Laurel Chesky's article, "Peeved in Pagrovia," (1/20) certainly has many people talking around Pacific Grove. The article was very strong and left me in amazement. I read it three times so that I could absorb the text.

As a downtown merchant on a busy corner of P.G. (Mikoli and JC Penney Catalog Store), I always try to be kept informed of what's happening in town. Many seniors come into my store and have very little extra income to shop. They are constantly informing my staff about their rent increases, and many are moving away. To us, our seniors are our most respected customers.

Our tourists and visitors ask us about the raw sewage problem and what is being done. They want to know if it will be safe to bring their family down to Pacific Grove.

I am not a member of any committee, nor do I get involved in the issues. My time is spent running my businesses and keeping the public content in a desirable shopping environment. As a merchant, I certainly hope that Pacific Grove will continue to be a pleasant place to do business, and that the city will support the needs of all.

I am heartsick with all of the bitterness and anger in town. Everyone in P.G. has a responsibility to work together and keep the town alive and well.

I thank you for your article and hope that the good people of Pacific Grove will continue to be strong and keep the faith. Controversy is good, and perhaps City Hall will work favorably for the people.

OLIVIA MOTI, PACIFIC GROVE

Pagrovial Problems--II

Yes, Mayor Koffman, "It's always easy to criticize a decision after the fact." ("Peeved in Pagrovia," 1/20.) Obviously, valid criticism of a decision needs to be done before the fact.

Therefore, I would like to go on record as opposing Mayor Koffman's decision of Oct. 31, 2000, in which I see her giving her support to the Pebble Beach Compa-ny's attempt to buy Asilomar State Beach.

MATTHEW COLETTI, SEASIDE

Pagrovial Problems--III

In "Peeved in Pagrovia" (1/20), you missed yet another issue that has been languishing in a P.G. committee for almost a year: the growing noise pollution problem.

More and more people have been buying second homes in Pacific Grove and hiring contractors to maintain their yards. Having no consideration for those residents who are at home during the day and who have to suffer from the consequent noise pollution, these areas are becoming like war zones, with armies of contractors descending upon residential areas with leaf blowers and other noisy, high-decibel machines.

Since P.G.'s noise ordinance is very weak and completely ineffective in solving leaf blower and other noise problems, the issue was raised to the City Council two years ago. In spite of many residents going to the considerable trouble to attend multiple council meetings over a two-year period to get the issue addressed, P.G. still has no effective noise ordinance.

The issue was--you guessed it--sent to a committee. In the meantime, the California Air Resources Board has just issued a damning report that details hard medical evidence indicating that noise from equipment such as leaf blowers is loud enough to seriously injure people's health.

Your comment, "If you want to kill a project in Pacific Grove, send it to committee," was too close to the truth. Yet another ballot initiative?

BARRY RAYBOULD, PACIFIC GROVE

'Measure B' Critics Tripping

The latest anti-Measure B ad refers to its backers as "a few, as yet anonymous, people gathered in a backroom." Have I been hallucinating?

I seem to recall endless newspaper articles recounting the saga of Barbara Bass Evans and her committee in their six-month effort to qualify Measure B for the ballot. I remember Ms. Evans being cited by the police for exercising her right to gather signatures. I remember their attorney, Michael Stamp, appearing in court in response to the City Council's lawsuit.

As for public or legal input, this initiative was reviewed ad infinitum by city attorneys, as well as election officials both city and county. And speaking of anonymity, where are the names of the Save Monterey! committee members?

One thing we can agree on--law making does belong out in the open!

LEDA JELINEK, PEBBLE BEACH

Cops Should be More Civil

I enjoyed reading your article on civil rights and police officers' attitudes ("Civil Wrongs," 1/13).

I majored in administration of justice and have a trade college diploma as a private investigator. I do not accept police officers using "judgment" in place of legal probable cause. This is being abused too wildly. It violates our 4th Amendment right of being secure in our papers, effects, things, et cetera.

Requiring police officers to have an associate's degree would give officers 20 units of American law basics, so they could think and act intelligently in dealing with life. Most importantly, police officers would receive courses in psychology, sociology, and humanities. Otherwise, too many act like thugs in blue!

NITA ELLIOTT, SALINAS

First Night--Great Night

On behalf of our board of directors--and the nearly 40,000 people who participated in First Night Monterey this year--I would like to express my deep appreciation to everyone at the Weekly for helping to make this millennium celebration the most successful, most diverse, and most wonderful celebration ever.

Our great thanks also to our amazing artists, button outlets, button buyers, donors, media partners, sponsors, venue hosts, and volunteers who together make it all possible.

Special thanks to the Weekly for sponsoring the procession and congratu- lations to all of our prize winners.

First Night is a year-round process. We encourage you to get involved! Please send a note to: P.O. Box 185, Monterey 93942, or info@firstnightmonterey.org.

PAULETTE LYNCH, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Editorial Misjudgment

Yoo-hoo--anybody home? Looks like editorial judgment has taken a holiday!

Aaron Birk's recent article, "No Peace, No Freedom" (1/20), focused on handgun violence and the Peace Coalition of Monterey County's efforts to reduce this severe problem. Yet, on the next two pages, there is the image of a woman, quite unfortunately, with a handgun in her hands--one pointing directly at the reader--supposedly looking cool and chic, searching for the Best of Monterey County 2000.

To add insult to injury, the blurb on "Double-0 Zero" says that her "most effective weapons are elegance, style, and wit," and that those laudable attributes "will likely prove inadequate for victory." So let's pull out the guns instead!

What message was the Weekly intending to send to the public? Aaron Birk said it precisely: "We are a violent nation at war with ourselves, and it doesn't look like it's going to end anytime soon." Unless, that is, "we start from one place and one place only--in the hearts of individuals."

...which includes the use of editorial judgment skills.

PAOLA BERTHOIN, CARMEL

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