Community

My recent column on ovarian cancer was for the women. This week, it’s for the guys.

There's been much in the news recently about the shigella food poisoning which was most likely transmitted by an infected employee at a Mexican restaurant in San Jose. As of this writing, there are over 180 reported cases in six surrounding counties, including three cases here in Santa Cruz.

Kiwanis of the ValleysAt our evening meeting on August 12, club members were pleased to present the winner of the Grabill scholarship a check in the amount of $1,000. Danielle Parsons attends Scotts Valley High, and is a member of the Kiwanis affiliated Key Club. Her academic excellence and dedication to community service made her qualifications outstanding, and she received the award. Danielle will be attending San Diego State.The club is gearing up for the next Music at Skypark concert on August 30. The anticipation for this show is huge with a lineup includes local favorites the Joint Chiefs and Extra Large. The final show of this year’s series is set for Sept 27 featuring The Bourbon Brothers and The Coffis Brothers. Shows begin at 2:30 p.m. and runs until 6:00 p.m. The concerts are free. Sponsorship donations and net proceeds from our onsite vendors benefit the music programs in our local schools. Concert day volunteers are needed. If you can help, please contact us at http://www.kiwanisofthevalleys.org/Kiwanis meets 7:00 a.m. every Wednesday morning at Bruno’s BBQ. The second Wednesday of each month is an evening meeting at Bruno’s at 6:30 p.m. We invite you to join us.   Exchange Club of Scotts Valley The Exchange Club of Scotts Valley is currently assisting The Scotts Valley Police Department with the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Golf tournament Friday on August 21. D.A.R.E. is a curriculum that is taught to 5th grade students in the Scotts Valley School District. D.A.R.E. has a common objective of teaching students life lessons that they can use every day. These lessons include building self-esteem, learning assertiveness, managing stress, and reducing violence. D.A.R.E. lessons also include saying yes to positive alternatives and making decisions about behaviors, as well as resisting drugs, alcohol, gangs and other negative situations.Community support of D.A.R.E. through our golf tournament is greatly appreciated and helps make Scotts Valley a safer place for our youth. Proceeds from this event also support our other juvenile programs such as Red Ribbon Week, the Junior Police Academy, etc.  The Exchange Club is in the planning stages of a trip to Estonia led by our favorite Exchange Club spouse and Estonian Piret Harmon!  The club meets the 4th Wednesday of the month at Bruno's.All are welcome. For information on any of these events please call Chris at 462-3293 Rotary Club of San Lorenzo Valley The 2014 - 15 year wrapped up with the completion of fire hydrant painting in Boulder Creek. Under the supervision of Rotarian, Janet Coit, and Fire Chief, Kevin McClish, Rotarians and high school Interact students painted over 400 fire hydrants. Rotarians partnered with the students of San Lorenzo Valley United School District and collected coins to help victims of the Nepal Earthquake. Together they raised $1,500 and donated the money to a relief fund in Nepal.  This summer, SLV Rotarians volunteered at the Redwood Mountain Fair and Thomas the Train. They participated in the Felton Remembers Parade and the 4th of July Parade in Boulder Creek. Three San Lorenzo Valley High School students were sponsored by the Rotary Club of SLV allowing them to participate in the Rotary Youth Leadership Awards camp. Students shared their experience with Rotarians in August.  The Rotary Club of SLV meets every Wednesday at 7:15 a.m. at our summer venue, 9465 Highway 9, Ben Lomond, and the future site of the Ben Lomond Bistro. All meetings are open to the public. If you are interested in joining a service organization and becoming more active in our community, Rotary Clubs throughout the country welcome new members. The following is a list of upcoming speakers: Sept 2, Traci Bliss, Henry Cowell State Park; Sept. 9, Club Assembly and Membership discussion; Sept. 16, Sibyl Cryer, Heart Math; Sept. 30, Brian Lee, SLV Water District; and Oct. 7, John Laurent, Simply CPR Training. Additional information can be found on our website http://slvrotaryclub.org/. The Valley Women’s ClubOn Saturday, August 29th, Isadora Duncan’s remarkable life and dance come alive through Duncan authority, Lois Flood, in a 7 p.m. performance at Park Hall in Ben Lomond. Isadora Duncan’s renowned life was filled with fame and great tragedy. Loved by a young Russian poet, losing her young children in a tragic car crash, honored by royalty and esteemed as an artist and as a woman, Isadora is an exciting woman in US history. The Valley Women’s Club’s Women’s Issues Committee, is honored to have Ms. Flood perform. She will be joined by well-known local dancer, Connie Kreemer for several dances.The VWC’s Hammer-Marcum Award is a renowned San Lorenzo Valley celebration, honoring volunteers who have contributed significantly to the community over many years. Do you know someone who should be honored for his or her dedication? Nominations for the Award are due no later than 5 p.m. Saturday, September 12. Nomination forms are available online at www.vwcweb.org, or at The Blind Pilot Jewelers in Boulder Creek; at Valley Churches United in Ben Lomond; at Mountain Community Resources in Felton; and at all the SLV Redemption/Recycling Centers. Remember; contribute as many details as possible to make the most effective nomination!Plan to help with the 29th Annual River & Road Clean-up, on Saturday, September 19th, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. The VWC, in conjunction with Save Our Shores, urges everyone to come help remove trash and recyclables from in and along the river and creeks, and from the roads leading to the waterways — before the rains come and wash the debris down to the Bay. Check out the VWC website for information, www.valleywomensclub.org, or call Nancy at 338-6578.