News Briefs (May 8, 2015)

Queer Youth Leadership Awards at SLVHS
The Queer Youth Task Force of Santa Cruz County will be honoring LGBTQ youth at its 18th Annual Queer Youth Leadership Awards, which will be held at San Lorenzo Valley High School this year. On Saturday May 9, awards will be presented to youth who have made an effort to improve the lives of others in the community.
Local queer youth nominees include Scotts Valley High School student Grayson Winchel, and San Lorenzo Valley High School student Valo Kalvan.
There will be a community resource fair at 5:30 p.m., a catered dinner at 6 p.m., an awards show at 7 p.m., and a youth community dance after the awards.
Tickets can be purchased on line at http://qyla2015.bpt.me. 
Mother’s Day iris sale & show
Brook Lomond Iris Farm in Ben Lomond is opening its gardens to the public on May 9, 10, and 16.
Brook Lomond Iris Farm is certified organic, offering top grade iris rhizomes for sale. Enjoy over 40 colors, shapes, and smells of tall bearded irises, which are drought tolerant, and deer and gopher resistant.
Demonstrations will be available to show how to care and prepare rhisomes for the best bloom year after year.
Field size rhizomes will be on sale May 9, 10, and 16 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Brook Lomond Iris Farm is located at 10310 California Drive in Ben Lomond, half a mile past Ben Lomond on Highway 9.
Call 336-2203 for more information.
Woodmen plant trees
Members of the Scotts Valley chapter of the Modern Woodman of America — a fraternal service organization that provides life insurance and investment products for members — spent April 28 giving back to the community.
Members planted a sycamore tree in Hocus Pocus Park to replace one that was recently removed as part of their nationwide “Plant A Tree Program.”
People can get more information about the Modern Woodmen from Brenda Tealer, 588-1743 or Br***********@mw****.org, or Stephen Hoversten, 359-0321 or at St*****************@mw****.org. 
Public meeting for recycling changes
The Santa Cruz County Department of Public Works is hosting a public meeting on May 21 to get community input about changes being considered for recycling and trash service.
New State laws — Assembly Bill 1826 and Assembly Bill 1594 — require every city and county to set up programs to collect food waste and other organic material for composting or other diversion beginning in April 2016.
In a news release this week, the county reported that their current rate of recycling is now over 70-percent. Additional programs and ordinances may be needed to meet State mandates and remove problematic materials out of the waste stream.
The meeting — from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors Chambers, 701 Ocean Street, 5th floor — is designed to allow the public to voice their needs and concerns to the county.
Man, woman arrested for Scotts Valley break-in
A 33-year-old woman from Santa Cruz and 28-year-old man from Aptos now face charges including burglary and theft by unauthorized use of a credit card following a break in at Scotts Valley Executive Center.
In a news release this week, Scotts Valley police say Katie Bernice Hungate and Ryan Ellis Roby pried open the locked doors of the office building located at 5521 Scotts Valley Drive, overnight on April 26.
The release states that Hungate and Roby burglarized numerous office suites, taking computer equipment, a small amount of cash, and several credit cards.
The two began using the credit cards throughout Santa Cruz County. Detectives identified Hungate from surveillance video of the office building and arrested her on April 29. That led to Roby’s location and arrest on Friday.
According to the release, investigators found stolen property from the burglary, narcotics, a modified short barrel shotgun, and evidence linking the suspects to the scene of the crime.
Both suspects were arrested on numerous charges — including burglary, theft by unauthorized use of a credit card, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a short barreled shotgun — and booked at Santa Cruz County Jail. 
Safety tips a part of Wildfire Awareness Week
Cal Fire declared this week, May 3 through 9, as Wildfire Awareness Week and are encouraging Scotts Valley and San Lorenzo Valley residents to take steps to protect homes and communities during this dry year.
“With a record dry and warm winter Californian’s fire activity has been nearly double what it normally is for this time of year,” Cal Fire Director Chief Ken Pimlott wrote in a news release. “Our firefighters continue to meet the challenges posed by California’s historic drought, but we all must do our part to ensure our homes are prepared for wildfire and that residents and visitors to our state take extreme caution to avoid sparking a wildfire.”
The Department of Water Resources announced on Friday that California’s snowpack water content was only 3 percent of normal, offering no relief for the state’s extended drought.
According to Cal Fire statistics released this week, the department responded to 1,100 fires that have blackened 4,200 acres since the beginning of this year.
Cal Fire recommends that residents landscape with drought tolerant and fire resistant plants, develop an evacuation plan, and create an emergency supply kit. People can find more information about how to make their homes more resistant to wildfires and to ensure that their families are ready to evacuate early and safely from the Cal Fire website www.ReadyForWildfire.org.