14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 7-13, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com FAMILY PLANNING Saved my daughter’s and my life! Planned Parenthood is essential in the health of our community. That is men, women, children, family (“Monterey County Planned Parenthood clinics are spared from closure in wake of Medicaid cuts,” July 31-Aug. 6). Daphne Engelken | Salinas I remember when my wife and I didn’t have insurance, and she needed access to birth control and OB-GYN services like Paps, etc. Planned Parenthood was there to provide those vital services. It’s such a shame that America has become so blind to this. Matthew Conway | via social media Shame on how American society has become so blind to the effects of abortions and disregard of unborn lives. Let’s start there, how about that? Carlos Gonzalez | Salinas Planned Parenthood isn’t just about abortions! I have had life-saving mammograms there, Pap smears to detect cancer and more. I’ve gotten birth control there. I’ve even taken my sons there for condoms and health care because I couldn’t afford health care anywhere else. Kathy Jacques-Jarvis | via social media This is going to devastate our communities. Shame on all of you that voted for this. Alex White | Pacific Grove UP RISING Bill Lipe has all the tropes down pat “globalist agenda” (“Letters,” July 24-31). Was he trying for a knee-jerk reaction or did he really have something to say? Protests are one way to combat the actions of a tyrant and they are not an “ideological clique.” I think he is mad that it is implied he is a cultist of Donald J. Trump and is striking back. I will attend the rally Rage Against the Regime (“Rage Against the Regime protest in Monterey attracts several hundred demonstrators,” posted Aug. 4). I’m focused on how the government is taking down an exhibit in the Smithsonian that describes the president’s two impeachments. Trump’s willingness to erase history from the American people is alarming and needs to be in the forefront of our consciousness. I am one of the 3.5 percent that will not comply. Yvonne Battaglia | Marina WORK FORCE This is an exemplary county employee who is a bright light in our county workforce (“County’s top procurement official sues over allegations of racial discrimination,” July 24-31). This is undoubtedly going to be an expensive error costing taxpayers a lot of money at the end of the day. Kymm Navarette | Salinas SHOP DROP I share your thoughts (“Bright spots remain at the Barnyard in Carmel, despite its struggles,” posted Aug. 2). I remember how much I loved roaming through the Barnyard in its early days. Browsing at the Thunderbird bookshop was so special; Mae ran it so well. And there was the wonderful clerk who had a PhD. He was fun and knew every book in the store. Katie Rodriguez’s article defined the change so well (“Restaurants are struggling to stay in business at Carmel’s Barnyard Shopping Village,” Aug. 1-6). So sad! Joanne Kelly | Pacific Grove I loved hearing your memories from the 1970s of the Thunderbird bookstore. I also remember going to the bookstore and then having breakfast— what a wonderful treat. Wish they could bring the Thunderbird back. Karen Blank | Marina I lived in Carmel when all of that was a field. Flip Hatten once owned it. He used to fix my car when I was in high school. All gone now—too many people. Richard Douglas Varlay | Alamogordo, New Mexico ROAD WORK That’s why the road work is so slow around here (“Caltrans employees fired after reportedly taking part in booze-filled party with a stripper during work time,” posted July 31). They’re standing around on the job trying to recover from their hangovers instead of speeding up the shoveling! Elizabeth Barratt | Monterey REVVING UP When was the last time that “car week” was actually a week instead of 10 days? (“Car Week brings in big numbers—and headaches—to Monterey County,” posted July 30.) Kate Novoa | Big Sur SOMETHING SPECIAL I thought this article was very informative (“They are probably the most accessible yet least noticed governmental bodies—special districts tasked with delivering essential services,” July 17-23). It clearly explained what a special district is, who is instrumental in Monterey County’s special districts, and how special districts compare to other forms of local government. Kudos to Pam Marino for a thoughtful and well researched article. Eloise Shim | Salinas RISING STAR We stopped and listened to him play along with a friend in downtown Salinas a while back (“At just 9 years old, Rawley Kampf is a phenom on the saxophone after picking it up less than a year ago,” July 31-Aug. 6). They were amazing! His proud dad was nearby. Great job parents and Rawley! Mindy Gularte Carpenter | Salinas NIGHT LIFE It was the last decent spot at night. Going downhill just like the rest of the town (“The downtown Monterey Italian favorite Cibo is sold to a Carmel restaurateur with ideas,” posted July 30). Heather Ann Morales | Salinas Downtown Monterey is dead. Marek Piecyk | Salinas Monterey is for the newly wed or nearly dead. It’s never really been a place to party anyway; San Jose is for that. Gina Guzman | Seaside Such an amazing location, should have an amazing restaurant. Shawn Adams | Monterey Hope they keep the same happy hour! Stephen Posko | Monterey 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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