Jan. 12

SHORT SHORT STORIES: TOO SAD

Next year, a few months before the contest [“Fast Reads,” Jan 5-11], could you put your 101 word short story judges on Prozac? Thanks. —Anne Jones | Pacific Grove

BUTTERFLY FLAP IN (WHERE ELSE?) PG

Yee gads! Cancel the Butterfly Parade or the Feast of Lanterns? Yes indeedy, there was a mild hysteria in Pacific Grove over Ryan Masters’ article “Pinching Pennies” [Jan. 12-18]. This even surpassed the hysteria reflected by PG Chamber of Commerce President Moe Ammar’s comments in the article describing these beloved events as “doomed.” Hmm…ya think this whipping up of hysteria might have been the goal?

So everybody can unbunch their boxers here in town, let me make this perfectly clear: the PG City Council has never even mentioned charging for city services for events such as the Butterfly Parade. I know of no councilmember of that mind. The Council was in full agreement that these are much-beloved events that define our town. –Susan Goldbeck | Pacific Grove

The letter-writer is a member of the Pacific Grove City Council.

Jan. 19

A BLOW FOR INTERNATIONAL HARMONY

Regarding the letters “Norwegians Deserve More Lefsa,” and “How To Spell Like a North Dakotan” [Jan. 5-11], my response is: Lefse is good stuff whether you are Mexican or Norwegian! Good lefse is tricky to make unless you happen to have a lefse griddle, a lefse turning stick and a lefse cooling rack (and can roll the dough very very thin). Uffda.

I order my lefse from: norslandlefse.com in Minnesota, and it tastes just like my Norwegian grandma used to make in Wisconsin. Good luck. –Sonja (Revling) Jeter | Carmel

Feb. 2

I really like the new look. It is way easier to navigate through the paper. It’s really clean looking, and the fabulous “This Modern World” looks like it got a little bigger. (Or did I just get better reading glasses?)

The only thing I’m not crazy about is the squid artwork—looks a bit octopussy to me.  –Esther Trosow | Monterey

Feb. 16

TRIBUTE TO OCTOPUSSY, PT. II

Time for a trip to the Monterey Aquarium for Squid’s artist friend, who is unable to distinguish a squid from an octopus! Glad to see artwork, but get it right.  –Nancy Iverson | Salinas

Feb. 23

IMPEACH CLINTON!

While this piece by Jane Smiley (Forum, Feb. 16-22) is beautifully constructed, it is nothing more than an hysterical screed. It is replete with childish vitriol and innuendo. Factual support for her conclusions is nonexistent and passing on thirdhand non-verifiable comments (ex: President Bush’s supposed quote regarding the Constitution) should be beneath her accomplished level of writing! By not issuing a disclaimer are we to assume you support her conclusions?  –Charles L. Pifer | Carmel

March 2

HEY! WAIT! WHERE AM I?

It’s all Barbara Evans in your “Desal Project Stalled in Court” article. I am unnamed in the picture with Barbara and nowhere am I mentioned in the article [“Desal Project Stalled in Court,” Feb. 23-March 1]. How can this happen when I know more about de-salt stuff about the coast of the Ivory Coast than anybody west of Needles?

The Weekly needs to crank up its society editor and recognize the importance of what I am doing in the field of Micromanipulation. –Ed Leeper | Monterey

HEY! WAIT! WHERE’S MY SENTENCE?

Does freedom of speech apply only to liberal speak!? By omitting my reference to the Clinton administration you deprived me of my freedom of speech. –Charles L. Pifer | Carmel

Editor’s note: The following line was cut from Mr. Pifer’s letter of last week, which criticized Jane Smiley’s jeremiad against the Bush administration: “Interestingly, the Clinton administration is factually guilty of most all of her accusations!” The line was cut for reasons of space. We regret that, because its omission made the clever headline (“Impeach Clinton!”) meaningless.

March 30

OLD GUYS DON’T NEED TIES

Love your publication! A minor correction to The Best Retirement Community of Canterbury Woods [“Best Of Monterey County,” March 16-22]. It used to be coats and ties for dinner but I managed to break that stuffy tradition when I moved in four years ago. After all, this is Casual California and even old fuddy duddies should dress casual.

The standard now is slacks, a nice shirt, with or without coat or sweater. A tie if one wants but most inmates, oops, I mean residents, have dropped the tie for dinner. –David C. Powell | Pacific Grove

April 13

WHERE’S THE BEEF?

A $2,000 reward is being offered by Lightning Bolt Rodeo Productions for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for the cold-blooded shooting of two top rodeo bucking bulls. The bulls’ names are Malley Bear and Michi, valued at $150,000. They were shot at point blank range, Saturday, Feb. 4, 2006 at around 5pm.

This shooting event took place at 1500 River Rd., Gonzales. It is suspected that the meat (1,800 lbs.) is being used to pay a specific debt. These two bulls were legally branded and were on rented pasture. What happened was illegal and immoral. Other beef cattle have been reported missing in Monterey County as well. This is a very grave concern to our community. –Lana Sargenti, Rodeo Secretary | Wellington, Nevada

May 4

PHOTOS OF GUNS DON’T KILL PEOPLE, BUT GUNS DO KILL PEOPLE

I’m writing in regard to the photo on page 29 of the April 20-26, 2006 issue, part of the A&E Calendar. The photo shows three men, one with a pistol, one with a double-barrel shotgun, and the third with a rifle, aiming the firearms toward the reader.

This image isn’t OK with me. It was probably intended to be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s not humorous nor artful nor entertaining to me.  –Andy Bell | Pebble Beach

May 25

LOVE AT FIRST VISIT

I drove my daughter’s car down to her at the Defense Language Institute, along the way everyone I spoke with in and around Monterey were very helpful. I was just going to deliver the car and spend some time with my daughter but then I fell in love with your entire slice of heaven you have there. We went all sorts of places; your town is hilly for my crippled taste, but whenever I got tired there was some new person offering a chair—sometimes their chair.

In all my travels all over this world I have never experienced such kindness. Because of all the nice people that make up your community, I stayed another five days, and hated leaving.

Thank you, Monterey, for your wonderful people, on my next trip down I will be looking for a live-aboard and a home. –Bill Jesernig | Kennewick, Wash.

June 1

VOTE AGAINST WEEKLY ENDORSEMENT

One of the best reasons to elect Peter Kaiser to be on the Monterey Republican Central Committee is because the Monterey County Weekly opposes him.

The real Republicans of Monterey County should be a little uneasy about voting for Central Committee candidates endorsed by the most left-wing paper in Monterey County, a paper which also endorses Sam Farr and even ex-governor “Moonbeam” Jerry Brown for Attorney General.

The Republican Party deserves better than this local and national crop of the near-Democrats who masquerade as “Republicans.”

I would also suggest writing in the names of three other traditional Republicans rather than voting for the Weekly-endorsed candidates.  –Brian L. Burleson | Seaside

June 8

GET REAL; NO RAIL

Recently Eric Johnson wrote a quaint piece heralding the New Age of Trains to the Peninsula as a cure to our local transportation woes [“Back to the Future,” May 25-31]. However, as much as his article “sounded” plausible, alas, it is no more so than bringing back buggies to Pacific Grove and closing the gate near New Monterey at 8pm.

Take a modern family of five from San Francisco. Dad wants to golf. Mom wants to shop, the kids want to go to Cannery Row, and everyone wants to see the Aquarium. They also have a toddler who needs a stroller. Imagine how much stuff they will put into their SUV before coming.

Perhaps in days gone by when vacations were spent at the Del Monte Hotel, all this would work, but in today’s environment of free-traveling mobility, it is simply a pipe dream. Nice try. But yes, close PG at 8. –­Christopher “CB” Maxwell | Pacific Grove

HERO SUFFERS; VILLAIN THRIVES

The nation owes the Monterey County Weekly a debt of gratitude for having published “Crude Conspiracy” this past Nov. 3, 2005. Mr. Mehdi Shahbazi, the Marina gas station manager, is a shining beacon in the sea of bureaucratic mediocrity. How many hundreds of thousands of operators are there out there that are privy to the same information as Mr. Shahbazi, and yet are afraid to speak out against this immoral, corrupt rape of the working classes!

In my mind, Mr. Shahbazi is a true American patriot for having the guts to speak out as he has. It is a disgrace that he and his family are made to suffer financial losses while the president of Exxon Mobil earned $18 million this year and will retire next year with a $140 million package! –Ben Kaplan | Northbrook, Ill.

June 29

CHOATES FIGHTS CITY HALL

According to Raul Vasquez’s view of Seaside city politics, Mayor Ralph Rubio doesn’t like to be questioned in public by longtime Councilman Darryl Choates. Rubio shows “thinly veiled irritation” by Choates, whom the mayor sees as a “thorn in his side.”

Well, more power to Choates as he sticks up for the people, reminds his fellow council members and staff that backroom deals and conducting business without fully explaining matters to the public aren’t good policy.

Bravo to Choates for asking the questions, despite what Rubio “intimates as mixed motives.” No, Choates’ motives clearly are on the side of the people and not hidden in “closed session” deals with developers. Bravo to the Weekly for writing about these issues. We hope to see more coverage about Seaside City Hall.  –Tommy Horne | Seaside

July 13

NUÑEZ: GIFTS FROM PHONE COMPANY DID NOT INFLUENCE MY POSITION

In his article “Dialing for Dollars,” [July 6, 2006] Ryan Masters says that the passage of AB 2987 would cost Monterey municipalities millions of dollars in lost fees. Not true.

We don’t have the exact figures yet, but cities in the Monterey area could receive more fees under AB 2987—and consumers may end up paying less for video services. That’s a win-win.

Masters also ties political fundraising to the passage of this bill. That’s ludicrous and again, not true. AT&T has sponsored the Speaker’s Cup Golf Tournament at Pebble Beach for a decade, making this year no different.

I have worked tirelessly for nearly two decades on civil rights issues and have always stuck up for the rights of the poor and disenfranchised. That hasn’t changed with this bill. –Fabian Núñez | Sacramento

The letter writer is speaker of the California Assembly.

AMERICA: EAT FASTER!

There is perhaps no better index of the United States decline in the global community than ceding of the world hot dog-eating contest once again to Takeru Kobayashi from Japan.

With all due respect to Mr. Kobayashi, who consumed 53 hot dogs in 12 minutes, American patriots need to take notice. In a country that has long held the distinction of the highest caloric-consuming country in the world, one would think that the US could hold first place in this important international sport. Sixty-five percent of American adults are overweight.

The World Cup holds little promise for proving American prowess. But with Joey Chestnut of San Jose placing second at 52 hot dogs in 12 minutes, we are within striking distance in this new global sport. –Bill Monning | Carmel