Dispatch Log (August 21, 2015)
Scotts Valley Police Department August 12 3:08 p.m.: A texting related traffic stop resulting in the arrest of a suspect for possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia near Kings Village Shopping Center in Scotts Valley. 5:04 p.m.: A report of assault with a deadly weapon was taken after a road-rage hit and run incident involving a car and a motorcycle on La Madrona Drive in Scotts Valley. 8:17 p.m.: A purse was stolen from a locked vehicle after the window was smashed outside of a café on Scotts Valley Drive. August 13 8:37 p.m.: A traffic stop for reckless driving on Granite Creek Road near Highway 17 resulted in the suspect being cited for a misdemeanor. August 14 2:07 a.m.: A suspect was arrested after a deputy conducted a search of their vehicle pursuant to the terms of their probation and found controlled substances on Coast Range Drive in Scotts Valley. Later the suspect was found to be concealing methamphetamines on his person at the County Jail. Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office August 12 9:49 a.m.: A suspect was arrested on West Zayante Drive in Felton after failing to comply with his sex offender registrant terms. 10:50 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for public intoxication on the 6100 block of Highway 9 in Felton. August 13 7:52 p.m.: A fight occurred at Covered Bridge Park. A male was arrested for public intoxication and a female was arrested for local warrants. The male was transported to the Sobering Center and the female was transported and booked into County Jail. August 14 11:08 a.m.: A male subject was in possession of a meth pipe and in violation of his probation terms in Felton. 11:37 a.m.: A juvenile was detained on Glen Arbor Road in Ben Lomond after deputies determined them to be a danger to themselves or others. 3:01 p.m.: Suspect was arrested for public intoxication and a probation violation on the 13100 block of Central Avenue in Boulder Creek. 4:24 p.m.: Two males detained for public intoxication at the Felton Covered Bridge Park. 7:46 p.m.: A suspect on a searchable probation for paraphernalia was arrested after a motorcycle stop on the 11000 block of Highway 9 in Boulder Creek. 11:16 p.m.: A vehicle was burglarized while a victim was hiking in Henry Cowell State Park. August 15 8:37 p.m.: An intoxicated subject was detained in Felton after deputies determined her to be unable to care for herself. 11:02 p.m.: Two subjects were arrested for assault on Clear Creek Road in Brookdale after an altercation resulted in $500 in damage and injuries to both parties. August 16 8:48 a.m.: Suspect was arrested on Conference Drive in Felton after deputies found them to have two outstanding warrants while on probation for burglary. The suspect was also in possession another’s financial and insurance information, burglary tools, a controlled substance, and drug paraphernalia. 6:04 p.m.: A female was detained for public intoxication on Mills Street in Ben Lomond. August 18 4:10 p.m.: A wallet was stolen out of a parked car on Hihn Street in Felton.
47th Annual ‘Race Thru the Redwoods’
Sunday, August 16 marked the 47th running of Felton’s own ‘Race Thru the Redwoods.’ The race starts in the day-use picnic area of Henry Cowell Redwood State Park and is actually two races: the 10k and the kids’ mile.This year’s 10k had 403 pre-registered runners, plus 40 to 50 people who signed up on race day. The mile had about 100 kids signed up, many of whom had parents running as well.“This is sponsored by the Felton Business Association so many of the people on the board of directors are involved.” says Felton Feed’s own Judy Brown, “This is one of the ways that we raise money to contribute to the community.”This year was Brown’s fourth year volunteering at the race; some of the proceeds from which go back to sports teams at the local high schools including San Lorenzo Valley High School’s track team and Scotts Valley’s High School’s Volleyball team.Although not as well known as the ‘Wharf to Wharf, which draws more than 16,000 runners annually, the ‘Race Thru the Redwoods’ has drawn some international talent.“In the past we’ve had runners from as far away as New York, Mexico and South America, “said Brown. “However they were not just in the area to race.”Sue Sutton has run the race twice before with a best time of 54:23, “I live here in Boulder Creek and I hike here [at Henry Cowell] all the time; it’s beautiful and cool,” says Sutton, “Everywhere in Boulder Creek there’s a hill, so this is nothing.”The community as a whole is very involved in supporting the race. Santa Cruz County ARES ham Radio volunteers, like Mikail Barron, could be found all over the trail on race day. “It’s a pure safety thing; we can communicate better with them here,” says member of the ‘Race Thru the Redwoods’ team Valoree Mills.“This [race] is made possible by our major sponsors: Granite Contruction, the Sereno Group, Union Bank and Liberty Bank,” said Mills. Many of the raffle prizes were also donated by local businesses, like the grand prize of the kid’s raffle: a specialized bike was donated by Scotts Valley Cycle Sport.Scott Rasmann, who has run the race twice, says, “I really like trail runs; trail races are great and there are a couple of challenging hills, plus I support the local high schools which is very important.”Rob Collins, coach of SLVHS’s track and cross country teams could be found at the starting line of the kid’s mile, helping the kids to line up successfully for the 8:10 start time.“Me and my wife are the ones who started the kids’ race,” says Collins, who was inspired by the lack of opportunity for kids to compete in the Santa Cruz Mountains, “One of the biggest enjoyments for me was — [when] my son wanted to run his first race.”The old record, from when the [10k] race began in the New Leaf Market Parking lot, was around 33:20, according to Collins. “The winning time is in the 34 to 36 minute range each year,” now.This year’s winner of the 10k, Jacob Smith, finished with a time of 39:13, but many of the runners finished after about an hour.Up-and-coming runner Ava Mehlenblocher, 6, says she planned to run the kids’ mile, “As fast as the flash.”The winner of the kids’ mile, Cory Nounnan finished with a time of 6:33 with Kai Groleau coming in a close second with the same time. However, both races gave awards by age-group with groups from 6 and under all the way up to 12 for the kids’ mile, and runners from ages 10 to 71 in the 10k.Many runners fueled up for the race with breakfast in the park catered by the Cowboy Bar & Grill in Felton, and the runners’ perks didn’t end there. All pre-registered runners got t-shirts, and all of the kids got ribbons. There were also ‘Race Thru the Redwoods’ water bottles available, and even a face painting table set up in the picnic area.Many of the children running the kids’ mile were so young that parents had to run with them, and some were even carried over the finish line. However, every runner was greeted by a cheering crowd, regardless of their time.
When a fundraising event is more than just another ‘nice time out’
On August 9, at Bret Harte Hall in Roaring Camp, Valley Churches United Missions became the gracious beneficiary of a wonderful fund raising event. More than 25 restaurants, 10 wineries, and 4 breweries served up delicious tastes and sips straight from their respective kitchens to our donors. Nearly everyone that I spoke with was complimentary and all who were there had a good time. We sincerely thank the vendors who shared their goodies and we appreciate the hundreds of donors who sold out our event.When I arrived last fall to become the Executive Director of VCUM, the calendar was essentially set and all that I needed to do was support the existing plan and learn how to execute against our various program deliverables. I did that. When 2015 began, I was focused on how to find a ‘success’ that we could point to as a turning point in our evolution as an organization. After all, the new guy would eventually have to produce something that was, well, new. Sunday was new and I was delighted. To be sure, the fund raising is important, but just as important to me right now, is how we showed up in the community, and how we worked together as a team. I’m proud that we exceeded our fund raising goal and I’m even more proud about how we worked together as a team.“Tasting under the Redwoods” required some new volunteers, with some new expertise and a whole new set of personal contacts. When I arrived at Valley Churches I observed that we had a dedicated cadre of volunteers, and many were also board members. What we didn’t have was a large number of people who were volunteers. While I saw remarkable commitment to our organization, I also observed a fairly small circle of people. I believed then and now more than ever, that our organizational strength comes from our volunteers. If you’d like to become involved with Valley Churches, we have an “All Volunteer Meeting” at Park Hall on September 24. Show up there and we’ll try and find something good for you to do.For a non-profit organization like ours to thrive, we need the trust and support from our local business community. I view that as something to be earned and cultivated by spending the donated money wisely and keeping fundraising expenses to a minimum. “Tasting under the Redwoods” wouldn’t have happened without the direct support from the restaurants, wineries and breweries. You may not know that our business sponsors, Liberty Bank, Union Bank, and The Keller Williams Team, enabled us to fund the basic event costs. Our media sponsor, KSCO, was instrumental in turning out the sellout crowd. Yes, requesting that a restaurant prepare 350 bites of something delicious to donate for charity is a big ‘ask.’ The support that we received blew us away. However, it turns out that many in our community have a personal story or anecdote that triggers a good vibe when thinking of Valley Churches. My predecessor, Annette Marcum, and the hundreds of volunteers that have come before Sunday, built that goodwill. I recognize that is a tremendous asset for us to build upon, and it is a serious responsibility to keep that support alive and healthy.There was also a wee bit of organizational trepidation to overcome last Sunday. This was a new event for us. We had no experience to fall back on when we ran across the unforeseen hurdles and all the little hassles that inevitably surface when you doing something for the first time. Indeed, we’re a stronger organization today than we were just the week prior to “Tasting under the Redwoods,” because we proved to ourselves that we are capable of doing something new and in fact we can be “bigger” if we want to be. I have high hopes for evolving our services portfolio at Valley Churches. Thinking bigger, acting bigger, and bigger fundraising are all different things. We all feel a bit better now that we’ve actually delivered this event and satisfied our sponsors and donors. Whatever new thing that comes next, it won’t quite be as daunting because of that success. For that, I’m grateful.So, to what not-for-profit purposes will the money be used to fund? At Valley Churches our calendar-year’s fourth quarter is the busiest time of the year. Historically, that’s been true for both giving and receiving. Our Thanksgiving project provides literally hundreds of Thanksgiving meals, and our annual “Valley Christmas Project” is a really a collection of giving programs for families, seniors, and others. The truth is that the money raised from “Tasting under the Redwoods” won’t go to any one program, rather it will be used to offset expenses for food purchases, which we do for much of the year; build our storm preparedness capacity; and it will fund the other giving programs. Apart from food distribution, we have rent expense, transportation assistance, medical catastrophe expenses and other catastrophic services support. Having completed this event in the third quarter will provide us with the financial momentum for going into the fourth quarter and it will likely enable a few of our volunteers to work less hours this coming Holiday season. Again, for that I am grateful.
Prostate Cancer Awareness
Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group’s website says that after lung cancer, prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in men.There are a lot of fund-raising efforts and information available for breast cancer; however, it is rare to see anything about prostate cancer awareness. Is it because women are more inclined to talk about their health issues and seek support but men tend towards macho silence?Thankfully, now in the 21st century, things are changing. Men are starting to open up and talk about their health issues. The Santa Cruz County Prostate Cancer Support Group’s website, with informational help from the American Cancer Society, is a source of vital information. Their newsletters are archived. The last issue talks abut the role of food in increasing/decreasing prostate cancer risks. There is also a list of useful online resources.The group meets on the last Tuesday of each month 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at Dominican Hospital’s Bennett and Suzy Katz Cancer Resource Center in the Education Center, Room D. Dominican Hospital, located at 1555 Soquel Drive, Santa Cruz, is now called “Dignity Health.”From Dignity Health’s website: “Our certified oncology nurses (RNs) provide guidance in sorting through questions about cancer, assistance in coordinating care, and referrals to support services, individuals with cancer and their families may set up an appointment to meet with a KCRC (Katz Cancer Resource Center) oncology nurse to discuss and personalize a program for support education and guidance.”The SC County Prostate Cancer Support Group is presenting their 7th Annual Songfest for Prostate Cancer Awareness on Saturday, September 5, 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Kuumba Jazz Center, 320-2 Cedar Street, Santa Cruz. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. This is a free concert. Donations will be accepted. Please see their ad in this paper.
Scotts Valley Art, Wine and Beer Festival a Big Hit at Skypark
It was hot! Temperatures ranged between the high 90's and low 100's, but that did not keep visitors home. Family groups were engaging with their children while the kids enjoyed the petting zoos and many other attractions. Some of the kids had their faces painted. Even leashed dogs were seen following or leading their families around the Festival grounds.
Bear stories of the Santa Cruz Mountains,
On August 14 from 5:30 p.m. to 8:00 pm, the San Lorenzo Valley Museum hosted a networking mixer with the San Lorenzo Valley Chamber of Commerce. The museum’s current exhibit, “Bear with us – Bear stories of the Santa Cruz Mountains,” was well presented with humor and excitement.The exhibit showcases grizzly bears in our region from the 1700s to the early 1900s, by which time the once-flourishing population became extinct. If you stop by the museum, you will learn about bear encounters with the human settlers in the area, the food hierarchy between wildlife and native peoples, and exactly how the bear population declined. There are hands-on activities and other interactive elements to the exhibit that will be of interest to attendees of all ages. The SLV Museum, 12547 Highway 9 in Boulder CreekCall or email if you need more information, or are interested in hosting your own networking event in the coming months. 338-8382 Email: [email protected]
Come Join Scotts Valley 4-H!
Attention: Kids from 5 to 18! Come to a meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, August 24, at the Community Covenant Church, 2700 El Rancho Drive, in Scotts Valley and join us for a spaghetti feed at 6:30 p.m. Members will be able to sign up for projects, upcoming events, and club activities.Upcoming events include many community service projects including a local beach cleanup and volunteering at the Scotts Valley Christmas Lighting Ceremony. There are great events such as the roller-skating club fun event and climbing at Pacific Edge in Santa Cruz. Additionally, fall projects such as archery, quilting, dirt track biking, wreath-making, leadership projects, ukulele, and a poultry showmanship workshop are available. Even more projects such as guitar, rabbit care, cooking, arts and crafts, Legos, beginning raising dairy goats, computer technology, chain mail and cooking are also available.With more than six million participants, 4-H is the nation’s largest youth development organization. The 4-H Youth Development Program offers many ways to improve public speaking, leadership, and citizenship skills. Members learn to achieve goals and feel proud about their accomplishments. Come and meet great new friends and learn important life skills! 4-H is a positive youth development organization that empowers young people to reach their full potential.Please go to our club website: www.scottsvalley4h.org; or email [email protected] by Irene Ervin, age 11, who is thrilled to be the Club Reporter. She plans toparticipate in archery, rabbit project, cooking and guitar projects.
Your Health: Smart Phone Medicine
It is estimated that one in five Americans have a health app on their smart phone. One of the first uses of such an app was to monitor vital signs such as a runner's heart rate, by connecting a sensor from the body to a smart phone.Smart phones are already in use to take blood pressures and even do an EKG. Currently in development is a product called iTest which will begin by testing for strep throat. This is done by swabbing the throat, placing the swab into a vial of liquid, which is then placed into the iTest device, and in turn, is plugged into the phone to be analyzed.The producers of iTest are also developing tests for HIV and MRSA, a common infection that is particularly difficult to treat. They are also working on tests for the flu, malaria and sexually transmitted diseases. Another test can detect troponin which will help verify if someone has had a heart attack. The iTest is anticipated to sell for about $150 plus the test kits.Other tests may soon be integrated with the cell phone. For blood it includes cholesterol, potassium, hemoglobin, kidney, liver, and thyroid function, and some toxins (poisons). For urine it can test for infections, protein, and HCG, a hormone to monitor high risk pregnancies. Saliva can be tested for influenza. It will even test ones breath for alcohol level, heart failure, and drugs like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and amphetamines. In development are tests for certain cancers such as lung, ovarian, breast, and prostate, which will be detected by analyzing one's breath.In the works are apps that will allow one to wear wireless sensors to detect blood oxygen and blood glucose levels, blood pressure and heart rhythms. This information can be sent to your health care provider.There is now the ability to take a picture of a rash with a smart phone and download an app to process the image and receive a text with the most likely diagnosis. Then it will advise whether you can treat it yourself or if you should see your doctor.Also in development are hand held devices that can take X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound images which will incorporate the use of smart phones.With all this being said, the goal of the smart phone’s use in medicine is not just for individual use, but has tremendous applications for use in third world countries as well as remote and resource poor areas. Some of the information I have provided may seem quite farfetched, but I do believe it will become a big part of our future. -Terry Hollenbeck, M.D., is an urgent-care physician at Palo Alto Medical Foundation Santa Cruz in Scotts Valley. Readers can view his previous columns on his website,valleydoctor.wordpress.com, or email him [email protected]. Information in this column is not intended to replace advice from your own health care professional. For any medical concern, consult your own doctor.
Plain Talk about Food: Chilled Cucumber Soup
Often I think ‘what a wonderful life I’ve had, if only I’d realized it sooner’. Too late now to make major changes; I’ve decided to make the very best of what time is left.Married soon after high school, my plans were to become a ‘domestic diva’, another June Cleaver from the Leave it to Beaver TV show. I would send my kids off to school with pancakes, bacon and eggs ‘under their belts’ while waiting for my homemade bread to rise. I would head to the garden wearing a sunhat adorned with roses over my long golden tresses and pink rubber boots to match my hat.I would collect eggs from underneath my chickens, pick green beans and my favorite vegetable, cucumbers from my weed-free garden. Then, I would milk Molly, our family goat, daily.Then, reality and time set in. Clearly, it was only a television life that was in my thoughts.Molly ate my flowers, gophers ate my string beans and cucumbers, and weeds took over my garden. Clearly, this way of life was tougher than I had anticipated.Putting my ‘old life’ behind, several years passed. In the spring of 2002, I announced to my hubby, Norm that I had been looking through a “chicken catalog” and had come upon photos of ‘Polish’ chickens. “How cute is that Norm?” I said, “you are Polish and our chickens would be Polish too.”Norm’s only experience with any animals, much less chickens, was in a live display in Chicago’s Museum of Natural History when he was a child.“NO CHICKENS,” exclaimed Hubby! His normally pleasant-looking face had reduced itself to a no-nonsense ‘dammit, I mean it’ expression.I had to move fast — those 24 chicks were due to arrive at the post office on a nonrefundable order the next day. I had to reach Norm’s reasonable and sympathetic side quickly. That would be the only way those 24 baby chicks would be mine.Norm was furious, but I continued in a somewhat cajoling and syrupy voice; “not to worry, honey.” I said “we’ll put them in the garage on a card table in a big open box, hang a light bulb overhead and watch them grow. “ I told him “It is so simple, — you’ll learn to love them.”Sure enough, the next day the chickens arrived, and as we watched those chicks being warmed by the light bulb hanging overhead, I detected a smile on Norm’s face.The next day I was hospitalized, and in an instant, Norm became the primary caregiver to 24 baby chicks.During my recovery, those 24 chicks were growing so rapidly that their cardboard home had to be enlarged weekly, until finally they became airborne, flying and pooping on our car tops, windowsills and work benches as well as on the garage floor. Norm’s anger grew as fast as did those chicks.Finally a chicken house and yard were constructed, with only one hitch — an opening the size of a four week old chicken was left, and alas, half of our precious flock was gone during the night. A pile of feathers left by the coyote told the story. Norm was happy, I was sad.As the chicks grew it became apparent that we were left with seven roosters and only five hens; six roosters had to go. “Kill my roosters,” I screamed, “absolutely not”. It seems I had fallen into the old ‘you cannot eat a chicken you have named’ trap.Soon homes were found for those roosters and only Henery was left to guard the flock.Henery soon discovered he ruled the roost. He attacked anyone and everyone who came near his hens. He crowed whenever the moon shown at 3 a.m. or when we had company on our deck. Henery was a loud, majestic, beautiful Rooster. I loved Henery, Norm did not.In 2004 we made that decision that so many make, that of moving to be near our children. What about Henery? He moved along with his girls to a neighbor’s chicken yard where, I have heard, he is living still.CHILLED CREAM OF CUCUMBER SOUP (Serves 6)6 cucumbers 8” length, peeled, seeded and diced.1 cup leeks (white part only) or sweet onions, diced3 Tbsp. butter4 cups chicken broth1-1/2 tsp. white wine vinegar2 cups half and half cream4 Tbsp. quick-cooking cream of wheat2 tsp. chopped fresh dill½ tsp. tarragon1/2 cup sour creamSalt/white pepper to tasteDirections:In heavy pot, melt the butter and sauté the onions until translucent. Do not brown. Add cucumbers, broth, farina, vinegar and herbs. Simmer 30 min. Remove from heat and puree until smooth. Stir in cream and refrigerate. Garnish with sour cream.Add chicken stock and simmer for 15 min. Cool to room temperatureIn blender add cucumber mixture and blend until smooth.
New Faces (August 21, 2015)
Verano Sky Valdivia, a 9-pound 4-ounce boy, was born to Erin and Brian Valdivia of Boulder Creek at home. He was born on July 22, 2015.Brianna Chen, a 6-pound 1-ounce girl, was born to BaoZhen Zhu and Bin Chen of Scotts Valley at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She was born at 4:46 p.m. on August 8, 2015.Ember NakitaGaddamilroy, a7-pound 1-ounce girl, was born to Rani Gaddam and Jedediah Patrick Milroy of Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She was born at 10:14 a.m. on August 15, 2015.Bennett Basile Piercy, a7-pound 12-ounce boy, was born to Cecelia Rose Basile and Andrew William Piercy, of Ben Lomond at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz. He was born at 12:57 p.m. on August 4, 2015.Logan Mitchell Bokariza, a7-pound boy, was born to Chenelle Kathleen [Becking] and Kyle Mitchell Bokariza, of Ben Lomond at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz. He was born at 12:57 p.m. on August 4, 2015.Emmanuel Omar Gutierrez, an8-pound 8-ounce boy, was born to Andrea Vanessa Longoria and Omar Alexis Gutierrez, of Watsonville at Sutter Maternity and Surgery Center in Santa Cruz. He was born at 10:14 a.m. on August 5, 2015.
Sandwich shop owner appointed to Scotts Valley Council
As Greg Wimp, the owner of multiple area Togo’s sandwich shop locations, stepped up Oct. 1 to address Scotts Valley City Council about why...
