**Asher Emil Taff was born at 1:52 p.m. June 17, 2010, to Tyra Elaine (Sampson) and Lee Taff of Scotts Valley. He weighed 9 pounds, 15 ounces at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz.

There are a variety of ways to lump wineries into districts. Proximity, terroir (growing conditions) and varietals are some of the factors, perhaps even the most important, that go into the districting process. Over the next several weeks, I will define how I think Santa Cruz County’s districts should be defined.

I was riding one evening with four buddies just out of high school when the car went “bump” in the night. We all yelled, “What was that?” Jake, the driver, screamed, “It was a body.”

Back on March 23, President Obama signed the much-debated law that mandates universal health insurance coverage. Aspects of the new law continue to emerge, but what we know is that while the 10 percent tax on tanning salons might take a significant bite out of the ever-bronzed George Hamilton’s wallet (ditto for our friends at Scotts Valley’s Tanners Cove), it doesn’t exactly cover all the new costs of this bill. A slew of tax modifications and penalties will follow.

Summer is here, and many of us are exposed to an abundance of sunshine. I’d like to explain how we can best avoid the harmful effects of the sun.

Layla Nevaeh Nichole Rodrigues was born at 9:47 p.m. May 25, 2010, to Chantel A. Bex and Anthony M. Rodrigues of Scotts Valley. She weighed 6 pounds, 12 ounces, at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz.