Well, well, well, where to begin? Let's start with the beginning, which will be the June 19 Creston Advisory Body meeting held at the Creston Community Church.

Aside from the ridiculous water worries from people with limited county aquifer knowledge, and the county just wanting as much money per drop as possible, the other interesting topic was? You guessed it! Cannabis and hemp.

And yes, the self-proclaimed "gentleman farmer" was there. Mr. Small Town America himself, been here for five years and easily spotted. The one city slicker wearing his cowboy hat in church. Yes folks, all hat and no cattle, the self-avowed "corporate slave" himself. Mr. James Wortner.

Now a consultant, for who Jim? Big Grape? Big Pharma? Who owns you? You have been here less than five years. You have your 8-acre vineyard, approved with water, of course! Now you want to tell people who have been here 25, 30, 50 years—generations—what they should and should not be able to do?

Watching him and his righteous brethren clap and cheer, when they were told two cannabis applicants had withdrawn their applications. After they spent how much? Before being railroaded by some pious people living behind walls and cameras.

After that glorious show of democracy, and/or hypocrisy, Mr. Wortner's wife (I assume) snapped a pic of two seedy looking gentlemen in the back row. She showed him and he said, "Oh, I know those guys. We'll get 'em."

See, Jimmy boy, I actually grew up here. In Templeton, to be anatomically correct. In the '80s and '90s, and I still would not tell anyone who has been here longer or shorter than I what to do. Unless, it is actually harmful. Drunk drivers leaving wineries after tastings or concerts. That's kind of a negative impact, wouldn't you say Mr. Pharma/Biotech?

Yes, myself and others have been here a long, long time. We ain't "gentlemen farmers." We're locals. The ignorance surrounding this issue will ruin this issue unless the truly knowledgeable, respectfully silent majority stand up!

Matthew Greer

Templeton