My friendship with Judge Jeff Almquist, former supervisor for District 5, goes back many years to when he and many of us worked together on logging issues, even traveling to Sacramento to speak before the Board of Forestry. He is that rare person who has the ability to see both sides.

There has been much hype about radiation danger since the recent tragic events in Japan. Right off the bat let me dispel several common fears. As of this writing there is absolutely no need for anyone on the west coast to take potassium iodide pills to prevent thyroid cancer. There has been no significant increase in the local levels of radioactive iodine here on the West Coast, and unless conditions at the Fukushima plant radically change, it is unlikely that we will receive dangerous levels here.

Every child should have the opportunity to experience the sense of pride that comes with physical accomplishment. While not every kid will excel at sports such as baseball, soccer or football, all able-bodied kids can run. And most love it.

Recently, a well-known local high school coach made the news with the announcement that he had been admitted to a hospital for treatment of viral meningitis. Thankfully, other than feeling very miserable for awhile, he has had a full recovery.

Kylie Aquino Stasch was born to Hercell Aquino (Romero) and Jared Alan Stasch of Scotts Valley at 9:39 a.m. Feb. 12, 2011. She weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces, at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz.

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.

One of the more memorable experiences of my law school days occurred on the first day of Criminal Law. We students sat, thoroughly intimidated, in the huge lecture hall as our nationally renowned professor introduced himself. In the middle of that introduction, however, a woman ran onto the stage crying melodramatically for help. A few seconds later, another woman appeared chasing the first woman around and around the stage. Finally, the pursuer yelled, “Eat lead you dirty dog,” pulled out a cap pistol and fired about 20 shots at the first woman. After firing all of her caps, she ran off stage, all the while laughing maniacally. Meanwhile the first woman stumbled around for a few minutes pretending to die with 20 slugs in her. When she finally expired, a couple of students dragged her off by the feet and our professor resumed his lecture.

Roudon-Smith, a local Scotts Valley winery on Bean Creek Road, has recently changed hands. Annette Hunt sold her half of the Roudon-Smith label to her partner, Al Drewke, and has started anew with the winery under a fresh label, “Skov.”

The leader of the U.S. banking system, Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke, tells us that inflation isn’t a problem – that Americans’ cost of living is rising by less than 2 percent a year. I don’t believe it.