16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 28-SEPTMEBER 3, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com LONG AND SHORT OF IT Many second-home homeowners’ objective is short-term rental income (“The Coastal Commission approves Monterey County’s vacation rental ordinance in a major win,” Aug. 21-27). Yet second-home ownership is a root cause of the housing shortage in Pacific Grove and Carmel. Pacific Grove has over 800 occasionally occupied second homes; Carmel has over 300. If single-home homeowners occupied those 1,100-plus second homes year-round, there would be 1,100 more homes available for fulltime occupancy in Pacific Grove and Carmel, enough to meet the Regional Housing Need Allocation for both cities. Abolishing short-termrental income would go a long way toward remedying our regional housing shortage. Jane Haines | Pacific Grove Another case of government overreach. I love the argument that banning short-term rentals will protect the availability of housing for the everyday man. I live on Carmel Point where the average house costs more than $3 million and rents for more than $10,000/month. Tell me again how many “regular” families are able to afford to live here. Allowing someone to rent the property for a weekend allows the everyday person better access to this neighborhood than the alternative. Rory Coetzee | Carmel PRO PEACE Thank you for your very timely article about local activists Seth Pollack and Karen Paull (“Faced with a crisis in Gaza, local Jews organize for a different approach,” Aug. 21-27). I too know that we can be pro-Israel and still be critical of the policies of the Israeli government, and we can be critical of Hamas, and still be pro-Palestine. As a Jew and as a rabbi, I cannot stand idly by as Israel, with the active support of the United States, pursues the devastation of Palestinian life. I stand with J Street as a moral voice in the American Jewish community. The brutal Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023 justified Israel to defend itself, but targeting Palestinian civilians is just as much a war crime as Hamas’ action. Rabbi Chaim Schneider | Aptos I cannot agree more. The current situation in Gaza is untenable and it pains me immensely. I am a descendant of Jewish heritage whose forebears left central Europe prior to the Holocaust and I also had relatives who perished in the Holocaust. We must end the war, bring the desperately-needed supplies to Gaza and bring home the remaining hostages. Daniel Fernandez | Seaside IN PARK Thank you for this article (“Projects in Locke-Paddon Park are on hold as officials assess a Marina park’s future,” Aug. 21-27). There are, indeed, many issues which need to be worked through. One thing I do know is that Locke-Paddon Park is much loved and there is a lot of work to do to return the park to the original vision: a coastal wetlands community park. When I researched the history of the park, I learned that there are only three places in the world where our type of coastal vernal ponds exist: Marina, Southern Oregon and South Africa. That’s pretty special. Jeff Markham | Marina Note: Markham serves on the board of Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District. FEELING BLUE I own a local business and we are Blue Zones certified (“Monterey County becomes the first in the state to be called a Blue Zones Community,” Aug. 14-20). I’m grateful for Blue Zones support and it has helped my business continue to succeed. We are healthier and happier. Shawn Adams | Monterey MUSICAL BRIDGE Thank you for the spotlight on Peter Meckel and the question of his succession (“Without a clear path to the future, Hidden Valley explores Oberlin partnership,” Aug. 14-20). He is such a treasure, and Hidden Valley has been such an asset to the community, that it is good to raise wider awareness of this impending issue. I hope there will be a favorable outcome, and I hope you’ll be able to stay on the story as things develop. Ed Mellinger | Carmel Valley HOME SWEET HOME Glad to see this project coming together (“The county makes progress on transitioning people from three encampments to housing,” Aug. 14-20). The families living on the levee deserve housing and wraparound services. Kate Spencer | via social media MIXED MEAT Your article calling hot dogs “the perfect meal” overlooks the real costs of processed meat (“Although hot dog season is winding down, the summer staple is never far from the American mind,” Aug. 14-20). Hot dogs are made from factory-farmed animals, a system that fuels climate change, wastes resources and inflicts immense suffering. They’re also far from healthy—the World Health Organization classifies processed meats as carcinogens, and they’re packed with sodium and fat that drive heart disease. Calling them “perfect” is not just misleading, it glamorizes food that damages both people and the planet. It’s especially ironic—and hypocritical—that the same issue of the Weekly celebrates Monterey County as the first Blue Zones community in California (“Monterey County becomes the first in the state to be called a Blue Zones Community,” Aug. 14-20), while glorifying a food that contradicts Blue Zones’ core values. The truly perfect meal is one that sustains health, respects animals and protects our environment. Dee Pinder | Corral de Tierra CORRECTIONS A story about an exhibit at Carmel Art Association (“Visuals,” Aug. 21-27) misspelled the artist’s name. He is S.C. Yuan, not S.C. Juan. A story (“A beloved local festival, West End Celebration, returns with new leadership and new bands,” Aug. 21-27) misstated the relationship between Matthew Swinnerton and Nadja De Maeseneer. They are business partners, not romantic partners. 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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