12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY FEBRUARY 19-25, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com TIMBER TOPS Great article, and good thing they are turning wood waste into biochar (“Researchers are banding together to turn fire-prone eucalyptus into biochar for use by local growers,” Feb. 5-11). The “could be better” thing is that this method of making biochar (an open, staged-air system that creates a pseudo-low-oxygen zone) puts 70-75 percent of the carbon in the wood, as well as most of the heat, back in the atmosphere. A sealed pyrolysis retort system with a closed burn chamber can flip those numbers around which means much of the carbon is locked away from the atmosphere for several thousand years and does not contribute to greenhouse gases, plus it captures much of the heat which can be used for space heating, making electricity, etc. It is possible to take a sealed pyrolysis retort system to the wood, just a bit longer setup. Jeff Turner | Seaside The Weekly’s horrifying article on the Elkhorn Slough devastation failed to report the scientific issues and environmental damage in this land destruction—killing of trees and wildlife, destroying food sources and habitat, damaging the land—instead, giving a few sentences of “everyone knows”-type statements and hyperbole, with no factual justification for the project. It was like reading a 1950s cigarette ad. This project is in line with ICE abuses, American racism and xenophobia. It happens due to a dearth of nature exposure, respect and love, and the poor quality of education in American schools. This article, as others in the past, provides PR and cover for government agencies, special interests and a pet project, despite the known negative impacts and loss of life. What a tragedy for these trees and the wildlife they benefit. Nina Beety | Monterey The Elkhorn Slough project to eliminate eucalyptus trees invites disaster. Those trees do nothing but suck up the carbon we pump out daily, create clean air, rainfall, shade, groundwater replenishment, habitat for birds, monarchs and bees. This witch hunt of blame needs to be placed on wooden houses. Not trees. Lorna Moffat | Monterey ON THE MENU So excited for this news! Even more excited to visit his new business ventures (“Dametra owner takes over former Sade’s and Cantinetta Luca locations in Carmel,” posted Feb. 12). Ramy Husseini | via social media Great news! Mark Valentino | Salinas Hopefully it’ll be a high-end cocktail lounge open later than 9pm, LOL. Johnna Regan | Carmel Bashar [Sneeh] has both a heart for giving and a mind for business. So happy to hear of his growing success. Jennifer Burton-Kuyper | Monterey UNHEALTHY CARE Absolutely unacceptable this veteran did not receive more timely medical assistance without having to go through extraordinary lengths to get the help she is entitled to (“An Army veteran waiting for surgery highlights issues with VA Community Care,” Feb. 5-11). Our veterans should be a priority. Susi Allen | via social media INKED UP Your article on the steady erosion of local journalism was very sobering, and troubling (“Print publishers face rising costs, wealthy competitors and the whims of the federal government in 2026,” Jan. 29-Feb. 4). We are witnessing on a daily basis the growing societal costs of an uninformed, or misinformed, public. The staggering loss of resources devoted to gathering and reporting the news we need for effective self-governance, at all levels, should concern all of us, especially with so much disinformation and nonsensical distraction all over social media and cable TV. But all is not lost. One recent Bay Area event drew some 6,000 credentialed journalists and generated wallto-wall coverage for nearly two weeks. Advertisers spent a fortune to be part of the production. OK…it was just a football game with some much-ballyhooed halftime entertainment, but at least it proves there’s still an appetite for massive spending when the public is fully engaged. How to refocus some of that engagement on events that actually matter is the question. Maybe news outlets should stage their own Super Bowl and sell tickets? Until then, please keep sounding the alarm bells. Roy Verley | Pacific Grove PRESENT TENSE Apparently, Republicans were thinking ahead in preparing for Black History Month (“The 100th Black History Month revisits many familiar themes,” Feb. 5-11). At a recent Window on the Bay protest against ICE, a white man was walking through the crowd occasionally handing out folded papers. The crude fliers directed people to conspiracy theories questioning the veracity of former President Obama’s birth certificate. On the national level, Donald Trump launched Black History Month with a racist video of the Obamas. Clearly, he was signaling to Republicans: “We will no longer hide behind dog whistles. Your president thinks it is time to take off the white hoods and show the MAGA movement’s fascist face.” Trump is now showing us who he really is: an authoritarian with a whites-only vision for America. With no respect for the Constitution, he is determined to forcefully impose his immoral and racist agenda. Unifying the country is of no interest to him. Nazario Martinez | Prunedale DINING IN Better food than today’s fast food. Probably not any less sanitary (“Monterey County pushes for a crackdown on unpermitted food vendors,” Feb. 12-18). Joe Ash | Prunedale CLARIFICATION A story about efforts to update the City of Monterey’s tree ordinance implied that city staff are waiting for Cal Fire before presenting a draft (“Citing safety concerns, Monterey residents advocate for flexibility in the city’s tree ordinance,” Feb. 12-18). These processes are simultaneous. 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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