News briefs: Open-space district plan scrapped

Citing bad timing and a lack of support, the Land Trust of Santa Cruz County pulled back legislation that could have eventually created an open-space district in the county.
The Land Trust was the driving force behind Senate Bill 211, which would have given voters the chance to allow county supervisors to create an open-space district.
However, many groups opposed it, including the Santa Cruz Local Agency Formation Commission and Scotts Valley City Council, partly because the bill would have bypassed the LAFCo process to create a special district.
The bill was written by Sen. Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, and co-authored by Assembly members Bill Monning, D-Carmel, and Anna Caballero, D-Salinas.
Land Trust leaders said the group will convene a wide spectrum of community members before deciding on its next step.
High-ranking college official retires
Pegi Ard, Cabrillo College’s vice president of business services, will retire from her post in April.
She cites among her proudest accomplishments the management of 1998 and 2004 bonds that paid for new buildings on the Cabrillo campus, including the Scotts Valley and Watsonville expansions, the horticulture center and the visual and performing arts center, which will open in October.
Verses in the Valley poetry contest launched
The Scotts Valley Arts Commission calls for poets of all ages to submit poems to the annual Verses in the Valley poetry contest. Applications are due April 16, and applications and contest guidelines can be found at Scotts Valley Recreation Department, 361 Kings Village Road; the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce, 360 Kings Village Road; and all school offices.
The Scotts Valley Kiwanis Club will give a $50 honorarium to four local teachers whose students are awarded the honor of “best overall student poem in an age group,” and selected poems will be published in the “Verses in the Valley” poetry book at the Scotts Valley Library.
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