• Stryker Austin Silva was born at 8:10 a.m. July 15, 2009, to Nancy Maureen Caputo and Gavin Daniel Silva of Scotts Valley. He weighed 4 pounds, 14 ounces, at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital.

Within a short drive for most of us, there are some hot bites in the water right now. Most of the action is coming from the ocean, and Santa Cruz is at the top of the charts, with albacore, halibut, striped bass, rock fish, ling cod and even thresher sharks.

Madilyn Rose Pollock was born at 10:57 a.m. July 8, 2009, to Lacy Dee Goodman and Christopher Robert Pollock of Scotts Valley. She weighed 7 pounds, 6 ounces at Dominican Santa Cruz Hospital.

Editor’s Note: This is the second of a two-part series.

Come early and bring the entire family for dinner and a rockin’ summer evening at Skypark in Scotts Valley.

The point system used in wine judging is often viewed with a sense of suspicion and ambiguity. Are the points that are awarded legitimate, and should we care? Many people see a 92 or 93 from Robert Parker or the Wine Spectator and immediately think the wine must be high end. Typically, this is a fair assumption, but just because a wine receives a high rating doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the right wine for you.

Editor’s Note: This column is the first of a two-part series.