SQUID FRY 07.13.17: Shiny Medal…

SHINY MEDAL… Being a little bashful, Squid keeps Squid’s impressive stash of trophies hidden. Carmel’s pick for a new city attorney, Glen Mozingo, take a different approach, dangling his medals on his curriculum vitae.

There are two he lists: the U.S. Congressional Medal of Distinction and the U.S. Congressional Gold Medal. Mozingo states on his resume he received them for work he did with Congress in negotiating highway funding.

The first one, the medal of distinction, is something given out by the National Republican Congressional Committee, usually to donors. (Mozingo says he doesn’t remember making any political donations, but Federal Election Commission records show Mozingo donated $1,250 to the NRCC in 2001, $500 to Newt Gingrich in 2012 and $500 to Eric Hovde, a hedge fund manager from Wisconsin, who unsuccessfully ran for Senate in 2012.)

As for the prestigious Congressional Gold Medal, it’s been awarded to the likes of Winston Churchill, Ronald Reagan and Mother Theresa. Squid could find no evidence Mozingo ever received one, so Squid checked with the U.S. Office of the Historian in Washington, D.C., just to be sure. Their answer: nope. Mozingo emailed a photo of the medal in question to the Weekly, and it’s another NRCC medal. The box states, “In recognition of support for President Bush and the Republican Party.” Squid found one on eBay for $19.99.

Squid called Mozingo to ask about it, and got a recorded greeting: “Carmel-by-the-Sea City Attorney’s Office.” Curious, because that was July 10 – the day before Carmel City Council even voted to approve his contract, which takes effect July 15. Considering he’s claiming a medal that went to people like Rosa Parks and Nelson Mandela, it’s no surprise he’s claiming the new title five days early.

COPS WANTED… When Squid first saw the flashing lights of a Salinas Police car parked on the corner of Alisal and Salinas streets, Squid thought something was going down, and oozed over to check it out. Squid found an empty, locked police car with a banner plastered on the window recruiting cops. “Real people making a real difference,” it said. Squid’s Facebook feed has been inundated with similar recruitment ads since Salinas PD launched the recruitment blitz on July 1.

“Although local candidates are valued, it was important to acknowledge there is no way possible a city our size will produce the number of candidates we need to staff up our department,” ChiefAdele Fresé says. (They’re approved for 174 positions, and have 142 officers currently.)

One goal: reaching diverse applicants, particularly women and Spanish-speakers. No word on whether they’re trying to reach cephalopods too, but Squid prefers napping to law and order, and does not intend to apply.