Flu activity seems to have quieted down recently, for which we can all be thankful. But the flu season is not over yet. Influenza is still out there.

Recent winter storms brought rain, high winds and heavy surf to the coastal waters. The large winter swells have churned the local beaches and formed new sandbars.

Two years ago, a fashion club was started at Scotts Valley High School. On Feb. 6, the club will host its student-run fashion show.

Jacob Dale Donovan was born to Talli Rae (Parsons) and Joseph Dale Donovan of Felton at 12:56 p.m. Jan. 6, 2010. He weighed 9 pounds, 7 ounces, at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz.

Kiwanis Club of Scotts Valley

Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 29 to 31

From time to time, I’ll write about various vitamins and how they affect our health. But what exactly is a vitamin?

In 1789, when Benjamin Franklin said “In this world, nothing is certain but death and taxes,” even a mind as great as his couldn’t have predicted the surreal state of our tax system at the beginning of 2010. By not properly prioritizing the legislative agenda, our Congress has failed to preempt the one-year repeal of the estate “death” tax and the inevitable mess that will ensue.