News briefs (Feb. 6, 2015)

Loch Lomond to remain closed for 2015 season
Citing inadequate rainfall, the City of Santa Cruz Water Department announced this week that the Loch Lomond Recreation Area will remain closed this year, for the second season in a row, and will be accessible only by scheduled monthly tours.
Though November and December rains made a significant contribution to the reservoir, a press release said, Loch Lomond still remains too low to safely allow boating and fishing, the two most popular recreational activities at the lake.
Currently, Loch Lomond is at 74 percent capacity. Should the watershed receive a significant amount of rainfall in February and March, the Water Department may reconsider opening the lake to normal recreation.
However recreation staff will provide guided walking tours once per month, free of charge, to visitors who reserve spots in advance.
For more information and to reserve space on a tour, visit www.cityofsantacruz.com/lochlomondtours, call 335-7424 or email ge****@ci*************.com
Stolen SLVHS computer recovered in Live Oak arrest
Deputies from the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office arrested a man in Live Oak last Saturday and recovered one of the 25 computers reported stolen from the Coast Redwoods Charter School.
According to Deputy Kelly Kent, the detective that is working on the break-in case was on patrol when the principal of Del Mar Elementary School called about a man sleeping in his car outside the campus.
By the time the deputy arrived, the man had gotten out of the car and walked to his nearby house.
According to Kent, the deputy “went over, looked into the car, and saw a bunch of stolen stuff — including a computer stolen from the school.”
When the deputy arrived at the house on the 1900 block of Merrill Street, numerous stolen items were found.
The man, Robert Truhitte and three others in the house were arrested and booked into the Santa Cruz County Jail.
The whereabouts of the remaining 24 stolen computers is still unknown, Kent said.
Bomb squad detonates suspicious device in Scotts Valley
On Friday, Jan. 23, Scotts Valley Police Department officers responded to reports of a man with a firearm on Whispering Pines Drive at approximately 2:10 p.m.
According to a press release, after the situation was defused and the man was taken into custody, officers located items possibly related to an incendiary device in the subject’s residence.
Members of the Santa Cruz County Bomb Team responded and took custody of the items which were later detonated in the old Skypark Airfield as a precaution.
A loud explosion may have been heard by residents in the area as a result. The incident remains under investigation.
Mountain Community Resources seeks Phone-a-thon volunteers
This year marks the 30th year of the Phone-a-thon fundraiser to support Mountain Community Resources.
This year’s event will take place in four sessions over two days – not during the whole month as in previous years.
“This is our primary fundraiser of the year, and we generate about $35,000 each time,” said Jennifer Anderson-Ochoa, MCR’s program director.
The organization is seeking the help of 12 to 14 volunteers for sessions on Thursday, Feb. 19, and on Sunday, Feb. 22. 
Mountain Community Resources, a program of Community Bridges, provides programs and services for San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley residents that include bilingual family support and case management, low-cost counseling and programs for teens, emergency preparedness trainings, “Together in the Park” play groups, parenting education classes, food distribution and local access to County resources and programs.
For more information and to sign up, contact Eva Tordoff at ev**@cb******.org or (831) 335-6603.
Scotts Valley Recreation announces spring registration
Registration is now open for spring classes with the City of Scotts Valley.
For children, offerings include gymnastics, dance, itty bitty T-ball and sports, mountain biking, Music Together, art classes, and Little Strikers soccer.
A new Tae-kwon-do class for middle school students is available on Wednesday minimum days.
Tennis instruction for all levels — itty bitty through adult — is also available.
For adults, classes include tai chi, boot camp fitness, Tae-kwon-do, yoga, creative clay, and water exercise.
The pool at Siltanen Family Swim Center will open on April 7. Register now for three sessions of swim lessons. Recreational swim from 2 to 4 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays will start on April 11, as well as reservations for weekend pool parties.
New this season, a series of dog-training classes will be offered, basic obedience through advanced commands.
Registration for adult dodgeball, softball and women’s soccer leagues is scheduled to begin soon. Call 438-3251 for details.
SV Water District offers free toilets and installation to combat drought
With continued concern over drought conditions in the last three years, the Scotts Valley Water District is giving away free ultra-high-efficiency toilets.
The program started last summer and has been highly successful, with over 250 Stealth Niagara toilets being installed throughout the District.
“These toilets are the most efficient currently on the market, flushing at only .8 gallons,” says Water Use Efficiency Coordinator LeAnne Ravinale.
The District not only pays for the toilets, but also for their installation by local plumbers. Free showerheads and kitchen and bathroom sink aerators can also be installed at the same time as toilets.
Ten free toilets are still available. For more information on the program, including how to determine current toilet capacity, see svwd.org or contact the Water Use Efficiency program at 600-1907 or co**********@sv**.org.