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Scotts Valley
October 4, 2025

Meet the candidates for Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors: Wm “Bill” Ekwall

Wm. “Bill” Ekwall is the only non-incumbent running for one of the three contested seats for the Board of Directors of the Scotts Valley Water District in the November election. With three incumbents seeking re-election, Ekwall is running as the only “outsider” to the existing board, in his first bid for an elected office his campaign is mostly as a concerned customer, concerned about previously approved rate hikes and concerned about adequate water supply in the event of a catastrophic wildfire.  

BLFD to the Water Rescue

 When fire season slows and the winter rains roll in, the Ben Lomond Fire (BLFD) remains the go-to department for emergencies in the community and throughout Santa Cruz County.

Corey Warner running for another term on SVUSD Board of Trustees

A Santa Cruz native and Scotts Valley resident for over 15 years hopes to bring his passion for community service to his position on the board of trustees for the Scotts Valley Unified School District.

Elimination of cash-based bail likely to be challenged, experts say

Last month, California became the first state to completely abolish the cash bail-bond system for suspects awaiting trial. “Today, California reforms its bail system so that rich and poor alike are treated fairly,” Governor Jerry Brown said at the signing ceremony for SB 10, the California Money Bail Reform Act. The Governor’s signature on SB 10 mandates that the entire bail bond industry will be out of business, in favor of a “risk-based assessment” of the accused, on October 1, 2019 when the bill goes into effect.

Meet the candidates for Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors: Ruth Stiles

As a horticultural consultant and certified master arborist, Ruth Stiles has gained experience working with water efficiency in the landscape setting. It was her interest in water efficiency that first prompted her to apply for an appointed position to the Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) board of directors in December 2014 after Jay Mosley vacated the seat. Now, Stiles is up for re-election this November to continue as a board of director for SVWD.

Meet the candidates for Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors: Dave Hodgin

In a contested race for three seats on the Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors, Dave Hodgin is the longest serving incumbent running for his fourth term on the board. Initially appointed to the board in 2003, Hodgin has seen the district through rate increases, drought and a collapsed well.

Felton Celebrates 150

The town of Felton is 150 years old, and townsfolk are gearing up to throw a grand anniversary bash. The town party will include historical presentations of Felton's early days, which will be on display at Felton Community Hall and the Felton Fire Station, 4 bands, dancing, various other entertainment and of course, lots of local food and drink, shopping, kids events, crafts and more.

Scotts Valley Mayor Jim Reed seeks re-election

Running for his third full term as a member of the Scotts Valley City Council,  Jim Reed says the city is “right on the cusp” of realizing some major long term goals, particularly the Town Center Project, and after all these years of planning and preparation, Reed wants to be part of getting it built.

Groundbreaking For the New Felton Library Draws Heartfelt Applause

The ground was officially broken for the new Felton Library last Saturday, which brought together a large group of dedicated community members, several local elected officials and many county staff members to celebrate. The symbolic act of turning a shovel of dirt didn’t take long, but represented the culmination of more than a decade of collaborative effort to build a brand new, 8,900 square foot library in Felton.

Meet the candidates for Scotts Valley Water District Board of Directors: Wade Leishman

As just a regular homeowner and rate-payer, Wade Leishman took a special interest in the Scotts Valley Water District (SVWD) when rate hikes were discussed toward the end of 2016. Leishman started attending SVWD board meetings regularly and got up to speed on the issues behind the rate increase. Before long, Leishman impressed the district directors with his grasp of the issues for them to appoint him as a board director in July 2017. The seat was unexpectedly left vacant by the death of long-serving director Ken Kannegaard.

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Greg Wimp

Sandwich shop owner appointed to Scotts Valley Council

As Greg Wimp, the owner of multiple area Togo’s sandwich shop locations, stepped up Oct. 1 to address Scotts Valley City Council about why...