With winter in full swing, rainfall is nearly double what it was last year at this time, and the San Lorenzo Valley has received more than half of its annual average.

A 70-year-old man died last week after a fallen tree he was cutting rolled onto his body and pinned him.

A memorial service will be Jan. 15 for Adams George “Chip” O’Brien II, who died Dec. 28 in Santa Cruz. He was 55.

Three Scotts Valley Boy Scouts from Troop 614 in Scotts Valley attained the highest rank in Scouting, Eagle Scout, last week.

Longtime Ben Lomond resident Lillian Schwartz died Dec. 30 in Ben Lomond at the age of 91. A graveside service will be in Paso Robles at a later date.

Thanks to recently expanded hours and the help of the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, youngsters are finding more to do at the Boulder Creek branch of the Santa Cruz County Library.

Nationwide, the year 2010 might be remembered because of the passage of a presidential health care bill that, over the next several years, will cover millions of Americans now without health insurance. Or perhaps it will be most memorable for the debate that led to passage of a health bill that made neither of the major political parties happy. More locally, it might be California’s decision not to legalize recreational marijuana that will capture enduring attention.