8 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY DECEMBER 7-13, 2023 www.montereycountyweekly.com THE BUZZ FREE SPEECH The long list of advertisers backing out of X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, is getting longer. The withdrawal comes after Elon Musk, owner of X, endorsed an antisemitic tweet alleging that Jewish communities express “hatred against whites.” Musk posted: “You have said the actual truth.” He added: “I am deeply offended by [Anti-Defamation League’s] messaging and any other groups who push de facto anti-white racism or anti-Asian racism or racism of any kind.” Advertisers including Disney, IBM, Comcast, Walmart and Apple have suspended advertising on the platform, some attributing it specifically to hateful posts, and others to a broader ad strategy. Speaking on Nov. 29 about the exodus of advertisers at the DealBook Summit hosted by the New York Times in New York, Musk told interviewer Andrew Ross Sorkin he doesn’t care: “If someone is going to blackmail me with advertising or money, go fuck yourself,” Musk said. In an Oct. 27 statement on the one-year anniversary of Musk’s acquisition, CEO Linda Yaccarino wrote: “We believe open and respectful discourse is the single best way for humanity to thrive.” Good: Happy 100th birthday, Monterey County Health Department. Nearly a century before it became the local agency at the forefront of leading the response to the Covid-19 pandemic, the Health Department was founded in 1923, just after insulin was discovered (1922) and before penicillin (1928). “We didn’t understand viruses. We didn’t understand bacteria that well,” Health Department Public Information Officer Karen Smith says. The agency celebrated the centennial milestone with an exhibit that opened on Friday, Dec. 1 (in its headquarters at 1270 Natividad Road, Salinas) featuring a timeline of history and changes to public health and the local department administering it in the past century. It includes stories and photos from former employees and residents, and is viewable to the public. “If you’re interested in history, it’s a good walk down memory lane,” Smith adds. GREAT: The Educational Theatre Foundation announced that five U.S. high schools have been selected for the 2023-24 Pathway grant program, an initiative fostering racial equity through school theater. Among the lucky schools is Alisal High School in Salinas, which will receive a $10,000 grant to put together a play, La Cortina de la Lechuga (The Lettuce Curtain), written by Cristal González. This contemporary play is about homelessness in California. The school will hire at least two professionals, both people of color, who will serve as mentors to students during the production. The Pathway program, inspired by the late producer Craig Zadan, aims to create opportunities for students in communities of color to work with industry professionals while performing works that address issues of diversity and racial equity. ETF is the fundraising arm of the Educational Theatre Association. GOOD WEEK / GREAT WEEK THE WEEKLY TALLY Median sale price of a home in Monterey County in November, setting a new high record over the previous median high of $1,093,000 in October. Source: Rocket Homes $1,109,000 QUOTE OF THE WEEK “Behavior change has its limits.” -Genevieve LeBlanc, Blue Zones policy lead, speaking about the launch of Double Up Food Bucks at two La Princesa Market locations in Salinas, giving a 50-percent discount on fresh produce at the register to shoppers using CalFresh, a benefit of up to $15 a day, meant to incentivize healthy eating (see story, mcweekly. com). DECEMBER 3-25, 2023 SPECIAL EVENTS INCLUDE A visit from Santa December 3 & 10 Wine Receptions Live Music & Local School Performances WondeWrlianntedr Experience the magic of the Holiday Season at Portola Hotel & Spa Two Portola Plaza, Monterey, CA 93940 (831) 649-4511 portolahotel.com FULL SCHEDULE
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