The Buzz 11.20.14

WHO’S IN TOWN?

Big money teams up with big ideas in the annual Hult Prize competition. It’s like Shark Tank for compassionate people. The nonprofit Hult Prize Foundation awards $1 million in seed money to launch a business solution to a global problem. The theme in 2015: “Solving early childhood education in the urban slum and beyond.” Teams pitch their ideas for how to provide education to 10 million kids under age 6 by 2020. The competition starts locally, at the Monterey Institute of International Studies, where a panel of judges will choose a team to advance to the regional finals. The final decider of the overall winner: former President Bill Clinton.

4:30-7:30pm Friday, Nov. 21. MIIS Irvine Auditorium, 460 Pierce St., Monterey. Free; open to the public. smatzke@miis.edu, www.hultprizeat.com/miis.

DID YOU KNOW?

Monterey Wine Country, famous for its Chardonnay and Pinot, produces no fewer than 40 other varietals, including Carignane, Charbono, Tinta Cao, Trousseau, Sauvignon Musque, Semillon, Tocal Fruilano and Valdiguie.

OVERHEARD

“All you need to do to get an A in that class is bring him Funions, peanut M&Ms and diet Pepsi.” 
– Young man to two friends at the Monterey Sports Center, talking about his favorite Monterey Peninsula College teacher.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

Good:

They say things get worse before they get better, and that seems to be the case for a couple of local police agencies. Both Seaside Police Department and Salinas Police Department are taking steps to end gang violence with new positions. Teresa Zamora started work Nov. 10 as Seaside’s Youth Violence Prevention Coordinator. The county’s Gang Violence Prevention Coordinator, Rosemary Soto, is also trying to get a comprehensive strategy in place. And Salinas P.D. has a new set of tools in fighting violence, thanks to a $1.5 million state grant awarded Nov. 13. It will fund services as well as a police officer dedicated to patrolling Acosta Plaza, with the goal of building relationships and trust – not just arresting people. All good signs of evolution, both financially and strategically.

Bad:

Salinas likes the number $400,000. It’s the amount paid to former Library Director Elizabeth Martinez to settle her claim councilmembers hurt her feelings. According to a city check register obtained last week, it’s also the amount the city paid former Salinas Fire Capt. Gina Aubrey to settle a suit she filed in 2012. Aubrey, a 24-year veteran, claimed former Acting Fire Chief Jesse Pinon engaged in a pattern of discrimination against her starting in 2009, including rewriting a positive review to turn it negative, excluding her from meetings and demoting her without cause. Also? Porn. As in, a porn CD mysteriously appeared in her belongings. When she found it and complained, she was threatened with discipline, then investigated by the police, the suit states. Sounds like the city got off cheap.