16 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY NOVEMBER 20-26, 2025 www.montereycountynow.com BULLY PULPIT I have to whole heartedly disagree with this take (“Salinas City Council moves to censure member Andrew Sandoval,” Nov. 6-12). Andrew ran on transparency and accountability, and that’s exactly what he has done. This mayor consistently limits public commentary and refuses to answer difficult questions. They ran on lies and very little pushback. Salinans, like my parents, are living with the consequences of those deceitful tactics. Sandoval’s form, which you call aggressive, has helped many of us make sense of this council’s prioritizing special interests and brings accountability to the council with their own words. I think this take to paint Sandoval as uncompromising comes at the expense of transparency and accountability, which for people like [Councilmember Aurelio] Salazar and [Mayor Dennis] Donohue is exactly what they need to continue to push their special interest agendas. Monica Andrade | Soledad Salinas residents are ill-served by the junior high antics of their elected city and county officials. Unbecoming behavior by councilmembers Andrew Sandoval, Jose Luis Barajas and Aurelio Salazar, along with County Supervisor Luis Alejo, now distract from and complicate real issues and potential solutions. Bad blood extends back to at least the campaign where false charges of defunding the police and a preemptive recall effort culminated during a shoving match at a pizzeria. That individuals might not like each other is normal, but in public service one would hope that thicker skin and the greater good would prevail. One would be wrong with Sandoval, Bajaras, Salazar and Alejo, the four basing their politics on hurt feelings and “mom, he’s poking me” level interactions. Gentlemen, time to put on your big boy pants. Grow up. Peter Szalai | Salinas Councilman Sandoval is working hard and well for the people of Salinas. He is demanding transparency and accountability at every turn. He has in fact successfully stopped much wrongdoing with public records requests, calling out actions publicly, and being a bold leader committed to the common good. We need more elected officials like Andrew Sandoval, not people who behave as though they are responsible to big money donors who bought and paid for them. To censure him is a distraction. Don’t fall for it, Salinas folks. Keep being loud and demanding clarity, Councilman Sandoval. You are doing the people’s work by calling out potential corruption and drawing attention to matters of concern. Karen Araujo | Salinas CORNER STORE Congratulations Mike (“As Mike Filice prepares to retire, a longstanding tradition comes to an end,” Nov. 6-12). Jeez, I’ve known you all my life! Quality Market has seen many generations come and go through your store. Many of us grew up there, shopped there daily and yes, became part of the Filice family. My mom and I were always known as “Popalina,” for years. I’m sure gonna miss you. I can’t believe it is really happening, maybe I don’t wanna believe it. Donna Boyster | Salinas Thank you from the Doris family for the shout-out to the Italian families that had grocery stores in East Salinas. My father, uncle and brothers owned the Friendly, Bi-Wise and Thrifty Markets back in the day and then my dad, Joe Doris, was a butcher at Quality Market. Those really were the good old days. Congratulations to Mike on his retirement! Cindy Cassinelli | via social media Congratulations Mike. We’ll always have great memories of your family and the store. I remember it as a little store with a fresh meat market, half a beef hanging in the back. Mom would send us girls to get meat and butter, among other things. We were in heaven with 25 cents. We could get so much penny candy back then. Times sure changed. Thanks for serving the East side for so long. Rita Tabios Roeseler | Salinas FRONT AND CENTER So proud of our community leaders that are taking action to create change, justice and healing (“A local effort to bring attention to missing and murdered Indigenous women is growing,” Nov. 13-19). Michelle Magdalena Maddox | Pacific Grove [Mary Ann Carbone], you are an amazing role model for our Indigenous community, showing there is a way to make a difference. The more awareness the better. It was an amazing conference. Yolonda Campos-Robles | via social media EAT UP Thank you for highlighting the incredible generosity of local businesses and nonprofits such as Ad Astra, Everyone’s Harvest, Grupo Flor and Pavel’s Backerei who are helping feed our community while the federal government strips people of SNAP benefits (“As the federal government plays with hunger, locals step up,” Nov. 13-19). The Trump administration’s determination to clear the tables of people in need during a season of feasting is the height of cruelty. The efforts of local individuals, businesses and nonprofits to make up for the government’s failure are a paragon of generosity in this season of giving. Joanna Gallagher | Monterey Thank you so much for telling us about the local work being done for SNAP beneficiaries! Grateful. Babs duPont Hanneman | Pacific Grove HOME SWEET HOME This is a wonderful success story. I hope to hear more of these in the future (“Veterans are finding a place of respite in a 100-percent affordable complex in Marina,” Nov. 6-12). Walter Wagner | Salinas LOVE STORY Agata Popeda did a fabulous job capturing the essence of The Love Project (“In her debut book, BBC journalist Alison van Diggelen finds a trove of human stories,” Nov. 6-12). Readers who think they know Carmel will be surprised. The response so far has been fabulous. Readers tell me it’s nourishing for the soul. Alison van Diggelen | Carmel LETTERS • COMMENTSOPINION Submit letters to the editor to letters@montereycountynow.com. 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