14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 5-11, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com ICED OUT Why would the Sheriff’s Department waste any of our county dollars or time doing anything for ICE? (“Residents demand transparency and urge Sheriff’s Office to cease cooperation with ICE,” posted Jan. 29). In fact, they should be protecting the safety of our residents. I lived in Salinas for 33 years. I lived in a part of Salinas that had a lot of non-citizens. They were good neighbors, and part of the reason I miss Salinas. Matt Brysch | via social media The vast majority of the country supports and wants immigration laws enforced. Shout in the wind all you want and protest peacefully and legally all day long. But when you whine to an agency that doesn’t have anything to do with making the law, then you’re wasting your time. Wendy Darling | via social media It’s time to fire Kristi Noem. That won’t fix everything but keeping her in power guarantees more violence, more cover-ups and more blank checks for abuse. Millions of people are demanding accountability and an end to the lies coming from Noem and this entire regime. We must get ICE out of our communities, investigate the use of deadly force, and stop funding this war against our own people. Lauren Keenan | Salinas NURSES UNITED It’s about time! So glad. You deserve proper representation and support (“Nearly 500 of CHOMP’s 800 nurses vote in favor of joining a union in historic vote,” posted Jan. 30). Shirley Ambelang | via social media I’m from Monterey and a CNA member working in San Francisco. Best thing that’s ever happened. Congratulations and welcome to CNA! Beverly Lue | via social media I worked at CHOMP 20 years ago and we tried for a union but the union pulled back at the last minute due to underwhelming interest from nurses. Now a whole new generation of nurses are there. Gen Z and millennials are a force to be reckoned with, they question norms and stand strong against corporate numbnuts. Congrats to you all for bringing in the union. We stand united! Gina Watts | via social media CROSSING GUARD I read Celia Jimenez’s article with a sense of déjà vu (“Local cities and youth councils expand their messaging and outreach about safer streets,” Jan. 22-28). As a Salinas Union High School District teacher who used to bike to work, I have been hit by cars twice. Apparently, I just missed the educational video that was supposed to stop that from happening. The problem isn’t ignorance. Drivers know they should slow down, stop at crosswalks and watch for cyclists. Instead, they speed, scroll their phones, blow through stop signs and flee the scene—confident nothing will happen next. Education doesn’t fix indifference; enforcement does. I’ve spoken at City Council about being struck by vehicles. The solution offered? Social media campaigns and coloring books. Meanwhile, traffic fatalities rose from six to seven last year—seven people dead, but plenty of Instagram content. Salinas received nearly $200,000 in traffic safety grants. If enforcement exists, it’s very well hidden. Maggie Power | Salinas SCHOOL BLUES Nobody wants to try it, but an answer that would save tons of overhead dollars would be to merge local districts (“Faced with declining student enrollment, school districts confront growing deficits,” Jan. 29-Feb. 4). Jim Landman | via social media If there is declining enrollment then there needs to be smaller budgets. That is how the real world functions. Mark Reeder | via social media MISSING MONEY Thank you for the piece about the funding, or lack thereof, of newsrooms and AI research (“Free Speech,” Jan. 22-28). Please keep drawing our attention to the problem and keep us updated. A well informed public is just as important as the equal opportunity to vote. Susan Courrejou | Salinas OUT FOR HIRE Congratulations! You sound fantastic for the job (“Following a nationwide search, Monterey is set to appoint a new city manager,” posted Jan. 30). Meredith MacDaniel | Pacific Grove Welcome, Dante Hall, to Monterey. We look forward to your leadership, collaboration with our community, and the positive impact your experience will bring as we work together to shape Monterey’s next chapter. Dot Findlater | Monterey OFF THE MENU I was disappointed to read this article (“While other classics become trendy, pâté makes barely a mark on restaurant menus,” Jan. 29-Feb. 4). While intended as lighthearted food writing, it overlooked important health and ethical concerns surrounding pâté. It is typically made from liver and animal fats, making it high in saturated fat and cholesterol—both linked to heart disease, our nation’s leading cause of death. Promoting organ meats as trendy indulgences feels out of step with current nutritional guidance. Equally troubling is the animal suffering behind many pâté products. At a time when we face preventable chronic disease and growing awareness of animal sentience, celebrating pâté as “the new in thing” feels misguided and, frankly, in poor taste. Dee Pinder | Salinas I enjoyed Dave Faries’ article on the few restaurants serving pâté these days, but he missed a stellar example offered by Chef Soerke Peters at Mezzaluna in Pacific Grove. Pâté lovers should not miss this silky treat. Susie Brusa | Corral de Tierra CORRECTION A writeup about a new exhibit at the Monterey Museum of Art (“Visuals,” Jan. 29-Feb. 4) inaccurately attributed the artwork shown. The image published is by Debra Achen, not Tony Bellaver; both artists’ work appears in the exhibit Landscape ReEnvisioned. 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==