When to pick your grapes is an extremely important question and with harvest season right around the corner it’s something that wine makers will soon be asking. It’s a decision they must make every harvest because it will in part determine what kind of wine they are trying to craft. They must take into consideration Brix, weather, tannins, ripeness and much more.

The average human being can make hundreds of friends in a lifetime.

Waylon Andrew Smith was born to Lyndsey and Ryan Smith of Fresno at 8:30 a.m. July 11, 2011, at their home. He weighed 8 pounds, 8 ounces. Waylon’s father is a 1998 San Lorenzo Valley High School alumnus.

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.

I want to bring to your attention a TV program to be aired soon, which provides a look at California’s amazing response to the recent H1N1 swine flu epidemic. Station KRBC will be broadcasting this program Tuesday, Aug. 16, and again Aug. 25, a Thursday.

While this column typically focuses on sustainability at the local level, let’s take a step back and look at the overall health of the U.S. economy and our political discourse.

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.