Monumental for the People


The Fort Ord National Monument is a great asset to this area (“It’s official: Fort Ord National Monument,” posted April 20). It will make the campus of CSUMB more desirable. The cities of Seaside and Marina will benefit as well. Unfortunately, there is a massive development (Monterey Downs) proposed to go in between the urban part of Fort Ord and the Fort Ord National Monument. There will be a lot of trees cut down so that large structures and a horse race track can be put in place. The character of area will be changed forever. The oak forest will become a concrete jungle. - Batcave | via Web


Awesome! Back off, Monterey Downs. Back off, Eastside Parkway. - Jeffrey Lewis | via Facebook


Preserve wildlife, throw a Fort Ord celebration! - Roy Jordan | via Facebook


Business Sense


What a great idea to be able to quickly and easily know the level of pesticide on your produce! (“Regional plan contest generates intense ideas, including technology to fight acne and track pesticides,” April 12-18.) This is particularly of interest since so much of our produce is being imported and increasingly so, such that one can never tell what standards have been followed in production. I can see why the hospitality industry is interested. There must be many other potential users for such a simple and effective device. - mwheinrich | via Web


Voter Education


Ideally, all eligible registered voters would have been required to attend the April 14 debate between the District 4 candidates for County Supervisor. Incumbent Jane Parker acquitted herself well, as expected; however, the performance of challenger Byrl Smith was unexpected. She showed very little understanding of issues facing the county – neither their complexities nor connectivity. Her responses were simplistic and repetitive black-and-white “sound bite” positions. Ms. Smith provided an impressive list of her endorsers; I wonder on what they have based their support and how many of them would continue it if they had been there. - ConcernedVoter | via Web 


(Editor’s note: Ideally, all eligible registered voters can’t be required to do anything in a Democratic society. But we get where you’re going.)


Swimming Upstream


When the skipper says you can’t blame the fisherman, you have to clarify and say you can’t blame the sport fisherman, like himself and the other guys that go out of Monterey and Moss Landing and catch two fish per person. Two. (“Many anglers doubt the government’s optimistic salmon numbers,” April 19-25.) Not a big impact when put up against a trawler or similar professional outfit catching hundreds of fish. And not a big impact at all when put up against water shortages caused by unsustainable home growth and farming. No water in the river equals no fish in the sea. - Benjamin Brandt | via Facebook


Burger Beef


Speaking as a recent transplant to the East Coast, to my astonishment I will declare that Five Guys is superior to In-N-Out (“Five Guys Burgers and Fries coming to Salinas,” posted April 16).There, I said it. Don’t be hating on me. - Matt Wall | via Facebook 


Matt speaks the truth! And their fries are killer, too. No milkshakes at Five Guys, though. - Julie Cason | via Facebook


Matt and Julie are very, very, wrong. Next time I’m on the West Coast, In-N-Out is the first place I’m eating! - Eric Block | via Facebook


Seaside was the spot for a future In-N-Out Burger buuuuut the city shut that down just like all the other cool things Monterey needs… or wants. - Michael Baroni | via Facebook


I don’t think a missing fast food franchise is the thing that’s keeping Seaside down. You might want to look at the mismanagement of the Ford Ord redevelopment (from the semi-corrupt deals of Seaside Highlands to the failure to create a sustainable growth plan above Jim Moore to Jim Moore taking 10 freakin’ years to rebuild), the failure to do basic things like keep the parks clean and safe, inability to share services and efficiencies with other communities, the cancerous sales tax hole that is Sand City, or a half dozen other candidates before laying Seaside’s woes on the lack of a Double-Double. - Matt Wall | via Facebook


Font Nerds


Exactly what was Phillip Pennington’s analysis that led him to choosing Times over Arial? (“Portola Hotel and Spa’s Silver Lining,” posted April 16.) Sounds like they absurdly wanted a green font, so he threw a dart at a dartboard. - David Steiger | via Facebook


The Outrage!


Two full paragraphs from Squid Fry about the Good Old Days Media Challenge Basketball Tournament, yet nary a mention of the KRXA All-Stars! (“Squid Fry,” April 19-25.) This scrappy group finished a solid third place (out of three teams), led by Coach KC Lynch and station owner Hal “The Enforcer” Ginsberg (coming off a medically approved “lube job” the day before!). Let’s give this feisty team some credit. - ArlenG | via Web


(Editor’s note: Way to be positive! Don’t think of it as losing first place; think of it as losing second place too.)


Happy Trails


The Rec Trail is a wonderful outdoor resource (“Cyclists advocate for a New Monterey bike path; neighbors push back,” April 19-25). I think that improving access to the trail could only be a good thing. Kids would be more at risk crossing busy Lighthouse Avenue than negotiating driveways on a dead-end street. - Glenn Parado | via Facebook


Not giving the safest access to bikers already using driveways is like not giving condoms to teens who are already having sex. - Ronnell Mello | via Facebook


How about you abhorrent asshole bicyclists first get your shit together and learn to obey all laws? I don’t know how many bicyclists I’ve almost taken out over the years while driving, but you can either obey the traffic law or not – you can’t have it both ways and I am not the Angel of Death to grant your death wish. On the current bike path, I’ve almost been taken out twice due to noodniks not paying attention to pedestrians. (By the way… if you’re a law-abiding bicyclist, that wasn’t for you.) - Ignacio Pacheco | via Facebook