News Briefs

MCR fundraiser nets $28,000
The Mountain Community Resources Phoneathon raised $28,000 for the Felton nonprofit.
“I think it was astounding the community responded this way,” organizer Vicki Dias said. “Not only did they respond with their pocketbooks, we had 135 volunteers.”
The annual fundraiser provides the agency with money that can be spent on what the agency deems it needs. It also gets money from county contracts and grants for specific programs and services.
MCR is recruiting volunteers to participate in the Human Race in May. Volunteers gather pledges and then walk or run along West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz to support nonprofits in the county.
For information: Mountain Community Resources, 335-6600.
Highway 17 bus fare could increase
The Santa Cruz Metropolitan Transit District will host a hearing next week to consider raising the fare of the Highway 17 Express bus from $4 to $5. The cost of monthly passes would also increase from $90 to $113.
Ridership on the route has decreased by more than 6 percent this year.
People can comment at the hearing, scheduled for 9 a.m. Friday, March 26, at the Santa Cruz City Council Chambers, 809 Center St., in Santa Cruz.
SV Council extends marijuana discussion
The Scotts Valley City Council has extended its moratorium on medical marijuana dispensaries from 45 days to 10 months, 15 days in order to study the issue in more depth.
The original moratorium was passed in February after Scott Gates, a businessman and Scotts Valley resident, addressed the council about opening a holistic medical marijuana dispensary.
The extended moratorium bans any medicinal cannabis dispensary in the city until next year while the council weighs such a storefront’s potential pros and cons.
Abuzz about bees
Scotts Valley City Council members recently discussed beekeeping and moved to establish rules on the subject.
City staff recommended allowing one or two hives per property, depending on lot size, with a minimum of 10,000 square feet. Hives would have to be kept at least 25 feet from property lines.
Some council members asked that the proposal be revised to require beekeepers to get a permit that would include mandatory neighbor notification, but would not require high fees or a zoning commission hearing. Requiring city approval on a case by case basis was also suggested.
The topic will return for final approval at a future City Council meeting.
Toy trains in the redwoods
Classic toy trains depicting railroads from the 1800s to the present, go on display March 20 at the Henry Cowell Redwoods State Park nature store, 525 Big Trees Park Road, in Felton.
The display features steam trains pulling freight passengers while chugging through the miniature redwood trees, towns a space base and more.
Admission is free and parking is $10.
For information: 335-3174.
Student testing discussed on television
Kip Tellez, a San Lorenzo Valley schools trustee and an education department chair at University of California, Santa Cruz, has joined a “Teacher, speak out!” television panel on standardized testing in California.
The half-hour Community TV series, moderated by Pajaro Valley school board trustee Sandra Nichols, will air at 7:30 p.m. Monday evenings and at 5:30 p.m. Friday evenings on cable channels 25 and 71 through March 26.
The program challenges the high-stakes tests used to establish student achievement levels and goals. The panel discusses the validity and usefulness of tests in education.
For information: www.communitytv.org.