NEWSBRIEFS-October 30

Burglary in Scotts Valley
On 10/23/15 at approximately 3:05 p.m., the Scotts Valley Police Department received a 911 call from a resident in the 600 block of Bean Creek Road advising that he was home alone and heard someone inside his residence.
The caller had locked himself inside his bedroom and waited for officers to arrive. When officers arrived at the house, they located a suspect exiting the front door. The suspect, a 45 year old male and ScottsValley resident, was quickly detained in handcuffs. Officers searched the home for possible additional suspects. No other suspects were located in the house.
When officers searched the suspect, they located several items in his possession that belonged to the victim. The suspect was subsequently arrested for burglary and booked at the county jail.
Residents are encouraged to observe basic burglary prevention tips:
–         – Keep doors and windows locked, even when home.
–         – Be aware of persons and vehicles near your home that appear out of place.
–         – Notify neighbors/police department if you will be away from your home for an
        extended period of time.
–         – Report suspicious persons and vehicles in your neighborhood.
The success of Measure ‘O’ in San Lorenzo Valley
By approving Measure ‘O’ in 2008, the voters of our community asked that the best facilities possible be built so as to improve the educational experience for all San Lorenzo Valley students. The beautiful, newly built and upgraded Measure ‘O’ facilities have already been enjoyed by thousands of SLV students, and they will continue to serve our students and our community for many generations to come.
The San LorenzoValley voters passed Measure ‘O’, an $18.9 million general obligation construction bond that resulted in several significant improvements to our SLV district schools. Projects included the design and construction of a new middle school / high school library, a new student Performing Arts Center, new science labs and classrooms, and numerous infrastructure, security and playground upgrades. All major Measure ‘O’ construction is now complete, and there remain only a few small infrastructure projects left to accomplish.
Thanks to the fact that the economic downturn of 2008-09 resulted in significantly reduced construction costs compared to prior years, the district was able to realize an almost 2 million dollar aggregate cost savings during the early projects of Measure ‘O’ construction. These realized savings were then applied to later projects, which enabled the district to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art student performing arts center, instead of just ‘improving’ the old PAC, as contemplated in the original bond language. To date, virtually all of the projects on the Measure ‘O’ bond project list have been completed on time and under, to significantly under, their originally planned budgets.
Shigella update in Santa Cruz County
The Santa Cruz County Public Health Communicable Disease Unit continues to investigate suspect Shigella cases.
As of Friday, October 23, 2015 at 5:00 p.m., Santa CruzCounty had two confirmed cases, two probable cases, and one secondary case of Shigella.
SCCPHCDU definitions:
(A) Probable: A person reporting acute diarrheal illness after eating at Mariscos San Juan #3 on either October 16 or 17, 2015
(B) Confirmed: A person who meets criteria (A) with laboratory confirmed Shigella
(C) Secondary case: A person with diarrheal illness or Shigellainfection who did not eat at Mariscos San Juan #3 but had exposure to a confirmed or probable case between 12 to 72 hours prior to illness onset.
State to review filing status for 83,000 taxpayers
The Franchise Tax Board is mailing more than 83,000 letters to taxpayers asking them to justify their Head of Household filing status for their 2014 tax year.
The HOH filing status is important to many taxpayers because it increases the standard deduction and can dramatically lower their overall tax rate.
Used by more than 15 percent of Californians, the HOH filing status is for unmarried taxpayers who care for a child or other relative for more than half of a year and cover more than half of the household’s annual costs. Strict rules determine whether the relationship to the supported individual qualifies. For more on these rules, FTB provides an online guide and eligibility test.
The letters going out to taxpayers this month are part of a filing-status review FTB performs each year. Taxpayers who do not qualify as heads of household may be required to pay more. Those who do not respond will also have their tax liabilities recalculated, and may be charged a penalty.
Symphony Ups Tempo under New Media Leadership
The Santa Cruz Symphonyhas hired Marketing and Communications Director Loretta McClellan to further its brand, public relations, marketing and development initiatives.
Santa Cruz Symphony Board President Dorothy Wise states, “We are thrilled to have Loretta McClellan join the Santa Cruz Symphony family. Her excellent background and enthusiasm for the Symphony will help us achieve our goals of engaging new audience members and raising the visibility of the Symphony within our community and beyond. Welcome!”
“We are very excited to have Loretta join our team! She brings a deep marketing experience and is a talented author, poet and artist. We look forward to witnessing Loretta’s muse take flight and broaden the Symphony’s outreach,” states Jan Derecho, Executive Director.
An author of fiction, nonfiction and poetry, with formal education in fine art, Ms. McClellan began her career as a graphic designer and journalist, both mainstays of her repertoire. An amateur musician who studied the accordion, violin and soprano recorder, she received other honors in an international music competition for lyrics composition.
Contributing to her new management role is her experience in leading a 125 member women’s humanitarian aid organization. She is also an active watercolorist, who has volunteer experience in teaching in the Arts for adults, in elementary and middle schools.
“Joining the Santa Cruz Symphony is like coming home for me, as classical music has always been an abiding source of well-being. To steward the marketing and media efforts for such a stellar organization, led by a dynamic and resourceful executive director, supported by an equally passionate board of directors, whose purpose is to inspire, engage and educate through classical music as a medium, is cause to celebrate,” affirms McClellan.
Founded in 1958, the Santa Cruz Symphony’s mission is to inspire, educate and engage through artistic excellence, distinctive musical performances, and varied activities that celebrate and enhance the cultural vibrancy of Santa CruzCounty. With Maestro Daniel Stewart as Music Director since 2013, the Symphony partners regularly with regional and international guest artists in both traditional and modern concerts. A cornerstone of the performing arts in the Greater San Francisco and Monterey Bay Areas, Santa Cruz Symphony receives frequent critical acclaim. Visit santacruzsymphony.org for more information.
Referendum to overturn Gov. Jerry Brown’s “Right-to-Die” law
On October 5, California Gov. Jerry Brown signed “Right-to-Die” legislation that will allow the terminally ill to legally end their lives.
The legal right to terminate one’s own life is a subject that brings strong emotions to the conversation. Those who support the law cite mercy to those who are terminally ill and in deep pain as a good thing. Most opponents to the bill cite strong religious reasons for their opposition.
“I do not know what I would do if I were dying in prolonged and excruciating pain. I am certain, however, that it would be a comfort to be able to consider the options afforded by this bill,” the governor said in a signing statement that accompanied his signature, the Associated Press reported.
California modeled their law after Oregon’s ‘Death With Dignity’ law and became the fifth state in which people are permitted to legally end one’s own life.
On October 19, Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that the proponents of a new referendum may begin collection of petition signatures to overturn the “Right to Die” law.
If signed by the required number of registered voters and timely filed with the Secretary of State, this petition will place on the statewide ballot a challenge to a state law previously approved by the Legislature and the Governor. The challenged law must then be approved by a majority of voters at the next statewide election to go into effect. The law allows a terminally ill, mentally competent adult to obtain a prescription for a life-ending drug, provided two doctors confirm the diagnosis and prognosis, and other safeguards are met.
The Secretary of State’s tracking number for this measure is 1709 and the Attorney General’s tracking number is 15-0080.
The proponents for the measure, Mark Hoffman and Stephanie Packer, must collect signatures of 365,880 registered voters (five percent of the total votes cast for governor in the November 2014 general election) in order to qualify for the November 2016 ballot. The proponents have 90 days from the date the bill is chaptered to request and receive a title and summary from the Attorney General, and gather petition signatures for the referendum. ABX2-15 (Chapter 1, Statutes of 2015-2016 Second Extraordinary Sessions) was chaptered on October 5, 2015. The proponents have until January 4, 2016 to submit petition signatures to county election officials. The referendum proponents can be reached at (916) 952-3656.
Keep kids safe on Halloween
Children are at greater risk as pedestrians because of their shorter stature and unreliable judgment about when and where to cross streets. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of deaths among young pedestrians from five to 14 years of age is four times higher on Halloween, between the hours of 4:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m.
“Combine children walking after dark, candy, vision-compromising costumes, and adult partygoers on the road and you have a recipe for disaster,” said AAA Northern California spokesperson Cynthia Harris. “Children are safer the more visible they are. There are many easy and inexpensive ways for parents to make sure that Halloween costumes are easy for drivers to see at a distance and easy for children to see out of.”
In ScottsValley, the Police Department provides the following tips to parents that can help keep their children safe on Halloween evening:
1. Trick-or-treat when it is still light outside.
2. If a child must go out in the dark, make certain their costume is light in color. Put fluorescent or reflective tape on the costume so that the child can be seen by motorists, and give the child a flashlight to use.
3. Make sure that the costume is easy to walk in and see out of. A face mask may make it difficult to see well. Instruct the child to take off the mask before crossing the street. Consider using make-up instead of a mask.
4. If someone older can’t go with the child, arrange for the child to go with a group of children that does have an older person to accompany them.
5. Only permit your children to Trick-or-Treat in your own neighborhood or one that is known to you. Plan your route ahead of time and pick streets which are well-lighted. Tell your family the route the child will take.
6. Instruct the child to cross streets only at corners and always look before crossing. Never cross the street from behind parked cars and to always walk facing traffic!
7. A reasonable curfew should be observed for older children. ScottsValley’s city ordinance states: “curfew hours” mean the hours between eleven p.m. and five a.m. for minors under the age of eighteen years.
8. Wait until you get home to sort, check and eat the treats. Instruct children not eat candy or other treats that are not wrapped in their standard wrappers, unless you are certain of their source. Fruit and homemade baked goods should also be inspected carefully and cut into small pieces or not eaten if there is any question. If there is reason to suspect candy tampering, contact your local law enforcement office.
Motorist tips:
1. Drive extra carefully on Halloween. The speed limit in residential areas is 25 M.P.H. and it will be strictly enforced.
2. Drive defensively. Due to many private Halloween parties, there will undoubtedly be more drunk drivers on the road.