The Weekly Buzz 01.28.16

WHO’S IN TOWN?

There are some 3,500 gang members and associates in Salinas, a whopping 2 percent of the city’s population. It’s a number that’s frequently cited, though it might not be as dire as it sounds: The majority are “associates,” a much looser identification with a gang than being a full-blown gang member. Still, it’s an influential cultural force that the second annual Gang Prevention Summit, hosted by the Boys and Girls Club, tackles this week. Speakers include former gang members who talk about getting in (and getting out), giving youth a roadmap of what it looks like to make the right decision. Parents learn to identify gang signs and how to support their kids making difficult choices.

8:30am-3pm Saturday, Jan. 30. Boys and Girls Club, 85 Maryal Dr., Salinas. Free. 394-5171, www.bgcmc.org.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT

A reader wonders whether Pinnacles in South Monterey County is still the newest national park in the country. Not quite. Seven parks were added in 2015, according to Outside Magazine, including “a supervolcano popular with cross-country skiers, a fossil-laden desert on the outskirts of Las Vegas, and a historic river corridor home to one of New England’s most scenic bi-state greenways.” The National Park Service turns 100 Aug. 25, an occasion that will be marked with celebrations across the country.

Email whatsupwiththat@mcweekly.com.

OVERHEARD

“How do we address inequities without using the R word? That’s what we did in the ’70s, call everyone a racist.”
- County Supervisor Fernando Armenta speaking at a Jan. 21 meeting about the benefits of a recent training for county officials on racial equity.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

GOOD: Students were stunned last April when Heald College abruptly closed its doors at their North Main Street campus in Salinas, along with 27 other campuses across the state. The for-profit college, along with its parent Corinthian Colleges, Inc., was under federal and state scrutiny for predatory practices that left students with big debts and non-competitive degrees. Now, just months after purchasing the National Steinbeck Center, CSU Monterey Bay is considering increasing its presence in Salinas by leasing the former Heald building to provide continuing education classrooms. Osher Lifelong Learning Institute courses and CSin3, the three-year computer science degree program offered jointly by Hartnell College and CSUMB, will likely be held at the campus.

BAD: It was a bad week for South County pain patients as Soledad City Council unanimously struck down a proposed ordinance that would have legalized medical marijuana dispensaries, cultivation facilities and delivery services within city limits. The decision comes at a time when numerous city councils in the county are considering similar policies. King City and Gonzales have moved to allow cultivation but not dispensaries; Greenfield and Salinas are moving toward legalization. Currently, Del Rey Oaks is home to the county’s only dispensary, Monterey Bay Alternative Medicine. At the Soledad council meeting, public comment comprised mostly opposition to letting MMJ-related businesses open in town, based on the fear that it would be a public safety issue and tempt youth into experimenting with other drugs.