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GIVE JESSICA AN AWARD

After reading Jessica Lyons’ “Sex And The County—Back To The Future,” I know who writes Squid Fry. It’s her, the only society gossip reporter in Monterey County with a head on her shoulders. Without a doubt Jessica Lyons will be winning the “Mortimers” this year for Best Dressed Sexy Gossip Society Reporter in Monterey County. —Ed Leeper | Monterey

Note: Squid has been contributing to the Weekly since long before Jessica Lyons arrived here in 2001. Squid Fry is written by Squid—duh.

SEAN’S STORY ENDS WITH COURAGEOUS RECOVERY

Thank you so much for sharing the truth about Sean Massa; the truth will set us free. However, you failed to tell the rest of the story.

This is not a letter about land use or the general plan; this is a letter about healing and forgiveness. I would not want a community leader who had never made a mistake; that man has no experience. I would not want a community leader who had not learned from failure; that man has no wisdom.  I would not want a community leader who could not empathize with my pain; that man has no compassion.  Sean Massa is a community leader. Your vain attempt to vilify a man and his family for suffering the shame and pain of addiction is a godsend.

As you know, the governor has proclaimed the month of May as “Mental Health Month.” What better time to let your readers know there is hope in the recovery community? We do not have to live in darkness with our addiction. Sean has shared his testimony to thousands of people and it brings hope to all of us who suffer with addiction and mental illness. Thank you once again for sharing his story.  

If you or a loved one struggles with addiction, please join me every Friday night at Celebrate Recovery. You can sit beside me and people like Sean Massa who praise the Lord for healing and forgiveness. There are 12-step programs, recovery programs and churches that will welcome you with open arms. There is hope in the power of the Lord and Sean Massa is a perfect example of what God can do with broken people. —Loma Livernois | Prunedale

VALLEY FARMERS AND RANCHERS ALREADY PROTECT OPEN LAND

The two articles on Measure A, written by Eric Johnson and Bradley Zeve, were well worth reading but I felt they failed to mention a few things. Ranchers and farmers are not special interest groups; we are businesses that provide for the economy of the county. With or without the Monterey County Ag and Historical Conservancy, privately owned family ranches and farms already preserve two-thirds of the ag land for non-development through the Williamson Act, a 20-year revolving contract that disallows development.

I am a fourth-generation cattleman. Eric was right; we do want to be able to have the right to build a house for our children on our own land that we have owned for 100-plus years.

The only reason Ventura and Santa Clara county have lost to urban sprawl is the commodities that they once cultivated could be imported cheaper from out of the state or the US. Apricots from Turkey, avocado from Mexico, oranges from Florida. The Salinas Valley is unique because we are the only ones to grow our particular commodities at this time of year. Value of the land is like beauty in the eye of the beholder.

Finally, no one ever mentions that the GPI, Yes on Measure A, exempts the residents of the Monterey Peninsula and Carmel Valley from its 25-year moratorium on do nothing, but rather stifles private property rights in the rest of Monterey County, where the other people live and provide for the economy. —Scott Violini |Salinas

WE HAVE THE TOUCH

We enjoyed your report on the Massage Therapy Skills Lab, one segment of the Massage Therapy Program at Monterey Peninsula College. We also would like your readers to know that, in addition to the certificates noted in the article, MPC offers an associate’s degree in science in massage therapy. Our training is exceptionally affordable compared with private schools, and our graduates have a 100 percent pass rate on exams through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

Thanks for helping us bring more attention to our program. For more information, readers can visit us at mpc.edu/paul_tuff or call 646-4231. —Paul David Tuff, MPC Massage Therapy Program Coordinator | Monterey