NOT SO HAUTE
That was a nice summary of things happening this week. I do have a couple of comments about your article:
1. In French, “haute” is pronounced as “oat”—not as “hot.” In fact, the H is rarely pronounced, especially at the start of a French word. So, Piping Haute ends up as Piping Oat. Definitely not what was intended. (It’s a common error…like nails on a blackboard…if you remember blackboards.)
2. Eating pizza with a knife and fork is a totally logical thing to do in Italy. Pizzas are served whole and uncut to each person. (Shocked the heck out of my Mom, who expected just a slice or two.) You have to slice it yourself, using your knife and fork. If the pointy end is floppy with toppings or juice, the sensible thing is to eat it with a knife and fork until you reach a part where the slice is sturdy enough to hold with your hand. Folding a slice and eating it while walking down the street is frowned upon because it’s impolite to eat a meal while you’re walking… unless it’s a gelato, which can be considered a meal for some of us.
Thanks much for the info on Pizza Week. It’s about time someone did it! Maybe they’ll come up with Chocolate Week someday.
Stay haute…I mean, hot!
Donna Maurillo
REEFER MADNESS
Supervisor Martinez revealed her true stance on cannabis—one rooted in outdated propaganda and political grandstanding rather than science, community input or economic progress. Channeling the authoritarian playbook of Donald Trump, she disregarded years of work by county staff, ignored the voices of her fellow Board members, and dismissed the overwhelming community support for cannabis lounges.
Supervisor Martinez claimed that the carefully researched and previously approved policy “didn’t pass the smell test.” But whose test is she using? Certainly not that of the voters who fought to legalize cannabis, nor the public health experts who recognize the benefits of regulation over prohibition.
Instead, she paraded the county’s public health team in front of the Board to cherry-pick data and push a fear-driven, Reefer Madness-style narrative. Let’s be clear: Cannabis legalization is not a black-and-white issue, and our community knows this better than most. We’ve been at the forefront of medical cannabis access, decriminalization, and adult-use legalization.
We understand the risks of any substance, but we also recognize that legal, regulated cannabis markets have reduced youth use rates—just ask our Community Prevention Partners. We know cannabis has been shown to reduce opioid-related deaths and has real, science-backed medicinal benefits. Despite all of this, Supervisor Martinez chose to ignore the years of thoughtful work that led us to this moment. Instead of engaging in good-faith discussion, she pulled a move straight out of Trump’s playbook—dismissing community input, steamrolling over established policies, and attempting to reset the clock to impose her personal agenda.
Jeffree Coffin
