I am writing to state disappointment with the SC City Council for approving the massive Tesla-only charging station in Kings Village Shopping Center. Scotts Valley has exactly one other EV charge station which is at the Walgreens also in Kings Village. That one is rarely used because it is not a common brand and most people with EV cars do not have accounts with that company. There are many non-Tesla EV’s driving around Scotts Valley and SLV. I see them all the time. To approve so much space for Tesla-only charging is disgraceful. They should have required that each charge station support any EV. If that is not technologically possible they should have required one conventional Level-2 charge station for every one or two Tesla chargers. I suggest replacing some of the dozen or so that were installed with chargers that can be used by a wider variety of consumers. Teslas can use convention charge stations, but non–Tesla EVs can NOT use these Tesla chargers. Did anyone in the planning department even look into the overall E=V charging situation in Scotts Valley before approving these? It seems not.
Andy Bensky, Scotts Valley
Dear Editor,
On June 6th the San Lorenzo Valley experienced the sounds of sirens heading North up Highway 9 towards Boulder Creek. Many went outside to search the skies for smoke, a telltale sign of a forest fire. The sky was clear.
As I made plans to run an errand, I received a scary text from a friend that “Highway 9 was closed, a gunman on the loose and to stay inside, and lock your doors.” There was nothing on TV, no reverse 911 call, no information. A helicopter circled us, for hours and once hovered above our back yard. Was the gunman close? Was there more than one?
This tragic event was unprecedented for Ben Lomond. And to be clear, this is not a complaint. But most of our neighborhood did not receive any warning or information. Residents should know what to do when harm comes our way in order to be safe and out of the way of responders. I contacted three neighbors who had no idea what was happening. No notification when it started and none when it ended–it was two blocks away.
Days later, I contacted the 911 Center and learned that landlines are automatically signed up for CodeRED reverse emergency notifications but those with cell phones have to sign up. (I had signed up in the past.) So I signed up again.
My hope is to move this issue forward. Residents, Fire Chiefs, Police, and emergency responders should be concerned; we need to get this right. Fire season is upon us and we need to know when harm is coming our way.
FROM THE 911 CENTER WEBSITE:
Go to www.scr911.org to register. Once completed add 866-419-5000 to your contacts so you know it’s us calling you. That’s step one.
Step two and as important, download the CodeRED app to your smart phone. If an event occurs in proximity to your smart phone, you will be notified through the app. Be sure to “always allow” your location to be known for this app
Dear Felton Community,
Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller was a treasured member of our community. By all accounts he was an exceptional member of our local law enforcement. His death and the circumstances around the ambush on June 6th devastated many members of our community. When it was clear what had happened by late that day, the Felton Business and Community Association (FBCA) lowered our American flag along with the Peace Officers Memorial (POM) Flag to half-staff in honor of Sgt. Gutzwiller (not 4 days later, as reported). The POM flag was posted solely, and only, out of respect and sadness for Damon’s loss.
To local law enforcement, and First Responders, and many, many citizens, that flag symbolizes the honoring of a fallen officer. We have received many comments of appreciation for the flag in that context.
Nevertheless, the FBCA received a handful of emails objecting to the memorial flag. We have responded to every email sent to the FBCA email address, and each person received a personal response. We wholeheartedly reject any suggestion that the FBCA in any way was signaling support for white supremacy, or institutionalized police violence. And we do strongly support the relevance and urgency of the Black Lives Matter movement, and support those who want to likewise protest for those goals. We strongly believe that one can advocate for both. In fact, Sgt Gutzwiller gave his life protecting us from a crazed white supremacist who’s goal was to wage war against our community.
To the members of our community who found the Peace Officers Memorial flag to be offensive, or to any Felton business who felt they were negatively impacted, we apologize. Be assured that to us, the flag was solely, and simply, an expression of our love and support for our grieving Law Enforcement community.
The FBCA
