American Tin Cannery

Finally, the Coastal Commission will hear the appeal of the proposed American Tin Cannery development in Pacific Grove. Concerns will be brought forth by the city’s own Planning Commission and Pacific Grove Coastal Watch as well as private citizens AND concerned Coastal Commissioners. A project of this size will dwarf the Aquarium and the other local high end hotels. Adjoining neighborhoods will have their views blocked and will have to put up with major traffic issues. The local harbor seals that reside at Hopkins Marine Lab will be stressed as well as residing seabirds. Why, at a time when the City of Pacific Grove is being asked to add 1,100 housing units to our community, are we even considering this project! And where will the water come from for such a massive development (2 swimming pools!?). Why not use the water credits already allotted for the retail space there for moderate income housing? The city of Pacific Grove still has not identified all the locations for housing.

The Pacific Grove City Council should be ashamed of itself for going against the advice of its own Planning Commission and Coastal Watch program when it approved this project. Councilmember Luke Coletti is the only one who had the common sense to vote against this project. Submit written comments at the Coastal Commission’s website at www.coastal.ca.gov.

— Nancy Ponedel Parsons, Pacific Grove

Pacific Grove a ‘loving community’

Pacific Grove Unified School District appropriated $15,000 of our tax money for two women to conduct a class based on “white guilt” at our Adult Education Center. The League of Latin American Citizens threatens to sue Pacific Grove if we don’t change from “at large” to “district” elections. The Diversity, Inclusion, Equity Task Force destroys our time-honored, family-oriented Feast of Lanterns.

In spite of these disgusting gaslighting attempts to make us believe that every white person is a guilt-ridden, supremacist, privileged racist bigot and all non-whites are ignorant, helpless, underprivileged, underrepresented victims, Pacific Grove is a peaceful, loving community where all races live in peace and harmony.

Kindly take your disdain, racism, bigotry and fantasies of white guilt elsewhere and leave our people alone.

— Giovanna Vesperi, Pacific Grove

PG&E

I would like to address the recent article about the PG&E customers. I agree that they are dissatisfied, because the cost of power (gas & electric) is high and going higher.

Two comments in the article came to my attention that were made by the TURN executive director.

First, he said: “If PG&E wanted a better reputation, it would stop overspending on excessive tree removal…” Second, he stated “If PG&E wanted to boost customer confidence it would prioritize delivering the cleanest, safest and most reliable service at the most cost-efficient manner…”

Citizens, these two statements contradict each other.

Excessive tree removal? There is no such thing! Trees on all overhead lines must be trimmed or cut down according to a set schedule. For example, the Monterey pine tree grows 2 feet in a year. It’s back on the line in no time. Also, when our flying creatures decide to take off simultaneously from a line, the line swings and may make contact with the tree and or the other lines in a 3-line configuration. Outage!

Secondly, undergrounding power lines is expensive and maintenance costs for underground power lines are more than overhead lines. Also our furry friends, who for some reason love the XLPE covering on underground conductors chew on it and “zap,” their gone and you have no power.

Finally, when I worked for PG&E, we always planned on delivering the cleanest, the safest and most reliable service in the most cost-efficient manner. We never concerned ourselves with the shareholders, it was always the customer!

— Joe Zoccali, Salinas