Letters to the Editor 01.19.17

Feel the Flow

Our main reservoir has essentially no storage capacity (“With successive rains, Monterey County reservoirs are filling up,” posted Jan. 10). Due to a bunch of environmental Luddites, we are letting this precious water run off into the ocean from whence we will spend huge quantities of energy to desalinate it! Let me repeat. We are allowing free water to flow downhill by gravity into the ocean, no energy expenditure required, and then spend massive quantities of energy to pump it out of the ocean and then desalinate it. How on earth does this make any sense? Prior plans to build a new dam – of the same capacity with no additional capacity for future growth – or to dredge the existing dam, have both been defeated. Why? Our current course is senseless! Conservation is not enough. People procreate. We cannot stop that. Conservation will only lead to a 19th-century lifestyle.Hugh Wilson | via Facebook

Once Nacimiento is near full and releasing, it builds a greater case for the tunnel to San Antonio Dam which is a lot slower to fill. I’m happy to read that [County Supervisor Luis] Alejo is still looking forward to seeing that this tunnel is accomplished. I would think that Supervisor [Simon] Salinas would be more vocal on this as well. Janet Collins |Salinas

Good news, I’m going to wash my car. Omar Adel | via Facebook

Bear v. Bull

Great read (“In 1849, the land between Soledad and San Miguel was a place to get killed,” Jan. 12-18). Crazy to think about grizzlies roaming the Salinas Valley. Karina Garcia | via Facebook

Thanks! Terrific read! Maybe not while dining, though. Patrick Kenedy | via Facebook

Health Wars

If Theresa Barreras used coercion or stood to gain personally from encouraging patients to speak out in favor of better mental health care, I would certainly side with the County Board of Supervisors’ recent decision to deny her claim of wrongful dismissal (“Former Health Department employee loses lawsuit against the county,” posted Jan. 11).

But the caring county mental health worker who sees everything but is powerless to change anything might encourage patients to complain. After all, because a person has a mental health diagnosis does not mean he/she is not capable of making helpful and intelligent decisions regarding their care.

When it comes to physical health, we encourage patients to speak their minds; there are protocols in place for this. Were the mental health patients’ complaints acknowledged, other than the perfunctory “thank you” and, perhaps, acted upon? There still exists a stigma connected with mental health.

Are we inadvertently encouraging this stigma? June Radicchi | Castroville

On the Row

One of the world’s famous tourist areas [allows] for this crap, letting hooligans and trash overrun Monterey County now (“After a violent end to 2016, a Cannery Row business closes, another tried to survive” Jan. 12-18). What was the thinking that it would only stay and be Salinas’ problem? That was stupid thinking, because now look. It needs to stop already throughout this whole county. Kyle Wright | via Facebook

I go down to Cannery Row a couple times a month to hear live music, but I was never very tempted to go into the Giant Artichoke with its loud, thumping, canned noise (and bad reviews). The Blue Fin used to have some good live music, but I gave up on them long ago, since they attract a bad element and you have to practically be strip-searched just to enter the premises. Jeffrey Rothal | via web

A Nice Meal

I’ve been vegan for 24 years, so every year is the year of the vegan to me (“The omnivorous life, examined, with an eye toward the year ahead,” Jan. 12-18). More and more people are learning that vegan foods are not only healthy and humane, but tasty and environmentally friendly too. I predict it will be another year where people celebrate vegan living and strive to make kinder choices. After all, what does it say about us when we choose cruelty over compassion? Heather Moore | via web

Beach Front

He’s upset? (“Despite litigation, construction of a proposed eco-resort in Sand City may begin soon,” Jan. 12-18.) He’s destroying rare bird habitat, threatening to keep us off the beach there as he claims the beach is his property and is destroying natural coastline as well as building in the most erosion-prone area in the state. Jane Flury | Monterey

Memory Recall

When I was a young boy, I skateboarded up and down the streets of Greenfield. Our sidewalks, curbs, schools, old City Hall, and various places in town became common grounds for skateboarders. We became the nuisance of the town and many kids often had run-ins with our respectable peace officers. We had no place to skate, what were we to do? “The pen is mightier than the sword,” so I decided to write a letter to Greenfield’s mayor, John Huerta.

About a week’s time had passed, then he showed up to my parent’s house in his little green Honda Civic. He brought with him the plan that Greenfield had in the works and said it would be our skatepark. What I remember most is that Mayor Huerta kept his word and made this happen for the youth of our community in Greenfield by 2002.

Mayor Huerta goes above and beyond to serve his community. He has demonstrated time and time again that he is a competent, just and righteous leader. Louis Romero | Greenfield