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Scotts Valley
September 20, 2025

House-made sandwiches make a comeback

Scotts Valley has a new sandwich company, serving a wholesome alternative to the traditional sliced deli meat sandwich.

News Briefs (June 19, 2015)

2 local students to be honored at State Capitol

Dispatch Log (June 19, 2015)

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office

Underdog Overthrows Bocci Ball Champs

After years of persistence and training, Scotts Valley Bocci Club won three games in a row to take the trophy away from Los Gatos during the May 23 9th Annual Over The Hill Tournament.

Its Just Golf: Mr. Hole-in-one

Over the last eight months, something quite remarkable has been happening at Valley Gardens Golf Course. In a stunning display of skill, grace and dumb luck, one of our long-time regulars, Bruce Barlow, has recorded four hole-in-ones since October 27, 2014. The last two occurring within a month of each other, making aces on May 3 and June 7 this year.According to his playing partner Wayne Negro, the last one was a beautiful shot with a slight draw that looked like it was going in as soon as it left the club. He also said that Bruce didn’t think it was such a great shot, yelling for the ball to “Get up!” because he thought it was too short.Adding these four aces to his previous hole-in-one from three years ago, Bruce is garnering quite a reputation around the course. When asked about the secret to his success, Bruce listed two factors.“One, it’s important to be able to kind of hit the ball,” Barlow said, “and two, you have to hit it kind of at the green. Do those two things and you have a chance.”Sounds simple when he puts it like that, but take it from me and the rest of the ace-less, making a hole-in-one is far from easy. To give some perspective to the rarity of this feat, according to a study commissioned by Golf Digest, the odds of an average player making a hole-in-one are around 12,000:1. The same report estimates that an average player needs to play about 3,000 rounds to make a hole-in-one. For Bruce to make four over such a short time period is downright miraculous.Even on a shorter course like Valley Gardens, a hole-in-one is a rare treat. Besides Bruce’s two (on holes #3 and #8), we’ve seen six others this year. In order of appearance: Susi Downing (#3), Linda Jensen (#3), Rock Velasquez (#3), Steve Hall (#9), Jeff Conrad (#7), and Brian Reynolds (#9). For an instant, these golfers achieved perfection. They made perfect swings. At that moment, not Tiger or Phil or Jack or Arnie could have done any better.One of golf’s greatest traditions is the obligatory round of drinks that come with a hole-in-one. So if you’re thirsty, come hang out when Bruce is playing, and, if his luck continues, he might just buy you a drink.

Boulder Creek gets new streetlights

By now you’ve probably noticed the new streetlights in Boulder Creek. Double acorn,

Hunter Graduates from MIT

David Scott “Scott” Hunter of Scotts Valley was among the graduates at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) commencement ceremonies held on June 5 in Cambridge Massachusetts.

The Mountain Gardener: What to Do in Early Summer in the Garden

Last week the first real taste of summer weather arrived and it was a wake up call for me.

New Faces (June 19, 2015)

Zoey Anne Hardacre, a 7-pound 10-ounce girl, was born to Rebecca Marie Rooks and Joshua Robert Hardacre of Felton at Dominican Hospital in Santa Cruz. She was born at 3:03 p.m. on June 15, 2015.

Datebook (June 19, 2015)

- Submit Datebook items to [email protected] or drop off press releases or photos at 5215 Scotts Valley Drive, Ste. F, Scotts Valley 95066. Deadline is 5 p.m. Tuesday. Entries are subject to editing, and publication is not guaranteed.

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Felton Fire Protection District

Felton Fire District faces concerns over parcel tax proposal

Felton Fire Protection District (FFPD) has been in the news of late due to the calamitous nature of its board and leadership, and the...