Oh, I know KPIG is a treasure (What's Up, Chuck? March 12). It's a one-of-a-kind find in Radio Land and it should have been purchased for its unique and special attributes. But you know what? Radio is a business, Chuck. Just like weekly newspapers such as yours. I happen to enjoy having Coast Weekly in my community, so guess what? I spend money to advertise in it almost 12 months out of the year. I'm paying your salary so that you can be a "biased reporter" and a heck of an associate editor. If this community wants to keep KPIG greasy at 107oink5 then local businesses are going to need to find some advertising dollars in their budgets to include local commercial radio stations. Do you honestly think the new owners of KPIG would adjust the format in any way if it were pulling in the dough? Nope. This is not about being a victim to out-of-town corporations; it's about reciprocating. KPIG is not a non-profit organization. You love to listen to it, so why not support it? If you didn't know before, you gotta know now, people dig the Pig.

Next on the list? Jazz! You want it, you appreciate it, then spend some money on it! I can't stand the thought of 'Smooth Classics.' Radio is a viable medium. It's intimate, it's creative and it's exclusive when it comes to capturing the attention of people driving in their cars. As for my employers (and believe me, they know how I feel), I've suggested a 12-step program for shaking Classic Rock. It is so "10 minutes ago."

SANDY SHORE, RADIO PERSONALITY (KCDU & KXDC) AND CONCERT PROMOTER

PACIFIC GROVE

More on the Air Strip

In response to Barry Harrow's letter "Seeing the Light" (March 5-11), another negative effect of the proposed intensification of use of the airstrip between Via Contenta and Lupin Lane is that of increased noise pollution. Small low-flying aircraft are one of the worst offenders in this regard, destroying the natural quiet for an area of 20 square miles around. People live here rather than in the city partly for its natural quiet. Is this really an appropriate type of development for this area? Apparently, there is increasing recognition of noise pollution issues at a national level. Some recent government studies have found that the most frequent complaint Americans have about their neighborhoods is not crime, but noise. Also I just learned of a web site (www.nonoise.org) focusing on these issues, and of studies done at Cornell University in 1997 that found that children exposed to frequent airplane noise don't learn to read as well as other children.

B. RAYBOULD

PACIFIC GROVE

Airstrip Unique

During the last 25 years my family has owned and operated the Airport Apartment, 12 residential units overlooking Pete Del Fino's sleepy airstrip. With a consistent four to six small engine planes tethered there, the airstrip has always been a unique and good neighbor.

Lars de Jounge in now the new developer in charge, and his plans include 11 houses, 11 hangars and three large storage buildings, plus a water tower. The antique theme of his proposal requires that every homeowner have an antique plane. This however, in no way restricts these pilots from keeping a second or third late-model commuter plane on the grounds. Add fly-in visiting friends plus historic flight traffic and we have quite a busy airport in the heart of our rural village.

Carmel Valley Airstrip has always existed as a non-conforming land use. The Carmel Valley Master Plan says that any development on this site must not increase the use of the airstrip beyond historic numbers. Wake up, people! This project impacts the whole community.

TED SHERMAN

CARMEL VALLEY

Pelican Brief

This is a personal letter to the driver of the vehicle who, at 5pm on Monday (March 9) afternoon, hit the pelican on Del Monte Avenue in front of Lake El Estero. I'm sorry to be the one to point this out to you, but you kept going. You didn't stop. And the pelican laid on the middle line of the avenue like two flapping palm fronds while the drivers among you followed your lead and wheeled a crescent around the struck bird. They followed your lead.

There is something terrifying, driver, about the way you said to everyone that it was OK to drive on.

Thank you to the skateboarder who ran to help the pelican, and to the few others who cared enough to stop what they were doing to rescue a living, breathing creature. The goodness in them is called compassion, and it is a higher form of being. Try it sometime. It just may save you from the fiery pits of hell.

KARI BROOKS

MONTEREY

Re: Elder Poor

Did anyone else notice the incongruity of all of those advertisements for up-scale retirement homes and in-home health care services which dotted the March 5-11 issue? I know those paid advertisements helped to enable Coast Weekly to highlight the issue of the elderly poor, but it also produced an unintentionally vivid illustration of the financial chasm which separates the haves from the have-nots.

CYNDI FOX

PACIFIC GROVE

Poor Taste?

Creative writing is one thing ("Hot Picks," March 12). Calling "barn burnings and lynchings" community events is entirely another. And linking these despised activities with our community event is simply in poor taste. At first glance, I was very pleased that the Monterey Bay Choral Festival was placed in your "Hot Picks" section. As I read on, however, I became more displeased by the oblivious lack of understanding of our event by your writer. The Monterey Bay Choral Festival is definitely not "perhaps the closest thing to a community sing-along you get these days." When was the last time you had friends in to sit around and sing Russian Kyries or Italian Renaissance songs? These dedicated singers begin rehearsing the repertoire in September for a March concert. We spend countless hours rehearsing and preparing a concert that is worthy of our educated Peninsula public. Your article was incorrect in saying the festival is made up of church choirs, it also includes several community choruses. Your article was correct in that we made a "joyous noise," but I request that in the future your staff stick to the facts you receive and endeavor to represent the true flavor of community events such as ours.

JOHN KOZA

CO-FOUNDING DIRECTOR

MONTEREY BAY CHORAL FESTIVAL

Hey Squid

In response to your "Brown Nosing in Seaside" in the Feb. 26 issue of the Coast Weekly , I would like to say this:

You might want to review the audio and/or video tapes made of the Seaside City Council Meeting in which City Manager Tim Brown's increase in salary was discussed. City Attorney Don Freeman explained several times that the city manager is hired to work as many hours as necessary to get the job done, so his position is not bound by a 36 or 40-hour work week. The increase in question is a reinstatement . All the other offices at city received the same cut-back in 1993 and all of them have had their 10 percent restored. The city manager's office is simply the last to receive this reinstatement-the increase is not a "raise," merit-based or otherwise.

Z LABEGA

110425.1031@COMPUSERVE.COM

Great Service

Just got to you online for the first time today. Great service, and thank you, a wonderful way to check movie times. Also, glad for you: Bird Dog doesn't need to be walked.

BARBARA BERG

BBERG2000@AOL.COM

Hunter for Supervisor

Kurt Hunter is my candidate for supervisor of District 2. Hunter's a dedicated, knowledgeable candidate who deserves our vote June 2. Kurt's been a business owner for many years and most recently was the county's recycling coordinator, overseeing all county recycling projects. Kurt resigned his position with the county to become a full-time candidate. Kurt will also be a full-time supervisor with no economic conflict of interests. I am impressed with Kurt's breadth of knowledge on a wide range of issues, not just ecological and land-use issues. When Kurt worked for the county, he wrote and received over $1 million in environmental grants for the county

We need new blood on the Monterey County Board of Supervisors. The incumbent, Judy Pennycook, is the darling of the land-use lawyers and their big-time developer clients who routinely present projects before the board. Their big campaign contributions shout down the common people's concerns. Will Rogers once said, "Wouldn't it be great if we elected people by the ballot instead of by the bullion?"

Let's make a fresh start. You can count on my support, Kurt.

GARY KARNES

SALINAS

Green Scissors

I have just learned of this very interesting group who were responsible in 1993 for saving taxpayers more than $20 billion that were due to be spent on 15 environmentally harmful 'pork barrel' projects.

They have identified 71 government programs that would threaten our health, pollute our rivers, destroy native habitats and create radioactive waste. If these could be eliminated it would result in a saving of $49 billion over five years.

Examples are stopping proposed construction of logging roads-this failed by only one vote in Congress in 1997-($250 million savings), cutting grazing subsidies ($250 million) and closing the Nevada test site ($885 million).

Please contact Senator Barbara Boxer, who serves on the Senate Budget Committee, and ask her to support the cutting of these environmentally harmful subsidies and spending. Urge her to act now to ensure that our children inherit both sound finances and a healthy environment.

Thank you.

BEULAH TRIST

CARMEL

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