Letters to the Editor 10.14.21

Historically Accurate

Thank you for the continued recognition of this important topic (“Former Feast of Lanterns queen and board president issues public apology for cultural appropriation,” posted Oct. 11). As we better understand history, the “pageant and story will teach the community more about the cultural groups that contributed to the Monterey Peninsula and P.G.” – and will continue to change.

The celebration can still be fun and entertaining for all while more accurately depicting the rich history of the area! The Feast of Lanterns has been in constant change for a while now and I’m excited to continue to watch that change. Brian McCarthy | Marina

Is there nothing “woke” killjoys aren’t interested in ruining? A happy, fun, joyous community event ruined by a few finger-wagging busybodies. There is nothing disrespectful about this event. Quite the opposite. The culture it represents is respected and celebrated. Wendy Goldman | via social media

Do Monterey’s La Merienda next. Andrea Garnica | via social media

Water, Water All Around

Christopher Neely had done an admirable job summarizing much of the story related to the Peninsula’s water woes since the 1995 cease-and-desist order (“After 26 years, the hammer is finally coming down on the Peninsula’s water use. Will we have enough to avoid water rationing?” Oct. 7-13). The Sand City desal plant has had little attention, but one problem with it is that it consistently underperformed its expected yields by 50 percent or more. Another under-reported problem of desal is the tremendous energy requirements, which contribute to both operating costs and climate change.

If a tiny desal plant can’t come close to its yield expectations, what makes us think a $300 million-plus desal plant will perform any better? The short-term solution is to pray for rain. The long-term solution is to work something out with the ag community to divert excess Salinas water. Capturing less than 10 percent of winter flows that run into the Pacific would meet all of the Peninsula’s water needs. Michael Baer | San Jose

Thank you for the article on local water issues. But the delay on the expansion of Pure Water Monterey could have been avoided. We would not be caught short in this drought if Cal Am and its allies had not blocked the approval of the expansion for over a year. By blocking it Cal Am had hoped the Coastal Commission would approve its desal project instead. But that strategy failed. Monterey One and the Water Management District have given us a visionary and innovative water supply solution that will serve us well for decades. Susan Schiavone | Seaside

Rather than waiting for rationing or hoping for rain, what new action can you take to conserve water right now? We can all do better even if we are already conserving. What will you commit to that you aren’t doing already? I commit to flushing the toilet less often (I already have a low-flow toilet) and washing my dishes exclusively with the dishwasher (which uses 50-percent less water than hand washing dishes).

You? It will take all of us to lead this effort. Daniela Bryan | Monterey

Live and Work

Job-specific housing means you never criticize management, never complain about workplace conditions, pay or safety, or you’ll risk losing the roof over your head along with your job.

Are we really back to the era of company towns? You really want to live with the people you work with all day? (“Providing affordable housing could be a key element to retain teachers in Monterey County,” Oct. 7-13.) Luana Conley | via social media

How about the natives raised here who are in their 20s and 30s trying to stay? How about the blue-collar workers or the small business owners? How about all of us! Ashley Hernandez Shake | via social media

I think creating a massive tax on vacation homes would quickly solve this issue. We could essentially force the people who own the many empty homes in Monterey County to sell them, improving the market. We could use the revenue to create more housing. Frederick Jack Nelson | via social media

Up For Sale

Do your research Squid (“Squid Fry: Counting the Chickens,” Oct. 7-13). Your column questioning the condominium project in P.G.: The staff report begins by referencing the original owner’s intent to develop the project as condominiums. In every hearing over three years, on every agenda and during the hearings, they were referenced as condominiums, townhomes, “for sale units” or residential units, never once were they referenced as apartments. On the approved construction plans the project description clearly states that they are condominiums.

For two years all attempts to provide affordable housing were thwarted by a small handful of NIMBYs and the inability of the city to draft a workforce housing ordinance. For you now to say that it’s a “switcheroo” is just a cephalopod with its head in a very dark place. Philip Johnson | Carmel Valley (Johnson is the design architect for the 520 Lighthouse project.)

In Three Dimensions

Nice to see this relationship with the Zimbabwean sculptors has continued to flourish, for the artists and what it brings to their communities and for the collectors who cherish the work (“A quarter century of connection with the best Shona sculptors keeps Carmel ahead of the game,” Oct. 7-13). Margaret Carey Lang | Las Vegas

Sandwich Perfection

Dad said, “You learn something new every day.” Friends say I’m a great cook, but today I learned a new tip (“’Tis the season of plentiful tomatoes – here’s a helpful tip for eating yours in a BLT,” Oct 7-13). Next time I make TLTs (tempeh-lettuce-tomato sandwiches), they’ll be even better! Mari Lynch Dehmler | Salinas