Early next year, Scotts Valley residents will weigh in on the lofty goal of maintaining a small-town character, while meeting the financial realities of operating a city.

The solid approval by California voters of Proposition 51, authorizing up to $9 billion in bonds to fund new schools and school renovation projects, allows Scotts Valley Unified School District officials to go forward with plans to seek up to $6 million of that bond money to build a new gym at the middle school. Fifty-six percent of county voters endorsed the proposition

Boulder Creek residents overwhelmingly voted to levy a $35 parcel tax to buy new equipment for the Boulder Creek Fire Protection District.

Measure D, which would levy a new half-cent Santa Cruz County sales tax to fund $17 million a year in transportation improvements, hovered just above the two-thirds margin required for approval this week.

Scotts Valley Unified School District Board of Trustees President Michael Shulman was re-elected to a third four-year term, leading all candidates. He will be joined by three new trustees on the five-member board.

Former city finance director Jack Dilles ousted three-term incumbent Dene Bustichi in the Nov. 8 Scotts Valley City Council election.

The Valley Women’s Club and the Monterey Bay Air Resources District again joined this year in honoring young artists in the San Lorenzo Valley Unified School District, grades K-12.

San Lorenzo Valley defeated Santa Cruz 43-9 on Oct. 28. The Cougars, 6-3 overall and 3-1 in league play, host defending Santa Cruz Coast League champion Aptos on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 2 p.m.

Former San Lorenzo High School science standout Zoe Wambaugh took her research expertise on a historical 65-day voyage to the North Pole this summer aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Healy.