NEWSBRIEFS-November 27

E-books now available through Scotts Valley Public Library
Staff
The Santa Cruz Public Library system has announced that all county libraries are offering their members a new e-book service. SCPL is in partnership with Total BooX, an e-book service which can provide 50,000 e-book titles to members. There are no quantity limitations, holds, expirations or fines.
All sorts of books are available: fiction, advice and leisure, arts and design, biography and memoirs, travel, religion, romance, economics, cooking and food, family and relationships, health and wellness, humor, poetry and more.
There is also a non-fiction collection with titles to support small business and technology, including programming, web design and user experience e-books.
For more information, contact Scotts Valley Reference Librarian at 427-7713
Save time with a reloadable CRUZ CARD
Staff
Press-Banner
Made of durable plastic with an imbedded memory chip, the CRUZ CARD is a convenient tool to use when planning your SC METRO trips. Load any SC METRO pass or cash amount onto a re-loadable CRUZ CARD, then just tap and go!
The CRUZ CARD can store period passes, day passes and cash amounts. The card automatically deducts fares when boarding. The SC METRO farebox reads the type of card loaded and deducts the appropriate amount. The balance or value on the card can be read at the farebox at any METRO TVM machine or at the Customer Service Information Booth at the MetroCenter.
When you use the CRUZ CARD, you will experience faster boarding times because there is no fumbling for money, just tap the card on the red circle and go.
You can purchase CruzCash & CruzPass cards at the Customer Service Booth at the MetroCenter, 920 Pacific Avenue, Santa Cruz.
For more information about types of passes, call: 425–8600
California Tenants Push for Rent Control
Staff
Tenants Together, California’s statewide organization for renters’ rights, releases a rent control toolkit for California cities. The Tenants Together staff has pooled legal and policy information about rent control issues. It includes a model rent control ordinance, details on the policy, sample flyers and petitions, and more.
“Rent control is a successful and cost-effective way for cities to prevent displacement and stabilize neighborhoods,” said Dean Preston, founder and Executive Director of Tenants Together, California’s statewide organization for renters’ rights. “As more and more cities look to rent control to stop unfair rent hikes and displacement, we hope the tools we are releasing will help educate advocates, media, politicians, and the public about how rent control really works.”
The struggle for real regulations on rent increases and evictions is an uphill battle, but Tenants Together is committed to supporting renters fighting to stay in their communities.
For more information: www.TenantsTogether.org/RentContolToolkit
Infants as well as adults can die of flu
Staff
Dr. Karen Smith, State Public Health Officer with the California Department of Public Health, announced on November 6 that CDHP “has received the first report of an influenza-associated fatality in a person under the age of one year for the 2015-2016 flu seasons.” The infant’s death in StanislausCounty reminds us that “flu” is a serious threat to one’s health and can even cause death.
Dr. Smith said, “As California’s public health officer, I am saddened when the flu turns into loss of life. It is especially troubling when a baby, too young to be vaccinated, passes away. To protect babies who cannot yet be vaccinated, we should get our flu shots. Preventing the spread of this often deadly disease is why getting vaccinated is so important. I urge you to be vaccinated now before the flu really spreads widely to protect yourself and those around you.”
The CDPH reports that children under one year of age are at an increased risk of severe influenza. Infants cannot be vaccinated for the flu until they are six months old but there are several ways to protect them. Pregnant women should get vaccinated which will protect the mother and the newborn. Also, anyone who is around young children or other high-risk persons should be vaccinated to reduce the risk of spreading influenza during the peak seasons of December through April.
The CDPH informs us that “two of this season’s vaccine components, the influenza A (H3N2) and influenza B (Yamagata lineage) strains, have been updated to match the viruses Californians are likely to face during the 2015-16 flu season.”
The California influenza surveillance report which was recently published stated: “there were 78 influenza-associated deaths reported in persons less than 65 years of age in California during the 2014-15 influenza season.” Because deaths in persons over age 65 are not reported to CDPH, many influenza-associated deaths are unrecognized and therefore the actual number of deaths due to flu is actually much greater.
Most of us know that the common symptoms of flu are “fever or feeling feverish, a cough and/or sore throat, a runny or stuffy nose, chills, fatigue and body aches. Children may also have nausea, vomiting or diarrhea.”
Here are some tips to stop the spread of flu and other respiratory illnesses:
1) Stay home when sick
2) Cover a cough/sneeze with a tissue and properly dispose of the tissue
3) Wash hands thoroughly with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
4) Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.
Californians are encouraged to contact their health care provider or pharmacy about getting vaccinated. Local health departments may also offer low- or no-cost flu immunizations. You can visit the CDPH influenza web page, or, to find a vaccination location near you, visit www.flu.gov.
City of Santa Cruz Hosted El Niño Preparedness Workshop on November 21
Staff
The City of Santa Cruz held a free El Niño Storm Preparedness Workshop on Saturday, November 21.
City departments and key community agencies hosted booths where residents learned how to best prepare their families and properties for heavy rains. The event included a family-friendly sandbag workshop where citizens were instructed on how to make their own sandbags.
Event booths provided valued tips that families can use during heavy storm conditions. The following services were present:
–          National Weather Service with the latest storm forecasts
–          Santa CruzCounty’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) volunteer program
–          Animal Service Authority with pet preparedness tips
–          Boy Scouts offered emergency kits for purchase
–          County and City offices of emergency services explained how they manage and coordinate storm related response, recovery, mitigation and preparedness efforts.
City booths included Public Works describing home preparation before the storm, sandbag techniques and staff discussed areas prone to flooding and what the City is doing to protect people and property.
The Water Department instructed residents on how to monitor rainfall, runoff and reservoir conditions from their homes and explained how the water system operates to ensure reliable service and high quality drinking water during storms.
The Police and Fire departments dialogued with visitors regarding field evacuations for residents in flood prone areas and rescue operations.