakes are higher incidences of cancer and asthma. Chloropicrin is banned in 43 countries. It was called “the vomiting gas” in WWI, because it seeped into soldiers’ gas masks, forcing them to discard the masks and then be exposed to more deadly biological weapons. It’s now illegal on the battlefields, but today still commonly used near school grounds. As for 1,3-dichloropropene, that’s banned in 40 countries. The air monitor on the grounds of Ohlone Elementary School has registered 1,3-D concentrations more than twice the lifetime cancer risk level established by the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment, since testing began at the end of 2011. Jacob Sandoval | Salinas WAR AND PEACE I found Ava Homa’s contribution poignant and spot on (“Missiles and headlines come and go. But Iran’s repressive regime continues to endure,” July 10-16). People are the losers in these political disputes. Her line “mistaking ruin for rebirth, bombs for liberation” is especially true. Thank you for including her piece. Karen Calley | Monterey PUSH BACK In these tough times with the MAGA monster in Washington controlling our lives, I am very grateful to have Rep. Jimmy Panetta representing us on the Central Coast (“Squid Fry: Popularity Contest,” July 10-16). He’s fighting the fight and is doing all he can to keep us informed via emails, town halls, virtual meetings and informing us that he’s there for all of us. He gives us hope! We must be patient and change will come. Keep the faith; keep protesting (“Good Trouble Lives On protests set for Salinas and Monterey,” posted July 16). Thank you, Jimmy! Susan Harris | Carmel Valley This so-called movement looks more like a ritual gathering of aging white progressives and a handful of neocon remnants who never forgave the Republican base for rejecting their globalist agenda (“A growing volunteer group in Aromas continues a nationwide rally against the Trump Administration,” posted July 18). These protests don’t represent grassroots democracy. They represent a particular ideological clique desperate to maintain cultural relevance while clinging to a narrative of perpetual crisis. Civil liberties aren’t being eroded by the people they protest. If anything, they’re eroding under the weight of state overreach, censorship and selective enforcement championed by the very ideology they defend. Bill Lipe | Salinas DINNER RESERVATIONS I would pick Villa Azteca in Salinas (“Monterey County’s best restaurants get national recognition—and a visit to Chez Noir shows why,” posted July 17). Everything a restaurant should be. Fun, welcoming with inventive delicious beautiful food. It is my favorite, hands down. A place to relax, a place to celebrate in every way. Pamela Takigawa | Carmel Valley Try Foray. Better food, no condescension. Michael and Caroline Chang are amazing, and in comparison, bring to mind what Ginger Rogers said about Fred Astaire: “Yes, he is a good dancer. But I do everything he does, backwards, and in heels.” David Glickman | Pebble Beach RIDE ON The Salinas horse parades are a wonderful tradition, which I’ve been watching for more than 70 years (“A long-time parade tradition brings the community spirit of rodeo to the streets of Salinas,” July 17-23). Some things are just meant to stay the same! Walter Wagner | Salinas 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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