On September 2, at approximately 2:15 p.m., a robbery occurred at the Wells Fargo Bank on Mount Hermon Road in Scotts Valley. A man robbed the victim while she was making a withdrawal from the ATM. The suspect, a white male adult, was last seen driving away in a grey Ford Expedition. Witness statements and evidence found at the scene of the crime led the Officers and Detectives to identify the suspect. At approximately 6:30 p.m., the Officers and Detectives located the suspect at a local residence. A 22 year old white male was arrested without incident.

Fire fighters on the job in Ben LomondOn September 2 at about 8:30 a.m., firefighters were alerted to a fire in the 8600 block of Highway 9. The flames spread to a home and nearby trees, but the home was saved from total loss. It is reported that the tenant was taken to a hospital for evaluation.Illegal DumpingOn Tuesday the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors took action to confront the countywide problem of illegal dumping. Illegal dumping costs taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars annually, according to Jason Hoppin, Communications Manager for the Santa Cruz County Administrative Office. Hoppin indicated that the Board’s unanimous vote set the stage for a working group to consider code changes and outreach efforts to address serious and costly environmental problems. He said “the Board directed the county’s Public Works Department to convene a group to consider measures to reduce illegal dumping, and also to initiate a pilot program which may include the use of camera monitors at illegal dumping hot spots.” The Board also directed county staff to return in January with a more complete plan, including possible funding sources. “In order to address this problem, there’s not going to be one silver bullet. It’s not going to just be the cameras, or public education, or enforcement. It’s going to be all those pieces put together. If it were easy to figure out, we would have figured it out by now. But we need a coordinated plan and to move aggressively to address a problem that’s affecting us all,” Supervisor John Leopold said.County staff identified several dumping hot spots such as Eureka Canyon Road, Bonny Doon Road, Buena Vista Road, Alba Road and others. In addition, several cherished county parks have also become targets for illegal dumping, including Anna Jean Cummings Park, Moran Lake Park, Greyhound Rock Beach and more. Annually, the county budgets have dedicated between $150,000 and $400,000 to clean up illegal dump sites, although the actual costs may be higher.Ironically, many of those illegally dumped items could have been deposited free of charge at county landfills, including electronics, household hazardous waste such as used paint cans, small propane tanks, etc. The county also recycles yard waste and some construction debris for reuse. Santa Cruz County is a leader in environmental stewardship, having passed laws banning single-use carryout plastic bags, limiting the sale of polystyrene products, regulating the collection of electronic waste and licensing commercial waste haulers. The county has also set a “zero waste” goal and operates two disposal sites: the Buena Vista Landfill in Watsonville and the Ben Lomond Transfer Station in Ben Lomond. For more information, go to www.santacruzcountyrecycles.org. To report illegal dumping, call 477-3999.Skin cancer sun-safety tips for back-to-school-kidsWhile sun protection is often associated with hot summer days, harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays are present year-round and can be just as dangerous on the schoolyard as they are at the beach. Because UV rays are associated with about 86 percent of melanomas and 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers, children must be diligent about sun protection when they head back to school. Parents also play a role, by teaching kids to lead a sun-safe lifestyle. "There is a well-established link between sun exposure and skin cancer risk," said Perry Robins, MD, President of The Skin Cancer Foundation. "Children and teens spend most of their time at school, so it's important that they incorporate sun protection into their everyday lives, as it's the best method of skin cancer prevention." The Skin Cancer Foundation offers the following recommendations to keep kids sun-safe when at school:The sun's UV rays are strongest from 10 AM to 4 PM, and this is when students are usually outside for recess, physical education and afterschool programs. Check with the school to see if there are adequate places for students to seekshade during outdoor activities.Clothing is the single most effective form of sun protection. Send students to school in densely woven and bright- or dark-colored fabrics, which offer the best defense. The more skin you cover, the better, so choose long sleeves and long pants whenever possible.Send children to school with a wide-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses, to protect their face, neck, ears and eyes. If they won't wear a wide-brimmed hat, a baseball cap is better than nothing.Parents should apply a broad spectrum SPF 15+ sunscreen to their children's skin every morning, at least 30 minutes before going outside. Sunscreen should be reapplied every two hours outdoors and right after swimming or sweating heavily. Older children should learn to apply sunscreen themselves, and make it a routine habit. For extended time outdoors, a broad spectrum SPF 30+sunscreen should be used instead. One ounce of sunscreen (about the size of a golf ball) should be applied to all exposed areas of skin. Remind children to cover those easy to miss spots, such as the back of ears and neck, as well as the tops of the feet and hands.Refuel Your FunUse refillable propane canisters instead of disposable types and reduce the local waste in our environment. Santa Cruz County is one of the leading municipalities in reducing waste, with more than 70 percent now diverted from landfills.According to John Laird, California Secretary for Natural Resources, each year in California, more than 4 million propane canisters are wasted. They not only harm the environment, they are costly to consumers: 80 percent of the price of each canister pays for the container, with 20 percent paying for gas. Refillable, one-pound propane canisters work the same as disposable canisters. They have the same valve and fit all your camp stoves, lanterns and heaters.Scotts Valley Dentist to lecture at AcademyDr. Ariana Ebrahimian of Scotts Valley will be lecturing at the inaugural Academy of Applied Myofunctional Sciences Congress in Los Angeles on September 12. More than 30 speakers, researchers, and public leaders from over a dozen countries will be addressing everything from sleep apnea to tongue ties. Ebrahimian will be speaking on Orthotropics and how she believes that the orthodontic standard of care is slowly improving.For more information contact Ebrahimian Integrative Dentistry 438-4411.

SCOTTS VALLEYPOLICE DEPARTMENT August 253:31 p.m.: Traffic Stop w/Reportat Skips Tire Service, Mt. Hermon Rd., SV.Subject arrested.August 263:31 a.m.: Intoxicated employee at fastfood restaurant on Mt. Hermon Rd., SVSuspect was unable to care for himself. Arrested.11:52 a.m.: Driver exceeding speed limitstopped at Willow Pond, Mt. Hermon Rd.,SV, near Brookdale. Found to have anoutstanding warrant and was arrested.August 2700:24 a.m.: Traffic Stop with Report.Female driver stopped at Hilton, La MadronaDr., found to have multiple violations. Arrestedand released with a misdemeanor citation.August 294:55 p.m.: Driver arrested on Mt. Hermon Rd.,SV for driving with a suspended license.8:09 p.m.: Male subject driving his motorcycleunder the influence. Failed breath test. Arrested.August 3000:53 a.m.: Traffic Stop w/ReportMale subject driving on Scotts Valley Drivefound to have two warrants out of Santa ClaraCounty, tested for controlled substances andarrested on fresh charges.SANTA CRUZ COUNTYSHERIFF’S OFFICEAugust 267:20 a.m.: Felton male arrested for burglary andmultiple other counts.3:30 p.m. Boulder Creek male arrested forlocal ordinance violation. 

Our “music man” is Michel Singher, Conductor of Espressivo, a small, intense orchestra.On September 13 at 4:00 p.m. at the San Lorenzo Valley Performing Arts Center in Felton, Espressivo will play selected pieces by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jacques Ibert, Richard Wagner, and Paul Hindemith. The program, Music on the Mountain, will be brought to SLVPAC by the San Lorenzo Valley Foundation for Education to benefit San Lorenzo Valley schools.Michel Singher conducted the Hamburg State Opera and now resides in Felton with his wife, renowned abstract oil painter, Elizabeth Kaminski. Less than one year ago, Singher was retired. Now, he is engaged in an quest that he had never imagined would occur. “It is a totally consuming adventure to be organizing this program. Last year, I was retired and catching up on my reading and now I am a very busy man,” said Singher.Asked about the challenge of creating Music on the Mountain, Singher explained that because the orchestra is small, there are few pieces for them to play. Small groups between three and eight players and up to 17 players might be playing chamber music and would do so without a conductor. Espressivo is made up of seven players and will be conducted by Singher. He said that the main challenge for them is finding enough pieces by excellent composers that can be played by a small orchestra.Espressivo will perform “Capriccio” by Ibert. Singher describes this piece as “urbane, smooth and suave.” He contrasted that piece to Hindemith’s “Kammermusik Nr. 1, Op. 24.” He said that work “was one of the most important of the 20th century.” Describing it as “youthful, brash, complicated, loud but catchy,” he felt that it would be another appropriate piece for Espressivo to perform.Singher compared the visual art of a painter to that of a musician. He said that a painter starts with nothing and pulls out of themselves what they need to express; with music, the artist is given a recipe.“The way that works is the composer writes a score, each player has a piece of it, and the conductor brings all pieces together to create the final result,” said Singher. He talked about the whole ‘shape’ of the piece being made of implied ‘shapes’ and ‘forms.’ “These are the patterns of repetition that make up the composition. It’s like seeing the whole picture when you recognize the shapes and forms made by rhythm, notes, harmony, and melody,” he said.Come listen to Espressivo at Music on the Mountain and hear the ‘shapes’ and ‘forms’ of the music produced by our man of music as he conducts this small, intense orchestra.Tickets are on sale at: slvfoundation.org. For more information, call: 234-0236

Red Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for Core Connections Physical Therapy and Pilates On Wednesday, August 26, the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce welcomed a new member, Core Connections Physical Therapy, during the noon festivities.Core Connections Physical Therapy is located at 108 Whispering Pines Drive, Suite 120 in Scotts Valley. The group uses Pilates methodology and equipment. They will work with clients on an individual basis.For more information, call 440-8301.How Caltrans saves waterDid you know that Caltrans is responsible for more than 30,000 acres of landscaping along the state highway system? During California’s fourth year of extended drought, Caltrans is balancing its dual goals of reducing its water use by 50 percent while also protecting the more than $1 billion in investments made into the plantings along California’s highways.Public Information Officer David Richardson shares the department’s water saving efforts and provides an overview of Caltrans’ efforts to use smart controller devices for its irrigation systems. Richardson says, “These high tech devices automatically adjust watering based on the weather, soil type and plants, and can automatically turn off the water and notify maintenance of any malfunctions.”This video can be viewed at: https://youtu.be/tQJo6MSrF4Y Look for signs of vision problems in childrenAugust is widely known as Child Eye Health & Safety Month. As we move from summer fun to focusing on the three Rs (reading, writing and arithmetic), watch your child’s behavior for signs of vision problems.Common signs of vision problems in children include frequently rubbing their eyes, squinting, tilting or turning their heads to look at objects, wandering eyes, or squeezing their eyes. If your child displays any of these symptoms, please schedule an appointment to have his or her eyes checked. Nina Preschool opens in Scotts ValleyThere is a new preschool opening between Scotts Valley and Felton, off Mt. Hermon Road. Gray Gables Cultural Learning Center reopens its doors as Nina’s Preschool and Childcare. The former Cultural Learning Center is now a creative, educational preschool, specializing in organic nutrition, Spanish lessons, and educational enrichment. It is owned and operated by Gray Gables Director’s daughter, Christina Schmidt, who 15 years earlier, was a student of the arts at Gray Gables. Now she is offering her talents here for preschool age children. Christina, a graduate in Applied and Nutrition Science from Cal Poly, will teach children the importance of healthy living and eating.Christina is a nurturing mother who loves children, has over 15 years of childcare experience, completion of early childhood development courses, and the desire to provide a safe and wholesome environment for preschool age children. Included in her curriculum are cooking, gardening, and hands-on crafts which Nina will teach to coincide with weekly themes for a well-rounded education.Call today for availability: 831-566-3082. License #444414572  Operation Safe PassageOn August 26 through September 2, the Scotts Valley Police will be monitoring motorists in the vicinity of all local school zones in Scotts Valley. The goal of the operation is to increase the safety of students commuting to and from school at the beginning of the school year. Extra officers will be working to strictly enforce traffic violations.Officers will focus on the following violations by both motorists as well as commuting students:• Failing to stop for school buses with flashing stop lights• Speeding vehicles• Failing to yield to pedestrians• Jaywalking• Juvenile bicyclists without required helmets or helmets not properly worn• Seat belt and child restraint seat violations• Cell phone and texting violations• Stop sign violations“The first week of the school is always a concern for the police department because we have new groups of kids walking and biking to school for the first time,” said Lt. Steve Walpole, “The extra officers assigned to each school will be a reminder to the students and the motorists in the area to follow the rules of the road in an effort to keep everyone safe during their travels.”Rocket Fuel for the Entrepreneurial Soul Event SeriesThe Slingshot to Success, a small business advocacy program, will be launching their inaugural “2015 Small Business Challenge.” Their mission is to give small business owners an opportunity to have their number one business or marketing questions answered. The Rocket Fuel for the Entrepreneurial Souls series debuts on Wednesday, September 16th, 2015 at Green Hills Events Center in Scotts Valley.For more information, call 824-4135.