News briefs

Scotts Valley sales tax proposal on November ballot
 
Scotts Valley voters will decide in the Nov. 5 special election whether or not to approve a proposed sales tax increase.
The proposal, Measure U, calls for an 8-year, half-of-1-percent sales tax increase to keep the budget balanced and to preserve police, parks, recreation and other city services.
For more information, visit the Santa Cruz County Elections Department’s website at www.votescount.com
 
PG&E warns customers about false utility workers
 
A press release from Pacific Gas and Electric Company warned customers that, last week, there were two cases of thieves dressing up as utility workers to burglarize Bay Area homes.
The alleged incidents took place in Oakland and San Carlos. In each case, a person dressed as a utility worker gained access to the customer’s backyard, while a second person entered the home and stole money, coins and/or jewelry.
PG&E advised its customers to always ask to see valid identification before allowing anyone claiming to be a PG&E representative inside their home. PG&E employees always carry their identification and are required to present it upon request. 
To confirm PG&E’s presence in the community, call 1-800-PGE-5000.
 
New “Art in the Library” installation to celebrate photography 
 
The Scotts Valley Library’s “Art in the Library” program will showcase eight local photographers in its installation, titled “My Favorite Photos.”
The installation will hang in the Scotts Valley Library through Nov. 2.
The showing features works from the following photographers: John Gavilis of Aptos; Sheryl Germany of Scotts Valley; John Goldberg; Brent Jensen; Keith Kelsen; Anne LaBrie; Petcharee Tamawong-Benjamin; and Colin Wojno.
For more information on the Friends of the Scotts Valley Library and the Art in the Library program, visit http://www.fsvpl.org/.
 
Boulder Creek radio station meets important deadline
 
Efforts to get the Boulder Creek radio station on the air by the Aug. 11 deadline have succeeded.
According a press release, the nonprofit organization, Common Frequency, was tasked with installing the antenna at a site on Bear Creek Road and hooking up a computer to broadcast a continuous loop of content until the local radio outfit Boulder Creek Community Radio (BCCR) can begin broadcasting its own original content.
The station — KBCZ at 90.1 FM — has been silent for over a year and, according to Federal Communications Commission rules, if it didn’t go on-air by Aug. 11 it would have gone dark, without a license for the foreseeable future.
The sale of the station still has some hurdles to overcome and will not be fully purchased until sometime in January 2014.