Remembering Jim Tunney

I was born and raised in Palo Alto, and we were 49er fanatics. Then I went to Europe for a decade, and football wasn’t primary on my mind.

Later I lived in Miami for four years, and Coach Shula of the Dolphins became my hero, as did Dan Marino! However, during the Super Bowl of Dolphins and 49ers, I couldn’t help but root for California.

I became a teacher at Seaside High and Jim Tunney gave a great speech to the students. Tunney walked me to my car and we talked awhile. Shortly later, I learned Shula and Tunney both lived near the links in Pebble Beach. I ran into Tunney now and then. It was like seeing a movie star.

My last contact was when Tunney gave me the Catholic Eucharist at St.Angela Merici church in Pacific Grove. I am sure he is an angel in heaven; he was one in life.

— Mary Lorca Budris, Pebble Beach

Supervisor Adams

Thanks to retiring Supervisor Mary Adams for working so diligently on behalf of her constituents in Carmel Valley up until her very last days in office. Few people know how much she worked with County Public Works to expand the recent chip-sealing and re-stripping of Carmel Valley Road all the way from Garland Park to Valley Greens Drive. The project was initially scheduled to stop at the Mid Valley Fire Station yet she worked hard to make sure the section to Valley Greens was included too.

Over the years she has kept pushing for the construction of the Laureles Grade/Carmel Valley Road Roundabout. When it looked like the project might be further delayed because of insufficient funding she worked with County Public Works Director Randall Ishii to obtain the funding necessary to get this project funded. The project is now out for bids and there is real hope construction will begin in the spring.

Thank you Mary for working so hard on behalf of the 5th District in your final days in office as you did in your first. The 5th District and Carmel Valley is better off today then when you took office. Happy retirement, you have earned it.

— Joseph Hertlein, Carmel Valley

Monarch butterflies

I was so pleased to see that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service will finally propose listing the monarch butterfly as a threatened species. Designating areas of “critical habitat” will provide the butterfly with essential resting places during the cold winter months. Climate change, pesticides and agriculture have also had a detrimental effect on the butterfly as well as its food source, Milkweed. The public has until March 12 to comment on the listing at which time the agency will decide whether to change the proposal, publish the listing or drop the effort. Please send your comments to regulations.gov and type in Monarch Butterflies to leave your comment. We owe it to our kids to protect the monarch.

— Nancy Ponedel Parsons, Pacific Grove

PG’s DEI task force

I would like to applaud the city of Pacific Grove for their important support of marginalized communities by creating a DEI Task Force. More cities should follow their example. Throughout history our country has minimized, ignored and discriminated against marginalized communities. The fact that we are starting to acknowledge and celebrate their cultures and contributions to America’s success is long overdue. I have never known it to be necessary to promote traditional days such as Veteran’s Day or Easter. It’s disturbing that some in our country have become so transactional in their worldview that they see lifting others up as being somehow detrimental to themselves. The DEI Task Force’s only purpose with publishing the Cultural calendar is to help more of us become aware of new opportunities to broaden our outlooks. There’s no Marxist plot or State indoctrination to see here. The solution is simple. If you find these events offensive or at odds with your personal beliefs then just don’t participate. No one is forcing you to and, likewise, you should not force your dogmas and prejudices on others.

— Gary Kreeger, Del Rey Oaks