Scotts Valley City Council approves Tobacco Retailer License Ordinance
The Scotts Valley City Council is the fourth jurisdiction is Santa Cruz County to pass a tobacco retailer license to discourage teenage smoking. Retailers caught selling the product to minors can be fined or have their licenses revoked.
Newsbriefs
Putah Creek Wildlife Area Closed to All Public AccessDue to Wragg FireThe Putah Creek Wildlife Area in Solano County will be closed until further notice due to impacts from the Wragg Fire. The Wragg Fire has burned 8,051 acres in Napa, Solano and Yolo counties, including the entire Putah Creek Wildlife Area.The closure affects all public uses including, but not limited to, hunting, fishing, hiking and nature viewing. The closure is intended to allow the landscape and wildlife to recover, minimize erosion, and ensure public safety. As a result of the fire, potential hazards such as loose rocks and falling tree branches exist in the area. CDFW will reassess the Putah Creek Wildlife Area in spring 2016 to determine if it is suitable for public access. Putah Creek Wildlife Area is located in Solano County just east of Lake Berryessa.Felton Fire Protection District Budget for Fiscal year 2015-2016The district will meet on Monday, September 14, at 7:00 p.m. at 131 Kirby St., Felton, for the public to discuss the new budget.For more information call 335-4422Wind Acre Farm Floral opens in Scotts ValleyAs the owner and principal designer of the new Wind Acre Farm Floral, Erin Schwartz uses locally grown flowers and botanicals to create custom floral arrangements for any occasion. Wind Acre Farm Floral offers a spectrum of services from everyday arrangements to special orders for weddings, private parties, and corporate events. “I’ve always loved to create beautiful things for people to enjoy. Making others happy feels good to me and that really is my inspiration,” says Schwartz. Prior to opening Wind Acre Farm Floral, Schwartz worked under established local florists and trained with floral designers in the Los Angeles and Seattle areas. She also attended interior design school where she specialized in floral arrangements for home and office settings. Wind Acre Farm Floral is located on Glen Canyon Road in Scotts Valley. For more information call 212-9032Man reported taking pictures of nude childSanta Cruz Police Department ask or help in identifying man that was reportedly taking pictures of a naked 7-year old girl in a public shower near the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf on July 13. The suspect is described as a white male about 5 feet 8” with medium build. He appears to be 65-70 years old with white hair. He was wearing a cowboy hat and sleeveless shirt at the time of the incident.Anyone with information relative to the suspect’s identity is encouraged to contact the Santa Cruz Police Department Investigations Unit (831) 420-5820Teen injured at Garden of Eden in Henry Cowell ParkOn August 4, a teenage female dove off of a hill into the Garden of Eden pond in Henry Cowell Park. The water in the pond was very low. The diver injured her back and feet which required a Cal Fire helicopter to provide rescue services, said a dispatch person at Felton Fire Department Protection District.“Usually the local people know how dangerous it is to dive into the Garden of Eden during a drought. It is the people from out of the area who get hurt,” said the dispatch person.
Wragg wildfire is destination for local firefighters
There are 21 active fires across California with well over 9,000 firefighters battling them. Twenty two firefighters from Santa Cruz County were sent to the Wragg fire in Napa and Solano Counties. Scotts Valley Fire Chief Dan Grebil is reported to have said that five fire engines from Zayante, Santa Cruz, Central and Branciforte fire departments were deployed. The firefighters are scheduled for 14 days depending on the fire outcome. Coastal fire departments between Monterey and Del Norte counties have sent 12 strike teams to the location.“Thousands of lightning strikes have occurred since last week, sparking several hundred small wildfires. A slight chance of thunderstorms will continue in far northern and eastern areas today, but the majority of the region will see more sunshine and slightly higher southwest to west winds, which could fan any lightning strikes from over the weekend,” said Daniel Berlant of CAL FIRE.Berlant stated that a Red Flag Warning remains in effect as of August 3, in the upper part of California, due to lightning and wind. These storms will be on the dry side so a high risk has been issued for dry lightning for these areas on Tuesday.
Back-to-school roundup:
The 2015-2016 school year begins August 24 for the San Lorenzo Unified School District. While parents and teachers are busy shopping for school clothes and supplies, instructors and school administrators are preparing to welcome the students back.This week the Press-Banner looks at some of the new developments in our schools. This year, we are doing something different. In this issue, we visited a few of the schools in both San Lorenzo Valley and some in Scotts Valley. Next, week we will visit the other schools.San Lorenzo Valley High School7105 Highway 9 in Feltonhttp:hs.slvusd.org/335-4425Karen van Putten is pleased to note that she starts her fourth new school year as the Principal of SLVHS. Assistant Principal, Keri Billings, is commencing her sixth year. Together, they are happy to lead the school forward into this new academic year. Under this consist leadership, the school has several new developments in staff and programs to be proud about.First, they are pleased to announce that there are new faces on the staff. Education Specialist, Lisa Andersen, will be teaching Special Education. New also is Karina Alvarez as Instructional Assistant for Special Education.Gene Knipe joins the high school staff to teach in the new Technology Pathway. He will be teaching the Introduction to Computer Science and Computer Programming.“The Agrigculture and Natural Resources Pathway is partnering with SchoolGrown to build a state of the art aquaponics greenhouse,” said van Putten.Principal van Putten is also very proud of the athletic track that was just resurfaced. She believes that the over 700 students that will attend this year will get good use from this improved track — and a lot of fun.This year the District is continuing the BYOD/lap top initiative for grades 6-12.They hope that every student will soon be working on their own device for learning and collaborating.In addition to continuing to implement Common Core standards, van Putten said “the school is dedicted to helping its students prepare for their college and career pathways.”Also new this year, said van Putten, “is a collection of touch-screen Google Chrome computers designed for use by math students.” Students will also be able to participate in the Advancement via Individual Determination (AVID) program, a 4-year elective course designed to equip them with college-level study skills.San Lorenzo Valley Middle School7179 Hacienda Way in Feltonhttp:/ms.slvusd.org/335-4452About 500 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students are expected at SLVMS this year, said Principal Jeff Calden.Joining the staff this year will be two new science teachers, Rachel Hager and Jessica Curzio, while Tony Purtscher will teach social studies and Dereck Seymour will teach a sixth grade core class. Marisol Briones will teach special education. Tamara Smith will be teaching art classes for the sixth grade and Jennifer Lahey will teach eighth grade art. “We will also be offering the first ‘honors language classes to the eighth grade and they will be taught by Matt McMillan,” Caulden said.“Moving forward, our ‘one-to-one’ device program for laptops is for ages 6-12 only. They will be on a ‘school-to-home’ basis. We will also have loaners in the classrooms although the program is not mandatory,” said Caulden.Proudly, Caulden announced that they also have new lockers.Students can also participate in AVID, a high school and college-prep class that serves as a precursor to the program in place at the high school.Scotts Valley Middle School8 Bean Creek Road in Scotts Valleyhttp://www.svms.santacruz.k12.ca.us/438-0610Principal Mary Lonhart said that she expects approximately 600 sixth, seventh, and eighth grade students to arrive on campus when this Gold Ribbon award winning school opens.Lonhart welcomes three new teachers: Michael Belli, part-time English 8 and Letricia Marquardt, math 8. Mark Andres, will be shared with the high school for science 8.“SVMS continues our full implementation of the Common Core with increased infusion of technology in the classrooms with the use of Chromebooks. All but four of our core subject area classrooms have a full set of Chromebooks available for student use at all times,” said Lonhart. “The majority of these have been funded through our generous PTA! Additionally, we will continue the use of our new Carnegie math materials,” she said.“We are continually grateful that the Scotts Valley community supports our construction project. Planning is moving forward,” she said. “Regular updates on the project will be provided at Board meetings, via the school and district websites and the SVUSD Facebook page. Thank you for your patience as we work through this very important process,” said Lonhart.
Grace Elizabeth Reichert
December 1, 1919 – July 26, 2015Services will be held on September 5th 2014 for Grace Reichert who passed away peacefully at the age of 95 with her loving family at her bedside. Born in Oakland, California, the daughter of Welsh emigrants, Grace attended Fremont High School, and helped her country in the wartime efforts by working in the factories, turning armatures at the General Electric Plant in Oakland.Grace married Cliff Taber in 1939. Throughout the 1960’s and 70’s, Grace worked in her husband’s construction business in the San Lorenzo Valley. She facilitated meetings between subcontractors and their clients. She was a resident for 55 years. Mr. Taber preceded her in death.Grace was the coordinator, bus driver, and lead organizer for the Ben Lomond Senior Center for many years. It was at the Center where she met, and later married, Hal Reichert. Grace and Hal enjoyed many travels in their R.V. as members of “Thousand Trails Motor Home Club.” Grace was a familiar face at all Pancake Breakfasts at the Senior Center and was an accomplished artist in both painting and crafts. Her family will forever remember and cherish the memories of her love of the Christmas season with the decorating and fun that it brought.Hal preceded Grace in death in 2013. Grace lived at Oak Tree Villa for 9 years and left many dear friends and health care workers that miss her vibrant spirit. Grace’s family would especially like to thank the care givers at Blue Hammock Care Home in Freedom for their love and concern in making her final days so restful.She is survived by her daughter, Diane Beardsley of Ben Lomond, her son Don Taber of Santa Cruz; her brothers, Donald Davies, Kenneth Davies, and Jake Davies; her beloved grandchildren, Donald and John Beardsley, Jesse and Meriah Campbell-Taber; her great grandchildren, Nicholas and Lindsey Beardsley and Chloe and Zephyr Jones.Friends and family are invited to attend a burial service on September 5, at 11:00 a.m. at Felton Cemetery, where she will be laid to rest beside her late husband Hal Reichert, and her son-in-law, Richard Beardsley who preceded her in death in 2012. A farewell ceremony will continue at the Ben Lomond Senior Center, following the burial. Any acts of charity can be made in Grace’s memory to the senior center. You can share a memory or condolence with her family by visiting www.pacificgardenschapel.com
New commerce options begin to bud for medical marijuana
Credit card transactions at cannabis clubs may be the future of buying the medicine. State Board of Equalization (SBOE) panel, comprised of industry leaders, politicians and financial experts convened their first meeting in Sacramento last week to discuss financial impacts of the booming industry, which currently operates on a cash only basis.Board Member Fiona Ma, CPA led the meeting, with a statement that access to banking is one of the biggest challenges faced by medicinal marijuana providers.“As we move towards a paperless society, it is unfair for a whole class of citizens to live their lives using cash and manual transactions,” she said.Though the 1996 Proposition 215 legalized dispensary operations in California, cannabis club owners have been unable to function like any other business due to federal restrictions imposed on banks.Jeff Angell of Creekside Collective in Boulder Creek said that prior to last year; he handled all his transactions by getting money orders and paying in cash. Approximately a year ago, one of the local banks created an infrastructure that allows medical marijuana dispensaries to open business accounts. Having that happen has been a time saver because it’s now easier to do basic things like payroll.“I am encouraged by the meeting they have had because we believe in sensible regulations, and we are proud to pay taxes. That legitimizes us,” he said.But despite the fact that Creekside Collective’s bank facilitates some of the day-to-day routines; the system has its limitations.“Our situation is we are in the middle,” he said. “We have some access to banking, but we don’t have access to using credit cards. If we needed a line of credit, we couldn’t do it like any other business.”Angell said that as far as he knows, none of the dispensaries are allowed to accept credit cards, and everyone faces the same obstacles when it comes to accounting.“Our patients have to use ATM and get charged a fee,“ he said about the teller machine that’s on site. It’s so much more convenient when everywhere else you go you can use a credit card.”Angell’s business currently serves a few hundred patients per month; some come more frequently than others. For everyone’s safety, cash is stored off site. There are security cameras inside and out, and overall Angell said he considers himself lucky to be the owner of a small dispensary in a peaceful community.To keep up with fair reporting to the government, Angell uses a point of purchase system that tracks every transaction the collective makes. That way, should an audit occur, the information is all in one place. The collective also keeps a paper record of transactions with vendors.Even if the SBOE meeting marks the first step to progress, decisions are expected to be slow going forward. Since Angell became owner of Creekside Collective in 2012, he has seen little change in the way the state handles medicinal marijuana commerce.“Sadly, I don’t think we’ll see real change until Congress acts,” he said. “Because cannabis is considered a Schedule 1 Controlled Substance, the Feds have to do something about it.”
Dispatch Log (August 8, 2015)
Santa Cruz County Sherriff’s Office August 03 10:22 p.m.: A suspect was arrested driving while intoxicated on Jonathon Way in Scotts Valley. July 317:55 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for contempt and disorderly conduct on the 9700 block of East Zayante Road in Felton. July 303:25 a.m.: A suspect was arrested for probation violation, possession of unlawful paraphernalia, possession of stolen property, and possession of a controlled substance on Mount Hermon Rd. in Scotts Valley. July 309:36 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for violation of parole in Ben Lomond.
Infant-toddler center opened in Scotts Valley
Established in 1968, Scotts Valley's Baymonte Christian School is an independent, interdenominational Christian school for children ranging from preschool through eighth grades. It also runs three day care centers: one at the main Granite Creek Road campus, Baymonte Christian Preschool Too on Scotts Valley Drive and another one on Bethany Drive. In addition to the existing preschool for students between the ages of 2-years, 6-months old through kindergarten, they just opened an infant-care center.“We consulted Santa Cruz County's Children Development Resource Center before committing to open the infant-care” said Steve Patterson, Baymonte's principal. “Apparently there's a vast shortage of infant-care services, they encouraged us to have 35-beds facility, but we decided to go with just an 8-bed license for now, to see how it goes. We do mostly care about the quality of care” he said. The infant-care center will accept 2-month-olds that will stay at the upstairs unit until they're potty-trained and ready to move to the daycare unit downstairs, which accommodates up to12 toddlers.The bad news for those interested is that both units are already full, and there's a waiting list. At the opening ceremony last week, combined with the Scotts Valley Chamber of Commerce mixer, city dignitaries mixed with chamber of commerce members, teachers and parents. It culminated in the perfect-PR ribbon-cutting photo, with all yelling “Babies!” in unison.
Fire
On July 30, a wild brush fire on Green Hills Rd. near Highway 17 in Scotts Valley was extinguished by 5:00 p.m. Present to help were fire fighters from Scotts Valley Fire District, Cal Fire, Santa Cruz and Felton Fire. In all, about dozen trucks were seen at the scene of the fire. There was a helicopter dropping fire retardant material and a water tanker flying to assist the helicopter.
The search for Maddy
On July 27, the Santa Cruz Police Department concluded their search for Madyson “Maddy” Middleton. At approximately 7:55 p.m., detectives located the body of a child matching Maddy’s description. It was found in a dumpster at the Tannery Arts Center complex at 1030 River Street. The official cause and manner of death will be determined at a pending autopsy by the Santa Cruz County Coroner. As of July 29, that information had not been made public.
Highway 9 to close overnight near Boulder Creek on Monday
Travelers on Highway 9 near Boulder Creek will face a full overnight closure Monday, Aug. 24, as crews continue work on the Kings Creek...
