12 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY AUGUST 27-SEPTEMBER 2, 2026 www.montereycountynow.com OFF CAMERA I recently started paying attention to the growing number of Flock license plate cameras around Salinas. The more I learned, the more concerned I became—not necessarily about the cameras, but about how little public discussion seems to have accompanied their expansion (“The Sheriff’s Office wants more Flock cameras, but it must convince the Board of Supervisors,” posted Aug. 24). There are legitimate law-enforcement uses for this technology. If a camera helps locate a stolen car or dangerous suspect, that’s a real benefit. But systems can also track where vehicles have traveled and allow information to be shared beyond the agency collecting it. This seems like another case where the “neat technology” arrived before we had a serious conversation about what it could eventually become. Technology has moved quickly. Public oversight needs to catch up. Matt Barclay | Salinas HUMANS V. CARS Reality of Car Week—accurate reporting, instead of hiding these sad facts (“Three people are killed in one weekend amid dystopian reality of Car Week,” Aug. 20-26). Ana Davey | Big Sur Sara Rubin fails to mention in her reporting of the three fatalities if any of them involved, or were caused by, any illegal activities by participants of Car Week. It doesn’t sound like it. If there wasn’t, then it’s unfair to create a false linkage to Car Week and use it to make her point about the dangers of driving distracted or drunk. There’s always a contingency of irresponsible people participating every year who break the rules and give the rest of us car enthusiasts a bad name. It’s a huge, unwieldy event and the surreal multi-million dollar auctions and exotic cars are part of it. Looking forward to next year with fellow enthusiasts in this “dystopian reality” called Car Week. Thanks for trying to throw the baby out with the bath water. Gary Hascall | Salinas They threw a few cars on Broadway for the peasants to see, but then charged $1,000 per ticket to get into the gated event that blocked off Del Monte. That stopped all those businesses from actually doing business and causing a traffic nightmare. Car Week stopped being fun years ago thanks to all the crypto, social media influencers and tech douchebags. Jennifer Deane-Woods | Monterey GUEST HOUSE The house in this article is on my street (“Pebble Beach Company and short-term rental applicants head toward an impasse,” Aug. 20-27). We now have five [short-term rentals] on our tiny street. I know Car Week is an anomaly, but it was awful. People gathered at the houses and we didn’t have quiet before 2am all week. I would love a resolution that everyone can be happy with. Ninety percent of the renters are quiet and respectful, but it has completely changed our neighborhood. I don’t think there is an easy answer. Dena Van Klompenburg Green | Pebble Beach Pebble Beach Company has only their own interests in mind. The fact that they won’t give out permits for shortterm rentals is selfish and greedy. Just because a homeowner has the ability to rent out a guest house or a house for short-term rental doesn’t mean it will cause problems for the neighborhood. If it does, take away the permit. Easily solved. Why do some bad apples have to ruin it for all? Suzanne Foulkes | Napa County GUNS OUT I commend Chief Nick Borges for his proactive approach this year (“Seaside Police Chief responds to concerns about Seaside Police officers on rooftop during Exotics on Broadway event,” posted Aug. 17). As we were reminded by the recent shooting in Morgan Hill and the tragic shooting at the Gilroy Garlic Festival, mass-casualty events are a sad reality we cannot ignore. Seaside cannot afford to live in a bubble or assume that something like this could never happen here. Instead, we need to be prepared in case the unthinkable occurs. Being proactive and prepared is always better than being caught off guard. Alex Miller | Seaside Note: Miller is a member of Seaside City Council and candidate for mayor. I’m glad Chief Borges took a proactive approach to public safety. Car Week brings thousands of residents and visitors together at large public events, and sadly, today’s reality requires law enforcement to anticipate threats we all hope will never materialize. Bravo to Seaside Police Department for being prepared, vigilant and willing to put public safety first. Deborah Roberts | Monterey TIME TRAVEL Wonderful article! (“Historic preservationist Kent Seavey has spent six decades saving Monterey County’s past to preserve its future,” Aug 20-26.) Kent Seavey has done a tremendous good for generations of Monterey County residents and tourists alike, preserving the very essence of what has formed Monterey County communities [including] the Salinas Valley. I am grateful for his military service, too. Raymond Gonzales | Soledad Great local bio. I love stories about folks in our community who quietly just Get It Done. Kent’s as significant as the historical resources he helps preserve. Aengus Jeffers | Monterey Pam Marino’s profile of Kent Seavey is exemplary in covering the scope of his life. Having had the pleasure of working on a couple of projects with Kent since he taught at MPC, an equally long article could be written about his generous nature, commitment to doing what he says he will do, the creativity and expertise he brings to projects, his honest nature and sense of humor so apparent while doing them. Peter Hiller | Carmel Kent is a treasure in our community! A wealth of information and a real character. Michelle Magdalena Maddox | Pacific Grove 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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