News briefs

Valley Churches still needs school supplies
Valley Churches United Missions is still accepting donations for its annual backpack drive. Ninety one students signed up last week to receive a backpack and school supplies from the organization.
A student can be sponsored for $40, which provides a new backpack, notebooks, binders, paper, pens and pencils, dividers, rulers, dictionaries, calculators, highlighters, erasers, markers, folders and supplies for reports, and a new pair of shoes
Any donations earmarked “Backpacks” will be designated for this campaign, with 100 percent to benefit the children. In 2010, 370 students were served.
Donations may be mailed to VCUM (Backpacks), P.O. Box 367, Ben Lomond, CA 95005. Supplies may be dropped off at the VCUM offices, 9400 Highway 9, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday; Ben Lomond Gas Station, 9500 Highway 9, seven days a week; or at the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce Office, 360 Kings Village Road, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Friday.
For information: 336-8258, ext. 221.
Officers to race for Special Olympics
Scotts Valley police officers will participate in the annual Police in Pursuit competition this weekend at Ocean Speedway in Watsonville to raise money for Special Olympics Northern California.
Officers from Santa Cruz, Santa Clara and Monterey counties will race against others from their own county before the final race, which pits the winner from each county in a three-car battle to crown the winner.
The race is from 4 to 10 p.m. today, Aug. 19, at 2601 E. Lake Ave. in Watsonville. Tickets are $20 and can be bought at the door.
Monning to host Santa Cruz coffee hour
Assemblyman Bill Monning, D-Carmel, will meet with residents to discuss issues of state and legislative importance at a neighborhood coffee.
The meeting is scheduled for 1:30 to 3 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 27, at The Bagelry, 320-A Cedar St., in Santa Cruz. Monning will give a short legislative update followed by an informal question and answer period.
For information or to RSVP, call Monning’s Santa Cruz District Office, 425-1503.
Free low-income preschool accepts new students
The Redwood Mountain Child Development Center is accepting enrollment for 3- to 5-year-old children from income-eligible families. The center will host orientation from 9 to 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 22, followed by an open house from 8:30 to 10 a.m. and 12:30 to 2 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 23. The first day of school is Wednesday, Aug. 24.
The center is at 1703-A Highway 9 in Felton.
For information: 335-3222.
FEMA denies storm-repair funding request
The Federal Emergency Management Agency has denied an appeal by California Gov. Jerry Brown to grant money to pay for storm damage to Santa Cruz County in March, including the massive rockslide on Nelson Road in Scotts Valley.
If the storms had been considered a major disaster by FEMA, 75 percent of recovery costs related to storm damage would have been paid for. Now, Santa Cruz County must find an alternate way to pay for the recovery costs.
Local quilting store to display 4-H members’ works
As a fundraiser for the Scotts Valley 4-H Club, SueDee’s Quilting, Knitting and More in Scotts Valley is displaying quilts created by members of the club.
The display, which started last week at 222-G Mount Hermon Road, runs through Sept. 10.
For information: SueDee’s, 439-2001; or 4h************@***il.com.
SLV school district announces deadline for free lunch applications
San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District recently announced its policy for providing free and low-cost meals for children of low-income families through the National School Lunch Program.
The district has a chart that illustrates a child’s eligibility for free or reduced-price meals based on the number of people in the household and their yearly and monthly income.
Children of families receiving food stamps, California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids benefits, Kinship Guardianship Assistance Payments or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations benefits are automatically qualified for free meals, regardless of household income.
Families wishing to apply for free or reduced-cost meals should fill out an application and return it to Student Nutritional Services no later than Oct. 4.
For information: District office, 335-5384.