Letters to the Editor 11.16.23

Buffer Zone

A 5-percent reduction of “priority pesticides” in [the California Department of Pesticide Regulation’s] five-year-plan disregards the communities living near agricultural fields throughout Monterey County (“Local advocates push state and local regulators harder on pesticide restrictions,” Nov. 9-15). Immigrant farm families make up the majority of the workforce in those fields.

There is also another issue: No warning signs or alerts before spraying the fields (another one of Safe Ag Safe Schools’ goals). Children could be outside in a physical education class or eating lunch on picnic tables. We know that any exposure to a carcinogenic pesticide will negatively affect a child’s development in their formative years.

I side with the organizer of Safe Ag Safe Schools, Yanely Martinez, that this is an environmentally racist policy. All communities living near agricultural production face these externalities, but the most vulnerable members of our society must be protected too. Lidia Villagomez | Castroville

Swimming Upstream

In the summer months, our Carmel River Steelhead Association rescues steelhead fry in the Carmel River as it dries up due to over-pumping for habitation and golf-course usage (“Fall is the season to count and tag juvenile steelhead on the Carmel River. This year was a good one, but the species remains in decline,” Nov. 9-15). Using electroshock, we stun the fry, scoop them up and relocate them to the lagoon where they can thrive. We also hand-carry older steelhead over the sandbar and release them in the sea.

Without those efforts, it’s likely the steelhead would have already been done in. It’s a great thrill to carry a large steelhead from the lagoon and release it to the sea. We should implement more water conservation using dryscape for large sections of golf courses and housing landscapes to assist in this effort. Walter Wagner | Salinas

Place Based

Right in my backyard (“Big Sur Land Trust acquires the 5,105-acre Basin Ranch,” posted Nov. 7). Thank you Big Sur Land Trust. You are the best!! Maren Elwood | Carmel Valley

Fantastic. Donna Jean Brown | via social media

This makes me so happy! Susannah Cernojevich | Washington, D.C.

This area is already packed with public and nonprofit-owned lands and the few remaining small cattle ranchers will be even further priced out if all the suitable grazing land is purchased for wildlife habitat. Wayne Stevenson | via social media

Our community is incredibly fortunate to have the Big Sur Land Trust working behind the scenes to help make these types of acquisitions possible. A big thank you and job well done to all those involved. Derek Dean | Monterey

Opportunity Knocking

“When we ensure that every member of our community has equal access to economic opportunities, we not only foster prosperity but also cultivate a stronger, more resilient and united community, where everyone can thrive.”

Not going to happen (“A foundation aims to change the way economic development works by empowering community leaders in Salinas,” Nov. 9-15). There is no socio-economic system that can provide “equal access to economic opportunities.” No matter where society sets the bar of opportunity, it will still be too high for some to leap over.

There will always be a need for caregiving institutions to lift some over the opportunity bar through social programs that make essential goods and services accessible and affordable to those who can’t or even won’t leap over that bar. S. Duane Stratton | Monterey

Finding the Way

These people are insane. We live in the real world (“Are Carmel’s days numbered? City to debate adding house addresses,” posted Nov. 6). The people who serve Carmel are the ones who get screwed by the no addresses. I’m a delivery driver and I don’t take orders to Carmel because I can’t reliably tell where I’m actually delivering to. I’d love to take those orders, but it’s just not practical.

But forget food delivery: ambulance drivers, emergency [responders], banks all need real addresses. But they’re not going to do it because of some intangible notion that they’re special or cozy?! Grow up! Frederick Jack Nelson | Seaside

Curtain Rising

I loved attending shows there growing up, and performed in my first show there (well, first outside of school production). Happy to see that it will be open and used again! (“After 20 years, California’s First Theatre in Monterey is a functioning venue again,” Nov. 2-8.) Stacy Wilmoth Koleszar | Salinas

I used to go see shows with my elementary school class. Still remember it fondly. Noriko Ellen Okamoto | via social media

We used to have such a great, fun time at California’s First Theatre. Such fun to have the melodramas, music and throwing peanut shells at the villain! David Finley | via social media

Right and Left and Center

I totally disagree with Sally Mayes (“Letters, Nov. 8-15). The media outlets that preach hate are from the right wing, totally behind a wannabe fascist dictator, Donald Trump: OAN, News Max, and especially Fox News. They are transphobic, homophobic, racist, anti-science.

Sorry, Sally. If you don’t like it, tough cookies for you! You have the constitutional right to listen and watch un-American ideas on phony news outlets! In the meantime, kudos to Monterey County Weekly for telling the truth about matters. LD Freitas | Aptos