Letters to the Editor 01.06.22

Trash to Soil

Wow, this is the first I’ve heard of this daring new requirement, and while daunting at first glance, I can see this becoming another area where California leads the country toward change, this time, in how we think about “garbage” (“In 2022, everyone in California will be required to compost food scraps,” Dec. 30-Jan. 5).

Bravo to those who had the vision to craft this forward thinking legislation and the tenacity to get it put it into effect. Now, let’s all pitch in and do our part to help make it work. Derek Dean | Monterey

Good intentions, but I hope it doesn’t revive the odor problem we had in Marina. Tina Walsh | Marina

Shovel Ready

This and the multi-million dollar homes selling fast in the new Enclave subdivision, also located in the golf course, is indeed exciting for the city of Seaside! (“The long-stalled Seaside Resort project has a new owner and plans to get to building soon,” Dec. 30-Jan. 5.) Chris Sierra | via social media

Good to hear. Betty Kavanagh | via social media

Oh great! We need more multi-million dollar houses! Crissy Soares | Marina

Oh boy, more summer traffic. Barry Kilzer | Carmel Valley

Holiday Tidings

Thanks for the excellent article (“For a country founded on religious freedom, we still have learning to do,” Dec. 23-29). I would like to ask Carmel Unified School District Superintendent Ted Knight if he would permit a Muslim, Hindu or Satanic holiday celebration at one of his schools, with students of other or no faiths allowed to bring their own decorations to add. If he truly wants all of his students to feel comfortable, he should enforce the strict ban on religious indoctrination in public schools.

The Supreme Court rulings that the motto “In God We Trust” has become secularized; that a Christian cross at a national monument represents dead soldiers of all faiths; that government meetings may begin with invocations; and that denying any and all tax support of parochial schools constitutes discrimination against religion are all bogus legalistic lights and mirrors.

When the Supreme Court likely sanctions full taxpayer funding of parochial schools in 2022, watch what happens when Muslim, Jewish, Hindu, etc. parochial schools apply for their share – chaos and further depletion of public school funds.

The most revolutionary aspect of our Constitution is the separation of church and state. Ours is the first government to require no religious oath or to allow citizens of any or no religion to hold office. The deist founding fathers are turning in their graves. Steve Wiener | Pacific Grove

Parking Places

Oh for the love of God, why does everyone fight so hard against progress? (“A proposed hotel in Monterey is delayed by the threat of litigation over parking spots,” Dec. 23-29.) Joseph W. Borawski | via social media

Teacher Time

Wait… what? So the solution to the problem of experienced teachers leaving in droves because of inadequate compensation is to train bus drivers, clerks and maintenance workers to be teachers? (“Local school districts get creative as they look to attract – and retain – more teachers,” Dec. 23-29). Why not just pay the already trained and experienced teachers more money?

If all you do is train new teachers and give them the same salary as the current teachers, won’t they eventually just leave also when they realize that teacher pay is inadequate for this area? Deanna Johnson | Pacific Grove

A Recreation Legend

Marina should figure out a way to honor him, maybe rename the pool and skating complex after him when it gets renovated (“Terry Siegrist, long-time recreation services director for Marina, dies at 65,” posted Jan. 3). He built that pool for Fort Ord, and was a leading voice for its repurpose to serve Marina and the entire Monterey Peninsula. Jeffrey Weekley | via web

Game Time

Loved this piece, and it hit home with me (“Attending a Warriors basketball game was a chance to feel normal that didn’t feel normal at all,” posted Dec. 29). I did the “king’s ransom” thing for my daughter’s birthday, and attended a Sunday game early December; all the protocols made me feel like it was a reasonably low-risk outing, but when I got inside and started looking around, trying not to freak out with the number of people not masked, it just created the unease I guess maybe I should have expected.

I would not do that now, and just being indoors even in that environment was a stress reminder and baseline for future endeavors.

Well done, and timely. I found a bootleg streaming site to watch Golden State Warriors games, so I’m staying home! Mike Fitzsimmons | Del Rey Oaks

Ghosts of Adobes Past

When Brandon Miller was the chef at Stokes Adobe, the food was extraordinary (“Stokes Adobe finds its rhythm in simple elegance and a willingness to change things up,” Dec. 30-Jan. 5). After the yahoos from Coastal Luxury Management took over and got a rave review from the Chronicle, the place was doomed.

I wish these new owners well, but if they need to depend on drinks named after the imagined ghosts inhabiting the place, they are already done. M. Ross | Carmel

CORRECTION

A story about a new composting requirement (“In 2022, everyone in California will be required to compost food scraps,” Dec. 30-Jan. 5) incorrectly stated that homes and businesses within the Monterey Regional Waste Management District’s jurisdiction that don’t already have green composting bins will automatically receive them beginning in the January. The bins will be provided upon request (at no charge).