14 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY JULY 23-29, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com COP WATCH The County says they don’t have the money to properly repair the roads but they can come up with $500,000 to create an oversight committee to hover over the sheriff (“Board of Supervisors moves forward with Sheriff’s Office oversight committee,” July 16-22). It’s very suspicious when all this happens after a discussion involving ICE. The County of Monterey should be communicating and cooperating with ICE. But as is so typical in government today, people don’t talk to each other. How sad! Robert McGregor | Salinas What a waste of money. That could fund one more deputy and a vehicle. Robert Roach | Salinas Well, sheriff, if you don’t have anything to hide, you don’t have anything to worry about…right? Michael Kohler | Seaside When California became a state in 1850, the first thing that happened was each county elected a paid sheriff. The Monterey County sheriff is an independent elected official. I’m sure the supervisors would like to have a police chief that they hire and fire, but voters must never give up their role in choosing the sheriff. Paul J. Ingram | Carmel Valley WINE VINE I have been reading about the drop in wine consumption and all that it implies, and agree with creating wine corridors (“Winery Corridor plan seeks to boost a struggling agricultural sector,” July 16-22). Taking advantage of the traffic on Highway 101 could enhance a successful outcome for the wineries. I am sure there are plenty of wine enthusiasts who travel Highway 101 but do not have the time to visit our local wineries. Therefore, I propose that a consortium of wineries, and county and city governments to pool their resources and take advantage of the Los Coches Adobe property south of Soledad. A state-of-the-art wine tasting facility showcasing Monterey County wines to include a delicatessen, a dog walk and a promenade for travelers who need to stretch their legs. It could incorporate a wide pedestrian ramp ending at a vegetated rooftop for visitors to enjoy the magnificent view of the valley. Imagination and adequate funding can go a long way to enhance wine sales. Matthew Sundt | Salinas Gallo/Talbott (the largest winery at 90 million cases) and Foley Family/ Chalone (14th at 1.9 million cases) both chose to abandon Monterey County this year even though their local brands have well respected histories. Morgan has reduced their tasting fee to $12.50 and credits it against a $50 purchase. For the County Planning Commission to waste any time figuring out how to “create higher-value wine experiences” misses the point; the “average” consumer simply doesn’t have the wherewithal. And the billionaires can taste any wine they want at Pebble Beach. Mark Lasnik | Salinas TRAVEL PLANS A need to clear up some misleading information: Before Big Sur, Costas Christ’s mission in life was to bring tourism to Third World countries, but Big Sur was not Third World, nor did it need more tourism (“The future of Big Sur is at stake. An existing plan offers a solution—we just need to implement it,” July 9-15). Christ states out of the 347 surveys returned, more than 80 percent of the Big Sur residents and stakeholders supported the plan. WRONG, there are approximately 1,500 residents, yet only 247 residents returned the survey. He states the “final plan was accepted by the Board of Supervisors.” Misleading—while the plan was accepted, it was a presentation and was not adopted. Christ also states “tourism is like fire. Out of control and can destroy everything in its path.” Yes, so very true, but there are better ways to go about it. Janet Hardisty | Big Sur ANIMAL PLANET Tormenting animals for “fun” in the rodeo should be condemned by anyone with a conscience (“The action, style and crowds that make up the California Rodeo Salinas,” July 16-22). For decades, animals at rodeos across North America have suffered broken legs, broken necks, spinal injuries, heart attacks, and death. At the California Rodeo Salinas specifically, injuries and fatalities have been documented repeatedly over the years. No amount of nostalgia can change the reality that calves are roped and slammed to the ground, horses and bulls are pushed into stressful, dangerous situations, and animals pay the price when something goes wrong. Traditions deserve to endure only if they can withstand ethical scrutiny. The California Rodeo Salinas fails that test. Monterey County residents can celebrate their heritage without subjecting animals to fear, injury and exploitation. It’s time to leave rodeos where they belong—in the past. Jennifer O’Connor | Norfolk, Virginia Note: O’Connor is writing on behalf of the PETA Foundation. Most people would enjoy the rodeo with games, music and just seeing animals. Roping terrorized calves is not entertaining. Have a festival and concert. This should not be normalized. Colleen Ingram | Pacific Grove RIDE ON Very nice! (“The Canyon Del Rey segment of the Fort Ord Regional Trail and Greenway nears completion,” July 2-8.) Darren Aliga | via social media CORRECTION A story about a potential consolidation of three South County school districts into two contained several errors (“Voters will decide if they want school district consolidation in South County,” July 16-22). The California State Board of Education voted on July 8, not July 7. The correct current name for GUSD is Greenfield Union School District, not Greenfield Unified School District. The correct name for the King City district is King City Union, not Unified. The state decision in 2025 was not a denial, but a decision to return the matter to the county level. 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==