News Briefs

Laird opens Scotts Valley campaign office
The John Laird for state Senate campaign will open a campaign office in Scotts Valley at 4444 Scotts Valley Drive at 10 a.m. Saturday, July 17. The office opens a month before the Aug. 17 special election to determine a state senator in the 15th Senate District. Laird’s chief opponent is Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo.
“We’re thrilled to be opening a campaign office in Scotts Valley,” Laird said in a media release. “This office will serve as a base of operations for volunteers who are phoning and walking the Scotts Valley area. The new office will enable us to reach more voters with my message of investment in green jobs and a stronger economy, protection of the state parks and coastline that underpin our visitor-serving economy and recommitting California to the promise of public education.”
Laird’s campaign also has offices in Watsonville, San Jose, Monterey, San Luis Obispo and Santa Maria.
For information about volunteering: Ian Magruder, 421-1808 or ia*@************te.com.
Court’s self-help center changes hours
The Santa Cruz County Superior Court’s Self-Help Center is now open in Watsonville, at 1 Second St., from 8:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Thursday.
The center includes the services of a family law facilitator and small claims adviser.
It moved to Watsonville from the Santa Cruz Courthouse.
For information: 786-7200 or selfhelp..org.
County fair entries available
How-to guides about entering exhibits in the Santa Cruz County Fair are available at the fair’s website, www.santacruzcountyfair.com.
The forms make it possible to enter both the Monterey County Fair, Sept. 1 through 6, and the Santa Cruz fair, Sept. 14 through 19.
The entry guides and companion horse show guide answer questions, provide forms and list drop-off locations and deadlines.  
The divisions open for exhibit entries range from amateur winemaking to poetry, sewing, pies and cakes, homegrown fruits and vegetables, and dozens more, including livestock, poultry and rabbits.
The entry deadline for most categories is Aug. 7. It’s Aug. 21 for the horse show.
For information: 724-5671.
Hospice golf tournament successful
The Friends of Hospice raised $32,000 at its recent Fairways for Kids Golf Classic at Seascape Golf Club in Aptos.
The proceeds benefit the Healthy Understanding of Grief program for children at Hospice of Santa Cruz County, which served more than 500 children in 2009.
H.U.G. responds to the needs of children grieving after the loss of a loved one.
Santa Cruz dubbed a great place for rich, single
A CNN/Money Magazine online list named Santa Cruz as one of the Top 25 American cities for the rich and single. The Santa Cruz County Conference & Visitors Council helped writer Annalyn Censky with the article, which appeared in June.
The article cites hiking in the redwoods, the Pleasure Point surf scene and picnicking at the Shakespeare Santa Cruz Festival. The online article also noted that 45 percent of people in the city are single.
Others on the list include Chapel Hill, N.C.; Oak Park, Ill.; White Plains, N.Y.; and California cities Newport Beach, Irvine, Milpitas, Mountain View, Santa Clara, Redondo Beach, San Jose, San Rafael, Davis and Santa Monica.
To see the article: http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2010/moneymag/1007/gallery.best_places_rich_single.moneymag/25.html.