Team Margot


I’ve known Margot for 40 years and she has always been a sweetheart to me (“If you must invade Monterey County’s singular company town, follow the rules,” June 28-July 4). She gave Spreckels Sugar employees credit to buy food when they needed it. She would ban kids from the store for stealing candy or being rude to her – nothing wrong with that. After the mill closed she didn’t open the store as much due to customer loss, but at least she’s open for bread, milk, beer and snack foods. This saves a trip to Salinas.


I have never heard her say “zomething” or “zee,” and I find that you writing that is stereotypical, insulting and bogus.


I worked at the sugar mill until it closed and one of my fond memories was of Margot and her little store. She put up with a lot of characters from the mill and somehow kept us all in line. I always loved listening to her stories about “the old days” in Spreckels; it was a different time.


To this day I still go by and visit Margot from time to time, and I find her very friendly and am amazed at how she can still add up your bill in her head. They don’t make them like her anymore and that is a very sad fact. - Larry McCoy | via Web


Reading this story prompted me to register as a reader JUST SO THAT I COULD TELL YOU I agree with Larry McCoy, and in fact think his comment was way too polite. Your article comes across as petty, small-minded and bigoted in every way, and quite frankly I am surprised that the paper allowed publication of a piece that makes fun of someone’s speech pattern. You DID paint a very clear picture of a person who came in to an admittedly small-town and parochial place… bringing his own supercilious attitude… and when the folks in the store did not acknowledge your clear sophisticated awesomeness, you felt compelled to use words to bring them down. Not journalism of the first order. Too bad. - Baylass | via Web


Wow… you have no right to say such things about Margot. She deserves respect! Not you making fun of her. And BTW, the fire company doesn’t kick anyone out of the park at 4pm. We start tear down at 4, the booths close and activities we put on end. People are welcome to stay and spend time with friends and family. - Lovemy2Danes | via Web


Being a local resident and avid reader of the Weekly I looked forward to reading the article on the small town of Spreckels. It is a very uncommon little jewel in our beautiful and diverse community. Reading the article by Mark Anderson made me sad in the way that he attacked and demeaned Margot Scholler’s speech and appearance. It is one thing for a newspaper to ridicule politicians and others who choose to be in the public eye, but to do this to someone who clearly treasures their privacy is unkind and frankly bad journalism. I think Mr. Anderson and the Weekly owes Mrs. Scholler an apology and that your paper should rethink the way they present the news. - Mark Davidian | via Web


I’m from Sonora, CA, what used to be a similarly small town before the likes of Walmart invaded the scenery with capitalism, and I am not sure why the difference of lifestyle you noted is dismissed as “weird” for this article. Unfortunate. - Ronnell Mello | via Facebook 


I enjoyed your story on Spreckels; I thought it caught the flavor of the town very nicely. I also am pleased that you labeled the cut-out painting at the end of Spreckels Boulevard. “iconic,” although the artist who created it is not Dong Sun Kim, but myself. I was commissioned to create 10 paintings for The Farm back in the mid-90s, and I employed the services of Mr. Kim to assist me in painting three of the “Harvesting Crew,” but Mr. Kim had no hand in the painting of Bob Lyman, the painting honoring the field manager of Crown Packing for over 50 years. - John Cerney | via Web


Tea, No Sugar


This is “yellow journalism” at its finest. (“Tea Party-backed effort threatens California voter rolls,” June 28-July 4). Billy Manes and Erin Sullivan write about the Florida Factor unabated by an opposing opinion. Yet, your paper has the audacity to state: “The mission of the Monterey County Weekly is to inspire independent thinking and conscious action, etc.” The etc. is for the Weekly to promote progressive ideology that purports to be honest reporting.


The simple truth is that ineligible people are registering and casting ballots. Secretaries of state have a legal and moral obligation to ensure the integrity of the voting process is not infiltrated by foreign nations bent on harming this country. The story should be about the role of political parties to facilitate the casting of ballots by illegal aliens and the like. Publishing reports that malign government efforts to ensure the integrity of our election process smacks of yellow journalism. - Frank95054 | via Web


Coasting to Court


So Steve Collins’ claim and the Marina Coast Water District’s claim contain much the same information; is it possible they are telling the truth? (“Marina Coast files $20 million claim against the county,” posted June 29.) Both claims are online and available for the public to read. Perhaps you should do so; they are chilling. There is a much deeper story here and I sincerely hope it comes out. As an example, both claims include the fact that the negative references to the financing of the project came from the Wedbush report, and yet the report was written by a partner in the Deepwater Desal project in Moss Landing. Where is the Board of Supervisors outrage at such an obvious conflict of interest? - oldguy49 | via Web


One Mom, Two Views


I thank you for sharing your experience (“Helping mom die,” June 21-27). I, too, believe that Jack Kevorkian deserves canonization and agree that there should be a safe and legal way for our loved ones to have a peaceful death. I belong to two organizations that advocate exactly that: Death With Dignity and Compassion & Choices. Both are working to bring the Oregon legislation to more states. Condolences on the loss of your mother. I am 99 years old, but in pretty good shape and have step-children who will honor my do not resuscitate request when the time comes. - Alice Moser | Salinas


I will keep this short, but I could say much more. Your mother’s death was needless and could easily have been avoided. She could have lived many more good and happy years. But you will never get that outcome through our hospital/medical system. I’m sorry for your loss, but also that your story might make others feel OK about choosing the route your family chose. - Erika Fiske | via Web