Scotts Valley police are investigating five burglaries of small commercial business on Scotts Valley Drive that occurred in the past month-and-a-half.

Highway 236 in Boulder Creek opened to one-way traffic on July 14 after being completely closed since June 22 while Caltrans crews brought in heavy machinery to repair the two-lane highway.

Bargetto Winery’s 2006 Santa Cruz Mountains Reserve merlot was selected as California’s best merlot by judges at the California State Fair’s annual wine competition in June in Sacramento.

The Responsible Local Development political action committee’s Web site, www.rldpac.org, was bombarded with sexually explicit, racial and derogatory statements in its comments section last week.

Traffic delays are expected on Graham Hill Road between Treetop Drive and Henry Cowell Drive south of Felton for four months starting late next week and running through Oct. 30. Santa Cruz County is installing a 10-inch sewer main along the road.

Locals head to government summit

The point system used in wine judging is often viewed with a sense of suspicion and ambiguity. Are the points that are awarded legitimate, and should we care? Many people see a 92 or 93 from Robert Parker or the Wine Spectator and immediately think the wine must be high end. Typically, this is a fair assumption, but just because a wine receives a high rating doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right wine for you.