Letters to the Editor 08.04.16

Smoked Out

We all knew the minute we saw them (“Group of illegal pot growers rescued from Soberanes Fire,” posted July 27). Hikers? They did not look like they were recreational. Jeremy R. Slate | via Facebook

I knew it! Not the good kind of growers, either. Probably growing on parkland or someone else’s property. Seemed pretty suspicious that [seven] guys didn’t have anyone looking for them since the fire started, and where was their car? None I’ll bet. Peri Basseri | via Facebook

Don’t growers deserve to be rescued just the same? A life is a life. I’m sure they’re thankful for theirs. Lisa Ellen Miller | via Facebook

This is so clickbait-y and doesn’t give any good facts or relevant info on the current disaster. More news, less hype Jazzy Cherie | via Facebook

This is the shit that interests the Weekly?! This is what people are commenting on? Can’t say I’ll use a Weekly for anything other than starting my wood-burning stove up from now on. Zach Esbach | via Facebook

Burning Up

Come winter, we will sadly see the rains turn Big Sur into Big Scar (“Photos: One week into the raging Soberanes Fire,” posted July 28). Jim Safranek | via Facebook

Oh my gosh, such amazing photos. Thank you for taking them. Isabella Cha | via Facebook

I saw several fire trucks stuck in traffic (“Tensions run high at Soberanes Fire meeting,” posted July 25). This is understandably upsetting. It is a difficult balance – tourism and businesses needing that business – and yet there has to be something done so that the fire trucks can get through to do their jobs. Perhaps it is time to close this area off to tourists, or at the very least have fire crews escorted by police with sirens.

As for the public: Even if a fire truck doesn’t have sirens [on], perhaps move out of the way to let them ahead. That’s what I am doing as I’m driving, and I hope others will start doing the same. Stacey Wood | via Facebook

This is part of nature we can do so little about! (“Soberanes Fire continues burning but slows down,” posted July 30.) Just hope no one gets hurt! Marie Armstrong | via Facebook

Very sad to hear. Hoping for no more injuries or worse (“The Soberanes Fire claims a life as it grows and threatens more homes,” posted July 27). Kathy Keeler-deHaaff | via Facebook

Frack Attack

A deceptive and costly initiative has crept onto the November ballot, touted as “the anti-fracking initiative” (“Cutting through the local anti-fracking initiative spin,” July 7-13). However, if voters take the time to read beyond the headlines, they will discover this is not an anti-fracking initiative. It is a ploy by extremist anti-oil and environmental lobby groups to end all oil and gas production in Monterey County.

I am a registered Democrat and lifelong supporter of liberal causes. I cannot support this initiative or the way proponents are misleading voters. I applaud the four members of the Board of Supervisors who took a stand against misinformation and authorized the County Auditor to prepare a fiscal impact report. Voters need to know the major economic effects this measure will have on Monterey County. Eliminating a tax source as well as thousands of high-paying jobs will be devastating to our local economy. Cindy Franks-Traynor | San Ardo

Weak Sauce

He leaves a trail of business disputes (“Rob Weakley sued for fraud related to medicinal marijuana outfit Altai,” posted July 26). City Council in Salinas seems to be in love with these kind. Tom Tessier | via Facebook

Sounds like Martin Shkreli. Jeff Wurz | via Facebook

This is very surprising to me. I’ve known Rob for a while. Working closely with him for many years, and I have to say, he has always been great to me. Don’t buy into this B.S. I’m sure there’s more to it. Chris Latesta | Crownsville, Maryland

Tuning Out

The article raises some legitimate questions (“Toddler exposes issue about kids at classical music concerts,” July 14-20). A great painter crafts her work on a blank canvas. A great musician crafts his work on a blank canvas of silence. To disturb this silence is similar to defacing an artwork. This may seem an overly dramatic comparison, but the concert work in question involved over 1,300 person/hours of intense rehearsal, not to mention lifetimes of training and discipline by all involved and the thousands of dollars necessary to produce the concert. The only purpose was to convey a musical message of truth and beauty to the audience, but this was tarnished.

The author’s basic assumption is that “classical” music is dying as our audiences age. I first heard this argument over six decades ago as a young person in school music. I have heard it ever since and I am convinced that it is wrong. During my lifetime, our audiences have not been aging out, but aging in. Dr. John Anderson | Watsonville

Editor’s note: Anderson is the conductor of Ensemble Monterey Chamber Orchestra.

Feeling the Healing

Emotional or otherwise, all hurts need healing. Mass shootings and killings are on the increase. To face such heinous acts with courage is easier to say than do. Our prayers, sympathies and condolences are for healing. Our tributes may not be the solution to the problem, but at least we love and care for them. Brij Mansi | Monterey

Correction

A story about a sea otter that was killed by a car in Moss Landing (“An otter dies crossing the street, and a bureaucratic tangle follows,” July 21-27) misspelled Jamie Jarrard’s surname.