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- Mateo Cruz Johnson was born at 6:07 a.m. Aug. 20, 2012, to Noelia Poblano and Adam Robert Payne of Scotts Valley. He weighed 7 pounds, 12 ounces at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz.

In a recent column, I said that antibiotics are usually not necessary to treat most upper-respiratory infections. I have been asked to discuss antibiotics in more detail.

A week or two ago, a Scotts Valley family received an early Christmas present — a couch, chair and love seat. It was an anonymous gift. A Good Samaritan you ask? Afraid not. The furniture was beaten up and useless, deposited on the property by someone too lazy or cheap, but likely both, to drive to the dump.

A few months back, I wrote a column on the law regarding good Samaritans. It was partly inspired by an incident in my late teens while driving with my good friend, Jake, who thought we had hit someone with his car. For those with a very keen memory, they will recall that Jake was the only one in our car of five teenagers who instantly sprinted back to see if he could help whoever had been hit.

Outside my window, the forest pansy redbud has started to display its spectacular orange fall color.

- 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.

School discipline has been in the news recently.