NEWSBRIEFS-November 6

The Beatles – LIVE in Ben Lomond!
On Sunday, November 8, at 4:00 p.m. the “Beatles” band is reprised at the Trout Farm Inn in Felton. Arindam Krishna Das, Santa Cruz Performing Arts instructor, has been offering Beatles Performance Classes for children for several years now and they will be showing off what they have learned.
According to Das, “The classes are open to aspiring performers ages 7-18, some of whom join in the band to accompany the songs. This time out we have up and coming 15-year old Stella Maddox officially choreographing for the first time, and special guest Matt Hardle (Shady Groove, China Cats, Spirit of ’76) on lead guitar.”
Some of the songs you will hear in the program are “Yellow Submarine,” “Let it Be,” “Nowhere Man,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “In my Life,’ “Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” as well as Beatles’ favorites from “Rubber Soul” and “Revolver.” There are 20 local kids performing in the show.
The Trout Farm Inn is located at 7701 E. Zayante Road in Felton. There is no cover charge.
Possibly Deadly Counterfeit Medication
The Sheriff’s Office received information that a counterfeit version of the prescription drug, alprazolam is being sold on the street in Santa CruzCounty. Alprazolam is a benzodiazepine with brand names that include Niravam and Xanax. The prescription medication is used to treat anxiety disorders, panic disorders and anxiety caused by depression.
Lieutenant Kelly Kent said, “This street form of alprazolam may be linked to two recent overdose deaths.” On October 24, two Watsonville men possibly ingested what they thought was “Xanax” at a party. They both experienced a medical emergency and were rushed to WatsonvilleCommunityHospital. One of the men, who was 19 years old, was placed on life support and later died on October 30. On October 27, a 29 year old man consumed what he believed to have been “Xanax” and was found deceased in his home the following day.
“Autopsies and toxicology results are pending in both cases. Although still under investigation, the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office wishes to advise our community against the use of illegally obtained drugs without a prescription,” said Kelly.
San Francisco has also recently experienced three similar overdose deaths related to phony street “Xanax” possibly laced with Fentanyl, an opioid medication.
Sign up to participate in Small Business
On November 28, the County of Santa Cruz and its partners are pleased to announce the first annual Santa Cruz County Small Business Saturday to honor and support our wonderful local businesses and entrepreneurs. Conceived as a counterpoint to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, Small Business Saturday is focused on the independent, local, brick-and-mortar businesses that are the foundation of our local economy.
As part of a countywide push to get hundreds of local businesses to participate, the county has partnered with local business groups from the San LorenzoValley to the PajaroValley.
“Part of what makes Santa CruzCounty unique is our long history of developing and supporting local businesses, from organic food producers and beloved restaurants to world-class pizza makers and groundbreaking skate shops,” said Barbara Mason, Economic Development Director for Santa CruzCounty. “They contribute so much to our community, and they deserve to be celebrated.”
Small Business Saturday has been supported since 2010 by American Express. Last year, $14.3 billion was spent at small, independent businesses on Small Business Saturday, providing an economic boon as retailers and other sellers entered the holiday shopping season.
Across Santa CruzCounty, 82 percent of businesses have nine or fewer employees. Nearly 97 percent of local employers meet the Small Business Administration’s definition of a small business with 50 or fewer employees.
Sign-up is free. Each business that signs up will receive participation materials and be recognized among Small Business Saturday businesses. Shoppers will receive discounts by having sales taxes covered by participating businesses. If your business would like to participate, please email Barbara Mason, Santa Cruz County Economic Development Coordinator at

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Enhance the Community Holiday Experience: Pre-Order Christmas Trees Online
There never seems to be enough time between Thanksgiving and Christmas to get everything done to prepare for the holidays. As the window narrows, the stress increases.
A new way of taking some of the stress out of the holidays is being offered for the first time this year by the Saint Nicholas Christmas Tree lot people. Businesses, individuals and families can pre-order their Christmas trees, garlands and wreathes online right now at www.stnicholaschristmastrees.com.
An added bonus for businesses: free delivery on November 24 or 25. Everyone else who pre-orders can pick up their trees on November 24 or 25 at Abbott’s Thrift parking lot.
The lot officially opens to the general public on November 27 and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday.
The St. Nicholas Christmas Tree lot has been a fundraiser for St. Lawrence Academy and Valley Churches United Missions for the past three or four years. For more information, go to their website shown above, or call 252-2682.
County Employee Recognition Awards
Each year, the CountyBoard of Supervisors recognizes County employees for outstanding efforts while working for the County of Santa Cruz.
Members of the public are invited to nominate County employees for a recognition award. All nominations must be received by noon on Friday, December 11, 2015.
Online nomination forms with additional information about the program can be obtained by visiting the website at:
http://sccounty01.co.santa-ruz.ca.us/cao/2015/emp_awards_info_15.html.
Hard copies of the nomination form can be obtained by calling Carrie Barnett at 454-2570.
San Lorenzo Valley resident to be promoted to Sergeant at the Salinas Police Department
Robert Hampson III will be promoted to Sergeant at the Salinas Police Department on Wednesday, December 16, at 1:00 p.m. at the City Hall Rotunda in Salinas.
Hampson is a long-time resident of San LorenzoValley and was a volunteer firefighter at Zayante and Ben Lomond. He was also a seasonal firefighter at CDF and has served 21 years at the Salinas Police Department.
For more information, call 335-3822.