Letters to the Editor 11.12.20

Color Scheme

That’s good news, not “disappointing news.” Wishful thinking and making money aren’t going to get us through this pandemic (“State denies Monterey County’s request to drop down into less restrictive Covid-19 Red Tier,” posted Nov. 10). Matt Brysch | Salinas

People need to stop acting like this is going away. We are going to have to work a lot harder than this. Kat Deering | via social media

I don’t know how ANYONE can think we need to reopen Monterey County when we are seeing 90 and up new cases of Covid a day! Virginia Ray | via social media

Mental Reset

It’s about time! Can’t wait to see the progress (“The criminal justice system has become a mental health institution. A new jail program aims to treat mental illness seriously,” Nov. 5-11). Lori Jakubowski | via social media

The problem with mental health policy in America is that it doesn’t exist after school age. If you look at the policies that exist, the assumption is everyone must be “cured” by age 18. There are lots of programs for school-aged children and virtually nothing for adults. So when someone inevitably commits even a minor crime they get locked up in an environment they are incapable of handling. America’s mental health policies are neglectfully cruel. Phil Candreva | via social media

Cops and Kindness

Kudos to Marielle Argueza for her article on Monterey’s Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (“Local cities explore what the future of policing could look like through integrating social services,” Nov. 5-11).

It gave a lot of insight into creative ways of dealing with homeless drama and keeping police out of the drama. Kudos to social worker Thomas Muir.

Other cities could take a lesson. I wish I’d known about MDOT earlier. Thank you. Catherine Sullivan | Carmel

When people say defund the police, THIS is what they’re trying to do. They’re calling to redirect funds away from confrontational and tense interactions between distressed citizens and police, and instead fund resources such as this one to make those interactions between those citizens and workers who can provide them social services more productive, helpful and less confrontational. This story shows that it’s possible. We’re doing great things here on the Central Coast. Eddie Solis | via social media

A Hard Goodbye

A big loss to the legal community, and I am sure to his family (“Eugene Martinez, one of county’s first Latino prosecutors, dies,” posted Nov. 6). When I was a patrol cop I had a few cases with Gene when he was a prosecutor. He was good. When I was a narc, after Gene went to the defense, I had more than a few jury trials against him. We had some heated jousts on the witness stand, but always professional. Later when I went to the DA’s office I dealt with him again in court. He had a great legal mind and was a really nice man. Sad day. David Norum | Templeton

Beyond the Ballot

While the smoke is still clearing from this monumental election, I would like to thank the members of the Precinct Board 4089 in Marina. These excellent people – Monica Culler, Eric Juarez, Chelsea Lee, Gabriel Manzo, Ashley Schafer, Melva Simmons and Angelo Rush – deserve appreciation for a job well done. They were dedicated to the task of helping people vote and smiled through it all. From early morning to late night they worked tirelessly. I want to publicly thank them for their time and energy. Louis A. Richards | Marina

Kamala Harris has spoken about many critical issues (“Looking back to see just how far we’ve come as we look to the future,” posted Nov. 9). For many of us who fought back and voted against Trump, there were days that it took all we had to stand up and say no to the brutality and the chaos and to fight back. I am surmising Trump supporters also have endured pain, depression and suffering of their own. Pending evictions, loss of millions of jobs and Covid-19 have left people tired, depressed and overwhelmed. Access to affordable mental health care is a necessity.

Harris writes we have to add 10,000 mental health providers by 2025, with an even distribution, especially in red states and rural areas that currently are underserved by mental health providers. Sixty percent of U.S. counties lack a single psychiatrist. A new or more expanded national initiative is needed to recruit from and train much-needed mental health professionals who promise to return and serve their home community and help restore domestic tranquility. Gary Karnes | Pacific Grove

Cafe Closure

The city of Pacific Grove isn’t worthy of Crema. Way to push your businesses out of town (“Things got messy for Crema, Pacific Grove’s top brunch spot; its owner rises above,” Nov. 5-11). Valentina Rosendeau | via social media

I can’t believe we lost Crema. It was a really special place. Wesley Barnett | via social media

I remember in 2008, there was a new cafe in Monterey. I got a coffee there a few days later, and I was immediately hooked. The cafe wasn’t gimmicky, it had a simplicity to it that made everybody feel welcome (“Osio Theater and Cafe Lumiere, two downtown Monterey fixtures, shut their doors permanently,” posted Nov. 2).

Somehow spending my free time at Cafe Lumiere just became the thing to do. I could go there alone, and three hours later be sitting in a circle with new friends and strangers having stimulating conversations and getting to know my community on a deeper level.

There’s a saying that if you stay around a place long enough eventually they will put you to work. In 2010, I got hired at the Osio Theater, and became a manager and projectionist.

If I was to define my young adulthood in a place it would be Cafe Lumiere. The amount of lifelong friends I met working there has impacted my life immensely. This place was part of the soul of downtown Monterey. Brandon Stettenbenz | Del Rey Oaks