Letters to the Editor 10.16.25

Just a Number

I bet UPS, FedEx and Amazon drivers will be relieved and overjoyed (“The Carmel City Council says yes to street addresses in a historic 5-0 vote,” Oct. 9-15). — Christie Italiano-Thomas | Pacific Grove

The non-address system worked when there were only Carmelites living in the City. Now that so many of the new residents are transplants they can’t grasp the concept — Cheri Gray Lyons | Fresno

Yay! Common sense took effect! — Walter Wagner | Salinas

Letting go of any long-held tradition is not something that should not be considered lightly. My husband and I vacationed here for over 38 years, before retiring and living in this wonderful Village full time in 2018. It is said that Carmel residents are very resistant to change. This resistance is a huge part of preserving what makes this Village special. And having no addresses is a unique part of that history. But change has happened here with (often excessive) careful thought and considerations.

Over addresses – the time is now to make this significant and tough decision. With our team’s six months of in-depth research, the rationale for why we should move ahead was very clear. Business, government, health, safety, shopping and financial dependencies on technology have forced our hands to move ahead. Our traditional directional addresses don’t work and can’t be made to work in today’s world. — Nancy Ann Twomey | Carmel

Note: Twomey was a member of the committee that recommended addresses.

Salad Bowl

This is the main reason I buy organic if I can. The farmworkers! (“Monterey County is worst in the state for exposure to pesticides among pregnant women, a study finds,” Oct. 9-15.) — Debbie Ramos | via social media

Housing First

The idea of workforce housing for teachers is criminal. Instead of increasing staff pay, they become your landlord!? Gross (“MPUSD sets guidelines and prepares to hold a lottery for staff housing in November,” Oct. 2-8). — Taylor Newberry | Marina

Cheap rent for a small subset of the population. Meanwhile all property owners in MPUSD’s area are seeing their property tax rise substantially this year. This is in addition to another legacy MPUSD bond that was already on the books being assessed.

The result is higher rents across a wide range of rentals as property owners cover the new expenses; $350 million would have gone a long way toward paying teachers and staff more. — Michael Salerno | Marina

Line Drawing

Is temporary power for the Democratic Party at the federal level worth sacrificing the will of the people at the state level? I think we should care more about California voters than we do about the power of any political party (“Desperate times call for desperate measures, like Proposition 50,” Oct. 9-15). — William Sterling | Monterey

This a temporary measure to counter the highly unusual and Trump-suggested act to Gov. Greg Abbott, which eliminates seats. This is a measure to temporarily keep the balance. Expires in 2030 after the 2028 election and normal census counting times. — Tina Ziemann | Bradley

Life and Death

Linda Anne Goulet is a rare one (“Death doulas are becoming more common as people seek to make their final days more comfortable and meaningful,” Oct. 2-8) — Dessy Junsay Murphy | via social media

Angels for sure. — Donna DeMera | via social media

Campus Culture

Students proven to be part of such an act should be permanently expelled from the university (“CSUMB Black students are targeted with racist graffiti on campus housing,” posted Oct. 8). — Robert McGregor | Salinas

Story Time

Thanks for your piece on John Walton and Storied Land (“A tribute to John Walton, a historian who perfectly illustrated how narratives weave through time,” posted Sept. 30). I was born on this hill just as the nuclear age was about to begin. Cannery Row came out when I was 2. You don’t grow up here without becoming aware of the interweaving legacies. You watch and sometimes have a part in the changes and the conflicts, but you have a mouse’s view of the meadow. Walton’s view is the hawk’s.

Reading that book gets you ready to understand the dynamics of those interactions, not only the evolution of the cultural strands, but the fact that all of it will continue to grind along, in whatever direction the people decide to go. — Skip Seibel | Pacific Grove

~ ~ ~

I read your tribute to John Walton and wanted to say how much I enjoyed it. The writing was masterful. I’d met and talked to John a few times and, unfortunately, was unable to attend the memorial, but your piece put me right there. The last paragraph is especially pitch-perfect. — Dwight Holing | Carmel Valley

Off Course

Finally a decent restaurant and now it is closing (“The popular Grill at Point Pinos in P.G. will close in November after a disagreement with city officials over rent,” posted Oct. 9). Of course it is the massively incompetent City Council who is doing this. — Kimberley Werr | Seaside

On Wheels

Slow streets are the best! (“Twelve years in, Ciclovía Salinas has become a youth-led institution and a community celebration,” Oct. 9-15.) SFBike made it happen in San Francisco with lots of community and government support.

Let’s do this in Monterey! The Rec Trail isn’t the only place to ride. — Melissa K. Lewis | via social media

Take the Train

Now you’re talking; about time! (“It may be arriving later than hoped, but expanded rail service to the Bay Area is getting closer,” Oct. 2-8.) — James Ryan | Monterey