Hopefully, our county supervisor, Mark Stone, will not approve the construction of the new La Bahia hotel in Santa Cruz. At least, not as it is presently planned, with its projected height to be four stories and blocking the ocean views of the residents on Beach Hill. The hotel could have been built by now, but the developers will not budge from their insistence that the height be well over zoning regulations. They say that they must have that fourth story for two large and, we must assume, very expensive penthouses. The new La Bahia will not be just a hotel. It will be a four-star hotel. Meaning that it's not going to be a place where the grandkids can stay and be close to the Boardwalk.

EDITOR,

I strongly dislike cats.

I have been asked many times since last week’s column which wines are good to cellar and how to tell if a wine will age well or when a wine is ready to drink. There have been many books written about these questions, but to be honest, oftentimes there isn’t an exact answer or even a “right” answer. However, there are some guidelines to follow that might help give you some success.

Submit Datebook items to [email protected], or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

My friend Syd died the other day. Sydney “Pops” Osenga was 94 years old and a resident of Mount Hermon since 1963. I first met Syd about 15 years ago, when he was a patient of mine. I felt a kindred spirit with him, and we struck up a friendship that grew over the years.

The recent arrival of two tobacco shops in Scotts Valley has caused concern for some residents, particularly parents of young and impressionable students. Some of the recent phone calls and e-mails I have received noted the close proximity of one smoke shop to our local middle school, as well as concern over the pipes, bongs and related paraphernalia often associated more with the drug culture than tobacco use. The smoke shop near the middle school offers ice cream snacks, which one parent likened to an attractive enticement for curious students.