LETTERS to the EDITOR 08.10.17

Off Roading

Sorry, the hills will move where they want. Nature will outsmart Caltrans (“Caltrans announces plan to reopen Highway 1 at Mud Creek,” posted Aug. 2). It will all go into the ocean next big rain year. Kathy Keeler-deHaaff | via Facebook

Have fun on that. I’ll stick to driving on land that hasn’t moved toward the cliffs into the ocean. Tiffany Seale | via Facebook

Movie Stars

I can’t believe you gave the luminous, beautifully inhabited film Maudie only two stars, and two and a half to the obscene Girls Trip. Maudie was about courage in the face of overwhelming adversity, and the redeeming and healing nature of love. Girls Trip was about a group of women 10 years out of college, raunching it up in New Orleans, at one point screaming obscenities and urinating on the crowd in the street below while being hoisted across the street in a sling. They laid on a little schmaltz at the end, about love and female bonding, but it was mostly full of tasteless language and behavior. I have relied on your reviewer(s) to give me good information and ratings, and usually you have succeeded, but you were wide of the mark this time, and it’s hard to figure out how this could have happened. Susan Sisson | Salinas

Water and Traffic, Oh My

Trapped in this maze today. Will stay away! (“Seaside traffic woes to continue through Thursday,” posted Aug. 2.) Julie Ona | via Facebook

When are they going to fix Hilby? I’ve dealt with two flat tires since they’ve started doing whatever they’re doing. Alyson Kripal | via Facebook

It’s been like this for weeks now down Fremont and Broadway Adam Newman | via Facebook

Bad planning, [they] should do one job at a time. Debra DiFranco | via Facebook

Just wait for your Cal Am rate increase as they try to pay for this project. Chris Donat | via Facebook

They will own the system, and we pay for the capital improvements. Cal Am has more than a sweet deal. What kids know about playing Monopoly… grab the private utilities first.Carol A. Stollorz | via Facebook

The paving was announced over a week ago. Yes, it’s a pain; it’s three days. At the end of that you’ll have a nice clean street. As for working at night, you can talk to Cal Am but really you need to talk to the city of Seaside. They’re the ones who had to approve the permit and they’re the ones who did not require Cal Am to work longer hours or at night.

Regarding the issue of whether the pipeline is necessary, utility maintenance work is always going to have to happen. At least they’re modern technologies that for the most part don’t require cut-and-fill as a primary technique anymore for trenching. Most people don’t realize that a lot of work now is done through tunneling and is much less disruptive than even 10 years ago. Glenn Woodson | via Facebook

Remembering Margot

I loved going in there (“Margot Abeloe, feisty legend of Spreckels Emporium, passes on,” posted Aug. 2). It was like walking back into the 1940s. (I think some of the food also came from that time.) Marjorie Lowry | via Facebook

About four or five years ago, on a Friday afternoon, I was feeling a little thirsty. I stepped into the Emporium. I did not see my favorite brand, something with a few less calories. I pulled outward on the handle that was attached to what was once an icebox converted to a cooler and started a search. From the front counter I heard, “DO NOT LEAVE THE COOLER OPEN!” I immediately closed the cooler, stood up, wheeled around toward the front where Margot was standing. She burst loudly, “What are you looking for?” I clearly stated what I was looking for. Her face became at ease, and she quietly replied, “Oh, no, I do not have that, I am sorry.” I said, “I’m on a diet and need that flavor!” Her face began to crumple, and she bellowed, “If you are on a diet, you should not be drinking!” I giggled and added, “It is a poor business model to tell your customer he does not need to buy something!” She had to ask for my assistance to place my alternative purchase in the brown paper bag, the top of which towered out of her reach. I’m going to miss you, Margot. Cheers! Steve McDougall | Spreckels

Pizza Party

Another pizza place, how refreshing (“Two new pizza joints coming to downtown Monterey,” posted Aug 2). Thomas Michael Chavarria | via Facebook

OMG YES! Never too much pizza. Emily Hernandez | via Facebook

Corrections

A story (“Two new businesses ask players to ditch their cellphones and solve clues, the latest trend in group gaming,” Aug. 3-9) misspelled the surname of Barrie and Christina Riddoch. It is Riddoch, not Riddich. In addition, the story misstated that the location of their new business, Exodus Monterey, is in the same location as businesses they have previously operated; it is nearby, but not in the same space.

A story (“The kids’ world of Peter Pan is marred by grown-up issues of race and representation,” July 20-26) incorrectly stated that the Indian kids in ARIEL Theatrical’s performance of Peter Pan referred to Peter as “Great White Father.” They referred to Peter as “Father” and Wendy as “Mother.”