14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 13-19, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com HARBOR SIDE Thank you for your in-depth research and presentation of the complex journey of Heritage Harbor (“The story of a failed shopping mall on Monterey’s waterfront held promise in the past, and holds potential in the future,” Oct. 30-Nov. 5). Too many locals are not aware of the historic value of the area, hence the tourists aren’t educated to utilize history as a valued experience in the area. It’s time to lift the curse and value what’s close at hand. Knowing and appreciating history is one of the greatest life lessons about how to succeed going forward. Annie Auburn | Del Rey Oaks In 2018, I began a master’s in psychology program at Brandman University at Heritage Harbor. It was an incredibly convenient place to get my degree. As a local who spent some important hours of my life at Heritage Harbor, I’d love to see it used for the benefit of locals and/or visitors once again. There is a cumbersome parking area between the complex and the Wharf/Custom House area that could easily be removed. It’s unfortunate that the story began so sadly. It’s definitely time for a new, happier chapter, though many locals have already benefited from Brandman’s former presence and given back to the community through skills learned at Brandman. Perhaps the curse can now be lifted. Claire Fay | Carmel Rule 1 of marketing: Be visible. Rule 2: Get people there. Being hidden is charming (I love the hidden historic buildings and gardens), but is death to retail. Celia Bosworth | Salinas This article contained some rather staggering incompetence or just poor reporting. David Schmalz happened to visit the Pacific House and the Custom House on one Saturday afternoon and found them empty, drawing the conclusion that no one ever went to these museums. Of course, all he had to do was simply ask the people there about traffic patterns or even look at the visitors log which paints an entirely different picture than the one he portrays. To me this kind of hit job on these historic adobes brings into question the accuracy of his reporting. He is apparently clueless about the number of visitors that enter the museums as well as the organizations that support the historic adobes through volunteer work and fundraising. Lee Henderson | Monterey What a great article! I grew up in Monterey during this period of time and this story reminded me of all of the events that transpired with the urban renewal projects in Monterey. Dan Herkimer | via web HOTEL RISING Downtown Salinas desperately needs a nice boutique hotel (“Taylor Fresh Foods plans to turn two Salinas parking lots into housing and a hotel,” Nov. 6-12). When we brought in business visitors, they had to stay on the outskirts of town. As a result, they often decided to stay in Monterey instead. Having a nice hotel downtown would support evening activities and provide another source of income for the restaurants, as well as a chance to house business travelers meeting in Salinas. Fingers crossed that this project happens. Debbie Hale | Capitola So it’s used for parking now but where will all those vehicles go? Plus housing and a hotel will need even more parking. Debbie Myers Bryant | via social media Bruce Taylor can do anything he wants…he is the owner of Salinas. Alberto Rosales | Salinas SHOW TIME I was deeply disappointed with Agata Popeda’s commentary regarding comedian Aziz Ansari (“A Golden Globe-winning comedian with a controversial history makes a stop in Monterey,” posted Nov. 7). The media has given our collective fervor to destroy the reputation of anyone who has merely been accused of wrongdoing access to the widest audience imaginable. As an unapologetically progressive father of two daughters, I wish the MeToo movement hadn’t diminished its credibility under the weight of its own excesses. But it did. It’s not feminism to elevate every instance of inappropriate behavior to the status of a crime. A bad date isn’t a felony, it’s a reason to block someone’s phone number. I respectfully suggest that responsible journalistic voices consider the damage done when perpetuating hearsay accusations that were never adjudicated in a court of law. Either find someone guilty of a crime, or leave them in peace. R.M.C. Sulahian | Carmel Valley NUMBERS GAME Suggesting funds be taken from reserves when Neighborhood and Community Improvement Program projects can be postponed a year is as ridiculous as how the city got into this deficit (“Monterey City Council remains unable to find consensus on closing a $10 million budget deficit,” Oct. 30-Nov. 5). For decades, previous city councils added infrastructure projects but not funds for their maintenance, which has put the city in this current predicament. Why would we go backward taking from reserves? It would be like taking money out of your 401(k) when you have the money needed in a checking account. Esther Malkin | Monterey ART OF HISTORY What a wonderful thing to do for Monterey (“A new mural at the back of Austino’s in Monterey pays homage to Cannery Row figures,” posted Oct. 31). Chris Shake is an amazing part of Monterey history and his restaurants rock! Thank you for taking the time to implement a great idea. Patty Cramer | Coarsegold, Calif. RAISE A GLASS It was fantastic! (“The Big Sur Food and Wine Festival masters the art of food, place and story,” Nov. 6-12.) Irma Magdayao | via social media CORRECTION A Hot Pick about an introductory birding event at Laguna Grande Park (“Hot Picks,” Nov. 6-12) listed the wrong date. It takes place on Nov. 22, not Nov. 12. 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.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==