How Do I Love Thee?   Robert was an unknown writer.  One day he ran across a volume of poetry that moved him so much, he wrote to the author: “I love your verses with all my heart, dear…”

26-year old George Leece is a U.S. Army Veteran. He served from 2013 to 2017, including one deployment to Afghanistan, but after his four-year contract was up, Leece wanted to earn his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He enrolled at UCSC and decided to put his experience in the military to good use as a veterans' advocate. Leece joined the Veterans Service Office (VSO) as an intern two years ago, and in that time, he has represented all veterans of all ages and all eras. (The VSO is a county office, and they facilitate between the county and the Veterans Administration.) For a young man with a deployment behind him and his whole life ahead of him, Leece is an interesting mix of youth, knowledge, experience and a desire to do the right thing.

Community connections between our young and the older members are developing throughout Scotts Valley, due to a blossoming partnership between Scotts Valley High School and the Scotts Valley Senior Life Association.  I met with Michelle Stewart, SVUSD Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services and George Haas, Vice President of the Scotts Valley Senior Life Association.  While we chatted about Stewart and Haas’ hopes for the new partnership, Jackson Sutter, a SVHS senior and IB candidate, filmed and occasionally chimed in with his own personal perspective on the new partnership.  SVSLA is a nonprofit that focuses on the education and health of senior citizens throughout Scotts Valley.  They provide AED defibrillators throughout the community, umbrellas throughout the senior center, and they sponsor workshops, like an upcoming Election Information Program on January 25th.  

Put on your party dress, grab your favorite fun-time date, and join Scotts Valley Middle School PTA President Farah Theissen as she and her crew host the Winter Fest Wine & Beer Tasting Fundraising Celebration on Saturday, February 1st from 6:30pm to 8:30pm. This inaugural event will be held at the Four Points by Sheraton on Scotts Valley Drive, and Farah’s ready for all of y’all to come out and support the SVMS student body.