FOOD FAN

The piece on Coastal Luxury Management by Mark Anderson (“Window to the Future,” May 6-12) , is certainly more than fair – it’s excellent.

I’ve read it through twice and have book-marked it for future reference. Anderson definitely captured the essence and the joy of CLM. A great, entertaining and informative article. -Steve Bloch | Carmel Valley

BACK-UP PLAN?

LandWatch Monterey County has closely followed the progression of the Regional Water Project. The issues are so complicated, but one thing is clear: The Monterey Peninsula needs a lot of water quickly. Will the Regional Project provide a lot of water quickly? Proponents say the desal plant will be running by 2014. Four years would be unprecedented for a desal plant of that size, and that’s if they start building it right away. What will the Peninsula do if the desal doesn’t work for many years, or if the project gets stalled by lengthy litigation? (One such suit has already been filed.)

We were dismayed to find out that not only is there no back-up plan, Cal-Am rate payers will pay for the desal even if it fails to provide water. So water rates on the Peninsula will double or triple, even if no water is provided. The Peninsula needs water. That is clear. The tough questions about who will pay, how much, what protections are in place for those paying, is it fair, and what’s the contingency plan need to be answered before this plan moves forward. -Amy White, LandWatch Monterey County | Salinas

MILITARY MADNESS

The recently passed Oklahoma law requires all women seeking an abortion, even in cases of rape or incest, to watch a sonogram image of their fetus. I propose all volunteers for the military be required to watch graphic color photos of the over 2,400 Afghan civilians that have been killed and many more wounded by U.S. bombs and missiles from Predator drones or warplanes. Our soldiers, and the rest of the U.S., need to know what it is they are really being asked to do. -David C. Powell | Pacific Grove

ANYONE BUT MIKE

Don’t be fooled by the overabundance of oversized campaign signs of Kanalakis for Sheriff! It does not signify local support – they were bought with Texas money. Kanalakis was given a vote of no confidence by his deputies as well as his 100 or so employees. His heavyhandedness, brutality, arrogance and dishonesty have alienated communities from Big Sur to Castroville to South County.

His two challengers, Fred Garcia and Scott Miller, both highly qualified, would be a vast improvement and would restore morale and trust. I will vote for Fred Garcia. After 19 years as deputy and then commander, he lost his job when he declared his candidacy.He is endorsed by the Sheriffs Association. There’s no higher vote of confidence than being supported by those who have worked with him, even at their own peril, knowing that Kanalakis is highly vindictive.Fred knows this job and this county so well that the transition of power will be seamless. We will all be better served for it. -Helga Fellay
| Carmel Valley