News briefs (Feb. 27, 2015)

Preliminary results: Lompico voters approve Measure N
Though the final vote numbers won’t be made official for several more weeks, as of Wednesday night, the results of the mail-in ballots for Measure N — the much-debated Lompico County Water District bond measure and merger proposal — indicated 317 “yes” votes (67.59 percent) against 152 “no” votes (32.41 percent), out of a total of 469 votes.
The measure, which calls for a bond measure to bring Lompico’s water infrastructure up to state standards and facilitate a merger with the much-larger San Lorenzo Valley Water District, requires a two-thirds majority approval to pass.
Locals named Democrats of the Year
The Democratic Women’s Club of Santa Cruz County recently announced that San Lorenzo Valley residents Amanda Robinson and Coco Raner-Walter will be honored as Democrats of the Year at a Democratic Party dinner, scheduled to be held on March 7 at the Dream Inn in Santa Cruz.
Robinson and Raner-Walter, both residents of the San Lorenzo Valley, have given their time and energy to foster engagement in the political process in Santa Cruz County. They were both nominated by the Democratic Women’s Club and selected by the Santa Cruz Democratic Central Committee, an elected body of members who serve from each supervisorial district.
For information about the dinner and the awards, contact Club President Carol Fuller at fu*****@cr****.com.
Registration now open for the Mountain Charlie Challenge
The Scotts Valley Educational Foundation recently announced that cyclists of all ages and skill sets can now register to participate in the organization’s annual Mountain Charlie Challenge, set to be held on Saturday, May 9.
The ride will begin at Skypark in Scotts Valley and riders can choose to participate in four ride options — 10-mile, 50K, 100K, and 100-mile rides.
This year, there will also be a 5K run/walk event for the first time, as well as the more-familiar festival, BBQ, and beer garden at Skypark.
Funds raised by the event will go toward SVEF’s mission of providing support for Scotts Valley’s schools.
To sign up, visit www.mountaincharliechallenge.com.