From a fire in a trash can to music on the mountain
In 2006, the fire escaped from the trash can to destroy the library on the San Lorenzo Valley High School campus. Valley residents, led by George Wylie, a SLVUSD school board member, passed a bond measure in 2008. The proceeds were used to build a new library and make improvements to the then-existing Center of Performing Arts. Cost savings achieved in the library construction enabled the district to raze the old PAC and build a new and state-of-the-art PAC that seats 215 patrons. The new SLV PAC opened in February of this year.On September 13, at 4:00 p.m. the San Lorenzo Valley Foundation for Education will bring Music on the Mountain to the San Lorenzo Valley by inviting Espressivo, a 17 piece orchestra to perform at the new, state of the art PAC located on the SLVHS campus. Espressivo will be led in a program of works by Mozart, Ibert, Wagner and Hindemith by Michel Singher, who has conducted seventy operas in hundreds of performances in Europe and America, and has led many orchestras, including the Berlin Radio Symphony, Seattle Symphony and the Oberlin Orchestra in a performance at Lincoln Center. This concert will bring to the valley a first of its kind musical performance by world class musicians whose current and prior affiliations include orchestras from San Francisco to Belgium and Israel, and will feature Roy Malan, Espressivo’s concertmaster, recently retired concertmaster of the San Francisco Ballet — and current lecturer at UCSC; Arnold Gregorian, recently retired from the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra; Julie Green Gregorian, Baltimore Symphony; Stephen Harrison, Ives Quartet at Stanford University; Susan Volmer, Sacramento Philharmonic; and Linda Burman-Hall, Santa Cruz Baroque Festival. The San Lorenzo Valley Foundation for Education supports San Lorenzo Valley students in The Arts, Math, Science and Technology through community sponsored grants, scholarships and contributions. This concert is a benefit for SLVUSD schools, and will mark the kick-off of a series of semi-annual performances being planned for the new SLVH PAC. Come listen to Music on the Mountain on September 13.
State attempts to help educators during Common Core transition
Ever since California implemented Common Core standards for public education, there has been a change in the way information is presented to students.As with all things, change brings about a learning curve on how to best implement the new program. The evolution in workbooks and overall curriculum only started to become noticeable to parents during the last school year.Common Core standards, which began to take root in 2009, aim to better prepare students for real life by improving their comprehension of language arts and math.Last week, California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson announced an updated online publication to aid teachers in their transition to Common Core.“California is leading the nation by developing an integrated ELA/ELD Framework and making it widely available. This will help improve literacy instruction, a critical element of preparing California students for college and careers in the 21st century,” Torlakson said.According to Educational Therapist Cheryl Ruyle, Common Core is a necessary transition for students. And the change has even impacted her private practice in Scotts Valley.“The hardest part about teaching to the new standards is getting parents to understand what the standards are all about,” she said. “It’s just a huge, mental shift for parents — we didn’t learn this way, and we don’t know why our kids have to.”Part of the reason for the transition to Common Core is because today’s world exists in a digital age, where information is exchanged rapidly. The ways of the past no longer apply, and overall understanding of how things work together is now more crucial than ever.In her years of teaching, Ruyle observed that the students focus on memorizing the information, rather than comprehending it fully. And Common Core’s goal is to improve comprehension.“The process of reading a text, analyzing it, and taking notes for “The Great Gatsby” is at its core the same process of reading, analyzing, and taking notes for one’s science text book,” Ruyle said. “But students have trouble seeing the connection. They learn skills in isolation, and rarely learn to connect their content across subjects.”The most recent online update Torlakson unveiled specifically focuses on the English Language Arts/English Language Development Framework for California Public Schools (ELA/ELD Framework), which was originally implemented by the State Board of Education in 2014.The improvements, promised to be user-friendly, can be found online at www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/cf/elaeldfrmwrksbeadopted.asp.And though the improved framework is aimed to assist all students, Ruyle said that not everyone learns in the same way. In her practice, Ruyle faces students with learning differences, who tend to have the most trouble with the higher thinking expected from Common Core.“The difficulty of being a teacher is always having to find that middle ground, where you are targeting the “average” student and then differentiating for students who need more support and students who need more of a challenge,” she said. To delve further into Common Core and learn how to teach it, visit the government’s www.digitalchalkboard.org. The website, targeted for teachers, is open to explore. Homeschool and alternative education families may also glean from this resource.Be prepared to spend some time learning while there. From a quick look, Ruyle said she noticed it would take language arts teachers 27 hours of lessons to complete two ELA and Assessment modules. That learning time can become even longer for a teacher who works with non-native speakers.“I don’t see a lot of teachers being able to devote that amount of time to working through the modules, unless they were given specific professional development days to do so,” said Ruyle. “The modules seem like a good idea in theory — there are online discussion boards where teachers can collaborate together on teaching to the new standards — but I question how often teachers will actually use this.”For more information about the most current Common Core developments at California Department of Education (CDE), and Tom Torlakson, follow the organization at cde.ca.gov, Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.To learn about Ruyle, visit www.cherylruyle.com
A visit to the Felton Covered Bridge Park
If you are a visitor to Felton and want to know where to go, you might check out the Santa Cruz County’s web page to read about the local parks. It describes The Felton Covered Bridge Park as being “one of the few left in the state!” It says: you can “walk on the path, picnic or BBQ, play volleyball, use the playground, or one of the large, grassy areas.” It also promises that fishing with proper licenses is allowed and that restrooms are available.” You will also be told that the park is open from 8:00 a.m. to sunset and there are 32 parking spaces available.Maybe you plan to pick up supplies at the Safeway grocery store across the street from the park for a family BBQ. If so, you may have a hard time in locating the BBQ facilities once you arrive at the park.A 35 year resident of San Lorenzo Valley, Feltonian Ken Lewis is disappointed that he can no longer take his family to the Felton Covered Bridge Park to BBQ. Although he can still walk his dog there usually twice per day, he can no longer use the BBQ pits. They have been removed.Lewis believes that high level of vandalism and misuse of the park equipment is the reason why the BBQ pits were removed along with two of the park tables at either end of the park. Lewis said that he called Bruce McPherson’s office (5th District Supervisor) and talked to his assistant Robin Musitelli about the park issues.Lewis notes that there are many people who appear to be over indulging in alcohol and taking drugs who become belligerent when spoken to. He said he has seen the sheriff’s deputies approach them, but does not see the problem go away. “It is just disappointing for lack of enforcement. We need someone there all day writing citations,” he said.Lewis laments the irresponsible show of public drunkenness and the use of hard drugs. He recognizes that only about 20% of the homeless or near homeless from the Felton or San Lorenzo valley fit that description.
Obituary
Barbara Nancy (Martin) Guerrero Barbara Nancy (Martin) Guerrero made her way to heaven on June 9, 2015.Barbara was born July 23, 1941 in Syracuse, New York, where she grew up. In her early 20’s, her adventuresome sprit took her to San Francisco where she spent many years pursuing various occupations and eventually marrying. Barbara moved to Bakersfield in 1975 raising her five children.She was very creative. She enjoyed needlepoint and loved helping her kids redecorate their rooms in whatever colors they wanted. Barbara managed a clothing store; was co-owner of a diet food store; helped to manage El Chile Verde restaurant; and enjoyed many years working as a saleswoman at Best Rents. Barbara willingly relocated to help raise her grandchildren. She spent time living in Clovis and Fresno, taking care of her grandson. Eventually Barbara moved to Flagstaff, where she spent the balance of her years helping to raise her granddaughters. She also spent time in Santa Cruz with her baby granddaughter. She loved her animals and considered them to be her ‘children.’ Barbara had many friends in Flagstaff including people that lived in her apartment complex and her various doctors and therapists. Barbara’s family has received many condolences from these people. Barbara loved her children and grandchildren deeply and to her they were her greatest accomplishment. She was so proud of everything they did and was always their strongest supporter. She leaves behind two sons Emmett Guerrero and Tomas Guerrero, three daughters MaryAnn (Ron) Froehlich, Jennifer Guerrero and Christine (Karl) Rohrkemper and grandchildren, Jordan, Alec, Sage, Madison, Tanner and Stoli. Barbara is truly missed by those closest to her.
Dispatch Log (August 14, 2015)
Scotts Valley Police DepartmentAugust 611:53 a.m.: Two vehicles were vandalized incurring $800 in damage when screws were placed in the tires. The vehicles were parked next to the SV Parks and Recreation building and the incident may have been in retaliation to the closing of the Scotts Valley Skate Park.8:11 p.m.: An intoxicated male with a rolling suitcase was arrested for public intoxication near a fast food restaurant on Mount Hermon Road.August 710:33 a.m.: A wallet was stolen from a car at the Spring Lakes Mobile Home Park in Scotts Valley.9:21 p.m.: A fight at a movie theatre in Scotts Valley resulted from an intoxicated suspect seeking a refund.Santa Cruz County Sherriff’s OfficeAugust 51:30 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for outstanding warrants, violation of probation and for possession of burglary tools on Willowbrook Drive in Ben Lomond.August 63:15 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for public intoxication on the 6000 block of Highway 9 in Felton.August 78:14 a.m.: A suspect was arrested for shoplifting on the 6200 block of Graham Hill Road in Felton. A pair of metal knuckles was found in the suspect’s purse.2:27 p.m.: Suspect was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon and felony vandalism on the 6200 block of Graham Hill Road in Felton.August 83:58 p.m.: Two men were arrested in Felton, one for public intoxication and the other for an outstanding bench warrant.11:41 p.m.: A golf cart and other items valued at $3750 were stolen from the 16900 block of Highway 9 in Boulder Creek.August 912:10 a.m.: A suspect was arrested for driving under the influence after a traffic stop in Scotts Valley.August 108:30 a.m.: A subject was detained after deputies found her to be a danger to herself on Redwood Drive in Felton.12:51 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for a violating the terms of his probation in Boulder Creek.5:46 p.m.: During a car stop, a felon on supervised release was found to be in possession of an unregistered and loaded firearm and arrested in Boulder Creek.August 117:28 a.m.: $488 in items was stolen from a home on Mellow Hollow Road in Lompico.5:02 p.m.: A juvenile was detained in Boulder Creek after deputies determined him to be a danger to himself.10:45 p.m.: A suspect was arrested for driving under the influence after deputies went to investigate a report of reckless driving on the 6600 block of Highway 9 in Felton.
Back to School Roundup – Part 2:
Scotts Valley High School555 Glenwood Drive in Scotts Valleyhttp:/svhs.santacruz.k12.ca.us/Led by Principal Valerie Bariteau, the school continues to thrive. This year, enrollment is up to 850 students which exceeds the previous year by 60 students.Asked what is new, Bariteau said that they have five new instructors. In Humanities, there are two new people teaching history. They are Kirk Jennings and Andrew Ligeti. The new Mathematics teacher is Vito Chiaramonte. Two new Physical Education and Health teachers are Lewis LaHood and Megan Hill. In the World Languages subject area, Sudha Schneiter will be teaching Spanish.A new position brings another staff member. The school now will have a full time counselor. This position is filled by Sarah Hershey. “We are very happy to have her,” said Bariteau.Alongside the other schools in the Scotts Valley Unified School District, Bariteau says that SVHS will continue with refining their Common Core Math Curriculum standing. “This year we have reached the Math 3 level.”“We have added a new science course, ‘Introduction to Environmental Science’,” explained Bariteau. This class will be for students who want to know more about science without having to become a scientist to enjoy the subject.Bariteau was very excited to explain the function of a School Resource Officer, since they have a new one. His name is Chris Culwell and he is a Scotts Valley Police Officer. Being on staff, Culwell will be a resource to Staff, Teachers in the classroom and for students. “He will be able to respond to student’s questions about ‘youth and law’ concepts,” she said. “It has been at least seven years since we have had an SRO on staff and we are all very happy to have Chris,” explained Bariteau.St. Lawrence Academy6184 Highway 9 in Felton335-0328http://www.stlawrenceacademy.comMonday, Aug. 24 is the first day of classes at the private kindergarten through eighth-grade campus in downtown Felton. The first day will be a minimum day from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m.Representatives were unable to be reached before the Press-Banner’s deadline.Vine Hill Elementary School151 Vine Hill School Road in Scotts Valleyhttp://www.vinehill.santacruz.k12.ca.us/438-1090When Vine Hill Elementary School opens its doors on Wednesday, Aug. 24, Julie Ebert, Principal, will have added a new kindergarten class. “We are pleased to welcome Megan Prather to teach this new class,” said Ebert. Ebert said that Julie Ross will be teaching first grade. Moving from first grade to second is Yasmine DeCleve who will be job sharing with Jacqui Weiss. In the third grade, Ebert welcomes Katie Blue who comes from Santa Cruz County Schools. Hannah Walsh moves from the fifth grade to the fourth grade and Angelique Bright goes from third to the fifth grade. Ebert is looking forward to a fabulous year with these staff changes.Last year there were about 530 students enrolled, this year the number is at 568 and growing.Ebert says that they continue to implement their one to one device program for the third through fifth grades with Chromebooks. The District funded a portion of the project and the remainder was funded by a very generous PTA.San Lorenzo Valley Elementary School7155 Highway 9 in Feltonhttp://sle.slvusd.org/335-4475When school starts on August 24th at 8:20 a.m.,Principal Shannon Calden will be proud to introduce nine new staff members. Daniel Brenner and Megan Glover will be teaching the fifth grade. In the fourth grade the new teachers are Laura O'Sullivan and Lauren Romano. Jessica Curcio will be teaching science to the fourth and fifth grade. Heather Odegard is on board to teach the first grade and Hayley Winkleblack will teach Transitional Kindergarten. Special Education will be taught by Dawn Mikolyski and Ben Beck is the new Instructional Aide.Calden says “our focus for the year will be to continue implementation of the common core standards” In doing so, she said that they will “use technology as a tool for students in the classroom, and focus on college and career readiness for all students.”“We are expecting 640 students TK- fifth grade this year” said Calden.Calden lists the class schedule for all TK-fifth grades:First - third grade - 8:20 a.m. - 2:15 p.m.Fourth - fifth grade - 8:20 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.TK and Kindergarten - 8:20 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.First - fifth will be dismissed at 1:25 p.m. every Wednesday.Brook Knoll Elementary School151 Brook Knoll Drive in Santa Cruzhttp://www.brookknoll.santacruz.k12.ca.us/423-2454In his second year at the helm as Principal, Josh Wahl welcomes 540 students back to school. He is pleased to introduce Haley Eggleston as a new First Grade Teacher. Beth Gray is continuing as the Special Education Preschool Teacher, covering for maternity leave of absence of the prior teacher. Amber Julien is joining the staff as one of the two Multi Grade teachers in Room 1.Along with Vine Hill Elementary School, BKES increased Chromebooks so that all 3rd, 4th and 5th grades have class sets.Classes at BKES start on Wednesday, August 26.BKES will be hosting a ‘Meet and Greet’, on Tuesday, August, 25 from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., where students and parents can come and meet the new teachers and check out the classrooms.Back to School Night will be held on September 2, in the early evening.First Day Packets are currently available for pick up and REagle (Registration Days for Eagles) are scheduled for August 19 – 20. Details are on the Brook Knoll website: http://www.bk-scottsvalley-ca.schoolloop.com/ Baymonte Christian School5000-B Granite Creek Road in Scotts Valleyhttp:/www.baymonte.org438-0100Baymonte Christian School is an interdenominational Christian school for children between preschool through the eighth grades. Principal Steve Patterson said that this year that Jared Fujishin will be teaching ‘Bible’ to the sixth through eighth grades. New also, is elementary teacher Megan Torchio who will be teaching the third grade.Boulder Creek Elementary School400 Lomond Street in Boulder Creekhttp://bce.slvusd.org/338-6413Denise Fosburgh, Principal, reports that “each grade level will enjoy a new teacher. We have a total of seven new teachers,” she says. “Some of them have relocated from other teaching positions and others are brand new to the profession.”Fosburgh said that at least twelve of her teaching staff attended advanced training courses at other institutions during the summer on their own time. “They are excited about what they learned and are looking forward to sharing it with their students,” said Fosburgh.A total of 525 students will commence classes on August 24 when school starts.Scotts Valley High School555 Glenwood Drive in Scotts Valleyhttp://www.svhs.santacruz.k12.ca.us/439-9555Please contact the school for a new bell schedule. Some classes may be starting five minutes earlier than the previous year.San Lorenzo Valley Charter School7101 Highway 9 in Feltonhttp://charter.slvusd.org/336-8527Led by Charter Administrator, Rhonda Reed-Schlosser, SLVCS, provides a variety of learning experiences.SLV Charter is an umbrella school that includes Nature Academy, various homeschool programs: Quail Hollow, Fall Creek, Coast Redwood middle and high schools, and Mountain Independent Study. “Two of the hybrid homeschool programs, BC and SLV Homeschool, are blending together this year to create the Quail Hollow Homeschool program,” said Reed-Schlosser. The schools enroll students ranging from kindergarten through 12th grade, and implement the same type of Common Core curriculum as seen at the more traditional schools. All of the programs continue to enhance the students’ core curriculum with thematic courses, field trips and enrichment experiences to better support their academic and social-emotional development. The school received their first WASC accreditation at the end of last year. WASC stand for the Western Association of Schools and Colleges. "WASC accreditation recognizes schools that meet an acceptable level of quality, in accordance with established, research-based WASC criteria," explained Reed-Schlosser.The 2015-16 school year starts on August 24 with an opening enrollment of 300 students. Asked what is new, Reed-Schlosser announced “We have hired a new math teacher, Brian Heery, who has extensive experience teaching math from fifth grade through pre-calculus, as well as a background teaching physics and Aikido.” They are also completing the hiring of additional teachers for their Quail Hollow campus. Julie Walker is their new Administrative Assistant, and Tarah Locke has been hired as a part-time secretary.
Football Hell Week
Hell Week language is scary. The drill descriptions are strong enough to put the fear of retribution into any young football player’s heart. Found on the coach’s advisory web site are these Hell Week ‘two-a-days’ drills:Discipline: Up downs, Suicides, Running (a lot, like 2 miles non stop), Death valley bear crawl (bear crawling with someone on your back)Hard hitting: Bull in the ring, Hitting tackling dummyBlocking: Pushing the sled, One-on-ones So the lingo is often scary. If you were in some other location where the coaches might have a ‘drill-sergeant’ like attitude and a ‘what-won't-kill-you-will-make-you-stronger’ mentality, those deadly terms were often prophetic.In 2003, heat-exhaustion deaths made the National Collegiate Athletic Association prohibit ‘two-a-days’ on consecutive days during the first five days of practice. NFL eliminated them all-together.In local high schools, the first few days are without helmets and padding, to ease dehydration.Both San Lorenzo Valley and Scotts Valley high schools started football practices on Monday, August 10. Led by head coaches, respectively, Dave Poetzinger and Louie Walters, both teams prepare for the first competition – Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League's 2015 ‘FOOTBALL JAMBOREE’, to be held on Friday, August 28 at 5:30 pm at the Cabrillo College.Scotts Valley has a really ambitious preseason schedule, highlighted by the September 18 game at the 49’s Levi Stadium vs. Watsonville HS.On a sad note, it seems the Falcons’ new sports complex won't have the stadium lights as planned, due to a threatened lawsuit by the neighboring residents. In the past, Santa Cruz High School faced a similar predicament when their lights were to be installed. They solved their problem by using lower poles and special lighting with modifiers that prevent excessive light-spillage outside of the stadium. Perhaps not all is yet lost for the Falcons.
IOOF Summer Softball League
Two championship games for the Independent Order of Odd Fellows San Lorenzo Valley Men's division Softball League were played last Wednesday at the Highlands Park in Ben Lomond.In division B, two underdogs – third at the regular season's end, the Sharks met the fourth place Mountain Mechanics, who held a seemingly comfortable lead through the championship game's first 6 1/2 innings, and went into the bottom of the seventh with a five points lead. But then the Sharks, known for the last inning rallies, loaded bases twice and, with fewconsecutive single runs, started chipping away at the Mountain Mechanics lead. With two out and some outstanding last ditch defense, though, the latter prevailed, 15 - 14, and claimed the championship.Chris Amos was a winning pitcher, Sharks' Robert Smith the losing one.In the division’s A game, Mud Dogs beat the Flingers 12 - 9.
One Week in Hell, a look into SLV Water Polo’s Hell Week
As the school year approaches, San Lorenzo Valley High School’s water polo teams are being whipped into shape. This abrupt end to the tranquility of summer comes in the form of Hell Week, five days of intense practices to prepare for the upcoming season.
Letters to the Editor
Dear EditorRE: New Funding Challenges for School Parent GroupsSafeway has been very good to our schools in the San Lorenzo Valley. The High School alone has raised over $50,000 over the last four years through the Safeway eScrip program, and the staff at our local Felton store have been very supportive and helpful during the Back-to-School fundraisers.Unfortunately, as of August 1, the corporate office of Safeway has decided to discontinue its relationship with eScrip. This means that the parent groups at BCE, SLE, SLVMS and SLVHS will be looking for other fundraising activities this fall and beyond, so that they can maintain support for the schools.If you have a student enrolled in any of our schools, please pay special attention to information on how you can sign up to the other passive fundraisers run by the school, and consider giving additional support to the fundraising events.Safeway has said it remains committed to funding projects which are important to local communities, so please show your support for our schools on www.Safeway.com and find the Contact Us page.Jill Collen, SLVHS Cougar Parents ClubMelissa Avilla, SLVMS Panther ClubBrandy Escott, SLVE Bobcat ClubTammy Schultz, BCE Parents Club o The Editor, As a hiker and 34 year Bonny Doon resident, I would love to see the Bureau of Land Management’s Coast Dairies unit added to the existing California Coastal National Monument.This will be accomplished by legislation just introduced by California’s Senators Boxer and Feinstein. I believe this upgrade to Monument status will bring additional protections and resources. Since I live adjacent to these BLM lands I want this higher level of protection as the unit is opened for public access. As a State Parks volunteer docent, I appreciate that nearby Big Basin Redwoods and Wilder Ranch State Parks have extensive trail systems. However, continuing population growth means that additional high quality natural areas like this National Monument expansion need to be given maximum protection now. The National Monument will provide much needed educational and trail user opportunities with expansive ocean views from its coastal meadows, woodlands, creek canyons and upland redwoods, while protecting Native American cultural sites Barry Grimm, Bonny Doon Dear Editor,I want to thank Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein for their effort and leadership in working with local community leaders to establish the Cotoni – Coast Dairies National Monument. This elevated status upgrade to the Coast Dairies property will allow for federal protections in perpetuity and make access free and open to everyone. It is of utmost importance that we protect this cherished land so that our communities can enjoy what the North Coast has to offer as well as pass on a legacy of environmental advocacy to future generations. Thank you, to Senator Boxer and Senator Feinstein, and thanks’ to you Congresswoman Eshoo for leading the way.Madeleine ConwaySanta Cruz Dear Editor,I was walking Molly, my chocolate lab on Graham Hill Rd. near the corner of Sims Rd. this morning when two lovely ladies crossed the street coming toward us. Molly, who is very skittish about everything, got “spooked" by their presence and decided to bolt. Unfortunately, she took me with her. She weighs 109 lbs., almost as much as I do, so I landed flat on my face on the gravel path. A very kind young man named Rusty from Ben Lomond was driving on his way to go surfing. When he saw what happened, he got out of his truck. Not only did he help me get back on my feet, he walked me and Molly home. Thank you, Rusty, for your act of kindness. Perhaps one day I can help you in return.Dianne Kessler,Felton
News Briefs | Published Oct. 31, 2025
Community Bridges WIC remains open during government shutdown
Community Bridges Women, Infants & Children (WIC) Program remains fully funded and operational ensuring continued support for...
