The brand new gym at Scotts Valley Middle School shook with 530 cheering students, stomping feet and the sounds of Latin music on May 15 as a surprised Aristeo Flores was crowned “2019 Custodian of the Year” by Cintas Corporation.

An environmental watershed restoration project is scheduled for this summer in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The San Lorenzo Valley Water District (SLVWD) board of directors voted on May 2 to approve the Upper Zayante Creek Stream Wood Enhancement Project. The effort is a collaboration of multiple agencies and is funded by a $498,426 grant from the State Water Resources Control Board. The project design was funded in 2017 by the California State Coastal Conservancy. 

Christina Friend, assistant city manager for the city of Santa Cruz, has been tapped to fill the role of Scotts Valley city manager in June pending Scotts Valley City Council approval. Friend, also known as Tina Shull in her position in Santa Cruz, is a resident of Aptos and is married to County Supervisor Zach Friend.

The Harm Reduction Coalition of Santa Cruz County, Harm Reduction Road Show (HRRS) has applied to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) for a certified mobile syringe access program in Felton within an area comprising the downtown shopping and restaurants district and Felton Covered Bridge Park.

The 3rd Annual Touch-A-Truck fundraiser rolls into town this Sunday, April 28. The Skypark event attracts thousands of visitors and raises funds for local public schools through the Scotts Valley Educational Foundation (SVEF). 

The San Lorenzo Valley Historical Society (SLVHS), owner operator of the San Lorenzo Valley Museum in Boulder Creek, has welcomed longtime valley resident Nicole Berridge as new Director of Museum Operations.

A 2.9 magnitude earthquake was recorded by the USGS near Corralitos on Saturday, April 13 at 11:59 a.m. No damage has been reported. For more information about recent earthquake activity visit earthquake.usgs.gov.

A court case that has changed the way law enforcement agencies deal with homeless people may be headed for the Supreme Court.

On April 2 in the newly remodeled event space at the Satellite Telework Center in Felton, radio host and discoverHer founder Monica Karst interviewed three new Felton business owners -  Lauren Fay of Capulet, Cherme Wurtz of CC Apothecary, and Selena Zontos of Skavenge Art. Satellite owner Barbara Sprenger hosted and San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce director Christy Shults coordinated the event. The group will celebrate their new ventures at a progressive ribbon cutting on Wednesday, April 17 at 5:30pm in downtown Felton along with Amber Duncan at Mountainside Made and Angela Gibbons at Tomboy Outpost.

Felton Library Friends (FLF) have launched their 2019 community capital campaign to raise funds for features and programming for the new 9000 square-foot library and Nature Discovery Park slated to open early in 2020.