The Weekly Buzz 02.11.16

WHO’S IN TOWN?

Republican presidential campaign strategists are not the only ones thinking about how to make their party more enticing to Latino voters. State Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, R-San Diego, is running for U.S. Senate, aiming to replace Sen. Barbara Boxer when she retires, leaving her seat up for grabs for the first time in 24 years. Chavez makes a campaign stop in Carmel Valley this week and delivers an address focusing on Latino outreach. Chavez is a former farmworker who spent years picking grapes and almonds and former undersecretary of the state Department of Veterans Affairs, where he was appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

11:30am-2pm Thursday, Feb. 11. Rancho Canada, 4860 Carmel Valley Road. $22/members Monterey Peninsula Republican Women Federated; $25/non-members. mcrp.cin@gmail.com, www.montereypeninsularwf.org.

WHAT’S UP WITH THAT

A reader asked if the Super Bowl impacted local hospitality. Monterey County Convention and Visitors Bureau’s Rob O’Keefe says pre-game research indicated outlying communities don’t see much uptick, though they did field phone calls from people planning to visit after the game. In a related note, Pebble Beach Company was a destination partner with the Super Bowl 50 Host Committee, participating at the NFL Experience and the Super Bowl fan village.

OVERHEARD

“I said, ‘You’re not gonna die.’ And he didn’t.”
- Sand City Mayor David Pendergrass on persuading a doubter to drink recycled wastewater from the Monterey Regional Water Pollution Control Agency, which plans to scale up to provide part of the Monterey Peninsula’s future water supply.

GOOD WEEK / BAD WEEK

GOOD: State law mandates that anyone facing criminal charges who doesn’t speak English must be provided with an interpreter, but the law does not require it for civil cases. Thus it’s been a good few weeks for non-English speakers facing civil court matters like evictions, small claims, guardianship or child support cases because Monterey County Superior Court is now providing free language interpretation services for all cases, not just criminal. “It’s the right thing to do,” says court spokesperson Nona Medina. The most requested languages in the county are Spanish, Vietnamese and Korean, as well as indigenous Mexican languages Triqui and Zapoteca. Prior to these services, people would have to hire their own private interpreter or bring a bilingual family member, or worse, go through a complicated court proceeding without understanding clearly. The annual cost is $300,000.

BAD: In a week where coin flips made national news for their role in Iowa’s Democratic caucus, they’ve also been used locally to decide political questions, making it a bad week for Pacific Grove resident John Moore, a former mayoral candidate and outspoken critic of the city’s huge pension liability. Moore filed an argument against Measure X, a ballot measure that would rezone the American Tin Cannery property so that it can become the future site of a luxury hotel. The crux of Moore’s argument: Until there is a new water supply, a change in zoning would boost water use, violating the state’s cease-and-desist order against California American Water. Moore filed his argument with the P.G. City Clerk, but another resident also filed an opposition. That argument was chosen over Moore’s, according to the deputy city clerk, in a “coin toss with witnesses.”